The world is like a prison, my body is holy

Chapter 175 Waiting for the Best Price
After packing up and sending numerous corrupt officials from the Transport Commissioner's Office to the capital, Wang Wen, who was in charge of the Transport Commissioner's Office, finally met the person he had been waiting for...

"Student Yang Ying, humbly serving as the Crown Prince's tutor, pays his respects to General Wang!"

Below the main hall of the Transport Commissioner's Office, a young scholar in a light green robe, with a refined and gentle demeanor, bowed respectfully with a slight smile on his face.

In the hall, Wang Wen, who was writing furiously, chuckled without even looking up when he heard the sound: "Is there no one left in the Eastern Palace? They actually sent a mere groom to win me over!"

Upon hearing this, the young scholar below, who called himself Yang Ying, suddenly froze the confident smile on his lips.

"Hahaha……"

Wang Wen laughed loudly, threw down his pen, stood up, walked down the hall, and gestured to Yang Ying to "please": "We are all young people. I was just playing a little joke on Mr. Yang. I hope Mr. Yang won't take offense... Please take a seat. Someone, bring tea!"

Yang Ying couldn't help but chuckle and said, "General, you are truly a remarkable person!"

Wang Wen accompanied him to his seat and said with a smile, "The main problem is that we've been waiting for Mr. Yang for too long, and I'm starting to feel resentful..."

Yang Ying glanced at him discreetly, then immediately continued, "Oh, General, you knew the student would be coming?"

"of course I know!"

Wang Wen chuckled casually, "I just wonder whether the first to arrive will be someone from your Eastern Palace or someone from the Prince of Qin's residence... You two are really quite cautious, dragging things out until everything is settled before coming to see me. Don't you know the saying, 'It's easy to add flowers to brocade, but difficult to provide charcoal in the snow'?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Ying tensed up immediately, but still maintained a gentle and apologetic smile, saying, "This is my fault. His Highness the Crown Prince entrusted me to pay my respects to the General half a month ago. It is truly my fault that I am so weak and caught a cold on the way, and have been bedridden for eight or nine days. As a result, I am only able to see the General's face today... Please forgive me, General, and do not tell His Highness the Crown Prince that I have failed in my mission!"

"is it?"

Wang Wen seemed to believe his nonsense and chuckled, teasingly saying, "It's not even the Cold Dew season yet, and you've already caught a cold, sir. You must have some kidney deficiency!"

Yang Ying smiled sheepishly, "I'm sorry to have troubled you, General. I've always been frail since I was a child. It's only because His Highness the Crown Prince is open-minded and accepts talented people that I'm valued. Others would not have given a second thought to a sickly person like me..."

"Don't talk about yourself like that."

Wang Wen shook his head: "Sir, you are already a rare talent for daring to openly admit to having kidney deficiency. At least in terms of shamelessness, you have surpassed 99% of men!"

Yang Ying simply smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry to have made you laugh, General..."

Wang Wen also smiled and nodded: "Originally, I didn't have high expectations for the first negotiation. I always suspected that the first one to come wouldn't be able to offer a price, just like those street vendors doing small business. They always have to haggle and bargain before they can get a price that satisfies both parties... But after meeting you, sir, I suddenly believe that this negotiation will not be a complete waste of time!"

Upon hearing this, Yang Ying's forehead began to bead with sweat. He repeatedly replied, "I will not disappoint the general," and used the tea to gather his thoughts, trying to break free from Wang Wen's negotiation rhythm.

He was still wondering to himself, "Wasn't it said that this Wang Erhu came from humble beginnings and hadn't even studied many historical classics? How could he be so difficult to deal with!"

Seeing that he was holding the teacup with his eyes darting around, Wang Wen didn't urge him and calmly sipped his tea.

He originally had no interest in the matter of the princes vying for the throne.

He's so busy, how could he have the time and energy to play house with a bunch of spoiled brats?

But even if he had no interest, he couldn't resist that fool King Qi's insistence on provoking him...

Now, he's involved even though he doesn't usually get involved; he's done everything that should and shouldn't be done.

Now that the job is done, of course I need to ask the boss for my wages!

Furthermore……

His attack on the Huainan Transport Commissioner's Office was not only a way to establish his authority and vent his anger, but also a test of the imperial court.

There is no hatred without a cause, nor is there love without a cause.

He had never even met Emperor Hongtai, so why should Emperor Hongtai protect him?
However, to date, he has not received any imperial edict or official document from the court reprimanding or punishing him.

Instead, they received a lobbyist from the Crown Prince's palace...

What does this mean?
This means that the Great Zhou Dynasty had no way to deal with Wang Wen.

At the very least, one must be hesitant to act rashly!
Although doing this might seem a bit like taking advantage of someone's kindness...

However, the true nature of the Great Zhou court undoubtedly allowed him to deal with the people and events before him with increasing composure.

