Chapter 177
Chapter 177
Crown Prince Ning Yi, as the Queen's legitimate son, had the support of the majority of courtiers and civil officials, with the Zhu Clan being his greatest backer. The Second Prince, Ning Shao, had lost his mother early on. The Third Prince, Ning Qi, was the maternal grandson of the Zhong Clan and had the backing of a powerful military faction, making him the only one who could stand on equal footing with the Crown Prince.
The Fourth Prince, Ning Zhen, was the son of a palace maid, but he was the King's favorite. He was skilled in both literature and martial arts, but his mother's humble background meant he had no power to contend for the position of heir, so he pledged his allegiance to the Crown Prince. Consequently, the Fourth Prince became one of the most powerful allies in the Crown Prince's faction, and the Crown Prince regarded him as his right-hand man. And the Fifth Prince, Ning Zheng, was the son of Consort Xiao.
When Ning Zheng was born, everyone thought he was deformed. His entire body had a yellowish-black hue, and he had a star-shaped birthmark on his chin. To make matters worse, a meteor happened to fall on the western corner of the capital at that time, destroying homes, starting a fire, and causing over a hundred casualties.
The royal physician said the Fifth Prince's appearance was strange, that he had never seen a royal with such features, and the State Preceptor declared the Fifth Prince inauspicious. Soon after, the King ordered him to be cast out. His own mother, Consort Xiao, could not stop it, no matter how much she wept.
At the time, Su Peipei was in the capital to help her older sister, Consort Xiao, with the birth. She was the first person to hold Ning Zheng. Although the child's appearance was strange, Su Peipei couldn't help but love the child, her nephew. When she heard he was to be abandoned, Su Peipei held Ning Zheng and refused to let go, kneeling before the King and pleading with him, even speaking harshly.
"Even a vicious tiger does not eat its own cub."
Her words saved the newborn Ning Zheng's life, but Su Peipei earned the King's enmity. Not long after, she left the capital, and from then on, no matter how grand the celebration in the royal family, the King adamantly refused to invite her. Although Consort Xiao was Su Peipei's own sister, when the King came to dislike Su Peipei, she too cut off contact with her younger sister.
Ning Zheng ultimately survived; his life was incredibly tenacious. Among the King's sons, he became the one the King disliked the most. Not only the King, but even his own mother, Consort Xiao, disliked him. After Consort Xiao gave birth to another son, she grew to dislike and ostracize Ning Zheng even more. Later, his younger brother, born of the same mother, also came to look down on him.
Now, at nineteen, Ning Zheng had come of age, yet he had not received any title. When he left the palace, the King had only granted him a mere residence of just over ten mu. All the other princes had married daughters of prestigious noble families, but Ning Zheng married the daughter of a merchant.
As for why he developed a stutter, some said it was because of a malicious eunuch in his youth who deliberately stuttered in front of the young prince, causing him to mimic the speech impediment. Others said it was due to a severe shock in his childhood.
The King, who had never liked him to begin with, cast him aside even more after he developed a stutter. The King would not see his son even once a year, and Marquis Su Nan of the Marquis Zhenyuan's Estate also refused to see his own grandson. But what did any of that matter? He was the King's son, and his noble status was a fact.
While everyone else was adding fuel to the fire, eager to come and trample on the Count of Xuanwu's Estate, only the Fifth Prince came to offer help in their time of need. He didn't just come himself; he brought a gift of seventeen thousand gold coins, a huge sum. The news that the Hidden Yuan Society was demanding the Jin Clan repay its debt had already spread throughout the world. Everyone knew the Count of Xuanwu's Estate was facing a major financial crisis.
The seventeen thousand gold coins were everything the Fifth Prince, Ning Zheng, possessed. Who would give you every penny they have to save you in your most difficult and crucial moment? How loyal must such a person be?
In fact, after Su Peipei had saved the Fifth Prince at his birth, the two had never been in contact. Even when he was in the capital, he was like an invisible man. Not only others, but even the Count of Xuanwu's Estate had all but forgotten they had a relative in the Fifth Prince. Yet, at their most 'desperate' moment, when those who had long benefited from the Count of Xuanwu's Estate were not only drawing a line but actively trying to push the estate off a cliff, only the Fifth Prince had rushed from afar, willing to give all he had to help. Shen Lang and his mother-in-law had never expected such a thing and were both surprised and bewildered.
Su Peipei said to the Fifth Prince.
"Your Highness, the Fifth Prince, please sit!"
The Fifth Prince, Ning Zheng, looked at Shen Lang and greeted him. For the King's son to greet him first was a great breach of etiquette on Shen Lang's part. Shen Lang hurriedly returned the courtesy. Ning Zheng, naturally insecure, had a rather unnatural expression. His inferiority complex became more apparent, especially when seeing a handsome man like Shen Lang. After he sat down, the Fifth Prince didn't know what to say, and the atmosphere became a little more awkward.
His mother-in-law, Su Peipei, said.
"Your Highness, my husband is unwell and dared not come to see you for fear of passing on his illness. Please forgive him."
Ning Zheng said.
"L-Later... I, I will go see my uncle."
"Your Highness, our family may be short of money, but we cannot accept yours. Please take these gold coins back."
Ning Zheng's face turned beet red, and his stutter worsened.
"Auntie... Y-You... saved my life. I, Ning Zheng, m-must... repay this debt."
