bullyxtreme Chapter 4 Talking Around the bush
Chapter 4 Talking Around the bush
Yin'e stepped across the threshold and into the study.
This study is truly meticulous to the core.
Yin'e looked around and was overwhelmed by the various rare treasures and paintings by famous scholars.
A floor-standing screen carved from rosewood, a celadon vase with tubular handles from the Longquan kiln, a bronze incense burner inlaid with gold and silver, and a palm-sized Lingbi stone.
A calligraphy or painting hangs on each of the east and west walls.
On the east wall is a scroll in Dong Qichang's running script, which reads the four large characters "Quietly sit and observe your mind";
The west wall features a landscape painting by Ni Zan, which is extremely evocative.
Although Yin'e was not very knowledgeable about the market for calligraphy and paintings, he could tell from the silk mounting and the seals on the inscriptions that the two pieces were quite valuable.
"This is hardly a study," Yin'e thought to himself, "it's practically a miniature treasure trove."
But thinking about it, it makes sense. The Eighth Prince had served Emperor Kangxi with his writing brush for many years and was deeply favored by the emperor, receiving constant rewards.
Furthermore, since most of the court officials he associated with were wealthy households and salt merchants from Jiangnan, the tributes they sent during festivals were piled up like mountains. It would be strange if he really wanted to live a poor life.
"Tenth Brother, what are you standing there for? Sit down." Yinzhi's (Eighth Prince) voice pulled him back from his thoughts.
The three of them took their seats one by one, the aroma of tea wafting through the air, creating a very harmonious atmosphere.
Yin'e picked up his teacup, took a large gulp, and spoke first: "Eighth Brother, has the Fourteenth Prince written to us recently? Is his mission in Huguang going smoothly?"
"Smoothly, definitely smoothly." Yinzhi (Eighth Prince) put down his teacup. "Father Emperor sent Fourteenth Brother to Huguang to investigate the cheating in the imperial examination. I heard that he has already arrested two examiners and found a lot of silver."
The Emperor was very pleased; it seemed quite a few more people were about to lose their heads.
"Oh? Eighth Brother, this Governor of Huguang, Liu Dianheng... is one of your men, isn't he? Shouldn't you have informed Fourteenth Brother beforehand? You can't cut off your own arm, can you?"
Upon hearing this, Yin Tang (the Ninth Prince) quickly chimed in, "Yes, Eighth Brother, Huguang is the heartland of the country, and we cannot afford to lose this position."
Liu Dianheng has been operating in Huguang for three years, and he has connections everywhere. If the Fourteenth Brother wipes him out, our foundation in Huguang will be shaken.
Yinzhi (the Eighth Prince) picked up his teacup, gently blew away the foam, and remained silent for a moment.
Then he slowly said, "I have my own plans for this matter."
However, the imperial examination was an important means for the court to select talents. Those who passed the examination became Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examination) and could be directly appointed to official positions.
Even if someone is one of my people, they are unforgivable if they break the law.
These words sound grand and righteous.
Yin'e sneered inwardly.
It's as if you, Eighth Prince, actually care about the laws of the court.
If you really cared, you wouldn't have set up a slush fund in Jiangnan, wouldn't have secretly made connections with officials outside the capital, and wouldn't have formed cliques in the court.
"What Eighth Brother says is true." Yin'e nodded, looking admiringly at him. "Eighth Brother is indeed very thoughtful."
The three of them then started chatting about all sorts of things.
The conversation started with the corruption case in Huguang, then moved on to the salt administration in Jiangnan, then to military affairs in the Northwest, and finally to a new batch of Western tributes arriving at the palace.
Yin'e responded to the conversation in a disjointed manner, occasionally cracking jokes and saying a few nonsensical things.
But he noticed that Yinzhen (the Ninth Prince) kept glancing at him, as if he was waiting for something.
What are you waiting for?
Of course, we were waiting for him to bring up the matter of borrowing money.
