Chapter 37 Welshing on a Debt

Chapter 37: Going Back on a Word

After concluding their discussion in the secret chamber, the talkative Fang Fengshi finally departed.

Although the Zhang Mansion fire case had been resolved, the deceased chef appeared more like a scapegoat deliberately thrust forward to shoulder the blame.

They were still only skimming the surface—far from uncovering the core of the matter.

Yet Jiang Wang’s remarks during the Imperial Council—whether intended to speak for Zhong He or not—ultimately yielded a new lead worth pursuing.

Just as this thought crossed his mind, a guard arrived with news: Jiang Wang was here to see him.

Though exhausted from his lengthy conversation with Fang Fengshi and having just considered taking a brief rest, he decided to seize this opportunity to meet Jiang Wang, hoping to obtain firsthand information directly from him.

Only, Jiang Wang’s reaction left him utterly bewildered.

Jiang Wang stared at him, eyes wide, mouth slightly agape, cheeks flushed—like a puppy stunned by an unexpectedly massive bone.

What? Was his physique truly that captivating?

Xiao Yan glanced down at himself. Perhaps because he was so accustomed to it, he felt nothing particularly remarkable.

Yet this small movement snapped Jiang Wang back to reality.

What on earth had he just been doing?

Jiang Wang asked himself: It’s merely a body—was such an overreaction really necessary?

But the image of those taut, defined muscles resurfaced in his mind, and he nearly zoned out again. Apparently, it *was* necessary…

Jiang Wang silently cursed himself for being so easily impressed. *It’s just muscle—you could train to build it yourself, couldn’t you? Why envy someone else’s?*

He pretended to adjust his robes, took a deep breath, lifted his head, and declared with solemn propriety:

“Your Majesty, in public, please mind your appearance.”

As he spoke, his gaze flickered toward the nearby blanket—clearly implying Xiao Yan should cover up without delay.

Being admonished by a minister to “mind his appearance” left Xiao Yan momentarily baffled. He glanced around the room—were there others present?

“Public? Does Minister Jiang mean *you* and *me*?”

Damn—it had slipped out in his fluster. Two people certainly didn’t constitute a crowd, yet he couldn’t admit that. To do so would cede the advantage.

“O-of course not,” Jiang Wang retorted.

Then, inspiration struck. “Superficially, only two people occupy this room—but I alone represent *all* Your Majesty’s subjects. Does that not qualify as a public setting? Regardless, Your Majesty ought to comport himself appropriately before his ministers.”

Xiao Yan let out a soft chuckle. “Very well—I shall heed Minister Jiang’s counsel.”

He reached out, drew the blanket over himself, and covered up.

“What brings Minister Jiang here today?”

“Does Your Majesty recall the reward you previously granted me?” Jiang Wang held up three fingers as a reminder. “Three thousand taels of silver.”

Xiao Yan paused briefly, then nodded, his gaze fixed steadily on Jiang Wang, gesturing for him to continue.

“But it appears Your Majesty mentioned it only verbally. The silver has yet to reach me—so…”

Jiang Wang shot Xiao Yan a cautious glance, hoping the latter would grasp his meaning. After all, bluntness was unseemly; discussing money risked offending sensibilities.

Yet Xiao Yan seemed utterly oblivious. His brow furrowed, his expression genuinely puzzled.

*He’s pretending—absolutely pretending!*

Jiang Wang grumbled inwardly. After all this time spent with Xiao Yan, didn’t he know him by now?

Though incompetent, Xiao Yan was no fool!

So what was this about? An empty promise? Reluctance to pay? Intentional default?

“Your Majesty, keeping one’s word is a noble virtue.”

“Is Minister Jiang suggesting I break my word—or that I lack virtue?”

Xiao Yan’s tone rose slightly, edged with quiet menace.

He understood *that* sentence—so why not the previous one?

But when under another’s roof, one must bow one’s head.

Angry though he was, Jiang Wang could not afford to stand his ground.

“I dare not. What I meant is that Your Majesty is overwhelmed with state affairs and may have inadvertently overlooked this reward. I humbly request Your Majesty fulfill it.”

Meeting Jiang Wang’s earnest gaze, Xiao Yan found himself unable to refuse—not even though the corner of Jiang Wang’s mouth betrayed a faint, poorly concealed cunning. He would grant the silver.

He simply needed to understand what Jiang Wang intended to do with such a substantial sum.

“What does Minister Jiang plan to use it for?”

Jiang Wang’s eyes lit up, his smile widening. This sounded promising!

“Your Majesty, I wish to purchase a spacious residence!”

He pondered further—a larger home would indeed be preferable. It needn’t be exceptionally scenic, but the courtyard should at least feature flowers and greenery. The estate itself needn’t be vast; something comparable in scale to the Biwu Pavilion, where he currently resided, would suffice. Nor should the furnishings and decorations be shabby—they’d require proper outfitting as well.

Though he’d endured hardship upon first arriving, he’d grown weary of that cramped courtyard. Beyond the dilapidated old house, the daily absence of sunlight had begun dampening his spirits. Living more comfortably was undoubtedly preferable.

Tallying these miscellaneous expenses according to Great Jing Dynasty market prices, he estimated at least two thousand taels would be required. The remainder would comfortably sustain him and Changle—perfect.

