Chapter 693: The Min Clan's Deal!

Before the mourning hall, the Crown Prince knelt with murkiness in his eyes and... numbness.

"Matron."

"Matron."

The palace maids and eunuchs waiting outside bowed to a woman.

She wore the clothes of a palace maid, but her bearing and presence were utterly unlike those of an ordinary servant. Even the palace's Attendants and Talented Ladies did not carry themselves with this woman's confidence when walking through the inner court.

Her name was A'Rou. Those beneath her respectfully called her Aunt Rou.

At thirteen, she had accompanied the future Empress into the princely residence as her personal maid. From the princely residence to the Eastern Palace, then from the Eastern Palace to the imperial palace, she had remained at the Empress's side throughout.

To outsiders, they were mistress and servant.

In private, they were more like sisters.

So within Fengzheng Palace, A'Rou was the chief steward.

Outside Fengzheng Palace, she often carried the Empress's edicts in person.

To a certain extent, she could represent the Empress's will.

Now she walked to the Crown Prince's side and knelt.

The Crown Prince turned his head and looked at the woman beside him.

He had become terrifyingly thin.

His entire person looked haggard beyond recognition.

"Your Highness, you need to eat."

"Aunt Rou, I can't. I can't eat..."

"Your Highness, don't cry. Her Majesty is watching you. If you starve yourself like this and ruin your body, Her Majesty will ache for you and never be able to rest in peace."

"Aunt Rou..."

The Crown Prince suddenly caught A'Rou by the wrist.

Light seemed to flare inside his eyes.

He stared at her and asked in a suppressed voice:

"Aunt Rou, how did Mother actually... how did she actually die? Who... who killed Mother?"

A'Rou pulled her wrist free.

She turned her face toward him.

Her gaze carried the stern authority of an elder.

Then she said, one word at a time:

"Your Highness the Crown Prince. Her Majesty was finally released. You should be happy for her."

That night, the Empress had watched with her own eyes as her younger brother slaughtered their entire clan.

After that... her hysteria had grown steadily worse.

Gradually, the periods when she was muddled had come to vastly outnumber the periods when she was lucid.

"No. No. No. Someone killed Mother. Someone definitely killed Mother. Who? Who? Who!"

Unexpectedly... the Crown Prince did not first name the person he should have thought of first, the person with the clearest motive to strike at precisely this moment, the person who had even revealed during his grand wedding that he possessed hidden strength more than sufficient to do such a thing.

His own younger brother.

Instead, the Crown Prince extended a hand and pointed east.

That was the direction of the Imperial Study.

"Was it... him?"

"Your Highness, you're confused."

"No. I'm not confused. I'm not confused. I'm not confused."

At that moment...

A'Rou's gaze swept behind her.

Li Yinglian had brought a group of Eastern Palace eunuchs and quietly replaced every palace maid and eunuch still serving in the inner section of the Empress's mourning hall.

Then Li Yinglian knelt behind them as well.

A bleak smile appeared on the Crown Prince's face.

"Who else could it be? This is the imperial palace. This is the inner court. He is the Ninth-Five Supreme, sovereign of Great Yan. Plenty of people wanted to harm Mother. There were even several households capable of stretching a hand into the palace. But who would dare provoke his thunderous wrath by laying hands on Mother? Who would not fear his fury? Other than... himself."

An unhealthy flush appeared on the Crown Prince's face, the sign of cold invading a body weakened by exhaustion.

"He was afraid my wedding with the Commandery Princess would be completed. He was afraid. He wanted to preserve his Dragon Throne. He wanted to keep propping me up in this position so I could balance his sons, but he did not dare let me truly establish myself. He would never allow the Eastern Palace to genuinely threaten him. Heh-heh-heh... hahahahaha... It's not as if he hasn't done the same thing before. Consort Min... wasn't that exactly what happened to her?"

The instant she heard the words "Consort Min," A'Rou's expression hardened.

She seized the Crown Prince's wrist with her other hand and pulled him off balance.

Then... she embraced him.

The Crown Prince did not resist.

A'Rou had been his mother's personal maid, the Chief Matron of Fengzheng Palace.

When he was very young, she had carried him.

Then she had taken his hand and played with him.

When he cried... when he felt wronged... when Imperial Father scolded him... it had been A'Rou who held him and comforted him.

"Aunt... Aunt..."

The Crown Prince drew in a deep breath.