Yin'e knew exactly what was going on.
According to the original owner's habits, she would always ask for money within three sentences of meeting someone.
But today he deliberately avoided mentioning it, rambling on about other things, just not getting close to that topic.
Yin Tang (the Ninth Prince)'s patience was slowly wearing thin.
He picked up the teacup and put it down, then picked it up again, his eyes constantly darting to Yin'e's face.
Several times he opened his mouth, wanting to take the initiative to steer the conversation, but he held back.
Yinzhi (the Eighth Prince) remained calm and composed, occasionally refilling their tea and telling them an interesting story about Emperor Kangxi's hunting trip in Rehe.
Time slipped away little by little in this seemingly harmonious chat.
The sun outside the window was rising higher and higher, and it was almost lunchtime.
Yin Tang (the Ninth Prince) finally couldn't sit still any longer.
He put down his teacup, cleared his throat, and asked in a casual tone, "Tenth Brother, I heard... you also owe the national treasury money?"
Yin'e's hand holding the teacup trembled slightly, and the tea almost spilled.
It wasn't because he was nervous, but because he knew that the climax of the scene was finally approaching.
He slowly put down his teacup, a hint of helplessness on his face: "Yes, not much, only two hundred thousand."
"Only two hundred thousand?" Yin Tang (the Ninth Prince) laughed. "Tenth Brother, you have quite the big mouth. Two hundred thousand taels of silver is enough to buy three large houses in the capital."
"Ninth Brother is joking." Yin'e scratched his head. "I'm just being stubborn. Fourth Brother is keeping a close eye on me, I can hardly sleep."
At this moment, Yinzhi (the Eighth Prince) interjected: "I heard that the Fourth Prince brought back a cruel official from Jiangnan, named something like Tian Wenjing."
That guy doesn't give face to anyone. A few days ago, he forced an eighty-year-old scholar to pay off his debts. The scholar was so angry that he almost fainted on the spot in the yamen.
The news has spread throughout the entire capital.
"Really?" Yin'e feigned surprise. "Then this Tian Wenjing is quite hated. Judging by this, he probably won't stay in the capital for long."
When Yin Tang (the Ninth Prince) saw that he had changed the subject again, his heart skipped a beat.
Not right.
In the past, every time they met, this tenth brother would rush to ask for money, only to be politely brushed off by the other party.
But today, from the moment he walked in until now, the entire morning, he hasn't uttered a single word about "borrowing."
This isn't like him.
Could it be... that he's already gotten the money?
If that's the case, then wouldn't the plan that I and Eighth Brother had devised—"to have the Tenth Prince sell his belongings on Qianmen Street and take the opportunity to implicate the Crown Prince"—have died before it was even put into practice?
Worse still, if the tenth brother really resolves the debt himself, while he, as the ninth brother, stands idly by knowing his younger brother is in trouble, word will get out that the Eighth Prince's faction is truly ruthless and heartless.
Yin Tang (the Ninth Prince)'s expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his smiling look.
He glanced at Yinzhi (the Eighth Prince) without making a sound.
Yinzhi (the Eighth Prince) also thought of this.
"Tenth Brother, it seems you... managed to get some money?"
That was exactly what Yin'e was waiting for.
They were the ones who brought it up first.
In negotiations, whoever speaks first loses the upper hand.
He had been holding back all morning, just so that the eighth and ninth brothers would be the first to break the ice.
Now that they've spoken, the initiative is in our hands.
He picked up his teacup, took a slow sip, and then put it down. His expression was neither smug nor embarrassed.
"Well, how should I put it..." He deliberately kept everyone in suspense, "I guess we can manage to get by."
What does "able to get through it" mean?
Did you pay for it yourself out of your own pocket?
Did you borrow it from someone else?
Or have you come up with some way to avoid paying back the money?
This statement is like saying nothing at all, yet it also seems like it says everything.
Yin Tang (the Ninth Prince) narrowed his eyes slightly.