Rebirth

To Zhao Shu's astonishment, the prefect's brother-in-law eventually relented on his monetary demands, opting instead to leverage his own assets as collateral.

Yet, his audacity reached new heights when he brazenly requested the transfer of Zhao Shu's prized 100,000 mu of mulberry fields in Yangzhou.

The sheer gall of the request left Zhao Shu reeling. Was this even within the realm of reason? How could someone make such a demand without a hint of shame?

The mulberry fields yielded a substantial income of at least 700,000 to 800,000 taels annually, potentially surpassing a million in prosperous years. To relinquish such a valuable asset on a whim was unthinkable.

It seemed unfathomable that anyone, even an emperor, would dare to orchestrate such a blatant seizure of property.

In a bid to diffuse the tension, Zhao Shu resorted to jests and eventually, with no other recourse, prepared a lavish gift to hasten the magistrate's brother-in-law's departure.