"As you all know, being the Emperor means one's days are packed with countless affairs. A casual order given might easily be forgotten once he gets busy. However, though the Emperor might forget, those below dared not slack off. Each person strained every nerve, completing the task with trepidation before carefully presenting the mahjong set to Emperor Yongzheng."

At this juncture, Curator Wang chuckled lightly. "When Emperor Yongzheng first saw it, he didn't say much, just gave a noncommittal nod to show he acknowledged it. Then he didn't use it at all, gifting the entire set away immediately afterward. As for the reason why, you should understand, right?"

"Understand, how could we not understand."

The group paused for a moment, then broke into understanding laughter, naturally grasping the Emperor Yongzheng's thoughts. Anyone who has read Water Margin knows what kind of characters the Liangshan heroes were—bandits who killed officials and rebelled in the eyes of the rulers, objects that ought to be eradicated.

Perhaps he hadn't thought things through at the time and ordered the creation of this mahjong set featuring the figures. But as time passed, the Emperor Yongzheng likely reflected on it himself. Yet, once the Imperial mouth had spoken, he couldn't very well go back on his word and lose face. So, he decided to treat the mistake as an accomplished fact. Keeping such an item in the palace, however, was taboo, so he simply bestowed it upon someone else.

"Of course, who such an item is bestowed upon also carries significant consideration."

Curator Wang smiled then. "In ancient times, the relationship between an Emperor and his ministers was far from equal. Even the gifting of any object was imbued with profound implications."

"The most famous example is Nian Gengyao. He commanded strategy and led campaigns, assisting various armies in quelling the disturbances in Tibet, achieving immense military merit. During this time, he received special favor from Emperor Yongzheng, being granted the titles of Grand Tutor and First Class Duke. High offices and noble ranks converged upon him; truly, he reached the pinnacle of a subject's career. Regrettably, the man was foolish enough to forget the historical precedents..."

Curator Wang shifted his focus. "When he came to the capital for an audience in the second year of Yongzheng's reign, Emperor Yongzheng bestowed upon him items only a Prince was entitled to use, such as the double-eyed peacock feather, the four-round dragon badge robe, the yellow sash, and the purple reins. Yet, he brazenly accepted them, even treating it as a matter of course. This was clearly courting death, planting the seeds of his own demise."

"In contrast, Yinxiang, Prince Yi of the First Rank, who was also a confidant of Emperor Yongzheng and closely related to him, and furthermore highly valued by the Emperor, was far more astute. Not only did he see things through to the end successfully, but to commemorate his service, Emperor Yongzheng specially decreed that the character 'Yun' in his name, Yinxiang, be changed back to the original character 'Yin'. This made him the sole member of the imperial clan during the Yongzheng era whose name did not require an avoidance taboo."

Wang Guan and the others understood Curator Wang's meaning. After all, ancient emperors paid close attention to the taboos associated with those held in high esteem. During Emperor Kangxi's reign, Yongzheng and his cohort of brothers were all of the 'Yin' generation. But once Yongzheng ascended the throne, his brothers had to change their names. The 'Yin' generation was changed to the 'Yun' generation. They say there is no kinship in the imperial family. Yet, Emperor Yongzheng actually allowed Yinxiang to change his name back, which demonstrated the depth of his affection; he truly regarded him as a brother.

Does that sound contradictory? However, it is factual. Open any history book, and you will know that for the throne of the Emperor, let alone brotherly ties, there was no semblance of affection between fathers and sons, or uncles and nephews. Especially since Yongzheng had gone through the struggle of the Nine Sons Seizing the Throne, engaging in fierce competition with his eight other brothers before ascending to the throne, his vigilance towards his brothers is imaginable.

Under such circumstances, the fact that Emperor Yongzheng allowed Yinxiang to revert to his original name demonstrated the extent of his satisfaction with this brother.

Of course, whether Yongzheng was satisfied or not was irrelevant to the group. However, from Curator Wang's words, they could deduce to whom Emperor Yongzheng had gifted that mahjong set.

"Prince Yi of the First Rank." Wang Guan mused slightly, then smiled lightly. "Indeed, a most suitable candidate."

One must know that this man had earned the trust of Emperor Yongzheng and was quite clever. He was neither boastful of his merits nor overly greedy for exceptional favors. Therefore, he certainly would not casually publicize Emperor Yongzheng's awkward moments.

Indeed, for Emperor Yongzheng, impulsively ordering the creation of mahjong tiles depicting Water Margin figures was a minor but embarrassing incident. Since it was an embarrassment, it naturally needed to be concealed. However, as a relatively wise emperor, he wouldn't resort to murder over such a small matter. So, he simply let Yinxiang clean up the mess.

After all, according to historical records, when Yinxiang managed court affairs and handled state matters, he frequently helped Yongzheng manage the affairs of the Directorate of Imperial Manufactories in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, affairs concerning the princes, matters related to Yongzheng's former residence, and so on—handling every minute detail.

"The Imperial Household Department has an archive of work logs that meticulously record the aspects of Emperor Yongzheng's court life. These work logs are detailed records of every single task performed daily in the palace, very fragmented but completely documented."

Curator Wang spoke smoothly. "The contents of the archives show that Yinxiang was responsible not only for tasks including applying colored lacquer, firing enamels, instructing court painters on compositions, presiding over map publication, and engraving Emperor Yongzheng's personal seals, but also managed trivial aspects of daily life. For example, if Yongzheng felt the lighting fixtures were poorly made, or that the lenses needed modification by craftsmen—these too were arranged by Yinxiang..."

