Chapter 566
Chapter 566
“There's precedent for this sort of thing. If handled properly, we can control the outcome. Besides, if we win this war, everything will turn out fine, won't it?”
Ning Yuanxian laid it all out. If they won the war, all would be well. But if they lost, the titles of Yue would become worthless, so it wouldn't matter whether they were sold or not. While forcing donations or selling titles were things people would shudder at, similar events had occurred throughout history, in every corner of the world. There was nothing new under the sun.
After a moment of thought, Shen Lang spoke.
“Your Majesty, this will inflict a great wound upon your honor. If you must sell a title, sell it only to me. I will purchase a dukedom for three million gold coins.”
The King was speechless for a moment, then sighed.
“Shen Lang, I know you are trying to secure a dukedom for Ning Zheng. But there's no need for you to buy it. I will grant Ning Zheng a ducal title when I sell the others.”
The King was furious with the Crown Prince. He had utterly humiliated him.
‘Even if *I* cannot borrow from the Hidden Yuan Society, can you not, Crown Prince?’
“Your Majesty, I am serious. Your honor is precious and should not be tarnished. Entrust the matter of the war funds to me, and I will raise three million gold coins within a fortnight. I swear it.”
The King looked at Shen Lang and saw that his expression was quite serious.
“I am truly serious. I will not turn to the Hidden Yuan Society or the Heavenly Dao Society. I will earn the three million gold coins purely by my own means.”
Hearing this, neither the King nor Eunuch Lü Jun could believe it. Nowhere in the world was there a business that could generate three million gold coins in a mere fortnight. The only reason Shen Lang had managed to raise a million gold coins before was by selling the manufacturing technique for glass mirrors to the Heavenly Dao Society. In essence, he had cashed in on decades of future profits from the mirrors all at once. The technique was of immense value, which was why it had fetched a price of one million gold coins.
“If you won't borrow from the Heavenly Dao Society or the Hidden Yuan Society, wouldn't you have to plunder all the wealth accumulated by the nobles in the capital to get that much money?”
Shen Lang smiled mysteriously.
“Your Majesty, I will sign a military pledge.”
The King waved his hand dismissively.
“Don't even speak of that ill-omened thing. Signing pledges day after day, are you that fond of making wagers?”
Indeed, Shen Lang didn't feel motivated unless something was on the line.
“Your Majesty, how about this? If I can truly bring you three million gold coins within a fortnight, will you then enfeoff His Highness Ning Zheng as the Duke of Yue?”
At these words, King Ning Yuanxian nearly jumped out of his skin.
‘This scoundrel has some nerve. Does he think the title Duke of Yue can be bestowed so lightly?’
Back when the State of Yue was still a duchy, its ruler was called the Duke of Yue. To make Ning Zheng the Duke of Yue would be tantamount to declaring him the heir to the throne. If that happened, the Crown Prince and the Third Prince, Ning Qi, would raise hell.
“Lü Jun, how has Ning Zheng been managing the Tianyue Commandery lately?”
Grand Eunuch Lü Jun replied.
“He has been extremely diligent in his duties, though he is struggling with the mountain of work.”
“Hahaha! Indeed. Let him suffer a while longer, and then we'll talk.”
“Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is too clever, and the Third Prince too bold. What they lack is the dedication to throw themselves into their work, life and limb. What the State of Yue needs now is a monarch who is not only clever and bold, but also diligent in the affairs of the state.”
For a moment, Ning Yuanxian glared at Shen Lang.
‘Are you pointing at a monk and calling him bald? Are you implying that in my twenty years on the throne, I have been too profligate with the nation's wealth and ruled my officials with a chaotic hand, and that now a more diligent monarch is needed to restore the nation's vigor and salvage this dire situation?’
Shen Lang was right. One profligate monarch like Ning Yuanxian was enough. Had he not squandered the nation's wealth so extravagantly, would the treasury be in such an empty state? Of course, for the Jin Clan, one spendthrift like Shen Lang was also more than enough. The two of them, Shen Lang and the King, were so alike they could have passed for brothers.
After silently cursing Shen Lang, the King fell into deep thought. While Ning Zheng hadn't exactly shown outstanding ability in managing the Tianyue Commandery, the King knew he possessed diligence, integrity, tolerance, and resolve in spades. These were all virtues of a wise monarch, for whom cleverness was not an absolute necessity. Yet Ning Zheng was quite clever himself, and having weathered all manner of storms since childhood, he had also developed a keen insight that could pierce through anything.
“Your Majesty, let's make a wager.”
Ning Yuanxian looked at Shen Lang.
“Are you truly serious about this?”
Shen Lang nodded, and Ning Yuanxian was once again lost in thought. This was a matter of immense gravity and required careful consideration. First, could he truly entrust the three million gold coins to Shen Lang? For a long time now, the King had harbored no doubts about the scoundrel's capabilities. Even if he couldn't fathom how Shen Lang would raise the astronomical sum of three million gold coins in a fortnight, he believed that if Shen Lang said he could do it, he would.
