IDWBE -Chapter 540 Showing Real Strength

Lin Yi really couldn’t stand his mother’s nagging anymore.

He sighed and said, “Old lady, if you’re really bored, I’ll call that guy Xue Dawu over and let him perform opera for you for a few days.”

Xue Dawu was the son of Xue Tongji, whose head Lin Yi had personally ordered to be chopped off.

For some reason, his mother had granted him the title “The Number One Martial Actor Under Heaven.” Lin Yi wasn’t sure whether she did it just to oppose him or because she truly liked the man.

Lin Yi had never made things difficult for Xue Dawu—he had only forbidden him from entering the palace.

But now, just to shut his mother up, he was ready to compromise and allow Xue Dawu to perform in the palace.

At least that way his mother wouldn’t keep picking on him.

He wasn’t a saint. He genuinely liked Consort Tang, and he had never tried to hide it from anyone.

But that didn’t mean he wanted to discuss such topics with his own mother.

It just felt strange.

The feeling was similar to being caught by your parents while secretly doing something embarrassing in your room.

“If I want to listen to opera, I can leave the palace and listen myself. I don’t need you to be so considerate,” Consort Yuan snorted. “What I dislike is your personality. If you truly like someone, then be open about it. Even if your father finds out, what can he do?”

Lin Yi stared at her in shock.

For a moment, he wondered whether his mother had been reborn like him.

Her thinking was even more open-minded than his!

“Alright, I know you’re too embarrassed,” Consort Yuan said impatiently. “Since I have nothing better to do, I’ll go train that little fox spirit for you, so she doesn’t keep manipulating you.”

“Old lady… what exactly are you planning to do?” Lin Yi asked helplessly.

Consort Yuan said calmly, “I remember you once had a saying: As long as the direction is right, stay determined and you’ll suffer less. I learned that from you.”

After saying that, she turned around and left without looking back.

“Hey!”

Lin Yi held his forehead.

“What kind of nonsense is this?”

“Your Highness…”

Xiao Xizi appeared quietly behind Lin Yi.

“You heard everything?”

“Uh…”

Xiao Xizi didn’t know how to answer.

Should he say he heard it, or say he didn’t?

It was a very difficult choice.

Before he could decide, Lin Yi urged impatiently, “I asked you a question. Did you suddenly go mute?”

“Your Highness,” Xiao Xizi quickly replied, “Her Majesty currently manages the imperial harem very well and is respected by all the consorts. It is perfectly reasonable for her to train the other consorts.”

In fact, Consort Tang would probably welcome it.

Since Emperor Delong had secluded himself in Qilin Palace, many of the concubines had become anxious and uncertain about their futures.

Without the Regent Prince’s favor, they might spend the rest of their lives weeping away in this strict and hierarchical palace.

Some might even end up bullied by palace maids.

For women who had grown accustomed to luxury and wealth, such a fate was unbearable.

Naturally, the consorts were using every possible method to survive.

“But the Twelfth Prince and I are real brothers,” Lin Yi sighed. “Won’t this become awkward in the future?”

He remembered an old scandal.

Back then, Prince Chu (the Eighth Prince) had slept with Consort Zhan, the birth mother of Prince Nanling (the Seventh Prince).

Consort Zhan had later been forced to “commit suicide.”

To this day, the Seventh Prince looked at the Eighth Prince with hatred in his eyes.

For the Eighth Prince, the affair had brought more harm than benefit, because Consort Zhan’s father was General Mei Jingzhi, a powerful military leader.

Many soldiers in the army had once served under Mei Jingzhi.

Whether emotionally or politically, no one dared openly support the Eighth Prince.

The Eighth Prince tried to ally himself with Prince Yong (the Third Prince), but Prince Yong feared offending Mei Jingzhi and the Seventh Prince. Yet he also coveted the Eighth Prince’s wealth, so he kept an ambiguous relationship with him.

Even the Crown Prince—who shared the same mother with the Eighth Prince—kept his distance after that scandal.

Yet strangely, the Eighth Prince himself preferred following Prince Yong instead of his own brother.

Lin Yi couldn’t understand it.

Sometimes he thought: if he had such a troublesome younger brother, he would just beat him to death.

“Your Highness,” Xiao Xizi said carefully, “I remember you once said: As long as you aren’t embarrassed, the embarrassed one will be someone else.”

The little eunuch forced a smile.

“You brat,” Lin Yi laughed. “You’re getting better and better at talking.”

Then he asked, “Did you see Minister He?”

Xiao Xizi replied, “Yes, Your Highness. Minister He is in the court office discussing the matter of Nangu Valley with the other ministers. I handed him the letter and didn’t stay long.”

