Chapter 19

Back in the day, Prince Chu Zhao Si was the younger brother of Emperor Zhezong Zhao Xu. His fief was undoubtedly solid and fertile, consisting of no less than five thousand households. If the Chu王府 really wanted to sell the land, there would naturally be no shortage of people waiting to buy it. However, there was always an exception. After the news of the Chu王府 selling the land spread, surprisingly few people came to inquire.

The reason for this strange phenomenon still lay with Zhao Yougong. Who in the vicinity of Bianliang didn’t know that Zhao Yougong was in urgent need of money? Thus, they were not in a hurry. The longer the time dragged on, the lower the price would drop.

Yingzi had long stopped caring about how much the land could be sold for. She now felt as if her heart was dead. In the past, the young prince’s mischief was still somewhat understandable, but selling the land was truly draining the lifeblood of the Chu王府.

Unlike Yingzi, Zhao Yougong had never cared about the fief. According to his wishes, selling it all would be no problem. He would eventually have to leave the capital, and the land would be of no use. Of course, he might not be able to leave the capital, but that could only mean his death. Once he died, the Chu royal line would be cut off, and the fief would be useless. The fief was the foundation of every noble household, and even a spoiled child knew that selling the foundation was out of the question. However, Zhao Yougong broke this rule. He wanted everyone in the Song Dynasty to know how unfilial and despicable he was.

Mocking Li Shishi, offending the academy, and then selling the land—Zhao Yougong’s steps were filled with too much bitterness, and among them were Yingzi’s tears.

Sometimes, Zhao Yougong even hoped that Yingzi could cry like she used to. As long as she cried, it meant she still had hope. When she neither cried nor laughed, her heart was dead.

The sun was bright, and the courtyard was filled with the chirping of birds and the fragrance of flowers, but he felt no warmth in his heart. At this moment, he wanted to embrace Yingzi and give her some hope, but he couldn’t. He had already done so much; he couldn’t let it all go to waste. Looking up, he saw the clouds floating in the sky, the blue sky vast and profound. Ha, was that imperial uncle laughing, mocking?

Zhao Yougong’s guess was spot on. In the imperial study, Emperor Zhezong Zhao Ji was laughing heartily. Since he heard the news of the Chu王府 selling the land, he was happier than anyone else. For over a decade, he had continuously sent gold and jewels to the Chu王府, with the purpose of turning this nephew into a useless waste. Today, the results were gratifying.

Both Liang Shicheng and Yang Jian knew why the emperor was so happy, so they also smiled, as if they had encountered something joyful.

“Do you two think that Lingge is really short of money?” Zhao Ji suddenly asked, and the two men in the room were taken aback.

What did the emperor mean by this question? Was he suspicious that the Yongning Prince was faking it? After some thought, Liang Shicheng bowed and said, “I think the Yongning Prince is really short of money. I heard that Cai Wulang and others bought many peony flowers.”

Yang Jian and Liang Shicheng had always been at odds, and the reason lay with Liang Shicheng. As his power grew, his ambitions also increased, one of which was to replace Yang Jian as the emperor’s most favored minister. Yang Jian was naturally very angry about this, so he also bowed and said, “Your Majesty is overthinking it. I think it doesn’t matter whether the Yongning Prince is really short of money or not, as long as he can’t leave the capital alive!”

Yang Jian’s words made Zhao Ji’s smile even wider. It seemed that Yang Jian understood him the best.

Not being able to leave the capital alive, perhaps this was Zhao Ji’s final底线. He could never let go of what happened back then. Putting down his brush, Zhao Ji walked a few steps in front of the desk, “Yang Jian, after the flower contest, send some money to the Chu王府!”

“Ah, Your Majesty, rest assured, I will handle it!” Yang Jian bowed and smiled, but his eyes secretly glanced at Liang Shicheng.

Liang Shicheng could only sigh in frustration. In terms of understanding the emperor’s thoughts, he still fell short. The emperor’s concern from the beginning was not about the money, but about the Yongning Prince.

The once prestigious Chu王府 was now deserted. Even after the news of selling the land spread, it remained so, showing how much the Chu王府 had declined after Zhao Si’s death. Just after the hour of Shen, Yingzi, who had not eaten a grain of rice all day, weakly got up. She had long expected this situation. The young prince’s urgent need for money was no secret, and those people would not be in a hurry to buy the land. She was too tired and just wanted to have a good sleep. Maybe when she woke up tomorrow, she would find that it was all a nightmare.

A luxurious carriage slowly approached and finally stopped at the Chu王府 gate. A young maid jumped down from the carriage and then lifted the curtain. A young woman in a blue gauze dress, supported by a maid, left the carriage. She had a beautiful face, without any makeup, and looked to be about sixteen years old, but her eyes showed a maturity and shrewdness beyond her age.

