Chapter 5: Driving the Tiger to Devour the Wolf, Using the Wolf's Strength to Attack the Tiger
"Do you take medicine on weekdays?"
“Sometimes I eat, and sometimes I don’t.”
"Oh?" Shang Yuwan's tone didn't sound very concerned, as if it was just a casual question: "Why don't you eat?"
Twelve did not answer, but looked somewhere on the ground, avoiding Shang Yuwan's gaze.
She bowed and clasped her fists. "I'm fine. I'll take my leave now. I'll have to trouble you with the Shang family's affairs."
You don’t call yourself “I” anymore?
Shang Yuwan watched her leave, turned around and went back to his room in silence.
Forget it, I’ll just ask Ji Suxian at dawn and find out.
Shang Yuwan thought so in his heart, but in the end he couldn't sleep all night.
As soon as he closed his eyes, all he could think about were the corpses of the Shang family, his uncle kneeling on the ground, Shang Mingqi's cries, and Twelve's collapsed roar.
In the silent night, Shang Yuwan rubbed his head and sighed softly.
After being reborn, this old headache came back with me, it really lingers.
Shang Yu did not sleep well at night and was finally awakened by the chirping of birds.
The weather is unpredictable, like a naughty child who makes trouble for no reason. It was cold yesterday, but it is bright and clear today.
The winter snow outside the house melted, and the sunlight came in, making the two light blue-black lines under Shang Yuwan's eyes more obvious.
Didn't Ji Suxian improve the tranquilizing incense? Why can't I fall asleep?
She sat in front of the dressing table, looked at the face in the bronze mirror, and raised her hand to pull out a few obvious white hairs.
Forget it, forget it, let me pack up and go to discuss the matter with the host.
——"Zhao family token?"
"Yeah." Shang Yuwan finished telling everything that happened last night and took a sip of strong tea to stay awake.
There were several stacks of letter papers beside her, and she was holding a newly opened one in her hand. Her eyelids kept drooping unconsciously.
The melted ice and snow made it even colder than when it snowed. There was more charcoal burning in the house than yesterday, and Shang Yuwan was so warm that he almost fell asleep.
Could it be that I didn’t sleep last night because there wasn’t enough charcoal?
Shang Yuwan thought to himself, why not try making the fire hotter tonight?
The host was still wearing a mask and a thick fox fur coat. He stared at Shang Yuwan through the two holes in the mask, "Something's wrong."
Shang Yuwan didn't catch the hidden meaning in his words and nodded, "I think so too. They were able to frame the general for treason, so their methods must have been very complex. Twelve's discovery of such a 'surprise' must have been intentional, but I still haven't figured out their true intentions."
The host picked up the teapot and poured her a cup, "I mean you."
Shang Yuwan didn't even raise her head and took another sip of her strong tea. "I'm fine. What could possibly happen to me?"
"Did you not sleep well again last night?"
"It's just an old problem." Shang Yuwan finally looked at him. "When did the host become so fussy?"
"Poor health is detrimental to what we do."
"How dare you say that to me?"
The host pretended to be angry: "How can you talk like that?"
"Yes, yes, I was wrong. I apologize to you."
Shang Yuwan poured him a cup of tea and placed it respectfully in front of the host.
Without waiting for him to do anything, Shang Yuwan took out a few letters from the pile and read them according to his habit of skimming ten lines at a time.
"Look at this."
Shang Yuwan handed him one of the items, and when he saw that he didn't move, he asked, "What's wrong?"
The host didn't even glance at the letter handed to him. "Now that we're done, you can go and rest, or ask Ji Suxian to take your pulse and have the kitchen prepare some medicinal food for you."
"I know my limits in this matter, and I'm not an ignorant child. Take a look at this first."
Shang Yuwan stuffed the letter into his hand. The poster didn't say anything and just looked down.
"A large amount of wealth is flowing between Dingzhou City and Yuecheng..."
