As soon as he returned to the residence, the Fourth Prince heard from the steward about Yi Shisan.
“Ninth Brother came back?” The Fourth Prince was surprised.
The steward shook his head. “No, I heard from the guards that His Highness the Ninth Prince is still in Ji Prefecture. The one who returned only came to deliver a letter.”
Sent him a letter?
The Fourth Prince was curious—Wei Yu actually sent him a letter?
Not knowing what Wei Yu wanted, the Fourth Prince entered the front hall and saw Yi Shisan waiting there.
They exchanged formal greetings, and Yi Shisan handed the letter he had been carrying to the Fourth Prince.
After receiving the letter, the Fourth Prince didn’t immediately open it. Instead, he asked Yi Shisan about Wei Yu.
“What’s your master doing in Ji Prefecture now? Has he encountered the Second Prince?”
The Second Prince’s mission to Ji Prefecture hadn’t been made public yet; only the Chancellor and a few others knew. But nothing stays secret in court, especially from the princes—it was too easy to find things out.What the Fourth Prince did know was that the Second Prince had gone to Ji Prefecture to clean up the local administration. He hadn’t heard about the sugar price issue. As for Wei Yu, everyone at court knew he went to Jiaozhou to open new sources of revenue.
Yi Shisan replied, “All three princes are in Ji Prefecture. The Second Prince is busy suppressing bandits. My master and the Eighth Prince are assisting him.”
Well, wasn’t that a coincidence.
The Fourth Prince was a little surprised. He thought for a moment but didn’t pursue it further. Instead, he opened the envelope to read the letter.
The letter wasn’t wordy—no greetings, no sentiments. It was so blunt and direct that the Fourth Prince clicked his tongue and shook his head.
“Heh.”
After reading it, the Fourth Prince laughed out of anger. “Your master really doesn’t bother with politeness. Not even a word of greeting, just barking orders like a pro.”
Yi Shisan kept a neutral expression, pretending not to hear.
The Fourth Prince wasn’t really trying to make things hard for a bodyguard. In fact, he was more curious than angry about the letter’s content.
Wei Yu had asked him to produce a large number of identical glass bottles—at least ten thousand—gave him a blueprint, and wanted them completed within half a month and delivered to Ji Prefecture. No explanation was given.
The Fourth Prince asked, “Your master said he went to Jiaozhou to make money. It’s been four months—what exactly has he done there?”
Yi Shisan: “Suppressing bandits.”
The Fourth Prince waited. “…That’s it?”
Yi Shisan: “That’s it.”
The Fourth Prince was stunned. He shook the letter in disbelief. “He said he’d make money, and that’s how—by suppressing bandits? This is his idea of generating revenue?!”
So frivolous!
Yi Shisan said nothing.
The Fourth Prince thought for a moment and then asked, “Be honest—how much silver did he get from suppressing bandits?”
This wasn’t considered a secret, and before Yi Shisan left, Wei Yu had told him to use his own judgment when answering the Fourth Prince’s questions.
So Yi Shisan answered calmly.
“In total, around 3,500 taels of silver.”
The Fourth Prince was speechless.
His Ninth Brother had spent four months in Jiaozhou and only managed to scrape together that little bit of silver—not even ten thousand taels. How had he even dared to boast at court in the first place?!
The Fourth Prince looked again at the letter. “What does Wei Yu want all these glass bottles for?”
Yi Shisan shook his head. “No idea.”
And he really didn’t. If the Fourth Prince hadn’t said anything, he wouldn’t even know what the letter contained.
The Fourth Prince: “When you left, was your master still suppressing bandits?”
“Yes.”
The Fourth Prince: “How long did it take you to get here from Ji Prefecture?”
“Five days.”
He rode hard the whole way without delay.
The Fourth Prince fell into thought. Still busy fighting bandits, and five days… Huh. What’s the connection between suppressing bandits and glass bottles?
And he wanted so many!
The Fourth Prince couldn’t figure it out no matter how hard he thought. He asked Yi Shisan a few more questions but got no solid answers, so he gave up.
“Alright, I get it. You can go now.”
He was dismissing Yi Shisan, but the latter didn’t leave. He just stood there expectantly.
The Fourth Prince: “…Anything else?”
Yi Shisan: “Master told me to remind you—he wants to see the glass bottles in Ji Prefecture by mid-next month.”
The Fourth Prince burst out laughing in exasperation.
“Get lost!”
Yi Shisan promptly left without a word.
—
That afternoon, the Fourth Prince brought the letter into the palace.
He had no choice—Wei Yu needed far too many bottles and the deadline was tight. His own kiln simply couldn’t handle the volume.
That brat was clearly trying to force him to bring the letter to Father Emperor. The Fourth Prince knew exactly what was going on.
He couldn’t figure out Wei Yu’s goal, but maybe Father would know something.
However, after reading the letter, Emperor Wei was also confused.
“He wants that many glass bottles?”
At least ten thousand—what could he possibly be doing with them? Selling them in Jiaozhou?
The Fourth Prince glanced at Emperor Wei’s expression.
So even Father doesn’t know what Ninth Brother is up to?
All Emperor Wei could remember was that Wei Yu left carrying ten glass bottles, saying he wanted to open up a market in Jiaozhou and build a reputation or something…
Although he still didn’t know what that unfilial son was doing, he wasn’t about to say so out loud and lose face.
Emperor Wei set down the letter and looked at the Fourth Prince, his expression solemn. “Since your Ninth Brother wants them, then go ahead and make them. It’s not too much trouble. I’ll inform Minister Pei. Just make as many as your kiln can manage.”
The Fourth Prince: “…Yes, understood.”
Father really dotes on Ninth Brother. Doesn’t even know what he’s doing with the bottles but just agrees to it outright? And says it’s not much trouble? Ten thousand is “not much”?
After the Fourth Prince left, Emperor Wei reflected a bit.
The Fourth Prince said he favored that unfilial son—how so?
He treated them all the same!
That brat was in Jiaozhou making money for him now. Even if he didn’t know what it was for, the deadline wasn’t up yet, so he might as well support him. It wouldn’t do to drag him down while he’s out there trying to earn for the state.
The Emperor thought for a while and decided he’d done the right thing.
If the Fourth Prince could also make money, invent ways to enrich the people, and help make Great Wei stronger, he’d dote on him just as much.
After coming up with a bunch of justifications, Emperor Wei, feeling he was a wise and benevolent ruler, picked up Wei Yu’s letter again.
Tsk—look at how the brat’s been goofing off in Jiaozhou these past months.
Just look at that handwriting—like chicken scratch!
The Emperor’s desk was piled high with unreviewed memorials, but he didn’t even glance at them. Clicking his tongue, he picked up his red brush and started marking up the letter.
This character is sloppy—circle it.
This sentence lacks style—underline it.
The format of this letter? Unacceptable—needs revision.
Hmm?
The Emperor’s brows suddenly furrowed. He leaned in and scratched at a dirty spot near the end of the letter.
What’s this?
Why is his letter paper so unclean?
The Emperor caught a faint whiff of grease.
That brat must’ve been eating while writing the letter!
No manners. When he gets back, he’s going to be punished by copying books!
Far away in Ji Prefecture, as Wei Yu munched on sunflower seeds, he suddenly sneezed.