Chapter 1413: Stirring Up Trouble, or Smoothing Things Over?

The Retired Emperor's ninth son, Zhu Cixuan, Prince of Luoshan Commandery, never imagined that he, so favored as he was, would actually be sold out by his Imperial Father Chongzhen—and for a mere 350,000 taels of silver at that.

For 350,000 taels of silver, he would have to leave the Qinhuai River with its clouds of beauties, leave the flourishing and splendid city of Nanjing, leave the mother who doted on him most, and set out on the long road of ten thousand li westward.

"Ninth Brother, don't be afraid. It's only ten thousand li west. When your Sixth Brother went to India back then, it was far more than ten thousand li! And I had to go by ship out to sea—the wind was high and the waves fierce! In the Lesser Western Ocean I even ran into pirates. Good thing our ships were sturdy and our cannons formidable, otherwise your Sixth Brother would have died young! And then who would have inherited my properties on more than ten streets?"

The one earnestly trying to persuade Zhu Cixuan was none other than the Rent-Collecting Prince, Zhu Cixuan. The Rent-Collecting Prince had been sent by the Retired Emperor Chongzhen to the Ninth Prince's residence in West Garden. The Retired Emperor Chongzhen could "sell his son," but he could not force his son to travel ten thousand li—the son still had to be willing himself.

But was Zhu Cixuan so easy to talk to? He was a favored son, which meant he was not particularly afraid of his old man.

So after the Retired Emperor Chongzhen told him about the matter, he immediately jumped up, refused no matter what, and dashed straight back to his princely residence in Nanjing, shutting the door and refusing to come out.

Now Chongzhen was dumbfounded. He was still waiting for Zhu Cilang's 350,000 taels to fill the deep pit in Luzon!

And there was also the matter of face! He was the great Retired Emperor of the Great Ming, and if he could not command the Emperor Zhu Cilang, Prince Dai Zhu Cijiong, Prince Luo Zhu Cizhao (promoted to full Prince), Prince Qing Zhu Cihuan (promoted to full Prince along with Zhu Cizhao), and Prince Fu Zhu Cixuan—these four imperial princes—that was one thing; they all had power and influence, and at the very least had properties on more than ten streets from which to collect rent.

But now he could not even command a Prince of Luoshan Commandery—would he have any face left to speak of?

So the Retired Emperor Chongzhen summoned Prince Fu, Zhu Cixuan, and had him go persuade the "stay-at-home prince" Zhu Cixuan, who was holed up in his residence, to hurry up and pack for the Western Regions.

He had already been "sold"—how could he not go? If he did not go, that unfilial son Zhu Cilang would not hand over the money!

And besides... this was very likely a long-term business! The Retired Emperor Chongzhen had more than a hundred sons he could "sell"—he could not afford to ruin his reputation right from the start.

But this "stay-at-home prince" was no pushover either. After hearing the Rent-Collecting Prince's persuasion, he snorted: "Sixth Brother, your worry is a bit unnecessary. Our father had it all planned back then—if you drowned on the way, he would go tell the eldest and have me inherit your title of Prince Fu and those ten-odd streets. If you had died then, I would be the Rent-Collecting Prince now!"

"What?" Zhu Cixuan was instantly enraged. "Is that true? How—how could he do that? How could you inherit my princely title and property?

You are my younger brother! If there was to be an inheritance, he should have found a nephew of the 'He' generation to be posthumously adopted as my son first, and only then could he inherit!"

A nephew could be posthumously adopted by the Rent-Collecting Prince and count as the Rent-Collecting Prince's son, so that the Rent-Collecting Prince would at least have an heir. If a younger brother inherited instead, the Rent-Collecting Prince would be left without descendants.

The Retired Emperor Chongzhen's arrangement at the time really was a bit underhanded.

Of course, Chongzhen was only saying it to please Consort Hu. Because the matter was not his to decide—it was up to Zhu Cilang.

How could Zhu Cilang possibly let the Ninth Prince Zhu Cixuan inherit the Rent-Collecting Prince's property? He himself had so many sons!