Held in her arms, he murmured:

"Why did he have to be like this? Why? Family... what does family mean to him? What does it mean?"

A'Rou placed her fingers against the Crown Prince's temples and gently began massaging them.

Li Yinglian remained kneeling behind them, watching.

The Crown Prince was too tired.

He had knelt here for days.

Now, inside this familiar embrace, he finally fell into a deep sleep.

A'Rou touched his forehead.

Then felt his pulse.

"The Crown Prince has caught a chill."

Li Yinglian's eyes widened immediately.

"Eunuch Li."

"This slave is here. Give your instructions."

"Go to the rear dispensary of the Imperial Medical Bureau. Say that I am ill. Bring back medicine and have it decocted. That man has only just held such a grand wedding, and Her Majesty has only just passed. No matter what, word that His Highness has fallen ill cannot be allowed to spread."

"Yes. This slave understands."

The Eastern Palace had lost its chance to marry into Marquis Zhenbei Residence.

Then it lost the Empress.

Two powerful sources of support... no.

Two mountains that had sheltered it... had vanished on the same day.

At this moment, the Eastern Palace stood at its weakest.

Its master absolutely could not collapse now.

At the very least... outsiders could not be allowed to learn that he had collapsed.

Otherwise, judging from the power that man had revealed during his wedding... the entire situation would slide beyond recovery.

A'Rou helped the Crown Prince to his feet and gestured for a nearby palace maid to drape a cloak over him.

Then she brought him away from the mourning hall and back to the Eastern Palace.

"The Crown Prince has been overwhelmed by grief and only just managed to fall asleep. All of you withdraw."

"Yes, Matron."

"Yes, Matron."

As the woman who spoke for Fengzheng Palace, A'Rou wielded enormous influence inside the Eastern Palace as well.

After entering the bedchamber, she settled the Crown Prince beside the bed.

Then... she walked to the tea table.

And took out two packets of medicine.

One contained Conception Powder.

The other contained an aphrodisiac.

She poured the Conception Powder into a teacup, swirled it, and drank it down in one swallow.

The other packet... she did not add.

First, because the Crown Prince's body was weak right now and could not withstand such a fierce drug.

Second... because there was no need.

She might have been somewhat older now, but she had preserved herself extremely well.

Besides... the common folk often passed around scandalous stories about the filth hidden inside great noble households. An aunt raising her husband's younger brother as a lover, a father-in-law crawling into his daughter-in-law's bed...

In truth, such things were not rare.

But the main reason was simple.

Young men in households like these had never lacked women around them, even from a very young age.

And plenty of women would throw themselves into their arms willingly.

Sons of poor families, once they reached a certain age, either had to suffer patiently until the day of their marriage or hand over the few coins they had scraped together beneath a brothel's red curtains just for one chance.

But here... for these men... women were within easy reach.

A'Rou knew how dependent the Crown Prince was upon her.

She and the Crown Prince had always been physically close.

But they had never crossed that particular line.

Today, however... she removed her clothes.

And lay down on the bed.

The sleeping Crown Prince caught the familiar fragrance that had always made him feel safe.

His eyes opened slightly.

"Aunt Rou..."

"Your Highness..."

...

Thirteen.

An age when a girl was still a flower bud.

A'Rou cheered and laughed, overflowing with an excitement even she could not explain.

The young lady of the Tian Clan reached out and tapped her forehead.

Then laughed and spat:

"You randy little hussy. I'm the one getting married today. Why are you so excited? Anyone who didn't know better would think you were the bride."

"Young Miss is getting married. Of course A'Rou is happy! Young Miss is happy too, isn't she?"

"Go, go, go. Who said I'm happy? I'm leaving Father and Mother. Leaving Little Brother. I'd rather stay at home for the rest of my life."

"Young Miss isn't honest. Last time His Highness climbed over the courtyard wall to secretly see you, you called him a shameless lecher while covering your mouth and laughing harder than anyone."

"You're asking for a beating! Asking for it!"

"Aiya! Young Miss, stop hitting me! Stop! His Highness really is handsome! You and His Highness are truly a perfect match!"

"I think you're the one in heat, you little hussy. Have you gone mad dreaming about becoming his bedchamber maid?"

"I haven't! I haven't! He's Young Miss's husband. How could I possibly..."

"What if he wanted you, and I agreed?"

"Um... then... then I suppose... reluctantly..."

"Good! Your true thoughts finally came out!"

"Aiya! Young Miss, that hurts! My ear! My ear hurts..."

