novelAbuy Chapter 87 A Great Victory
Chapter 87 A Great Victory
The evening banquet was held in the main hall.
An eight-immortal table, covered with a dark red tablecloth, was laden with dishes.
Roasted lamb leg, steamed sea bass, crab meat lion's head meatballs, braised pork hock, four-happiness meatballs, several dishes of seasonal side dishes, and a large pot of fine daughter's red wine.
Yin'e sat in the main seat, Wulan sat to his left, Batu sat to his right, and Yinde sat opposite him.
At first, everyone was a little reserved.
Batu held his wine glass, unsure of whom to toast.
Ulan lowered her head, seemingly lost in thought.
Yin'e raised his wine cup, first toasting Batu, then Yin De. After three cups, the atmosphere relaxed.
Batu became more talkative.
He began to talk about the grasslands, about catching fish with Ulan by the river when he was a child, about his father taking them hunting, about the wind on the grasslands, the horses on the pastures, and the songs around the campfire.
As Ulan listened, the corners of her mouth slowly curved up, occasionally interjecting with, "You still have the nerve to say that? You were the one who fell into the river that time," making Batu scratch his head and laugh.
Yin De laughed, raised his glass, toasted Batu, and said, "Uncle Batu is a real man."
Batu was flattered and downed three cups in a row.
Looking at them, Yin'e felt a warm glow in his heart.
He picked up his glass, took a sip, and nonchalantly summoned the TV series "Overheard".
He gently turned the page, and with a thought, the page automatically flipped to Batu's page.
[Target of surveillance: Borjigit Batu]
Current favorability rating: 88.3 (Confidant)
[Listening distance: 70 meters, unobstructed]
Yin'e looked at the number and nodded to himself.
From 15.3 to 88.3, from "dislike" to "trust," it only took half a month.
From this day forward, this person will be one of his eyes on the grassland.
After a few rounds of drinks, Batu's face was flushed and his tongue was almost tied in knots.
Holding his wine cup, he stood up unsteadily, bowed deeply to Yin'e, and mumbled, "Your Highness's kindness is immeasurable, I can never repay it in this lifetime."
Ulan quickly stood up and helped him up to prevent him from falling headfirst under the table.
Yin De smiled and shook his head, then picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp.
Yin'e looked at them, his smile growing wider.
He knew that Batu would be returning to the grasslands after tonight.
He didn't know when he would see him again, but he knew that this person would remember the wine they drank tonight, the words they exchanged, and the affection they shared.
He had also heard about the outcome of the joint trial by the three judicial authorities regarding the Juxianju case.
Gao Mengyuan took the blame for all the crimes: gambling, running a gambling den, usury, causing death, colluding with officials, and bribing officials. He was sentenced to immediate execution for all the crimes.
No one spoke up for him, no one cried out for his innocence. He was like a fish thrown ashore, struggling for a few moments before being chopped up with a single blow.
Xiao Guoxing's crimes were less serious: borrowing money from the national treasury, participating in gambling, and lending money at usurious rates. His home was searched, he was dismissed from his post and investigated, and exiled to Heilongjiang.
When his property was confiscated, dozens of boxes of gold and silver jewelry were carried out of his house, and the cash alone amounted to more than 100,000 taels, all of which went to the national treasury.
The matter concerning the crown prince was suppressed.
Kangxi openly protected the crown prince, so no one dared to mention it again.
Gao Mengyuan's confession did not mention the Eastern Palace at all, nor did Xiao Guoxing's confession.
Everyone keeps a mental record of things, but no one dares to open it.
Kangxi's attitude was already very clear: he would stop short of making a move.
Anyone who keeps pressing this issue is going against me.
The matter of recovering the national treasury debts has also become delicate because of this turmoil.
The fourth prince, Yinzhen, along with Tian Wenjing, failed to prioritize tasks and caused widespread resentment in their debt collection efforts.
Although Emperor Kangxi only reprimanded him a few times and did not impose a severe punishment, the weight of those few words of reprimand was heavier than a year's salary deduction.
The fourth brother has been on sick leave for the past few days and hasn't even left the house. Tian Wenjing was even kicked out of the capital and went to Fujian to serve as a county magistrate in a sorry state.
The Eighth Prince's faction gained almost nothing from this incident.
The Eighth Prince originally intended to use the Juxianju incident to strike at the Crown Prince, but Emperor Kangxi simply brushed it off.
He couldn't say anything more, nor did he dare to say anything more.
The Ninth Prince had been cursing in the mansion for days, saying, "The Crown Prince got off easy." The Eighth Prince just smiled and didn't reply.
The one who truly triumphed was Yin'e.
He learned about the inside story of Juxianju in advance through "Overheard"; he infiltrated Juxianju through Batu; and he completed the encirclement and suppression of Juxianju with the help of Lao Ba's men.
He not only got Lao Jiu to pay off the 200,000 taels of silver he owed, but also received a dowry of 250,000 taels from Ulan, thus winning over Batu, the loyal prince of the grasslands.
Most importantly, he gained the trust of Emperor Kangxi.
Two weeks later, the sweltering heat of Beijing in August became unbearable.
The sun, like a giant fireball, hung overhead, baking the entire city like a giant steamer.
Yin'e lay on a bamboo recliner in the study, fanning himself with a folding fan, the air he blew was hot.
The room was filled with ice that had been transported from the Imperial Household Department.
Several large copper basins were placed in the corner, filled with ice.
But he still felt hot, so hot that he was irritable, so hot that he couldn't even concentrate on reading, so hot that he wished he could soak himself in water.
He closed his eyes, and images from his past life suddenly surfaced in his mind.
The central air conditioning in the office was blasting, so cold that I had to wear a jacket even though I was wearing short sleeves. It was so cozy!
It would be great if I could make an air conditioner by hand right here.
He opened his eyes, looked at the roof beams above his head, and thought about it seriously.
Air conditioners need compressors, refrigerant, fans, and electricity. Where does the electricity come from?
He sighed and closed his eyes again. Oh well, I'll just fan myself then.
Just as he was drifting off to sleep, he heard hurried footsteps coming from the courtyard.
"Tenth Master." Yin De's voice came from outside the door.
Yin'e opened his eyes and sat up straight: "Come in."
The door was pushed open, and Yin De strode in.
His forehead was covered in sweat, but he didn't bother to wipe it away.
"What's up?"
"Yes!" Yin De's voice rose a few decibels as he took two steps forward. "The person you were looking for has been found by this servant."
Yin'e paused for a moment, his hand holding the teacup still.
He put down his teacup and looked at Yin De: "The person I'm looking for? When did I tell you to look for someone?"
Yin De grew anxious and took another half step forward: "It's what you said, that we need young people from respectable families, skillful, and interested in new things, have you forgotten?"
Yin'e's mind suddenly went blank.
He remembered.
How long ago was that?
It seems that a few days after receiving Ulan's dowry, he asked Yinde to go out and find a few young people who were skillful, obedient, and interested in new things.
He wanted to conduct research and development, to transform the knowledge he had from the future into something useful for this era.
He suddenly stood up from the recliner, causing the bamboo chair to wobble and almost tip over.
"Quickly! Bring them all here! Now!"