After swapping bodies with the princess, this prince slaughtered his way through the court and becam

A greeting?

Shizi?

Marquis Xuanwei, Ren Bing, was stunned by Marquis Anren's attitude.

The lady and housekeeper who came to accompany the guests were also stunned.

The servants responsible for serving tea and water exchanged glances, and then couldn't help but think:

Has the Crown Prince gotten into trouble outside?

Could Marquis Anren be being sarcastic?

Just now, Marquis Anren said that the slap mark on his face was related to you, sir.

Could it be that the young master was the one who slapped him?

Even Ren Bing had similar thoughts.

Lady Li, the wife of Marquis Ren, pinched Ren Bing's sleeve.

Ren Bing stood up solemnly and respectfully bowed to Zhang He:

"Lord Anren, if my unfilial son has behaved improperly and offended you, my lord..."

I am willing to give everything I have to atone for my sins, Lord Marquis!

Although both Marquis Xuanwei and Marquis Anren were marquises.

However, the difference in their status is too great.

Marquis Xuanwei currently only holds the title of Marquis; nothing else.

Marquis Anren is the current empress's younger brother and the largest salt merchant in the capital.

If Marquis Anren wants to arrest the heir of Marquis Xuanwei and bring him to justice.

The Marquis of Xuanwei's mansion would truly have to go to great lengths to save Ren Jingxing's life.

Marquis Anren gave a wry smile, stood up, and returned the salute:

"Your Excellency misunderstands. I was merely showing respect to Prince Ren."

Regarding the salt administration, I have some questions for Prince Ren.

Respect?

May I ask Your Highness?

Has Marquis Anren gone mad?

This is a consensus reached by all the servants in the Ren household.

The young master is indeed studying, and it is said that his teacher appreciates him greatly, making it almost certain that he will pass the county-level examination.

But surely it's not enough to teach a marquis how to do things?

Madam Li was still confused.

Could it be that my son has done something big without me saying a word?

Or perhaps the news of his son's sudden awakening had reached Marquis Anren, which led him to come and visit?

But Ren Bing thought of salt coupons!

He remembered that his son used to be a huge spendthrift!

He emptied his family's coffers and all the profits from the salt shop, and then, along with other纨绔 (playboys), acquired the salt certificates of the Ren family!

Ren Bing gradually came to his senses.

He was suddenly jolted, feeling an inexplicable surge of excitement.

Was all of this part of her son's plan?!

At this moment, Ren Hou wanted to know the truth more than anyone else.

"Quickly, go and fetch the young master!"

At this time, Wei Xinyan was studying in the school.

Wei Xinyan straightened her back and listened attentively to her teacher Li Zhou's lecture.

Shen Shumin, who had come to accompany her to school, was fast asleep, lying on the table.

As the daughter of a military family, she was very skilled at wielding weapons.

But sitting here listening to Confucian classics for two hours would be the death of her.

A servant walked into the school and bowed, saying:

"Young Master, Marquis Anren has come to the manor and says he wishes to pay you a visit."

Marquis Anren?

A greeting?

Upon hearing those two words, Wei Xinyan was also momentarily stunned.

She then remembered what Ren Jingxing had mentioned in his letter about buying salt coupons at a discounted price.

Oh no, oh no, could Marquis Anren be here to take revenge on him?

Wei Xinyan was almost in tears.

She really wanted to tell Marquis Anren that the person who actually pressured the price of tickets was not her, but the fourteenth princess in the palace.

If you want revenge, go find him!

Shen Shumin has woken up.

When she saw the fear in Wei Xinyan's eyes, Shen Shumin blinked.

What's going on? Why has the Crown Prince suddenly become so timid?

Back when he was at the salt mine, everyone was suspicious of him, but he didn't show the slightest fear.

However, she still stood up, patted Wei Xinyan on the shoulder, and said firmly:

"Your Highness, rest assured, I have practiced martial arts since childhood and can accompany you to protect you!"

Wei Xinyan was initially quite wary and repulsed by Shen Shumin's approach.

But at this moment, her willingness to stand up and protect herself made her feel at ease.

Shen Shumin's tall and lithe figure, which she had previously envied, now seemed reliable.

