EWRN - Chapter 20
Chapter 20: Extortion (II)
It was evening, and a dense crowd of people stood at the entrance of the Wang family's residence. At the head of this group were Wang Shu and his wife. They craned their necks in anticipation, as if waiting for a very important person.
Soon, the person they were waiting for appeared. Within their line of sight, a horse-drawn carriage slowly turned the street corner, followed by a contingent of guards. With a creak, the carriage stopped at the gate of the Wang family compound.
Seeing an incomparably noble foot step out of the carriage, Wang Shu immediately led his entire family to their knees. "This commoner respectfully welcomes Your Majesty's grand arrival! We have failed to greet you from afar, please forgive us, Your Majesty!" When Huo Jinyu stepped out of the carriage, what she saw was a sea of salt-and-pepper heads.
"You may rise," Huo Jinyu said faintly.
Wang Shu hastily helped his wife to her feet and led Huo Jinyu into the residence.
Truly worthy of being the wealthiest man in the Great Yuan Kingdom, dripping with riches! Although the exterior of the residence looked like an ordinary mansion, the interior was a world of its own! Gold-inlaid bricks were dotted with pearls of various sizes, and the copper roof tiles were polished to a brilliant shine. They gleamed with a golden light under the evening sun. The paths along the way were lined with nothing but rare and expensive flowers and plants.
Huo Jinyu: The only thing missing is dragons and phoenixes carved on the main beams!
Such a lavishly ostentatious mansion made the trace of guilt Huo Jinyu had felt for extorting him vanish without a trace. What guilt? He probably wasn't short on this little bit of money anyway.
The group walked to the main hall, where Wang Shu led Huo Jinyu to the main seat. This seat was actually crafted from solid gold. One must know, even Huo Jinyu's dragon throne was not made entirely of solid gold. Huo Jinyu's expression darkened slightly as she sat down.
"Lord Wang, We have come today to discuss a matter with you. All uninvolved personnel may withdraw," Huo Jinyu said, after a young servant had served the finest Dragon Well tea.
"Hurry up and leave!" Wang Shu immediately glared at the young servants standing to the side. The servants acknowledged the order and all withdrew from the main hall.
After confirming that no one was left in the main hall, Huo Jinyu said, "Lord Wang, today, We have a favor to ask of you."
"Your Majesty truly flatters this commoner. How could this commoner possibly have anything to help Your Majesty with?" Upon hearing this, Wang Shu immediately put on a broad smile and demurred.
"Lord Wang, don't be so quick to say that. There is indeed something you can help with, and that is precisely why We are here today. We won't beat around the bush with you. We have come today to borrow money from the Wang family." Huo Jinyu had spoken a very long sentence, and feeling her mouth was dry, she took a large gulp of tea.
What kind of joke was this?! Borrow money? Would money borrowed by the Emperor ever be returned? Wang Shu's face immediately soured. "Your Majesty, this…"
Before Wang Shu could finish, Huo Jinyu interrupted him again. "We also went to see the Third Prince today. Do you know what the Third Prince said to Us?" Huo Jinyu unhurriedly sipped her tea. This tea was indeed excellent. She would definitely have to take some with her when she left. This wealthy merchant's mansion was truly full of fine things!
"He… he said what?" Wang Shu, sitting in a lower seat than Huo Jinyu, began to break out in a cold sweat on his forehead.
"Our most beloved Imperial Brother said that We dislike him, because We are afraid this Imperial Brother, who has just turned five, will steal Our throne!" Huo Jinyu said unhurriedly, taking another sip of tea.
At that, Wang Shu was so frightened he dropped to his knees and kowtowed repeatedly. "Your Majesty! Our Wang family is just a small family of merchants, how could we dare harbor such wolfish ambitions! Your Majesty, a child's words are no harm! A child's words are no harm! Your Majesty must not take it to heart!"
