EWRN - Chapter 19
Chapter 19: Extortion (I)
The next day.
Huo Jinyu attended the morning court session as usual. Exhausted from her recent travels, she propped her head up with her hands, pressing them against her eyes, and feigned sleep.
The ministers couldn't see this and simply assumed their sovereign had a headache. Many sycophantic officials even expressed enthusiastic concern for His Majesty's health. The ministers reported on recent affairs, one after another, but Huo Jinyu offered no response. However, judging by her attitude toward morning court over the past few months, this was perfectly normal. In the ministers' view, it was a great blessing that she even attended at all. The person on the throne slept soundly while the people below spoke merrily; one could say both sides were perfectly happy.
An hour passed, and Huo Jinyu slowly woke up. The old ministers below had talked until their mouths were dry and their tongues parched, and they gradually fell silent. Seeing that they were done with their nonsense, Huo Jinyu decided to dismiss the court.
The officials watched Huo Jinyu stretch lazily on the throne, and all covered their eyes, unable to bear the sight. What kind of emperor was like Huo Jinyu, who had nearly cast aside all etiquette? The poor old ministers didn't yet know that not only did Huo Jinyu want to cast aside etiquette, she also wanted to bankrupt the national treasury.
Enduring the old ministers' gazes, which made her feel like a spendthrift, Huo Jinyu left the court.
After court, Huo Jinyu went straight to the Second Prince's residence, Xiangqi Palace.
The Second Prince was still unaware that His Majesty was heading his way. He was slowly moving his right hand, which held a brush, across the paper, drawing crooked characters. Because the tendons in his right wrist had been severed by a sword, his wrist had lost its flexibility. He was, one could say, incomparably furious.
Thwack! The Second Prince violently threw the brush to the ground. "Wretch!" It was unclear who he was cursing. The Second Prince muttered curses, having completely lost his royal demeanor. The young eunuchs and palace maids kneeling nearby were all trembling with fear, not daring to make the slightest sound. The Second Prince stared viciously at his own right hand, panting heavily.
"Pick it up." Just then, a commanding voice rang out.
The Second Prince looked up. A figure, backlit by the light, walked into the main hall of Xiangqi Palace. The newcomer was none other than the current sovereign, Huo Jinyu. As the Second Prince raised his face, which was twisted with anger, he didn't have time to compose it, making him look somewhat ferocious. It took the Second Prince a moment to react before he managed to change his expression, standing frozen in place.
"We ordered you to pick up the brush," Huo Jinyu said again. A powerful aura emanated from her, giving one the feeling of having no choice but to obey. This feeling was called submission.
A drop of cold sweat slid down Huo Jinye's temple. He had no choice but to walk down the steps and shakily bend down to pick up the brush. His grip on the brush in his right palm was very weak.
Huo Jinyu walked past the Second Prince, went to the desk, and sat down. She looked at the crooked, misshapen characters on the Xuan paper on the desk, a look of displeasure on her face.
"Instead of properly relearning how to write, instead of diligently relearning how to wield a sword, you only know how to take your temper out on inanimate objects. Is this the way of a ruler that Imperial Father taught you? Because things aren't going your way, you resort to crude language and cursing others. Is this the upbringing your mother consort gave you?" Huo Jinyu's voice was stern and her expression severe. Every word struck the Second Prince's heart like a death sentence.
The Second Prince stood rooted to the spot without a word, his head bowed low. The eunuchs and palace maids kneeling on the floor buried their heads even deeper, wishing they could hear nothing at all.
"From now on, do not go to Xianxi Palace again," Huo Jinyu said lightly. The Second Prince snapped his head up, meeting Huo Jinyu's gaze for only an instant before immediately lowering it again. "Do you think We are truly unaware of the crooked schemes you and Dowager Consort Xian are plotting?" Huo Jinyu stared intently at the Second Prince, who felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles, the pressure suddenly immense.
"Do you think the civil and military officials of the Great Yuan Kingdom, and its tens of thousands of people, would need a cripple who can't do anything?" Huo Jinyu's expression suddenly brightened, like a spring breeze caressing one's face. With a bright look, she stood up, walked over to the Second Prince, and patted his shoulder. "From this day forward, without Our decree, you are not permitted to take a single step out of Xiangqi Palace." With her hands behind her back, Huo Jinyu slowly departed from the Second Prince's Xiangqi Palace. "We respectfully see Your Majesty off!" the eunuchs and palace maids called out in unison.
