I, Am a Living Yama; Empress Advises Me to Stay Calm

Balto shot a glance at the fat man before him.
“Gong Yibu, have you been living too comfortably and spoiled your brain? Is there really such a good thing in this world?”
This plump man was none other than Gong Yibu, the current Iron Hat Prince and Prince Rui Keqin. Being of a later generation, he was addressed by Balto rather casually.
Gong Yibu chuckled, rubbing his hands together.
“Of course, I didn’t believe it either… but Yang Yi’s causing quite a stir in the capital right now.”
“Everyone’s talking about this business opportunity brought by the emissary from Great Zhou. They say that investing money with him makes it grow like a weed.”
“As long as you invest, you don’t have to do a thing, and soon enough, you’ll see extra silver in your pocket.”
“I’ve heard that the returns are absolutely phenomenal…”
Balto, who had seen much in his long life, was intrigued. He tapped his fingers, pondering the situation.
“What kind of business is this? Explain it to me in detail…”
Gong Yibu grinned broadly. “Yang Yi claims that his business is open to everyone.”
“All you have to do is invest your money, and the profits are shared based on how much you put in.”
“For example, if you invest ten taels of silver and choose to invest for ten days, you’ll receive eleven taels back.”
“If you invest for half a month, you’ll get twelve taels of silver. If you invest for a month, you’ll get fifteen taels. And if you invest for a year, you’ll receive a hundred taels back!”
Balto’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“What? Tenfold return in one year?”
“That’s impossible. I’ve never heard of such a profitable business in my life!”
Gong Yibu chuckled.
“I don’t believe it either.”
“But now the entire capital is watching this.”
“Yang Yi’s an envoy of Great Zhou; he can’t just disappear with the money.”
“A lot of people have invested just to see what he’s up to.”
“And with ten percent interest in ten days, it’s worth a try.”
Balto licked his lips, feeling tempted. “Keep an eye on it. If the money really comes back, make sure to let me know.”
Gong Yibu patted his chest confidently. “Don’t worry, we Iron Hat Princes stick together.”
The sun beat down mercilessly, scorching the bustling streets of the Qing Dynasty’s capital. The entire city was alive with chatter, and everywhere you turned, people were discussing the hottest new trend: bonds.
Word had it that this business was introduced by the Great Zhou envoy and promised substantial returns.
“Hey, have you heard? They say all you have to do is buy bonds and just wait for the money to roll in!”
“Impossible! How can there be such a good thing in the world?”
“Yeah, I don’t believe it either.”
“But my neighbor’s sister’s brother’s son bought ten taels worth, and I heard he can cash them out tomorrow. I’m going with him to see.”
“Yeah, I bought some too. They say you can make ten percent profit in ten days, and ten times that in a year!”
“
, really? If I invest a thousand taels, won’t I get back ten thousand in a year?”
“Yes, that’s exactly what the envoy from Great Zhou said,” someone echoed excitedly.
“After all, he’s an envoy from another country; he can’t lie, right?”
“Anyway, the money will be distributed tomorrow. Let’s go and see for ourselves!”
Such conversations echoed through the streets and alleys. With Yang Yi’s strategic use of paid promoters and word-of-mouth advertising, his “Yang Bonds” were rapidly gaining popularity in the capital of the Qing Dynasty.
At the expansive mansion where Yang Yi resided, a bustling crowd gathered—some eager to cash in their bonds, others just curious to witness the spectacle.
Although Qianlong was shameless in many ways, he still cared about appearances, so the mansion provided for Yang Yi was large enough to accommodate the throngs of people. Yang Yi had also arranged for the local yamen officers to maintain order.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, a young man holding a ten-tael bond stepped forward.
Yang Yi opened his ledger, verified the information, and, with a smile, handed the young man eleven taels of silver.
“This is your capital plus interest. Take it.”
Gasps rippled through the crowd as those in line watched with wide eyes and burning excitement.
“Oh my, they’re actually handing out money!”
Even the yamen officers tasked with keeping order were taken aback, jaws dropping in disbelief. They had come to witness a fiasco but were now witnessing something real.
Seeing the gleaming silver, they couldn’t help but beat their chests in regret.
Damn it, they had missed an easy opportunity to make money!
“I wonder if this envoy from Great Zhou will issue more bonds?” one officer muttered.
The young man, still in shock, stared at the eleven taels in his hand. Although it was just an extra tael of silver, it had only taken ten days. How many people could earn a tael in such a short time?
And he hadn’t done anything except invest ten taels. If he’d put in a hundred, he’d have made ten taels by now!
Regret welled up in him, and he blurted out, “I… I want to buy more bonds. I want to invest another hundred taels!”
Yang Yi’s expression turned stern, and he shook his head. “Our bonds can only be purchased once a month per person. You’ve already bought once, so you’ll have to wait until next time.”
“What?” The young man’s face fell. “Why… why is that?”
Yang Yi pointed at the eager crowd behind him, a sly smile tugging at his lips.
“There are many others who want to make money. Our bonds have no shortage of customers.”
“Such a golden opportunity should be shared, don’t you think? We’re targeting the entire Qing Dynasty, not just you.”
“If you want to earn more, you need to invest a larger amount for a longer duration.”
The young man was left crestfallen. He had initially been skeptical and had invested only to test the waters.
He hadn’t expected to actually make money. But now, with the restriction of one purchase per month, he regretted not investing more from the start.
He clenched the eleven taels tightly, the coins digging into his palm, as if mocking his earlier caution.
Just as he turned to leave, feeling defeated, Yang Yi’s calm, confident voice floated to him, almost as if he were speaking directly to him—or perhaps just thinking out loud.
“One person can only buy once, but don’t you have siblings, parents, and relatives?”
The young man’s eyes widened, his cheeks flushed with newfound excitement. That’s right! He could only buy once, but his father could buy this month!
He hurried off, his mind racing. He would gather his father’s savings and make a bigger investment. They were going to make a fortune.