Zhang Heng Prepared to Show His Skills

The next day, at Marquis Yong'an's Estate.

Zhang Heng was, after all, a fifth-rank martial artist, with a constitution far beyond that of ordinary people.

On top of that, the estate had deep reserves and spared no expense, using a treasured, top-grade healing medicine.

In a single night, Zhang Heng's injuries had recovered by seven or eight tenths.

Qin Xuehua personally carried in a bowl of ginseng soup, her voice full of heartache and resentment:

"My poor Heng'er, you suffered so much this time.

"It was all that wicked creature's fault. How could he be so vicious as to lay such a cruel hand on his own younger brother?"

Zhang Wanning gritted her teeth as well:

"Exactly! That beast Zhang Yu must have been jealous that Mother dotes on you and that you have such talent. That's why he used such despicable means to harm you.

"Did he think he could ruin you like this?

"Dream on!"

Zhang Qingyue said gently, "Fifth Brother, focus on recovering. Don't dwell on such filthy matters."

Jiang Luohan sat on an embroidered stool a little farther away. Her face managed to maintain a show of concern, but deep in her eyes lingered a trace of barely perceptible distance and disgust.

Zhang Heng's face was pale, his gaze sinister. Yesterday's fear and humiliation had not entirely faded; instead, they had fermented into even deeper resentment in his heart.

As he listened to his family and his "beloved" comfort him, and especially as they all denounced Zhang Yu, a surge of dark anger and an urge to prove himself rose in him once more.

His eyes flashed with hatred and resolve. "Didn't Zhang Yu boast that all the wealth and splendor of the Marquis Estate were secretly propped up by him alone? Then I'll show him who the real failure is."

He threw off the covers and started to get out of bed:

"Starting today, I'll take over every business, enterprise, manor, and shop inside and outside the estate.

"I'll do ten times, a hundred times better than that good-for-nothing Zhang Yu.

"I'll show him that his laughable backing and schemes are nothing but a fool's dream before me—too weak to withstand a single blow."

Seeing how "ambitious" he was, Qin Xuehua felt both pleased and distressed:

"Heng'er, your ambition has my full support.

"You're cleverer than Zhang Yu, and more talented, too. You'll surely do a thousand times better than him."

Zhang Wanning clapped her hands in approval. "Exactly! Xiao Heng can definitely do it. Let that good-for-nothing see what real ability looks like."

Zhang Qingyue gave a slight nod of agreement.

Seeing Zhang Heng perk up again, Jiang Luohan felt the distance in her heart ease a little.

With everyone's support and encouragement, Zhang Heng's confidence only grew.

He immediately summoned his personal attendant and ordered, "Someone, gather the staff. I'm going to check the books at every shop, one by one, and get a sense of how they're being run."

"Yes, Young Master."

The attendant took his order and hurried off.

With the maids' help, Zhang Heng changed into fresh clothes and was about to set out.

Just then, a deafening commotion suddenly erupted outside the two heavy vermilion gates of the Marquis Estate.

"People of the Marquis Estate, listen! At our master's command, we've come to collect the debt owed by Zhang Yu of your estate.

"The total is 768,500 taels of silver, with loan documents and agreements to prove it.

"Open the gates at once and settle the account, so we can avoid falling out!"

The Wang Family had arrived.

"What? The Wang Family? Collecting a debt? Seven hundred and sixty-eight thousand...?"

"Oh heavens, that's so much money?!"

"Look, there are so many of the Wang Family's retainers outside, and they're banging gongs, too!"

A crowd of servants quickly gathered at the estate's gates, whispering among themselves with alarmed faces.

Qin Xuehua, Zhang Wanning, Zhang Qingyue, and Jiang Luohan, who had hurried over at the sound, rushed to the front courtyard.

Hearing the shouts and gongs outside, their faces turned deathly pale, as if they had just been slapped hard in public several times, their cheeks burning with pain.

Qin Xuehua and Jiang Luohan in particular—a mistress of the estate and a minister's daughter—had never suffered the humiliation of being publicly pressed for a debt.

It was as if their faces had been stripped off and thrown to the ground to be trampled.

"Outrageous! The Wang Family has gone too far!"

Qin Xuehua trembled with rage as she pointed at the gates, her voice shrill.

"How dare they? How dare they humiliate our estate like this?" Zhang Wanning cried out sharply, furious and flustered.

Zhang Qingyue pressed her lips tightly together as she looked toward the gates, then at the ashen-faced Zhang Heng and the unsteady Jiang Luohan. Her heart turned cold.

She knew Zhang Yu's "prediction" had come true.

This was more than a debt; it was the Wang Family's long-planned revenge and humiliation.

The estate was sure to lose face this time.

Jiang Luohan was even more mortified, for the debt was registered under her name.

"Mother, don't panic."

Zhang Heng took a deep breath and forced down his fear and humiliation. He knew he couldn't lose his composure now.

The debt was backed by a written agreement, and the Wang Family had the law on its side. If things got out of hand, the estate would only be disgraced further.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "We'll... just pay it off. Let this be money spent to avert disaster. We absolutely can't let the Wang Family look down on us!"

"Exactly, we'll pay! It's not as if our estate can't afford it."

Zhang Wanning lifted her chin as she spoke, trying to preserve the dignity of a young lady of the estate.

But even so, 768,500 taels was no small sum.

Though the estate was wealthy, it would be extremely difficult to gather that much silver in cash at such short notice.

"Madam, Young Master, the cash we can access in the accounts, together with the income from the shops over the past few days, will amount to at most... 150,000 taels."

Steward Fu hurried over, wiping the sweat from his forehead as he reported in a low voice.

"150,000 taels?"

Qin Xuehua knitted her brows. It was nowhere near enough.