Chapter 58: It depends on whether you are willing to accompany Changning...
When Mingxuan heard this, his eyes met Zhao Changning's. There was a flash of understanding in their eyes, and both of them found it funny that the other had similar thoughts.
He still tried to persuade her gently, "Miss Changning, this matter involves too much, it could easily lead to disaster."
Zhao Changning felt that talking to Mingxuan was really easy. It was just a glance, but he knew what the other person was thinking. It felt so strange.
"That's okay. I can still learn from Master Ming and find a few more knives."
Mingxuan: “…”
Suddenly, Granny Xu, who was feeding chickens and ducks in the backyard, screamed.
Zhao Changning and Mingxuan quickly got up and went to the backyard, where they saw chickens and ducks fluttering around. Grandma Xu looked confused, holding a basket for picking eggs in one hand and a cloth bag in the other.
"I don't know who threw something around. How despicable." Granny Xu opened the bag. "Huh? It's a booklet. Why would they throw it away?"
Zhao Changning's heart moved. He took the booklet, opened it, and immediately laughed.
She looked at Mingxuan, her eyes full of scorn. This officialdom was more interesting than she had imagined.
"I haven't even gone to look for a knife yet, but someone wants to use me as a knife."
This shows that she was under close surveillance, and it also shows that there were many people who wanted to get involved in the Maritime Customs.
Mingxuan took the booklet and found that it was a catalog of imperial tributes from the past two years. It recorded in detail the quantity and type, and even the specific number sent to the palace. Looking at the mismatching numbers, although he was not surprised, he couldn't help but sneer.
After sending Zhao Changning out, he lowered his voice and said, "Miss Changning, protecting yourself is the most important thing."
Zhao Changning looked at him deeply, nodded with a smile, and took Yunsheng to the Maritime Customs without hesitation.
As the person in charge of this matter, she has to stir up trouble and attract attention, otherwise how can she get the money?
Spring is late, March is almost over and Qingming Festival is approaching.
The city of Yujing is already full of birdsong and greenery. The occasional spring rain finally dispels the dry cold of winter.
It was a hazy spring day, and Zhao Changning went to the Maritime Customs again with the emperor's oral order.
"The arrival of the Nvshu Ling is truly an honor for the Maritime Customs Office." Fang Wenhai smiled as usual, his eyes barely visible on his chubby face, and his words were slightly exaggerated. "But does this oral decree really mean that the Emperor doesn't want this year's tribute? Last time you came, you said he still wanted half."
Zhao Changning corrected him with a smile, "Sir, we don't want this year's tribute fabrics and porcelain. We rely on the emperor's kindness, diligence, and thriftiness, always putting the people first. He sets an example, and this is a blessing for us. We must do a good job of this."
Fang Wenhai agreed repeatedly, "Yes, yes, what the female secretary said is absolutely right. Our emperor is a benevolent and wise ruler, a wise ruler for all time."
Wan Yu, standing by, was even more beaming. "Nu Shu Ling, it's a rare opportunity for you to leave the palace today. You must have worked hard on the journey. Why don't you let me treat you? Let's try some new dishes."
His ambiguous tone and slightly suggestive look indicated that there would be more delicious food today, perhaps another "red ginseng".
Zhao Changning smiled and waved his hand, "Thank you, Lord Wan, for your hospitality. But I still can't. I have to go back to the palace and report to the Emperor. Next time, next time for sure."
"Okay, okay, it's important for the female secretary to go back to the palace and give a reply." Obviously he had expected this result. Although Wan Yu was smiling, he kept putting his hands into his sleeves.
Seeing that he didn't avoid Fang Wenhai at all, Zhao Changning's eyes twitched slightly. He took the stack of banknotes he handed over tacitly and left with satisfaction.
After she got on the carriage, she divided the banknotes, keeping some for herself and giving the rest to Yunsheng and Anyi.
"Give everyone some of the things you take back. You've worked hard lately."
Anyi is now very experienced in collecting money, and counts the money happily while drooling.
"Aunt, why is he so happy when he hears that the Emperor doesn't want the tribute silk and porcelain? Even if the Emperor doesn't want them, shouldn't he still have them shipped away?"