"It was precisely this kind of selfless devotion, this constant, grinding labor, that led to Yinxiang's death from exhaustion in the eighth year of Yongzheng's reign," Curator Wang shook his head. "You all know what happened afterward. Emperor Yongzheng, missing his contributions, made an exception and posthumously enfeoffed him as Prince Yi of the First Rank, making his title hereditary, thus becoming the ninth Iron-Capped Prince after the initial eight established at the beginning of the Qing dynasty."

The reason it was called an exception was that the initial eight Iron-Capped Princes were established at the founding of the dynasty, members of the imperial clan who had rendered monumental military service. The merit earned conquering the empire holds a completely different weight than merit earned maintaining the empire, and they cannot be compared.

Perhaps put this way, everyone can understand it more thoroughly. As everyone knows, in the early days of the founding of modern China, there were Ten Marshals, recognized with sincere conviction due to their immense military achievements. But in modern peacetime, if someone hadn't fought many battles but rose through the ranks step by step, and then, for some reason, was to be given the honorary title of Marshal—hearing such news would likely cause a huge uproar, and many people would certainly disagree.

The situation back then was similar; many people objected. Fortunately, Yongzheng was the Emperor, occupying the position of the Ninth-Five-Year-Old, an absolute autocrat. With his mind firmly set, and the civil and military officials thoroughly intimidated by him, who dared to speak out carelessly? The matter was settled as a matter of course.

From then on, the Qing Dynasty gained an additional Iron-Capped Prince, naturally setting a precedent. Subsequent emperors then had a justification, leading to the appearance of the other three Iron-Capped Princes.

At the same time, Sha Qingfeng exclaimed excitedly, "Regardless, this is still a relic of Yongzheng, and it's connected to an Iron-Capped Prince. Perhaps it's even an heirloom. As long as we manage it properly, it will surely cause a nationwide sensation. At that time..."

What would happen at that time was self-evident.

"This is a national treasure; it cannot be casually auctioned off."

At that moment, Curator Wang quickly interjected, "Look at the portrait figures on the tiles. Don't assume they are simple outlines of color. They are actually based on court paintings, then refined through processes like outlining, painting, shading, and washing, before finally taking shape. Therefore, the style of the figures is extremely ornate; each tile face is equivalent to a small, exquisite piece of art, possessing tremendous research and viewing value."

This was not untrue. Each individual mahjong tile was a rare item in itself, let alone an entire set of one hundred and thirty-six tiles. Whether in quality or quantity, no single object could measure up.

"Wang Guan, one hundred million!"

Just then, Curator Wang's eyes were filled with eager anticipation. "I can make the decision. As long as you nod, I will immediately instruct someone to transfer the funds to your bank account. This is the extent of my authority. If you are not satisfied, we can still negotiate..."

"Heh heh, we'll discuss it later, later," Wang Guan replied vaguely. "I've just gotten the item; I need some time to appreciate it. Once I've tired of playing with it, I will certainly consider Curator Wang's proposal."

"You're placating me again. How could one ever tire of an object like this?" Curator Wang was deeply dissatisfied.

Having dealt with such situations many times, Wang Guan was now handling it with ease, merely smiling without speaking. Curator Wang was helpless, unable to resist shaking his head and sighing, "I knew you were like a Pixiu. Once any treasure falls into your hands, you absolutely never spit it out."

"You flatter me too kindly; I am unworthy of such praise."

"That wasn't praise..." Curator Wang was utterly speechless. But it didn't matter; as long as he knew the item was in Wang Guan's possession, that was enough. He still had a few years before retirement; he could take his time grinding away at him, believing that with persistent effort, he could still coax one or two items out of him.

Wang Guan had no intention of paying mind to Curator Wang's thoughts, nor did he have the time right then. After discovering the subtle wonders of the mahjong tiles, he took out all one hundred-plus tiles, examining, handling, and researching them one by one.

The others were naturally the same, only leaving reluctantly late into the night. However, to their disappointment, when they came to admire the treasure again the next day, they found Wang Guan had already packed his luggage and was ready to depart.

Seeing everyone gather without prior arrangement, Wang Guan immediately smiled, feigning a look of overwhelming gratitude. "Thank you all so very much. I'm just returning to the capital; it's not a matter of life and death. You needn't go to such lengths to see me off."

The crowd was momentarily speechless again. Who was coming to see him off? They clearly intended to stop him from sneaking away!

Although he should have felt awkward being caught, Wang Guan managed to deliver such a grand, high-sounding speech. It showed he had indeed been tempered, at least his skin had thickened considerably—a positive development that needed to be continued.

"Brother Wang, why are you leaving so soon?" Old Meng was clearly reluctant...

Reluctant he certainly was. Both the Gongbu Sword and the national treasure Enamel Mahjong set were items he didn't want to miss out on. Just last night, he had been contemplating how to appeal to his sentimentality and reason to persuade Wang Guan to hand over the items for him to manage.

However, he hadn't expected Wang Guan to employ a preemptive strike, leaving immediately for the return trip to the capital from Hong Kong. Thus, Old Meng's entire plan was dashed, leaving him with no choice but to be reluctant.

"My purpose in coming to Hong Kong was for the Tang Hou Xing Cong Tu. The auction is over now, and someone else won the item. What reason do I have to stay?" Wang Guan sighed. "My spirits are low; it's best to leave this disheartening place as soon as possible."

Hearing this, everyone present unanimously expressed their contempt internally...

(To be continued) No pop-up novel website www.RT