The weather in February is still cold.
It was sunny yesterday, but it is cloudy and rainy today.
I had to take out the winter clothes from the box, put on the cloak, and wrap myself tightly.
"Ma'am, be careful."
Qingmei waited on Gu Jiu as he went out.
She was very worried that Gu Jiu would catch a cold when the weather got colder.
Gu Jiu said to her, "Don't worry about me. It's getting late. Let's go to Chunhe Hall and pay our respects to the princess first."
She walked to Chunhe Hall with her maids and servants.
Walking along the corridor, looking towards the garden.
Although it is early spring, the branches are already green.
Even though the wind is cold, it cannot stop all things from reviving.
She breathed a sigh of relief and touched her hands; her palms were cold.
If Liu Zhao were here, the two of them would be very warm sleeping in the same bed at night.
After a lot of random thoughts, I finally arrived at Chunhetang.
Everyone is here.
Gu Jiu greeted everyone.
As they were speaking, the eunuch shouted, and Princess Pei had arrived.
Everyone stood according to their status, and when Pei arrived, they bowed and greeted her.
"Greetings to the Empress (Mother), may the Empress (Mother) live long and be in good health."
"No need to be polite."
Pei was wearing a dark red robe. She leaned back on the couch, flicked her sleeves, and sat down.
Everyone returned to their seats and sat down.
First, Ouyang Fu and Xiao Qin'er reported on internal affairs.
Gu Jiu listened attentively, but it was all trivial matters, nothing worth paying attention to.
However, Xiao Qin'er suddenly mentioned that the Ministry of Revenue was clearing up its arrears, which attracted Gu Jiu's attention.
She only said, "Mother, the Ministry of Revenue is clearing its arrears. Shouldn't we make preparations early?"
Pei snorted coldly, her eyes disdainful. "What are you preparing for? Do you think the Ministry of Revenue dares to come to our house and ask for money? Even if they had ten times the courage, they wouldn't dare."
"Hearing what mother said, I feel relieved." Xiao Qin'er secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Gu Jiu took the opportunity to say, "The Ministry of Revenue certainly doesn't have the guts to come and ask for the money, but I heard that the Jinwu Guards and the Minister of the Imperial Household and the Warden of the Imperial Court are both involved in clearing the arrears this time. May I ask, my mother, does the Minister of the Imperial Household and the Warden of the Imperial Court have the guts to come and ask for the money? Do the Jinwu Guards have the guts to come and ask for the money?"
Pei looked dissatisfied, "Dalang's wife, what do you want to say?"
Gu Jiu said with a serious expression, "My daughter-in-law is worried that the Ministry of Revenue won't receive the money, so she will complain to His Majesty. His Majesty will be furious and will directly send out the Jinwu Guards. Will Your Highness be reprimanded then? What if His Majesty, in a rage, directly imprisoned Your Highness in the Zongzheng Temple? What will we do then?"
Upon hearing this, Concubine Shen and Concubine Luo nodded secretly, both thinking that Gu Jiu's worries were reasonable.
Concubine Shen was the first to speak: "Your Majesty, the Madam's worries are not without reason. I have also heard a lot about what has happened outside recently. The Ministry of Revenue and the government offices are like wolves and tigers. Looking at the situation, this time they must be serious."
Pei's eyes swept from left to right. "You mean our palace should take the initiative to repay the debt? Then do you know how much the palace owes the Ministry of Revenue?"
Concubine Shen shook her head slightly, "I don't know."
Pei's face was stern and she said angrily, "Of course you don't know, that's why you think it's so simple. Over the years, the mansion's expenses have been high, and we've borrowed several sums from the Ministry of Revenue. Adding up, it's over 300,000 taels, nearly 400,000. Even if we turned the accounting office upside down, we still couldn't pay back such a large amount of debt."
