L.F-Hist.Novelist Chapter 44 The Spy of the Lord's Mansion
Chapter 44 The Spy of the Lord's Mansion
Batu is lying.
At the very least, he was exaggerating or concealing crucial details.
The tribe may indeed be facing difficulties, but it may not be as serious as he described.
The descriptions of the devastation, plagues, and the encroachment on grasslands sound heartbreaking, but upon closer examination, they are full of flaws.
He came to the capital to find his sister, perhaps not to "save the tribe," but for something else.
Did you lose money gambling? Did you lose money in business? Or did you offend someone and need to pay money to settle things?
How many stories have he heard of princes and nobles from the grasslands who, after arriving in the capital, failed because of gambling and women?
But one thing is certain.
Batu was exploiting Ulan's feelings for her father and brothers, treating her like an ATM.
Time and time again, layer upon layer, they almost drained Ulan's blood dry.
Tens of thousands of taels of silver, which was the expenses of the Tenth Prince's mansion for several years, were swallowed up by him with a single bite.
Ulan is a person with a sharp tongue but a soft heart; she was still hesitating about whether to continue giving him money.
Yin'e stood up, walked to the window, and opened it.
The old locust tree in the yard rustled in the wind, its leaves curling up to reveal their silvery-white undersides, like tiny fish scales.
"That Batu," he muttered, "is no good."
He had to find a way to prevent Ulan from being led by the nose by his brother any longer.
It wasn't because he felt sorry for Wulan, although he did feel a little sorry for her now.
A woman who married far away from the grasslands to the capital had no relatives or friends and no one to talk to. Her only family members not only did not help her, but instead pushed her into a pit.
The thought of being treated like an ATM by your closest relatives is chilling.
But more importantly, he was the one who would ultimately have to fill the hole of over 100,000 taels of silver.
Every penny that Wulanhua shouldn't have spent was his money.
Every debt that Ulan shouldn't have incurred will eventually fall on his shoulders.
He didn't want his hard-earned savings to be emptied by his brother-in-law.
The Tenth Prince's mansion does not own a silver mine, nor does he run a charitable organization.
If you want to get money out of his pocket, you have to ask him if he agrees.
Yin'e turned away from the window, walked back to his desk, and sat down.
He picked up the pen on the table and wrote a few lines on a blank sheet of rice paper:
Batu, the eldest son of Prince Urjingalap, faces the plight of the grassland tribes and may lie.
He looked at the words, the ink slowly spreading on the rice paper.
He thought for a moment, then added a sentence below:
Send someone to the Court of Colonial Affairs to investigate whether the Urjingalap tribe has recently reported any disasters or requested relief from the imperial court.
If Batu is telling the truth, it must be recorded in the archives of the Court of Colonial Affairs.
White disasters, plagues, and grassland disputes were all major issues that the imperial court had to attend to, and it was impossible not to record them.
If there's no record of it, then it's fake; Batu is making up a story, and a rather poorly made one at that.
Yin'e put down his pen, folded the paper, and stuffed it into his sleeve.
He originally intended to go to the Court of Colonial Affairs himself.
But then he thought, he was a prince, and going to the Court of Colonial Affairs to investigate the background of Mongolian princes would cause gossip.
Those people in the Court of Colonial Affairs are all shrewd individuals. Even if they don't say anything, they must be wondering what's going on in their minds when they see the prince come to visit.
When the news reaches Batu's ears, that person will be on guard.
Therefore, I cannot go by myself.
We need to find a trustworthy person to investigate for him.
But who can be trusted?
Yin De was sent out to find someone.
The other servants in the manor were either not clever enough or not loyal enough, so he didn't trust them with such a life-or-death matter.
After much thought, only one person remained.
Fuquan.
Although this young eunuch was not very brave, he was loyal.
He spent the night in the palace last night, while Fuquan waited outside the palace gate all night, his lips turning purple from the cold, but he refused to leave.
This kind of heart is not something just any servant would possess.
"Fuquan," he called out towards the door.
"Here!" Fuquan's voice came from under the corridor, crisp and clear.
Footsteps approached from afar, and Fuquan pushed open the door and entered, his hands hanging down and his body bowed, waiting for instructions.
Yin'e did not rush to speak, but first looked him up and down.
Fuquan felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze. He touched his face, then looked down at himself to make sure there was nothing wrong before cautiously asking, "Tenth Master, what... what are you looking at?"
"Tell me, did you see anyone from the Fujin's family come to the gatehouse today?"
Fu Quan paused for a moment, then nodded and said, "I saw him. A big Mongolian man, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, with a knife at his waist, walking with a swagger. Wang Cheng, the gatekeeper, said he was the eldest brother-in-law."
"Do you know him?"
"I don't recognize him." Fuquan shook his head. "I've never seen this gentleman in all these years I've been in this household. The last time the Fujin's family came, it was a maidservant, not him."
Yin'e nodded and remained silent for a moment.
"Fuquan," he suddenly spoke, "I have a very important task for you."
Fuquan's expression immediately turned serious, and he unconsciously straightened his back.
"Your Excellency, I will do my utmost to fulfill your orders."
"Don't rush to agree." Yin'e waved his hand. "This job isn't like serving tea and water or running errands. It requires using your brain and involves taking risks."
If you do it well, it will be a great achievement; if you botch it, or if word gets out, you could be in serious trouble.
Fu Quan's expression changed slightly.
He wasn't afraid, but rather realized that this matter was far more significant than he had imagined.
His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed, but his gaze did not waver.
"Tenth Master, I have served you for so many years, and I know how you have treated me."
Just give the order, and I'll risk my life to get it done for you.
Yin'e looked at him, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.
But he didn't show it on his face; he still had a serious expression.
"Okay." He stood up, walked around the desk, and stood in front of Fu Quan. "I need you to keep an eye on someone for me."
"Who?"
"The eldest brother of the Fujin, Batu."
Fu Quan's pupils contracted slightly, but he didn't ask any further questions, only nodding.
"He's still in the capital, and we don't know when he'll leave. You have two things to do." Yin'e held up two fingers.
"First, find out how long he has been in the capital, where he has been, who he has met, and what he has done during these days."
Did you come directly from the grasslands, or did you go somewhere else first? Is this your first time in the capital, or are you a frequent visitor?
Fuquan nodded earnestly, muttering to himself as if he were engraving Yin'e's words into his mind.
"Secondly, starting today, you're to keep a close eye on him. I need to know every single detail: where he lives, what he eats, who he talks to, when he goes out, and when he comes back."