My husband is not easy to mess with. - Chapter 1: Rebel or Not
Chapter 1: Rebel or Not
Early winter.
After a heavy rain, the temperature plummeted.
Wealthy families set up charcoal burners, and their houses were warm and cozy. However, the residence of the Minister of Revenue, known throughout the capital for its immense wealth, was chilly and desolate, without a hint of fire.
“Boss, it’s all ready!”
“Just waiting for your command, and our men can immediately take over the capital!”
The simple, sturdy man rubbed his hands.
His eyes were bright, and his honest face was full of the excitement of about to undertake a big task.
Nie Yao’s eyes were already swimming from looking at account books.
Hearing this, he picked up the ledger and smacked it on the man’s head: “What boss, what boss? How many times do I have to tell you, you call me Lord Nie now!”
“Are you afraid others won’t know you used to work in the mountains?”
“This is the capital!”
“If someone catches a handle on you, you’ll only be eating five bowls of rice for three days!”
The sturdy man was not afraid of hardship or fatigue.
Getting injured or bleeding was a small matter, but only being able to eat five bowls of rice per meal was simply more cruel than taking his life!
The man became serious in an instant: “Understood, Lord Nie! Understood, Lord Nie!”
Nie Yao waved his hand, telling him to leave, “Tell Vice General Nie to come see me tonight.”
“Yes, sir!”
The sturdy man ran out the door quickly and neatly.
Nie Yao put down the account book and rubbed his temples, a little headache.
They didn’t have enough money again.
There was no way around it; nearly a million people needed food, clothing, subsidies, and timely replacement of weapons and equipment. The little money he had embezzled was simply not enough to cover the expenses.
He hadn’t expected that being a corrupt official would only earn him such scattered bits of silver!
It seemed that to make money, he still had to go into business.
Thinking of how his eldest brother could casually negotiate a deal and earn billions in his previous life, Nie Yao once again shed tears of regret.
If only he had known this day would come.
He wouldn’t have run away when his eldest brother forced him to go to work back then!
He pushed open the window.
A hazy moon hung in the sky.
Nie Yao raised his hand to wipe away non-existent tears from the corners of his eyes, silently chanting in his heart: Big Brother, if we can meet again, you absolutely must make up for the twenty-plus years of missing pocket money!
Making money is too hard.
He just wanted to be Big Brother’s kept man.
Wuwu…
“My Lord.”
Nie Zhixu arrived silently.
Nie Yao was used to it and raised his hand, gesturing for the other to rise. The situation in the capital was currently complex, and the army could not afford to make any mistakes.
Otherwise, one careless mistake and he would be celebrating a ‘Nine Clans Elimination’ party.
“Brother Zhixu, how are things in the military camp?”
“Reporting, My Lord, our army of one hundred thousand men has gathered at checkpoint number two in the city outskirts, ready to attack the capital at any time.”
Nie Yao was very confident in his efficiency.
After understanding the current situation at checkpoint number two, the focus of the discussion shifted to the current situation in the capital.
He took out two portraits and asked Nie Zhixu to look closely.
Unlike the group of simpletons outside who only knew how to eat large bowls of rice, Nie Zhixu was much more meticulous, at least at the level of a normal person.
He wouldn’t open his eyes and reply when Nie Yao asked: “They are indeed very similar, both have two eyes and one mouth.”
Hehe.
“These two…” Nie Zhixu carefully compared them before answering, “There is some resemblance between their brows.”
He recognized one of them as the current Prime Minister, Dou Jinyuan.
However, the latter was still unmarried and had never been known to have any living bl00d relatives.
Could the similarity just be a coincidence?
If so, the young master wouldn’t have given him the two paintings to examine.
“This portrait is…” he asked, pointing to the other one.
“The new Emperor.”
Nie Yao squinted and told him the answer directly.
