Chapter 258 Attempt to Steal a Chicken Backfires

Cold sweat broke out on Prince Yong's forehead. He knew the current emperor's temperament well. Although he was not cruel or incompetent, he had the common flaw of an emperor—suspicion.

Furthermore, the current emperor has a particular trait: he's stingy and loves money. Just thinking about trying to squeeze money out of him is incredibly dangerous. The Duke of Chu probably knew this about the emperor's character, which is why he dared to directly target Baoyuan Money Shop.

Upon arriving at the Imperial Study, he immediately knelt on the ground. Normally, when he entered the palace to see the Emperor, he didn't need to kneel. Now, without saying a word, he knelt down, which caused the Emperor to frown.

After a while, the emperor asked, "What's wrong with you?"

King Yong raised his head and said, "Your subject is guilty."

The emperor did not tell him to get up, but asked again, "What is it? Just say it."

The Prince of Yong gave a wry smile and said, "My brother's wife has a younger sister who married into a merchant family, the Ling family."

The emperor nodded after hearing this, "I seem to recall you mentioning that the Ling family runs a large business, and that some items in the palace were purchased from the Ling family."

“Yes,” King Yong continued, “the Ling family also runs a money exchange called Baoyuan Money Exchange.”

Upon hearing the words "money shop," the emperor roughly guessed what was going on, but he still gestured for Prince Yong to continue. Prince Yong was uneasy, but he forced himself to speak:

"The Ling family learned about the restructuring of Jufeng Money House, so they approached my brother's wife, wanting to... gain some benefit from it. My brother's wife then went to the Duke of Chu..."

He recounted the events with trepidation, not uttering a single word of criticism against Jiang Yu. He understood perfectly well that Jiang Yu and the Emperor were now in a relationship of shared interests, and speaking ill of Jiang Yu would certainly displease the Emperor. Moreover, the matter was indeed their fault; if they wanted to gain the Emperor's forgiveness, it was best not to resort to any underhanded tactics.

The emperor listened to his words and remained silent for a while before saying, "I am really curious about what your princess has that makes you so obedient and devoted to her for decades."

Prince Yong lowered his head and remained silent, which only fueled the Emperor's anger. "If she knew her place, that would be one thing, but look at what she's done. She raised a perfectly good daughter to be like this, and now she's trying to use her position for the Ling family's personal gain. Does she think that just because she married into the royal family, she can do whatever she wants?"

Prince Yong immediately prostrated himself on the ground and kowtowed, "It's all my fault, I failed to discipline her properly."

"Hmph!" The emperor snorted heavily. "If it weren't for our brotherly bond, I would never have let this go."

Upon hearing this plan, Prince Yong breathed a slight sigh of relief. But then the emperor added, "You need not concern yourself with the Ling family's money exchange."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I understand," Prince Yong replied hastily.

The emperor hummed in satisfaction and then said, "Your harem has been too quiet all these years with only one princess consort. How about this, I'll pick out a few women for you to take back as your concubines later."

“This…” Prince Yong wanted to refuse, but seeing the emperor’s gloomy face, he could only say, “Your subject thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness.”

"Get up," the emperor said, watching Prince Yong rise. "Your princess confinement is hereby suspended."

How could Prince Yong dare to refuse? He knew that the emperor's punishment was already very lenient.

The emperor ordered Zhao Fuquan to select a few palace maids and sent a eunuch to accompany Prince Yong back to his residence. Prince Yong thanked the emperor again and then returned to his residence with two palace maids and a eunuch.

Princess Yong and Ling Yaoying were still in the hall when they saw the two young and pretty palace maids beside Prince Yong. Princess Yong's eyes instantly blazed with anger, and she was about to question Prince Yong.

But upon seeing the cold expression on Prince Yong's face, she fell silent. The reason she had held absolute power in Prince Yong's residence and maintained a high and mighty position outside was entirely due to his affection for her. If Prince Yong were to withdraw that affection, she would fall to the ground.

Prince Yong glanced at his wife, then instructed a eunuch to announce the emperor's decree. The eunuch looked at the wife, shaking his head inwardly. The wife was indeed a beauty in her youth, but how could a beauty with only outward looks compare to youth in old age? This Princess Yong simply couldn't recognize her own limitations!

After the eunuch finished sighing, he announced the emperor's decree, watched as Prince Yong made arrangements for the two palace maids, and then left.

"Your Highness?" Princess Yong called out to Prince Yong cautiously, only to receive a cold look from him.

Decades of affection cannot vanish in an instant, but this time, Prince Yong wanted to give his princess a good talking-to. He wanted to teach her what she could and couldn't do, otherwise, who knows what kind of trouble she might cause in the future.

"His Majesty has issued an imperial edict; Your Highness, please return to your residence," said Prince Yong.

Princess Yong had never been treated so coldly before. Even though she knew she might have made a mistake, her temperament, honed over many years, couldn't be changed overnight. A surge of resentment welled up inside her. She gave Prince Yong a reproachful look, then turned and strode away.

Prince Yong walked to the main seat and sat down. Ling Yaoying carefully walked over, bowed, and then cautiously asked, "Your Highness, about the money shop..."

"The reform of Jufeng Bank is a major event for the court, and you must do your best to cooperate." Prince Yong looked at him with disgust and said, "As for the marriage between Yalin and your Ling Qichen, just forget about it and don't mention it again."

"This..." Ling Yaoying never expected things to turn out this way. Wasn't he just trying to steal a chicken but losing the rice instead?

"Your Highness, this is unacceptable! The Duke of Chu has ordered me to exchange all the silver notes within a month. Where would I get so much cash?" Ling Yaoying bowed to Prince Yong. "I beg Your Highness to plead with the Duke of Chu for me and grant me some more time!"

"As you know, I never get involved in court affairs. Go back now." Prince Yong rose to leave, and the steward of Prince Yong's residence smiled and gestured for him to leave, "Master Ling, please."

Ling Yaoying was furious and resentful, but he dared not show it on his face. He turned and left in a hurry. After returning home, he paced back and forth in the hall, thinking about how to resolve the matter.

Seeing his reaction, Ling Qihao, the eldest son of the Ling family, said, "I have a friend who is a distant relative of Lord Lu, the Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat. Why don't we ask him to see if he can speak with the Duke of Chu and plead for leniency?"

Ling Yaoying stopped in her tracks, and Ling Qihao added, "I heard that this Lord Lu works for the Duke of Chu."

"Will it work?" Ling Yaoying asked.

"Give it a try, it might work."

Ling Qihao didn't really want to get involved in this matter. Just two days ago, his father had personally said he would give Baoyuan Money Shop to his brother. As the eldest son, it was the family's most profitable business, so naturally he should inherit it. But before the family business had even been divided, his father had already made the decision.

But he couldn't ignore this matter; if the Ling family fell, he wouldn't be any better off.