For example, they might use the pretext of interfering in the princes' struggle for power to gain benefits without actually doing anything.

How does that sentence go?

If you use her and don't pay her, does that mean it doesn't count as prostitution?

If he only takes the benefits and doesn't do anything, then he won't be considered to be interfering in the princes' struggle for the throne.
Don't say he's a dishonest person.

He would make a killing by doing this, but the other party might not necessarily lose money!
Even if he does nothing, his banner of the Huainan Demon-Slaying General's Mansion, no matter which side of the scale he stands on, is enough to determine the outcome of the battle!

Wang Wen didn't trust the shrewd people at the top of the court, unaware that Fang La had died at his hands!
It's not an exaggeration to say that a Grandmaster who's not even thirty years old is worth 100,000 troops.

……

Yang Ying weighed the matter in his mind for a long time, gritted his teeth, put down his teacup, and said seriously, "General, you are a man of few words, so I will not play games with you... As long as you are willing to serve His Highness the Crown Prince, His Highness will grant you the position of Commander of the Demon Suppression Division after the matter is accomplished!"

This is already the bottom price!
But when Wang Wen heard the price, he only found it laughable.

He held up a finger and gently shook it from side to side: "NONONO... Sir, you must be someone who has never lifted a finger and doesn't know the hardships of ordinary people. How can a businessman do business like this? It's like saying that I want to buy your ancestral home now, but I won't pay a penny right now. I only promise you that after I become rich in the future, I will pay you double the price of the ancestral home. Would you be willing to transfer the ancestral home to me?"

Yang Ying immediately retorted, "How can these be confused? You must know that the Crown Prince is the eldest son of the Emperor..."

Wang Wen shook his head, interrupting his argument: "There's no difference. Even if His Highness the Crown Prince has a chance to ascend the throne after the Emperor's death, it's still just a 'hope.' Throughout history, how many examples have there been of people who built a mountain nine ren high only to fail at the last step? I've never even met the Crown Prince. Why should I risk my future and even my life to accompany him in gambling on a vague and illusory 'hope'?"

Yang Ying, who had remained unfazed even when Wang Wen implied that he had kidney deficiency, suddenly frowned and trembled upon hearing this, showing a tendency to slam his fist on the table, curse loudly, and storm off.

But Wang Wen, a psychological mentor who deeply understands human nature, punctured Yang Ying's anger with just one sentence, like puncturing a ball: "To put it another way, if I were to not serve His Highness the Crown Prince and instead serve His Highness the Prince of Qin, wouldn't His Highness have two less chances of winning? Wouldn't that 'hope' become much more elusive?"

"you……"

Yang Ying stared intently at Wang Wen, speechless for a moment!
Something is wrong!
Something is very wrong!

The pace of this negotiation was completely different from the pace he had rehearsed before he arrived!
How could this Wang Erhu be more troublesome than those seasoned officials who have been through many ups and downs in the political arena?
The information about this person says that he only attended a private school for a few years and then spent his time hanging around in the canal gangs.
How could such a treacherous place as the Grand Canal Gang produce such a troublesome figure?
Damn it, I was careless!
Seeing that he remained silent for a long time, Wang Wen slowly showed disappointment on his face: "If you can't make a decision, sir, you might as well go back and ask His Highness the Crown Prince for instructions. It just so happens that the people from the Prince of Qin's mansion should be arriving soon..." During the time he was stationed at the Transport Commissioner's Office, he had already roughly grasped the situation of the princes vying for the throne in the court.

The current Emperor Hongtai has fathered fourteen princes.

Currently, there are three princes who have the highest opinion of the court and are most likely to ascend the throne: the Crown Prince, the Prince of Qin, and the Prince of Qi.

These three princes had been involved in politics for many years, each cultivating a group of court officials and building a solid base of support through years of struggle.

The crown prince's base of support lies with the civil officials.

The Qin king's core strength lay in his military generals.

The King of Qi's foundation lay in finance.

The three are not absolute. The crown prince has military generals who are loyal to him, the King of Qin has civil officials who speak up for him, and the King of Qi also has civil and military officials who are working for him.

Relatively speaking, the three princes have the greatest advantage in their respective bases of support...

In a sense, all three princes possessed the qualities of a powerful and ambitious leader!

Even though Wang Wen kept referring to the King of Qi as a big idiot, he had to admit that the idiot had some good fortune. As far as he knew, the King of Qi controlled 80% of the tax revenue and expenditure south of Huainan.

The Grand Canal Gang, which was essentially the largest gang in the Great Zhou Dynasty, was firmly under the control of the Prince of Qi... only the lower-level members of the Grand Canal Gang were unaware of this.

But clearly, this situation of "like father, like son" is not a good thing in the royal family!
Rumors had long circulated in the court that if the imperial tombs were to collapse one day, internal strife would ensue and chaos would engulf the empire.

Unfortunately, Emperor Hongtai turned a deaf ear and a blind eye...

