Chapter 34: We’re Brothers, Aren’t We?

 

“Five thousand taels?”

 

Shen Yian asked again with some uncertainty.

 

“Five…thousand taels!”

 

Shen Tengfeng spread his fingers wide, his eyes darting around.

 

Shen Yian was momentarily speechless.

 

Five thousand taels of silver!

 

Don’t get him wrong, he wasn’t afraid to spend lavishly at Thousand Gold Pavilion or in front of Shan Yue. He felt it was worth it.

 

But if you think about the purchasing power, five thousand taels of silver would allow Shen Tengfeng to buy a mansion in Tianwu City without doing business. He’d have enough left over to live comfortably for a long time.

 

“Fifth Brother, do you think I am rich?” Shen Yian paused for a long moment, his voice low and contemplative.

 

“I…guess so.”

 

Shen Tengfeng replied hesitantly.

 

In his mind, the richest was the fourth brother, Shen Jingyu. He always wore gold and silver in the academy, a walking embodiment of “I’m rich.”

 

Second was the eldest brother, Shen Muchen, the Crown Prince, backed by the Murong family, who was also well-off.

 

He had already “borrowed” money from Shen Muchen twice this month. He couldn’t go again until next month when the borrowing limit was refreshed.

 

The second and third brothers, Shen Junyan and Shen Simyue, were not in Tianwu City, so he couldn’t borrow from them.

 

As for the two princesses and the younger princes, he felt a little embarrassed to ask.

 

That left only Shen Yian in front of him. He always gave off an aura of understated luxury, making people think he was incredibly wealthy at a glance. Shen Tengfeng had always trusted his intuition.

 

“Fifth Brother wants to do business, Sixth Brother will naturally support him, it’s just that his funds are limited,” Shen Yian smoothly put on his acting persona, his eyes slightly red and lamenting.

 

“Sixth Brother…”

 

Shen Tengfeng cleared his throat, wanting to say something but not knowing where to begin.

 

The words he most wanted to say were, “Sixth Son, I beg you, please stop playing me, okay?”

 

“Sigh, Fifth Brother may not know, but sometimes I envy you.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“I envy Fifth Brother for living a carefree life, not having to wake up early for court, not having to worry about feeding the hundreds of people in the mansion every day. Fifth Brother, do you know how much a large mansion costs to run every day?”

 

Shen Yian seemed to have opened a floodgate, listing all the expenses of the mansion, leaving Shen Tengfeng feeling dizzy.

 

In a daze, he felt that not being a king and being a carefree prince might not be so bad after all. He wouldn’t have to worry about the expenses of eunuchs and maids in the palace.

 

If he had a mansion and a bunch of servants…

 

Just relying on his monthly salary, it wouldn’t last a few days before everyone would be eating dirt with him.

 

No, no, that’s too far-fetched. He was here to borrow money!

 

Shen Tengfeng cautiously asked, “Sixth Brother, then how much can you lend me?”

 

Shen Yian pretended to ponder for a moment, then raised five fingers.

 

“Five hundred taels?”

 

“Five taels.”

 

“Cough, cough…” Shen Tengfeng’s teacup froze, then he coughed violently.

 

“Sixth brother, are you kidding me?!”

 

Five taels of silver?! He could find a more generous beggar on the street!

 

“That’s not right, Fifth Brother, please listen to me.” Shen Yian smiled mysteriously.

 

“Partnership?”

 

Shen Tengfeng was left dumbfounded after hearing Shen Yian’s proposal.

 

“Yes, Fifth Brother, you just need to work at the pawnshop, taking in and selling items to make a profit. For every item you sell, you’ll get 30% of the profit.”

 

“30% profit?!” Shen Tengfeng was even more confused. If the profit was one hundred taels, he could earn thirty taels. What was the difference between that and finding money on the street? “Then what about those five taels of silver?”

 

“Those five taels are your base salary.”

 

“Base salary?”

 

“It’s like a monthly stipend. Even if Fifth Brother doesn’t sell a single item this month, you’ll still have five taels of silver.” Shen Yian flashed a sly smile, like a cunning businessman.

 

Don’t underestimate Shen Tengfeng just because he wasn’t skilled in martial arts or had average talent. He was a genuine embodiment of the “lucky charm” trope, the kind of character who falls off a cliff and survives, only to meet a master who imparts their teachings.