While Jiang Wang happily envisioned his future *beautiful life*, he remained blissfully unaware that Xiao Yan’s expression had darkened the moment those words left his lips.

*Wanting to run away?*

*Spoke with Chang Wenji last night—and now you want to move out of the palace?*

The timing was far too convenient.

A faint, inscrutable smile played on Xiao Yan’s lips as he cleared his throat.

“Minister Jiang.”

“Yes? I am here.”

"I just recalled, from the relief efforts for the fire victims a while back, the state coffers are too empty to come up with that much silver."

"Huh? Then... how much *can* we get?"

Xiao Yan held up a hand, showing one finger.

"One thousand taels?"

It's a bit low, but it'll just about do—he could just buy a smaller house. Jiang Wang was pretty unhappy about it, but he could make it work.

"One hundred taels."

It wasn't until Xiao Yan's three, offhand words reached his ears that he blew his top.

"One hundred taels?!"

What the hell can you do with a hundred taels?!

Jiang Wang's eyes swept over the tiny bedchamber Xiao Yan lived in.

On the walls hung priceless masterpieces of calligraphy and painting, on the table sat exquisite porcelain, one in ten thousand, and the shelves were crammed with cherished texts from great masters.

From the furniture right down to the writing implements—every single one was top-of-the-line.

Any single piece was worth at least one hundred taels, if not more. And now he's telling me I only get a hundred?!

Who's he trying to fool?

If he won't give it, fine—I don't want it! He'd find a way himself!

With a cold, expressionless face, Jiang Wang threw out a "This subject understands," and turned to leave.

Upon returning to Biwu Hall, the first thing he did was summon the system.

He'd come here with this system, after all; it damn well better be good for something.

Moreover, after completing the fourth task, the system had higher clearance, so it should be more helpful.

Perhaps thanks to the previous scolding, 001 popped up much quicker this time and was way more polite.

Gone was its former laziness and indifference; now it was all eagerness.

"Host, I'm here! Whatever you need, just say the word!"

"If I remember correctly, my task points have reached 45?"

"Yes, host."

"Last time, you mentioned that after 45 points, the system would upgrade. What does that mean, exactly?"

At the mention of "upgrade," the system seemed to light up at the word and launched into an enthusiastic explanation.

"That's right, host. The upgrade's mainly in two areas."

To explain better, 001 even projected a display screen in Jiang Wang's mind.

"The first is regarding permissions. To help you complete tasks more conveniently, I can tweak the difficulty of missions a bit. The second aspect is the trading system is now fully open!"

As 001 spoke, a new interface opened, showing rows of items with their point costs listed underneath.

For example, knockout drops—5 points, laxatives—5 points, wound-healing medicine—5 points...

Along with the medicines were daily supplies and basic weapons—pretty much covering all the basics of ancient life. But there was nothing Jiang Wang *wanted*.

"Is that all?"

"Does the host think something's missing?" 001 asked cautiously.

"Is there an option to exchange points for money?"

"Apologies, host. That function is currently unavailable. Moreover, according to the regulations of the Transmigration Administration, you must obtain remuneration reasonably and legally through your own labor."

Jiang Wang's heart sank.

He was all for earning money the right way, but how come Xiao Yan gets to stiff me on my reward just like that?!

It was downright unfair!

In defeat, Jiang Wang flopped onto the bed, pulled the quilt over his face, and let out a long sigh as if resigning himself to fate.

After who knows how long, he shot upright again and cursed at thin air.

"That damn emperor!"

*

The living are dead, and the dead are still living.

This phrase perfectly described the reality of Minister of Revenue Zhang Songyun and the "former" Minister of Revenue Ni Lishen.

Zhang Songyun, who had been riding high on success with everyone celebrating, had quietly died in a fire. Meanwhile, Ni Lishen, who had been arrested early on and vanished without a trace, was still clinging to life.

At the previous palace banquet, Ni Lishen had been implicated because his personal servant had stolen a relic of the late emperor. Since then, there had been no news of him, and everyone assumed he was dead.

Little did they know that beneath the secret chamber of Cangwu Hall, there existed an extremely hidden space.

The walls here were low, the space narrow, and a thick dampness permeated the air regardless of the season.

The hot summers were barely tolerable, but the cold winters were the most torturous.

The damp chill seemed to seep through the gaps between bones, following the flow of blood straight to the heart.

Ni Lishen could no longer endure it. Trapped here, he couldn't distinguish day from night, nor did he know how much time had passed.

He only knew he was on the verge of breaking.

When the guard came to deliver food, he mustered some unknown strength to crawl to the door, grabbing the guard's hand and pleading devoutly.

"I want to see the Emperor! Please tell the Emperor I need to see him. I'll talk, I'll say everything... Whatever the Emperor asks, I'll answer..."

His voice trembled, filled with desperate urgency.

The guard, however, was long accustomed to such scenes.

Ling Hai silently pried open Ni Lishen's tightly clenched hand and turned to leave.

This wasn't the first time Ni Lishen had pulled such a trick, and Ling Hai had long lost patience for playing these games with him.

Yet Ni Lishen's next words made him halt in his tracks.

"I know where the poison is hidden. I must see the Emperor—I'll only tell the Emperor!"