The carriage was a bit narrow, and Yunsheng carefully helped his aunt smooth out the cushions. He said, "Of course he's happy. The imperial tribute was delivered to the palace, and those nobles are not easy to fool. They can't exchange for inferior goods. Now the emperor doesn't want any of them. They must be very happy."
Zhao Changning felt something was amiss when he heard Yunsheng's sarcastic tone, and couldn't help laughing.
Anyi still didn't understand. "But, even if the emperor doesn't want it, we still have to go to the Maritime Customs Office to ship it out to sea. We have to sell it for silver. Everything has its own price. What if they can't come up with the silver by then?"
Yunsheng looked at his aunt and said, "Yes, aunt, there are many kinds of silk tributed to the emperor. Apart from those that are really difficult to weave, such as kesi, these are in small quantities. However, Nanjing brocade and Shanxi Lu silk are not rare, especially brocade embroidery satin. Once it is out of Dayong, it is even more expensive."
Zhao Changning prompted, "Have you ever been on a boat? Are you afraid of it capsizing, or leaking?"
Yunsheng suddenly realized and slapped his head, "So that's how it is. These people are so bold. If they are found out, won't they still be held accountable?"
Zhao Changning smiled faintly, "Then just don't let anyone find out. There's a saying among the people: the bold die of overeating, the timid die of starvation. Do you think the officialdom is some noble place?"
Yunsheng was very disappointed. "Now that I'm with my aunt, I've seen a lot more. Occasionally, when I see the officials kneeling in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, I really think it's just like what the storyteller described. I didn't expect..."
Anyi was worried. "But, should we just let them do whatever they want? How will my aunt report to the emperor? If we don't get the silver back, we won't be able to complete this mission."
Zhao Changning smiled faintly and said nothing, leaning against the wall of the carriage, closing his eyes and resting.
However, the rented carriage was too small, and it was very crowded for three people to sit in it, especially since Anyi was big and took up the space of two people.
She and Yunsheng squeezed together, and Yunsheng deliberately gave way to her. He squatted in the corner of the carriage, and the child looked pitiful.
Zhao Changning thought that he had to buy a carriage.
When they reached the street, she stopped the car and went downstairs to buy a bag of mutton pancakes. Xiaoshun and his friends loved to eat them and kept asking her to buy some for them.
After returning to the palace, Zhao Changning was not in a hurry. He first went to the Queen's Palace. He had been leaving the palace frequently recently and had been negligent, so he had to come and apologize.
Now the Queen is pregnant, the Emperor is very concerned about her, and the one in Yonghe Palace is still confined, so everything is fine.
"Changning is here?" The Queen smiled, calm and cheerful. "Look at this crabapple tree, it's blooming beautifully."
Zhao Changning smiled and approached the queen. He looked at the crabapple in the narrow-necked vase with a pastel-colored plum blossom pattern and nodded involuntarily.
"It's the good feng shui of your Majesty's Kunning Palace that's so beautiful. Even the crabapple blossoms are blooming so beautifully. I can't wait to see the little prince. He's sure to be smart and adorable."
The queen smiled and said, "You are always so sweet."
Chunyun came over with a bowl of food, "My Lady, come and eat."
The queen covered her nose and shook her head impatiently, "Take it away, take it away. The smell makes me lose my appetite."
Zhao Changning helped the queen sit down and saw a bowl of fish porridge. He advised: "Your Majesty, you should eat something. It's been several months since you last had this. It's very important. You can't go hungry."
The Queen sighed and spoke to Zhao Changning heart to heart, "This palace only looks interesting. Actually, living in it is not as comfortable as the prince's mansion."
She suddenly smelled a scent and kept sniffing until she smelled it on Zhao Changning. "You smell so good, Changning. Are you back from outside the palace? Did you eat anything delicious?"
Zhao Changning raised his sleeve and sniffed it himself, "No, I just left the palace to deliver an oral order, and there was nothing..."
She suddenly realized, "I stayed at Xuji Shaobing for quite a while. Many people bought their cakes there."
When the Queen heard this, she nodded repeatedly, "Not bad, not bad, it's the smell of Xuji's sesame cakes. It smells so good. They must have sprinkled a lot of sesame seeds on it today. You bought sesame cakes, but where are the sesame cakes?"