Inside Xiangqi Palace, the Second Prince's face was dark and ugly, and he was completely overwhelmed by humiliation and anger. His features twisted, and it looked as if he wanted to curse, but in the end, he didn't. He forcefully swallowed his frustration.
By now, Huo Jinyu already had an army of her own. The army's daily expenses were huge, and there were annual stipends to be paid, as well as the manpower for the smelting plant—all of which required large sums of money. Although her private treasury still held a lot of wealth, her heart ached for every fen she spent. Even a mosquito's leg was still meat, after all. Huo Jinyu suddenly thought of the wealthy merchant, Wang Shu.
Wang Shu was the heir to a family of merchants. The Wang family had been merchants for generations, and the wealth they had accumulated over several generations could rival that of several Great Yuan Kingdoms. The Wang family could be described as disgustingly rich.
Wang Shu had only one daughter, Wang Caijie. A few years ago, this Wang Caijie had married the late emperor, becoming his Noble Consort Rong, and was now the palace's Dowager Consort Rong. Dowager Consort Rong had only one son, the current Third Prince. This Third Prince was also Wang Shu's only grandson, and Wang Shu doted on this grandson. During every festival and new year, he insisted on visiting the palace to see his precious grandson. He sent all sorts of rare treasures to Xianxi Palace, more frequently than he sent gifts to Huo Jinyu, the emperor. After all, the Third Prince was his biological grandson.
With this in mind, Huo Jinyu strode happily to the study. She went to the desk, picked up a brush, and began to write. While writing, she summoned Eunuch Li. "Eunuch Li, make a trip to the Wang residence. Say that We have not seen him in a long time and miss him dearly. This evening, We will pay a visit to the Wang residence to show Our closeness." Eunuch Li accepted the order and headed out of the palace.
Meanwhile, at the Wang residence.
The Wang family was not large, but they had an incredible number of servants. Wang Shu had only one wife; it was said he loved her deeply and had never taken a concubine. His wife was in poor health and had only borne him a single daughter. Now, continuing the family line depended entirely on the young Third Prince in the palace, who was precious indeed. At present, Wang Shu was in the garden, playing with a skylark he had brought from the Western Regions. Just as he was enjoying himself, a servant came to report that Eunuch Li from the palace had arrived.
Although Wang Shu held no official post, he was well-informed about matters in the palace. He knew this Eunuch Li was a favorite of the current emperor and didn't dare to be the slightest bit negligent. "Quickly, invite Eunuch Li to the side hall." Wang Shu put down the bird, secured its leg tightly, and immediately hurried toward the side hall. The two of them entered the side hall one after the other.
Wang Shu ordered someone to pour Eunuch Li the finest tea, and only then did the two sit down properly. "May I ask what important business brings Eunuch Li to my humble abode?" Wang Shu was the first to ask.
"This servant's visit is for no important matter," Eunuch Li said, slowly skimming the tea foam with the lid and taking a light sip. "It's just that His Majesty said it has been a long time and misses Lord Wang greatly. He wishes to visit your residence for a chat, to show his closeness. I wonder if you have time today, my lord?"
That Wang Shu was a shrewd man; how could he not understand that His Majesty had business with him and was sending word in advance to make the reception convenient? "Excellent, excellent! This is wonderful! For His Majesty to grace us with his presence, my humble home will shine with splendor!" As Wang Shu replied, he gave a meaningful look to the steward standing to the side. The steward had followed Wang Shu for many years and understood him perfectly. He immediately left the side hall to fetch silver from the accounting office. They wouldn't think twice about the silver needed to tip a eunuch. What Wang Shu didn't know was that later, Huo Jinyu would likely make him hand over something he would be very unwilling to part with.
Eunuch Li drank tea for a while longer before standing up, preparing to flick his sleeves and leave. Just then, the steward came in with silver notes. "Eunuch, please wait. This is a small token of the Wang family's appreciation. We hope you will accept it and perhaps put in a few good words for our Third Prince before His Majesty." Wang Shu stepped forward with a grin, took the silver notes from the steward's hand, and offered them to Eunuch Li with both hands. Eunuch Li feigned refusal for a moment before accepting the silver notes. He then offered Wang Shu a few words of advice, which were nothing more than to be sure to follow His Majesty's wishes, not to anger His Majesty, and so on and so forth.
After giving his instructions, Eunuch Li turned and left the Wang family compound, returning to the palace.
As evening fell, Huo Jinyu changed into a set of black plainclothes embroidered with gold. She stood before a bronze mirror and adjusted her robes, thinking to herself: I really am exceptionally handsome!
Without further delay, Huo Jinyu took a team of guards, left the palace, and headed for the Wang family compound.
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