Mother, I have returned to the throne.

Chapter 296: Decision!

Seeing Guo Ding's serious expression, Song Yuan glanced at Guo Wanli indifferently.

"General Guo probably feels that what I did today was a bit too much, right?"

"Well, then you might as well ask your own brother and see what he has done wrong!"

Hearing Song Yuan's words, Guo Ding's heart skipped a beat. He turned around with a serious look and shouted at Guo Wanli.

"You bastard, tell me quickly, what did you do to offend the prince?"

"I……"

Guo Wanli, who had been so confident before, now hesitated and couldn't say a complete sentence for a long time in front of Song Yuan.

The moment you see Fatty Zhao and Song Yuan standing together, you know that you might have messed up this time!

When Guo Wanli thought of the consequences of offending the prince, his body couldn't help but tremble. How could he have the courage to speak?

"General Guo, you've seen it too. Your brother is in such a state now that he can't even speak a complete sentence. Why don't you let my men tell you what happened?"

Seeing that the scene was silent, Song Yuan raised his eyebrows and spoke immediately.

When Fatty Zhao heard this, he immediately took a few steps forward and told Guo Ding about the incident of being robbed of his wine.

After hearing the last part, Guo Ding's face, which was already flushed red, instantly turned a bit darker and grayer, looking like pig liver.

With an angry look on his face, he turned around and glared at his brother fiercely.

"You idiot, tell me quickly, is what this young master said true?"

At this moment, Guo Ding was also very confused.

Guo Ding had tasted the wine that Guo Wanli brought before, and he praised it repeatedly, saying that this wine was a gift from the emperor and how could others drink it?

Now that he saw Song Yuan and Guo Ding, he finally understood that this wine actually belonged to the prince. Wasn't it a gift from the emperor?

If this matter is really investigated, even Guo Ding himself will probably not escape punishment.

For a moment, he wanted to chop his own brother into pieces alive.

Whose things do you think it’s bad to rob?

Even if you have great courage, you can't rob the prince's friend!

"Brother, I..."

Faced with such a stern look, Guo Wanli made up his mind and immediately opened his mouth to argue.

But before he could utter a complete sentence, the two followers beside him kowtowed and admitted the matter without hesitation.

"General Guo, we know we were wrong. We deserve death. We were blinded by greed. Please, General Guo, and Your Highness, forgive us this time. We promise it won't happen again!"

Okay, okay, you guys are really brave!

Seeing his brother's face turn red, Guo Ding, as an older brother, knew what he meant.

I was so angry that I wanted to take action.

At this moment, Song Yuan, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke up and added insult to injury: "General Guo, as an officer, robbing something should be a heavier crime. What's more, the person robbed was a royal relative. Why don't you tell me what should be done with these people?"

As soon as these words came out, Guo Ding trembled.

He subconsciously turned around and glanced at Song Yuan with fear.

Noticing the playful look in Song Yuan's eyes, Guo Ding instantly understood his intention.

Song Yuan came from afar, and he would definitely not let this matter go. Otherwise, why would he be dressed like this today?

If Song Yuan doesn't ask for an explanation today, I'm afraid this matter will definitely get out of hand.

If General Wei finds out that he has offended the prince, he will be held accountable even if he is a close confidant of General Wei.

"It's all up to Your Highness!" After hesitating for a long time, Guo Ding said with a stiff upper lip.

If he can only protect one of the two, he can only protect himself.

Seeing Guo Dian nod his head, Song Yuan chuckled, but the next second his expression suddenly became much more serious.

His cold gaze swept across the entire room, and then he spoke in a stern tone, "Listen up, everyone! Guo Wanli, as a quartermaster, robbed the people of their wealth. His original crime deserves an even greater punishment!"

"He stole a huge amount of money, and I brought people here to find him, yet he still tries to argue and escape responsibility!"

"In this case, both crimes will be punished together and executed immediately!"

Hearing the words "immediate execution", Guo Ding subconsciously raised his head and looked at Song Yuan with shock in his eyes. He never thought that things would end up like this.

Is it true that my own brother is going to die today?

