HBBMAWH Chapter 122

Yan Cai coughed as a reminder, asking the Grand Minister of Justice to be more restrained, not always exchanging flirtatious glances, which could lead to misunderstandings. The other wasn’t a bachelor; he had a family. His family was right in front of him, so the Grand Minister needed to be more restrained!

But when the Grand Minister of Justice heard the deliberate cough, he misunderstood Yan Cai’s intention.

What does the Carefree Prince mean?

Indeed, the Prince was implying something to him, wasn’t he? Or perhaps the Prince didn’t like these jades. But the Tanghua had said that the Prince liked jade the most and had no other preferences. What should he do?

What exactly was the Prince implying? The Grand Minister of Justice, who was adept at guessing his superior’s thoughts and skilled at flattering them, felt a bit troubled for a moment.

Based on his experience, he carefully observed Yan Cai’s expression. Seeing his gaze fall on a certain spot in the room, the Grand Minister of Justice followed suit and saw another box.

Oh, he got it. The Grand Minister of Justice showed a look of realization, thinking that the Prince must be dissatisfied with the quantity. If one box isn’t enough, then it should be two. He cleared his throat and ordered his subordinates to bring over the box that could fit an adult.

“This is the box the Prince left here. Remember to send it back to the mansion. Oh, and this too. Don’t let the Prince lose anything—” With the Grand Minister of Justice’s instructions complete, his subordinates acted promptly, without any extra expression.

It seemed like they had done this kind of secret delivery many times before. Yan Cai patted his face to appear calm, trying not to look like a naive bumpkin who had never seen the world.

However, he was indeed shocked. That entire box was filled with shining silver, estimated to be around four to five hundred catties — that meant several thousand taels of silver.

When the two subordinates lifted the box, Yan Cai clearly saw the carrying pole bend slightly downward, and the imprints left by their feet were much deeper than others’.

Watching this, Yan Cai was genuinely worried that the carrying pole might suddenly break, causing the silver to spill all over the ground.

These people took it so naturally that Yan Cai even forgot to stop them for a moment. He didn’t know what decision to make, so he looked at Jiang Manyue, seeking his opinion. Jiang Manyue nodded at him, indicating that it didn’t matter.

People were strange, especially in the court. If you didn’t accept anything, they would start to be wary of you and fear you.

Only by accepting these things can these people feel at ease.

Sure enough, when Yan Cai didn’t object, the Grand Minister of Justice breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that he accepted the money; he were afraid he wouldn’t.

With a large stroke, the Grand Minister of Justice crossed out a number on the inventory list from the house search. It was quite a substantial amount. He hadn’t taken any for himself; this time it was all to curry favor with Yan Cai, sending him gifts.

“We have seized a total of forty-five thousand six hundred and eighteen taels of silver and one hundred twenty-nine thousand three hundred and sixty taels of gold…” After reading the numbers on the list, the Grand Minister of Justice smiled obsequiously at Yan Cai and asked, “My lord, do you think these numbers are appropriate?”

Yan Cai thought: Why ask me if they’re appropriate… How would I know if they are or not? Being a taciturn person, he remained silent.

Silence was the best weapon. Once he fell silent, the Grand Minister of Justice would start to speculate more. Seeing that the other party was about to give them more money, Jiang Manyue hurriedly spoke up.

“I think the numbers are quite appropriate. Let’s report this to the Emperor. What does the Grand Minister of Justice think?”

Although Jiang Manyue said this, the Grand Minister of Justice still felt a bit uneasy and looked to Yan Cai again. Yan Cai nodded in agreement, supporting Jiang Manyue’s idea. Regardless of what he said, as long as he agreed, it was all agreed upon.

In that case, the Grand Minister of Justice had nothing more to say.

“If your highness thinks it’s appropriate, then naturally there is no problem at all. I will report these numbers to the Emperor accordingly.” The Grand Minister of Justice felt a bit unsatisfied, thinking that Yan Cai had been too undemanding. After confiscating all this, the Prince only got a few thousand taels, which was far from enough.

Moreover, besides these treasures of gold and silver, there were still other treasures in Gu Zhou’s home. The Grand Minister of Justice suddenly thought to himself, Perhaps the Prince is too shy to ask, unwilling to speak up. As a lower official, it was natural for him to share the burden of his superiors.

