Chapter 399: Feelings Like One Body

Clear wine, small table, brothers sitting opposite each other.

Wang Tai raised his glass, his expression sincere:

"Brother's great talent, brother admires it very much! Drink this cup to the full, to respect my virtuous brother!"

Wang Yang pushed the wine glass:

"I won't drink this wine."

Wang Tai was surprised:

"What's wrong?"

Wang Yang sighed:

"I'm not happy in my heart, it's tasteless to drink."

Wang Tai was very angry:

"Who made my brother unhappy?! Brother, you tell brother! Brother will help you vent your anger!"

Wang Yang looked at Wang Tai:

"Brother's name, it's really hard to say."

Wang Tai was shocked, his eyes full of disbelief:

"Ah! Brother, brother, are you talking about me?!"

"Brother asked me to compile testimony, asked me to write a statement, and as a result, pushed everything onto me, and even said I was with the Donggong—"

"Brother! Listen to brother's explanation about this matter! Brother originally wanted to tell you! When I heard that brother had an accident, brother's tears fell on his collar! This is true, if you don't believe it, you can immediately summon the servants to ask—"

"Crying with joy?"

"Is—no! What joy! Where is the joy!!! Branches and leaves share the same roots, prosperity and withering share it! Bloodline inheritance, feelings like one body! Hands and feet suffer disaster, liver and intestines break! Clan breaks the ridge, pain penetrates the heart! If brother is happy when brother encounters an accident, this is a beast!!! Even if you are not filial, you won't be like this!!!"

Wang Tai lowered his head in sorrow, as if there were tears, the more he spoke, the more choked he became.

Wang Yang leaned over to look:

"There are no tears either!"

Wang Tai turned his face away and sighed:

"Tears dried up long ago......"

Wang Yang oh-ed:

"Then what after drying up?"

Wang Tai stiffened for a moment:

"Dried, dried up...... after drying up, brother thought, the dead cannot be resurrected, since brother is no longer there, then no matter how brother talks to the Prince of Badong, it won't affect brother, after all, the deceased is gone......"

"The deceased is not only gone, the deceased is also great. Brother, splashing dirty water on the deceased like this, it's not very authentic, right?"

Wang Yang frowned slightly, Wang Tai hurriedly said:

"Yes, yes, this matter is brother's fault! At that time, brother was also forced by the situation! Later, I regretted and felt guilty! I was preparing to build a cenotaph for brother......"

"Build a cenotaph? Really?" Wang Yang seemed a bit moved.

Wang Tai hurriedly said:

"Really, really! I've already started choosing a place!"

"Too expensive, right?"

"For brother, what is expensive!!"

Wang Yang was very moved:

"Brother's intention, I only know today—"

Wang Tai was also in a state of ups and downs:

"Brother—"

"But since I'm fine, there's no need to build a cenotaph—"

"Yes, yes—"

"Discount it."

"Yes—eh?"

"I can't live up to brother's intention. Building a cenotaph is expensive in money and effort, and you have to choose a place to dig a grave, hire workers to build a tomb, and then collect the tools and bury them. It's tossing back and forth. Brother, you suffer, and I feel sorry in my heart. It's better to discount it directly into cash for me. Brother, you don't have to work hard, and I also accept brother's feelings. Why, brother, are you unwilling?"

Wang Tai scolded Wang Yang in his heart, but had to swallow his anger:

"Willing, of course willing. It's just...... it's just that brother's family background is not rich, and this time I came to Jingzhou just to recuperate and stay temporarily, I didn't bring any luggage. You can see from where I live, it's very simple. I really don't have much cash on hand......"

"Then how to build a cenotaph?"

Build your mother's cenotaph!!!

"To build a cenotaph for brother, I have to build it even if I don't have money! Brother is preparing to borrow—"

"Okay, then I happen to know a few lenders, why don't you borrow from me directly—"

"No need, no need, no need!!! Brother still has some emergency money, take it all out, enough to build a tomb!!!"

Wang Tai was so scared that his eyes were clear!

With this little beast's insidiousness, the lenders must be his people! I don't know how much interest he will get for me!

As for borrowing directly from him, it goes without saying. Compared to this little beast, Du San is Du Da Shanren (Du the Great Philanthropist)!!!

"Then how much does brother have?" Wang Yang asked.

"Twenty thousand coins!"

Wang Tai's voice was firm.

Wang Yang sneered:

"Buying a good tomb land is more than twenty thousand......"

"Twenty thousand coins!"

