Chapter 657 - 655: No Need to Come Over
Qi Younian looked at Lady Zhao for a long while before sighing deeply.
How could matters have escalated to this point? With such thoughts in her mind and this thorn in her heart, she would probably make mistakes in everything she did from now on.
"At the time of the negotiations, the Seventh younger brother’s wife was not present and is unaware of the situation. Lord Liu is the Director of the Ministry of Works, an imperial appointed official of the fifth rank. As soon as Lord Liu began speaking, he offered a monthly wage of three taels of silver per craftsman, with double pay for rushing the work over the New Year."
Lady Zhao’s eyes widened in disbelief. Were these kinds of words even possible to say? Was he trying to fool a child?
Seeing Lady Zhao’s expression, Qi Younian could only continue speaking. Not explaining would mean that he had not finished his point, which might lead to misunderstandings by Lady Zhao. If he explained everything truthfully, but Lady Zhao still did not believe, then it would be her problem.
"It was Ye Zi who refused to accept these terms, preferring to not take the job rather than accept the conditions. In the end, Lord Liu had no choice but to agree because the project document needed to be expedited urgently. The price of three thousand taels was proposed by Ye Zi in a fit of anger during the conversation with Lord Liu, who then agreed after doubling the initial offer," Qi Younian explained.
Lady Zhao sneered with furrowed brows, "Big brother, are you trying to deceive me because I’m a woman who hasn’t seen the world? Even if the Ye Family’s miss is powerful, when facing an imperial appointed official, could she really turn a business worth one tael into one hundred? Even if Duke An is influential, the court still belongs to His Majesty, not to the Ye Family."
"Seventh younger brother’s wife, choose your words carefully!" Qi Younian’s mind thundered, his face changing suddenly.
Such words should not be spoken lightly. But faced with the stubborn and determined Lady Zhao, he could not say much more. Warning her more might only make her think she had caught him out. Even without any ill intentions, if she just complained to neighbors, and those with a knack for stirring trouble spread her words, it would bring misfortune upon the Duke and Ye Zi.