My Husband Is Not Easy To Mess With. - Chapter 71: The Contemporary Heartthrob
Chapter 71: The Contemporary Heartthrob
Nie Yao only recognized money, not people.
Even if Lin Guizheng guaranteed that the Imperial Grandson would implement benevolent governance and improve people’s livelihoods after ascending the throne, Nie Yao would not relent.
Promises were ephemeral.
Only cash in hand was tangible.
Lin Guizheng couldn’t persuade him with words, so he was forced to agree to Nie Yao’s terms first.
“I will give you one hundred million taels first, and the rest will be paid after the matter is concluded.”
“It seems Sun Ji didn’t make it clear to you.”
Nie Yao’s business did not involve down payments or installments; when he said the full amount, he meant the full amount.
Three hundred million, not a single copper coin less.
Otherwise, no troops would be deployed.
“Nie Yao, don’t push your luck!” Lin Guizheng was unwilling to give Nie Yao that much money, even if he truly had it.
“I’m pushing you?” Nie Yao wouldn’t admit it. “Grand Tutor Lin, are your eyes failing you? This official has been sitting in prison, doing nothing. On the contrary, you are the one desperately begging me to cooperate.”
His tongue was exceptionally venomous.
Lin Guizheng, who was always respected, was so furious that his beard flew up.
“Fine!” Lin Guizheng mentally sentenced Nie Yao to death, just waiting for his dream to come true to execute it immediately. Helplessly, he gritted his teeth and agreed to the conditions Nie Yao offered with a cold face.
Nie Yao gave him one month. Once the money arrived, he would deploy troops to the border.
“I hope Grand Tutor Lin is not planning any tricks with me. If the amount of silver doesn’t match, I will still turn hostile.”
“Just wait and see!”
Lin Guizheng heavily flung his sleeves and left the imperial prison filled with rage.
A few days after he left.
The head envoy of the Yuan Kingdom—their Prince Duan—also came to visit Nie Yao.
His reason was that he had some acquaintance with Nie Yao and wanted to bring him some gifts.
Being too popular was also a trouble; every Tom, D1ck, and Harry wanted to claim a connection with him.
Nie Yao crossed his legs.
His arrogant attitude was no different from before.
He treated everyone who came to see him in prison the same, resolutely refusing to give anyone a pleasant look.
“Brother Nie.”
Prince Duan of Yuan Kingdom inquired about the quality of Nie Yao’s life after imprisonment in a familiar tone, and brought a pile of valuable items as gifts for him.
Given his generosity, Nie Yao’s attitude towards him improved quite a bit.
At least he voluntarily got up from the bed.
“What do you want, little Duan?”
Prince Duan was forty, a full thirteen years older than Nie Yao, and his surname wasn’t even Duan!
No one would believe he wasn’t intentionally provoking him with such an insulting address.
Prince Duan was almost broken by Nie Yao’s poisoned mouth, but thankfully he had already heard that Nie Yao was not easy to deal with, so he prepared himself mentally before coming.
With his mental preparations made, he quickly adjusted his state of mind.
“Brother Nie, you’ve had a difficult time these past few days.” Prince Duan entered through official channels, so there was almost no time limit on his visit.
He started making small talk with Nie Yao.
Even if Nie Yao was aloof, he still kept his faint smile and continued to chatter.
“Enough. Say whatever you want directly, don’t drag on with this nonsense.” Nie Yao lost interest in him after unpacking the gifts, impatiently telling him to state his business.
If there was no business, he should get lost.
“Lord Nie, hasn’t this prince been talking business with you?” Prince Duan of Yuan Kingdom feigned ignorance, saying he was just visiting a friend.
He had no other purpose.
No one would believe that.
Nie Yao scoffed, “Finished viewing? Then leave.”
He gave the order to leave.
Prince Duan didn’t get angry, smiled good-naturedly, and bid farewell.
In the following days, he often came to visit. Each time, he would present valuable gifts, creating the false impression of having a good relationship with Nie Yao.
“Next time, bring me some gold.”
Nie Yao had figured out his purpose and began to make demands without ceremony. “Bring a lot. This official prefers a taller bed.”
He actually intended to pile up gold to build a bed?!
Truly worthy of being the most corrupt official in Great Yu.
“It was thoughtless of me.” Nie Yao demanded an exorbitant price, yet Prince Duan was not angry. “Had I known the young general likes gold and silver, I should have prepared more before setting off.”
He put on a look of regret.
He also felt that the bait he had cast was enough and there was no need to waste more feed.
“It’s a pity that I did not prepare so much gold for this mission to Great Yu.” He said he didn’t have the money; even if he wanted to build a golden bed for Nie Yao, he was powerless.
Trying to get away without losing a single layer of skin?
Nie Yao sneered.
“It seems Prince Duan is not planning to return to Yuan Kingdom completely intact.”
“Brother Nie, what do you mean by that?”
“Don’t understand?” Nie Yao kindly translated for him. “If you don’t give me the money, I’ll kill you. Do you understand now?”
It was customary not to kill envoys during a war between two nations.
Moreover, they hadn’t even started fighting yet!
This time, Prince Duan couldn’t smile. He asked with a darkened face, “Is Young General Nie planning to start a war with my Yuan Kingdom?”
“Is it not obvious enough?”
Nie Yao smiled, full of malice. “I’ve been stuck here for so long, and I’m getting a little bored. I want to go out and wander around.”
As for how to get out?
By creating a war.
As long as the two countries were fighting, the Emperor would have to use the Nie family. In this way, the initiative in negotiations would fall into their hands.
“Seeing as your home is far away, I’ll give you ten days.” Nie Yao blatantly demanded a bribe. “If you don’t send me five million taels of gold in ten days, then my army stationed outside the city might have a good talk with you.”
“Don’t worry, they are not as busy as I am. They have plenty of time.”
Doesn’t he like making small talk?
I’ll let him talk all he wants this time!
Look at how benevolent he was.
Nie Yao opened the cell door and walked out, quickly dealing with the guards Prince Duan brought and placing his dagger against his neck.
It sliced a shallow but distinct cut.
“Do you understand? It’s as easy as turning my hand over to kill you.”
Prince Duan was dumbfounded.
He couldn’t understand what this Yu Kingdom was doing, not even being able to keep a person locked up!
With his life threatened, he was also a little panicked. But then he thought, what Nie Yao wanted was gold; if he killed him, where would he get the gold?
That calmed him down.
He questioned Nie Yao, “Are you not afraid I will complain to the Emperor of Great Yu?”
“Do you think I would be afraid?”
Having given enough warning, Nie Yao retracted the dagger and told him to go ahead and complain.
He wasn’t afraid anyway.
Nie Yao said out loud: “As long as my father still commands nine hundred thousand men, he won’t dare to touch me!”
Nie Yao thought internally: Hehe, my wife would never do anything to me. He can’t even bear to scold me!
He suddenly laughed, full of malevolence.
It scared Prince Duan badly.
“I understand.” Regardless of anything else, he agreed to the matter first, planning to slowly negotiate once he got out. “Within ten days, I will deliver the gold.”
He appeared very sincere and even asked Nie Yao if he could supplement it with an equivalent value of silver if the gold was insufficient.
“You can.”
Nie Yao said leniently, “If silver is still not enough, valuable objects can also be used to pay the debt.”
He pulled a trick to sow discord. Whether it worked or not was unknown, but a debt was definitely incurred.
If I had known this, I shouldn’t have come to this imperial prison!
Prince Duan secretly resented.
As soon as he left the cell, he began to think about how he could avoid such a huge loss of property.