Chapter 53: Backfire
Su Qingrong looked at Eunuch Fu again and said with a smile, "Eunuch, you must have worked hard to come here so late at night. Please have some tea before you leave."
After a while, Lan Xiang came back with a box in her arms, struggling.
Su Qingrong gestured for her to open the box, and she lowered her voice and said:
"It's just a little gift, not much of a token of respect. I hope you can give me some advice, sir."
Lan Xiang opened the box, and the gold ingots emitted an extraordinary golden light under the candlelight, which was almost dazzling.
Seeing Fu Wanquan's eyes widened instantly, a hint of pride flashed across Su Qingrong's lips.
What government affairs are not under control? It's just that the money is not enough.
The Su family has the most of this. Just send this box out and wait for the palace banquet to send more in.
Lan Xiang came forward holding the box, "I hope you will accept it, sir."
Fu Wanquan looked as if he couldn't wait to get into the box. His eyes narrowed as he smiled. Then, he took a step forward and said in a low voice:
"To be honest, Your Majesty, you've been very worried about the flooding in the Fen River lately. The Ministry of Works is desperate for money, and the Ministry of Revenue is crying poor. Your Majesty is caught in the middle, and you're terribly worried about the money."
Su Qingrong frowned. Just for money?
"How much silver does the Ministry of Works want?"
Fu Wanquan counted with his hands and drew out the words.
"Exactly one hundred and fifty thousand taels!"
Su Qingrong frowned even deeper.
Just because of this mere 150,000 taels, she and His Majesty can't enjoy each other's company under the moonlight?
Fu Wanquan saw the disdainful look on Su Qingrong's face, suppressed the coldness in his eyes, and said with a smile:
"Then I will take my leave now. My Lord, please go to bed early."
Fu Wanquan carried the box and went out with a few young eunuchs.
Su Qingrong looked at his back, thoughtful.
It's just money...
She is currently in a state of deep affection with His Majesty, and nothing can hinder her from enjoying His Majesty's favor.
The Su family was not short of money, and her family also taught her that as long as it was for promotion, any amount of money was worth spending.
She followed her family's teachings carefully and did not make any mistakes.
Thinking of this, Su Qingrong made up her mind that tomorrow, she would relieve His Majesty's worries.
After Fu Wanquan left Qixiang Palace, he hurried to Changqing Palace holding the box.
Xiao Chenglan had just finished discussing something with the people from the Ministry of Works when he saw Fu Wanquan kneeling trembling in the hall holding the box, so he walked over to him.
Slender fingers opened the box, revealing gold ingots weighing twenty taels each, stacked in two layers, ten each.
Xiao Chenglan casually picked up a gold ingot, held it under the candlelight and turned it around.
The glittering golden light made his dark eyes shine like sparks.
Xiao Chenglan laughed with an unintelligible tone of joy or anger.
"The national treasury scraped together 50,000 taels of silver, and she gave me 400 taels of gold. The Su family has truly impressed me!"
Xiao Chenglan threw the gold ingot back into the box with an expressionless face.
The gold ingots collided, making a pleasant sound that echoed in the hall, giving a feeling of luxury.
Fu Wanquan held the box in his hands, trembling with fear.
The aristocratic families emptied the national treasury. Your Majesty needs money, but he still has to flatter the concubines they sent into the palace. It really... makes people speechless.
To be disrespectful, the late emperor was sidelined and left behind such a mess. The last bit of dignity for the Daye Dynasty was to choose Your Majesty to ascend the throne.
If it was really the deposed crown prince or one of the other kings who ascended the throne, Daye would still be living in peace and prosperity today. Who would care how many people would die in the flood?
"Stop shaking." Xiao Chenglan said calmly.
"Please take this money, along with the one thousand taels that my Concubine Xin sent as a gift, and send them to the treasury."
Fu Wanquan quickly agreed and left in a hurry with the box in his arms.
Xiao Chenglan put his hands behind his back and slowly walked back to the dragon throne.
The ministers in the hall dispersed, and he did not sit upright anymore. Instead, he leaned sideways on the dragon head armrest, supporting his forehead with one hand and tapping the armrest on the other side with the other hand, neither lightly nor heavily.
