The yamen runners explained the entire affair.
Xie Chen eyed Gu Changwei. "What will it be, Lord Gu? Will you pay the damages, or take the beating? The hawkers have already pursued us to the Dali Temple. If I don't handle this, I'll be letting the people down."
Gu Changwei gritted his teeth. "Pay the damages."
"The law stipulates that one must compensate threefold for injuries and property damage caused by reckless riding," Xie Chen stated.
Gu Changwei had left in such a hurry that he hadn't brought his money pouch.
His face darkened. "I am the Duke. Why would I default on my debts to you?"
Xie Chen reminded him, "Lord Gu is no longer the Duke, so mind your words. Furthermore, a prince who breaks the law is subject to the same punishment as a commoner, and that applies even more so to you, Lord Gu?"
Xie Chen's words gave the small vendors more confidence.
"Exactly! No matter your rank, you overturned so many of our stalls, you must pay!"
"Pay now, or we'll sue you."
Refusing to pay meant facing the cane.
However, Gu Changwei had come to the Dali Temple regarding Gu Siya's matter.
Now, before Gu Siya's case was even clarified, this new issue had surfaced.
"Xie Chen, I will not renege on my debt," Gu Changwei said through gritted teeth.
"Lord Gu, you should say that to the people, not to me. Even if you default, it's not my debt you'll be reneging on," Xie Chen replied calmly.
Helpless, Gu Changwei removed the jade pendant from his waist. "This jade pendant is of the highest quality jade. Take it to a pawnshop, and it should fetch at least five hundred taels. Is that enough?"
He had only overturned a few small stalls, how much could that be?
But when misfortune strikes, even drinking water can choke you.
One of the stalls Gu Changwei had overturned was not a typical roadside stall, but a setup by a bookstore to dry their books.
The books being dried were not ordinary ones, but rare editions cherished by the bookstore owner.
After Gu Changwei's horse had knocked over the stall, some of the books were dragged away by the horse and were completely ruined.
Rare editions, while not priceless treasures, were certainly not something that could be bought for a mere few hundred taels.
And there were many of them.
The bookstore's manager personally came to pursue the matter, followed by his shop assistants carrying the damaged rare books. Additionally, the manager had gathered over a dozen witnesses who had seen Gu Changwei overturn the stall.
After all, with so many rare books damaged, he feared Gu Changwei might deny responsibility.
As a mere shopkeeper, he wouldn't be able to account for it to his employer.
Gu Changwei was dumbfounded.
"You're trying to extort me!"
The manager calmly presented the material evidence and witness testimonies.
Each witness spoke clearly, detailing the time, place, and how the stalls were overturned.
Other vendors also provided testimony.
Therefore, Gu Changwei had no choice but to admit his fault.
Xie Chen, eager to be seen as a good official, naturally sided with the people.
In the end, Gu Changwei, with no other recourse, had to return to his residence accompanied by yamen runners and a group of merchants. Under the circumstances, he couldn't even discuss Gu Siya's matter with Xie Chen without settling this first.
Upon returning and calculating the damages, it was revealed that the rare books alone would cost thirty-five thousand taels of silver to compensate for, and that was after the manager had given a slight discount.
Gu Changwei protested, but the manager produced the ledger, which clearly recorded when and where each rare book was purchased and for how much.
Gu Changwei was not incapable of producing the money.
He could have managed to scrape together over thirty thousand taels, especially considering the former Duke's estate was once very prosperous.
However, from now on, as a fifth-rank official, many of his thriving businesses relied entirely on his former status.
Gu Changwei knew well that after ceasing to be the Duke, many of his ventures would be impossible.
If he couldn't engage in those businesses, he could still make a living, but accumulating a substantial fortune would be out of the question.