Gu Jiu said firmly, "Then pay back part of it first. Whatever money the palace has will be paid first. At least we can silence the gossips. Afterwards, father can take the opportunity to complain to the palace and say that he has done his best and has given back all the money in the palace. That way, His Majesty won't be too harsh on him."
Pei laughed sarcastically, "My eldest daughter-in-law, you are still too naive. Do you think that if the prince goes to the palace to complain, His Majesty will forgive the prince's debt? You are dreaming."
"Then according to Mother's intention, not returning a single penny would be even more serious. Who can bear the wrath of His Majesty?"
Gu Jiu stared straight at Pei without any hesitation.
Pei was furious. "Did this princess ever say she wouldn't pay me back? How outrageous!"
Gu Jiu lowered his head and smiled, "My daughter-in-law doesn't dare to be presumptuous. She is just reminding mother that the matter has come to her door and it is useless to escape. Let's think about how to deal with the debt collector first."
"Who dares to come and collect the debt?" Pei asked angrily.
Xiao Qin'er sneered at Gu Jiu, then said loudly, "Reporting to Mother, I know who dares to come to collect the debt. It's none other than Lord Gu, the prefect of the capital, my sister-in-law's father. No wonder my sister-in-law spared no effort to persuade Mother to make early preparations. It turns out it was all for Lord Gu's sake."
Gu Jiu retorted, "Fourth sister-in-law is stupid and doesn't understand what I'm saying? Which of my words were for Master Gu's sake? Obviously, every word I said was for the sake of the palace."
Xiao Qin'er snorted, "You're ostensibly thinking about the palace, but in reality, you're thinking about Lord Gu. You just want Lord Gu to complete his mission smoothly so you can report to the Ministry of Revenue."
Gu Jiu smiled coldly, "Master Gu, what's wrong with successfully completing the task? It's only natural for the palace to repay its debts.
As long as the money is repaid, the prince will have the confidence to appear before His Majesty and will not be scolded by His Majesty.
Do I really have to listen to you, my fourth sister-in-law, and not return a single penny? When the Jinwu Guards and the Minister of the Imperial Household come to our door, are we going to resist together?"
Xiao Qin'er panicked, "Don't try to scare me with the Jinwu Guards. You clearly have selfish motives, yet you pretend to be thinking of the palace first. You dare to do this, and you won't let me tell you?"
Gu Jiu laughed sarcastically, "Of course you can say it, Fourth Sister-in-law, but I hope you won't mislead Mother and harm the palace. Don't wait until the Jinwu Guards arrive and you hide faster than anyone else, just like last time."
"You're talking nonsense." Xiao Qin'er was anxious. "Mother, it wasn't that I didn't help last time, but I was too late to get the news. That's why I didn't have time to rush to you to show my filial piety."
The last time the two mentioned was when the Crown Prince was poisoned, Prince Ning was trapped in the palace, and the Jinwu Guards came and captured the eunuch Huangmen of the Bixi Pavilion.
That time, it was Gu Jiu who was with Pei and watched the Jinwu Guards arrest people.
The other people in the palace all hid and did not come out.
Not to mention women, there wasn't even a single man there.
Pei's face was displeased. "Alright, stop talking. The Ministry of Revenue will settle the arrears, and this matter will be seriously considered by the princess. Whether or not to repay the money, and how much to repay, is not something you need to worry about.
"Eldest daughter-in-law, since your father is responsible for the palace's arrears, send someone to tell him to take it to the Ministry of Revenue. He will definitely benefit from it later."
Gu Jiu was unhappy. "Mother is really making things difficult for me. This is a matter of great importance to the court, how dare I interfere? As for when my father will come to visit, he has his own considerations."
Pei was dissatisfied. "Is it so difficult for me to ask you to do something? It's just a message. I don't believe it can harm Lord Gu."
"I don't know if this will harm Lord Gu. However, I'm really troubled by your refusal to give me a specific date and amount. I hope you will understand."
