She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 537 - 535: Listless

Chapter 537: Chapter 535: Listless

Jinrong had a full head of official business; no acting was needed at all. He walked out of the imperial palace with a drooping head and a deflated spirit.

Hongzhi and Hong Wu hurried forward to lead his horse to meet him. On seeing Jinrong’s rarely seen expression, the two exchanged a glance subconsciously, utterly astonished.

They weren’t too worried about what the emperor might have done to His Highness, because praises from His Majesty were few and far between. It was only since the end of last year, after returning from Yuyuan Prefecture, that the emperor occasionally remarked that Sixth Master’s temperament had become somewhat more composed.

Didn’t Sixth Master enter the palace today to show off those bolts and nuts? Such marvelous, useful items should certainly receive praise from His Majesty the Emperor, so why did Sixth Master come out looking like this?

Hong Wu stepped forward and tentatively asked, "Sixth Master, shall we return to the mansion?"

Jinrong took hold of the reins, cursed irritably, "Return to what mansion! Are those eyes of yours just for venting your anger? Can’t you see I’m in a bad mood? To the tavern. Have someone find Xu Deng and the other lads to come to the Pavilion of the Gathering of Sages and drink with me."

Hong Wu shrank his neck, turned his face away, and made a grimace at Hongzhi before instructing the followers. If Sixth Master still had the mood to scold someone, it seemed the matter wasn’t too serious.

Xu Deng and the others arrived one after another, and seeing His Highness Prince Yu, who was usually carefree, truly in a state of considerable gloom, they wondered curiously. Even after repeated questioning, they couldn’t get to the bottom of it, and if they asked too much, the fellow actually seemed on the verge of losing his temper.

What was going on?

After much winking and gesturing between Xu Deng and Hongzhi, they finally understood that Jinrong had been in this state since leaving the imperial palace.

Yang Hao looked at Xu Dong, then turned around, nudged Jinrong’s arm, and asked with a laugh, "Sixth Master, didn’t you just recently receive some item made in Yuyuan Prefecture that you said could make money and earn His Majesty’s commendation for you? How come you’re like this today? Could it be that not only did His Majesty not commend you, but he actually scolded you, Sixth Master?"

Jinrong clinked his cup with Yang Hao, Xu Deng, and the others, threw his head back and emptied it, before he sighed, "Alas, no good deed goes unpunished; I’ve come to deeply understand this phrase. Enough said; any more would just bring tears. Come on, fill them up; drinking is far more pleasurable."

Huang Rui followed by egging him on, "Exactly! Look at what His Majesty is up to, making Sixth Master feel so aggrieved. But hey, a father can never be wrong with his son, no matter how unreasonable. Come on, let’s drink."

Jinrong rolled his eyes and snorted, "I’m saying, watch your words, lad. Is my old man someone you can comment about?"

Huang Rui spread his hands, "I’m just trying to comfort you. You won’t tell us what it’s about, and who knows what’s upsetting you. I can only make such vague remarks."

Jinrong glared at him for a long while, then suddenly laughed, "We brothers have been through thick and thin together from childhood. There’s no cause for me to live in difficulty while watching you all enjoy life. Mhmm, whatever happens, I’ve got to drag you in with me. If we’re to endure hard times, we’ll come through it together."

Huang Rui froze, blinked several times, and then looked towards Xu Deng, who spat in disgust, "Bah! Do you even know how to speak, persuading someone like that?"

Turning back, he picked up the wine pot, added a few drops to Jinrong’s already full cup, and offered a sheepish smile, "Sixth Master, don’t you trust the brotherhood between us? No matter how difficult the situation, the brothers can’t let you bear it all by yourself," he said, then adopted a much more pleased tone, "So, Sixth Master, if you’re burdened with a tough task, just go ahead with it without worry. Even if we can’t work alongside you, we will always be ready to help out, leaving you with nothing to worry about."