However, Shen Lang was a lawless man who knew no bounds and often did things that sent the world into an uproar. Crucially, after he acted, he couldn't care less how shocked or scandalized others were. There was a famous saying: 'After I am dead, let the great flood swallow the world.' Shen Lang's attitude, by contrast, was more like, 'What do I care if a flood swallows the ground I just walked on?' He would forever know how to destroy, but never how to create.
Of course, the most crucial part was making Ning Zheng the Duke of Yue. That would be a signal to the world, far too powerful to ignore. The King realized that Shen Lang's demands were truly endless, pressing him more and more. To place Ning Zheng on the path to the throne, Shen Lang would stop at nothing. Yet, the King felt not a shred of annoyance at his actions.
After a full quarter-hour, Ning Yuanxian read through the secret reports on Ning Zheng several more times before speaking with a solemn expression.
“Shen Lang, I give you my word. However, the enfeoffment of Ning Zheng as Duke of Yue must wait until after the State of Yue has defeated the Qiang army. Otherwise, the political fallout would be too great for even me to handle.”
Shen Lang nodded.
“Then it is settled.”
Ning Yuanxian had considered this meticulously. His appointment of Ning Zheng as the Commander of Tianyue had already caused a great stir, threatening to reignite the factional strife that was meant to have subsided. To immediately make Ning Zheng the Duke of Yue under these circumstances would back Crown Prince Ning Yi and the Third Prince, Ning Qi, into a corner, forcing them to take desperate measures. The Hidden Yuan Society's demand that the Crown Prince be the one to borrow the money was, in itself, a reaction to Ning Zheng's appointment. With a great war looming, the court could not afford any more chaos.
And so, Shen Lang formally made a secret pact with the King: if Shen Lang could raise three million gold coins in war funds within a fortnight, Ning Zheng would be made the Duke of Yue. This signified that the King was taking another step toward favoring Ning Zheng, a major advance in the struggle for succession. Of course, the King's decision was not merely due to the three million gold coins; Shen Lang's words had struck a chord. Perhaps the State of Yue truly did need a diligent and resolute monarch like Ning Zheng.
***
That very day, the King issued a royal edict to the Fifth Prince, Ning Zheng, appointing him Minister of Provisions and commanding him to raise three million gold coins within one month. The edict sent another shockwave through the capital.
‘What is the meaning behind His Majesty's decree? Is he showing his trust in Prince Ning Zheng? Or is he trying to ruin him? Or perhaps he's propping him up to compete with the Crown Prince, Ning Yi? It hasn't been long since he was made Commander of Tianyue, has it?’
Recently, Ning Zheng had been struggling and stumbling through his duties as Commander of Tianyue, and the results were less than stellar. Order and security in the capital had deteriorated across the board. Violent incidents, robberies, thefts, and even murders were becoming frequent. Everyone longed for the days of the previous Commander, Zhang Chong, and cursed Ning Zheng for his incompetence.
‘And now His Majesty is ordering *this* Ning Zheng to raise three million gold coins for the war? In just one month? Putting aside the fact that Ning Zheng has little talent to speak of, even if he were capable, he can't be in two places at once, can he? How could he possibly raise three million gold coins in a month? It's utter nonsense!’
They had no way of knowing that the King had actually only given him a fortnight; the edict stated one month as a precaution. Some, however, discerned the King's true intentions. He was clearly pitting Ning Zheng against the Crown Prince. The Hidden Yuan Society had recently dealt the King a harsh humiliation, stating they could not lend him three or four million gold coins, but would do so for Crown Prince Ning Yi. In this context, if Ning Zheng could raise three million gold coins in short order, he would deal a severe blow to the Crown Prince's prestige.
‘Do not think, Crown Prince, that I must rely on you to raise this money. Ning Zheng can do it just as well.’
In an instant, all eyes turned to Ning Zheng—or to be more precise, to Shen Lang. Everyone was watching, waiting to see what kind of miracle he would perform this time!
***
After his matchmaking meeting, Jin Mucong sat alone in his room, the very picture of heartbreak. When Shen Lang returned home, he found the fatty sitting motionless in the dark, not even a lamp lit. This was an unprecedented sight.
“Fatty, did you get rejected?”
Jin Mucong nodded in response to Shen Lang's question.
“Are you heartbroken?”
Jin Mucong nodded again. He was lost in despair, feeling an indescribable agony, as if a knife were twisting in his heart. The whole world seemed to have gone dark.
“Good. Then keep being heartbroken. After a few more rejections, you'll get used to it.”
Shen Lang offered no words of comfort and turned to leave, but Jin Mucong suddenly called out to him.
“Brother-in-law…”
“What is it?”
“Brother-in-law, do all women like men who are handsome and strong?”
“Naturally.”
“So when they say women like talented men, is that just a lie to deceive people?”
“No. It's not a lie to deceive others, but one to deceive themselves.”
“I don't get it.”
“A lot of people think they're different, that they're destined for a love where souls connect and minds resonate. They believe they'll never be like those worldly people who only care about looks, power, and money. But when it's actually time to choose a partner, they discover they're not so above it all.”
“Isn't that hypocrisy?”
“No. That's the truth of it. Money and power aside, for a man and a woman to fall in love, there has to be a primal attraction first. The impulse comes first, and only then do you get to talk about character and spiritual connection.”