Chapter 27: Yue Yining, the Loyal Strategist.
After hearing Yue Yining's plan, Wei Ye still looked confused, but Wei Yihua on the other side had her eyes light up like torches: "I understand! This is indeed a good idea!"
Yue Yining smiled and said, "Right?"
Wei Ye was still completely confused: "Huh? Huh? Huh?"
Yue Yining patted his shoulder, as if patting a puppy: "Your Highness, please give the order first, and I will explain it to you in detail later."
........
As Liu Yaofang, the head maid of the palace, came out of the servants' quarters, she saw several groups of servants carrying boxes toward the back garden. She recognized them as wooden boxes from the imperial treasury, with dust on the lids.
Servants kept running past her, and Liu Yao quickly grabbed one of them: "What's going on?"
The servant also looked embarrassed: "Yes, it is His Highness the Third Prince's order. The chief eunuch who delivered the message said that His Highness wants to build a Golden Mountain and Jade Pool in the back garden."
"He ordered the servants to open the treasury, carry the boxes containing gold, silver, and jade to the lakeside, and then pour the contents of the boxes into the lake until the lake in the back garden was filled."
Liu Yao could hardly believe her ears. She asked incredulously, "This is His Highness the Third Prince's order?"
"Yes, yes..."
"Is he insane?!" That was Liu Yao's only thought after hearing the whole story.
Liu Yao said urgently, "Where is the steward? I'll go find him and ask him!"
The servant pointed to the back garden: "The steward has been keeping watch by the lake; it should be just ahead."
Liu Yao turned and ran towards the lake. The back garden was a spacious place with artificial hills and strange rocks, clear water and sparkling waves. It was a beautiful scene, but it was ruined by a group of boxes and heads surrounding the lake.
When she arrived, the chief eunuch at the foot of the artificial hill was directing two servants to pour the gold and silver treasures from the chests into the lake. The sound of the gold, silver and bronze artifacts hitting each other was like a waterfall, and they shone brightly in the sunlight. In an instant, they were all submerged in the water.
The chief eunuch also noticed Liu Yao: "Liu Yao? Why are you running in such a hurry?"
Liu Yao's forehead bulged as she looked on, and she gasped for breath as she spoke with difficulty: "I heard that the Third Prince ordered all the items in the treasury to be dumped into the lake. Is that true?"
“Of course it’s true.” After the chief eunuch finished speaking, Liu Yao eagerly asked, “Was it the Third Prince who gave the order? Did you go to receive the order?”
The chief eunuch frowned in displeasure: "Of course. Do you think I would falsely convey His Highness the Third Prince's orders? What benefit would that bring me?"
Liu Yao: "Did you advise His Highness the Third Prince, explaining that this matter is unacceptable and inappropriate?"
The chief eunuch then turned around and looked at her properly. Seemingly surprised by her thoughts, he clicked his tongue a few times and sighed, "Liu Yao, as servants, isn't it enough for us to just follow orders? Why do we need so many thoughts?"
Liu Yao stared at him: "Even if you know this is harming the Third Prince?"
“As a subject, one should remonstrate with the ruler when he errs. The order issued by the Third Prince is clearly absurd. As the chief eunuch who received the order, and a reasonable person, you should have spoken frankly and advised him when you received it! To follow the reins and let the horse run wild is to be unworthy of being a subject!”
Liu Yao's voice trembled slightly, from anger: "You and I have both served His Highness the Third Prince since the palace, and we know his character best. You should understand that this is not the kind of order the Third Prince would give! Why don't you even dare to ask? What are you afraid of?"
The chief eunuch's face turned slightly pale.
He was also pushed to the limit, and said sarcastically, "Liu Yao, don't you understand the principle that people's hearts are unpredictable? We servants should just do our duty. How can we control what our master thinks? His Highness the Third Prince is no longer a child. He naturally knows what he is doing. Your constant pressure is overstepping your bounds, isn't it?"
"Looking at you now, I understand why the Third Prince stopped valuing you after he left the palace and established his own residence."
Seeing Liu Yao's face turn pale, the chief eunuch knew that his words had hurt her, and felt a sense of satisfaction at winning back some ground.
