The imperial advisor's carriage continued to move slowly forward. On the second floor of an inconspicuous inn by the street, a window was quietly closing.
Yun Tianbai returned to his seat with a sullen face and said to the young man opposite him, "Third Prince, has the Emperor really not revealed a single word?"
The third prince opposite him shook his head. "No one knows when Father Emperor issued the secret edict. This Imperial Preceptor must be from Ghost Valley Mountain, but I wonder... whether he is easy to get along with?"
Yun Tianbai's lips curled into a smile. "Look at his ostentatious display. Fairy children are scattering flowers to clear the way, and he's deliberately spreading the word to attract crowds to watch. He must be an extravagant person who cares about appearances. With a little money, he's sure to get a pleasant surprise!"
The Third Prince looked at him and said, "Tianbai, you invited me here. What kind of deal is this with the Northern Di people? Is it really worth so little?"
He glanced at the contract on the table, his expression somewhat disdainful.
Since Yun Tianbai went to great lengths to get in touch with him last month, he thought he had just been offered another opportunity to make money.
Unexpectedly, he couldn't even afford a decent gift for their first meeting. He really didn't know why Yun Tianbai had approached him out of the blue.
This morning, Yun Tianbai asked him to meet, saying there was a business deal to discuss. Unexpectedly, it turned out to be a small business of a little over 20,000 taels.
Would a dignified third prince like him be short of a piece of meat?
When this was mentioned, Yun Tianbai was very frustrated. "There was something, but just as things were starting to get going, Father signed some border trade agreement with the Northern Di and designated the Su family as the largest intermediary in the trade between the two countries. My little scheme could only allow the brothers who helped me to eat a little more meat, and that was it."
The Third Prince lowered his gaze. "Tianbai, I had heard that you had been based in the Northern Territory for many years, and I originally thought you had extraordinary abilities, but I never expected..."
He gestured with his chin towards the window again, "It's just as you said, that you need to spend a lot of money to befriend the new Imperial Advisor. Your little business won't be enough!"
Yun Tianbai gritted his teeth, "Third Prince, I will find a way. However... I don't know what I asked for last time..."
The Third Prince put down his teacup. “Your Highness, although your martial arts and strategies are second to none, what kind of place is the Five Cities Garrison? That’s the Imperial Guard, which is under the Crown Prince’s control!”
Yun Tianbai immediately chimed in, his words carrying a pointed meaning, "The Imperial Guards are in the Emperor's hands, and the Five Cities Garrison is controlled by the Crown Prince. Add to that the upright and incorruptible Prefect of the Capital, who oversees the city's patrols. Not to mention the Four Guards of the Capital Region and the troops in the four border regions. Third Prince, the Crown Prince has just returned to the capital and taken over the Five Cities Garrison. Currently, the weakest link among these forces is the Five Cities Garrison. If you could find a way to get me into the Garrison, I would be utterly devoted to Your Highness!"
The Third Prince was actually not even sixteen years old yet, just a young boy. But who in the royal family didn't have such thoughts? So he immediately understood the deeper meaning in Yun Tianbai's words and couldn't help but give him a deep look. "I've heard that your stepsister is on good terms with that Prince Xuan's heir. Prince Xuan's heir is the Crown Prince's man. I find it hard to believe you have such thoughts!"
Yun Tianbai's face stiffened, and he forced a smile through gritted teeth, "Third Prince, my stepsister... and I do not have a good relationship. I'm sure Your Highness is aware that when the Duchess married into the household, it was my mother who divorced and gave up her position. The reasons behind this are not for outsiders to know."
The Third Prince gave an "Oh," his wary expression easing somewhat. If there truly was something going on, it wasn't impossible for him to oppose his stepsister and stepmother. He then suddenly realized, "No wonder the Duke's mansion is rolling in money, yet you have to handle even this small business yourself. I suppose you're unwilling to spend the wealth earned by your stepmother and stepsister? But... I'm not trying to criticize you, but grudges are grudges, life is long, there's always a chance to settle scores. But when it comes to money... with your proximity to the source, even just a little bit of that connection could solve the problems of the Commander and that connection with the Imperial Preceptor, right?"
Yun Tianbai gritted his teeth; how could he not understand the unspoken meaning behind his words?
He could only nod and say, "Your Highness, rest assured, I will show my sincerity as soon as possible."
The third prince stood up, nodded in satisfaction, and left.
Yun Tianbai also got up and returned to his residence, feeling extremely frustrated.
Last month, he managed to get in touch with the Third Prince through a childhood friend. He went to see him excitedly, and before leaving, he waved his hand and told the steward of the Yun family to prepare 50,000 taels of silver for him. However, the steward said that each household and each person in the mansion had a fixed monthly allowance, and that taking more than 1,000 taels required the mistress's token.
He felt a lump in his throat, as if he were about to vomit blood.
In his previous life, when he was a Duke, he had never felt so frustrated when spending money in his own mansion.
Having lived a life free from financial worries in his previous life, he never even considered saving money while serving in the army. However, having lived another life, he deeply understands the importance of winning over the hearts of his soldiers. Therefore, he distributed all the small profits he made from his small businesses to his brothers, and he hasn't saved any money at all in recent years.
She gave all of her three thousand taels of private silver to Shi Wenxia.
Moreover, he always felt that after returning to Beijing, he would have an inexhaustible supply of money.
After all, although Jiang Youran did not marry him, she was still in the Duke's mansion.
Little did he know, the Duke's mansion in this life was not yet his.
The money that Jiang Youran earned for the Duke's mansion did not belong to him.
Even the few familiar and expensive ornaments and calligraphy and paintings that he occasionally saw when he went to his father's study to pay his respects, which had entered the Duke's mansion as part of Jiang Youran's dowry in his previous life and were priceless, were not his in this life.
He suddenly felt very strapped for cash.
Even the rewards given to palace servants and the money given to servants in the mansion could not be given at will.
When traveling in Kyoto, you need to make connections everywhere.
He returned to the courtyard, feeling agitated; the Third Prince's meaning was quite clear.
He doesn't participate in small businesses; he only wants cash.
Where is he going to get the money?
When Shi Wenxia saw him return, he went up to him and asked, "Your Highness, you're back."
When Yun Tianbai saw her, it was like seeing the five thousand taels of silver he owed his aunt, which only made him more annoyed. He casually asked, "You said before that you had a way to pay back the five thousand taels of silver owed to your aunt. Have you made any progress yet?"
Upon hearing this, Shi Wenxia's eyes reddened. "This month, my grandfather's condition has improved, and we have sent him nourishing medicinal herbs several times. We don't have a single penny left."
Even though Madam Su sent nourishing medicinal herbs to the Zhou family every month, Yun Tianbai insisted that she send an extra portion to show that he, as the direct grandson, was different. The few hundred taels left after paying off the debts to the two shopkeepers from the five thousand taels borrowed from his aunt last time were all spent on these medicinal herbs.
She was anxious because she couldn't get control over the management of the central office!
Yun Tianbai became very annoyed upon hearing this, "Who told you to say these things?"
Shi Wenxia also became anxious, "Mother... hasn't mentioned the matter of managing the household affairs... perhaps you, Your Highness, could bring it up with her?"
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