Even if the emperor isn't in a hurry, it's no use if the eunuchs are anxious.

Wang Wen had already given the King of Qi a hard dressing down, so naturally he would never consider serving under the King of Qi again.

They could only choose between the Crown Prince and the King of Qin.

Of course, it is only now that he has the power to choose.

Before this, he didn't even have the right to choose...

Still struggling, Yang Ying, upon hearing Wang Wen's words, suddenly snapped back to reality and exclaimed in alarm: 'Yes, the people from the Prince of Qin's mansion are about to arrive!'

Prior to this, the Crown Prince's Palace and the Prince of Qin's Mansion dared not try to win over Wang Wen because they were wary of the Emperor's opinion on the matter.

Now that the Crown Prince's Palace has sent people over first, how far behind can the people from the Prince of Qin's residence be?

'This person must not be allowed into the Prince of Qin's residence, otherwise he will become a great threat!'

Yang Ying made up her mind and hurriedly thought of a price that could persuade Wang Wen and get things done.

In the eyes of him and the crown prince behind him, Wang Wen is no longer just the General Who Slays Demons in Huainan.

Instead, he became the head of the Huainan officialdom, succeeding the Huainan Transport Commissioner!

After this incident, which official in Huainan Province would dare to defy the Demon-Slaying General's Mansion?

Are you not afraid that the Demon-Slaying General's Mansion will bring a large number of demons and monsters to your door and ask if you are colluding with demons and monsters?
By winning over Wang Wen, we can gain the support of the Demon-Slaying General's Mansion and thus control the entire officialdom of Huainan.

It can also sever the backbone of King Qi's chivalrous spirit!

This is no longer a matter of one gaining at the expense of the other.

Instead, it's going up, up, up!

Even if the Crown Prince's Palace can't make this money-making deal, we absolutely cannot let the Prince of Qin's Mansion succeed!

After a brief but intense period of thought, Yang Ying quickly offered his terms: "As long as the general is willing to serve His Highness the Crown Prince, His Highness will definitely recommend the general to serve concurrently as the military commissioner of Yangzhou!"

In this dynasty, the militia commander is a military official with honorary titles, which can be either substantive or nominal.

For example, if Wang Wenren were to be appointed as the Border Militia Commander in Yangzhou, that would be a nominal position. However, if he were to be appointed as the Yangzhou Militia Commander, that would be a real position.

But a militia commander can only lead three to five thousand soldiers at most. All the supplies of armor, food and provisions are provided according to the lowest level, which is not even as good as the treatment of the local militia...

After hearing this, Wang Wen neither agreed nor disagreed, but simply yawned and said wearily, "It's getting late, sir. Why don't you go back and rest first, and we can talk about it tomorrow?"

Yang Ying glanced subconsciously at the bright sunlight outside the gate, then silently withdrew his gaze. After another intense internal struggle, he gritted his teeth and said, "Within three years, His Highness the Crown Prince will definitely recommend the general and appoint him as the Pacification Commissioner of Huainan!"

The Pacification Commissioner and the Militia Commissioner were similar; both were honorary military officials who could hold both nominal and substantive positions.

The difference is that the maximum number of troops a militia commander can command is five thousand.

The maximum number of troops a pacification commissioner could command was 50,000!
When he said that, Wang Wen was no longer sleepy.

He smiled and picked up the teacup, took a sip, and said with a smile, "Sir, can you make a decision for His Highness the Crown Prince?"

Yang Ying bowed solemnly and said, "General, there is no need to worry. Before I set off, His Highness the Crown Prince entrusted this matter entirely to me. As long as you are willing to serve His Highness the Crown Prince, I am confident that I can strongly recommend you to him... However, my humble efforts will stop here. If you are still not satisfied, I can only return to the capital and ask His Highness the Crown Prince for instructions."

The implication was: 'Know when to stop; if you want to increase the stakes further, you'll have to negotiate with the Prince of Qin's residence first!'

After a moment's thought, Wang Wen laughed and said, "Since you're so straightforward, I won't beat around the bush... Stop with the empty promises of three years. If His Highness the Crown Prince truly values ​​me, Wang Wen, then let's get down to business right now!"

He declared righteously, "As long as His Highness the Crown Prince can appoint me as the Pacification Commissioner of Huainan, I will be His Highness's henchman from now on. Wherever His Highness points, I will fight!"

Upon hearing this, Yang Ying nearly jumped up from his chair: "Absolutely impossible! What great things has the General accomplished here that I need to remind him of? To recommend the General to concurrently serve as the Pacification Commissioner of Huainan, where does that leave the dignity of the court? Where does that leave the dignity of the Emperor?"

"That's it..."

Wang Wen yawned sleepily again: "Then sir, you should go back and rest for now. I'm tired. We can discuss things again tomorrow."

Yang Ying was stunned by his shamelessness: "You..."

(End of this chapter)