“Your Highness, there are still some ‘treasures’ in the Gu Zhuo family that have not been accounted for. Would you like to take a look?”

Yan Cai was about to leave, unaware that there were still treasures to be found.

Before he could understand what treasures the Grand Minister of Justice was referring to, Jiang Manyue’s expression changed. Then, before he could stop him, the Minister blurted out.

“The Gu Zhuo family keeps a troupe of performers, all very exquisite. Their singing is delightful, and many adults used to specifically come to the Gu Zhou family to listen to their songs…” The Grand Minister of Justice considered that Jiang Manyue was still present, so he only mentioned watching performances and listening to music.

He wasn’t wrong. These people all have good voices. Who knows how many people specifically come to the Gu Zhou household just to listen to this troupe’s performances. If the Prince wasn’t here, he would have considered taking these people himself.

It would be nice to have them sing in his backyard, singing a few tunes when there’s nothing to do. It’s no worse than the music in the palace.

Jiang Manyue interrupted with a dark expression.

“No need. The Prince doesn’t like watching performances, let alone listening to music. It’s too vulgar and mundane.” Jiang Manyue’s cold gaze pierced the Grand Minister of Justice, making him shiver as if a cold wind had swept over him.

Why did it have to be like this? He didn’t say anything else—it really was just about listening to music, no ulterior motives. Even the Prince looks interested? The Tanghua shouldn’t be like this, how could he be so arrogant, disregarding the Prince’s preferences and making decisions on his own? Things are different now.

The Tanghua now has no official rank at all. Even if he temporarily enjoys the Prince’s favor, he can’t rely on it for a lifetime. Beauty fades, and so does love. Even though the Tanghua looks good now, youth doesn’t last forever.

In everything, sooner or later, he’ll be kicked out. Didn’t he see that the Prince was actually interested?

Yan Cai was indeed a bit interested. Entertainment in ancient times was too scarce. It wouldn’t hurt to watch a bit of drama when there’s nothing else to do. In front of Jiang Manyue, however, he naturally preserved Jiang Manyue’s face and firmly refused the Grand Minister of Justice’s intentions, emphasizing the safety and convenience of going to a theater instead.

“If you want to watch a play, I can go to the theater with you to watch. There’s no need to keep them at home. It’s troublesome, unsafe, and costly. We still have two treasures at home.” Jiang Manyue spoke righteously, seeming to consider Yan Cai’s well-being.

Upon hearing this, Yan Cai became even more convinced. Should he keep more mouths to feed, What a hassle! Moreover, with the two little treasures at home, he really couldn’t rest easy. He was unwilling to have more outsiders encroaching on his private space.

After the Grand Minister of Justice returned home, he pondered over his actions and realized he might have been foolish. Regardless of whether the Tanghua would decline in favor in the future, at this moment there is affection and warmth. As an outsider, how could he criticize the affairs of others’ inner courtyard? It served him right to be disliked.

In order to express his apology, the Grand Minister of Justice carefully selected items confiscated from the Gu Zhou family and sent a boxful to Yan Cai’s home.

Under the pretext:

“The Prince dropped something again before leaving. The Prince should be more careful next time and not lose anything.”

Upon receiving a box of gold and silver jewelry, Yan Cai’s face turned wooden. On the surface of the box, there were two perfectly round pearls, which he recognized as the same night pearls he had seen before, two of them! The Grand Minister of Justice also sent over the pearl from his own home.

The two pearls caught the eye of the little one, and before long, it became his playthings.

Meanwhile, the Emperor rubbed his chin as he looked at the list of seized items, wearing a sly smile. Yan Cai stood below, feeling extremely uncomfortable.

“This list…”

Yan Cai’s feet went numb, and he blurted out, “Your Majesty, the numbers on this list are incorrect.”

The Grand Minister of Justice beside him looked over in shock. What was the Prince trying to do?

With a wooden expression, Yan Cai’s mind was screaming. He nervously spoke the truth.

Oh no, he really didn’t have the potential to be a corrupt official. Maybe he should retire early and return to his hometown!

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