Chapter 28 Dirty
The moment when Lu Yi was looking out the door of the coffin shop.
Sijifang, Qifang Garden.
This is a courtyard on the east side of Sijifang, right on the bank of the canal. The stream in the garden is full of running water and is connected to the canal.
The east wall of Qifang Garden is just a six-foot-high decorative lattice wall.
On a rockery made of strange stones, the exquisite flower hall is warm as spring. The windows on the east side are open, and through the huge crystal pieces, one can overlook the hundreds of blooming ancient plum trees in the yard and the twinkling lights on the canal outside the wall.
Some people were digging holes in the ice on the frozen river, lighting torches, fishing, or simply casting down dragnets.
From time to time, someone would exclaim with joy, probably because they had caught some precious fresh fish.
Inside the temple, three men in brocade robes sat at different tables.
Sitting in the main seat was a thin, tall, handsome but slightly mean and vicious young man.
This person was none other than Qi Lu, the ninth son of Dongqi Bo, the owner of Qifang Garden, who was left as a hostage in Haojing.
Sitting in the guest of honor seat was a middle-aged man with a chubby face and a slightly unbridled demeanor.
He was wearing a purple robe with dark silver Kunpeng patterns on his chest, back, shoulders, elbows and cuffs.
The founding emperor of the Dayinwu Dynasty claimed that he was the reincarnation of "Kunpeng", and the totem of the royal family of the dynasty was Kunpeng.
There is a royal totem on the robe. The man in the purple robe is the uncle of the current Emperor Yin, Yinxing, who was named "King of Lancang".
In the flower hall, a group of more than twenty female musicians were playing stringed instruments. The graceful music was like heavenly music.
There was also a team of seven or eight dancers waving their sleeves and dancing lightly in the flower hall to add to the fun.
Outside the flower hall, under the corridor, several expert chefs were watching over the stove, wholeheartedly cooking a three-foot-long golden-scaled carp that they had purchased for a large sum of money from fishermen on the canal outside half a quarter of an hour ago.
Yinqi laughed haha. He was invited to Qifang Garden and had just sat down for a short time, but he had already drunk several cups of wine. A layer of blush appeared on his fair face.
Under Qi Lu's earnest persuasion, Yinqi drank another cup of wine, then put down the glass and waved to the dancers in the hall.
Qi Lu laughed and clapped his hands vigorously.
The dancers and female musicians quietly left the hall.
Yinxi pointed at the green-robed man sitting opposite him and said, "Prince, it's New Year's Day, you wouldn't invite me for no reason. In this huge city of Gaojing, who doesn't know that I, Yinxi, won't get up early without profit?"
Qi Xu smiled and shook his head: "Your Highness, what are you talking about? Today..."
Yinqi waved his hands hastily: "Don't talk nonsense, don't use empty words to deal with me. It's the New Year, and everyone is very busy. I have at least hundreds of invitations to banquets flying into the mansion today. I came to you today to give you face."
Exhaling a breath of alcohol, Yinqi narrowed his eyes and looked again and again at the green-robed man opposite him.
"If I hadn't had a salt and iron business in your father's territory, I wouldn't have come to your place today. So, now that I'm here, tell me straight, young friend, what do you want from me?"
Qi Lu smiled and gave Yin Xi a thumbs up: "No one is wiser than the prince. Brother Liu, what do you think?"
Liu Wu, who was wearing a green robe, a green headscarf, and two green jade pendants hanging around his waist, stood up hastily and bowed deeply to Yinqi: "Your subordinate Liu..."
Yinqi interrupted Liu Wu's words. He tilted his face, squinted at Liu Wu and said calmly, "Are you an official?"
Liu Wu hurriedly said, "I am Liu Wu, the subordinate, who was appointed as the magistrate of Tuoshan County three years ago. Tuoshan County is a high-ranking county, and I am a sixth-rank official in the imperial court."
Yinqi stroked his short beard and stretched out his voice, "The position of Magistrate of Tushan County. Tsk, according to the market conditions three years ago, the price of a county official, a sixth-rank official, a candidate for a nominal position, was also eight million yuan!"
Without waiting for Liu Wu to speak, Yinqi continued, "However, these eight million yuan were sent directly to the emperor's private treasury. You had to take care of other people, especially Yu Changle, so you should have spent ten million yuan."
Liu Wu smiled brightly: "Your Majesty is wise, this is exactly the price!"
Yinqi glanced at Liu Wu, snorted coldly, grabbed the wine glass, and took a big gulp: "Next time you want to buy an official position, come to me; or, if you have relatives or friends who want to buy an official position, come to me directly."
"I contact the emperor directly, without middlemen to make a profit. Yu Changle and those eunuchs can't take advantage of me. For example, for a county magistrate post in a higher county, I only need 9 million coins, which means I can save 1 million coins. Isn't that good?"
Liu Wu smiled and bowed to Yinqi repeatedly: "Your Highness is right, it is really very good. Before, wasn't it because of my low status that I was not qualified to meet you, Your Highness?"
Yinqi smiled brightly: "Hey, don't mention any low status or other nonsense in front of me. Money is the hard truth. If you have money, you are my guest!"
After laughing a few times, Yinqi pointed at Liu Wu and said, "Liu Wu, is it you who wants to see me today?"