...

"This younger sister greets Elder Sister. May Elder Sister enjoy health and peace."

A'Rou stood beside the Princess Consort and looked at the woman kneeling before them, the Side Consort who had only married into the princely residence yesterday.

"Good Sister, hurry and rise. From now on, we're family."

The Princess Consort carried not the slightest air of superiority.

She was extremely warm.

"Elder Sister, please have some tea."

"Good."

The Princess Consort accepted the tea and took a small sip.

"Good Sister, rise."

"Thank you, Elder Sister."

The Side Consort stood.

A'Rou looked toward the young lady of the Min Clan.

Two little dimples appeared on A'Rou's smiling face.

The next instant... every servant around them knelt.

"This servant greets the Side Consort. May the Side Consort enjoy health and peace."

"Rise, rise. All of you, rise."

Lady Min pulled a pouch of gold leaves from her sleeve and distributed them one by one.

When she reached A'Rou...

A'Rou accepted a gold leaf.

"This servant thanks the Side Consort for the reward."

"Elder Sister, this maid of yours looks so auspicious. Fair and plump. Truly delightful."

"If Sister likes her, you can simply take her."

"Oh, I couldn't. I couldn't. A fair, plump maid like this must carry enormous fortune with her. How could this younger sister dare steal Elder Sister's good fortune?"

One circuit later... every gold leaf had been handed out.

The servants withdrew after receiving their rewards and offering thanks.

Lady Min sat down nearby.

The Princess Consort seemed not the slightest bit annoyed by Lady Min's ostentation and deliberate generosity.

After all... everyone in Yan knew how wealthy the Min Clan was.

"Hahahaha."

Lady Min suddenly laughed.

Then said to the Princess Consort:

"Elder Sister, you don't know my father. He loves showing off. Before I came here, he specifically ordered me to reward everyone with a small gold ingot each. He said anything less wouldn't show the Min Clan's grandeur. I couldn't bear to waste that much, so I changed the gold ingots into gold leaves. As for what remained, I had someone deliver it to the steward of the residence treasury."

"Life in the residence may indeed be a little austere," the Princess Consort said with a smile.

His Highness disliked extravagance.

He did not accept gifts from outside officials either.

Most of the trusted ministers around him came from humble backgrounds.

Especially Zhao Jiulang, the Assistant Director in the Ministry of Personnel whom His Highness currently relied upon most heavily.

Zhao Jiulang's family lived in poverty inside the capital and even required support from the princely residence.

There were quite a few ministers like him.

No new income.

No way to reduce expenses.

Naturally, the household lived somewhat plainly.

The Tian Clan itself had ample wealth, but her husband disliked simply taking things from the Tian family.

"Exactly. But Elder Sister needn't worry. My Min Clan isn't some high aristocratic house. We don't have some noble rank to protect, so we don't care about losing face. From now on, I'll handle the residence's expenses by going back and squeezing my father for money. I already thought this through before entering the household. If people want to call me the copper-stinking Side Consort, then let them. What matters is that our own family lives well."

The Princess Consort looked at Lady Min.

A daughter raised by the Tian Clan could hardly be some naïve little white rabbit.

But Lady Min's eyes were perfectly clear.

She was rich... without making people resent her wealth.

The Princess Consort smiled and took Lady Min's hand.

"Then Elder Sister will be basking in Younger Sister's good fortune."

...

"What's your name?"

A richly dressed young lady stepped down from a carriage and looked at the little girl kneeling beside the road with a stalk of wheat tucked behind her head.

"My Lady, my Lady, her name is..."

"I didn't ask you!"

A maid beside the young lady immediately rebuked the man beside the girl.

He was probably her father.

On the other side knelt a woman.

Beside that woman were two younger boys and another little girl.

"Big Sister, please buy me. If you buy me, my father, mother, little brothers, and little sister won't have to starve anymore. They'll have food to eat. Please, Big Sister. Please buy me. My mother is sick. Seeing a physician costs silver. My father truly has no other choice. That's why he's selling me. If you buy me, I'll work like an ox or horse to repay your kindness."

"Girl, what's wrong?"

A middle-aged man walked over from ahead.

"Father."

"Yo. Has our household's little Bodhisattva decided to show mercy again?"

"Father..."

"All right, all right. I know. I know. Qiang'er, take this girl back to the residence."

"Father, isn't she coming directly to my room?"

