Chapter 2380: Out of His Own Pocket

But what could he do?

He could not compete with the other party.

The other party would not reason with him at all.

After a while, Lord Tian managed to suppress his anger and said coldly, “I can’t make this decision. I need to send a message back to the Emperor for instructions.”

Shao Yunduan responded, “Do as you see fit.”

Both parties parted on bitter terms.

Lord Tian requested another meeting with Tian Shanshan and the others, but Shao Yunduan rejected the request without hesitation.

He was not inclined toward leniency, especially regarding Qiao Xuan. While Tian Shanshan had harmed Qiao Xuan, Shao Yunduan did not resort to torture. Keeping her in the dark prison was punishment enough. He saw no reason to extend any further kindness.

Tian Shanshan and the others remained unaware of Lord Tian’s arrival or their relocation to Jinan City.

Frustrated, Lord Tian began to plead with Qiao Xuan, perhaps under the impression that she might be swayed by sympathy.

Qiao Xuan gave him a cold look and said, “Lord Tian, do you really think I would be soft-hearted toward someone who tried to steal my husband and nearly disfigured me?”

Lord Tian retorted angrily, “My Shanshan is not such a person!”

Qiao Xuan ignored him.

Unable to see Tian Shanshan and confined to the inn with restricted movement, Lord Tian was consumed with worry for his daughter. He felt a burning anxiety and quickly wrote a letter, dispatching it to the capital with orders for immediate action.

The Fourth Prince was incensed once again!

He was outraged that he was being asked to compensate for the cities Shao Yunduan had seized. Was there any fairness in this world?

“This is too much!”

“This traitor!”

“I shouldn’t have been so soft-hearted and raised a tiger that’s now causing trouble!”

Despite his fury, the Fourth Prince had to address the situation. He convened a meeting with his trusted ministers. The ministers exchanged glances of disbelief. How could this be so shameless?

However, the princess and the imperial envoy represented the Emperor and the imperial court. They had to be redeemed.

Had the princess not acted as she did, the Fourth Prince and his court would have condemned Shao Yunduan and demanded her release.

However, the kidnapping of Madam Shao and her transportation to the capital implied that the Emperor had likely given permission for the act. Unfortunately, this move had backfired, and the initiative was no longer in her hands.

The ministers debated for two days before reaching a consensus. They decided they could offer up to 800,000 taels of silver, but no more than a million. Lord Tian would need to negotiate hard to get the best deal.

A million or even 800,000 taels was a significant amount, and the Fourth Prince was reluctant to part with it. He grumbled internally about Tian Shanshan. If she lacked the competence, she shouldn’t have taken on such a risky endeavor.

The Fourth Prince hadn’t initially thought this way, but Tian Shanshan’s constant pleading had influenced him. He had even sent someone to accompany her into Hangzhou City. To his dismay, she proved to be so ineffective that she had jeopardized her mission, despite having been so close to securing it.

Not only did she drag him into this mess, but she also forced him to “compensate” the traitor, adding insult to injury.

The Fourth Prince was surprised to find that Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan were still unwilling to accept even this substantial amount of money. Lord Tian, knowing the Emperor well, dared not ask for more. It would be difficult to secure additional funds, especially given that it was his daughter who had caused the trouble. He feared that the Emperor might now hold a grudge against his own family for the predicament.

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