Chapter 0171: Why Help You Ascend the Throne? Because Someone Is Instigating
“Alright, alright.” Shen Yuan’s cheeks ached from smiling. He truly enjoyed teasing Xie Chengze. Compared to the Second Prince’s unreasonable tyranny, Xie Chengze was like an untainted little white rabbit, making one always want to bully him a bit and see more amusing reactions.
“Your Highness, weren’t you curious about why Li Dongyao wants you to ascend the throne?”
Shen Yuan held down Xie Chengze’s small hand that was itching to punch him and said seriously, “Li Dongyao has sharp judgment and is an ambitious man who only follows wise rulers. He doesn’t actually think highly of the Crown Prince’s governance, believing his methods aren’t sufficient to contend with the officials. So, he’d rather remain in Liaozhou as a neutral idle official than take sides with the Crown Prince first.”
“In our previous life, he thought I could help the Crown Prince cleanse the court, which is why he was willing to join the Crown Prince’s faction.”
“And in this life, he’s clearly noticed your talent for governing the country. With me in your camp adding wings to a tiger, he naturally thinks our side has better chances of winning, so he wants to support you as the next emperor.”
“But this… isn’t it too rash?” Xie Chengze said puzzledly, “I only know some clever tricks to fool people. I’m probably not cut out for governing a country. He should be able to see that.”
“Mm.” Shen Yuan nodded, “Actually, he still has doubts. After all, you look very…”
Shen Yuan glanced Xie Chengze up and down, “…completely lacking in ambition, totally not emperor material.”
Xie Chengze: …
Xie Chengze: So what!
“Since he sees that clearly, why does he still want me to ascend the throne?” Xie Chengze was even more confused.
“Because…” Shen Yuan paused, then said calmly under Xie Chengze’s anxious gaze, “Hu Lai. He figured out Li Dongyao’s thoughts and felt this person could be useful. Rather than leaving him for the Crown Prince, it’s better to keep him for Your Highness. So he’s been instigating Li Dongyao every day, painting grand pictures, saying you’ll soon replace His Majesty as the new ruler, and having him help you ascend the throne.”
Xie Chengze: …
Xie Chengze gritted his teeth, slapped the table and stood up, “Hu! Lai!”
It’s you again! I never should have brought you to Liaozhou!
“Laugh, laugh, laugh! All you know is how to laugh!” Seeing the unconcealed smile on Shen Yuan’s face beside him, Xie Chengze grumbled, “Aren’t you going to stop him? Aren’t you afraid he’ll actually recruit troops and help me ascend the throne?!”
Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow, thinking seriously, “Well, that might not be entirely unacceptable?”
“What did you say?!” Xie Chengze immediately stepped back, hugged his chest, and looked at him warily, “Shen Yuan! Have you been body-snatched too? Weren’t you a staunch royalist?!”
This joke isn’t funny at all!
“People can change.” Shen Yuan propped up his cheek with his hand, smiling as he looked at Xie Chengze. “For example, in this life, your subject would rather watch the Second Prince handle memorials every day. That frowning, distressed look would be absolutely fascinating.”
Xie Chengze: …
Get lost! If he became emperor, he’d definitely dump all these memorials on Shen Yuan!
Handling memorials is impossible, absolutely impossible in this lifetime!
“I’ll have Hu Lai go cut off Li Dongyao’s ideas tomorrow!” Xie Chengze punched his palm angrily. “Next time he dares to incite people like this, I’ll deduct his monthly salary so he can’t afford to support his twenty-eight concubines!”
“Your Highness has clever methods.” Shen Yuan applauded, smiling indulgently. “Deduct his monthly salary, that’ll teach him to act recklessly.”
Xie Chengze glared at him, about to retort “you’re no better,” when suddenly a knock sounded at the door.
The two exchanged glances.
Who could it be at such a late hour?
“Enter,” Xie Chengze responded, and the door opened to reveal two servants carrying food boxes. They bowed their heads respectfully and said, “Second Prince, Lord Sheng wishes to express gratitude for Your Highness’s earlier dumplings. Fearing you might go hungry, he specifically sent us to deliver this meal.”