Liu Wu took two steps forward, walked out of his seat, and knelt down in front of Yinqi. He squeezed out two tears and complained to Yinqi bitterly: "The prince said that the prince is the first person in Gaojing City who has a solution."
Yinqi blinked his eyes and waved his hands hastily, saying, "Don't say that for now. There are a few people in Haojing City whom I can't afford to offend. The Queen Mother, the Emperor, the General, the Prime Minister, the Grand Historian, the Chief Censor, these are the people whom I can't afford to offend..."
After hesitating for a while, Yinqi murmured, "There is another person who I cannot afford to offend. However, he has not been in Gaojing for many years. I think he has died outside. Then, it must be these few people."
"As long as you didn't provoke them, what did you do wrong?"
Yinqi nodded to his chest and said, "As long as you don't offend those people I mentioned, even if you kill people or set fires, even if you raise the banner of rebellion, it's all fine as long as the money is in place!"
Qi Lu clapped and laughed at the side: "Brother Liu, I told you that the prince is a straightforward man and a truly fair gentleman. Your little thing is nothing at all."
Liu Wu, who had a bitter face just now, suddenly laughed. He kowtowed to Yinqi and said hurriedly: "Your Highness, I have offended... I don't know how I offended anyone, and why the palace guard ordered me to be hunted down."
Yinqi frowned and looked at Liu Wu and said, "Being hunted by the palace guards? Do you know why?"
Liu Wu hurriedly shook his head: "Your Majesty, I am completely confused and have no idea what is going on."
Yinqi put down his wine glass and tapped his fingers on the table.
"This is strange. Yu Changle, the old servant, is not a person who acts recklessly. Which general under the Palace Guard Supervisor did you offend? Or a captain?"
Liu Wu spread out his hands to show that he was innocent.
Qi Qi coughed lightly and said, "Your Highness, Brother Liu's family experienced a drastic change a few days ago. Brother Liu, can you tell me about it?"
Liu Wu's eyes rolled around, and he said to Yinqi: "Your Highness, before the New Year, at my home, before the New Year...I am so miserable!"
Liu Wu cried a few times, raised her sleeve to wipe away a tear that she had squeezed out with great effort.
"Years ago, I didn't know who I had offended. That night, someone suddenly broke into my house and killed everyone in my family. I was protected by two of my confidants and fled overnight. I remembered that in Gaojing City, only the prince was my close brother and my best friend, so I came to Qifang Garden for shelter."
"Who would have thought that after I had been hiding in the prince's mansion for just two days, I heard that the palace guards were hunting me all over the country."
"That's fine. If it's my fault, then the palace guard will come after me."
"But the Palace Guard actually arrested my seven sisters, seven brothers-in-law, and all the elders. I heard that they were detained in the Palace Guard's secret prison and tortured. They suffered a lot."
"I am terrified. I really don't know what this is all about."
"It has been more than half a month since this incident happened, and the New Year is almost over. I am thinking about this matter. Can I ask Your Majesty to help me get rid of this disaster?"
Yinqi rolled his eyes when he heard this.
What a great Liu Wu.
All the members of the family were killed, and he escaped with two guards.
It would be fine if I just escaped, but I could actually hide in a friend's house and spend the New Year peacefully?
Moreover, Yinqi also noticed that Liu Wu did not seem to be very sad.
This is a top-notch product!
Yinqi stroked his beard and murmured, "It's not difficult to help you get rid of this trouble. I will talk to Yu Changle in person. After all, I am the emperor's uncle, so I have to give him this face."
"However, you have seven sisters, seven brothers-in-law, and the elders. That's a lot of people."
Yinqi blinked and looked at Liu Wu.
His meaning was very clear, if we want to release so many people, we have to raise the price.
Can the price of saving one person be the same as saving a dozen people?
Liu Wu coughed lightly.
Qi Xun lowered his voice and said, "Your Highness, Brother Liu means this. His seven sisters are women, so it's okay to let them out. But his seven brothers-in-law, you see, there's no need for them to come out."
"The Secret Prison of the Guardian Palace, how scary is that place? Every year, hundreds of unlucky people are killed in it."
"It doesn't matter if a few more people die."
Yinqi poured himself a glass of wine. He took a sip and gradually figured out the taste.
He pointed at Liu Wu and said with a smile: "You are... Hey, your seven brothers-in-law's family, they have quite a lot of wealth?"
Liu Wu smiled and said, "I have a small fortune, a small fortune. I am ashamed, ashamed!"
Qi Lu laughed and said, "Your Highness, Brother Liu is very wealthy. He owns hundreds of thousands of acres of fertile land in Jingufang. His brothers-in-law are not inferior to him in wealth, and some are even richer. So, haha!"
Yinqi smacked his lips.
He looked at Liu Wu, then at Qi Lu, and said softly, "This is a bit...unconscionable. Tsk, I love money, but a gentleman loves money and gets it in a proper way!"
Liu Wu stretched out three fingers.
Yinqi rolled his eyes: "This king, is it only worth 30%?"
Liu Wu quickly added a finger, and then pointed at Qi Lu.
Yinzhi looked at Qi Lu, and Qi Lu bowed and smiled at Yinzhi.
Yinqi nodded in satisfaction and raised his wine glass: "Hahaha, then, we will be good friends from now on. Come, come, come, drink, drink. Hahaha!"