Jinrong looked at each of them in turn and scoffed, "Just like my old man said, you’re really nothing but a pack of fair-weather friends. I haven’t even been troubled yet, and look at all of you, scared to death that I’ll drag you down."

"Not at all, not at all!" Xu Deng quickly protested, then leaned in and whispered to Jinrong, "What’s with His Majesty? Did he really give you an assignment? Don’t worry, brother, we’ll take care of your tasks. We brothers have plenty of hands under us, just spread them out, and we only need to sit in the tavern and drink for a few days, and everything will be handled smoothly. No worries."

Jinrong glanced over his so-called friends again and realized that his imperial father was indeed right; these were nothing but fair-weather friends, truly unreliable.

Clanging his wine cup with each friend in turn, Jinrong wore a meaningful smile, "We’ve been friends for so many years; rest assured, I won’t let you guys have it easier than me."

The three exchanged glances, wondering if their days had been too carefree, catching even heavens’ attention.

Back in the palace, soon after Jinrong had left, Lih Mian, the leader of the Imperial Guard Camp, came in to report.

"...That small village under the jurisdiction of Yuyuan Prefecture has expanded quite a bit in the past three years, with a lot of wasteland being cultivated around it. The Qi family’s and His Highness Prince Yu’s business in Clear Water Village is booming and they also plan to expand beyond Qingyuan County." Lih Mian relayed to His Majesty the Emperor what the dispatched trusted aides had learned from Clear Water Village.

After pondering for a moment, His Majesty inquired, "Prince Yu did present those bolts and nuts to us, and from what you’ve said, the Qi family’s ironworks also relies on Ye Xinyan? This woman is indeed skilled."

Bowing, Lih Mian responded, "Our men have gathered that it seems like Wong Qiao, Shi Yin, and a few guests from Prince Yu’s Mansion are officially leading the work. However, they all hold Miss Ye in high regard. Even though they didn’t explicitly say it, it’s clear that without Miss Ye, even if the craftsmen were highly skilled, they wouldn’t be in their current situation."

His Majesty continued to inquire, "Now, is the Qi family’s workshop still making threaded fasteners, or are they producing something else?"

"I did ask those we dispatched what exactly the Qi family is making now. Unfortunately, these men don’t understand the craft and could only watch the busy work without knowing specifics. We’re only spying from the shadows; the craftsmen in the Mechanical Workshop are tight-lipped and never discuss workshop matters with outsiders. So, we couldn’t get detailed information," said Lih Mian.

His Majesty focused on a rough sketch in front of him, thought for a while, and ordered Lih Mian, "Stay in contact with those we left in Qingyuan County. Have them keep an eye on the enterprises managed by Ye Xinyan, and if there are any changes, report back immediately."

After sending Lih Mian off, His Majesty picked up the set of yin yang screw threads, wrapped them in a cloth, and twisted them back and forth several times. After contemplating for quite a while, he finally handed them over to a Eunuch to take away.

The next day, before dawn, in the dim crowd of officials heading to the morning court, someone close to Jinrong was surprised to find His Highness Prince Yu – usually indolent and elusive – moping along in the procession to the court.

Yu Shiqing, the Minister of Revenue, walking behind Jinrong, seriously suspected that waking up so early had disrupted His Highness Prince Yu’s routine, causing him to not fully wake up and thus appear so listless and out of spirits.

As the court assembly proceeded, when His Majesty the Emperor announced to the Cabinet members led by Han Yanhui that His Highness Prince Yu would begin assisting the Ministry of Personnel from that day, court officials were taken aback with astonishment, with the Crown Prince and Prince Fu nearly popping their eyes out.

Under the gaze of everyone, whether direct or stealthy, Prince Yu did not seem very earnest. He only shifted his gaze reluctantly and listlessly over the heads of the officials, conveying with his demeanor to his opponents that this was not his intention, and he had no desire to undertake this thankless task.

In fact, that was precisely the case. Even with ambitions for the throne, he hadn’t planned to start his game this way.