Professional Ethics of a Concubine

On the other side, Su Ting came out of the manor and went to visit Prince Xie Jin.

He was not worried about where the Third Prince would go to play or cause any trouble.

Because now his wallet is cleaner than his face. If he still has any dignity, he will stay in the guild hall honestly.

At least you don’t have to spend money on food, accommodation, and bathing.

The third prince indeed returned to the guild hall obediently. He first took a bath, took a nap, and rested his spirit.

Don’t think that he won’t be tired just because he’s playing. He doesn’t rest during the day and has to play with beauties at night. He is really exhausted.

The third prince woke up and ate some food. Although the food was not as delicious as the food in the manor, it was still edible.

To him, the food in Da Zhao was a little bland, but it was novel and varied.

If you want to eat good food here, you can also add extra dishes, but you have to pay for it.

But who can blame him for having no money? He just has to make do with it.

"Go and find the official who took me to the manor that day. I have something to ask him." After the third prince finished his meal, he ordered his personal guard.

After a while, the minor official came over, greeted the Third Prince with a smile, and asked him if he had any instructions.

"I want to know how much benefit you can get if I spend 10,000 taels of silver in the manor." The third prince looked at the young official with a serious face and warned him.

"Don't try to deceive me. I know you can make money from me."

"I would never dare to deceive Your Highness. I can't thank you enough!"

In fact, the minor official has not received his commission reward yet, because he would not accompany the third prince to spend money there, and he still has his job to do.

The manor said that he could collect the commission at any time and it was all recorded in the book, so he didn't have to worry about his money being swallowed up.

If any silver was really embezzled, you can file a complaint with the higher authorities, either to Prince Duan or Princess Ling Yue, and they will definitely give you justice.

When the junior official heard that Princess Ling Yue and Prince Duan were both members of the royal family with a very good reputation, he was not worried about this and did not go to receive it.

Now that he heard about the amount of money the Third Prince had spent there, his hands were shaking with excitement, and he immediately kowtowed to the Third Prince and said,

"Your Highness, if you spend 10,000 taels, I will get 500 taels of reward silver. Thank you for your generosity, I can get so much silver.

Your Highness, you are my bread and butter. If you have any requests, just tell me and I will do my best to get it done for you."

Wow, five hundred taels of silver. His monthly salary is eight taels of silver, and his annual salary added up is less than a hundred taels of silver.

Just by bringing the Third Prince to the manor, he could get five hundred taels of silver. This job was too lucrative! !

The small official began to look forward to the arrival of envoys from other countries such as Chu and Dayan from the bottom of his heart, as they were his breadwinners.

"Your Highness, if you ever want to go to the manor again, please find me and I will take you there."

The young official, with tears in his eyes, looked at him earnestly and begged sincerely.

The Third Prince,...

He can’t go. He can’t go!

He now wants to lead the way in to slaughter the fat sheep, so that he can at least get some money.

If he didn't have some shame, he would have asked me to give him half of the five hundred taels, and we would each have two hundred and fifty.

Two hundred and fifty is not a small amount!

The Da Zhao royal estate is quite generous. They just tricked people into joining and gave them so much silver as a reward.

The third prince stroked his chin, and the more he thought about it, the more excited he became. He planned that when the envoy from Dayan arrived, he would definitely grab this job.

The petty official was still fantasizing about the Third Prince going there to spend money again, but he didn't know that the Third Prince had gone bankrupt and had become his strong competitor.

-

Su Ting found Xie Jin and discussed the alliance between the two countries with him again.

Xie Jin knew that he had broken through his psychological defenses, so he took the opportunity to propose that Su Ting sign two agreements.

One was an alliance agreement that was open to the public, which only included the contents previously discussed, such as the trading volume of one thousand horses, and the Da Zhao side also provided silk, tea and other things.

One part contains the actual transaction content, such as the transaction volume of at least two thousand horses. In addition, Da Zhao will provide them with agricultural technical support and give priority to the supply of white sugar, soap, refined salt and other items.