Pei narrowed her eyes. "Qin'er said you had selfish motives, but I didn't believe it before. Now it seems that you do have selfish motives. Why don't you just say it directly? You are collecting debts for Lord Gu."
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "Who in the world is selfless? The palace is well-protected by the big tree, but the Gu family's weak arms and legs cannot withstand the wrath of His Majesty.
My daughter-in-law is stuck in the middle, neither left nor right, and my husband is not around. If I didn't have any selfish motives, I would have been swallowed up skin and bones long ago.
My mother is not unaware of my difficulties. Why do you turn a blind eye to them?"
"Are you resentful?"
Gu Jiu shook his head, "My daughter-in-law doesn't dare to feel resentful. Even if she really feels resentful, it's on behalf of the young master.
Mother, have you ever been to Zongzheng Temple? It is a small square space where no sunlight can penetrate. That is the young master's residence.
The precious grandson of the emperor was reduced to a prisoner, but no one showed him sympathy or pity.
Now, Mother has asked me to tell Lord Gu to hold the Ministry of Revenue hostage. If there's any accountability from above, does Mother intend to push me out as the scapegoat?
I don't want to be a sinner. I don't want to offend my mother's family, nor do I want to offend the royal palace. This is my difficulty.
Therefore, I do not wish to convey this message to Lord Gu unless Mother is willing to give an exact date and amount."
Gu Jiu spoke in a neither humble nor arrogant manner, so Pei Shi didn't dare to blame her too much for a while.
After all, Gu Jiu even moved Liu Zhao out.
Pei frowned and said, "Since you don't want to convey the message, then let's just leave it at that. As for repaying the money, you don't need to worry about it."
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "I will listen to you, Mother. If you don't have any other instructions, I will take my leave."
Gu Jiu stood up and left Chunhe Hall first.
She instructed Deng Cunli, "Go ask the prince for me when he will pay back the money and how much he plans to pay."
Deng Cunli's heart tightened. "What if the prince says he has no money and doesn't intend to pay it back? What should I do?"
Gu Jiu smiled coldly, "Then ask him for me if he wants to kill Liu Zhao. If he wants Liu Zhao dead, he can just not pay back a penny, so I can pack up my dowry and leave the palace as soon as possible. If he still cares about his son Liu Zhao, then he should quickly pay the money and end this matter as soon as possible. If you delay it, the Ministry of Revenue will send people to collect the debt."
Gu Jiu stared at Deng Cunli and said, "Just tell His Majesty what I said, word for word."
Deng Cunli hesitated for a moment, "I obey your orders."
Gu Jiu looked back at Chunhetang.
When borrowing money, everyone is nicer than anyone else, and when paying back the money, everyone is like a boss.
From ancient times to the present, it has always been this face.
Be cautious when borrowing money, as debt collection is risky.
Deng Cunli went to Bixi Pavilion and asked to see King Ning.
After waiting for an incense stick of time, he was finally invited into the hall.
Prince Ning first looked Deng Cunli over and said, "The eldest daughter-in-law is really good at choosing people. She actually picked you."
"This old servant greets His Majesty."
"I thought you died in the palace, but I didn't expect you were still alive." King Ning laughed.
Deng Cunli lowered his head and remained silent.
After laughing, Prince Ning asked, "Tell me, what did the eldest daughter-in-law ask you to do?"
"The Madam has asked this old servant to ask the Ministry of Revenue about the outstanding debts. When does the prince intend to pay it back, and how much will he pay?"
Prince Ning snorted coldly, his expression suddenly cold. "I don't have the money to pay back the debt. Ask the eldest daughter-in-law to tell Gu Zhili that if he has the guts, come and collect the debt. I'm waiting for him."
Deng Cunli continued, "The Madam asked me to ask, does Your Highness want the eldest son to die? If so, Your Highness can simply not return a single cent. Your Madam will also pack up her dowry and leave the palace as soon as possible. If Your Highness still cares about the eldest son, please return at least a little."
