Chapter 2: Outsmarting the Villain, Forcing a Strong Hand

  Liang Xian cleaned up the remnants of his overnight growth and simply washed his face. As he splashed water in the basin, Liang Xian caught a glimpse of his reflection on the water's surface. Hmm, pretty handsome. Sword-like eyebrows, starry eyes, and a face as smooth as jade, he looked at least ten times more handsome than in his past life.

  Combing her hair, dressing up, and putting on her hat, Liang Xin looked at her reflection in the water surface of the bucket before leaving: "Hello everyone, I'm Andy Lau (in Cantonese pronunciation)". After saying this sentence in Liu Dehua's tone, Liang Xin smiled, and the confusion and pressure of crossing over dissipated a lot.

  As soon as I stepped out, Xiaochun hurriedly came up to me: "Hey, you're a bit late, aren't you? I've been waiting for you for the time it takes to burn an incense stick. Hurry up, hurry up, if we're late, we won't be able to get our silver until next month."

  Xiaochunzi is a small eunuch who serves at the Imperial Hospital with Xiaofuzi, and his work content is the same as Xiaofuzi's, which is to test medicine for the nobles in the palace.

  All the way, Xiaochun told Liang Xin what he would do after receiving the silver, such as buying a better set of stationery for his younger brother outside the palace, buying new clothes for his father outside the palace, and saving the rest of the money for his younger sister's dowry.

  Liang Xin was moved after hearing this and couldn't help but ask: "Don't you ever spend money on yourself?"

  Xiao Chunzi looked at Liang Xin with some curiosity: "We're all eunuchs now, what's the point of spending money on ourselves?"

  Liang Xian was speechless for a moment. In the past, when looking at history, he always saw those literary scholars condemning eunuchs for flattering and manipulating power, but who had truly taken the time to understand the inner world of eunuchs?

  During the Northern Song Dynasty, eunuchs received a monthly allowance of silver. Ordinary low-ranking eunuchs in the palace typically received one tael per month, while high-risk occupation eunuchs like Liang Xin received two taels.

  Although Xiao Chunzi urged them to hurry, in fact, when Liang Xin and the others arrived, Qian Gonggong had just started distributing the silver. After waiting for less than a cup of tea time, Liang Xin and Xiao Chunzi received their monthly silver allowance.

  Liang Xian and Xiao Chunzi were about to leave when they were stopped by three eunuchs. Xiao Chunzi looked up at the three eunuchs, then immediately bowed: "Hai Gonggong, Yun Gonggong, Li Gonggong."

  Liang Xian's memories also include those related to the three eunuchs. The three of them were all eunuchs in Jinxiu Palace, and recently, Lan Gui Ren in Jinxiu Palace had received favor from the Emperor, so their status in the palace also rose with their master.

  Hai Fu Hai Gong smiled and looked at Xiao Chunzi, saying: "Xiao Chunzi, have you received your monthly silver allowance?"

  "Understood, thank you for your concern, Mr. Hai." Little Chunzi bowed and replied.

  The smile in Hai Fu's eyes grew even more pronounced: "Since you've accepted the silver, then return the money you owe me."

  "Owe you money?" Xiaochun was slightly stunned: "Didn't I already return the silver I borrowed from Uncle Hai, with interest too?"

  "It's true that I added interest, but the interest calculation isn't much. Hai Fu took out a small wooden abacus from his waist and said: "According to the rules, borrowing money should be repaid with 13% interest. You borrowed one guan of money from me for three months. According to the rules, you should repay me 1300 wen, but in fact, you only repaid me 1100 wen, which is short of 200 wen."

  "This..." Xiaochun was illiterate and couldn't do arithmetic, let alone calculate nine out of thirteen returns. But Liang Xin was different, he had worked in a pawnshop before, and this nine out of thirteen return method was actually a trick used by the pawnshop to exploit poor people from the very beginning.

  Li Xian smiled lightly: "Xiao Chunzi, this is where you're wrong. Borrowing money and paying it back is a matter of course. If you owe Hai Gonggong silver, you should return it to him."

  Xiaochunzi stared at Liang Xin in shock, her eyes filled with surprise and anger: "Xiao Fuzi you..."

  Li Xian took the two silver coins from Xiaochun's hand, flipped them over and said: "These two silver coins are equivalent to one thousand copper coins. Even if I give you two hundred copper coins for these two silver coins, you still owe me eight hundred copper coins."

  "I don't have any small change on me right now, so don't worry about it. Tomorrow I'll get Xiaoyun to bring the change to the Imperial Pharmacy for you." Hai Gonggong's face was filled with a smile as he gazed at the silver in Liang Xin's hand, his eyes shining brightly.

  "Uh..." Liang Xin's face showed a look of difficulty, and Hai Gonggong immediately took the initiative to say: "How about this? I'll write you a note as proof?"

  "That's settled then." Liang Xin tossed a few silver coins to Hai Gonggong. Then Hai Gonggong had Xiao Yunzi borrow the Four Treasures of the Study and cinnabar ink from Qian Gonggong.

  When Hai Gonggong picked up his brush to write, Liang Xin hurried over with a flattering smile and said: "Hai Gonggong, I used to attend private school in my hometown for two years, so writing a few words is no problem. How about this letter being written by someone else, and you just sign your name?"

  "Alright, alright, you're a clever kid. If we need someone at Jinxiu Palace in the future, I'll have you transferred there." Old Man Hai said as he handed the brush to Liang Xin.

