"Greetings, Young Master."
Shen Jing and Du Heng dismounted and bowed to Ye Xian.
"No, no!"
Ye Xian quickly jumped off his horse and came before them, saying with a beaming smile, "You are my God of Wealth, so please don't be so formal with me!"
Shen Jing was speechless, yet he looked enviously at the two carriages behind Ye Xian. "Is all this silver what Young Master won?"
Damn it, look at Ye Xian, how easy it is for him to win some silver.
Then look at them, they finally won some silver, and then they ran into a low-class prince!
"This is just a part of it."
Ye Xian's chubby face was full of smiles. He affectionately put his arm around Shen Jing's shoulder. "You really helped me make a fortune this time. I'll definitely treat you to a good drink another day!"
"Hey, what a coincidence! I just wanted to chat with Young Master!"
Shen Jing said half-jokingly, "Don't wait for another day. There's no time like the present, let's do it today!"
"Ah?"
Ye Xian was stunned for a moment, then frowned and said, "Today might not work, I still have things to do!"
Fine!
Indeed, people, whether ancient or modern, are all the same.
Anyone who says they'll treat you to a meal or drinks another day usually just means it as an empty promise.
If you take it seriously, you lose!
Just as Shen Jing was secretly complaining, Ye Xian asked again, "Oh, right, what did you want to talk to me about?"
Shen Jing winked with a smile, "Didn't the Emperor ask me to host the Yong Country Delegation? I was thinking, to host the Yong Country Delegation, we need to eat, drink, and have fun! So I wanted to ask His Royal Highness Young Master about good places to eat, drink, and have fun!"
"Speaking of eating, drinking, and having fun, you've asked the right person!"
Ye Xian said with a broad smile, very righteously, "Tomorrow afternoon, wait for me at your manor. I'll take you to all the best places to eat, drink, and have fun in our capital!"
Since Ye Xian said so, Shen Jing naturally agreed.
After a brief chat, Ye Xian parted ways with Shen Jing and went directly to the palace with the two carriages full of gold, silver, and jewels.
With his Pass Token , Ye Xian arrived at Emperor Zhou's sleeping quarters without any hindrance.
Looking at the several large chests of gold, silver, and jewels, Emperor Zhou was secretly pleased, but he glared at Ye Xian with a dark face: "Why are you being so ostentatious? Don't you know to convert these gold, silver, and jewels into silver notes?"
Ye Xian chuckled, "A few pieces of paper aren't as satisfying to look at as gold, silver, and jewels!"
"Hmm... that's true!"
Emperor Zhou's expression softened slightly. "You handled this matter quite well this time! Let me think about how to reward you."
"No, no!"
Ye Xian shook his head repeatedly, saying with a playful smile, "Your humble servant has already taken two-tenths of the silver meant for His Majesty and Qinghe and put it into his own pocket. How could your humble servant possibly accept another reward from His Majesty!"
"What?"
Emperor Zhou suddenly raised his voice, glaring at this scoundrel, both annoyed and amused.
He hadn't even spoken, and the scoundrel had already rewarded himself!
Was he so afraid that he would grant him a proper official position?
"Your humble servant still needs to deliver silver to Qinghe, so your humble servant takes his leave."
Ye Xian said, immediately preparing to slip away.
"Stop!"
Emperor Zhou called out to Ye Xian, then turned and picked up a long box from the table, handing it to Ye Xian. "Take this hundred-year-old ginseng back to your father to nourish his body!"
Ye Xian took the box and bowed, "Thank you, Emperor."
"The weather is starting to get cold. Spend more time at home with your father and learn military strategy and battle formations from him! If I find out you're not home all day, I'll beat you to death!"
Emperor Zhou glared at Ye Xian with bulging eyes, then instructed, "If your father's old illness recurs, immediately send someone to the palace to invite an imperial physician to treat him."
"Yes!"
Ye Xian reluctantly agreed.
"Alright, get out of here! You annoy me when I look at you!"
Emperor Zhou waved his hand.
"Your humble servant takes his leave!"
Ye Xian immediately bowed and withdrew.
After Ye Xian withdrew, Emperor Zhou couldn't help but shake his head and sigh, "Alas..."
Ye Xian had grown up under his watch.
By seniority, Ye Xian was a brother of his generation.
But he had always treated Ye Xian as a nephew.
He didn't know if this kid was truly a dissolute fop or just pretending to be one.
He didn't seem to have suspected his father, had he?
He probably didn't need to pretend to be a fop to protect himself, did he?
Alas!
Talented individuals within the imperial clan were becoming fewer and fewer.
The Crown Prince was mediocre, the second prince's character was flawed, the fourth prince was alright but his foundation was too shallow.
As for the fifth prince, he was too young, so he hadn't even considered him.
If the court were to fall into chaos in the future or be controlled by powerful officials, he didn't know who would be able to turn the tide.
Thinking of these things, Emperor Zhou's face revealed a deep look of worry...
...
Su Manor.
Upon returning to the manor, Shen Jing immediately got busy.
"What are you two doing?"
Su Yourong came up behind Shen Jing and Du Heng.
The two of them were each holding a stone pestle, grinding something in a stone mortar.
Du Heng turned around and nudged Shen Jing.
He himself didn't even know what he was doing.
Shen Jing looked up and smiled at Su Yourong, "Isn't the Yong Country Delegation arriving soon? I'm preparing some gifts for them."
"Gifts?"
Su Yourong knelt beside Shen Jing with a puzzled expression. "This... what kind of gift can this be? Anyone who didn't know would think you were making poison for them!"
Uh...
This really was poison!
However, it was a poison that would make them feel incredibly good.
Five-Stone Powder!
Isn't the weather getting cold?
This stuff was just right!
"Don't ask too many questions about this."
Shen Jing smiled at Su Yourong and changed the subject, "By the way, did Mother-in-law say when she'll be back?"
"She didn't say."
Su Yourong shook her head. "She just said she was going to the estate to take a look. She'll probably be back in a few days!"
The Su Family's estate was a bit far from the capital. Just the round trip would take a day.
She could probably guess that her mother's trip to the estate was related to them offending the Second Prince.
But she wasn't sure what her mother was doing there.
Just as the two were talking, Old He hurried in, his face full of excitement, saying, "Miss, Young Master-in-law, people from Hengyun Gambling House have sent the silver!"
Hearing Old He's words, Su Yourong and Shen Jing couldn't help but exchange smiles.
Indeed!
That Second Prince ultimately didn't dare to gamble!
However, with the arrival of this silver, it also meant that they were completely at odds with Ye Qing.
"Alright, you go take a look!"
Shen Jing smiled at Su Yourong and continued to grind the medicinal powder in the stone mortar.
Su Yourong nodded and followed Old He out.
Du Heng glanced sideways at Shen Jing, lowering his voice to ask, "I say, are you really not afraid of the Second Prince at all?"
"Are you afraid?"
Shen Jing asked with a smile.
"Afraid of what?!"
Du Heng pouted, "If the sky falls, you tall ones will hold it up. What do I have to be afraid of?"
"Then why do you ask?"
Shen Jing turned his head and smiled, "Don't worry! I'm more afraid of death than you are!"
"I'm also afraid of death!" Du Heng shook the stone mortar. "Do you think everyone is an animal like Fan Qinghu?"
Speaking of Fan Qinghu, both of them laughed in unison.
This Sunzi really wasn't afraid of death!
And his life was truly long!
He just didn't know how long it would take for this Sunzi to recover from his injuries and return...