SWDnovel Chapter 47 Turning the Tables
Chapter 47 Turning the Tables
Yin'e did not speak, gesturing for him to continue.
"Gao Mengyuan, born into the Plain Yellow Banner, is forty-seven years old this year."
When he was young, he worked in the Crown Prince's palace, starting as a errand boy and climbing step by step to his current position.
He is currently the external liaison officer of the Crown Prince's residence, responsible for the Crown Prince's communication with the outside world.
To put it bluntly, it's about doing things for the Crown Prince that can't be done openly.
Yin De turned to the first page, which was covered with tiny writing.
"He runs a teahouse in Beijing called Juxianju, located in the busiest part of Qianmen Street. It's a three-story building and very impressive."
It's ostensibly a teahouse, but it offers everything from private rooms and tea ceremonies to storytelling and singing. When business is good, it's hard to find a seat.
But actually…” Yin De lowered his voice, “it was a gambling den, the second and third floors were all gambling venues, the first floor was just a front.”
It was specifically for receiving princes, nobles, and wealthy merchants from Mongolia and the Western Regions.
When the customers won money, they left smiling; when they lost, Gao Mengyuan would "kindly" lend them money, with low interest rates and politely written IOUs, but the money would roll over extremely quickly.
"How do you roll?" Yin'e asked.
"Three percent monthly interest." Yin De held up three fingers. "Borrowing ten thousand taels, the monthly interest is three hundred taels. It doesn't sound like much, but if you drag it out for a year, the interest alone will be three thousand six hundred taels."
Moreover, their rule is that interest accrues on interest.
If the interest from last month wasn't paid, it will be added to the principal and will continue to accrue next month.
Most Mongolians are not good at managing money; if they get caught up in this cycle, they can accumulate a mountain of debt in just a few months.
"That's where Batu lost," Yinde turned to the second page, "and more than once."
After careful investigation, I found out how much money Batu lost at Juxianju during his trip to Beijing.
The winnings and losses at the gambling table alone amounted to at least thirty or forty thousand taels of silver.
Including the "tea payment" loan from Gao Mengyuan, his total debt is now around 70,000 taels.
The interest hasn't been factored in yet; once it is, it'll probably be close to 100,000.
One hundred thousand taels.
Yin'e's brows furrowed into a knot.
Batu was the eldest son of Prince Urjingalap, and was a prominent figure on the grasslands.
But where would a prince from the grasslands get so much money to squander in the capital?
What does this mean? It means that this wasn't his first time in the capital, nor was it his first time losing money at Gao Mengyuan's gambling den.
He had been targeted by Gao Mengyuan for a long time.
"What happens after you lose money?" Yin'e asked.
Yin De flipped through the materials in his hand and found the page he needed.
"After losing the money, Gao Mengyuan didn't force him to pay back the debt. That's what I find most strange."
Yin De's tone became more cautious.
"Logically speaking, even if Batu was driven to bankruptcy by holding Batu's IOUs, which included gambling debts and usurious loans, Batu would not dare to make a fuss."
But Gao Mengyuan did not do that.
He invited Batu for drinks in a private room on the third floor of Juxianju Restaurant. They ordered the best dishes and the finest wine, and the two talked for half the night behind closed doors.
"What did you say?"
"This servant couldn't find out the specifics. The door to that private room was tightly closed, and the waiter wouldn't let us near it."
Yin De paused for a moment: "But according to a waiter who served tea and water at the teahouse that day, Gao Mengyuan mentioned a few things during the meal."
What "the Crown Prince's emphasis on the Mongol tribes" and what "the Tenth Prince's mansion is currently flush with cash"?
The young waiter didn't understand these things and just took it as a polite remark, so he said it offhand.
But the servant sensed something fishy about this.
Yin'e leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
It was as if countless gears were turning simultaneously in his mind, piecing together the fragments that Fuquan and Yinde had brought back, bit by bit.