  "Thanks to Hai Gonggong for his appreciation." Liang Xin smiled, grasped the brush and wrote a few lines of characters on the paper with flair. After finishing writing, Liang Xin gently blew dry the ink marks and read aloud: "Today, Xiao Chunzi from the Imperial Medicine Institute borrowed money from Hai Fu of Jinxiu Palace, one thousand one hundred coins, due to the agreed amount being short two hundred coins, and also because there was no small change, so gave him one string of cash. Today it is agreed that Hai Fu must repay all the silver money owed to Xiao Chunzi by tomorrow. As verbal agreements are unreliable, this document serves as proof. Witness: (blank), third day of the third month, fifth year of the Zhenghe era."

  Hai Fu carefully examined the contents of the document, found that it was consistent with what Liang Xin had read out, and then signed his name on the document with a brush, while also pressing a thumbprint in cinnabar on top of his name.

  "Hmm, you're right, your handwriting is really beautiful." Old Man Hai said as he looked at the writing.

  "This is just a casual scribble, if I were to write seriously, it would surely blind your eyes. Liang Xin thought to himself, he was an expert at forging famous calligraphy and paintings, his calligraphy skills had left those experts from the calligraphy associations far behind."

  Li Xian took over the IOU signed by Hai Fu, and said lightly: "Don't forget, Hai Gonggong, it's a total of two taels and one hundred cents in silver. You must return all of it tomorrow."

  "Don't worry, I'll definitely...". Hai Fu put the two silver coins into his own pocket, but suddenly he was shocked and exclaimed: "What's this? Two mace and one hundred wen of silver, it's clearly eight hundred wen!"

  "Where?" Liang Xin's pen trembled: "A total of two taels and one hundred cents in silver, isn't this written clearly and unmistakably? Are you trying to welch on the deal, Hai Gonggong?"

  "What debt?" Hai Fu loudly shouted: "Where is the IOU written that I owe two taels and one hundred coins? If you have the ability, point it out to me."

  Li Xian shook his head slightly and picked up the brush to add a few marks to the document. He read aloud: "Lord Hai, listen carefully. The Imperial Pharmacy's Xiao Chunzi lent 1,100 coins to Hai Fu of Jinxiu Palace, but since the agreed amount was short by 200 coins and there were no small coins available, she gave him one guan instead. It is hereby agreed that Hai Fu must repay all the silver owed to Xiao Chunzi in full by tomorrow. This document bears your signature and seal, Lord Hai, so you cannot deny it."

  "You... you're talking nonsense! Just now you clearly read it as something entirely different." Hai Fu exclaimed somewhat anxiously.

  Indeed, the entire text is due to the lack of any punctuation marks. Liang Xin only changed the pronunciation of one sentence. Hai Fu's understanding means "Now there is a small spring child borrowing money from the Imperial Medicine Institute, giving 1,100 yuan to Hai Fu in Jinxiu Palace." Meaning that Xiaochun borrowed money and gave 1,100 yuan to Haifu, still owing 200 yuan.

  Now, with a slight change in the text, it has become another meaning: "Today, Xiaochunzi borrowed money from Yuyao Hospital, and Haifu of Jinxiu Palace owes 1,100 yuan." This way, it became that Xiaochunzi first lent Haifu 1,100 yuan, but Haifu wanted to borrow 1,300 yuan from Xiaochunzi. Since he was still short of the agreed amount by 200 yuan and Xiaochunzi didn't have any change for him, she gave Haifu another silver ingot. This way, Haifu indeed owed Xiaochunzi two ingots and one hundred yuan.

  By the way, let me add that during the Northern Song Dynasty, one thousand coins were equivalent to one guan, and one guan was roughly equal to two taels of silver.

  "You, you, you... How dare you bully me?" Hai Fu was so angry that his whole body was shaking, pointing at Liang Xin and scolding: "You little bastard... Ahh..."

  Liang Xian pinched Hai Fu's fingers and twisted them back, causing him to kneel on the ground in pain. Liang Xian said with a ruthless face: "Blind your dog eyes, you even dare to provoke our Yu Yao Institute? I'll tell you, our Yu Yao Institute people are those who have been marked by Yan Wang Ye. We're not afraid of death, so why would we be afraid of you? Bring two taels of silver immediately, or I'll kill you today."

  "I am a person from Jinxiu Palace, and you will definitely not have a good outcome if you treat me like this."

  Hai Fuqiang supported himself with a loud roar, and the intense pain made his forehead start sweating.

  "You won't shed tears until you see a coffin. Today, I'll dig out your eyes first and see if you still dare to be stubborn with me, your grandfather."

  Liang Xin stretched out his index finger and middle finger to dig out Hai Fu's eyes.

  Hai Fu was shocked and said in a panic: "I'll give it, I'll give the money, I'll give it right away... Xiao Yunzi, Xiao Lizi, what are you still standing there for, give me the money!"

  Xiao Yunzi and Xiao Lizi hurriedly handed over the money to Liang Xin. After taking the money, Liang Xin kicked Hai Fu away with one foot and then threw the four taels of silver to Xiao Chunzi.

  Xiaochun subconsciously took the money and only then did she come back to her senses.

  Liang Xin walked to the frightened Hai Fu, squatted down beside him and patted his face. Liang Xin said: "Remember, don't come to provoke the people of our Yu Yao Hospital, otherwise we'll become ghosts at night and will come to find you..."

  "Ah——" Hai Fu was so frightened that he let out a loud shriek, and Liang Xin pulled Xiao Chunzi along with her as they turned around to leave.