nucmednet Chapter 643 The Ninth Prince's Bargaining Chip
Chapter 643 The Ninth Prince's Bargaining Chip
"Ninth Young Master?" Liu Ye was completely baffled. "Isn't she a woman? How come she's the Ninth Young Master?"
“The Ninth Young Master is the real boss here, but he’s not usually here. He comes here every ten days or so, and the business is managed by his subordinates,” Wen Tiren explained. “Although she is a girl, she was raised as a boy since childhood. She likes to wear men’s clothes and imitate men’s behavior. The people here cater to her tastes and call her the Ninth Young Master.”
Liu Ye asked in confusion, "This brothel is so unconventional. Putting aside whether it makes money or not, it must attract a lot of attention, and many noble sons frequent it. Why did you choose this place, Grand Secretary? Aren't you afraid that the Emperor will find out about our secret meeting?"
Although even if his relationship with Wen Tiren were discovered, the sky wouldn't fall, but Emperor Chongzhen would absolutely not allow the Grand Secretary to collude with an uncontrollable and powerful military leader. Even if he couldn't do anything to Wen Tiren, Wen Tiren's position as Grand Secretary would definitely be in jeopardy. Cutting off this secret line and losing the biggest inside man in the court was still a pity; all the previous efforts to build an alliance would have been in vain. Therefore, concealing their relationship was naturally the best course of action.
"Hehe, Zhiwen, you're overthinking it. The Ninth Young Master is no ordinary person, and he does things in his own unique way. The biggest advantage of this place is that it's safer than other places. They won't inquire about the guests' identities, and quite a few people choose to discuss shady matters here. Don't be afraid of those noble sons either. They spend their days walking their birds and indulging in a life of luxury. When they come here to enjoy themselves, they don't care whether you're a Grand Secretary or a General. We all keep to ourselves. Besides, let me tell you, even the Imperial Guards would be wary here and wouldn't dare to act recklessly. It's safer than my own residence. Tell me, where else can you find such a good place?"
"Even the Imperial Guards are somewhat wary of him?" Liu Ye twirled his wine cup and chuckled. "Then the Ninth Prince's identity must be related to the palace, right?"
Wen Tiren waved his hand dismissively, "That's enough, let's not delve any further. Let's get down to business."
Although he was curious, Liu Ye knew that business was more important, so he gave up asking questions and said, "Your Excellency is right. Let's talk about business."
“His Majesty summoned me yesterday, and Yang Sichang was also present. Yang Sichang is determined to get rid of you, and even devised a wicked plan to lure you into the palace with a knife, intending to use this as a pretext to frame you and kill you openly…”
"Hmph, trying to imitate Gao Yanei and make me wander into the White Tiger Hall by mistake? Too bad I'm not Instructor Lin, I won't let him manipulate me..." Liu Ye said coldly, "This man is ruthless, willing to eliminate any obstacle in order to promote peace negotiations. He's quite vicious. If he doesn't mess with me, fine, but if he does, I'll settle this score with him sooner or later."
"Don't worry, I've already persuaded His Majesty to abandon this plan. Now that His Majesty has listened to my advice, he will send Yang Sichang and me to negotiate with you tomorrow. At that time, you can state your demands..."
Half an hour later, the two finalized how to cooperate in tomorrow's negotiations. Relaxing, they noticed that the wine pot on the table was empty, so they ordered Qin Tian to go outside and have the servant fetch some more wine.
After a while, the pimp didn't come in, but a handsome young man entered gracefully. He carried a pot of wine, sat down at the table with a smile, and said, "Since you've ordered wine, you two should have finished your conversation. Please forgive this uninvited guest."
Upon seeing this, Wen Tiren quickly covered his face with his sleeve and lowered his head.
Liu Ye said unhappily, "So you're the mastermind behind this place, Ninth Master? Since you've opened the door to do business, how can you barge in and disturb your guests?"
The handsome young man known as the Ninth Young Master smiled and glanced at Wen Tiren, then asked Liu Ye, "You look unfamiliar. I've never heard of you in the capital. This is your first time here. You couldn't possibly know my name. This old gentleman must have told you, right?"
Liu Ye snorted, "I paid money, so I should enjoy the treatment due to a guest. Even if you are the host, you should know your place. I am discussing matters with this old gentleman, so please excuse us."
The Ninth Prince smiled even more broadly: "I never disturb my guests, that's the rule of the Hall of Heroes. I'm making an exception today because I have a favor to ask, so please excuse my intrusion. But I have a bargaining chip, and I believe you will agree to it."
"You want something from me?" Liu Ye glanced at Shimazu Chiyo and immediately refused. "I know what you want. Forget about it. My woman is not to be given to anyone, and women are no exception."
The Ninth Prince stared at Shimazu Chiyo, his eyes gleaming as if he were looking at a priceless antique. "Her every move shows her agility, and it's clear she never wears makeup; the calluses on her hands indicate years of sword practice, she's definitely not a sheltered young lady confined to her home. Her figure and features are impeccable, and dressed as a man, she's even more dashing than me. I've never seen such a gem before..."
Chiyo Shimazu felt strange being stared at like that by someone of the same sex. When she heard the other person's unbridled comparison of her to an object, a fierce glint appeared in her eyes. Her hand rested on the hilt of her sword, awaiting her master's command to unleash her swordplay and take the other's head. She didn't care whether the other person was a Ninth or Tenth Prince, or whether their status was noble; as long as she and her master were humiliated, they would be killed without mercy.
The Ninth Young Master seemed completely oblivious to her actions, and said to Wen Tiren, who was covering his face with his sleeve, "Old sir, whether I recognize you or not, please rest assured. According to the rules of the Qunying Hall, once you leave, it's as if you've never met before. You chose to discuss matters here, so you certainly don't want anyone to know. Therefore, I've helped you get rid of the tail that was watching you. Isn't that a very sincere offer?"
Stalking? Liu Ye and Wen Tiren exchanged bewildered glances.
With a clatter, a waist token was tossed onto the table. Liu Ye looked closely and saw that it was a bronze Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard) waist token.
Wen Tiren exclaimed in shock: "The Embroidered Uniform Guard!"
The Ninth Young Master laughed and said, "Luo Yangxing's men followed this young master inside. As soon as you leave this private room, this old gentleman will definitely be targeted. I think you certainly don't want to be recognized, so I've taken care of it for you."
Liu Ye looked at Wen Tiren with surprise, then at the Ninth Prince. Just who was this man? Was there anyone in the world, besides himself, who treated the Embroidered Uniform Guard as nothing?
"Now that I've said that, I'll give you fifteen minutes to consider. If you agree to my demands, bring this young lady out, and I can guarantee those Imperial Guards will find nothing tonight. If you don't agree, I'll release them immediately, and you know the consequences."
After saying that, the Ninth Prince left with a smile.
Liu Ye couldn't help but ask, "Your Excellency, who exactly is this person? How come the Embroidered Uniform Guards are like mice being toyed with by a cat in her hands, caught and released at will?"