gnovel Chapter 3 The Schemes of the Eighth and Ninth Brothers
Chapter 3 The Schemes of the Eighth and Ninth Brothers
Before Yin'e could even savor the meaning of those words, two incredibly clear voices emanated directly from within his brain.
Every word and phrase is crystal clear.
He knew that voice all too well.
It was the Eighth Prince Yinzhi and the Ninth Prince Yintang.
Inside the study.
Yinzhi (the Eighth Prince) sat on a rosewood armchair, holding a cup of pre-rain Longjing tea in his hand.
He wore a moon-white robe with a jade belt around his waist. He had a handsome face and elegant manners, exuding a gentle and refined temperament with every gesture.
Sitting opposite him, the Ninth Prince Yin Tang was a completely different person.
Yin Tang (the Ninth Prince) had a round face and broad forehead, thick eyebrows and narrow eyes, and a naturally smiling mouth, making him look like a kind-looking fat man.
But those who know him well know that this man is more cunning than a needlepoint and more ruthless than a snake or scorpion. He is the most skilled in plotting and scheming among the Eighth Prince's party.
"Eighth Brother, last time Fourth Brother and Thirteenth Brother went to Jiangnan to raise funds for disaster relief, they not only emptied our little treasury, but were also granted the title of Prince by Father Emperor."
Now they've entrusted him with the task of recovering the national treasury's debts. If he succeeds, won't they have to grant him a princely title?
"If the crown prince and a prince team up, what good will it do us?"
Yinzhi (the Eighth Prince) slowly took a sip of tea, still with that unhurried demeanor: "It's not that easy. As the saying goes, the master who borrows money is the grandson who asks for it back."
Over a decade of losses, and they expect them to recover them in just half a month? How is that possible? Are they trying to drive everyone to suicide?
"I know that," Yin Tang (the Ninth Prince) frowned, "but who is the Fourth Prince? He's the 'Cold Noodle King' who is impartial and incorruptible."
Everyone, inside and outside the court, knows his methods. If he really goes all out, there's nothing he wouldn't do.
Yinzhi (the Eighth Prince) remained silent for a moment.
"Hmm...so what good ideas do you have?"
Yin Tang (the Ninth Prince) suddenly smiled.
"I heard that the Crown Prince also borrowed money, and it was 500,000 taels!"
Yinzhi (the Eighth Prince) raised an eyebrow slightly: "The Crown Prince? His name isn't on the roster."
"How could he possibly borrow it in his own name? The information I received is that it was borrowed in the names of Huang Tiren, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, and Xiao Guoxing, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice."
Yinzhi (the Eighth Prince) paused slightly in his tea-serving hand.
This news was indeed unexpected.
If the Crown Prince's followers borrowed 500,000 taels of silver from the national treasury, then the matter of recovering the debt becomes delicate.
If the fourth prince were to pursue the debt, he would inevitably offend the crown prince. After all, the crown prince had recommended the fourth prince to pursue the debt in the first place, intending to do him a favor, but instead, he had brought trouble upon himself.
If the fourth brother doesn't pursue the matter, it would be considered favoritism and bending the law, and others would see it and be even less likely to obediently return the money.
No matter what the fourth son chooses, he won't get the better end of the deal.
A smile slowly spread across Yinzhi's (the Eighth Prince's) face: "This is indeed good news. We need to think carefully about how to get this out of the public eye."
"Hehe," Yinzhen (the Ninth Prince) chuckled mysteriously, "I have a trick up my sleeve that will surely cause a huge uproar throughout the city, reaching even the Emperor's ears!"
"Oh?" Yinzhi (Eighth Prince) put down his teacup. "What's the solution? Tell me quickly."
Yin Tang (the Ninth Prince) leaned closer:
"Didn't the tenth brother owe the national treasury 200,000? My brother means... that he should go to Qianmen Street to sell his belongings to pay off the debt!"
This way, we can both sow discord among the fourth prince and then get him to reveal the prince's debt.