Liu Yao pursed her lips: "I understand. Since you're hiding in your shell and unwilling to be the one to stick your neck out, then I'll go to His Highness the Third Prince myself!"
The chief eunuch looked at her, seemingly amused by her naive attempt to fight against overwhelming odds: "Go, go."
Liu Yao originally intended to go directly to the Third Prince's bedroom, but after asking a passing maid, she learned that the Third Prince was currently receiving guests at Chengde Hall, so she changed her route and headed towards Chengde Hall.
On her way from the back garden to Chengde Hall, Liu Yao would pass the area where the prince's advisors would hold their private conversations. She hadn't held out much hope, but to her surprise, she happened to see three people sitting in the pavilion drinking tea. Liu Yao recognized the man in the lead; he was none other than Ke Lin, the Third Prince's most trusted advisor.
Liu Yao disregarded everything else and stepped into the pavilion, bowing directly: "Liu Yao, head maid of the palace, greets the three lords."
The elegant conversation of the three people inside the pavilion was interrupted. They looked at each other in surprise, and one of them politely asked, "Miss, are you here looking for someone?"
Liu Yao: "Yes, this servant has a request. His Highness the Third Prince just ordered us to pour all the gold and silver in the treasury into the lake in the back garden in order to build a Golden Mountain and Jade Pool."
“This servant finds this matter very strange. His Highness the Third Prince has always been frugal and is not a pleasure-seeking or unreasonable person. This action must be a temporary lapse in judgment. This servant has thought this through and intends to advise His Highness the Third Prince to rescind his order. However, this servant is of low status and his words carry little weight. If the three gentlemen were willing to come with me, His Highness would be more likely to change his mind.”
The pavilion was completely silent. The three of them were now truly taken aback, exchanging glances.
"This... young lady, I'm truly sorry, but I cannot agree to this."
"It is not that I am unwilling, but if His Highness the Third Prince is angry... I really cannot obey."
The advisors sitting on either side bowed and politely declined. The light in Liu Yao's eyes dimmed slightly, but she turned to look at Ke Lin, who was sitting in the center, and said in a more earnest tone, "Lord Ke, would you be willing to go with me? You are the most trusted advisor of His Highness the Third Prince. If you speak to him, he will surely listen."
Ke Lin was somewhat embarrassed, because he was one of the spies in the Third Prince's household. He was overjoyed that the Third Prince had brought about his own downfall; why would he possibly offer any advice?
“Your intentions are very kind, young lady,” Ke Lin declined, “but this matter is a family affair of His Highness the Third Prince. We are merely advisors to help His Highness plan matters of state. As for how the Third Prince treats his servants and how he handles his wealth, we have no say in that.”
"If His Highness the Third Prince is so pleased to build a mountain of gold and a pool of jade, then let him be. As a noble prince, such gold and silver treasures are but a drop in the ocean to him. Why bother to displease him? Don't you think so, young lady?"
After Liu Yao left Tingxuan, the fleeting look in Ke Lin's eyes and the tone of his voice when he rejected her still echoed in her mind.
She walked quickly, but lost the momentum she had just had. The faces of all the people she had asked for help flashed before her eyes, causing her to lower her head, grit her teeth, and clench her fists in her sleeves.
...So much for loyalty and integrity, it's all a lie!
fraud!
"Head Maid! Please wait a moment!"
Hearing the shouts, Liu Yao stopped in her tracks. She turned around and saw two young servants, a boy and a girl, about fifteen or sixteen years old, running up behind her. They stopped in front of her, panting, and only after they looked up did Liu Yao recognize them.
It was Alan and Aheng, a brother and sister, who had been serving by the pavilion earlier.
Liu Yao was somewhat surprised: "What's going on here...?"
Alan straightened up first, his face flushed and sweaty: "I'm willing to go with the head maid!"
Ah Heng followed closely behind: "Me too!"
Liu Yao stared blankly at the two of them, speechless for a moment. Alan looked at her, also somewhat embarrassed: "...His Highness the Third Prince once did a favor for my younger brother."
“My younger brother used to work in the kitchen in the backyard. He accidentally broke a pot of sweet soup and burned his leg. The steward was going to kick him out of the manor, but His Highness the Third Prince happened to hear about it and pardoned him. He even gave my brother some silver so that he could get proper treatment. If it weren’t for His Highness the Third Prince’s help, my brother might not have been able to save his leg.”