"How could We possibly hold Our Imperial Brother's innocent words against him? Lord Wang, don't frighten yourself into poor health. We heard from Our Imperial Brother that it was the Second Prince who instigated it. We have already placed the Second Prince under house arrest. As for the Third Prince, Dowager Consort Rong must still teach him well." Huo Jinyu put down her teacup and looked at the kneeling Wang Shu with a smile. "Rise. Be careful you don't catch a cold kneeling on the floor."
Only after hearing this did Wang Shu wipe the sweat from his forehead, rise, and sit back down in his lower seat.
"We are quite worried now. In front, we have the General of the State and Young General Hou, holding significant military power and eyeing Us like tigers. Behind, we have the Second Prince sowing discord in the deep palace with his wolfish ambitions. We fear Our throne is not secure!" Huo Jinyu said with a feigned look of worry, as if she were truly wearing her heart out over the throne. In reality, Huo Jinyu's inner thoughts were: Whoever wants the throne can have it. I'm supposed to be ruining the country!
"Your Majesty is blessed with profound fortune! That won't happen!" Wang Shu had no idea what Emperor Huo Jinyu was planning.
"We were worried the throne was not secure, so We formed a private army," Huo Jinyu said, tossing the words out lightly.
With a thud, Wang Shu was so scared he fell off his chair, his face filled with terror.
"Your… Your… Your Majesty, you… you… you…" Wang Shu was so frightened he could barely speak clearly.
"So, Beloved Minister, We would like to borrow some silver to support this private army. What do you think?" Huo Jinyu asked with a smile.
This… could he possibly say no? The Emperor had told him such a monumental secret, and also held the lifelines of his only daughter, Dowager Consort Rong, and his only grandson, the Third Prince. Could he, could he possibly not agree?! If he didn't agree, perhaps the very next day she would find some pretext to have his entire Wang family executed!
"This commoner is willing to help Your Majesty! I only ask that Your Majesty protect the lives of our Wang family, no matter what happens in the future!" Wang Shu gritted his teeth, hardened his heart, and agreed. He even dared to ask the Emperor for a guarantee of their lives.
"Hahaha, now this is a happy outcome for everyone! No problem! As long as We are here, no one will be able to touch a single hair on your Wang family's head!" Huo Jinyu laughed heartily with joy and made a bold promise.
"From this day forward, your Wang family and We are grasshoppers on the same rope! We will entrust you with all the expenses for Our private army, the Brocade Guard Army. Remember, you must not let word of this leak out! Otherwise, We will hold you solely responsible!" Having resolved a major pressing issue, Huo Jinyu was all smiles and couldn't help but drink a few more sips of tea.
By now, Wang Shu's back was drenched in cold sweat. The ancients were right: attending a ruler is like attending a tiger. How was this attending a tiger? This was attending a great deity!
When it was time to leave, Huo Jinyu subtly mentioned that the tea today was very good. Wang Shu immediately had someone bring out two containers of the finest Dragon Well tea. Huo Jinyu patted Wang Shu's shoulder and told him that someone would come tomorrow to take him to Baili Mountain to coordinate, and that there would also be some good news.
Wang Shu agreed with fear and trepidation, and only then saw this great Buddha off.
Wang Shu returned to the main hall, where his wife was already waiting. "What did the Emperor say to you today?" his wife asked.
"What does a woman like you understand? It's not good to know too much!" Wang Shu was feeling vexed, so his tone was a bit harsh.
"Fine, fine, fine. I'm just a woman, I don't understand, I don't understand anything. Don't come to bed tonight. Go sleep in your study!" His wife, furious, said "fine" three times in a row, turned, and walked away.
"Hey, wife! That's not what I meant! Wife, wait! We can talk this over…" Wang Shu chased after his wife…
The next day.
It was another ordinary morning court session, and all the ministers were somewhat listless. After all, facing a listless Emperor every day, who could possibly feel energetic?
