The Crown Prince Chases His Wife
Chapter 81 Holding a Banquet
In a teahouse near the river on the southern side of Yangzhou City, a middle-aged man with a face full of stubble, dressed in a long gray robe, sat in an inconspicuous corner. He ordered a pot of second-rate tea.
Over time, the teapot was refilled three times, and the tea became increasingly tasteless, yet he continued to drink cup after cup.
This man was Fourth Master Qin, who had been missing for some time.
A few days ago, Fourth Master Qin went to Jiangnan to purchase grain, but he had already missed the best time to buy it. Due to floods in Jiangnan, the harvest was poor, and the wealthy had already caught wind of the situation and seized the opportunity. By the time Fourth Master Qin began his purchases, the price of grain had quadrupled from the beginning of the year, and demand far outstripped supply.
After several twists and turns, Fourth Master Qin finally managed to secure 250,000 stones of grain for 400,000 taels of silver. But beyond the cost of the grain, he still had to pay for people, transport, storage, and various other expenses, nearly emptying his coffers.
But at least he had the grain, and he planned to sell it at a huge profit when the floods and famine worsened. He was pleased with his calculations.
However, just two days later, the authorities suddenly launched a strict investigation into hoarding. His granary was not spared. But the government was lenient; instead of confiscating the grain outright, they bought it at a price from the beginning of the year.
The 250,000 stones of grain in Fourth Master Qin’s hands was forcibly purchased by the government for just 50,000 taels of silver. Goods worth 400,000 taels were sold for only 50,000 taels, which was really a blatant robbery.
Fourth Master Qin was devastated, but there was nothing he could do but accept it.
Meanwhile, in the capital, how was he supposed to redeem the shops and estates mortgaged to Yu Qingfeng?
Fourth Master Qin had no idea how to explain this to Qin Wenzheng. With the remaining 50,000 taels, he went to Jingzhou and spent all his time in the gambling houses, hoping to win back his losses.
But in the end, he lost everything, even having to pawn a family heirloom jade pendant just to scrape together enough money to return to Yangzhou.
In the teahouse, no one recognized the down-and-out man in the corner as the once high-spirited Fourth Master Qin. Everyone else was engrossed in their own excited conversations.
“Did you see the Crown Prince when he arrived in Yangzhou?”
“I heard the Crown Prince is staying at Yangzhou’s most famous garden, Liu Garden. His guards are so tight, layers upon layers, how could we have the honor of seeing him? But the Crown Prince’s grandeur, tsk tsk…”
“I heard Liu Garden belongs to Yu Qingfeng’s Boss Ji. Is Boss Ji connected to the Taizi now?”
“Your news is outdated. Haven’t you heard? The real owner of Yu Qingfeng is actually Princess Zhaoren from the capital. It seems there’s a connection between Princess Zhaoren and the Crown Prince.”
“Tsk tsk, Yangzhou is really bustling now. The Crown Prince, Princess Zhaoren, the young lady from the Left Prime Minister Mansion, and I heard the wife and daughter of the Right Prime Minister have also returned to Yangzhou. It’s really lively.”
“Yes, yes…”
In the corner, Fourth Master Qin was utterly shocked. His hand, which had been pouring tea, froze in mid-air, and he didn’t even notice as the tea overflowed, spilling all over the table.
Yu Qingfeng belonged to Princess Zhaoren?
Then… the shops and estates mortgaged to Yu Qingfeng…
————
The Qin family had a relatively low-profile mansion in the eastern part of Yangzhou City. At this moment, Song Mei was sitting in the courtyard, feeling overwhelmed with anxiety. A servant hurriedly came in.
“Madam, we’ve found Fourth Master Qin. He has already entered the mansion.”
Song Mei immediately stood up, her heart filled with both surprise and relief.
In the main hall of the Qin Mansion, Song Mei dismissed the servants and quickly approached the disheveled Fourth Master Qin.
“Fourth Uncle, where have you been all this time?”
Fourth Master Qin sat down, picked up the tea the servant had just brewed, and took a sip. The tea’s taste was refreshing and fragrant, a quality he hadn’t enjoyed in many days.
