"I was so angry that I interfered in the pavilion's affairs and killed all the people. Did I do wrong?" Zhao Xiang looked up, staring directly at Xi Ning, his eyes filled with innocence, as if he had truly done nothing.
Even Xi Ning had never seen such a skilled liar. He sneered, took a deep breath, and said, "If I hadn't invited you here, were you not planning to take the initiative to tell me about this matter?"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Xiang was startled and hurriedly said, "Isn't the pavilion managed by A-Yao? I thought explaining it clearly to him would be enough. He wasn't angry with me either."
"Wasn't angry with you?" Xi Ning inquired.
"Uh-huh." Zhao Xiang nodded without blushing or his heart racing.
Xi Ning laughed. He originally thought this person was just a good actor, but it seemed the thickness of his skin was not something an ordinary person could match.
"You care very much about Yao'er?" Xi Ning stood up and came to his front to ask.
Zhao Xiang nodded: "Of course. I heard A-Yao was being bullied and was truly very worried. That's why I acted impulsively. It was my mistake."
Xi Ning, with his hands behind his back, said, "You were worried about Yao'er, what mistake is there in that? It's just... you killed all the people in his pavilion. Who will take care of his daily life from now on?"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Xiang's eyes lit up: "How about I send some people to A-Yao?"
Xi Ning shook his head, looking at Zhao Xiang with a seemingly smiling yet not smiling expression: "Yao'er is grown up and has his own ideas. He said he wants to choose himself. But going to select gers himself requires some silver to buy them. Recently, the city's treasury is empty, and I don't have much money on hand either. You are Yao'er's good friend, could you give him some first?"
Zhao Xiang hurriedly responded with a smile: "Naturally, I can..."
Although he agreed verbally, he found it strange inwardly.
The city lordvwas never stingy with spending money on Xi Yao, why had he suddenly become frugal about spending money for Xi Yao and even came asking him for money?
"Quite a few servants are needed, probably around a thousand taels..."
A thousand taels?!
Zhao Xiang was stunned, his eyes wide, the smile on his face frozen.
Xi Ning said with a smile: "By the way, Yao'er was frightened and still needs to see a physician. Add another few hundred taels for that."
"Over a thousand taels of silver?" Zhao Xiang stammered: "City Lord, how could I possibly have this much money?"
"Silver taels?" Xi Ning's smile did not reach his eyes, a cold intent seeping out from them: "When did I say silver taels?"
"Copper coins?" Zhao Xiang was delighted: "That's fine... I..."
"Gold." Xi Ning's one sentence cut off Zhao Xiang. Zhao Xiang looked up in shock. Xi Ning had already turned around: "A-Jin, you will go with Young Master Zhao later to retrieve the gold. Any of his accessories that are gold can be counted towards the amount."
"Yes."
"..." What did the City Lord mean by this? This was to completely strip him of his money.
"City Lord, I..."
"Weren't you concerned about Yao'er? Aren't you even willing to make this small sacrifice? You, who had never killed before, were so concerned about Yao'er that you committed murder, even killing a whole pavilion of servants... Now you're unwilling to spend some money? Or is it that you actually didn't kill those people because you were concerned about Yao'er?"
"..." Zhao Xiang was left speechless. He had previously made himself out to be so concerned about Xi Yao... even willing to kill so many people for him.
If now he was unwilling to give up all his wealth, it would prove that he wasn't that concerned about Xi Yao... meaning the killings had another purpose...
Zhao Xiang forced a smile and said: "The City Lord jokes. A-Yao and I are so close, of course I am willing."
By the time he said "willing," it was already through gritted teeth. Xi Ning, watching Zhao Xiang's fingers clench until they turned white, turned back to his seat satisfied.
"There's nothing else. A-Jin, you go with him."
"Yes. Young Master Zhao, please."
Saying "retrieve" was almost the same as searching.
The moment A-Jin arrived at Zhao Xiang's courtyard, he directly searched his room and took away all the valuable items.
Zhao Xiang watched with heartache but did not dare to stop them. He didn't dare to stop them, and others even more so did not dare to move. He watched helplessly as all the accessories bought with money taken from the pavilion were taken away...
Years of effort were all gone.
Zhao Xiang patted his chest in pain, feeling a stifling depression there that was hard to soothe.
Xi Yao! You and I are irreconcilable, sworn enemies!
Sweeping a hand across the table full of gold accessories, Xi Ning's gaze grew even colder.
He knew some things about the deputy city lord's affairs. This Zhao Xiang was not favored—at home, besides his monthly allowance, he had no other money at all... If all these gold accessories were bought with money obtained from the pavilion, he must have started embezzling money from the very beginning when the pavilion was established...
Xi Ning's gaze grew even colder.
His younger brother had been bullied for so long... What was most heartbreaking was that his younger brother had been deceived of his friendship by such a person!
"A-Jin, tonight when no one is around, gouge out Zhao Xiang's eyes and pull out his tongue!"
It was those eyes that were best at deceiving people, it was that mouth that was most skilled at clever talk and fine words.
A-Jin responded: "Yes."
"Remember, don't let anyone see you." Xi Ning instructed earnestly.
A flash of something unusual passed through A-Jin's eyes, and he hurriedly bowed his head in reply: "This subordinate understands."
"Mm, go ahead."
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