"Master, I was the one who killed him."

Hiss~ Li Xiuzhu was numb. He wouldn't live long anyway, why did you kill him? No, Qianqian was not a reckless person. She would not kill Li Kuo without a reason.

"Why?"

"He found out about the Master and the Queen. When he had someone arrest you last night, Wang Defa told me first."

“So I killed him.”

Li Xiuzhu paused when he heard this, and then nodded after a moment of silence.

Everything was fine before, but something happened now. Someone must have discovered it yesterday, and it couldn't have happened when he was there. With his skills, someone would have definitely discovered it if they were eavesdropping.

"The maidservant beside the queen?"

"Yes, I have already dealt with the people, including arresting your guards."

Li Xiuzhu nodded. He was still confident in Kankan's ability to do the job.

"Will there be any findings about Li Kuo's death?"

"No, I used the method you taught me, Master, to stop his heartbeat and kill him. From the looks of it, there won't be any problems."

Li Xiuzhu understood and thought it was not a big problem.

Sure enough, the imperial physician also spoke at this time: "Your Majesty died of overwork and heart attack."

Bai Zhan and Luo Shicheng understood this, but they were also deeply moved.

Your Majesty is really worried about state affairs.

"Since the cause of His Majesty's death is known, we should bury him seven days later as His Majesty requested and hold the funeral immediately."

"Queen, please prepare for the ascension. When the civil and military officials have finished paying homage, the Crown Prince can ascend the throne."

The queen nodded slightly.

"I understand. I'll trouble you with the rest."

"Xiuzhu, you will be in charge of your father's funeral. The officials from the Ministry of Rites will cooperate with you."

Li Xiuzhu was stunned. He didn't expect that the task of working would fall on him.

But after thinking about it, he understood that Ruan Wenjun wanted to say something to him.

"Okay, I understand."

Obviously he couldn't leave because he had to deal with the aftermath. After Wu'an Jun Bai Zhan and General Luo Shicheng left, Ruan Wenjun said to Crown Prince Li Chengze: "Crown Prince, go back and bathe. You will take over soon."

"Yes, mother!"

After the prince left, Ruan Wenjun said to the maids and eunuchs beside him, "Please bathe His Majesty and make sure he is clean."

"Xiuzhu, come with me. I have something to tell you."

"Yes, madam."

The three of them came to the imperial study not far away, and Ruan Wenjun couldn't help but threw herself into Li Xiuzhu's arms.

She breathed hard, as if only this could relieve the shock she had suffered.

Li Xiuzhu patted Ruan Wenjun's back slowly and said softly, "It's okay, it's okay, it's all over."

"Well... I'm so scared. I'm so scared of getting you into trouble."

Li Xiuzhu smiled when he heard this.

"Don't be afraid. Isn't Xianxian staying with you in the palace? You don't think Xianxian is just here to have fun."

Ruan Wenjun was stunned, and then she realized why Kankan came. Before that, she thought that Li Xiuzhu wanted Kankan to be a bridge for them to communicate.

Suddenly she blushed a little, as if she was being too sentimental.

"What do we do next?"

Li Xiuzhu smiled when he heard this.

"Isn't it good now? The prince will become the emperor next, and you will be the most powerful person in the harem."

Li Xiuzhu was stunned when he heard this, and immediately understood what Ruan Wenjun meant.

Li Xiuzhu said, "Not to mention the possibility of being discovered, have you thought about how to face Liuli?"

Ruan Wenjun paused and fell silent.

Soon, a voice came to the door and said, "Your Majesty, the Lord from the Ministry of Rites is here."

Li Xiuzhu heard this and said, "Then I'll go out first. Don't think too much. I'll come to see you later."

"Um!"

Li Xiuzhu followed the palace maid out and came to the main hall, where he met Sun Jingyang, the Minister of Rites.

"Lord Sun."

"Mr. Li."

After the two of them clasped their fists to each other, Sun Jingyang asked, "Does the queen have any instructions?"

There is no wrong version in the 1619 book forum!

Li Xiuzhu thought for a moment and said, "Her Majesty said that although His Majesty left a will not to allow extravagance and waste, and all arrangements have been made, but His Majesty is a wise ruler, and the ceremony should be of a higher standard."

"Your Majesty's intention is to arrange the best for the Emperor as possible without any extravagance or waste."

Sun Jingyang was annoyed. He was not allowed to spend money, but had to get it done well.

This is too difficult for Sun Jingyang.

"Well, does your Majesty have a rough budget for silver?"

Li Xiuzhu frowned when he heard this.

"Do you know the cost of the late emperor's funeral?"

Sun Jingyang understood immediately. Is this a tribute to the late emperor? That would be a big expense.

"The late emperor's funeral cost a total of 850,000 taels of silver, of which the burial objects were worth 520,000 taels of silver, the tomb cost 250,000 taels, and the rest of the funeral expenses cost 80,000 taels."

Nm, is this a silver hole? This is four tons of silver.

But if you think about it carefully, it doesn't seem so bad. A car weighs less than two tons, while a larger pickup truck weighs four tons.

Even this is hollow. He estimated that a solid coffin made of pure silver would weigh about two or three tons.

"Then is our late emperor's standard high or low among all the dynasties?"

Sun Jingyang thought for a moment and said, "It should be neither too high nor too low. Let's not talk about the Qin Emperor and Han Emperor. After that, the cost of each of my emperors' death was basically more than 500,000. If they were more extravagant, it could be as much as a million."

"Of course, this depends mainly on the wealth of the national treasury."

"Master Song from the Ministry of Revenue will be here soon. How about we wait until Master Song arrives to discuss this?"

Although Sun Jingyang was telling the truth, eight or nine out of the ten emperors basically used the standard of 500,000 taels, with only a few being around one million.

Li Xiuzhu nodded when he heard this, but he already had a rough idea of ​​the standard.

Just target it at 880,000. It doesn't matter even if the Ministry of Revenue is short of money. Li Kuo has a lot of private money. Even if the Grand Canal is built, there should be a lot left.

When Song Lian arrived, he first mourned the death of Li Kuo, and then stood up to discuss the matter with them.

"My Lords, it's not that I don't want to give Your Majesty a grand funeral, but we have no money. Even the repair of the Grand Canal requires Your Majesty to pay for it. The most I can come up with is 300,000 taels."

"Even Song has to tighten his belt."

Li Xiuzhu said speechlessly: "Sir Song, the money that should be paid has to be paid. The treasury only collects taxes before winter. It's just the beginning of spring, and you tell me that there is no money?"

Song Lian heard this and said righteously: "That's the county lord. You don't know how much money we have in the Great Zhou."

"The end of the year is approaching, and all departments are asking for money. This one gives a little, that one gives a little, plus the expenses of the Grand Canal, Song can come up with 300,000 yuan, which is already the best he can do."

Hiss, isn't this gap a bit too big?

Li Xiuzhu turned to Sun Jingyang and asked, "Sir Sun, has the emperor ever passed away a less than 500,000 taels?"

(End of this chapter)