 

Whether it was a setting in the original story or simply a matter of time, it was unclear. Logically, with such a powerful aura, Shen Tengfeng should have been wealthy and prosperous, bathed in the light of the true protagonist. But for years, nothing happened. It was only after meeting Gu Ruoyi that he suddenly became a “lucky charm” incarnate.

 

In the later parts of the original story, Shen Tengfeng’s progress in cultivation was so rapid that even the most powerful masters would weep, and the protagonist himself would question his own existence.

 

“Uh… Sixth Brother, do I have to personally sell the items to get the 30% profit share?”

 

“Yes, Fifth Brother. If you can make the pawnshop’s business booming, Sixth Brother will give you 10% of the pawnshop’s profits!”

 

This wasn’t a scam or a trick. He was paying, and they were both benefiting. As for the 10% profit, the final interpretation was up to him.

 

It was a win-win situation.

 

To be honest, he was quite excited about the possibility of Shen Tengfeng managing the pawnshop and bringing in some valuable items.

 

Shen Tengfeng’s face was strange. It sounded good, but something felt off.

 

Pawn shop… (You need a lot of money to open a pawn shop)

 

Damn it!

 

Wasn’t he becoming a shop assistant?

 

A prince becoming a shop assistant? What a disgrace!

 

But the pay was good, so it wasn’t impossible…

 

“No, Sixth Brother, wouldn’t I be your shop assistant then? What about this partnership…”

 

“Fifth Brother, can you do business?” Shen Yian smiled faintly, bringing the conversation back to the beginning.

 

“I…don’t…really…I can learn.” Shen Tengfeng hesitated. Wasn’t this question already asked?

 

“Fifth Brother, isn’t working at the pawnshop a form of learning? Plus, you can accumulate capital for starting your own business by earning a profit share.”

 

“If Fifth Brother learns to do business and has capital to start, it’s a win-win situation. Why not?”

 

“Furthermore, Sixth Brother just said that if Fifth Brother can make the pawnshop’s business booming, Sixth Brother will give you 10% of the pawnshop’s profits. Then Fifth Brother would be considered the boss of the pawnshop.”

 

Shen Yian picked up the teacup and took a sip. After talking for so long, his mouth was dry. He really wanted the silly girl to help moisten it for him.

 

Don’t think about it the wrong way, he was just talking about lip balm.

 

Sigh!

 

Shen Tengfeng took a deep breath.

 

“Holy crap!”

 

Shen Tengfeng was speechless. He couldn’t find a single argument against it.

 

Learning while earning money? What a great deal!

 

“Sixth Brother, why are you so good to me?” Shen Tengfeng pursed his lips, still puzzled.

 

Shen Yian put down his teacup, his eyes clear and bright, and a gentle yet wistful expression appeared on his face. “Because we’re brothers.”

 

They were brothers who could share a woman and even help each other ascend the throne in the original story. Could their brotherhood be any stronger?

 

Honestly, maintaining this current situation was pretty good. Fighting and killing was tiring, and being emperor was even more so. It was better to let their father enjoy his reign for another hundred years or so.

 

Shen Tengfeng stared at Shen Yian, his eyes suddenly welling up.

 

Guilt, yes, a deep, overwhelming sense of guilt.

 

Thinking back to how he had plotted with his other brothers to sabotage Sixth Son’s marriage, he felt like he deserved to die!

 

The other was so sincere to him, yet he wanted to destroy his marriage!

 

“Sixth Brother… thank you.” Shen Tengfeng’s voice was hoarse.

 

“Fifth Brother, we’re brothers, no need for formalities.”

 

“But Sixth Brother, I still need to go to the academy, and I probably won’t be able to be at the pawnshop all the time,” Shen Tengfeng suddenly remembered.

 

“It’s okay, Fifth Brother. Just come whenever you have free time. I’ll have the shop manager personally guide you through the basics when you arrive, and he’ll continue to teach you more in-depth knowledge.”

 

“Sixth Brother!” Shen Tengfeng was moved to tears.

 

Shen Yian waved his hand with a slight smile. “Fifth Brother, let’s discuss the details of our partnership. I’ll have someone call the shop manager over so we can sign a contract.”

 

“From tomorrow onwards, you can start working at the pawnshop whenever you have free time.”

 

Shen Tengfeng patted his chest confidently. “Rest assured! Fifth Brother will not disappoint you!”