Chapter 213 Prince Ning Presents Silver

On that day, Xi Jianan assigned all the affairs of Jingzhou to the left and right Sima Canjun and others. He took the tripod and went straight to the capital, and even ate and slept there.

Arriving at the post station that evening, Xi Jianan sat alone in his room, contemplating the ancient tripod. He gently stroked the words "Longevity equals heaven," his beard parted slightly with a smile.

His son-in-law, the prince, was afraid that he would be unwilling to do such a thing as flattering the emperor and making a false offering, but was Xi Jianan such an inflexible person? Not to mention, the emperor had already damaged the harmony between the emperor and his subjects by transferring him to Jingzhou before Xiao Ji was deposed.

Moreover, Xi Jianan had keenly sensed the turbulent situation at court, with the struggle for the succession reaching a fever pitch. He felt that his daughter's involvement in this incident was like a sword hanging over their heads, and until it was removed, the entire family would be in turmoil. Returning to the capital under the pretext of presenting the tripod would not only resolve this trouble but also provide a glimpse into the court's direction—killing two birds with one stone.

Of course the most important thing is... this is not a false offering, the tripod is real.

Xi Jianan slowly stroked the mottled inscriptions on the tripod with his fingers. The cold touch of the bronze reminded him of the time when he arrived in Jingzhou at the beginning of the year.

He had no qualms about the previous governor dying of illness in his residence, and instead moved directly into the previous governor's courtyard. Later, when he discovered the tripod in the secret room, there lay a secret letter, not yet completely burned, pressed against the edge of the tripod—the words filled with frantic prayers for a longer life. He immediately felt something was amiss and secretly suppressed the matter. Now, thinking back, it was indeed a wise move.

The previous governor must have been drawn to the tripod's auspicious reputation and kept it privately in his palace. Unfortunately, his luck was short-lived, and he was unable to control this tripod, a symbol of the emperor. Instead of prolonging his life, he died suddenly in office.

Based on his years of experience in antique appreciation, he knew this tripod was undoubtedly from the Ye Dynasty. Whether it was actually cast by Emperor Hui was irrelevant. What mattered was that the current emperor was in his twilight years and anxious to prolong his life. While Emperor Hui of the Ye Dynasty's achievements were mediocre, he was remembered in history for his longevity.

The appearance of this "Longevity Cauldron" was a godsend for the emperor.

He didn't know how to deal with it at first, but now it comes in handy.

"Longevity Cauldron..." Xi Jianan muttered to himself, and then asked his servant to bring paper and pen. After a while, he wrote a letter titled "Jingzhou Auspicious Memorial". The letter praised the magical power of the Longevity Cauldron, saying that it "shine at night and is surrounded by river fish", adding a touch of mystery.

Meanwhile, in Beijing, Shen Yushan, after avoiding the limelight, reconciled with Prince Ning. Prince Ning specially hosted a banquet at his residence, and after a few glasses of wine, he casually asked:

"Sir Shen, what did you say to my father in Zichen Palace that day?"

Shen Yushan took a sip of his drink and said, "Of course, you are questioning me about my close personal relationship with you."

Prince Ning had anticipated this and was not surprised. He simply asked, "What was your Excellency's response?"

Shen Yushan looked embarrassed, "Your Highness, I... I really feel ashamed of your Highness..."

Seeing this, Prince Ning's heart was lifted, but thinking that his father had not troubled him in recent days, he said reluctantly: "It's okay to say it."

"Your Majesty's birthday is approaching. He's not in good health this year, so we'd like to hold a grand celebration to celebrate... Your Highness also works at the Ministry of Revenue... There must be some bribes involved, and everyone knows this. I've come to befriend Your Highness in order to persuade him to help you hold a grand birthday celebration."

Upon hearing this, Prince Ning was startled for a moment, then his mouth twitched slightly. He understood what he meant: to ask him for some money.

But he still had to praise this method, "I see... Lord Shen has found a good excuse for me."

Holding back the pain in his heart that felt like bleeding, Prince Ning asked, "Since your Majesty has spoken... I wonder how much silver would be needed to make this longevity celebration a decent one?" At least he only wanted some silver from him, not anything else.

Shen Yushan looked troubled and held up five fingers: "According to my estimation...it's at least this number."

"Fifty thousand taels?" Prince Ning frowned slightly.

Shen Yushan sighed and lowered his voice, "This is the minimum, only enough for the birthday banquet. But if you offer it to him, His Majesty will not be happy. He will think that you have more in your hands. You must give more and work harder to appease His Majesty's inner dissatisfaction."

Prince Ning took a deep breath, unable to drink any more. Fifty thousand taels! And more! He'd carefully worked in the Ministry of Revenue for so many years, and now he was going to give out so much in one go... But then he thought, if he could use this to please his father...

"I understand." A glint of determination flashed in Prince Ning's eyes. "I will certainly do my best to raise funds. But in your opinion, Lord Shen, how much more should I contribute to satisfy my father without causing any serious damage?"

Shen Yushan, who had been waiting for this sentence, immediately bowed and said:

"Your Majesty has become increasingly suspicious lately. Seeing you make such a generous offering, I suspect you've hidden even more. I boldly suggest offering a total of 100,000 taels, but in three installments. The first offering of 50,000 taels, pretending to be reluctantly raising the money; the second offering of 30,000 taels, showing you've made every effort; and the final offering of 20,000 taels, claiming that this is all your private savings. Then, pretending to weep before Your Majesty, I'm sure you'll be able to please him."

Prince Ning was skeptical, but when he thought about the fact that the man in front of him had experienced three dynasties and was now firmly sitting in the position of Shangshu Ling, his ability to understand people's hearts must be much better than his, so he decided to act accordingly.

Then Shen Yushan said again:

"However, Your Highness, if you act this way, you will inevitably offend several other princes..."

A cold light flashed in Prince Ning's eyes, and he sneered, "Offend? Even if I don't do this, they won't like me."

Thinking of this, Prince Ning was actually happy. One hundred thousand taels of silver was a lot of blood for him, but he had made more money in the Ministry of Revenue over the years. As for his other brothers, it was quite a lot...

On the second day, Prince Ning did as Shen Yushan said and carried several large boxes of silver to the Zichen Palace in broad daylight. He presented them to Xiao Yuancheng in public and said some words about fatherly love and filial piety.

For a time, the story of Prince Ning offering silver to celebrate his father's birthday spread throughout the capital. With him setting an example, the other princes were pushed to the forefront.

King Wu and King Wen were both secretly cursing in their respective palaces, saying, "King Ning is such a good actor!"

King Wu was furious. "This fellow has clearly made a killing at the Ministry of Revenue. He gave me 50,000 taels without asking for it. Where would I get the money to support so many people?"

Fifty thousand taels are enough for him to equip an army of 5,000 people!

The same was true for King Wen. Although the number of his retainers was small, every antique he took out cost him money. "It really makes us look fat!"

Needless to say, Prince An's medicinal herbs for recuperation were not obtained in vain; they cost a lot. He was really bleeding money by giving out so much at once! Even Xiao Ji gritted his teeth and muttered this time, he didn't want to give so much silver!

"No, we have to think of a way..."

Xiao Ji paced back and forth. Qing Wu's eyes turned and he grabbed his hand. "I'll take care of this."