Seeing the Emperor’s eyes light up, Su Fengyi continued to set the stage, smiling smugly:
“There’s something even more exciting! After I captured those people, someone actually dared to come to my residence to silence them—and I chopped them down too.”
The Emperor was almost envious to the point of tears. Such thrilling events, not even found in storybooks—why wasn’t he included in the fun?
After much thought, he felt being Emperor was truly dull. Confined to the palace every day, he never encountered anything extraordinary. It was utterly boring, far less interesting than his elder sister’s life outside the palace.
The Emperor couldn’t help but complain:
“How many people came? Why did you chop them down so quickly? Why didn’t you send someone to inform me so I could have a go at chopping someone too?”
Su Fengyi sighed:
“Heaven knows, I really did think of Your Majesty. But the leader died, and the others scattered too quickly—there was no time. Alright, alright, don’t look at me like that. I’ll definitely take you next time.”
When would such an opportunity arise again? The Emperor felt nothing but regret. A once-in-a-lifetime event had happened right under his nose, and he’d missed it entirely.
However, he had pieced together the sequence of events and asked:
“So, Elder Sister, you didn’t go to rescue the prisoners—someone else did, and you went to help? Where are the people you captured? And what about Shen Hongxian? Where have you locked them up?”
Su Fengyi looked at the Emperor incredulously, growing angry:
“What does Your Majesty mean by that? Me, rescuing prisoners? Why would I?
I’m not someone with nothing better to do! Who started this rumor? How malicious! Am I really that foolish?!
The people are right in my residence. Your Majesty can send someone to interrogate them yourself—just don’t count on Xie Xuan to do it for you. He’s busy.
Honestly, helping out only leads to blame. Don’t expect me to step in next time. This is truly infuriating.”
Seeing his elder sister’s strong reaction, the Emperor was certain: the Eastern Depot had messed up again.
Why were their reports always incomplete? Was Qiao Gui truly incompetent? It was truly worrisome.
The Emperor sighed:
“Alright, don’t be angry. I’ll send someone to fetch them. You needn’t concern yourself with what follows.”
Su Fengyi grew angrier as she spoke:
“Why shouldn’t I concern myself? Even kidnappers in storybooks get ransom money. I worked hard to capture these people, and Your Majesty just casually takes them away without giving me any benefit? That won’t do!
If you want the people, pay the ransom.
If you don’t pay, why should I hand them over?”
With his elder sister’s temper flaring, the Emperor couldn’t handle it and placated her:
“Fine, fine. How much silver? Since the Eastern Depot bungled this, I’ll have Qiao Gui compensate you.”
Su Fengyi finally brightened up:
“Looking at General Shen—he’s so tall and handsome—selling him by weight should be worth at least, let’s say cheaply, a million taels.
Just pay me a million taels of silver, and it’ll be an exchange: money for the person.
As for those bandits who tried to rescue the prisoners, consider them a bonus. I’ll hand them over to Your Majesty as well.”
The Emperor was both amused and exasperated:
“My private treasury doesn’t even have a million taels. Where would Qiao Gui find a million taels for you? Elder Sister, don’t bully Qiao Gui for being honest.
Besides, if I take Shen Hongxian, it’s to execute him. Why would I pay you ransom and end up losing both the person and the money? What would I gain?”
Qiao Gui, without a million taels?
In all the world, only the Emperor would dare believe such a thing. Su Fengyi certainly didn’t. In the original story, when the male lead eventually confiscated properties, Qiao Gui’s wealth was the greatest.
Now wasn’t the right time, but she would definitely find an opportunity later to let the Emperor see Qiao Gui’s immense fortune with his own eyes and broaden his horizons.
Su Fengyi pretended to think for a moment and said:
“That’s right, that makes sense. If I don’t give the silver, I lose out; if I give the silver, the Emperor loses out. I won’t accept losing out, and it’s not appropriate for the Emperor to lose out either.
Wait, no, no—since ancient times, kidnappers demanding ransom have always been a no-cost business. Why should we turn this no-cost business into a losing one?
I have an idea: let’s sell this head to the Shen family and have them pay the ransom.
One million taels—the Shen family can quietly pay it, and the two of us can secretly split it. No one will know. What does the Emperor think?”
Wealth can blind even the eyes of an Emperor.
Tempted by the staggering figure of one million, the Emperor, who had initially laughed and wanted to call it absurd, found the word “absurd” vanishing from his mind as the number rolled around in his thoughts.
The Emperor hesitated.
After a few seconds of hesitation, the Emperor added:
“No, Shen Hongxian—he insulted me and colluded with the Northern Barbarians. He must die.”
Su Fengyi gave the Emperor a puzzled look:
“If he truly insulted you, then he deserves to die.
But who told Your Majesty about this? Did you hear him insult you with your own ears? Did the person who told you about this hear him insult you with their own ears?
Since it wasn’t heard firsthand, couldn’t it be a mistake?
And besides, he’s already a general—what doesn’t he have? The Northern Barbarians’ lands are barren, without even a decent meal to offer. What could they possibly give him?
Would he abandon Great Mu for the Northern Barbarians? Doesn’t Your Majesty find that strange?
One million taels—such a huge sum of money. Shouldn’t we get to the bottom of this?
Why not give him a chance to defend himself?
Hasn’t Your Majesty always complained that the Leopard Chamber is too small and wanted to expand it but lacked the funds to do so?”
The Emperor was swayed by Su Fengyi’s words and hesitated once more.
One million taels—what an enormous sum of money! He couldn’t even dream of having that much.
It was only after becoming Emperor that he realized the national treasury was off-limits to him. The Board of Revenue claimed there was no money, refusing to give him funds even under threat of death or execution.
The royal private treasury his grandfather had accumulated had been depleted by his father—the so-called “wise ruler of the ages” in the eyes of the court officials—through repeated disaster relief efforts.
Thus, the Emperor was short on funds. When he ascended the throne, he was so strapped for cash that he couldn’t even afford to repair the palace.
If it weren’t for Qiao Gui helping him confiscate properties and find silver everywhere, he wouldn’t even have the Leopard Chamber to enjoy now.
His elder sister was right—one million taels! Could it be that the Eastern Depot mishandled the case and made a mistake?
He wouldn’t have thought this way before, but today, discovering that the Eastern Depot had made one mistake after another suggested it wasn’t impossible. Re-investigating wouldn’t hurt.
Still, he remained doubtful:
“I didn’t hear him insult me with my own ears, but the memorial was written by his student, so it can’t be wrong.
As for colluding with the Northern Barbarians, what you say makes sense, but there’s material evidence, so it seems conclusive. Ah, fine, fine—for the sake of the money, I’ll have him re-interrogated.
But is the Shen family really that wealthy? Can they have so much money?”
Hearing the Emperor ask this, Su Fengyi knew in her heart that General Shen’s life was saved.
Anyone who owed the Emperor one million taels wouldn’t die until the debt was repaid—not even the King of Hell could take them.
Su Fengyi smiled sincerely:
“Why should Your Majesty worry about this? This matter should be left to the Shen family to figure out.
Just give me an edict, and when I return to my residence, I’ll tell Shen Hongxian to find a way to raise the money.
With him in our hands, we needn’t fear him not paying.
Even if he can’t repay it all at once, given time, his descendants can continue paying it off—there’s no end to it.”
This one-million-tael silver pie pleased the Emperor, who answered briskly: “Fine, in a moment I’ll have Qiao Gui write you a note.”