The Frontier Prince: Starting From Scratch - Chapter 43 - Jinling

Jinling City.

Since the founding of the Dasong Dynasty, it has been the imperial capital.

For over two hundred years, it has thrived thanks to the prosperity of the south of the Yangtze, and as the center of power for the Dasong Dynasty, it has become exceedingly prosperous, with a population exceeding a million.

Renowned as the wealthiest in the world, the south of the Yangtze is the richest, and within it, Jinling stands supreme.

At this time, in the height of summer, Jinling is scorching hot.

As in previous years, the ice transported from the north last winter is in high demand among the populace.

Yet, as always, because transporting ice is difficult and scarce, after supplying only a portion of the city’s elite, Jinling finds itself in a predicament with no ice available for sale.

Even the imperial palace, due to a not particularly cold winter, was unable to transport enough ice from the north and had to use it sparingly.

They could not lavishly reward ministers with ice as in previous years, making ice even more unattainable in Jinling.

However, just when the price of ice soared, a merchant house suddenly appeared in Jinling, selling ice on a large scale.

In no time, the elites of Jinling, tormented by the heat, flocked to it.

“Yan Prefecture Merchant House, never heard of it before.”

In the tavern across from the merchant house, many patrons drank and chatted.

Watching the crowd of ice buyers at the merchant house’s entrance, they couldn’t help but sigh.

“Right now, ice is expensive, this merchant house is really going to make a fortune.”

“Isn’t it? Yan Prefecture, isn’t that a prefecture under Yan Province?”

“Yes, it is part of Yan Province, but transporting ice from Yan Province to sell it so cheaply, isn’t the owner of this merchant house afraid of losing money?”

“…”

The crowd buzzed with discussion.

To them, the cost of transporting ice over two thousand miles from Yan Province to Jinling would outweigh the profits from selling it.

They couldn’t understand how the merchant house could sell ice so cheaply.

“Who cares if they lose money or not, it’s so cheap, I’ll buy some to take home and let the kids cool off with some ice.”

“Exactly, 5 qian of silver per jin, it’s a steal.”

“You better hurry if you want to buy some, before it’s all sold out.”

With another burst of chatter, several patrons left the tavern.

Yan Prefecture Merchant House.

Guan Zhong was focused on the accounts, while two others beside him were responsible for placing the silver into boxes.

He was the steward sent by the Prince’s Mansion to Yan Prefecture, overseeing the accounts with two servants.

Upon arriving in Jinling, they found themselves idle in the business guild.

The offspring and servants sent by the regional magnates deliberately distanced themselves from them.

This made them both angry and helpless.

After all, they were well aware that the Prince’s Mansion’s position in Yan Prefecture was not yet secure.

However, yesterday, this situation suddenly changed.

The reason was the sudden arrival of a group of regional magnate offspring from Yan Prefecture.

These young nobles reportedly rode fast horses, changing mounts along the way, reaching Jinling in just five days.

Upon arrival, they immediately took control of the Huang and Du families’ members and servants.

Subsequently, they handed over the authority of the Yan Prefecture Merchant House to them.

Their status in the merchant house soared as a result.

It was then that they learned of the major events in Yan Prefecture.

The Huang and Du families’ rebellion had been crushed by the Prince’s Mansion, and the Zhang Family had lost its former prestige.

The Prince’s Mansion had taken control of Yan Prefecture, and their master had become the true Prince Yan.

“This afternoon, you two keep watch here, I’ll deliver a letter to His Highness.”

Touching the letter tucked in his chest, Guan Zhong’s expression was serious.

This was a letter sent by the Prince Yan through the Dong Family’s offspring, meant for Gui Ren Mi¹ in the palace.

If he guessed correctly, Gui Ren Mi was the Prince Yan’s biological mother.

During his time in the imperial city, he had learned quite a bit about the inner workings of the palace. The imperial concubines had their own hierarchy. Prince Yan’s mother was merely Gui Ren Mi, indicating her low status within the palace, unable to even leverage her son’s position for her own advancement. But this was not his concern. No matter how much Prince Yan was disregarded by the emperor, he was still far above a mere servant like himself.

