Chapter 105 "Your Highness, you..."

Chapter 105 "Your Highness, you..."

"Your Highness, you should know that our family has never had any dealings with the Second Prince's side. Tonight, I have come with the utmost sincerity, and there is absolutely no reason for me to act as an intermediary for the Second Prince," Su Mingyue quickly clarified, but she still couldn't help feeling bitter inside.

He said it himself: this person's temper is not as good as it seems.

It wasn't that he wanted to secretly complain, but he genuinely felt that the old man was getting old and starting to lose his senses.

On the bright side, both sides benefit regardless of which side wins. But on the dark side, why should anyone accept bets from both sides from the Su family? Trying to have your cake and eat it too can easily lead to disaster.

She had clearly taken a liking to this one, but because of her past involvement, she still couldn't let go of her feelings for the Second Prince.

If it were up to him, he should have jumped off the Second Prince's ship years ago. The Second Prince has his maternal family, the Guo family, to rely on, and the family he has set his sights on and has always wanted to win over is not the Su family.

The position of princess has been vacant for many years, all for the sake of marrying a daughter of the Xie family. Even disregarding the inner quarters, the eldest branch of the family is unwilling to accept this and still fantasizes that their cousin has a chance to advance further, without considering that the Su family members are only treated mediocrely by the Second Prince's side, and are not even considered confidants.

This year, the family seems to be considering a change of course, but they are very hesitant when it comes to actually doing things. If they were to follow the old man's wishes and negotiate with the sixth prince, they might not only fail to reach an agreement, but they might even offend him.

However, because he had some prior acquaintance with this Prince Cheng, the task fell to him.

While inwardly complaining about her family's way of doing things, Su Mingyue's mind raced, and she gritted her teeth to make a decision that went against her ancestors' wishes.

Since the old man has been unable to make a decision, let him decide. At worst, he'll get a beating when he gets back. If all else fails, let his branch of the family separate.

He truly didn't think highly of the Second Prince. What was the point of assisting someone who looked down on him and whom he himself looked down on?

Thinking of this, Su Mingyue reached into her bosom and took out a letter that she shouldn't have taken out, handing it to Qin Ji.

"This letter is my expression of sincerity. Half a month ago, a secret ledger belonging to the garrison commander of Liangzhou was stolen. If the previous impeachment by Imperial Censor Shen was based on hearsay, then this missing secret ledger is the concrete evidence."

"So, you know where this secret ledger is?" Qin Ji quickly skimmed through the letter. The letter only mentioned that the secret ledger was missing, but it didn't say a word about where the ledger was now.

"Although we don't have this secret ledger, I know that the Guo family and the Second Prince must be extremely anxious right now. The only way for them to salvage the situation, besides tracking down the ledger which is nowhere to be found, is to plant trusted confidants in the Ministry of Revenue and smooth over the accounts from the source."

After all, as long as the Ministry of Revenue can cover it up, even if someone manages to obtain the secret ledger and present it to the Emperor, they will have something to say in their defense.

At such a crucial time, anyone who dares to challenge the Second Prince for the position of Minister of Revenue will be torn to pieces. Forgive my presumption, but since Your Highness, Sixth Prince, took a step back and tarnished your reputation that day, you likely do not wish to directly confront the Second Prince at this juncture. Therefore, you will inevitably have to relinquish this position.”

Su Mingyue didn't give a long, detailed analysis like she usually does, which sounded quite reasonable.

Qin Ji remained indifferent: "What you said makes a lot of sense. But after all that, all I hear is you repeatedly emphasizing that things are hopeless and it's better to give up. That doesn't count as sincerity in cooperation."

"And the benefits? I'm sure you've heard that I'm not only the Sixth Prince, I'm a businessman. Businessmen negotiate partnerships based on mutual benefits. What benefits would I gain from cooperating with your Su family? What can you do for me?"

Almost without pausing, Qin Ji added with some displeasure, "That day in front of the palace was not a matter of self-defamation. If you want to join my ranks, you must at least learn to respect my princess."

Su Mingyue's brows relaxed, but a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes. She thought to herself, "Are they really that close? They can't even stand a single negative comment?"

But outwardly, he smoothly apologized directly: "I was rude."

Then he returned to the matter of the Ministry of Revenue: "Your Highness wants to enter the Ministry of Revenue, presumably intending to make a name for yourself. However, the Ministry of Revenue is now rife with undercurrents, and even His Majesty cannot fully control it. You must be aware of this. That place is like a quagmire for someone who rushes in rashly. If Your Highness wants to achieve something, why not find a more suitable place?"

The reason His Majesty values ​​his private treasury so much is because a large portion of the power in the Ministry of Revenue is actually held by powerful families, not entirely under his control. In previous years, when His Majesty's private treasury was empty, the conflict with the Ministry of Revenue was far greater than it is now.

However, in the past two years, he has accumulated wealth in his private treasury and is also getting older, so he has become somewhat reluctant to argue with the Ministry of Revenue. This time, Prince Cheng's visit to the capital has probably rekindled His Majesty's interest in granting Prince Cheng a position within the Ministry of Revenue to reduce the power of aristocratic families.

However, from Prince Cheng's perspective, entering a place like the Ministry of Revenue is not his first choice at present.

Despite the Su family's tendency to hedge their bets, Su Mingyue's visit tonight was genuinely aimed at having a deep conversation with Prince Cheng to see if they were "destined" for each other.

"Your Highness is known to the world for quelling the rebellion in Yunzhou. In fact, Your Highness's trip to the capital this time is also due to this military achievement. Wouldn't the Imperial Guard be a more suitable place for Your Highness to demonstrate your abilities?"

