Volume One, Chapter Nine: Blackmailing the Scoundrel Father

Qin Sheng's expression froze.

In his mind, a father is the ruler of his son. He was Qin Bao’s biological father, and when he came to ask Qin Bao for help, refusal was not an option.

He never expected to be driven out.

Qin Sheng did not leave, his voice low: “Bao’er, you’re still angry at your father, aren’t you?”

“You don’t run the household, so you don’t know the cost of daily necessities, nor the hardships of the Marquis’s residence.”

“The Changping Marquis’s family was honored at the founding, but it’s all appearance, nothing real. None of our family’s sons hold any real official position. Aside from the title, we’re no different from merchants.”

“The marriage between the Qin and Sun families is crucial. That’s why I had you wed Shen Meng.”

“It’s not to harm you, it’s weighing the pros and cons.”

Qin Sheng spoke gravely: “Now you’ve found favor with the princess, become her close guest. This is good. With the princess’s support, the Qin family will rise.”

Qin Bao glanced sideways and asked, “Are you done?”

Qin Sheng replied, “What do you mean?”

Qin Bao waved his hand toward the door and ordered, “Get out.”

“You, you…”

Qin Sheng’s face could not hide his embarrassment, and he scolded, “Qin Bao, I am your father. Everything I do is for the Qin family. You are part of the Qin family. Why can’t you consider the bigger picture?”

Qin Bao laughed in anger.

For the Qin family, for the greater good—Qin Sheng truly was the epitome of a rotten father.

Seeing Qin Sheng’s shamelessness, Qin Bao felt nothing but disgust.

He had no desire to argue. Coldly, he said, “It seems you don’t intend to leave, so don’t blame me for being ruthless. Wang Thirteen, shut the door and let the dogs loose.”

“Woof! Woof!”

Fierce and urgent barking suddenly erupted from the neighboring room.

Qin Sheng’s face went pale with fright. He shot Qin Bao a venomous glare, then turned and fled in haste.

In the blink of an eye, he vanished from Qin Bao’s sight.

Qin Bao couldn’t help but laugh. Watching Wang Thirteen enter, he asked, “There are no dogs in the house. I was only scaring Qin Sheng. Where did the barking come from?”

Wang Thirteen, lean in build and just past twenty, was responsible for guarding Diecui Garden.

Since Qin Bao’s arrival, Wang Thirteen had followed him everywhere.

Wang Thirteen grinned sheepishly and replied, “Young master, I’ve learned ventriloquism. I just mimicked the barking.”

Qin Bao said, “You’re remarkable.”

With Qin Sheng gone, Qin Bao felt utterly at ease.

Yuhai Tower had sent over a thousand taels of silver for the manuscript of “Romance of the Three Kingdoms.” With this sum, daily expenses were well covered.

Now, Qin Bao needed to prepare for the Four Nations Literary Gathering.

Each nation would send a representative.

The competition was straightforward: composing poetry and prose, including couplets.

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Qin Bao’s mind was filled with countless poems and essays. He was confident he could win, but not arrogant. He still needed to gather information and be well-prepared.

To learn more, he could only seek out Wang Caiwei.

Thinking of her urging him to write, Qin Bao returned to his study and continued work on “Romance of the Three Kingdoms.”

With nothing else to do, he spent the whole day at home, writing three more chapters, from Zhang Yide’s furious whipping of the inspector to the fourth chapter, “Mengde Offers the Sword.”

As the plot moved into the fourth chapter, the story’s intensity heightened, becoming ever more gripping.

By the time he finished, night had fallen. He massaged his sore wrist, carefully put away his manuscript, and prepared for bed.

The next morning.

Qin Bao rose and exercised in the courtyard. After his morning routine and breakfast, he took all his manuscripts and left Diecui Garden for the Princess’s residence.

He paid his respects, and the porter led him directly to the backyard, where he found Wang Caiwei absorbed in a storybook.

Qin Bao stepped forward and said, “Princess.”

Wang Caiwei saw him and a charming smile appeared on her alluring face. She asked softly, “Mr. Qin, do you have new chapters?”

“Yes!”

Qin Bao nodded, taking the pages from his sleeve and handing them over.

Wang Caiwei immediately sat up straight, making the snowy curve of her chest all the more captivating.

From Qin Bao’s vantage point above, he inadvertently caught a clear view of her deep cleavage.