Still, after hearing his younger brother's revelation, the Rent-Collecting Prince was somewhat angry.

"Isn't that just how he is?" Zhu Cixuan was also a prince skilled at stirring up trouble—one might call it a specialty. "He has over a hundred sons—who does he care about? All he sees is silver! Oh, and young consorts too! A fatuous ruler, that's what he is!"

"Exactly!" Zhu Cixuan nodded, deeply agreeing. "He is a fatuous ruler. He was a fatuous ruler for seventeen years and nearly wrecked the realm our ancestors left behind... Fortunately the eldest seized power from him early, otherwise who knows if any of us brothers would even exist!"

"Right!" Zhu Cixuan said. "I'm not listening to him! He's just a powerless old man—why listen to him?

I'm not going anywhere. I'll stay right here in Nanjing and see what he can do to me."

The Rent-Collecting Prince quickly shook his head. "That won't do! You can ignore Father's words, but do you dare ignore the eldest's? The one in power now is not Father, it's the eldest... It was the eldest who sent you to the Western Regions to smooth things over. If you don't go, you won't get any good fruit. When the time comes and the eldest wants to deal with you, Father won't protect you—then you'll be in real trouble!"

"But how am I someone who can smooth things over?" Zhu Cixuan spread his hands. "And I don't even know what the Third Brother is trying to do—how am I supposed to smooth this over?"

"Isn't it obvious what the Third Brother is trying to do?" Zhu Cixuan said with a laugh. "He wants money and territory, of course! He was also badly screwed over by the eldest, having taken on the rotten mess of the Western Regions' Dai Kingdom. He originally wanted to reopen the Silk Road, but Russia refused to agree, and in the Western Regions he's been fighting endless wars with the Dzungars and the Khoshuts. The Third Brother is the head of the Three Feudatories of the Western Regions—he can't stay out of it—so over the years he's been screwed into becoming a debt king!"

"Ah," Zhu Cixuan sighed. "We brothers really are ill-fated—stuck with a father who sells his sons, and an eldest brother who screws over his younger brothers... How are we supposed to live from now on?"

This "stay-at-home prince" had grown up a bit today, realizing that his own fate was actually bitter too!

"Good that you know," Zhu Cixuan sighed. "You'd better just submit obediently... Actually, the Western Regions aren't entirely without merit. The Western Regions' foreign beauties are still quite lovely. Especially some of the mixed Han and foreign breeds—they're so beautiful they bubble over, far more beautiful than those goods along the Qinhuai River!"

Zhu Cixuan looked at the Rent-Collecting Prince with some doubt. "Sixth Brother, how do you know so clearly?"

Zhu Cixuan snorted: "Of course I know... I am the Rent-Collecting Prince. The joy of being the Rent-Collecting Prince is something you cannot imagine!"

Although the "stay-at-home prince" was far richer than those sons Chongzhen did not favor, he still could not compare with the Rent-Collecting Prince.

Seeing that his younger brother was somewhat tempted, the Rent-Collecting Prince continued persuading: "Ninth Brother, this opportunity is rare—don't push it away. Hurry up and come with your brother to Laoshan Palace and take on this mud-smoothing assignment!"

"But—but how do I smooth it over?" Zhu Cixuan shook his head repeatedly. "How cunning is the Third Brother? Would he listen to me?"

Zhu Cixuan said with a smile: "Either he listens to you, or you listen to him. In any case, you must pack up and leave immediately! Otherwise Father won't spare you, and the eldest won't spare you either... And by the way, don't think the West Garden princely residence is your property. This estate hasn't been transferred to your name yet—Father can take it back at any time!"

"It can be taken back?" Zhu Cixuan was frightened. His West Garden was worth several hundred thousand! And it could generate cash flow—West Garden was prime real estate, and the walls had long been broken through to open shops!

"But he already issued an edict..." Zhu Cixuan still found it hard to believe.

"What use is that?" Zhu Cixuan said. "It hasn't been transferred—the title deed still says the Retired Emperor... You have to trust me on this. I studied law at the Imperial Academy!"

(End of Chapter)