This is the land purchase deed from the late Eastern Han Dynasty unearthed in Ganquan Town, Hanjiang, now in the Yangzhou Museum. The land price is 20,000 coins. The price of land purchase deeds in the Middle Ages often has many false numbers, this one is detailed.

(Continued explanation: Detailed note of the buyer and seller and specific land boundaries, also written with witnesses and deed holders. Finally, it is marked "not to be sold but sold", which means if there is a dispute, then this deed shall prevail, "as the law", according to the law)

Wang Tai was full of sorrow:

"Forty thousand. I really don't have much cash on hand......"

"Then I will have people help brother find it now, just in time to search for hidden robbers—"

Wang Tai hurriedly called:

"Sixty thousand! I have to live too, brother—"

Wang Yang was unhappy:

"Brother, you clearly said before that you and I 'share the same roots, prosperity and withering share it', are you lying to me—"

"Eighty thousand!" Wang Tai almost shouted, the blue veins on his forehead jumping slightly, "Eighty thousand is enough to build two tombs!!"

"Brother also said we 'bloodline inheritance, feelings like one body'—"

"Ninety thousand! Ninety thousand is a lot! The situation is like this now, I have to keep money by my side!!" Wang Tai reasoned with emotion and reason!

Wang Yang was hard-hearted and unmoved:

"'Hands and feet suffer disaster, liver and intestines break'. Brother, if something happens to you—"

"One hundred and sixteen thousand, leave brother a way to live—"

"'Clan breaks the ridge, pain penetrates the heart'—"

"One hundred and twenty thousand! This is all the money brother has! Brother is a guest! Hiding! How can I bring so much money—"

"'If brother is happy when brother encounters an accident, this is a beast'—"

"One hundred and fifty-six thousand! This time it's really empty!!! I can only drink porridge with one dish in the future—"

"Drinking porridge doesn't need dishes."

"Grass......"

"What?!"

"No, I mean, grass, grass hut in a poor alley, I am really 'grass hut in a poor alley' now—"

"Speaking of grass hut, brother, this courtyard—"

"This courtyard is rented by me!!"

Beast!

Really a beast!!

Wang Tai only felt his blood pressure soaring!!!

"Brother, you are lying again. You use hiding as a name to cover people's eyes. Naturally, you want to show people the intention of living for a long time. How can there be a reason for renting?"

"I I, this this, this small broken courtyard is not worth money!!"

Wang Yang reached out:

"The house deed, let me see and I will know—"

"Ninety-five thousand!"

Wang Tai wanted to cry without tears!!

"Okay, then like this, one hundred and fifty-six thousand plus the house deed plus thirty small gold cakes—"

(Gold cakes were commonly used in the Han Dynasty, and continued until the Southern Dynasties, see the picture)

This is the gold cake from the Mancheng Han Tomb, each weighing 16 to 18 grams, the same as one tael in the Western Han Dynasty, now in the Hebei Museum. What was more commonly used in the Han Dynasty was a one-jin gold cake, but

(Continued explanation: However, gold in the Han Dynasty was mostly counted in jin. In the literature at that time, "one gold" referred to one jin of gold. By the Northern and Southern Dynasties, gold was expensive, and it was commonly counted in "taels". However, it was still made into gold cakes. "Nan Shi · Liang Wuling

"Fine, then let's do this: one hundred fifty-six thousand plus the house deed and thirty small gold cakes—"

(Gold cakes were commonly used in the Han dynasty and continued into the Southern Dynasties; here is an image.)

This is a gold cake from the Mancheng Han Tomb, each weighing 16 to 18 grams, equivalent to one tael in the Western Han dynasty, now housed in the Hebei Museum. In the Han dynasty, it was more common to use one-jin gold cakes, but...

(Continued explanation: However, in the Han dynasty, gold was mostly measured in jin; in literature of the time, "one gold" referred to one jin of gold. By the Northern and Southern Dynasties, gold became expensive and was often measured in "taels," though large one-jin gold cakes were still made. The "Biography of the Prince of Wuling in the History of the Southern Dynasties" records that when the Prince of Wuling rebelled, he made "one jin of gold into a cake," bringing a total of ten thousand cakes to display to his soldiers. This was to motivate the troops with large gold cakes. However, the last cake was not given... Wang Yang asked for thirty small gold cakes. Calculating at the average gold price of the time at 100,000 coins, one tael equals 6,250 coins, so thirty would be 187,500 coins; regarding gold conversion, see the appendix to Chapter 169, "Envy of Ice.")

Wang Tai exploded: "Where am I supposed to find small gold cakes for you!!!!"

