diymy Chapter 16 Shifting the Focus
Chapter 16 Shifting the Focus
Yin'e suddenly opened his eyes, sat up straight, and stared intently at Yin De.
"Uncle, let me ask you, which of us princes owes money to the national treasury?"
Yin De was taken aback by this sudden question.
He blinked and subconsciously started counting on his fingers: "Tenth Master, you owe two hundred thousand, you know that."
And then there's Third Master; I heard he owes 300,000 taels.
Fifth Master owed 50,000, and Twelfth Master owed 30,000.
The other gentlemen either didn't borrow, or they've already returned the money.
Yin'e nodded and asked again, "Then let me ask you again, is it that the fourth prince keeps asking the court officials for money, and those court officials then try to frame us princes?"
They said, "The brothers are all in debt, why should they only chase after us?"
So, the fourth brother had no choice but to press us extra hard?
Upon hearing this, Yin De's eyes lit up immediately, and he nodded repeatedly: "That's right! How did you know, Tenth Master?"
Driven to desperation by the cruel official Tian Wenjing, the ministers used the princes as shields.
They cried and wailed, saying, "The court is unjust. The princes owe us even more. Why are we being targeted first?"
To shut them up, the Fourth Prince had no choice but to start with the princes. This is called... this is called what...
"To make an example of someone," Yin'e said for him.
"Yes, yes, yes, make an example of them!" Yin De slapped his thigh. "Fourth Master just wants to use these gentlemen as a scapegoat so that those ministers will have nothing to say."
That's why he's been pushing so hard, practically sending someone to visit every day.
Yin'e did not speak again, but leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the roof beam.
He suddenly remembered that yesterday at the Eighth Prince's mansion, he had overheard a conversation between the Eighth Prince and the Ninth Prince.
Crown Prince Yinreng borrowed 500,000 taels of silver from the national treasury in the names of Huang Tiren, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, and Xiao Guoxing, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice.
This debt is almost more than the sum of all the other princes' debts.
More importantly, the crown prince is the heir apparent and the foundation of the nation.
If someone of this status is exposed for secretly borrowing money, and even doing so in someone else's name...
If this matter gets out, what will be the reaction in the imperial court?
Yin'e's mind raced, considering every possible outcome.
If this matter gets out, will the fourth prince still dare to chase after the crown prince for money?
If he dares to pursue, he'll be turning against the Crown Prince.
Everyone knows that the fourth prince is part of the crown prince's faction, and there are even servants demanding money from their masters.
But what if he dares not to pursue her? That would be even more troublesome.
The entire court is watching closely. You pursue others like a wolf or a tiger, but when it comes to the Crown Prince, you turn a blind eye. Isn't this favoritism and bending the law?
What is this if not discrimination?
What do those ministers who were forced to sell their houses and land think?
They would say that the so-called "Iron-Faced Cold Noodle King" was nothing more than a bully who preyed on the weak.
No matter what the fourth son chooses, he will offend people.
At that time, everyone's attention will shift from "the Tenth Prince owes two hundred thousand" to "the Crown Prince owes five hundred thousand".
His tenth son's affairs couldn't even cause a ripple in front of the Crown Prince.
"Uncle," he suddenly stood up, walked around the desk, and strode to Yin De, "Have someone spread a message."
"News? What news?" Yin De asked.
"For example... the Crown Prince borrowed 500,000 taels from the national treasury in the names of Huang Tiren, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, and Xiao Guoxing, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice."
Yin De's face turned pale instantly.
His lips trembled for a moment before he finally managed to squeeze out a sentence: "Crown...Crown Prince?"
"Tenth Master, is this...is this news true? These two names aren't on the roster!"
"Isn't that perfect?" Yin'e laughed. "If it's not on the roster, the fourth prince can pretend he doesn't know and pretend he didn't see it."
But if the news spreads and the entire court knows, can the fourth prince still pretend he doesn't know?
After a long while, Yin Decai slowly sorted out his thoughts: "Tenth Prince, do you mean... to shift the court officials' attention from you to the Crown Prince?"
"That's right." Yin'e nodded. "Let them try to frame the Crown Prince."
"Tenth Master, where did you hear this news from? Is it reliable?"
"Then you don't need to worry about it," Yin'e waved his hand. "Just go and spread the word."
"Is this news true? Or are you just trying to muddy the waters?"
"It's true." Yin'e looked directly into Yin De's eyes. "Absolutely true. But remember..."
He held up a finger and waved it in front of Yin De: "I don't care how the news spreads, but it absolutely cannot be found out that it came from the Tenth Prince's residence, understand?"
Yin De nodded vigorously: "Understood! This servant will do it right now!"
He turned to leave, but before he could take a step, Yin'e's voice came from behind him again.
"etc."
"Don't ask people from the manor to distribute the goods. Find a few trustworthy people outside, preferably those who are well-informed and have regular contact with other manor owners."
News travels fastest in teahouses, taverns, and theaters.
Let them release it through other channels, preferably making it appear as if it leaked from the Ministry of Revenue.
Yin De understood immediately and nodded repeatedly.
"Don't worry, Tenth Master. I've been in the capital for so many years, I know it like the back of my hand."
"Go ahead," Yin'e waved his hand.
Yin De bowed and withdrew.
The study fell silent again.
Yin'e stood in the center of the study, hands behind his back, pacing back and forth.
Once the news of the Crown Prince borrowing money spreads, the pressure of being chased for repayment will be much less.
With the fourth son preoccupied with the Crown Prince's affairs, Tian Wenjing no longer dared to pursue the debt as recklessly as before.
But the money still has to be repaid.
The wind can only be blocked for a while, not forever.
If the matter concerning the Crown Prince gets out of hand, Emperor Kangxi will definitely intervene, and the entire court will be thrown into chaos.
The most urgent task is to figure out what went wrong on Lao Jiu's side.
The Eighth Prince clearly gave the order, and the Ninth Prince readily agreed, so why did he turn around and deny it?
Yin'e stopped, opened his right hand, and summoned "Overheard" with his palm facing upward.
He turned the pages of the book to the section on the Ninth Prince, Yin Tang.
[Target of surveillance: Aisin-Gioro Yinzhen]
Current favorability level: 42.6 (Friendly)
[Listening range: 30 meters, obstruction-free.]
"Thirty meters...ignoring obstacles..." Yin'e murmured these two lines, a smile slowly appearing on his lips.
Thirty meters was enough for him to hear the conversation inside from any corner outside Ninth Master's mansion.
Ignoring obstacles means that walls, doors, windows, and screens cannot block his ears.
As long as he enters that area, every word Lao Jiu says will be monitored by him.
"Looks like I'll have to go to Ninth Master's mansion tonight and break down the wall."