Chapter 85: Secret

Chapter 85: Secret

"How did my family’s affairs become so entangled with Prince Huan?"

Lin Yunwan felt it inappropriate to discuss more with the steward at the Lu residence, so she told him to wait while she returned to the Chuisi Hall to write a letter to her brother.

"The family matters have been interfering with his studies lately. Steward, tell Yunyi to just reply to my letter, no need to come in person."

The steward agreed, took the letter back to the Lin family, and first handed it to Mrs. Lin to give to Yunyi.

He then went to one of the largest pawnshops in the capital to pawn the jade pendant.

The pawnshop owner, upon inspection, nodded and said, "It’s a fine piece. Please, come with me."

He led the steward to write the pawn ticket.

Writing a pawn ticket was a meticulous process, and the characters were not easily understood by laypeople. The owner wrote slowly, chatting with the steward, "Have we met before?"

The steward said, "...Really?" He looked very puzzled, "I don’t recognize you."

He soon avoided looking into the pawnshop owner’s eyes.

During the years of disaster and hardship the Lin family faced, he was a frequent visitor to pawnshops. Later, some items were redeemed, while others were not.

This time, he was only there to pawn an insignificant jade pendant and was reluctant to admit he was the Lin family's steward.

If word got out, it might start rumors that the Lin family was in trouble again.

The pawnshop owner didn’t pry further. After completing the pawn ticket, he said, "Please press your fingerprint here."

The steward pressed his fingerprint, and the pawnshop owner said, "The transaction is complete. Please take your money."

The steward nodded, took the money, and left, murmuring, "It’s the capital after all, the pawned amount is higher."

He received a few dozen taels more than what he had anticipated, which is why he agreed so readily.

The pawnshop owner, after accepting the jade pendant, told his assistant, "Watch the shop. I need to see our boss."

He took another jade pendant and went to Prince Huan's residence.

Ah Fu, hearing that the pawnshop owner had important matters to discuss and knowing that Prince Huan was in residence, informed him.

Usually, Prince Huan didn’t involve himself in business matters, leaving it to others and avoiding direct dealings with merchants.

However, hearing it was related to the Lin family, he decided to see the matter personally.

"What remarkable item have you acquired that requires meeting with Prince Huan?"

Ah Fu accompanied Prince Huan into the room, speaking on behalf of his master.

Prince Huan sat, sipping tea.

The pawnshop owner smiled as he presented two items, saying, "Indeed, they are quite extraordinary. Please, have a look."

Ah Fu, accustomed to the court and having seen many fine things, instantly recognized that one of the jade pendants was indeed exceptional. He exclaimed, "Where did you acquire such a treasure?"

He handed it to Prince Huan for inspection.

Prince Huan glanced at it and raised his eyebrows, remarking, "This isn’t from the Lin family."

The pawnshop owner quickly presented the other item, the one pawned by the Lin family’s steward.

"This is the jade pendant pawned by the Lin family. Prince, you had instructed me to look out for the family of Lin Taifu. It's been a few years since anyone from the Lin family came to pawn anything, but I never forgot your directive and ensured they didn’t suffer a loss this time."

Prince Huan, looking at the jade pendant pawned by the Lin steward, asked, "Is the Lin family pawning items again?"

Ah Fu was also surprised.

"What has happened to the family of Taifu?"

The pawnshop owner quickly replied, "It doesn't seem like it. The steward didn’t appear desperate for money, nor did he seem particularly attached to the jade pendant."

Since there seemed to be no issue, Prince Huan didn’t intervene further.

He then inquired about the other jade pendant, "Who pawned this one?"

The question concerned the jade pendant pawned by Ge Bao'er through a maid.

The pawnshop owner paused before saying, "…It’s from the household of Marquis Wuding."

"The Marquis Wuding's household?"

Prince Huan slightly frowned, asking, "How do you know that?"

Pawn tickets typically only detailed the item's weight, value, and appearance, not the identity of the person pawning it.

The owner elaborated, "This jade pendant, top-grade mutton-fat jade with first-class craftsmanship. Look at the back, there’s a leopard’s tail..." which symbolized a certain identity. In his line of work, he could recognize it at a glance.

Prince Huan remained silent.

He also recognized the leopard’s tail.

"Continue."

The owner said, "I was shocked when I saw it, especially as the person pawning it was a lowly maid. I didn’t dare accept it initially!"

He suspected the maid might have picked up or stolen this treasure from her master's house to pawn secretly.

If investigated, the prince finding this pendant in his possession might lead to blame.

"I pretended to accept it and had my assistant follow her, and to my surprise, she got into a carriage from the Marquis Wuding's household. The carriage bore the Marquis’s emblem, unmistakable. The maid was indeed from the Marquis’s household."

Prince Huan's frown deepened.

How did this jade pendant end up in the hands of a maid from the Marquis Wuding's household?

The head of the pawnshop added, "Knowing the importance of the matter, I thought the loss of such a pendant would cause a stir in the capital. But since it came from the Marquis Wuding's household, I was uncertain of what to do. After a few days without hearing any rumors, I decided to bring it here along with the item from the Lin family…"

Originally thinking it better to avoid complications, if the owner of the jade pendant truly came forward, he had planned to return it to the Marquis of Wuding’s estate and steer clear of the trouble.

But things hadn’t progressed as he had imagined, and now there was the added complication of the Lin family.

With the affairs of these two families now boiling over, he had no choice but to leave the decision to a higher authority.

If Qi Lingheng considered the matter, he ultimately accepted the two jade pendants and said, “You may return.”

Afu also cautioned, “Keep your mouth shut!”

The chief steward replied, “This humble one understands.”

He bowed and took his leave.

After the steward left, Afu returned to the inner court of the royal mansion with Qi Lingheng, expressing his confusion, “How could this jade pendant end up pawned?”

“And it was pawned by someone from the Marquis of Wuding’s household.”

Qi Lingheng fell silent for a while, his gaze deepening.

He instructed Afu, “Investigate this discreetly.”

Afu left, and soon enough, he came back with surprising news.

“Your Highness, do you remember? Twenty years ago during the Lantern Festival, the Duke of Xingguo’s family lost a legitimate daughter! This jade pendant must have been missing for about twenty years too.”

Qi Lingheng was indeed surprised, but having seen many aristocratic ladies, he didn’t pay much heed to any legitimate daughter.

Afu continued, “This jade pendant, it's said to have been pawned by a servant from the Marquis of Wuding’s estate, coincidentally while sending away… the mistress of the eldest master of the Lu family.”

He added specifically for Qi Lingheng's understanding, “It's the concubine involved in the Lu family's case of favoring a concubine over the wife.”

Qi Lingheng pondered for a moment, wondering if the mistress from the Marquis of Wuding’s estate could be the lost legitimate daughter of the Duke of Xingguo’s family?

"Don't make this public yet."

He instructed Ah Fu.

Ah Fu wouldn't dare speak recklessly.

Prince Huan walked silently to his study.

The Duke of Xingguo's missing daughter had nothing to do with him, but if she turned out to be the same person as Lu Zhengliu's concubine, it could be problematic.

Should he inform the Lin family?

This might not bode well for Lin Yunwan.