Seeing Ning Zheng stutter even more severely out of nervousness, Su Peipei couldn't bring herself to press him further. Shen Lang said nothing, simply offering a gentle smile, hoping it would help the other man calm down. After regaining some composure, Ning Zheng spoke very slowly, with slightly less hesitation.
"I asked my royal father to allow Young Master Jin Mucong to study at the Imperial Academy."
Ning Zheng had made this request with good intentions. A great disaster was imminent for the Count of Xuanwu's Estate, and their lives could be in danger if they remained in Xuanwu City. Formally, it was to study at the Imperial Academy, but in reality, it was a way for him to take shelter in the Fifth Prince's Estate to escape the calamity and at least save his life.
Ning Zheng said it as if it were nothing, but in truth, he had knelt outside the King's palace for a day and a night to finally obtain his consent. Years ago, Su Peipei had saved his life, so now he felt an obligation to save Jin Mucong's life and at least ensure the Jin family line was not extinguished.
"Before long, my royal father will send down an edict."
Shen Lang and Su Peipei were deeply moved by him. Although the Count of Xuanwu's Estate's desperate situation was an act, the fact that the Jin Clan was being attacked from all sides was real. Every member of the Jin Clan was harshly experiencing the cold reality of the world, how people change when you have power and money versus when you don't.
They never imagined that at such a crucial moment, the Fifth Prince would bravely step forward to help the Jin Clan in their predicament. How could they not be touched by such profound sentiment?
Next, the Fifth Prince, Ning Zheng, went to see the bedridden Count of Xuanwu, Jin Zhuo. He offered no flattery, simply paying his respects as a junior by bowing.
Not only was the Fifth Prince not eloquent, but he was even less capable of flattery. He had a meal at the Count of Xuanwu's Estate before immediately departing for the capital. He insisted on leaving the seventeen thousand gold coins, saying they were for the Count of Xuanwu's Estate to overcome the crisis. Before he left, Ning Zheng left Shen Lang with one last word.
"If things go wrong, Young Master Shen, take Cousin Mulan and leave the State of Yue. The Crown Prince has his eyes on her and will surely try to take her!"
Hearing that, a murderous intent filled Shen Lang's heart.
*Crown Prince Ning Yi dares to try and take my wife? From this moment on, you are my enemy. This grudge will not end until one of us is dead.*
At the same time, Shen Lang's favorable impression of His Highness the Fifth Prince reached its peak.
*This man is a bit eccentric and insecure, but his pride is immense. He's not eloquent, but he knows to repay his debts of gratitude. His character is noble, upright, and resolute. He even possesses a pure sense of justice. He stepped forward to help at a time when everyone believes the Count of Xuanwu's Estate is doomed. His actions will only provoke the King's anger and worsen his own situation, with no reward to be expected.*
Shen Lang bowed deeply to the Fifth Prince, Ning Zheng. Ning Zheng, looking a little awkward at the gesture, clasped his hands in return before boarding his carriage and departing from the estate.
***
As time went on, the storm surrounding the Count of Xuanwu's Estate's debt grew ever more intense. Not only did all the officials and nobles of the realm know, but even the common people came to know of it. A rumor circulated that the Jin Clan owed seven hundred thousand gold coins but was trying to welch on the debt. All the noble families and officials clamored for the Count of Xuanwu's Estate to pay its debts, saying that failing to do so would tarnish the dignity of a century-old noble house.
Then, another piece of public opinion spread throughout the land: that the Count of Xuanwu's son-in-law, Shen Lang, was living an extremely extravagant lifestyle. The rumor was that Shen Lang dressed in splendor comparable to kings and princes, and that during the three days of the Gold Mountain Island dispute, he changed his clothes four times, with each outfit worth two hundred gold coins. This rumor gave birth to another.
‘The live-in son-in-law, Shen Lang, has a hundred fish served for a single meal, because he will only eat their lips. He also loves donkey meat, and for every meal, ten donkeys are killed, because he will only eat the most tender morsel from a very particular part of the animal.’
Hearing these rumors, the people of the realm grew indignant.
‘Damn it, why is a mere live-in son-in-law living so extravagantly? There are people starving all over the world, and you're wasting food and living in luxury? He deserves a beating! He deserves to die!’
Rumors also circulated that Shen Lang extorted money from all corners.
‘First, he killed the militia's Commander of a Thousand, Tian Heng, and seized all his assets. Then, he extorted five thousand gold coins from Lin Mo, the owner of the Embroidered Pavilion, and refused to pay it back. He even swindled tens of thousands of gold coins from the Xu Clan and drove them to their deaths, but Shen Lang has already squandered all of the Xu family's fortune, leaving nothing behind. Now, the Count of Xuanwu's Estate has borrowed a huge sum from the Hidden Yuan Society but has no intention of repaying it. In fact, when Shu Tingyu came to collect the debt, they beat him with a club and threw him out.’
In these rumors, the Count of Xuanwu's Estate was depicted as a shameless old deadbeat living a debauched life with no intention of paying its debts, while Shen Lang became an utterly detestable figure. At some point, the people of the State of Yue began to clamor that they should be beaten to death, and numerous censors continuously submitted memorials to the King, begging him to punish them. The King issued an edict urging Count Jin Zhuo to repay his debts and not to tarnish the reputation of the State of Yue's nobility.
Another censor submitted a memorial claiming that years ago, when Count Jin Yu borrowed one million gold coins from the Hidden Yuan Society, Wang'ai Island was put up as collateral, and now that the twenty-year term of the loan had expired, the Hidden Yuan Society had the right to take Wang'ai Island.