Zhao Changning looked at the empress's greedy face and didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Your Majesty, that's food. I can bring it into the palace, but I can't bring it into Kunning Palace."
The queen's greed has been aroused, and she no longer cares about her queenly dignity.
"No, no, I'm so hungry. I want to eat this sesame cake. Changning, can you go buy some more sesame cakes?"
Zhao Changning was in a dilemma. "Your Majesty, the Emperor knows everything you eat right now. He definitely doesn't want you to eat anything outside the palace. It's too dangerous."
She advised, "Why don't I ask the Shangshenjian to do it now?"
"No, no, no. The Shangshenjian is scared to death now. Everything he cooks tastes the same. He dare not add too much oil and salt. Besides, it must be different from the Xuji food you bought." The queen knew that this was embarrassing others, but she was so greedy at the moment that she could not bear it and her mind was full of eating sesame cakes.
"Changning, you're smart. Help me think of a way. I must eat this pancake, otherwise I won't be able to sleep at night."
Chunyun's eyes were filled with heartache, and she didn't want to care about anything else at this moment.
"Changning, please help the Queen. The Queen's taste is very strange now. She can't enjoy her food every day. Today, she rarely wants to eat something."
Zhao Changning gritted her teeth. This was too risky, so she decided not to do it. She also felt a little sorry for the Queen. After spending so many days together, she could feel that the Queen truly regarded her as a friend.
"Your Majesty, why don't you go to the inner study hall and say you're bored and want to take a look around."
The queen rolled her eyes and said with a smile, "Okay, okay, bring the sesame cakes over quickly."
Zhao Changning felt a little regretful about letting Yunsheng take the sesame cakes back. He could only resign himself to his fate and rush back to his residence, hoping that those greedy guys would eat slowly.
Fortunately, when I rushed back, half of the pancake was still left.
She touched the still warm pancakes and took them all away.
Xiao Bian was the greediest one, and he looked eagerly, "Auntie, will you bring back this sesame cake?"
Xiao Shun knocked him on the head, "You're the only one who talks too much. Are you itching to talk? Do you want to interfere in what your aunt does?"
When he entered the inner study hall, he happened to meet Mingxuan who was giving a lecture. He was obviously stunned for a moment, but then his eyes lit up with joy.
Zhao Changning noticed that he had something to say, so he winked and sent the pancake to the queen. After the queen had a pancake, he went out to find someone.
Mingxuan saw her come out, his face tense, and whispered a reminder: "They are loading the ship. Now that the weather is getting warmer and the waves are getting smaller, it is a good time to go out to sea. You must hurry and ask the emperor to send someone to check the ship."
I'm afraid all the good stuff has already been exchanged. Once we get on board and take a look, we'll see that those greedy people have nowhere to escape.
Zhao Changning naturally knew the news, but she also appreciated Mingxuan's kindness. After all, it had nothing to do with him, but he was still willing to take the risk to help her find out.
She smiled and nodded, "Master Ming, can I ask you to do something for me?"
Mingxuan's eyes lit up slightly, and he quickly said seriously, "Miss Changning, please speak."
Zhao Changning took out two hundred taels of silver notes and said, "Help me buy a carriage. It doesn't have to be too good, but it can't be too bad either. The carriage should be as spacious as possible."
Mingxuan's eyes showed obvious disappointment, but he did not refuse. "This money is too much. You don't have high demands, so you won't need so much."
Zhao Changning stuffed the money into his hand and said gently, "The extra money will be used as my money to hire a doctor to treat Yunqiu. The extra money will be used as money for vegetables in the future."
She paused, then continued, "Thank you so much last time. I was a little too much."
Mingxuan couldn't help but smile when he heard her speak softly for the first time. He also knew that she was helping him secretly, so he didn't act pretentiously and accepted it frankly.
"Then I won't refuse. Chicken, duck, fish and other meats are quite expensive in Yujing right now." He said sincerely, "You should also take care of your health."
Zhao Changning couldn't help but smile when he saw that he was free and easy and calm, and had more worldly airs than before, and was actually easier to approach.