And the price will be very low, leaving them with a lot of profit space.

That is, both parties signed a yin-yang contract.

Su Ting thought for a moment, and considering that the empress was the biological mother of the Crown Prince of Great Zhao, he agreed.

It is actually very normal for a mother and her son to give each other some good things and private money.

This internal contract was only known to Su Ting, who knew the truth. Officials from both countries continued to perfect and finalize the external alliance contract.

After Su Ting finished this matter temporarily, he returned to the guild hall and asked the other members of the delegation, "Where is the third prince?"

"My Lord, I'm in my room. I haven't left the house since I came back from the manor."

Upon hearing this, Su Ting nodded with satisfaction, went to the room to find the third prince, and talked to him in detail about what happened in the manor, so that he could see clearly the tricks of the Great Zhao.

However, when Su Ting found the Third Prince and just finished exchanging greetings, he was knocked unconscious by a bomb thrown by the Third Prince.

"What did your highness say? You want to stay in Da Zhao and not go back to Gulan Kingdom?" Su Ting was so shocked that he couldn't recover as if he was looking at a fool.

"It's not that I won't reply, it's just that I won't reply for the time being."

The third prince said,

"We have already formed an alliance with Great Zhao. Because of the relationship between His Majesty and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, the two countries are also very close. I will not suffer any grievances if I stay here.

You also know that I am very annoyed with Lao Wu. He is a hypocritical villain who likes to pretend to be a gentleman. It would be best if I could avoid seeing him.

As for me, I will stay here as a hostage, adding a bargaining chip to the alliance between the two countries. I can also keep an eye on some of Da Zhao's movements and collect intelligence. "

Su Ting was silent for a moment, then said with a stern face, "Third Prince, tell me the truth, why do you want to stay in Da Zhao?"

To avoid the domestic struggle for succession? The Third Prince has the brains but not the ambition?

"There are many good things in Da Zhao, and it's easy to make money. I want to work in their royal manor and earn back the money I spent."

The Third Prince clenched his fists and said with high morale, "I can't be the only one to be slaughtered. I have to slaughter others too."

Su Ting, ...

Your Highness, as a prince, your fighting spirit is misplaced.

-

The next day, at the Royal Manor.

When Prince Duan saw the Third Prince coming, he immediately came up to him warmly, "Yongning, you are here. Do you want to just look around or ride a horse today?"

The third prince’s name was Yuchi Yongning, with the surname Yuchi.

"My dear friend, I came here today not to play, but to join you." The third prince also said eagerly.

Prince Duan looked confused, "???"

After listening to the third prince's explanation and plan, Prince Duan fell silent, and couldn't help but reflect on whether he had led him astray.

If everyone is like the third prince, how can their manor continue to do business?

He couldn't handle this matter, so he let the Crown Prince decide. After all, he was the prince of an allied country, not an ordinary person.

"As long as the Crown Prince agrees, I have no objection," Prince Duan said.

"Please sit down first. I'll ask my brother the prince what he is busy with. I'll take you to see him later."

"Your brother the crown prince is also my cousin. How can he not give me this face?" The third prince said warmly.

Prince Duan smiled politely and made no comment.

Whether or not you are given face depends on whether you can use your abilities, and has nothing to do with your relationship with the person.

Why was he able to escape the disaster and gain recognition from his father? It was because although he was a spendthrift, he was still talented.

Prince Duan raised his chin slightly, proudly indulging himself.

-

An hour later.

East Palace.

"Greetings, Brother Prince."

"Meet His Highness the Crown Prince."

Prince Duan brought the third prince to see Xie Jin. When they saw him, they greeted him and bowed.

"No need to be polite, please take a seat." Xie Jin greeted them with a smile, "Third Prince, are you feeling comfortable in Da Zhao? If there is anything that is not well received, please feel free to make a request."

"I do have a request, Your Highness. I was raised by the Emperor, and she is my mother. The Emperor is your aunt, and I am two years older than you. Based on our relationship, I think it won't be offensive if I call you the Crown Prince's cousin."

