Chapter 17 Good Poetry

Suo’etu forgot his heartache as he stared at the plaque, unable to believe his eyes.

Rarity increases value, and Imperial Gifts were treasures everyone coveted. For instance, when favored ministers received handwritten “blessing” characters from the Emperor during festivals, endless envy would immediately surround them—let alone such plaques, which were worthy of being enshrined in ancestral halls as Family Heirlooms.

Moreover, the Emperor rarely indulged in calligraphy and was sparing with inscribed gifts. These eight characters conveyed unparalleled praise and admiration. He was likely the first to receive such an honor.

Suo’etu’s heart swelled with emotion, thinking the Emperor still held him in high regard as before!

He hastily kowtowed in gratitude, oblivious to the Crown Prince and Fourth Prince’s unusual silence. Beaming, he draped the red cloth back over the plaque and declared fervently, “This old servant will hang it prominently in the main hall to showcase the loyalty of our Hesheli clan!”

Hong Yan nodded, then shook his head.

Facing Suo’etu’s puzzled expression, he solemnly advised, “A tree that stands tall invites the wind’s fury. Great-Uncle should admire it privately and never display it publicly. Given these sensitive times, if word spreads and envy leads to sabotage, jeopardizing the debt collection, it would be disastrous.”

His reasoned words left Suo’etu thoughtful, then nodding repeatedly. Suo’etu slapped his own forehead and hurriedly promised, “The young master is right! This old servant was rash.”

He resolved to hide the plaque securely and enjoy it secretly. Otherwise, if Mingzhu or Tong Guowei found out, wouldn’t they be green with envy?

Hmph. The Hesheli clan had lost 370,000 taels of silver—others should repay their debts in full too. None would escape.

Suo’etu fully embraced his role as a debt collector, then carefully wrapped the plaque into an indistinct black bundle.

Unlike his dejected arrival, Minister Suo now strode out energetically, leaving He Zhuer outside gaping in astonishment. What had happened?

Not even the Perfect Tonic Pill worked this fast.

Inside the study, Hong Yan suffered Fourth Uncle’s mischievous pinching and his father’s relentless questioning.

With his cheeks squished, he blinked earnestly and mumbled, “Shtop! It wash Hanmafa who gave it to me!”

Yinzhen loosened his grip, while the Crown Prince eyed him skeptically. “His Majesty personally inscribed a plaque just to praise Suo’etu?”

He wouldn’t believe that even if offered silver.

Hong Yan marveled at his father’s newfound shrewdness. Realizing the plaque’s crucial role in debt collection—and needing accomplices—he confessed the whole story, unfurling the “Imperial Work” he’d pilfered.

“…” Fourth Prince’s calm facade shattered.

The Crown Prince’s face went blank, then darkened. After a long pause, he ground out, “You audacious brat! This is deceiving the Emperor!”

Furious, he called for He Zhuer to fetch the feather duster, but Fourth Prince, though exasperated, couldn’t bear to see his young friend suffer.

Yinzhen quickly intervened. “Second Brother, wait.”

“Only heaven, earth, and us know of this. Those characters had Hanmafa’s approval—how is it deception? Minister Suo even promised not to tell others,” Hong Yan protested from behind his uncle. “Didn’t Hanmafa say duties won’t wait? With debts so hard to collect, more methods are better. I just wanted to spare you the trouble.”

The Crown Prince sneered and was about to retort immediately, but after much deliberation, he gradually fell silent.  

The matter of forging the plaque was known only to him and his Fourth Brother. As for the sole loophole, Suo’etu, Yuanbao had personally sealed it shut.  

If the Emperor couldn’t detect it, perhaps they could deceive the heavens and cross the sea…  

No matter how much trouble Yuanbao caused, he was still the apple of his eye.  

The Crown Prince snapped out of his daze, feeling that it made sense, and his anger dissipated somewhat. He scoffed, “You’ve really got me figured out.”  

Then he glanced at the Fourth Prince, pondering how to ensure his younger brother’s silence.  

To his surprise, Yinzhen quickly accepted reality and instead tried to persuade him: “Yuanbao is only five years old. It’s fine if he makes mistakes occasionally. I hope Second Brother can keep this matter hidden. If it comes to light, given Yuanbao’s merits, Father Emperor wouldn’t have the heart to punish him.”  

The Crown Prince nodded lightly, and the two shared a knowing smile, quickly reaching an agreement to shoulder the blame willingly.  

Hong Yan once again saved his own backside, and his plans took a leap forward. Seizing the opportunity, he quietly retreated, preparing to visit his newly acquired talent.  

As for those so-called masterpieces about gold and silver, they could be set aside for now—he had new tasks to assign.  

“Hold on,” the Crown Prince called out lightly, stopping him. “For the next few days, stay by my side. You’re not allowed to go anywhere. Are you looking for that child Yang Bai? Send Sanxi and Linmen instead—no need to tire yourself out.”  

Then he smiled and said, “Fourth Brother, don’t you agree?”  

Ignoring Hong Yan’s pleading gaze, Yinzhen stared straight ahead. “Naturally.”  

Suo’etu’s repayment caused quite a stir, like a thunderbolt striking the capital, leaving everyone in shock.  

It was lunchtime, and colleagues gathered in small groups. Among the other officials, Tong Guowei was particularly startled, his expression changing for the first time.  

This was truly… too unexpected.  

As the maternal family of the Crown Prince, the Hesheli clan held a natural advantage. Being last in line to repay debts was unquestionable—but reality was so surreal it defied logic.  