Batu developed a gambling addiction on the grasslands, or perhaps he was intentionally led astray.
After arriving in Beijing, he lost everything at Juxianju.
Gao Mengyuan did not pressure him; instead, he lent him money to continue gambling. Then, when he was desperate, he told him, "Your sister is the Tenth Prince's wife."
The Crown Prince's goal was never Batu's little bit of silver.
What they really want is Batu himself, or more precisely, the Urjingarap tribe behind Batu.
As for Ulan taking money from the mansion, it was just a side benefit he got along with.
Once the truth comes out, the Crown Prince will have leverage over Yin'e for "allowing his wife to embezzle public funds."
The Crown Prince wasn't after Batu's ability to repay the debt; he was after Yin'e's weakness.
When the time comes, the Crown Prince can use this matter to negotiate with the Eighth Prince, impeach him in front of Emperor Kangxi, or even use it to blackmail him.
Your younger brother is on official business in Huguang, and you, the Eighth Prince, are forming factions in the court. If I'm unhappy, I can expose the scandals of the Tenth Prince's mansion at any time.
Killing two birds with one stone.
No, it kills three birds with one stone.
He won over the Mongolian tribes, manipulated the Eighth Prince's faction, and subtly sowed discord among the Tenth Prince.
Having figured this out, Yin'e opened his eyes, looked at the roof beams, and let out a cold laugh.
"Gao Mengyuan, right? A mere steward of the Crown Prince's residence can orchestrate such a grand scheme. It seems there are quite a few capable people in the Crown Prince's residence."
Yin De opened his mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed it back.
He's a smart man; he knows when to speak and when to keep quiet.
Now is the time to shut up.
Yin'e stood up, walked to the window, and opened it.
"No rush." He turned around and looked at Yin De. "I don't necessarily have to break the trap he set."
Sometimes, the most entertaining thing is letting the person who sets the net jump in themselves.
He went back behind his desk and sat down.
"Uncle, continue investigating Gao Mengyuan. I need to know three things."
First, besides Juxianju, what other businesses did he have in Beijing? Did he have dealings with other officials?
Second, is there anyone else behind him? Was this orchestrated by the Crown Prince, or were his subordinates acting on their own?
Third, what is the specific amount of the IOU that Batu signed? How is the interest calculated? Is there a guarantor? Is there any collateral?
These things will be our bargaining chips in future negotiations with him.
Yin Defei quickly jotted down notes in his notebook, the pen tip making a soft scratching sound on the paper.
After finishing his notes, he looked up at Yin'e, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Tenth Prince, what... what do you plan to do about the Fujin (principal wife)?"
Yin'e was silent for a moment, then shook his head.
"Now is not the time to tell her. She is still hesitant about whether to continue helping her brother."
If I tell her now, "Your brother is lying to you," she might not believe me; instead, she might think I'm trying to sow discord.
"I'll speak up once I have more evidence, until she herself starts to have doubts."
Yin De nodded, closed the notebook, and tucked it into his sleeve.
"There's one more thing," Yin'e said, "Go find a few trustworthy people and keep an eye on Gao Mengyuan."
It's not just about watching him for a day or two, it's about keeping a constant watch on him.
I need to know every detail: where he went, who he met, what he said.
Yin De responded, stood up, bowed, and quickly walked out.
The study door closed behind him with a dull thud.
Yin'e sat alone behind his desk, watching the sun gradually set outside the window, his fingers continuing to tap on the table.
He was thinking about how to close this net.
It can't be too early, because if it's too early, there won't be enough evidence, and you might end up harming the snake instead of killing it.
It can't be too late, otherwise things will escalate and it will be difficult to handle.
However, one thing is now very clear: the money the Crown Prince owes to the national treasury has most likely been used for lending at casinos!
It's not that he doesn't want to pay back; it's that he hasn't received the money back and therefore doesn't have the funds to repay it.
Thinking of this, Yin'e smiled wickedly: "If this gets out, it'll be a huge scandal!"