"If Elder Brother comes to harm the Crown Prince, how can he not bring small gold cakes—"

"Who is harming the Crown Prince—what are you talking about!!!!!!"

"Elder Brother asked me to smear the Prince of Badong, and also told the Prince of Badong that I am the Crown Prince's man. If that's not harming me, it's harming the Crown Prince. Or perhaps harming both! But Elder Brother surely wouldn't harm me, so that must mean harming the Crown Prince."

"I—"

"Since Elder Brother is an enemy of the Crown Prince, he is of one mind with the Prince. I will speak to the Prince, and the Prince will surely value you! When the time comes, I'll have Elder Brother join the army, draft a manifesto, or serve as a vanguard—"

Wang Tai shuddered, his voice softening with a tremor:

"Zhiyan, Elder Brother has recalled, it seems I did bring small gold cakes. But thirty is really too many, will twenty do—"

"Thirty is a lot for others! For Elder Brother, it's a drop in the ocean! Who is Elder Brother? A descendant of the Langya Wang family, the sixth-generation direct grandson of Duke Wenxian, the former Libationer of the Eastern Pavilion of the Situ—that is my Elder Brother! Even if Elder Brother is unworthy, he wouldn't be unable to produce thirty small gold cakes—"

"Enough, say no more, thirty it is. But I can only produce twenty-two right now, I'll think of a way for the remaining eight, I'll give them to you within two days—"

Wang Tai looked as if he had been drained, burying his face in his hands in resignation.

If he had another chance to do it all over again, he would rather die than threaten Wang Yang!

No, he would rather die than come to Jingzhou!!! He would rather die than face this little beast!!!

This is a fucking nightmare!!!!

"Fine, eight small gold cakes short, I trust Elder Brother, no need for a contract..."

You fucking still want a contract!???

"Now let's talk about Elder Brother asking me to fabricate testimony, asking me to write a statement, and then pushing everything onto me, and even saying I am with the Donggong—"

Wang Tai raised his head in shock.

For a moment, he almost thought time had reversed, returning to the beginning to repeat it all over again:

"Didn't we just talk about this?! I already gave the money—"

"Wasn't the money for repairing the cenotaph?"

"Repairing..."

Repair your mother's cenotaph!!

You fucking want to build a mausoleum!!!

"You... you still want small gold cakes, don't you? You want Elder Brother to die! You want Elder Brother to die, don't you! You sold Elder Brother out! See how many small gold cakes Elder Brother can be sold for! You fucking look at Elder Brother and see if he looks like a small gold cake!!!"

Wang Tai was trembling with rage, feeling it was difficult even to breathe! He felt he was about to go crazy!!!

"Elder Brother, don't get excited. I don't want small gold cakes this time, I just need Elder Brother to do a small favor. Don't you have a friendship with the Prince of Ancheng? (See Chapter 337, "Manipulation") Write a letter to the Prince of Ancheng, asking him to help your good younger brother, who hasn't been registered, get a proper registration. (The registration archived after the provincial audit. For explanations of various registrations, see the end of Chapter 335, "Temporarily Withholding the Frosty Snow Countenance," by Baoyue.) After writing it, give the letter to me, and I will attach my registration application and send them out together. This shouldn't be difficult for Elder Brother, right?"

Wang Tai no longer had the strength to struggle, wanting only to quickly send this demon away. Writing this letter would indeed easily leave him open to criticism; once the matter was exposed, wouldn't he become an accomplice?

But if he didn't write it, wouldn't he be an accomplice anyway?

Having reached this point today, could he still extricate himself?!

He had long been tied to this little beast's broken boat!

Wang Tai wrote the letter with a sense of hopelessness. After Wang Yang inspected it, he demanded changes to several phrases. Wang Tai could only comply and write another one. Seeing Wang Yang collect both letters, he felt a sense of impending doom!

"Weren't you dissatisfied with the first one—"

"I know, I'll send the second one. The first one is a testament to the brotherly bond between Elder Brother and me; I shall treasure it."

Wang Tai had become somewhat numb from being swindled, feeling quite like giving up on treatment, wanting only to make Wang Yang disappear:

"Younger Brother, it is too late, you still have to work for the Prince tomorrow, go back and rest early."

"Fine, then Elder Brother, bring the money, the house deed, and the small gold cakes. No need to pay the rent for now, we'll deal with that later—"

Wang Tai was stunned:

"Rent? What rent???"

"Elder Brother, you are renting a house now."

Wang Tai swayed, barely supporting himself on the armrest, and closed his eyes:

Let it be destroyed, let it all be destroyed...