With Suo’etu’s notoriously stubborn and rascal-like personality, how could he possibly spit out what he had swallowed?  

Tong Guowei was a clever man, and clever men considered every angle. Unbidden, he recalled Mingzhu’s whisper: “The Crown Prince has been bewitched by Fourth Prince’s confidant…”  

Stroking his beard, Tong Guowei’s expression grew solemn.  

Something was off—very off. Suo’etu seemed to be putting on an act. Who knew if the repaid silver would even enter the National Treasury?  

If the Tong Jia clan exhausted their resources to gather banknotes only for them to vanish, and the Emperor demanded answers, who could he turn to for recourse?  

The phrase “wait and see” needed to be amended to “indefinitely.” Tong Guowei exchanged a glance with Ma Qi from afar, both seeing the same message in each other’s eyes, and their resolve hardened.  

At their age, they bore the fate of entire families—this was no child’s play.  

After Suo’etu repaid his debt, the others seemed to fall silent.  

The Crown Prince and Fourth Prince weren’t in a hurry either. The banquet for officials ranked fifth grade and below was scheduled for the following evening at a residence under the Fourth Princess Consort’s name. Debt collection had to be gradual—the Hesheli clan was an unexpected boon, but since it was Yuanbao’s smooth talk that secured it, it wasn’t representative.  

After much discussion, Yinzhen hurried back to prepare. But before the sun had even set, the East Palace welcomed a host of distinguished guests—

Led by Wang Shizhen and Zhang Tingyu, the Han ministers from the central government arrived in a grand procession, numbering over twenty at a glance. They carried boxes in their hands, their expressions calm and indifferent, evoking deep respect—these were truly noble and upright individuals.

When Zhang Tingyu stated their purpose, the Crown Prince was somewhat flattered, repeatedly urging them to rise while his phoenix eyes brimmed with delight.

However.

He glanced at Wang Shizhen—wasn’t this man famously known for treating wealth as dirt, wishing only to resign and retire?

Lord Wang seemed to read the Crown Prince’s thoughts and said indifferently, “The Emperor forced this minister to borrow silver. I had no choice but to comply.”

The Crown Prince: “…”

The Crown Prince hastily ordered the accounts to be verified. Once confirmed, the debts were canceled with a single stroke. As the amounts were small, the verification was completed in less than half an hour.

Throughout this, Hong Yan stood obediently to the side, drawing frequent glances from Wang Shizhen and the others.

The gazes were so intense that he whispered to Yang Bai behind him, “Is my admiration too obvious?”

Yang Bai, under Lord Wang’s focused stare, stammered, “Y-yes, it is.”

Long ago, his father had praised the Young Master’s extraordinary qualities to his teacher, who had always remained indifferent. Could this debt repayment trip be related to him?

What Yang Bai didn’t know was that Lord Wang had received another letter from Yang Sheng today, with eighty percent of its contents devoted to boasting. Yang Sheng wrote that his son had been immediately entrusted with important tasks by the Grandson, his poetic talents fully utilized, and how immensely gratified he, as a father, felt, and so on.

This infuriated Lord Wang! That scoundrel Yang Sheng was always full of deceit. He immediately rallied his close friend Zhang Tingyu, using the debt repayment as an excuse to check on his disciple’s well-being.

Zhang Tingyu, who had entered the Southern Study at a young age and enjoyed the Emperor’s deep trust, was already immensely curious about the Grandson and gladly agreed.

The Zhang family had borrowed a total of ten thousand taels, a sum they could easily part with. After handing over the silver, Zhang Tingyu couldn’t stop staring at Hong Yan—

He could only marvel at how exceptionally handsome the Imperial Grandson was.

The Han ministers valued legitimacy and lineage, and the Grandson, being both the eldest and legitimate, embodied the orthodoxy they upheld. Aside from Lord Wang, the other ministers were exceedingly amiable, eager to converse with the Grandson and see if he truly lived up to his reputation for brilliance and quick wit—after all, the Crown Prince had long lost his air of mystery.

Hong Yan, unnerved by the stares, decided to deploy a long-planned tactic.

With a sweet smile, he said, “You’ve all worked hard, esteemed ministers. Father and I discussed it earlier—this gift is a small token of appreciation from the East Palace.”

“Yang Bai,” he urged, “quickly present the poems to the ministers.”

“…” Yang Bai’s ears turned red, his gaze unfocused. Swallowing his shame under the Crown Prince’s suspicious stare, he handed out the papers one by one. “Please offer your corrections, esteemed ministers.”

Zhang Tingyu lowered his eyes to examine the poem and was instantly delighted.

The writing was thematically coherent, the strokes spirited, the entire piece praising the integrity and uprightness of officials. The allusions were mature, the calligraphy elegant—it perfectly scratched his itch.

What a fine poem! And for a child to compose it—what remarkable talent!

Unbeknownst to Minister Zhang, the author was none other than Lord Wang’s beloved disciple. Meanwhile, Yang Bai, on the verge of tears, approached his teacher.

Wang Shizhen finally felt a surge of pride, thinking Yang Sheng hadn’t lied after all—his beloved disciple was indeed highly valued.

He reached out, took the paper, and looked. In an instant, Lord Wang’s face fell.

What in the world was this?

Not even a dog would read this!!

Yang Bai wanted to cry out that it wasn’t his fault—balancing quality and quantity was simply impossible.

Fifty poems in two hours—utter garbage no dog would even glance at—yet the Young Master praised them for their lofty ideals and exquisite phrasing. What else could he do??

He was already tainted… Waaah!