Fourth Master Qin put down the teacup and looked at Song Mei, who had also sat back in her chair.
“Do you want to leave with me?”
Song Mei’s expression changed. What had happened? Could it be?
“Where is our grain? Where is our silver?” Song Mei asked urgently.
Fourth Master Qin lowered his gaze, remaining silent.
Seeing his demeanor, Song Mei’s anxiety grew.
“Uncle, please tell me!”
Fourth Master Qin took a deep breath and sighed heavily.
“It’s all gone. Everything is gone.”
Song Mei abruptly stood up.
“What do you mean? What’s gone? The money? Or the grain?”
Fourth Master Qin sighed again and reached for his teacup, but before he could take another sip, Song Mei snatched it from him in a swift motion.
At this point, Song Mei no longer cared about the tea burning her hand or wetting her robe. She quickly placed the teacup back on the side table and looked at Fourth Master Qin, pressing him further.
“Fourth Uncle, what exactly happened? You need to tell me so we can figure out what to do.”
Fourth Master Qin sighed inwardly. How could they possibly figure this out…
Fourth Master Qin then recounted the events of the past days to Song Mei.
It took only about the time to drink a cup of tea for Fourth Master Qin to finish narrating his experiences in Jiangnan.
—————
After listening to Fourth Master Qin’s words, Song Mei nearly fainted. Fourth Master Qin, with quick reflexes, caught her and gently pulled her onto his lap.
Song Mei’s face was filled with despair, and she couldn’t utter a single word.
Fourth Master Qin held Song Mei’s hand resting on his leg and spoke softly, “Right now, the authorities are preoccupied with dealing with the floods and haven’t had time to deal with the grain issue. But I’m worried that eventually, they will settle accounts after the fact. When that time comes, I fear it might implicate Wenzheng.”
“What?” Song Mei looked up in alarm.
Fourth Master Qin gently squeezed her hand, looking into her tear-filled eyes as he cautiously suggested, “Mei’er, would you consider leaving with me?”
Song Mei opened her mouth in shock. She hadn’t expected such a proposal from Fourth Uncle. Had things really gotten this bad?
“I’m now the wife of the Prime Minister. Why would I leave? We can sell some jewelry, antiques, and paintings to redeem the shops. We can focus on running an honest business…”
“I’m afraid we won’t be able to redeem them,” Fourth Master Qin avoided her gaze, knowing that Song Mei probably hadn’t yet heard the news from outside.
“What do you mean?” Song Mei’s heart sank even further. Could this situation be worser?
Fourth Master Qin found it difficult to say the words. It was he who had arranged the deal with Yu Qingfeng, not realizing he had walked right into a trap. Now, everything was clear. Back in the capital, when the gambling house owner had suggested he mortgage to Yu Qingfeng, it was all a setup to lure him in. How laughable that he never managed to uncover the truth behind Yu Qingfeng.
Fourth Master Qin turned to Song Mei, finally voicing the harsh reality that neither of them wanted to accept.
“The owner of Yu Qingfeng is Princess Zhaoren, Qin Yan.”
Song Mei was stunned.
Yu Qingfeng?
Suddenly, something clicked in Song Mei’s mind, and she was horrified.
“The money house where we mortgaged our shops and estates—Yu Qingfeng? It’s owned by Qin Yan?”
Qin Siye nodded.
“I’m afraid she never intended to let us reclaim those properties.”
Despair filled Song Mei’s heart, her eyes devoid of life. What could they do now? How could they possibly explain this to Wenzheng?
“You said it could implicate Wenzheng? We cannot let Wenzheng be dragged into this, and what about Ming’er…” Tears welled up in Song Mei’s eyes as she looked at Fourth Master Qin, her gaze tinged with a desperate plea.
Fourth Master Qin’s heart ached. Yes, there was also Ming’er…
“I’ll leave. But let me see Ming’er one last time.”
Song Mei secretly breathed a sigh of relief, gently resting her head against Fourth Master Qin’s chest, hiding her emotions.