"Your Highness, please forgive us. We really didn't know that man was your friend!"

The two men beside Guo Wanli were now in tears and knelt in front of Song Yuan. If Ma Han had not stepped forward to stop them, they would have probably hugged Song Yuan's legs at this moment.

As for Guo Wanli, his body was shaking and his face was pale. It took him a long time before he reacted and kowtowed to Song Yuan repeatedly.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me. I won't dare to do it again next time. So, if you give me a chance, I will accompany you. I am willing to pay you back for all the wine and drinks you stole!"

Seeing his brother in such a miserable state, Guo Ding, who was standing by, could not hold back his affection for his brother. He stepped forward and begged for mercy for his brother.

"Your Highness, I know my brother is guilty of heinous crimes, but I hope you can show some mercy. If you have suffered any losses, please tell me the full amount. I promise to repay you in full when the time comes!"

"I just hope that the prince can give my foolish brother a chance. I will discipline him diligently and make sure he doesn't mess around again!"

After all, the two grew up together.

Guo Wanli was able to get to this point thanks to the daily support of Guo Ding.

When the two brothers left home, their parents told the older brother Guo Ding to take good care of his younger brother.

Although his parents have passed away, Guo Ding still couldn't bear to give up on their last wish.

Seeing the deep brotherly love between the two, Song Yuan smiled faintly. The reason why he had made the matter sound so serious before was because he was waiting for Guo Ding to beg for mercy!

Seeing that the other party had fallen into the trap, Song Yuan spoke directly: "General Guo, don't say that I didn't give you a chance. If you really want to compensate, I want to have a good talk with you!"

"But let me be frank. This wine of mine is extremely rare in the world. Even if it were brought to the palace, His Majesty would be amazed upon seeing it!"

"Such fine wine, when added together, is naturally not a small sum. I'm afraid the general may not be able to afford it!"

Guo Ding had tasted the wine before, so he knew what Song Yuan said was true. However, thinking of his brother's comfort, he finally bit the bullet and said, "Your Highness, just tell me... How much compensation do you want for this wine?"

"You tell him!" Song Yuan's brows jumped and he waved at Fatty Zhao beside him.

Fatty Zhao immediately responded with a knowing smile, "General Guo, I, Fatty, have always been adamant about honesty in business. Your brother knows the price of my wine, and the money he stole from me totals 150,000 taels of silver. If you can pay me the full amount today, our previous plans will be written off!"

"How much... how much?"

When Guo Ding heard the astronomical figure that the fat man said, he was completely stunned.

Could it be that this wine cannot be brewed from gold?

How can it be so expensive?

Guo Wanli's eyes widened as he thought to himself, "The wine I stole only cost a little over two hundred jars, or at most three hundred. How could it be so expensive?"

"You mean I'm going to trick you?" Song Yuan snorted coldly, his cold eyes sweeping across the entire audience.

Seeing Guo Ding waving his hands repeatedly, his expression relaxed and he began to explain.

"That's the price of that wine. If you two brothers don't believe me, I'll settle the score with you!"

"The three hundred jars of wine you stole earlier weighed about ten kilograms each, which adds up to three thousand gold!"

"I sell this wine wholesale to those merchants passing by. I never sell on credit. It's fifty taels of silver per pound!"

"I've already calculated it for you at wholesale price. If you don't believe me, I've asked my brother to bring the account book so we can check the accounts!"

"Or you could ask those merchants and see if my price is really ridiculous!"

Just as Song Yuan finished speaking, Fatty Zhao had already cooperated by taking out the account book and handed it to Guo Ding with a smug look on his face.

Guo Ding took the account book with trembling hands, glanced at the numbers on it, and his eyes suddenly showed a bit of despair.

Everything is recorded clearly in this account book. The numbers Song Yuan just mentioned are already considered lenient.

Otherwise, according to the retail price of these wines, each pound would cost at least one hundred taels of silver.

But even if Song Yuan has already given a discount, where is Guo Ding going to find this huge sum of money?

After all, as the commander of a team of 10,000 people, Guo Ding's monthly salary was only a few taels of silver.