If you are willing to step down from your position in the Ministry of Revenue, obtaining the position of Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards should not be difficult. The current Commander of the Imperial Guards, although a confidant of His Majesty, acts more like a refined scholar and doesn't seem to get along well with his subordinates.

Su Mingyue was really going all out this time, constantly selling Prince Cheng the information her family had obtained through various secret channels.

Qin Ji nodded in satisfaction only after Su Mingyue mentioned the discord between the Imperial Guard commander and his subordinates. He had heard rumors about this matter before, but he was not sure if it was true. Since Su Mingyue was willing to reveal this, it meant that he had really come to surrender tonight.

Why was Qin Ji willing to subtly lay the groundwork while still in Jiangzuo? It was because although the Su family didn't wield much power in the court, they were extremely well-informed.

Indeed, tonight's small gathering, although it seemed that Su Mingyue was constantly analyzing herself and expressing the value of the Su family to Qin Ji, Qin Ji seemed uninterested and even somewhat suspicious of her.

In reality, Qin Ji desperately wanted the Su family's support, and had even been eyeing them for years. Why had the internal conflicts within the Su family intensified in the past two years? Why had the eldest branch, which had always sided with the Second Prince, gradually lost its voice? This was inextricably linked to Qin Ji's covert business channels in providing funds to other branches of the Su family, especially Su Mingyue's side, to strengthen their power.

At this point in the conversation, a consensus was essentially reached. Prince Cheng would no longer seek a position in the Ministry of Revenue, but instead wanted the position of Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards. The Su family would then be responsible for mediating with the Second Prince.

Regardless of their inner thoughts, from a public perspective, the Su family achieved a win-win situation. For Qin Ji, they helped Prince Cheng escape a quagmire and secured him a more promising position as commander of the Imperial Guards.

As for the Second Prince, they could say it another way: that he persuaded the Sixth Prince, who had the Emperor's backing, to relinquish his position as Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard with just a mere deputy commander position.

"Su Mingyue, Su Mingyue, you've managed to offend neither side this time. Your ability to calculate gains and losses is even more astute than mine, a former businessman," Qin Ji said jokingly as he finished his tea.

“I will never let Your Highness suffer any loss, so I have another bargaining chip.” Su Mingyue revealed her first truly relaxed smile of the night, then left everyone in suspense for a moment.

"Oh, I'd like to hear more about it!"

"Your Highness came to the capital this time specifically to be granted the title of Prince, but this matter has yet to be finalized. Perhaps someone should remind His Majesty. Your Highness's relinquishing of the position in the Ministry of Revenue is a huge favor to the Second Prince and the Guo family, and I imagine they would be willing to put in a good word for Your Highness."

“And once the second brother is willing to speak up for me, then I imagine the fifth brother won’t be stingy either.” As soon as Qin Ji said this, the two of them exchanged a knowing smile.

Given that Qin Ji has already taken two steps back, it seems that both the Second Prince and the Fifth Prince have now shifted their focus to winning him over. If one side offers benefits, the other side, even if it's just to put their mind at ease, has no choice but to reciprocate.

"Good, it seems my tea tonight wasn't a waste." Qin Ji smiled and poured himself and Su Mingyue another cup of tea, both of them with satisfied expressions.

"Maybe I should treat you to a drink next time."

"That would be perfect. Everyone knows that Jiangzuo has the best wine in the world, and the best wine in Jiangzuo is in the Prince Cheng's mansion." Su Mingyue's mind was completely relaxed. He knew that his goal for tonight had been completely achieved.

"But before we drink, I have something to say upfront. Regardless of what happened before, I used to be a businessman, so I value contracts and promises, and I can't stand betrayal or breaking promises."

Although Su Mingyue has shown sincerity, this sincerity, in other words, is also a merit in front of the Second Prince. It remains to be seen which side the Su family will ultimately stand on.

"Your Highness, perhaps when you are granted the title of Prince, we can share a drink together, and you will be able to feel more clearly that the Su family is on your side."

......

On the slightly chilly streets of the capital at night, the carriage of Prince Cheng's mansion moved slowly, with Qin Ji and Wei Sa sitting opposite each other inside.

"My lord, is the Su family truly trustworthy?" Wei Sa glanced at Qin Ji and couldn't help but ask.

“These families each have their own stance, and none of them are truly trustworthy. However, as long as there are enough benefits, any of them can be trusted.” Don’t be fooled by Qin Ji’s repeated probing with Su Mingyue tonight, trying to ascertain whether the Su family was truly on his side. It was all just an act for show.

Su Mingyue used a few messages as a pledge of allegiance, while he used this attitude to show that he really lacked trustworthy people around him, and also lacked a family willing to support him. Since Su Mingyue was unwilling to add to the second son's already good fortune, it seemed that he wanted to be someone who offered help in times of need, so they would grant his request.

"Has that secret ledger been returned? And how are things going with the Shen siblings?" Qin Ji asked Wei Sa.

“Everything has been arranged, and we’re just waiting for the master to use it before we throw it out,” Wei Sa replied.

"Very good!" Qin Ji nodded.

Actually, he never wanted that position in the Ministry of Revenue in the first place. Even if the Su family didn't come tonight, he would find another way to give the position to his second son. The more he did, the more mistakes he would make. His second son wanted to work in the Ministry of Revenue, but others might not be happy about it. He would watch them fight it out first, and when the time was right, he would expose everything at once. It would be quite interesting then.

Thinking of this, Qin Ji couldn't help but feel pleased.

Perhaps he could gather more charges against other people and then use the old man to clean up the Ministry of Revenue; the old man would probably be quite willing.