Chapter 398: Dowry Gone

"People go to eat there because it's the only place in the capital. They don't have any other options."

"Once our barbecue restaurants open, they'll have more choices. Who would still go to that little shop of Ji Yuntang's to eat?"

After speaking, he turned to look at Ji Nanchuan and furrowed his brow.

"Honored Father-in-law, if you have any difficulties, feel free to tell me."

Ji Nanchuan wanted to say that two hundred thousand taels of silver was too much and he couldn't afford it.

But since the Crown Prince had already called him father-in-law, saying such a thing would seem ungrateful.

He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "This humble official has no difficulties. Once I return, I'll have someone deliver the silver to Your Highness."

Luo Jingshen's eyes flickered, and he smiled. "Good, then I'll leave it to you, Father-in-law!"

"Rest assured, Father-in-law. Once our barbecue restaurants start making money, I'll give you a share of the profits every month. I guarantee you'll recoup your principal within two months."

Hearing this, Ji Nanchuan felt much more at ease.

He thought that since Luo Jingshen could say such a thing, he must have full confidence in the plan.

"With those words from Your Highness, this humble official is reassured!"

The two talked for a long time, and Luo Jingshen personally escorted Ji Nanchuan out of the estate.

Upon returning to the Marquis of Yongning's residence, he immediately summoned Madam Meng and asked her to withdraw two hundred thousand taels of silver for him.

Madam Meng frowned and asked, "Didn't you go to see the Crown Prince, Marquis? Why do you suddenly need so much silver?"

Ji Nanchuan looked impatient but still explained, "This silver is what the Crown Prince asked for. He wants to partner with me to open five barbecue restaurants."

"Stop with the questions. Go prepare the silver. We can't keep the Crown Prince waiting!"

Hearing this, Madam Meng couldn't help but tremble. She stammered, "M-Marquis, but we don't have that much silver in our accounts."

"How much is left? Bring it all out!"

Madam Meng looked like she was about to cry. She steeled herself and said, "All together, it's no more than fifty thousand taels."

Ji Nanchuan's eyes narrowed as if struck by lightning. "What did you say? Where did all the silver in the mansion go?"

He remembered that half a year ago, there had been three hundred thousand taels. How could it have been spent so quickly?

"Marquis, please calm down. Hear me out. In the past few months, Mother fell ill and was bedridden. I hired many famous physicians for her, which cost nearly ten thousand taels."

"Last time, when you sought out Daoist Master Yuqing, that cost one hundred fifty thousand taels. The remaining nearly one hundred thousand taels were all spent by Qing Qing. She said that since she was about to marry the Crown Prince, she couldn't keep wearing old clothes and jewelry—people would laugh at her if she went out looking like that."

"I thought the same. Qing Qing represents the face of the Marquis of Yongning's residence. How could we let others see her and laugh..."

Ji Nanchuan flew into a rage and felt like hitting someone. "And you just let her spend all one hundred thousand taels?"

"Madam Meng, is this how you manage the household for me?"

Madam Meng turned pale with fear and didn't dare say a word.

She knew that if she said anything more, Ji Nanchuan might beat her.

"Then tell me what to do now. The Crown Prince is still waiting for me to bring the money."

"If I can't come up with it, how will he see me in the future? How will he see the Marquis of Yongning's residence?"

Ji Nanchuan's eyes were bloodshot, and the more he spoke, the angrier he got. He stepped forward and kicked the table over, sending fruit and snacks rolling across the floor with a clatter.

He had only been mildly dissatisfied with Madam Meng before, but now he thought she was hopelessly stupid.

He thought it over—this matter had to be resolved, and the silver had to be provided, or he would break his word before the Crown Prince.

"Isn't the dowry you prepared for Qing Qing worth three hundred thousand taels? Take it to the pawnshop and exchange it for silver notes. Give me one hundred fifty thousand taels. I'll take it to the Crown Prince to tide things over."

Madam Meng stopped playing dumb and quickly tried to stop him. "Marquis, you can't! This money cannot be touched."

"If you give it to the Crown Prince, what about Qing Qing's dowry?"

Ji Nanchuan snorted coldly, his face dark and gloomy.

"Qing Qing and the Crown Prince are about to become husband and wife. Her dowry will eventually be brought to the Eastern Palace anyway. I'm just taking one hundred fifty thousand taels to tide things over. Once the barbecue restaurants make money, I'll redeem it for her. What's wrong with that?"

Madam Meng cried again, "Marquis, what if we can't make up the difference?"

"How can we not make it up? Qing Qing still has two months before she marries into the Eastern Palace. The barbecue restaurant can earn twenty thousand taels a day once it opens. Within ten days, we'll have earned it all back. Not only will I be able to make it up, I'll even add more."

"Even if Qing Qing finds out about this, I'm sure she'll support it."

Madam Meng couldn't argue with Ji Nanchuan, so she grudgingly went to exchange the dowry for silver.

But her moving of the dowry was eventually discovered by Ji Qingqing.

Ji Qingqing was initially angry, but when she learned that the Crown Prince wanted to open barbecue restaurants to compete with Ji Yuntang's business, she became a thousand percent supportive.

After all, if the Crown Prince made money, wouldn't half of it be hers in the future?

"Father, Mother, I agree to give half of my dowry to the Crown Prince to open the barbecue restaurants."

"That country bumpkin Ji Yuntang and that good-for-nothing Xie Liuzheng can partner up and make money from barbecue restaurants. I believe that with Father's and the Crown Prince's abilities, your restaurants will definitely earn even more silver."

Ji Nanchuan laughed heartily, his face full of pride. "Our Qing Qing is truly sensible, knowing how to share her father's burdens. I didn't raise you for nothing."

Madam Meng pawned the entire three hundred thousand taels of dowry. She gave Ji Nanchuan one hundred fifty thousand taels in silver notes and saved the other half.

That afternoon, Ji Nanchuan came to Madam Meng again and demanded the remaining one hundred fifty thousand taels in silver notes.

"The Crown Prince has already chosen the locations and bought the deeds to the shops, spending five hundred thousand taels in total."

"Next, we need to hire carpenters to make the tables and chairs and decorate the shops. Give me that other one hundred fifty thousand taels, and that should be enough!"

Madam Meng was a thousand percent unwilling. "Marquis, if you take all of Qing Qing's dowry, we won't have a single coin left to show for it. What are we going to do?"

"The Crown Prince said the barbecue restaurants will open in three days, and within a month, he'll return my three hundred fifty thousand taels of investment. Why are you still dragging your feet?"

After saying this, Ji Nanchuan ignored Madam Meng's objections and directly took the one hundred fifty thousand taels in silver notes!

No matter how much Madam Meng cried and protested behind him, he remained unmoved.

When Ji Qingqing learned of this, her mood became mixed.

She had thought giving half and keeping half was acceptable, but she never expected the Crown Prince to take her entire dowry?

She hadn't even married yet, and the dowry Madam Meng had prepared for her was already gone without a trace. If she couldn't produce a dowry when the time came, how would she face His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress?

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