“Xiangguo Temple.” This was a bustling area within Jinling, where many noblewomen from the imperial city often came to burn incense and pray. According to Prince Yan’s instructions, his mother occasionally left the palace to visit Xiangguo Temple for prayers. However, delivering a letter through this method posed some difficulties. There was another way, though, near Xiangguo Temple. There lay the mansion of Chief Steward Liang, a prominent eunuch.

As per Prince Yan’s orders, he was to bring ten thousand taels of silver to Liang’s mansion, feigning closeness to bribe Liang in hopes of gaining some leverage within the palace. This method seemed more promising for delivering the letter. With this plan in mind, he withdrew silver from the accounts and had the servants carry it to Xiangguo Temple.

Prince Yan had entrusted him with this task in Jinling, a sign of trust he was determined not to betray. He had to find a way to accomplish this mission, to repay Prince Yan’s kindness.

Liang Cheng’s mansion was well-known, almost everyone in Jinling was aware of it. After crossing five bridges, three streets, and several alleys, he stopped in front of a grand mansion.

“Truly opulent,” Guan Zhong mused, awestruck. Before him stood a mansion with two lifelike stone lions guarding the entrance. The bright red lacquered doors were adorned with gleaming golden studs. In front of the doors, a row of servants either stood or sat, all dressed in silk with gold and jade hanging from their belts. The stark contrast reminded him of the Prince’s Mansion’s modesty, stirring a sense of discomfort within him.

His Prince Yan, despite being a prince, was not as well-off as a eunuch. But this thought quickly passed; he dared not underestimate Liang Cheng. Everyone in Jinling knew he was favored by the emperor. Princes and nobles alike sought his favor, hoping he would speak well of them to the emperor.

“What are you doing here? Don’t linger at the door, move along!” Guan Zhong had just stopped when the mansion’s servants, with expressions like fierce dogs, approached him with sticks.

Guan Zhong remained calm, retrieving a silver ingot from his sleeve and stepping forward. “Brothers, could you do me a favor?” He slipped the silver into the servant’s sleeve.

Seeing each ingot was worth fifty taels, the servant’s anger turned to a smile. “Where are you from? Are you here to ask Chief Steward Liang for a favor?”

“Indeed,” Guan Zhong replied, pulling out a letter of introduction from his sleeve, which he had brought from Yan Province. “Prince Yan has prepared some gifts for Your Excellency.”

“That fool…” The servant from Liang Mansion started to say, but stopped abruptly, awkwardly smiling, “Ah, it’s the ninth prince.”

“Yes, Prince Yan has recently recovered from illness and misses the emperor and his mother. He also remembers Your Excellency’s care during his time in the capital, so he sent me here,” Guan Zhong explained.

The two servants exchanged a glance. “With a letter of introduction, it’s easier. Wait here, I’ll report to him. Luckily, Your Excellency is at the mansion today. Whether he sees you or not depends on your luck.”

Guan Zhong smiled, “Please do, and there will be more gifts later.”

They nodded, showing an expression of approval, and turned to enter the mansion.

Passing a screen painted with cranes, the servant walked down a long corridor and found Liang Cheng by the lotus pond in the garden, fishing.

The servant’s arrogance vanished instantly, like a docile puppy, he whispered, “Your Excellency, the ninth prince has sent a letter of introduction.”

Liang Cheng responded with an “Oh,” then suddenly reacted, “Who?”

“The ninth… ninth prince. His servant said the ninth prince has recovered and came to thank Your Excellency,” the servant stammered, turning pale, fearing he had caused trouble.

Liang Cheng was even more surprised, “The ninth prince has recovered!”

Frowning, his white eyebrows twitched several times. “Let that servant in, I have questions for him.”

Footnote:

1. Gui Ren Mi(糜贵人):An imperial consort rank in ancient China, typically a mid-to-lower tier position within the imperial harem. Her surname is Mi (糜).