“And what has the Crown Prince been doing these past two days?”

Lin Yi suddenly remembered him.

“Since the envoy from Western Desert returned, the Crown Prince has stayed inside Prince Yong’s mansion with the doors closed. All his daily supplies are being purchased by the Imperial Clan Office.”

Lin Yi smiled.

“Seems like I should trust him after all.”

“Tell Prince Dai and the Twelfth Prince to visit the Crown Prince occasionally.”

“And tell Pan Duo to try his best to find the Eldest Princess.”

After returning from Jizhou, Lin Yi had personally supervised the transport of money and grain there.

Before long, the imperial treasury was empty again.

Minister Gan Mao was miserable every day.

The court simply lacked money.

That was why Lin Yi urgently wanted to find the Eldest Princess.

Even if nothing came of it, it was still worth trying.

Leaving the Imperial Garden, Lin Yi walked straight toward the Golden Hall.

The square in front of the hall was packed with people chatting loudly.

They all seemed excited.

Xiao Xizi explained, “Your Highness, today the Wuzhou Merchant Guild is hosting a banquet here.”

“Minister Gan originally refused, but they offered too much money.”

“As long as they pay, it’s fine,” Lin Yi said casually.

Because the government was short on funds, he had allowed the Ministry of Revenue to rent out the Golden Hall, the Imperial Kitchen, and the Taihe Hall.

They could earn over a million taels of silver each year—money that came almost for free.

Suddenly Lin Yi had an idea., “We could also auction off the Emperor’s lunch or dinner. Whoever bids the highest gets to eat with him!”

He remembered how investors once paid huge amounts just to have lunch with Warren Buffett.

His father, Emperor Delong, was a real Son of Heaven.

Wasn’t that even more impressive?

Even if they couldn’t sell it for millions of taels, a few hundred should still be possible.

The more he thought about it, the more excited he became.

Later, when Lin Yi presented the idea to the ministers, they all stared at each other in shock.

What was the Regent Prince trying to do now?

Minister He Jixiang finally spoke carefully: “Your Highness, this is inappropriate. It damages the dignity of the royal family.”

But Lin Yi waved his hand dismissively. “Dignity? We lost that long ago.”

“The court is poor. Soon there will be coastal typhoons, southern floods, and broken dams everywhere. All of that requires money!”

“If you don’t like it, then find me the silver.”

No one dared object further.

A few days later, news of the Emperor’s Lunch Auction spread throughout Ankang City.

The discussion quickly surpassed even the news of the military campaign in Nangu Valley.

Everyone wondered who would win the bidding.

Some said the Shi family of Jinling.
Others said the Cao family of Ankang.
Some mentioned the Wang and Liang families of Sanhe.

Within a month, merchants from all over the empire flooded into Ankang.

They had come from faraway places just to participate in the auction.

But what surprised Lin Yi most was the arrival of Jin Buhuan from Jizhou.

His family’s silver carts stretched as far as the eye could see.

It looked as if he was determined to win.

The citizens of Ankang saw true wealth for the first time.

From the top floor of Chunxiang Tower, merchant Liang Qingshu looked down at the endless line of silver carts escorted by Dongfeng Escort Agency.

He said to Liang Gen beside him, “This Jin Buhuan is acting extremely arrogant.”

Liang Gen yawned and slowly stood up with a servant’s help.

“I didn’t expect my first visit to Ankang to coincide with such a big event.”

Nearby, merchant Wang Cheng said calmly, “People in this world always treat us Sanhe merchants like barbarians.”

“In business, they make things difficult for us.”

“This auction is our chance to make a name for ourselves.”

“I, Wang Cheng, will definitely take first place.”

Another wealthy landowner, Shao Qing, laughed loudly.

“If we don’t show our strength, they’ll think Sanhe people are weak.”

“We’ll unite this time. I’ll contribute 20% of the final bidding amount.”

Another elder merchant said, “The winning bidder can bring three companions, meaning four seats in total. I’ll take one seat and contribute another 20%.”

Liang Gen nodded.

“The remaining sixty percent will be handled by Wang Cheng.”

Everyone turned toward him.

Wang Cheng smiled.

“This time, there is no retreat.”

Then he ordered a servant, “Tell the Sanhe Bank that Wang Cheng needs silver.”

Downstairs, butcher Jiang Dasheng excitedly told Zhu Ruorong:

“See? I told you! Boss Wang and Boss Liang won’t let this go.”

“Just like Prince He said—”

“It’s time to show our real strength.”

Zhu Ruorong snorted.

“Don’t celebrate too early.”

“The merchants from Wuzhou and Yong’an, the richest places in the empire, haven’t even arrived yet.”