He quickly looked away, admiring the courtyard instead.

Truth be told, the Princess’s residence was arranged much like the Yuhai Tower’s backyard—distinctive and elegant, crafted with care.

But Wang Caiwei was wholly engrossed in the unfolding drama of “Romance of the Three Kingdoms,” reading with rapt attention.

Before she knew it, she had finished all three chapters, left with a sense of longing and disappointment.

Gone again!

Too few!

Wang Caiwei pressed, “Is that all?”

Qin Bao gave a wry smile, “For these three chapters, I wrote deep into the night. Each word was painstakingly penned. It’s not so easy to write quickly.”

Wang Caiwei laughed awkwardly and cautioned, “You must hurry with ‘Romance of the Three Kingdoms,’ but also balance work and rest. Don’t harm your health.”

Qin Bao replied, “Thank you for your concern, Princess.”

Changing the subject, he spoke seriously, “Today, I came to deliver the manuscript, but also to ask about the Four Nations Literary Gathering—specifically, about each nation’s representative.”

Wang Caiwei motioned for him to sit, then explained with unhurried grace, “It was my oversight not to tell you before.”

“The Zhou contestant is named Yang Peng, a disciple of the great scholar Li Yu. Also, Yang Peng is Wu Xian’s senior and is renowned for his skill with lyrics, known as the Saint of Poetry.”

“Chen’s contestant is Xie Jun, from the illustrious Xie family of Southern Chen. Xie Jun’s forte is poetry, especially poems about plum blossoms.”

“Yan’s contestant is Hu Jin, son of Yan’s Minister of War, Hu Mu. He’s been reading since childhood, and his poetry and lyrics are excellent, but his greatest talent is in couplets.”

“Each has their strengths.”

“In general, Hu Jin is the weakest overall.”

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A hint of worry crossed Wang Caiwei’s brow as she asked, “To win first place, you must defeat Yang Peng and Xie Jun. Can you do it?”

“I can!” Qin Bao replied without hesitation.

Before Emperor Xuanwu, he had to be cautious, but with Wang Caiwei, such restraint wasn’t necessary.

Wang Caiwei smiled, “Then I’ll wait and see.”

“Princess!”

A maid entered and announced, “Qin Sheng has returned, saying he has urgent business.”

Wang Caiwei’s brows knitted.

Yesterday afternoon, Qin Sheng had come seeking an audience at the Princess’s residence, but was refused. Now, early in the morning, he was back again.

Her instinct was to send him away.

But she thought of Qin Bao and asked, “Mr. Qin, how would you like to deal with Qin Sheng?”

Qin Bao hadn’t expected Qin Sheng to approach the Princess. The old fox just wouldn’t give up and clearly needed a lesson. He pondered for a moment and asked, “Princess, do you want to make a fortune?”

“Of course!” Wang Caiwei nodded without hesitation, explaining, “When Father ascended the throne, the treasury was empty, the borders in chaos, and the court had no funds. Everything was difficult.”

“In these three years since Father’s coronation, he has worked tirelessly, improving much, but money is still tight. If we could earn a great sum, it would ease his burdens.”

Qin Bao replied directly, “If you wish to make money, Princess, it’s easily done.”

“Qin Youde insulted the Princess—a crime that can be mild or severe.”

“If pressed, Qin Youde’s insult to the Princess is disrespect to the Emperor and treasonous intent. He could be executed or exiled to the frontier, either is possible.”

“If the Princess chooses not to pursue it, it’s just a matter of a word.”

A cold gleam flickered in Qin Bao’s eyes as he said, “If Qin Sheng wants to rescue Qin Youde, he’ll have to pay dearly.”

Wang Caiwei, fearless by nature, asked eagerly, “How much would be appropriate?”

Qin Bao raised his right index finger and waved it in the air.

Wang Caiwei looked skeptical, “Ten thousand taels—might that be too much?”

Qin Bao shook his head, “Princess, you are mistaken.”

Wang Caiwei frowned, “You mean a thousand taels? My dignity as a princess, worth only a thousand taels? That’s far too little.”

Qin Bao smiled, “Princess, I meant a hundred thousand taels.”

Ah!

Wang Caiwei exclaimed in surprise.

She had expected a thousand, not a hundred thousand taels.

Her lips parted slightly, her beautiful face marked by astonishment. She asked, “It’s just a charge of insult—demanding a hundred thousand taels, will it work?”