As long as the first piece of the Su family's fat meat is cut off, the rest can be easily taken into the pocket.
Big fish will be caught tomorrow.
It was worth it that he endured the disgust and sold his appearance to that girl from the Su family for so long.
This was the scene Fu Wanquan saw when he returned to the hall.
His Majesty was leaning on the dragon throne in a casual and unrestrained manner, and no one knew what he was thinking. There was a lot of hostility around him, and he looked like he was about to kill someone.
Fu Wanquan shuddered and walked over tremblingly, "Your Majesty, it's late, you should rest early."
Xiao Chenglan came back to his senses and looked at Fu Wanquan.
"I'm going to Zhaohua Palace."
Fu Wanquan was stunned. "Your Majesty, it's so late. Empress Chongyi has already gone to bed."
Xiao Chenglan ignored him and said, "I'm just going to take a look. I'm taking a shortcut. You don't need to follow me. Your size is too obvious."
Fu Wanquan looked at his belly and said with a pout, "Okay, Your Majesty."
Lian Qiao was on duty tonight. When she saw the tall and strong Majesty suddenly appear in front of her, Lian Qiao thought she was seeing things.
It was not until His Majesty glanced at her indifferently and walked into the inner hall that Lian Qiao reacted and hurriedly chased after him.
"When did she go to bed?"
Lian Qiao replied, "Your Majesty, the Queen went to bed half an hour ago."
Xiao Chenglan frowned: "Half an hour ago? It's already midnight now."
Lian Qiao is silent
Xiao Chenglan paused and sighed, "You don't have to follow me. I'm here to see her. You don't have to serve her, so as not to wake her up."
Lian Qiao agreed and withdrew, and Xiao Chenglan entered the inner hall.
Only two candles were left on, but the moonlight in the hall was bright, shining into the soft smoke curtains and outlining the small figure of the person on the couch.
Xiao Chenglan's heart softened instantly. He walked over quietly, lifted the curtain and sat on the edge of the couch.
Jiang Yingli went to bed late, so she slept very soundly. At this moment, she was sleeping soundly without realizing anything, with a peaceful and well-behaved face.
Xiao Chenglan sat quietly on the edge of the couch and looked at her for a long time.
It was not until Jiang Yingli unconsciously turned over and faced away from him that Xiao Chenglan lowered his gaze.
His slender knuckles lifted a strand of her satin-like black hair that was spread on the pillow and held it in his palm.
He whispered to her softly, just like countless days and nights before.
"Li'er, I'm so tired."
"My Li'er, you must be tired too."
If the late emperor had not been bedridden and several kings had not been fighting with the intention of killing each other, why would he wear this dragon robe and sit on this dragon throne, trapping both of them in this nine-story palace?
No one cared about his life or death in the past, so now, what does the life or death of others have to do with him?
He only cares about his pears.
Unfortunately, in this world, it is normal for things to go against one's wishes.
Xiao Chenglan slowly leaned over, gently supporting himself on top of Jiang Yingli, holding her in his arms. He lowered his head and placed a kiss between her eyebrows, muttering to her as she slept in a somewhat sickly tone:
"Have you been missing me these days, huh?"
The moonlight was like frost, accompanying Jiang Yingli to sleep on the couch, and also accompanying the emperor as he returned to the palace alone on the palace road.
The next day, outside Changqing Palace.
Su Qingrong asked for a meeting with a plate of snacks.
"Your Majesty, His Majesty is busy with state affairs, and there are foreign ministers in the palace, so it is inconvenient for him to see the concubines." Fu Wanquan said.
Su Qingrong sneered and said meaningfully, "Eunuch Fu, it seems that you didn't have enough tea last night."
Fu Wanquan's expression changed, as if he knew that he would be reluctant to give to someone who had benefited him, and he smiled again and said:
"I've eaten enough! I'll report this to the young master."
After entering the hall, Fu Wanquan bowed and walked to Xiao Chenglan, whispering in his ear:
"Your Majesty, Concubine Xin is here."
Xiao Chenglan said calmly, "Go ahead."
"Announce, Concubine Xin enters the palace—"
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