Upon learning that Dou Jinyuan had betrayed the former third prince… no, upon learning that the prince Dou Jinyuan truly supported was someone else, he had sent people to investigate this so-called Ninth Prince, who was now the new Emperor.
But after searching for a long time, he had only recently obtained this one portrait.
Even more bizarrely.
As the investigation deepened, his subordinates discovered that the person who helped hide his whereabouts more than ten years ago was actually one of their own men!
What the hell.
Nie Yao couldn’t remember ever knowing this Ninth Prince who had suddenly appeared from nowhere.
And even arranging people for him.
Although he had indeed done similar things before, the child he had helped before was clearly a ge’er!
Ge’er in this world could have children.
Like women, they also did not have the right to inheritance.
The Ninth Prince had become the Emperor, so his gender should undoubtedly be male. After all, the old foxes in the court were not pushovers; even with the old fox Dou Jinyuan present, they wouldn’t just calmly allow a ge’er to ascend the throne… right?
Nie Yao looked at Nie Zhixu with some uncertainty.
Nie Zhixu remained silent.
He quickly replied: “I will immediately send people to investigate.”
“No need.”
Nie Yao waved his hand weakly.
Tomorrow was the new Emperor’s ascension, and the person who had been kept strictly hidden would finally come out to meet people. By then, he could personally see what the other party was all about.
If he truly witnessed some explosive scene, then… “Brother Zhixu, tomorrow morning, you should still bring ten thousand men into the capital.”
“Say you’re here to congratulate the new Emperor on behalf of my father.”
“As for the gift—”
Nie Yao patted his money pouch, assessing its complete lack of weight.
Then he put it back with a normal expression.
He coughed twice, “For the gift, just casually look in the mountains; whatever wild game you find, catch one for the new Emperor.”
As for gifts, it’s the thought that counts.
He believed the new Emperor would like the things they sincerely and personally caught.
“Yes.”
Nie Zhixu had been raised in the Nie family for many years and grew up with Nie Yao.
He didn’t think there was anything wrong with it and readily agreed.
Nie Yao then said, “Oh, right, if we don’t make a move tomorrow, tell the soldiers to stop by the palace for a feast.” Since they’ve come all this way, they might as well eat a meal before leaving.
It was a royal meal, not eating it would be a waste.
Ten thousand men, even if they only ate one meal, it would still be a lot.
It could save him a lot of silver.
“Yes.”
Afterward, Nie Yao made many arrangements regarding the court situation, which Nie Zhixu noted one by one.
When the two finished talking.
Nie Yao drank a bowl of coarse tea to moisten his throat. Seeing that Nie Zhixu hadn’t left, he asked, “Brother Zhixu, is there anything else?”
“Yes.”
Nie Zhixu took a letter from his bosom.
Inadvertently catching sight of the unrestrained handwriting on the envelope, Nie Yao’s eyelids twitched. He quickly put down the large teacup, “Brother Zhixu, I’m tired, I’m going back to my room to sleep now.”
“I can’t help it, I’m still growing, so I need to sleep and wake up early.”
He darted away quickly.
Nie Zhixu pursued him just as quickly.
“My Lord.”
He knelt down beside Nie Yao’s bed, where he was pretending to sleep, holding the letter above his head.
Nie Yao, who already had a rough idea of the contents, felt his head ache even more.
But to prevent Nie Zhixu from kneeling until dawn, he had no choice but to accept the letter.
Nie Zhixu still didn’t leave.
Nie Yao flipped over and sat up, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes to ask, “Brother Zhixu, is there anything else?”
“Godfather Qi wrote, telling me to watch you open it. Don’t lose it again.”
Before this, his father had written him many letters. Without exception, Nie Yao had “accidentally lost” all of them.
That’s why this time, the other party had mailed the letter to Nie Zhixu, instructing him to deliver it safely and preferably to watch his good son finish reading it.
Nie Yao was speechless.
He could only open the letter.
As expected, his father had written to ask for money.