Chapter 614: No Longer Useful

"Yes, yes, yes!"

One person spoke, and the crowd echoed in agreement.

Nobody was willing to be whipped to death by the Young Master’s whip.

They unanimously insisted that someone had leaked the news secretly, rather than it being their incompetence at fault.

The hall was a cacophony of noise, and Yelv Guza grew even angrier, his chest rising and falling like sand dunes.

Someone shrilled, "Ever since Yelv Xianyong left the Dingbei Marquis Mansion, everything at our Hostage Mansion has gone wrong. Could it be that he secretly sided with Dingbei Marquis?"

Yelv Xianyong was ugly and unsociable, yet highly skilled in martial arts and somewhat narcissistic, making him unpopular with many. Moreover, it had been reported that while trapped in the Dingbei Marquis Mansion, he and Dingbei Marquis had bonded like brothers, drinking and feasting together nightly.

Although the Young Master firmly believed Yelv Xianyong was not such a person, yet...

As the saying goes, a repeated falsehood gains acceptance, leading Yelv Guza to become increasingly suspicious of Yelv Xianyong. Unable to bear it, he threw down the whip, glaring sinisterly at the ragtag crowd.

"Enough! You useless rats, you lost the silver and still make a fuss. Go back and think about how to retrieve the silver to atone for your mistakes. Get out!"

No one dared to speak again and quickly retreated.

Yelv Guza slumped into a chair, holding his head and shouted angrily, "Bring the wine."

The attendant hurriedly brought over a wine jar, and Yelv Guza lifted it, breaking the seal and pouring it into his mouth.

The strong aroma of wine filled the air, wetting his beard and then soaking his clothes as it dripped down.

At this moment, Yelv Guza was easily provoked.

One fearless confidant approached, "Young Master, you can’t blame everyone for speaking ill of Yelv Xianyong today. In every matter he’s involved in, nine out of ten turn out unsuccessful. Just today at Duke Zhen’s Mansion, how could a weak woman escape? Everyone blames us for the mishaps, and both King Jin and the Crown Prince sent people to criticize us..."

Another person agreed, "Isn’t that so? How many know about such confidential matters? Even if the Young Master trusts him, denying his involvement in the silver robbery, when it comes to the Dingbei Marquis Mansion, it’s not so clear."

"What do you mean?" Yelv Guza set down the wine jar.

"I heard from Shaoshan, who fled back, that Yelv Xianyong often discussed Three Kingdoms theory with Dingbei Marquis, and when drunk in the dungeon, he spoke drunkenly about heroes cherishing heroes. It’s said that one speaks the truth when drunk, so he probably regrets not having pledged himself to Dingbei Marquis. Speaking of which, they’re both heroes, where does that leave our Young Master?"

"Isn’t it true? Since the two of them admire each other, naturally, they wouldn’t want Dingbei Marquis to be publicly cuckolded. By doing so, he seems to uphold some sense of brotherhood, but in the process, he’s offended King Jin to death and also angered the Crown Prince."

"It was originally such a good scheme, several birds with one stone! If it weren’t for the Young Master’s trust, how would he have been informed of this matter? He truly betrayed the Young Master’s past kindness; if the Young Master hadn’t taken him in, who knows where he’d be tending horses."

"The Crown Prince is wary of King Jin and also wary of us, and now the silver has been robbed, so we can’t send silver to the Crown Prince and Earl Chengen. It’s truly troublesome."

...

"Enough talking!" Yelv Guza waved his arm, throwing the wine jar outside the hall, swaying his now-dizzy head, his bloodshot eyes wide open: "What hero? So what if he’s a hero? Is the Gu Family really that impressive? They’re just Daxing Royal Family’s dogs.

So what if they’re loyal? It’s just a joke. Damn it, why aren’t they dead yet, still leaving that Gu the Third. Earl Chengen is useless, taking so much silver tael without doing anything. I’ll let them cherish each other as heroes, hahaha. It’s really enlightening to see a dog I raised, Yelv Guza, dare to bite back!"

The confidants all shut their mouths, secretly exchanging glances.

Good news, Yelv Xianyong, this dog is about to be slaughtered.

...

Cining Palace.

The hall was filled with shattered porcelain, with palace maids and eunuchs standing silently, not daring to make a sound.

The Empress Dowager had eagerly gone to Duke Zhen’s Mansion but returned disappointed, followed shortly by Empress Lin, the Ninth Princess, Princess Fuyun, King Jin, and others, all coming to cry and argue in the hall one after another.

If it weren’t for the Crown Prince’s ill health, he probably would’ve come too.

"Go, call the Emperor here, see how his good son and daughter have made such a mess here for me!"

The Empress Dowager sternly ordered the little eunuch beside her.

The little eunuch smirked, "The servant thinks that since the Emperor saw the Empress and Your Majesty both go to Duke Zhen’s Mansion, he took the chance to slip away to the brothel."

One sentence rekindled the Empress Dowager’s dissatisfaction with Duke Zhen’s Mansion.

"The You Family is also unreliable."

The little eunuch added, "Shall I send someone to bring the Emperor back?"

The Empress Dowager thought for a moment, "Forget it, let him come to see me when he returns. He, too, is indeed cowardly for wanting to relax but needing to avoid the Empress, even in the Southern Barbarian Lands men aren’t so afraid of their wives. Alas, he too, why did he entangle with courtesans for no good reason, it’s hardly respectable for both ruler and ministers to enjoy together if word spreads."

Li Xingshou and Zhang Xingshou in the brothel are both courtesans favored by the Emperor.

These two are also cash cows in the brothel, countless high officials and wealthy merchants offer hefty sums just to gain recognition, not to mention the cost of listening to a tune or dining together.

The Emperor, closely watched by Empress Lin, always had to find ways to sneak out of the palace through secret paths to meet them.

Unavoidably, he would encounter ministers with the same interest.

Yet, it hasn’t been leaked out yet.

The little eunuch smiled, "Your Majesty might not know, the servant learned from my god-grandfather that the Empress enjoys frugality. As the head of the six palaces, she sets an example, inevitably imposing many constraints.

The brothel is known as a money pit, countless people bring silver just to glimpse whom they cannot meet, and from the exquisite people groomed there, everything is refined. What’s available in our palace is available there, and what’s not available here is still available there. The Emperor, spending long periods in the palace, naturally wishes for some enjoyment."

The Empress Dowager was stunned for a moment, then sneered, "Look, clearly a foot-washing maid trying to put on the airs of an aristocratic lady, making everything in tatters just for a virtuous reputation, causing the supreme ruler to do something so base. As walls always have ears, if the Emperor continues, eventually, he’ll meet a minister. How should he handle that then?"

The little eunuch smiled, "The Emperor is the supreme ruler, what can ministers say? Naturally, whatever the Emperor says goes."

The Empress Dowager spat, "What, what? What do you know, you ignorant thing? So the Empress thinks the same? Look at the mess she’s created, truly exasperating."

The little eunuch dared not speak further.

The Empress Dowager asked again, "How is the Crown Prince?"

The little eunuch replied, "He has taken the medicine and is resting, before sleeping he even sent someone to berate King Jin, telling him not to harbor inappropriate thoughts."