The man behind the mask frowned, and Shang Yuwan took out another one and gave it to him, saying, "If I remember correctly, this is the fiefdom given to the fifth princess by Emperor Chengming when she was born."
The host looked at another picture, and Shang Yuwan continued, "Since it's her fiefdom, shouldn't all the gold, silver, and taxes that were handed over be in her hands?"
She pointed at the piece of letter paper. "Why did nearly half of the three months' worth of silver paid by the princess's fiefdoms suddenly end up in the prime minister's pocket? Could it have grown legs and found its owner?"
"The Fifth Princess has been traveling around Dayu since she was a child. It's inevitable that she'll be recognized. If the Prime Minister finds out that she's secretly gone out..." The host suddenly fell silent, then chuckled, "It seems we've entered the Colosseum."
First, a harmless booklet, then using Shang Junhu's death to provoke them, and finally the prime minister...
"yes."
"To stand by and watch is to drive a tiger to devour a wolf. If you don't know, you might think that His Royal Highness is worried about his little sister's money being stolen."
Shang Yuwan grinned, but there was a coldness in his eyes.
"This strategy is truly remarkable. I wonder if it was the prince who came up with it, or someone else?"
The host put down the letter and said, "It seems that the Prime Minister did something he shouldn't have done and was discarded."
"That's not necessarily true."
Shang Yuwan narrowed her eyes and smiled.
"But he is the Prime Minister after all, and his relationship with the Crown Prince is not small. Since he gave us a disabled arm, we should not let his kindness go to waste."
The host asked, “How do you feel?”
"OP, even if an arm is disabled, it is still connected to the body."
Shang Yuwan pointed his finger at the piece of letter with Zhang Jiuquan's recent message.
"Of course, use the opponent's force to counter the opponent's force."
"Okay." The host's eyes were full of admiration. "Then I'll do as you say."
"A-choo!"
In the East Palace in Kyoto, a man in a light yellow robe was sitting in a reclining chair and playing with several cats.
This is the cat house he specially asked someone to build, which is used for the kittens he picked up from outside to eat, drink and play.
His sudden sneeze made the hearts of the servants around him tremble.
Xiao Qingji didn't react at all. He took the silk handkerchief, wiped his nose with it, and threw it away. He asked someone to bring the frightened cat over and continued to tease it.
"Your Highness, a report from Yanmen."
A servant in black walked into the cat room, lowered his head and knelt on one knee.
"Get up, are you hurt?"
Xiao Qingji's facial features are very handsome, just like the current emperor when he was young. People in Kyoto know that he is usually gentle and polite to others, including his subordinates. But what he thinks inside... is unknown.
"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I am fine." The attendant stood up, still bowing his head. "The bait was successful. They have seen the Zhao family token. Steward Bai will arrive in Kyoto in three days."
Xiao Qingji nodded, "Go down."
The attendants withdrew, and cartloads of camellias were delivered. Xiao Qingji no longer paid attention to the cats and stood up to check on the camellias.
"Your Highness, these are the new camellias we sent you today. Are you satisfied?"
The person speaking was Hua Jianzi, from whom Xiao Qingji often bought flowers. The Hua family was a merchant, and their flower-growing skills were among the best in Kyoto, and they also sold flowers very well. If the Hua family were second to none, no one would dare to claim first place.
Xiao Qingji took a look and said with a smile, "Yes, thank you for making this trip, Shopkeeper Hua. Come, take Shopkeeper Hua to get the other half of the money that has not been paid."
"Thank you, Prince. Thank you, Prince!"
Hua Jianzi followed the others and Xiao Qingji called out, "Mingshu."
A servant stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, the messenger said this morning that there are too many camellias in her house, so there is no need to send more."
"......Is that so?" Xiao Qingji's smile was particularly gentle.
"Then pick out some and send them to Fifth Sister's residence. The rest will be planted in my East Palace."
Mingshu dared to look at his master, but before he looked back, he looked away and responded in a low voice.
Mingshu thought to himself.
For some reason, he always felt that His Highness's smile today was a little creepy.
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