"A wild little country girl like this doesn't know how to serve anyone. Let Qiang'er bring her back first and have the matrons in the residence train her properly. Only then will she be useful. That's for her own good too. Listen to Father, girl. How about this? The whole family. The sick ones, the starving ones. Father will take care of them all. Good enough?"

"Thank you, Father."

"Heh-heh."

"Father, where are we going?"

"We're taking money to Third Highness."

"Mm? The imperial prince who was driven out of the capital?"

"Exactly. Him."

"Why are we giving him money? Last time Younger Aunt came home from the princely residence, she said Third Highness had been completely driven away."

"A woman's view. A woman's view! He wasn't driven away. He's gone west to bring back reinforcements. Girl, on the westernmost edge of Great Yan stands a Marquis Residence. You know which one?"

"I know. Teacher told us. Marquis Zhenbei Residence. It exists to suppress the Barbarians."

"Exactly. Since that man dares run west, he absolutely has someone to rely upon. Girl... Father is going to tell you something from the bottom of his heart. Remember it carefully. And later, tell Father's grandson too."

"Father, what kind of father are you? How old am I? Have some shame."

"Hahahaha. Fine, fine. Grandsons are still far away. But you still need to remember what I'm about to say."

"Mm. Tell me, Father."

"Money means silver and copper coins. It is only money when you spend it. What good does it do hidden at home? Melt it down to make silverware and copperware? You still can't eat it. Can't drink it. Can't cure illness with it. So a family having money means little. From ancient times until today, Heaven only knows how many households buried more wealth in their cellars and coffins than our Min Clan ever possessed. Then why did none of them achieve the power and presence of our Min Clan? Heh. Once you've accumulated money to a certain point, you have to learn how to spend it. And there's something even more important. No matter how much money you have, copper and silver are too soft. Make a saber or sword from them and you won't kill anyone. You have to turn money into iron. Into sabers. Into swords. Into warhorses. Into armor. No matter how rich you are... before armored cavalry and naked steel... you're still just a fart!"

"Father, can you explain things without being so vulgar?"

"Fine, fine. Father's wrong. Father's wrong, my precious girl. Oh, right. We're rushing to send all this silver over, and Third Highness has several imperial grandsons beneath him. Take a look. Father's sending wagon after wagon of silver. Whatever happens later can wait for later, but we ought to hear at least one coin ring after throwing all this money in, shouldn't we? Girl... look through those imperial grandsons. Pick the one you think is best. The one who pleases your eye most. Then tell Father, and Father will arrange it for you. If I'm sending over cart after cart of silver... I might as well buy myself a son-in-law."

The young lady of the Min Clan did not become angry or shy.

At heart, she was far more straightforward and open than coy.

Instead, she laughed.

"Hehehe. Father, you're really something. Cart after cart of silver isn't enough? You want to throw a daughter in too? What kind of business deal is that?"

The head of the Min Clan lifted his daughter into his arms.

Along the great road beside them... the Min Clan's carriages stretched onward without end.

"Girl, is your father smart?"

"Mm. Outsiders all call Father the God of Wealth."

"And is my girl smart?"

"Me? I don't know."

"My girl is smart. Don't be fooled by those young masters and misses in the residence who think you're simple and easy to coax. Father sees things clearly. My girl was born with great wisdom. The ancestor who founded our household once said something: before you learn how to handle affairs, first learn how to conduct yourself as a person. Since ancient times, once a business grows large enough, you can't survive if you don't understand people."

"Father, what are you trying to say?"

"What Father means is this. Father is so smart, and Father's girl is even smarter. So the husband my girl chooses in the future will surely be a first-rate clever man too. Then Father's future grandson... he'll naturally be so clever there won't be any edge to it!"

"Father, what's wrong with you today? Every third sentence is about your future grandson. Your daughter is still this young."

"Girl."

"Mm?"

"Father has spent more than half his life doing business. But in Father's heart... there has always been one other deal I've wanted to make."

As he spoke... the head of the Min Clan unconsciously licked his lips.

"What deal, Father? If you want to make it, then go make it."

"Exactly. Father is making it right now."

The head of the Min Clan's gaze suddenly deepened.

He lifted one foot.

Pressed it against the earth beneath him.

Then released a long breath.

With anticipation.

With excitement.

With the faint intoxication of imagining the future... he slowly said:

"Father wants the future master of the land beneath our feet... to have... the blood of our Min Clan flowing in his veins!"

[End of Chapter 693]