Yinzhi (the Eighth Prince) frowned.
"Everyone knows what kind of person the Tenth Prince is; it's no surprise that he'll do anything outrageous," Yin Tang (the Ninth Prince) continued.
"This way, we can both escalate the situation and drag the Crown Prince into it. Why not do it?"
"This..." Yinzhi (the Eighth Prince) hesitated, "After all, the Tenth Prince is our brother. Is it really appropriate to do this?"
"Eighth Brother, put away your compassion!" Yin Tang (Ninth Prince) waved his hand, "Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures."
Besides, it's not like we're actually letting the tenth son sell his belongings; it's just for show.
Once he starts making a scene, we'll step in and smooth things over for him. He'll still have to thank us then.
"It kills two birds with one stone, why not?"
Yinzhi (the Eighth Prince) picked up his teacup, gently blew away the foam, and said nothing.
After a while, Yinzhi (the Eighth Prince) finally said, "Hmm... you decide what to do."
Outside the study.
Yin'e stood less than ten meters away from the study, his fists clenched.
He listened to the entire conversation.
Every word felt like a needle piercing his heart.
"One is a hypocrite, the other is as venomous as a snake... You two are truly my good brothers!"
Yin'e's hands hung down in his sleeves, his fingertips clenching his palms tightly.
He thought he was mentally prepared, and he thought he had already seen through the hypocrisy of this brotherhood.
But when these words truly entered his consciousness, he still felt as if a stone had been stuffed into his chest, making him feel incredibly blocked.
This is the "good older brother" he wholeheartedly follows.
Yin'e's breathing quickened, but he did not move.
He knew that if he rushed in and overturned the table while cursing like the original owner of this body, he would be finished.
Why did the original owner end up with a reputation as a "good-for-nothing" and a "brute"?
Isn't it because they are always used as pawns by these people, rushing to the front, taking the blame, and enduring the most vicious insults, that in the end they don't get any benefits but bear all the bad reputation?
He took a deep breath.
"calm."
"Now is not the time to turn against each other, otherwise we'll lose even this fig leaf, and then we'll truly be isolated and helpless."
"A hole of two hundred thousand taels of silver, besides those two rich men, who in the entire court has the spare capacity to help me?"
Those ministers themselves were also heavily in debt, and were being chased around like madmen by the fourth prince.
"So..." he gritted his teeth, "I'll swallow this anger, and I'll continue this act."
He straightened his clothes and strode towards the study door.
As he walked, he shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Myth brother! Ninth brother! I'm here!"
When Yinzhi (Eighth Prince) and Yintang (Ninth Prince) heard the familiar shout coming from the courtyard, they looked at each other.
"Let's go and welcome our tenth brother." Yinzhi (the Eighth Prince) strode towards the door.
Just as the two reached the door, Yin'e appeared in the corridor outside the study.
He had a broad, carefree smile on his face, and seemed to be in a good mood.
"Oh, Tenth Brother!" Yinzhi (Eighth Prince) was the first to greet him. "Coming to see me so early in the morning is really not like you!"
"I couldn't wake you up before the sun was high in the sky, but today the sun must have risen in the west!"
Yin'e laughed heartily: "Hey, I didn't want to bother you so early, brother, but..."
He paused abruptly before he could finish speaking.
He originally wanted to say, "It's not about the two hundred thousand taels of silver," but he swallowed the words back as soon as they reached his tongue.
If he takes the initiative to ask for a loan, then he is offering himself up as a pawn.
It cannot be mentioned.
Absolutely must not be mentioned.
He changed the subject, his smile widening: "I couldn't sleep last night, tossing and turning, thinking about Eighth Brother and Ninth Brother, so I wanted to come and see you two as soon as possible."
I've missed you so much these past few days.
"Ha ha ha ha."
The three of them laughed at the same time.
"Come on, let's go inside and talk." Yin Tang (the Ninth Prince) warmly pulled Yin E's arm and led him into the study.