The third prince said with a smile.

"No offense, you can just call me cousin." Xie Jin also said with a smile, looking very friendly.

"My dear cousin, you are very likable. When I first saw you, I felt jealous because you looked like my mother. But now, the more I see you, the more familiar you feel to me. Staying by your side and just looking at you can ease my longing for my mother."

Xie Jin, ...

This should be a good thing to say, so just take it as it is, but it just sounds awkward no matter how you listen to it.

Prince Duan covered his face directly.

My dear friend, can you speak?

"Third Prince, what exactly do you want to say?" Xie Jin asked.

"My dear cousin, I have traveled to Dayan several times in the past and have a certain understanding of the people of the Dayan royal family. Now we are cousins. When the Dayan delegation arrives, I will help you entertain them."

The third prince spoke.

"Thank you very much, Third Prince." Xie Jin said politely, not yet figuring out what he was trying to do.

"You asked me to work in the royal manor, and I'll kill them. No, I want them to be happy and forget about their hometown. They will experience the beauty of all kinds of things in Zhao and be willing to spend money to buy them back. They will buy a lot at a time."

The third prince felt that the groundwork had been laid and spoke out his true purpose.

Xie Jin was stunned for a moment, then he smiled and agreed.

"If you like working in the Royal Manor and don't think it's a disgrace to your status, I welcome you very much. Having you join us will add a lot of color to the manor.

With the alliance between our two countries, the exchanges will increase day by day, and your country's goods, personnel, and some customs and habits will appear more and more in the capital.

If the Third Prince serves as the ambassador of the two countries and stays in the capital for a long time, it will not only enable the people of our Great Zhao to get to know you better, but also make the people of Gulan who come to Zhao feel confident and a sense of belonging.

To this end, I plan to open up another place in the manor to specifically display the special products of your Gulan Kingdom and other Western Regions, as well as the local customs and practices. It will be both an exhibition area and a specialty sales area.

Of course, if any merchants from your country Gulan come to Da Zhao to do business, we can also provide support in terms of taxation and other aspects.

Third Prince, what do you think? "

The third prince was a little confused and a little overwhelmed.

He was a little unwilling to accept the result, and he had no money left, but he really wanted those white sugar, soap and other things. So, he decided to throw his face away and go to the manor to make some money.

However, he did not expect that when he told his cousin the prince about it, the other party immediately agreed and gave him so much.

His new identity and status as the ambassador of two countries, sitting in the capital of Da Zhao, made his shameless behavior suddenly seem noble.

The Third Prince looked at Prince Duan beside him and suddenly understood why the other party kept calling him "Crown Prince Brother" in such a corny and sincere way.

Because the prince really gave a lot!

His cousin the prince can be called even more disgustingly!

"My dear cousin, what you said is really amazing! In the past, I only admired my mother, but now, there is another one, you!

My admiration for you is like the endless flow of the river. You are indeed a capable person who can sit on the throne of the crown prince in just one year!"

The third prince immediately gave him a lot of flattery, and Xie Jin couldn't help laughing after hearing it. This guy is really suitable for diplomacy.

This level of shamelessness is quite acceptable.

-

A quarter of an hour later, the Third Prince, with a satisfied look on his face, left the East Palace with Prince Duan.

"Yongning, congratulations, you have got what you wished for." Prince Duan said with a smile.

"Okay, okay. We are brothers in the same boat from now on. We should help each other and benefit each other." The Third Prince patted Prince Duan's shoulder and said sincerely.

"You have a good brother who is the prince. I really envy you."

"Our previous prince was no good either." Prince Duan said.

"Luckily, the prince has taken the throne. Otherwise, I would be in great trouble and might even lose my life. How about you?"

The Third Prince sighed, "Let's not talk about our side. The Crown Prince is not good enough, and the other two candidates for the crown prince are not good either. Otherwise, I would be eager to stay in Da Zhao."