“The head maid is right. His Highness the Third Prince is not the kind of person who would give such an order. There must be some misunderstanding. He is a good person and will surely be able to distinguish right from wrong. I believe His Highness will not blame us.”
Liu Yao swallowed the stinging sensation in her nose and nodded to them, "Okay, then let's go together."
Inside the Chengde Hall, Wei Yihua and Yue Yining sat calmly drinking tea, while Wei Ye paced back and forth in front of the table. Wei Yihua, seeing him pacing back and forth, was almost dizzy: "Third brother, why don't you sit for a while?"
How could Wei Ye sit still? If he could sit still, he wouldn't be wandering around the hall like this.
Wei Ye frowned and muttered, "I gave the order a long time ago, and I even had the servants open the treasury, but why hasn't anyone come yet?" Is this really feasible?
To be honest, Wei Ye thought it was utterly absurd when he heard Yue Yining's suggestion. Yue Yining told him to announce to the servants that he was going to build a Golden Mountain and Jade Pool in the back garden, and to instruct the servants to carry out all the gold and silver treasures from the treasury and throw them into the shallow lake in the back garden until the lake was filled in.
Wei Ye cried out, his face contorted with grief, "Those are priceless treasures! How could we just throw them into the lake like that...?"
Yue Yining laughed and said, "Your Highness, you can't catch a wolf without risking your cub. Besides, the lake isn't deep. We can just have someone fish it out later."
Wei Ye was visibly anxious: "Is there really no one coming?"
Yue Yining picked up her teacup and took a sip, looking relaxed and at ease: "Your Highness, please don't be in a hurry, sit down and wait."
This is the scene that Liu Yao saw when she led Alan and Aheng into the palace.
Liu Yao is twenty-five years old this year and has been taking care of the Third Prince's daily life for nearly ten years. She accompanied the Third Prince when he was still in the palace, so she recognized Princess Wei Yihua's appearance.
But who is this other young woman sitting next to the princess?
After seeing Liu Yao and the other two enter the hall, Yue Yining put down her teacup, the sound of the celadon hitting the jujube-red wooden table was dull and oily.
She looked at Wei Ye, who was sitting at the head of the table. He looked astonished, his eyes wide with surprise, clearly taken aback.
Yue Yining raised an eyebrow, then turned her head and heard the steady and resolute voice of the head maid: "This servant has come to ask His Highness the Third Prince to rescind his decree."
“The construction of Jinshan Jade Pool is not something to be done today. Moreover, the jewels and gold in the imperial treasury are all imperial gifts. If His Majesty were to hear of this so hastily filling the lake, he would surely be displeased. There are many more pressing matters to be addressed. Your Highness’s actions are merely for your own enjoyment, wasting resources and causing harm to the people. Therefore, we three servants are here to implore Your Highness to rescind your order.”
After Liu Yao said those words, even Wei Yihua looked at her with some surprise.
Liu Yao knew she had chosen her words carelessly and might offend the Third Prince. There were clearly more tactful ways to offer advice, but she had always been tongue-tied. Limited in her learning, and in her haste, these words naturally slipped out.
Liu Yao closed her eyes, her heart filled with resolute determination.
However, no matter how well it's packaged, honest advice is still hard to swallow. Liu Yao understood that even if she could do it all over again, she would still say the same thing.
Liu Yao knelt with her forehead pressed tightly against the ground, and unexpectedly caught a whiff of a bitter, woody scent.
She saw a pair of dark blue cloth shoes approaching her.
“Raise your head.”
Liu Yao's neck stiffened slightly. She slowly raised her head and saw a young woman she didn't recognize standing in front of her. She was wearing a blue cotton robe and was smiling at her.
Yue Yining asked, "What's your name?"
Liu Yao replied reflexively, "This servant is named Liu Yao, and is currently the head of the palace maids."
"Very good." Yue Yining was satisfied. She turned to look at Wei Ye in the upper seat, her eyes, though backlit, were surprisingly bright. "Wei Ye, remember the names of these three people."
"They are the most loyal people to you in this mansion."
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