PFC Chapter 243 Silver Notes Arrive from All Directions
Chapter 243 Silver Notes Arrive from All Directions
When Zhai Yun and Feng Chenyi saw the box, they both hesitated and wondered what Fu Yiming wanted to do.
Fu Yiming gently opened the box, revealing it to Zhai Yun and Feng Chenyi. Inside the box was a stack of silver notes, each with a face value of one hundred taels.
Looking at the bewildered Zhai Yun and Feng Chenyi, Fu Yiming explained softly, "This is Emperor Che's own private money, and it has nothing to do with the national treasury. Emperor Che heard that Prince Rui was in trouble, and since they had met, he wanted to do his part."
Zhai Yun's first reaction was that she couldn't accept it, and she quickly refused, "No, don't."
Accepting these silver notes would mean owing Xuan Yuanche a favor, and a favor from the ruler of a country is not something that can be easily repaid; just thinking about it makes one's hands feel hot.
Feng Chenyi also coldly refused, "The Prince Rui's mansion cannot accept these silver notes."
Fu Yiming took in Zhai Yun and Feng Chenyi's reactions. His orders before coming here were to deliver the money no matter what, because he couldn't explain himself if he took the money back.
Fu Yiming stood up and bowed: "I have delivered the items as ordered. If Prince Rui does not want them, he may simply throw them away. I dare not take them back, nor can I take them back."
After finishing his sentence, Fu Yiming simply said, "I am very busy and have disturbed you. Farewell." He then left without looking back.
Zhai Yun and Feng Chenyi frowned in unison as they looked at the silver notes on the table. Fu Yiming had left in such a hurry, as if he had also gotten rid of this hot potato.
"What should we do?" Zhai Yun fell into deep thought. The others had kept the delivery of silver a secret, though she didn't know if their whereabouts had been leaked.
Xuan Yuanche delivered the money openly and honestly, which undoubtedly told Emperor Xing'an that Emperor Che and Prince Rui's mansion had an unusual relationship. Zhai Yun didn't even dare to touch the stack of silver left there.
Feng Chenyi was also pondering something. After a long while, he instructed Qi Nuo to count the quantity. Qi Nuo counted it carefully twice, and it was exactly ten thousand taels.
On the other side, as soon as Fu Yiming stepped out of the courtyard, the news spread like wildfire. It was already known that Fu Yiming had come to see Prince Rui, and the courtyard was now surrounded by spies.
When they saw that the box that Fu Yiming's subordinate had taken was missing, these informants began to investigate what was inside the box.
An hour later, as Donggong Feng Chenji listened to his subordinate's report, his eyes darted around. He had already sent people to keep an eye on the movements at the Prince Rui's residence, and today he finally had good news.
The spies sent in earlier finally managed to gather information, but once the Prince Rui's mansion paid off its debts, all those people who had been placed there were dismissed.
Today was the most useful piece of news he had heard about the Prince Rui's residence.
In the Empress's palace, Bu Luoyu also heard the news from her spies: Fu Yiming, on the orders of Emperor Che, had sent ten thousand taels of silver to the Prince Rui's residence.
In the imperial study, Emperor Xing'an, upon hearing the news, slammed his pen down heavily on the memorial he was reviewing, his eyes filled with uncontrollable rage. "When did he become so close to that person from the Xuanyuan Kingdom?"
Guan Li stood cautiously to the side. Hearing Emperor Xing'an's suppressed anger, Guan Li said carefully, "Prince Rui was once seriously injured by Emperor Che and brought back to the military camp on the verge of death. As for what is between Prince Rui and Emperor Che, this servant really does not know. However, this servant feels that Emperor Che has really eased his relationship with you."
Upon hearing Guan Li's analysis, Emperor Xing'an suppressed his anger and glanced at Guan Li, signaling her to continue.
With permission granted, Guan Li smiled obsequiously: "The entire Fengli Kingdom belongs to Your Majesty. Your Majesty lacks nothing, and you don't even care about a mere ten thousand taels of silver. Emperor Che's act of delivering ten thousand taels of silver to Prince Rui in a straightforward manner can help Prince Rui resolve that troublesome matter, which also indirectly solves Your Majesty's worries."
Guan Li emphasized the words "open and aboveboard," implying that the person from Xuanyuan Kingdom deliberately let everyone know that he had sent silver to Prince Rui's mansion, meaning that he did not intend to hide it from Emperor Xing'an, and even wanted Emperor Xing'an to know.
Emperor Xing'an listened without saying anything, but Guan Li, with her sharp eyes, noticed that Emperor Xing'an was no longer angry.
Besides reaching the palace, the news also reached the Emperor's brother-in-law and Marquis Lu outside the palace. The Emperor's brother-in-law was very unhappy when he received the news.
With their help, Prince Rui, this down-on-his-luck fellow, is about to turn his life around. He actually hopes that Prince Rui will just rot in that alley, so that he will never pose a threat to the Crown Prince.
Not long after, he received another shocking piece of news: many officials in the court had brought their personal valuables to Prince Rui's residence.
Given this situation, Prince Rui could move out of that dilapidated place without having to allocate funds from the national treasury.
The emperor's brother-in-law angrily ordered an investigation to find out which ministers had sent the money and on whose orders they had done so. Still not satisfied, he ordered his men to stop the ministers who were sending the money.
At this time, the emperor's brother-in-law was unaware that these people were all arranged by the crown prince, and that the ministers who delivered the silver were deliberately acting secretly, with the aim of making Emperor Xing'an's suspicions grow stronger.
Instead of forcing his father to withdraw the money from the national treasury, he would rather pay it off for him. Once this is done, the news will reach his father's ears through a crack.
Then his father would know that Prince Rui had won over so many people in just a few months since returning to the capital, and these people were all willing to contribute their own resources to help him.
At that time, the father will carefully consider whether the Crown Prince, whose entire clan is loyal to him, poses a greater threat, or whether the Prince Rui, who treats him as an enemy, has won over so many ministers right under his nose without his knowledge, poses a greater threat.
Feng Chenyi and Zhai Yun received news that the Eastern Palace had sent people to visit many ministers. After those people left, the ministers who had been visited all brought back their most treasured possessions and came to them.
Before the news was even finished, another message arrived: the ministers who had come to deliver the silver were stopped on the way by people sent by the Emperor's brother's family.
When the officials who were intercepting the Imperial Uncle's men heard that they were acting on the Crown Prince's orders, the situation reached a stalemate. The palace gates were already locked, and the Imperial Uncle's desire to go to the Eastern Palace to get to the bottom of things was gone.
After careful consideration by the emperor's brother-in-law, all the ministers were sent back by his men.
Previously, the Crown Prince had been very interested in Zhai Yun, a woman of dubious origin from the Prince Rui's residence. The Imperial Uncle would absolutely not allow the Crown Prince to use the power he had cultivated to act recklessly.
He was blinded by greed and wanted to help the Prince Rui's mansion escape disaster. As his uncle, he couldn't watch him make a foolish mistake.
Upon hearing that the ministers who had been ordered by the Crown Prince to deliver silver had been driven back by the Emperor's brother-in-law's men, Zhai Yun and Feng Chenyi looked at each other and smiled.
This imperial brother-in-law really helped them a lot this time.
On the day of Princess Mingyue's wedding, without any warning, the palace was placed under strict lockdown!