"It's okay, you can just let the Crown Prince take over your side in the future." Prince Duan comforted perfunctorily.

"...Brother, what kind of hell joke are you telling?" The third prince glared.

Although he complained, he didn't want the country to be destroyed.

Prince Duan also glared, then blinked and smiled, "It was just a joke."

"Don't make such jokes." The third prince said seriously.

"Got it, got it. Come on, I'll give you some training. The envoy from Dayan will be here in the next two days, so hurry up and start your work."

"Don't say things like that again..." the third prince continued to mutter.

"Okay, got it. You don't need to emphasize it anymore. The more you emphasize, the more you care about it, or even that you have thoughts about it."

Prince Duan got annoyed and started to retort directly.

The Third Prince,...

Don't put labels on him!

He didn't!

-

Two days later, envoys from Dayan arrived.

The number of their delegation was twice that of the Gulan Kingdom, and they also brought rich gifts. The delegation's convoy stretched for miles, demonstrating the style of a great country.

On the side of Great Zhao, Prince Su led a team of elite soldiers, as well as the Minister of Rites and others, and went out of the city to welcome them personally.

You said to give him enough face, then of course we did. We went out of the city to welcome him, and also sent Prince Su and the Minister of Rites.

Are you asking again if it is meant to intimidate?

Instead of sending other members of the royal family, they sent Prince Su, the god of war who had fought against Dayan for more than ten years, to greet them, and he also brought elite soldiers and generals with him, which was meant to be a deterrent.

Although Great Zhao and Great Yan signed a ten-year armistice agreement, the relationship between the two countries was not very good. Once there was friction, they would tear up the agreement and start fighting again.

Therefore, deterrence is necessary.

Prince Su and his men met the royal representatives of the delegation, the seventh prince and the ninth princess of Dayan, as well as the general Wei who was protecting them.

"After your delegation entered the country, the documents submitted only mentioned the Seventh Prince. How come there is also a Ninth Princess?!"

As soon as the Great Yan delegation entered the territory of Great Zhao, they sent an express message over 800 miles to report the composition of the delegation to the emperor.

Therefore, Prince Su knew the members of the Great Yan delegation well, and when he saw such a big mistake, he naturally had to ask about it.

"Please forgive me, Prince Su. My sister wants to see the scenery of the Central Plains and she likes the culture of the Central Plains very much. But my mother is worried that she is too weak to withstand the fatigue of the journey, so she did not agree to let her come along."

The Seventh Prince clasped his fists towards Prince Su and explained,

"But we didn't expect that she sneaked into the delegation and came along. We only found her two days after she arrived in Da Zhao."

Prince Su's gaze fell on the Ninth Princess. She was wearing a red riding suit with a whip on her waist. Her skin was not fair, but her eyes were lively and there was a smile on the corner of her mouth. She could be said to be pretty and not delicate at all.

Prince Su looked away, and there were only two words in his mind.

trouble.

-

East Palace.

"Qingzhi, I heard that a princess came with the Great Yan delegation."

After Zhang Jingyi heard about this, she chatted with her as if it were gossip.

"Will this princess come here to marry?"

With the princess around, it's inevitable that we'll be sensitive to this aspect of the issue.

Especially now that Gulan and Da Zhao have formed an alliance and their relationship is very close, Da Yan is definitely threatened.

One of the good ways to break the impasse is marriage.

They, Dayan, also became relatives of Dayan and Zhao, improving their relationship.

"It's possible." Ye Qingzhi thought about it and nodded.

"She wouldn't want to marry our prince, right?" Zhang Jingyi asked again.

"She is from Dayan. At most, she can be given the position of a concubine. She cannot threaten the position of the Crown Princess."

Ye Qingzhi spoke to comfort her.

Zhang Jingyi,...

She was not worried about her position being threatened.

She just wanted to gossip a little to see what Qingzhi's attitude was, whether she was jealous or not, whether she supported or opposed it.

It still seems like it doesn't matter.

The prince is a bit useless.