Wei Xinyan showed a grateful expression and said softly:

"Thank you, Ms. Shen!"

Hearing Wei Xinyan's gratitude, Shen Shumin felt a surge of excitement!

For some reason, she could always sense the prince's rejection of her.

Now that the Crown Prince has lowered his guard, he can take another step closer.

At that moment, she actually felt a faint sense of accomplishment!

Wei Xinyan led Shen Shumin toward the main hall.

He could see from afar that there were no fewer than five servants, as well as the steward, the lady, and the marquis inside!

Wei Xinyan nervously clutched the hem of her clothes.

Oh no, things have gotten out of hand again.

Ren Jingxing, Ren Jingxing, can't you just behave yourself?

Don't cause any more trouble in the palace!

Wei Xinyan stepped into the main hall, not daring to approach, and bowed respectfully to Marquis Zhang He of Annan from a distance:

"Jingxing greets Your Excellency..."

At this moment, Marquis Anren had not yet noticed the difference in his heir.

Seeing that the prince was standing far away, he simply stood up, took two steps forward, and clasped his hands in a salute:

"Marquis Anren, Zhang He, thanks the Heir Apparent for his rescue!"

Upon hearing this, Wei Xinyan immediately raised her head.

Ok?

rescue?

What did Ren Jingxing do again? What happened?

Wei Xinyan glanced at Marquis Anren and his wife, then at the steward and servants.

As a result, everyone looked completely bewildered.

Only Zhang He was truly grateful to Ren Jingxing.

"When the Crown Prince first started mining salt, he opened a shop on Suzaku Street to sell salt."

At the time, I thought it was the heir apparent who was provoking me.

Later, the heir apparent colluded with other noble young masters to buy salt certificates from my residence, which infuriated me.

Only now do I realize that it was the young master who saved the entire Zhang family!

Wei Xinyan blinked, feeling even more confused.

Ren Jingxing had written about these things in his letters.

But what does this have to do with saving Marquis Anren?

Can buying salt coupons at a low price really save lives?

Could Marquis Anren possibly be short of five thousand taels of silver?

Without Wei Xinyan needing to wonder, Zhang He provided the answer himself.

"Together with other nobles, they opened salt mines and shops to counter the salt merchants and demonstrate their strength."

The purpose of purchasing salt coupons at low prices was to help Baihou share the losses and jointly bear the responsibility!

At that time, I, along with other marquises, will jointly submit a memorial supporting the salt monopoly, which will carry even greater weight!

"The Crown Prince has truly played a brilliant game of chess!"

Old Man Ren Bing, who was standing nearby, understood what was going on.

He stroked his beard and nodded in approval:

"My son is clever; he's a bit like me when I was young!"

Madam Li rolled her eyes at Ren Bing.

How much does he resemble his younger self?

If the father had even a fraction of his son's abilities, the Marquis of Xuanwei's mansion would never have fallen into such a miserable state!

Shen Shumin, standing to the other side, looked at Wei Xinyan with shining eyes.

The young master is indeed hiding his true abilities and deliberately presenting himself as a playboy!

But why is that?

Moreover, even when the young master is out, he still displays his纨绔 (playboy/spoiled brat) attitude.

However, he was very polite and well-mannered in the Marquis's residence.

Moreover, without making a sound, they actually colluded with so many nobles to accomplish a major task!

Shen Shumin sincerely admired the Crown Prince.

But she also felt something was strange:

Since the Crown Prince has orchestrated such a grand scheme, why did he feel afraid just now?

Shen Shumin was becoming increasingly curious about the Crown Prince.

After praising Ren Jingxing, Marquis Anren then asked:

"So, Your Highness, what should we do next?"

Marquis Anren's single phrase, "we," perfectly encapsulates his stance at this moment.

At this point, he was no longer the Marquis of Anren who supported the private salt and iron industry.

Instead, they support the monopolistic Wei Xun Gui!

At this moment, Wei Xinyan immediately thought of what Ren Jingxing had instructed her to do in his diary:

"Father, tomorrow, you and the other marquises who bought salt coupons should stand together in court to support the new salt policy, and then burn the salt coupons in public!"