Chapter 781: Two Princes in Conflict

Song Qingshu was equally curious. He had already witnessed the King of Wei’s arrogance in the Taihe Hall—disregarding the empress, casually punishing imperial guards—this was a man who pushed tyranny to the extreme. Even Wanyan Liang gave him a wide berth. Who would dare compete with him now?  

“Find out who it is,” Wanyan Liang ordered casually, staring at the private booth. Soon, one of his subordinates rushed out.  

Before the man could return, the King of Wei stood by the booth’s window and sneered, “Well, well, if it isn’t the King of Changsheng.”  

“The King of Changsheng?” Song Qingshu’s interest was piqued. Having been in the capital for some time, he knew exactly who this was—Wanyan Yuan, the younger brother of the current Emperor Xizong.  

Seeing no further need to hide, the King of Changsheng opened his booth’s window. A man around thirty sat leisurely by the sill, blowing on his tea before remarking coolly, “King of Wei, don’t say I didn’t warn you. You should address me as ‘Imperial Uncle.’ Otherwise, people might think the mighty King of Wei doesn’t even understand royal etiquette.”  

“You—!” The King of Wei flushed with rage but knew he was in the wrong. With so many witnesses, he couldn’t openly refute him.  

The King of Changsheng chuckled and stood by the window, gazing down at the courtesan. “What’s this? Does the King of Wei also fancy this beauty?”  

“What if I do?” the King of Wei retorted coldly.  

“150,000 taels of gold—quite the extravagant sum.” The King of Changsheng’s tone suddenly sharpened. “But unless I’m mistaken, you don’t have an official fiefdom. Where did such a fortune come from?”  

“I—” The King of Wei’s face paled. At his status, acquiring wealth was no challenge, but these were all under-the-table dealings. How could he admit it publicly?  

The King of Changsheng pressed on, his gaze turning piercing. “Ah, now I remember. His Highness has been overseeing the Yellow River flood control efforts. Did the contractors ‘gift’ you this money in exchange for favors? Let your uncle offer some advice—you’re still young. You might not know which money is safe to take and which isn’t. Those scheming officials might trick you. Flood control concerns millions of lives. If something goes wrong… I doubt even you could bear the consequences.”  

The moment these words were spoken, the crowd erupted in murmurs. Though none dared to openly provoke the King of Wei, whispers and pointed glances spread like wildfire.  

Song Qingshu was puzzled. ‘By leaving no room for retreat, hasn’t the King of Changsheng completely burned bridges? The King of Wei is the future emperor—isn’t this too reckless?’  

Xiao Yu leaned in and whispered to Wanyan Liang, “It seems the King of Wei’s earlier punishment of Wanyan Tesi—eighty heavy strikes—has thoroughly enraged the King of Changsheng.” His voice was so soft that even Wanyan Liang might not have heard it clearly amid the noise of the Autumn Fragrance Pavilion. But Song Qingshu’s keen senses caught every word.  

‘So Wanyan Tesi is the King of Changsheng’s man.’ Now everything made sense. At the same time, Song Qingshu was inwardly shocked. ‘A prince secretly befriending the commander of the imperial guards? If he claims to have no ulterior motives, even ghosts wouldn’t believe him.’  

Considering the Jin Dynasty’s tradition of brothers inheriting the throne, it was no surprise the King of Changsheng had ambitions of his own. No wonder he and the King of Wei were like fire and water, openly clashing.  

But what role did Wanyan Liang play in this? Xiao Yu’s deference to him seemed more like a vassal serving his lord than a typical superior-subordinate relationship. It was… unsettling.  

“Nonsense! This King is incorruptible—how dare you accuse me of bribery?” The King of Wei’s face burned crimson. He longed to slap the King of Changsheng but knew better. The latter’s influence was no less than his own, and as his uncle, direct confrontation was unwise.  

“Oh? If His Highness is so clean, where did 150,000 taels of gold come from?” The King of Changsheng feigned sudden understanding. “Ah, I see. You must have planned to scare off competitors with an outrageous bid, knowing the Autumn Fragrance Pavilion wouldn’t dare demand full payment from the mighty King of Wei. Right?”  

The King of Wei’s face cycled between green and white. With a furious wave, he spat, “You win. Let’s go!”  

Song Qingshu was impressed. ‘The King of Changsheng is shrewd—laying trap after trap.’ Whether admitting to corruption or leveraging power to avoid payment, the King of Wei had no good options. Retreat was his only choice.  

“But 200,000 taels of gold… Even the King of Changsheng can’t easily produce such a sum, can he?” Song Qingshu wondered aloud. As the head of the Tang Kuo family—one of the Jin Dynasty’s top three noble houses—he knew how difficult it was to mobilize such funds quickly. Even a prince wouldn’t have it much easier.  

Xiao Yu chuckled. “Brother-in-law, you misunderstand. Just because he bid that high doesn’t mean he’ll pay it in full. As he said earlier—if the Autumn Fragrance Pavilion wouldn’t dare demand full payment from the King of Wei, would they dare demand it from him? At the very least, they’d offer a 20% discount. And I doubt he’ll even pay that.”  

Song Qingshu raised an eyebrow. “He’d openly renege?”  

Xiao Yu gave an awkward laugh and glanced at Wanyan Liang, who smiled. “Brother Tang Kuo is straightforward—it’s natural he wouldn’t know these tricks. But since we’re all allies here, there’s no need for secrecy. Xiao Yu, explain it to him.”  

Xiao Yu obliged. “He won’t openly refuse payment. Instead, he’ll propose installments. Would the Autumn Fragrance Pavilion dare refuse? Once delayed, there are countless ways to manipulate the situation. If I’m not mistaken, they’ll likely only receive the first payment.”  

Song Qingshu was astounded. Though his modern knowledge gave him an edge in many areas, when it came to wielding power, these nobles were in a league of their own. ‘No wonder they can bid tens of thousands of taels without hesitation—ordinary merchants can’t compete with real gold and silver against these schemes.’  

A crucial question struck him. “But isn’t the courtesan’s earnings meant for the imperial palace? If the emperor doesn’t receive the money, wouldn’t that…”

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