Even if he could gain some benefits from his status, he would only have a few thousand taels left.

The 150,000 taels of silver that Song Yuan mentioned was definitely an astronomical figure for Guo Ding. Even if he sold himself, he probably wouldn't be able to raise the money!

For a moment, Guo Ding's face turned pale, his mouth slightly open, and he couldn't utter a complete sentence for a long time.

At the end of the team, Jinlian and her junior sister Bai Ling had gathered together and were whispering.

"Look, I told you long ago that if these two bastards get together, they'll definitely get people killed!"

"That's right, Senior Sister. I think these two guys definitely planned this all along. The wine is clearly bait, just waiting for the big fish Guo Ding to take the bait!"

Song Yuan had already found out about Guo Ding's wealth a long time ago. The reason he came to his house today was because he was determined that the other party would not be able to compensate him.

Otherwise, what should I do next?

After all, Song Yuan never came here for money, but for Guo Ding!

What’s more crucial is that based on Guo Ding’s income, even if he really had 150,000 taels of silver, how could he dare to take it out?

As a fifth-rank general, Guo Ding's monthly salary was only a few taels. Even if he had been saving money since he was a mother, he probably wouldn't have been able to save that much by now.

If Guo Ding really dared to take out 150,000 taels of silver, Song Yuan would immediately turn around and accuse the other party of corruption.

If it really comes to that, not to mention Guo Wanli, even Guo Ding himself might not be able to save himself!

"My Lord, I..."

"What? You don't believe me and want to go and investigate? I happen to have a BMW that can travel a thousand miles a day. If you're really interested, I can definitely lend it to you!"

"Your Highness...I want to say...I really can't afford to pay!"

Guo Ding shook his head helplessly with a bit of bitterness.

Fifteen thousand taels of silver is not enough even if you exchange it for his life!

Song Yuan was quite straightforward when he heard this answer. He waved his sleeves and said, "Since you can't afford to pay, I'll treat my previous words as a joke. Come on, execute Guo Wanli!"

Seeing the personal guards beside Song Yuan step forward immediately after hearing these words, Guo Ding's cheeks twitched and his heart was filled with despair.

Song Yuan had already given them a break before, but unfortunately, the numbers the two brothers came up with just couldn't match!

I can’t even pay the money now, and I can’t ask the prince in front of me to consider my face, right?

Guo Ding might be a figure in the army, but in the eyes of the prince he is just an ant. How could he have any face at all?

For a moment, Guo Ding stood there and shook his head.

Seeing this guy silent, Song Yuan couldn't help but panic.

Buddy, I've pushed you to this point. If you don't stand up, I'll really kill your brother!

You better say something instead of just standing there!

We are all businessmen, you can even bargain for a lower price!

In the end, Song Yuan was forced to take a pleading look at the last golden lotus in the crowd.

Jinlian had been with Song Yuan for a long time and had already understood what Song Yuan meant. She immediately separated from the crowd and moved into Song Yuan's arms, pretending to be trembling.

"Your Highness, it's really too cold here. I suggest we find a place to warm up first!"

"I'm cold, you must be considerate of me. Why don't you lock this guy up first and wait until the sun comes out? It won't be too late to ask me then!"

"Okay, then let's do as my beloved concubine says!"

After finally finding a way out, Song Yuan nodded immediately. Ma Han, who was beside him, noticed Song Yuan's condition and immediately stepped forward and tied up Guo Wanli.

Immediately afterwards, Song Yuan walked into the barracks without looking back. Before leaving, he did not forget to turn around and glance at Guo Ding who was in silence.

Facing such a look, Guo Ding's whole body trembled, and his eyes once again revealed a hint of anticipation.

He is not a fool. From Song Yuan's performance at this moment, he has naturally seen that since Song Yuan did not take action at the first time, it means that there is room for maneuver in this matter!

I just don’t know what price I will have to pay this time?

But in the final analysis, it was all for the life of his own brother!

Guo Ding finally glared at Guo Wanli fiercely, then took a step forward and followed Song Yuan into the barracks.