The queen ate three full pancakes, and only stopped when Chunyun snatched the rest away from her. However, she still felt unsatisfied and kept savoring the taste.
"Why didn't I think Xuji's mutton sesame cakes were so delicious before? The sesame seeds are so fragrant. I want to eat them again tonight."
Zhao Changning smiled and shook his head. "Your Majesty, it's normal to have strange tastes when you're pregnant, but you can't eat too much. It's a pity you don't have the freedom outside the palace. If you want to eat anything in the future, I'll bring it to you, but I'll be sure to bring it quietly."
The queen nodded repeatedly and couldn't help but recall the days when she was in the prince's mansion. She listed many street snacks and drooled as she spoke.
"Changning, luckily you are here, otherwise I really don't know..." As she spoke, tears actually shed and she burst into tears for a while.
Chunyun coaxed her for a long time, then looked at Zhao Changning embarrassedly, "The Queen's mood has been fluctuating recently, and she sometimes cries over a pair of chopsticks."
Zhao Changning expressed his understanding. After sending the queen back to Kunning Palace, he went straight to Qinzheng Palace.
She still has to reply.
Just then, she met Qi Yuwei and Sun Zhidao leaving, and she lowered her head, waiting for the two adults to pass by.
The emperor had already seen her and said in a calm tone, "Come in."
Zhao Changning looked at the emperor's expression, which was calm but also full of fatigue, so he did not report it immediately. Instead, he told him about the queen eating mutton pancakes.
"Your Majesty, Changning has been so bold. I beg Your Majesty to punish me."
The emperor said in a hoarse voice, "Get up! If she wants to eat, then let her eat. Pregnancy is not easy for women. If they can't eat well, how can they take care of themselves? This palace is indeed boring enough. However, we must also carefully test for poison."
Zhao Changning breathed a sigh of relief. As long as the emperor didn't blame her, the queen would be able to give an explanation.
She poured tea for the emperor and sorted out the memorials scattered on the ground. There was not much good news at the beginning of this spring, no wonder the emperor was unhappy.
The emperor leaned back in his chair, too tired to move. He watched the things being put in order bit by bit in Zhao Changning's hands, and his mood seemed to gradually become normal.
"I heard they are loading the ship. Aren't you worried? If the things really leave the shore, even I will find it difficult to recover them."
Zhao Changning pursed his lips and chuckled, then knelt down and kowtowed, "Your Majesty, Changning would like to ask for your instructions."
The emperor raised an eyebrow and said, "Go ahead."
Zhao Changning's eyes were bright, and there was no trace of fear on his face. Instead, he looked more excited.
"Changning would like to ask the Emperor to retract his previous order. None of this imperial tribute of silk and porcelain can be shipped out to sea. All must be brought back to the palace."
The emperor was stunned for a moment, and then his mind changed. He immediately understood Zhao Changning's plan.
"You..." He couldn't help but squint his eyes to look at Zhao Changning, his dark pupils full of surprise and joy, "Good, very good, hahahaha, Changning, you really make me look at you with new eyes..."
Zhao Changning kowtowed, "This tribute from the emperor amounts to three hundred thousand bolts of silk fabric and five thousand pieces of porcelain, which is definitely worth a million taels. Your Majesty, it all depends on whether you are willing to accompany Changning through this drama."
The emperor smiled and shook his head, "You are so good, Zhao Changning, you want me to be an emperor who goes back on his word."
Zhao Changning was surprised. "It was someone under you who misheard and misdelivered the order. How could it be that Your Majesty went back on your word?"
The emperor finally burst out laughing.
Zhao Changning held Yunhui's hand and gave her some instructions for a long time, then immediately took Yunsheng and Anyi out of the palace.
Yunsheng was a little scared, "Aunt, we won't be beaten to death, right?"
Zhao Changning patted his shoulder. "What are you afraid of? I'm here. When we get here, just follow my expression and wait for Yunhui to come with the imperial decree. If she doesn't ask, we won't tell you. If she does, we'll be surprised. In short, try to act dumb..."
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The author has something to say: Changning: I am the chosen worker [scatter flowers][scatter flowers]
Yunsheng: Auntie, I’m scared [burst into tears][burst into tears]
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