But soon, the ministers were surprised. Because they saw that the Emperor had actually brought a little pipsqueak to court. Upon closer inspection, the little pipsqueak was none other than the Third Prince, whom they had only seen a few times!
What was this strange and eccentric Emperor up to? The ministers all began to whisper to one another.
"Ahem." Huo Jinyu gave a light cough. The court immediately fell silent. With the little pipsqueak there, Huo Jinyu naturally couldn't adopt her usual lazy and scattered demeanor. She sat up straight, putting on an air of imperial majesty.
Only then did the morning court session begin. By the time all the ministers had finished presenting their memorials, an hour had passed. Seeing that the ministers had nothing more to say, Huo Jinyu cleared her throat and called to Eunuch Wang, "Eunuch Wang. Read the imperial edict."
Eunuch Wang replied, "Yes." He then walked to the front of the hall, opened the golden-yellow imperial edict, and read aloud: "By the Mandate of Heaven, for the continuation of the imperial line, the Third Prince, Huo Jincheng, is of a gentle and courteous nature. In this year, when no princes have been enfeoffed, his conduct aligns with the classic rites and his words with the historical records. Today, the Emperor bestows grace and enfeoffs him as Prince Qin, so as to extend the fortunes of the state. All prefectures and commanderies, imperial clansmen, and old ministers are ordered to prepare the appropriate gifts and rites. He is additionally awarded one thousand taels of gold. By imperial command!"
Upon hearing this, all the ministers were stunned, their jaws dropping in astonishment. This, this, this! This Emperor was far too willful! Enfeoffing a prince just because she felt like it? How old was the Third Prince? He had accomplished nothing, yet he's been made a prince, the Prince Qin!
"Reporting to Your Majesty! This… this is not in accordance with propriety! The Second Prince has not yet been enfeoffed, so how can the Third Prince be enfeoffed as Prince Qin first? This minister believes it is not in accordance with propriety!" As it concerned the Second Prince's interests, Prime Minister Bai couldn't help but interject.
"The Second Prince? The Second Prince has accomplished nothing, has a crippled right hand, and spends his days learning nothing good. He has even learned to throw great tantrums and use foul language. How do you expect Us to enfeoff him as a prince? We have already placed him under house arrest. For every day he fails to learn his lesson, he shall not take a single step out of Xiangqi Palace!" Huo Jinyu explained, waving her hand impatiently. "Jincheng, are you not going down to receive the edict?" Huo Jinyu nudged the little pipsqueak beside her. The little pipsqueak, Huo Jincheng, looked back at Huo Jinyu, and after seeing her encouraging gaze, he scurried over on his short little legs. He knelt down in a proper manner and accepted the imperial edict.
"Court is dismissed!" Eunuch Wang shouted. Huo Jinyu left the court first, leaving the little Huo Jincheng to face a pack of wolf-like and tiger-like ministers.
The ministers pushed past Prime Minister Bai and crowded around the Third Prince, who had just climbed up from the floor. They all offered their congratulations: "Congratulations, Third Prince—pah, congratulations, Your Highness, Prince Qin!"
"Congratulations to Your Highness, Prince Qin, on receiving the Emperor's reward!"
"Your Highness, Prince Qin, I am the Minister of Revenue, Li Wenjie…"
…
Counting the days, it had been several since she had returned and seen Yan Xi. Huo Jinyu found herself missing her a little. Lost in thought, she unconsciously walked to Jinxiang Palace. When Huo Jinyu had first bestowed this palace upon Princess Yan, Yan Xi, it was precisely because the palace's name contained the character for "auspicious." Perhaps deep down, she hoped Yan Xi could live in peace and harmony.
"This servant greets Your Majesty!" The palace maids at the entrance of Jinxiang Palace saw Huo Jinyu approaching and immediately knelt to salute her.
Huo Jinyu said, "You may rise," and strode into Jinxiang Palace.
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