During the Northern Song Dynasty, if one were to speak of the noblest surnames, besides the imperial Zhao family, it was the descendants of the Great Zhou, the Chai family. Since the time of Emperor Taizu, each generation of emperors had a Chai family member ennobled as a prince, a promise made by the imperial Zhao family to the Chai family. By the time of Emperor Huizong, Chai Se was ennobled as Prince Heng, and this blue-clad young woman was Chai Se’s daughter, Chai Keyan, also known as Princess Chai.

Chai Se, though ennobled as a prince, had no real duties, making him a truly idle prince. Chai Se understood his situation, as did the entire Chai family, knowing how to navigate the world. Though he was Prince Heng, Chai Se engaged in extensive business, and due to his status, his business ventures were very smooth. By the eighth year of the Zhenghe era, the Heng王府 had become one of the wealthiest households in the vicinity of Bianliang.

During the Zhenghe era, there was a saying in Tokyo about the “Heaven and Earth Beauties,” which referred to four people, not two. The two civilian beauties were Li Shishi and Cui Nianu, while the two official beauties were the imperial peony Zhao Fugui and the snow plum Chai Keyan.

The plum, a noble flower in the cold winter snow, gave a glimpse into Chai Keyan’s character. Though a woman, she began handling the affairs of the Heng王府 at the age of twelve and traveled throughout the Song Dynasty at the age of fourteen, truly a remarkable woman.

Chai Keyan was a princess, but she was also a merchant. She came here for the land. The land in Tongxu Town was undoubtedly excellent, and if she could acquire it, it would be a great deal.

While others were thinking of how to lower the price, Chai Keyan would not. This deal would be profitable even at market price, and those who only thought of lowering the price were truly foolish.

Yingzi was preparing to rest when she heard that Princess Chai had come to visit. She washed her face and smiled at the copper mirror, relieved that someone had finally come.

In the living room, Chai Keyan leisurely sipped her tea. She was not in a hurry because no one could outbid her. Hearing footsteps, she looked up toward the door and was immediately surprised.

Chai Keyan had met Yingzi a few times before. She was a woman who could match Chai Keyan in every way, but today she looked so haggard. Chai Keyan felt sympathy for Yingzi but could do nothing. The young prince had truly worn her out.

Yingzi gave a slight bow and said, “Princess, I did not come to greet you far away, please forgive me!”

“Don’t worry, Manager Su, please sit!” Chai Keyan extended her hand and lightly frowned.

Yingzi knew why Chai Keyan had come, so she directly asked, “Princess, are you here for the land of the Wang府?”

“Yes, Manager Su, I can offer you 15,000 guan. If you agree, we can proceed with the exchange now!” Chai Keyan was straightforward, and Su Yingzi was a straightforward woman, so there was no need for useless formalities.

15,000 guan? A faint smile finally appeared on Yingzi’s pale face. This might be the only good news she had heard in days. 15,000 guan was 1,000 guan more than the market price, and Chai Keyan had come with sincerity.

“Why don’t you try to lower the price, Princess? You should know the situation of the Chu王府!”

Yingzi’s words were filled with helplessness. In the past, the young prince had sold paintings and houses, and now he was selling the land. Perhaps one day, he would sell her, Su Yingzi. At this point, Yingzi had nothing left to be sad about. If selling herself could add some vitality to the Chu王府, it would be good, but she would ultimately feel guilty toward the Empress Dowager.

Hearing Yingzi’s melancholic words, Chai Keyan seemed to understand. She shook her head, and a maid handed her a brown wooden box. “Manager Su, you are joking. The land of the Chu王府 is worth 20,000 guan, and I would not take advantage of someone in distress.”

Looking at the large living room, Chai Keyan sighed silently. The current state of the Chu王府 was much like the Chai family a hundred years ago. Fortunately, Zhao Yougong was a useless waste. If he were outstanding, he might have been dead long ago. The Chai family had long experienced the methods of the Zhao family. Who could explain the death of Prince Chu Zhao Si? And the imperial edict that made Prince Duan the successor, how ridiculous. If Emperor Zhezong intended for Prince Duan to succeed, why did he let his younger brother lead the Dingguo Army?

Since the time of Emperor Taizu, the next emperor could not be stationed in Kaifeng, but must lead the Dingguo Army. The Dingguo Army was not a military power but a symbol, representing the imperial guard. Whoever led the imperial guard was the future emperor. This rule had never been broken until the time of Emperor Zhezong. When Emperor Zhezong was alive, Prince Chu led the Dingguo Army, but the successor was Prince Duan. Was Emperor Zhezong so confused that he couldn’t tell the difference between Prince Duan and Prince Chu? Strange, strange. When something unusual happens, there must be a reason. Indeed, within two years of Emperor Zhezong’s death, Chancellor Zhang Jun had already begun to eliminate his opponents. The mystery behind this, some people had already figured out.

Zhao Yougong was useless, but this was also his good fortune.

Yingzi took the brown wooden box without checking the contents. Princess Chai had no reason to deceive her.

Taking out the land deed, as she was about to hand it to Princess Chai, Yingzi’s expressionless face finally showed some color, but it was a sad and painful one.

Selling the land was like selling her heart.