Xie Chengze: …
Xie Chengze: Damn it!!!
What’s wrong with this Sheng Shihai? After finishing eating, he should just go to sleep! Why send food and make his presence known? Now it’s over—
Shen Yuan, seated in the wooden chair, let out a low chuckle, twirling the teacup in his hand as his gaze rested meaningfully on Xie Chengze. “Oh? So His Highness bestowed the grace of dumplings earlier~”
Xie Chengze turned his face away: (；д)
After the servants finished setting the dishes and left, Shen Yuan snorted softly. “So this is what Your Highness meant by ‘not giving anyone else a taste’? That I was the first to eat them?”
He wouldn’t have minded if someone else had eaten first—he’d initially assumed Wuhen or Wuji had snatched the first dumpling. He never expected it would be Sheng Shihai.
And to have eaten so many, leaving only one bite for him! Couldn’t Xie Chengze have stopped him?!
Xie Chengze guiltily lowered his head. “How can Sheng Shihai be considered human? He’s not human. Lord Shen is the real human~”
“So you returned so late because Sheng Shihai detained you.” More than anger about the dumplings, Shen Yuan was furious that Xie Chengze had faced Sheng Shihai alone.
It was too dangerous.
Xie Chengze nodded. “But don’t worry, the conversation went very successfully. Not only did I make him believe I’m a prince with only craftsman’s brains and no strategic wit, I also…”
He declared with particular pride, “I sat on his expensive fur cloak! And I secretly let out a silent fart!”
Heh! So satisfying!
Shen Yuan: …
How truly brilliant of Your Highness.
——
Emperor Jian and the officials remained for three more days.
During these three days, the auction was held with great fervor.
For the first two days, locally curated pawned items from Liaozhou served as appetizers, auctioned alongside treasures Wuji brought from Cheng Huan Palace. This allowed the wealthy merchants to familiarize themselves with auction rules while passing considerable daytime hours.
It was during this period that Xie Shoujun finally understood why Shen Yuan had warned him during their meeting that if his Red-Tasseled Ink Dragon Spear appeared in Liaozhou, it would cause major trouble.
After all… the crown prince’s battlefield weapon appearing among dead-pawn auction items in Liaozhou would certainly create an uproar. If it were further revealed that the crown prince had to sell his spear to buy provisions because returning border troops lacked sufficient military rations, Emperor Jian would inevitably lose face.
He might then vent his anger on Xie Shoujun and banish him from Jingcheng again.
Fortunately, the Second Prince had sent someone to find him and prevent this rift between ruler and subject.
He ought to thank the Second Prince again.
The third day featured the main auction.
This time, every auction item was a treasure that made wealthy merchants compete fiercely for collection, with some even fetching prices as high as three thousand taels of gold.
It wasn’t that the treasures in Cheng Huan Palace were truly so valuable, but rather that selling them individually would never fetch such high prices. This was an auction, where the highest bidder wins, inevitably leading to some driving up the prices, causing these rare items to exceed their intrinsic worth and become even more expensive.
The biggest buyers in this process were Xie Zimiao and Rou Fei.
Of course, the ones footing the bill weren’t Xie Zimiao and Rou Fei themselves, but rather the two doting elder brothers—Young Master Jiang and Jiang Henan—who were willing to splurge for their sister and younger sibling.
Rou Fei purely fancied those treasures and wanted to display them in her palace for admiration. Jiang Henan naturally delighted in spending extravagantly to bring a smile to his sister’s face, so each of his bids was significantly higher.
As for Xie Zimiao, her sole intention was to help Xie Chengze earn more money. Thus, she dragged Young Master Jiang along, using their private savings to fiercely compete in the auction, even outbidding their own parents.
On the fourth day, Xie Chengze could finally send off Emperor Jian, his troublesome father.
Xie Shoujun divided a portion of the troops to escort Emperor Jian and his retinue back to the capital, while he remained in Liaozhou with the remaining elite forces, awaiting the day to escort Xie Chengze back to the capital.