“Let me think about it.”
—————
At the beginning of the hour of the rooster (around 5:00-7:00 PM), Feng Zhan emerged from the Prefecture’s office.
As he approached the carriage, Feng Zhan stopped and turned to ask Song Zhi, “How is she today?”
Song Zhi had long grown accustomed to Hish Highness’s reference to “her” and immediately replied, “The Princess is hosting a banquet today in Cangxi Forest for the subordinates of Yu Qingfeng. The feast should be underway by now.”
At that moment, an ill-timed female voice interrupted from a few steps away.
“Your Highness, have you also received news from my grandfather?”
The voice, tinged with a hint of urgency, belonged to Wang Jingyan, the second young lady of the Left Prime Minister Mansion.
Wang Jingyan had received word earlier that her grandfather had passed away, and her father had instructed her to return to the capital immediately to attend the funeral.
Thinking of her grandfather, who was also the maternal grandfather of the Taizi and the current Imperial Concubine’s father, Wang Jingyan believed that the Taizi should also return to the capital. Knowing that the Taizi was at the Prefecture’s office, she hurried over.
Wang Jingyan was stopped five steps away from the Taizi’s carriage. The guards of the Taizi Mansion treated her as if she were an enemy; after all, Lord Song had given strict orders yesterday that they must not allow this young lady to approach the Taizi again.
Feng Zhan furrowed his sword-like eyebrows and turned to board the carriage.
Wang Jingyan quickly said, “Your Highness, since we’re both returning to the capital, may I accompany you? My grandfather…”
Her words were cut off by Song Zhi.
“Second Young Lady Wang, please leave.”
Song Zhi had grown impatient with her. The Princess was likely still upset, and now this young lady was causing more trouble.
Moreover, the Taizi had no intention of returning to the capital.
Song Zhi seated himself at the front of the carriage and turned to ask the Taizi inside, “Your Highness, shall we return to Liu Garden?”
There was a brief silence inside the carriage before the Taizi’s deep voice came through.
“Go to Cangxi Forest.”
———–
In the main hall of Jinhua Pavilion, located in Cangxi Forest, Qin Yan sat at the head of the table.
Seated at the side tables below were various managers and their family members.
Before the banquet began, each of the managers presented gifts to their master—whether rare treasures or newly acquired trinkets from distant regions—each striving to please her.
On the stage in front of Jinhua Pavilion, a performer, delicately holding his fingers in an orchid gesture, was singing an opera tune. While the guests seemed to be paying attention, their minds were occupied with their own thoughts, mostly filled with hopes for the future.
Many of them had only known that there was someone behind Mr. Ji, but today they learned that their true master was none other than Princess Zhaoren, a woman from both the Right Prime Minister Mansion and the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion in the capital.
With the backing of this powerful princess and her connections, they felt more confident in their dealings with Yu Qingfeng, knowing they had a formidable support system.
Once the banquet commenced, everyone noticed that the dishes at each table were different, tailored to the preferences of the individuals seated there. This thoughtful gesture made them admire their master even more, recognizing her skill in managing people with a blend of grace and authority. It was no wonder that Yu Qingfeng was running so smoothly and prospering.
However, the wives of a few managers began to feel a sense of unease. Knowing that their husbands’ master was not only of noble birth but also strikingly beautiful—and that she was rumored to be unmarried—they worried that she might take a liking to their husbands.
One of the more astute managers noticed that the master’s gaze often lingered on the performer on stage, who was a man. With an idea forming in his mind, he set down his wine cup and addressed Qin Yan at the head of the table.
“Master, I have a theater in Yangzhou with many handsome and clean actors. If you have the time, you might enjoy visiting.”
The other guests at the table were stunned.
Shameless! This was clearly an offer to present a male courtesan to their master.
At that moment, from the entrance of Jinhua Pavilion, a servant loudly announced, “His Highness Taizi has arrived.”
A tall, imposing figure dressed in a dark robe entered the hall, having heard every word of the manager’s brazen suggestion to offer a courtesan to their master.