Qing Yao

Chapter 477 This manor is now occupied!
The person Yongxuan mentioned must be someone important; Zhao An guessed it might be some kind of hat king.

The mastermind behind Xinshengbao Casino, the largest gambling den in Beijing, is said to be the "Hat King".

After the old master ascended the throne, he was extremely ruthless in suppressing the imperial clan, especially the princes with hats. Several major cases against the imperial clan made the Aisin Gioro princes lose their temper and no longer had the ambition to interfere in the government. Instead, they devoted themselves to the tertiary industry to earn some private money to spend. There's not much to say about that.

However, it was precisely because the old master suppressed the Aisin Gioro clan so ruthlessly that the rumor arose that the old master was not the late emperor's blood relative, but was actually the son of a Han Chinese.

The old emperor himself had a particular fondness for Han Chinese clothing and would often wear Hanfu and Han crowns in the palace. As a result, several versions of rumors were born, some quite detailed, and the rumors spread not only throughout the court but also among the common people, where even children knew that the current emperor was not a Manchu.

If the rumors are allowed to continue spreading, it will truly shake the legitimacy of the old man's rule.

Left with no other choice, the old patriarch reversed his initial leniency towards the literary inquisition and launched another major case, relying on his iron-fisted methods to ensure that no one in the court or the public dared to spread rumors again.

The side effect is that it completely breaks the backbone of Han Chinese scholars.

Of course, none of this concerned Zhao An; he just wanted to know if Yongxuan was referring to the "King of Hats."

The answer didn't keep Zhao An waiting long.

The next night, as soon as night fell, Zhao An, along with Xu Lin and other guards, disguised themselves and arrived at the edge of Jishuitan.

Jishuitan is part of Shichahai, which is called Houhai in Beijing. Besides numerous temples, the surrounding area is also full of princely mansions.

This reinforced Zhao An's suspicion that the person Yongxuan introduced might be the "King of Hats."

It didn't take much effort to find Tinghe Pavilion, but this place was not built by the water, but hidden in a dense bamboo forest, making it an extremely quiet villa.

Before Zhao An and his group could even knock on the door, the guards on duty outside the pavilion had already swept their gazes over. Although they didn't speak or draw their swords, just one glance was enough to make Xu Lin and the others involuntarily tense up.

An instinctive wariness when encountering a master.

Zhao An observed this and thought to himself that the spirit and energy of these guards were not something that could be cultivated by ordinary wealthy families, and that the master's identity was probably very close to the person he was guessing.

What brings you gentlemen here?

An elderly man who looked like a manager walked out from the gatehouse; his voice was calm, yet carried an air of authority that commanded respect.
Zhao An didn't say much, but showed the mutton fat jade seed that Yongxuan had given him.

The old steward took the item and examined it carefully. After a couple of breaths, he bowed slightly and said, "My master has been waiting for you for a long time. Please follow me."

When he spoke, the old steward slightly tucked his chin in and looked down at the height of Zhao An's nose, showing respect without being too direct or offensive.

Such deeply ingrained rules cannot be learned overnight, nor can they be imitated by clever young servants hired from the market. It takes generations of accumulation to master this style.

Zhao An nodded, signaling Xu Lin and the other guards to wait outside, and then followed the old steward into the courtyard.

In an elegantly decorated room, Zhao An saw Yongxuan, who had already arrived.

Next to Yongxuan sat a middle-aged man in his forties, whose clothes and demeanor exuded a "high-end" air.

How to describe it? It's like Zhao An, dressed in a suit, is in a meeting room when suddenly the door opens and a man in a Zhongshan suit, surrounded by many men in suits, slowly walks towards him.

"coming,"

Yongxuan didn't exchange pleasantries with Zhao An, and immediately stood up to introduce the middle-aged man: "This is Prince Su." Prince Su?
Zhao An's heart skipped a beat: Hauge's descendants!
The lineage of Prince Su originated from Hauge, the eldest son of Emperor Taizong of Qing. He was a hereditary prince, and his status was very prestigious among the princes.

If the "King of Hats" were to be ranked, theoretically, Prince Su, from the lineage of Hong Tai's eldest son, Hauge, should be ranked first.

After all, Hauge was the true heir to the Hongtai throne, while Shunzhi Fulin seized the throne from his brother with the help of his uncle Dorgon.

Only then can we turn to the lineage of Prince Li, descended from Hong Tai's elder brother, Dai Shan.

Dorgon's line of Prince Rui should be ranked after these two branches because Dorgon's title of Prince Rui was restored during the reign of the old master, and before that, the title of Prince Rui had long been abolished.

However, Zhao An had a deeper impression of a woman named Yoshiko Kawashima from Prince Su's branch of the family.

Calling this woman a traitor is incorrect; strictly speaking, she was an anti-Han, pro-Manchu, reactionary restorationist.

Her father, Shanqi, was a key member of the Zongshe Party and was determined to rely on Japan to restore the Qing Dynasty.

The middle-aged man next to Yongxuan was the current Prince Su, Yongxi, who was thirty-nine years old this year. He had a thin face and a slender figure, but there was an indescribable majesty between his brows.

The demeanor that only those who have long held positions of power possess.

Zhao An noticed that the Prince Su was wearing a large jade thumb ring on his right thumb. He had noticed more than once that Manchu nobles liked to wear such things on their thumbs.

I wonder who started this trend, and whether it's cumbersome or not.

Zhao An likes to wear gold rings and gold necklaces. These are good things; they can be easily converted into cash when he runs away.

Gold and silver exchange is transparent, so you don't have to worry about being ripped off, unlike this jade thumb ring which you have to take to a pawnshop for an appraisal, and you might get cheated without even realizing it.

"Your Highness, this humble servant Zhao Youlu greets you!"

Zhao An, being quite tactful, flicked his sleeves and gave Yongxi a deep bow.

As the introducer, Yongxuan must have already told Yongxi about Zhao An's amazing gambling plan. The reason for seeking out Yongxi is that this Prince Su is the biggest "gambling king" in the capital!
"Get up."

Yong-seok had seen Jo An at the New Year's Eve party, but even though Jo An stole the show, Yong-seok didn't get a second glance from him. After all, it was extremely boring and frustrating for these hat-wearing kings to participate in the party as mascots of the royal family.

In that case, why would they "support" the old man?

Throughout the entire party, Yong-seok and the other hat kings were only interested in eating and drinking, and didn't care about anything else.

But Yongxuan's mention of the earth-shattering gamble made him seriously examine Zhao An, who was slowly rising. Then he said indifferently, "Zhao Youlu, why can't you just be a good official? What's wrong with you that you want to gamble with the nation's resources? Do you know what will happen to you if this gets out? You're too bold."

Zhao An cupped his hands in a respectful but not arrogant manner, saying, "If there were no immense wealth and honor, why would this servant risk such immense courage? As for the outcome, this servant has long since disregarded it; it's nothing more than this servant's life. But if it succeeds, it will be a mountain of gold and a sea of ​​silver. Isn't this grand gamble worth this gambler's gamble, worth the two princes sitting down and being the banker?"

Upon hearing this, Yongxi's eyebrows twitched, and he laughed loudly: "What incredible wealth and incredible audacity! Prince Yi said you are a remarkable person, but I would say you are a madman, but I like your madness!"

"A truly grand gesture befits my status. What's the point of small scrambles? If we're going to play, let's play the biggest game! This is my turn to be the banker!"

(End of this chapter)