readytorunbook Chapter 659 But he dared not gamble.
Chapter 659 But he dared not gamble.
Zong Que's voice remained calm and composed.
Yang Chenghong, however, was sweating profusely.
How could he forget that this deposed crown prince has never hesitated to kill?
In all the major cases he's handled over the years, every single one involved countless deaths and rivers of blood.
If the Yang family's affairs fall into his hands, the execution of the entire family would be the least of his worries.
He came out this time carrying the hopes of his entire clan, hoping to use this opportunity to atone for his mistakes and allow the Yang family to return to the imperial court, so that all the money he had spent would not have been in vain.
The fact that the Emperor was willing to grant him the position of Imperial Envoy meant that he was already giving the Yang family a chance.
If we can't catch them, the Yang family will be completely finished!
Aside from all that, he's perfectly fine and he doesn't want to die!
Even if he didn't believe the deposed crown prince could kill all the people he brought, his life was now completely in the hands of the deposed crown prince.
It was his own foolishness that led him to believe that the deposed crown prince, now out of power, would not easily oppose him, the imperial envoy.
He is so stupid!
In the blink of an eye, countless thoughts flashed through Yang Chenghong's mind. Seeing that Pei Ji had already gotten up to leave, Yang Chenghong almost called out to him, "I, I, I agree!"
The moment he uttered those words, Yang Chenghong seemed to lose all his strength, hanging his head helplessly and stammering, "Please, Your Highness, name your price. I, I'll buy this information."
“It seems the rumors are true. The Yang family is indeed the most pragmatic.” Zong Que said, “In that case, Lord Yang, you should set off back to the capital. Ten million taels are ready. I will send someone to collect them.”
"Ten million taels?"
Yang Chenghong was completely stunned. For a moment, he even forgot his fear and looked up in disbelief, speechless.
"Lord Yang, are you planning to go back on your word?" Zong Que asked calmly.
"No, no, Your Highness, it's really, really that the Yang family can't afford this much money. I beg Your Highness to have mercy. One million taels, I... I'll write a letter immediately and present it with both hands." Yang Chenghong's voice trembled, fearing that his head would roll at any moment. But ten million taels! How could he dare to agree?
Even if it were truly his life, he wouldn't dare to make that decision; he's not the head of the Yang family yet!
Zong Que chuckled softly, "Lord Yang, let's go back to the capital."
"Pei Ji, see the guest out."
Pei Ji's hand landed on Yang Chenghong's shoulder, and Yang Chenghong was trembling like a leaf.
The deposed crown prince's offer to let him return to the capital was tantamount to sending him to his death!
He doesn't want to die, he doesn't want to die!
Pei Ji grabbed Yang Chenghong by the shoulders, intending to drag him out, but the moment he was pulled away, Yang Chenghong, with a sudden surge of strength, clung tightly to the doorframe, tears streaming down his face, "Your Highness, I promise, I promise, I'll write a letter back right now, I'll write a letter back right now—"
"Then Lord Yang should return to the capital as soon as possible. If it's too late, there's no need to return," Zong Que gently reminded him.
Yang Chenghong's grip loosened, and Pei Ji pulled him off the car, causing him to fall to his knees in a disheveled state.
Pei Ji: "Lord Yang, would you like me to escort you?"
Yang Chenghong hurriedly and awkwardly scrambled to his feet, but nearly fell because his legs were weak. Wiping his sweat, he quickly refused, "No need for that, no need for that—"
Then he walked quickly toward the imperial envoy's entourage. At first he walked, but later he couldn't help but jog.
Inside the carriage, Sheng Junyi lifted the curtain with her folding fan and, seeing Yang Chenghong's appearance, turned her head with curiosity: "Ten million taels, Your Highness is really daring to ask for such an exorbitant amount. Aren't you afraid that the Yang family simply can't afford this sum?"
“They won’t be unable to come up with the money. The Yang family offered ten million taels of silver to Father Emperor to buy their lives. This ten million taels was just a stepping stone. Father Emperor understands the principle of saving the wool to slowly fleece it. Naturally, he can’t fleece it all at once. If he fleeces it all, how will he use these people to fill his private treasury in the future?” Zong Que picked up the chess pieces from the box and continued the chess game he hadn’t finished.
"If I let you take another bite like that, aren't you worried about pushing the rabbit too far?" Sheng Junyi used to help the Duke of Sheng with a lot of messy accounts in the officialdom. He knew these people were corrupt, and he also knew that if they were pushed too far, they would jump up and bite.
“The Yang family is no pushover,” Zong Que said softly. “The Yang family made their fortune through the salt mines and thought they could promote their fifth son to a higher position. They also developed a rift with the Xiao family, whom they used to rely on and befriend. In the salt mine incident, the Xiao family also intended to dampen the Yang family’s arrogance, so they certainly didn’t go all out. The Yang family lost money and their official positions, and they have been cautiously hiding for more than a year. The resentment they have been holding onto must be no less than before. I made them pay this money, and the Yang family will have nowhere else to turn. They will definitely submit to the Xiao family completely and sincerely stick to the Xiao family’s ship.”
"Are you planning to completely drain the Yang family and push them all to the Xiao family's side?" Sheng Junyi looked at Zong Que in surprise.
“The fifth prince has been spoiled by the Yang family. Even if the lineage of the Emperor were to die out and he were put on the throne, he still wouldn’t be able to protect the country. Letting the Yang family fight with the Xiao family won’t hurt them much. It’s better to give them a push and then wipe them out in one fell swoop.” Zong Que put away the two white pieces and threw them into the jar next to him.
"Your Highness's words are so sharp, you don't even spare your own people." Sheng Junyi glanced at the chessboard. Most of the white pieces had already been captured by the black pieces. He couldn't help but click his tongue inwardly. He used to scoff at the idea that the world's affairs were like a game of chess, but now it seemed to be true. It all depended on who was playing the game.
Zong Que's move was clearly stirring up trouble.
The eldest prince has been removed, and the fourth prince is far away on the border, still working for Zong Que.
Of the remaining princes, the Third Prince, the Fifth Prince, and the Sixth Prince have all come of age. The original situation of several factions vying for power had made the Third Prince stand out, but fortunately, the game was still ongoing. Now, by pushing the Fifth Prince completely towards the Third Prince and eliminating the Yang family's ambitions, the Third Prince is now truly in a position of great power and influence.
The court officials have always valued the stability of the country, and the calls for establishing an heir have never ceased. From the two years before the crown prince was deposed to the year after his deposition, through layers of power struggles, the issue has now been pushed to its climax.
The Third Prince has now become the best candidate for the position of Crown Prince.
The brighter the fire burned, the more anxious the seemingly indestructible Xiao family became.
If you don't succeed, you will become benevolent.
The real show is about to begin.
Sheng Junyi took a barely audible breath. He used to be arrogant, thinking that if he were more outstanding, he might be able to surpass his elder brother. Now he realized that he was completely wrong. He could only look up to the person who grew up with the real crown prince for the rest of his life.
Fortunately, he has finally found his own path and what he wants.
Pei Ji returned to the carriage from outside and reported to Zong Que: "Young Master, Lord Yang has already ordered the imperial envoy's entourage to turn around."
"So urgent?" Sheng Junyi recalled what Zong Que had said earlier and asked another question: "When he refused to leave, did you really intend to let him go, or were you just trying to trick him?"
“I never force people to do things they don’t want to do, but he doesn’t dare to gamble.”