Chapter 21: Ye Xun Felt an Unusual Pain as He Cut Flesh—Losing One and a Half Beautiful Spirit Maidservants

The next day.

Ye Xun and his two servants, along with Wangcai, rose early to begin crafting soap.

Zheng Qian had gambled away his final ten taels of silver the previous night. He had returned to the Prince of Qin’s estate to knock on the door, but receiving no response, he had left again, heading straight for the gambling den.

The third day.

The sky was clear, and the weather was pleasant.

At the Prince of Qin’s estate, in the front hall, Ye Xun and his two servants were eating breakfast before starting their work.

As the three were eating, a series of urgent knocks rang out from outside the gates. This time, it wasn't just knocking; Zheng Qian’s wails of agony accompanied it.

Hearing the screams, Cao An set down his bowl and chopsticks, looking at Ye Xun with an anxious expression.

Ye Xun stood up and said in a low voice, "Let's go out and see."

He figured the time was about right. Over these three days, not only had Zheng Qian lost the twenty taels of silver, but he must have also fallen into significant debt. Ye Xun understood the psychology of gamblers like him all too well. However, after this incident and his previous attempts to steer him straight, Zheng Qian should, for a short time at least, behave himself and work honestly. As for the future, once he had more money and could recruit suitable people, he would never give Zheng Qian the opportunity to run off with funds to gamble again.

A moment later, the heavy gates of the Prince of Qin’s estate creaked open.

Zheng Qian lay on the ground, disheveled and in a miserable state, wailing as five burly men kicked and beat him. To the side, a man dressed in fine silk stood with his arms crossed, watching Zheng Qian with contempt. "You reckless piece of trash, to dare owe money to our Chang Le Gambling House! Hit him! Hit him hard! Beat him until he’s half-dead!"

Even though they were right in front of the Prince of Qin’s estate, the man showed no sign of panic. The Prince of Qin was currently the most down-and-out prince of the Great Xia Dynasty; his own backing was far more formidable than that of this discarded prince. Thus, he felt no fear.

"Stop!" Ye Xun stepped out, scanning the burly men with cold, indifferent eyes.

Immediately after, Wangcai lunged out from the gate, leaping to Zheng Qian’s side. The dog bared its teeth and growled, staring at the men with a fierce, predatory gaze.

Seeing Wangcai, the men all recoiled in fear. This dog was known to be vicious enough to kill a man.

Seeing Ye Xun emerge, the man in silk stepped forward and gave a slight, perfunctory bow. "Greetings, Your Highness. I apologize for causing a scene at your doorstep. This wretch, Zheng Qian, owes our Chang Le Gambling House fifty taels of silver. Here is the IOU." He reached into his robes, pulled out a slip of paper, and shook it open. "Zheng Qian refuses to pay and is acting insolent. I was going to take him to the magistrate, but he grabbed the door ring and refused to let go. I had no choice but to have my men drag him down to take him to the authorities."

Though the man’s words were polite, Ye Xun could tell he held no respect for him. Still, the man’s argument was logical and grounded, leaving Ye Xun, the weakened, discarded prince, with no room to object.

Zheng Qian lay on the ground, knowing he was in the wrong; he clutched his head and remained silent.

Hearing the amount, Cao An’s brows furrowed, and his anger flared. "Fifty taels?! Zheng Qian, have you lost your mind?!" He glared at Zheng Qian, feeling both pity for his misfortune and fury at his lack of self-restraint. He finally understood what Ye Xun had meant: those who are pitiable often have hateful traits.

Hearing Cao An’s voice, Zheng Qian scrambled up and knelt on the ground, weeping and begging, "Cao An, please, speak to His Highness for me. Just this once. I won’t gamble anymore, I swear on my life I’ll never gamble again! I don’t want to go to the magistrate, I don’t want to go to jail..."

Zheng Qian was filled with profound regret. If only he had listened to Ye Xun. Twenty taels of silver would have been enough for him to marry a beautiful wife. Now, not only was he wifeless, but he was also fifty taels in debt—an amount he could never repay, even if he sold himself.

Cao An’s eyes were bloodshot as he shouted, "If you knew it would come to this, why did you do it?! Fifty taels! Do you even understand what that means? Do you think your life is even worth fifty taels of silver?" He turned to Ye Xun. "Your Highness, let's stop worrying about this wretch. Let him go to prison."

As they argued, the man in silk stood with his arms crossed, watching the scene with the air of someone enjoying a show.

Ye Xun felt a sharp sting of pain in his heart. Fifty taels... that bastard Zheng Qian had actually borrowed that much. He had estimated that twenty taels would be a lot, but he hadn't expected it to be more than double his initial guess. He truly felt like having Wangcai take a bite out of the man’s manhood.

But at this moment, besides Zheng Qian, Ye Xun couldn't find anyone else, nor could he trust anyone else. Thousands of bars of soap were waiting to be sold.

Meanwhile, the man in silk smiled and added fuel to the fire. "Your Highness, is it really worth fifty taels of silver for a stinking, rotten gambler? Please, ask your dog to move aside so I can take this wretch to the authorities. If this drags on, it might affect the reputation of your estate, wouldn't you agree?"

Zheng Qian looked at Ye Xun, bowing his head frantically against the ground. "Your Highness, please save my life! I will be your servant for the rest of my days! You cannot let them take me to jail!" Having spent years in gambling dens, Zheng Qian knew the methods of these thugs all too well. They were far too familiar with the local officials; if he were taken to the magistrate, he wouldn't survive without being stripped of his dignity.

Ye Xun let out a long sigh. Hardening his heart, he waved his hand. "Cao An, take out fifty taels of silver and give it to them."

The man in silk was startled and bowed slightly. "Thank you, Your Highness." He was curious; no matter how down-and-out Ye Xun was, it made no sense to spend fifty taels on a gambler. Had he truly changed his nature after being stripped of his status as the heir apparent? Logically, fifty taels of silver meant nothing to a prince, but for the Prince of Qin’s estate, it was a significant sum.

"Your Highness, he..." Cao An gestured toward Zheng Qian, trembling with rage. Fifty taels was an astronomical sum for them, a heavy blow to their already impoverished life.

Ye Xun shook his head slightly and said indifferently, "He is your cousin, after all. Pay the money." Although he appeared calm, he was dying to drag Zheng Qian up and give him a sound beating. Those fifty taels were all his hard-earned money.

Cao An sighed, ceased his protests, and went back into the estate to get the money.

Seeing that Ye Xun was saving him, Zheng Qian was overcome with emotion, bowing his head repeatedly. "Thank you, Your Highness! Thank you for saving my life!"

Ye Xun looked at him without a word, letting him continue to kowtow.

A moment later, Cao An returned and handed the fifty taels of silver to the man in silk. The man counted it, then handed the IOU to Ye Xun with a smile. "Your Highness, here is the note. I won't trouble you any further."

He then led his five burly men away. He was in business for the money, and he hadn't received any orders to target Ye Xun specifically. Having been paid, there was no reason for him to linger.