Prince Ning choked, snorted, and angrily said, "How dare the eldest brother's wife let you say such things? Isn't she afraid that I will kill you, an old fool, in my rage?"
Deng Cunli bowed and said, "I have lived for forty or fifty years. I have lived long enough. If the prince really wants to kill me, I will not complain at all."
Prince Ning laughed heartily. "You old slave, you are just as stubborn and stubborn as you were back then. No wonder you can't make it in the palace. What kind of eyes did the eldest daughter-in-law have that she chose you to serve her?"
"I will definitely repay the Madam for her kindness." Deng Cunli said calmly.
Prince Ning smiled and said, "Don't worry, I won't kill you. I didn't kill you then, and I won't kill you now.
Go back and tell the eldest daughter-in-law that I will not let Liu Zhao die, so she doesn't have to rush to pack up her dowry and leave the palace.
"The eldest son's wife is truly outrageous. Her husband is still imprisoned in the Zongzheng Temple, but instead of caring for him, she's just thinking about packing up her dowry and running away. It's simply ridiculous."
Deng Cunli lowered his head, pretending not to hear Prince Ning complaining about Gu Jiu.
He said, "The Madam wants to know when Your Highness will repay the money and how much he plans to repay. Please tell me the truth."
"How much do you think I can repay? I'm broke now, and can only sell my belongings to pay off the debt owed to the Ministry of Revenue. If I can scrape together enough, I'll have at most 40,000 or 50,000."
Speaking of money, King Ning suddenly felt a toothache.
Money is really nothing.
He is a prince, but he has no money to spend.
It’s sad to think about it.
Deng Cunli bowed and said, "I understand. I will report the truth to the Madam."
Prince Ning waved his hand, showing particular disgust, "Hurry up and leave. I don't like to see your face."
Deng Cunli bowed and said goodbye, returned to the upper room of the east courtyard, met Gu Jiu, and reported everything to him.
When Gu Jiu learned that the prince could raise 40,000 to 50,000 taels, he felt neither good nor bad, but just let it be.
All of this was basically within her expectations.
"Forty or fifty thousand taels would be enough to cover the cost. However, compared to the debt of more than three hundred thousand taels, this amount is barely enough. I hope Your Majesty won't push too hard."
Pei wanted to delay the repayment for ten days, half a month, a month or two, until it could no longer be delayed. Perhaps the borrower had similar ideas.
She knew that the Ministry of Revenue had to pay out some of the arrears this time in order to report to His Majesty.
But she didn't want to take out the money so easily.
If she just gave the money when Gu Zhili came to her house to collect the debt, it would be so embarrassing.
As a princess, she won't fall for the Ministry of Revenue's tricks.
As a result, after noon, she received news that the prince had ordered the accountant to prepare silver and money and return it to the Ministry of Revenue.
Pei was anxious and angry, and hurried to the Bixi Pavilion.
"Your Highness, I heard that you asked the accountant to prepare money to repay the debt owed to the Ministry of Revenue. Why is that? Are you still afraid of that Gu?"
Prince Ning leaned casually on the couch and said, "I'm not afraid of anyone. I'm just worried that the old man will vent his anger on Zhao'er. You haven't forgotten that Zhao'er is still imprisoned in the Zongzheng Temple, have you?"
Pei sat down angrily. "How could I not remember? But what does paying back the money have to do with Zhao'er? Besides, I didn't say I wouldn't pay it back, I just said I would pay it back later. The palace is large and has a large population, so everything needs money. You gave all the money to the Ministry of Revenue. Do you want everyone in the palace to starve?"
Prince Ning said casually, "Don't you still have my title and salary? Don't worry, I won't starve."
Pei was furious. "Who was it that slandered the prince? Was it Chen Liangyuan?"
"Don't talk nonsense. You underestimate me. Do you think I'm someone who would be easily influenced by a woman?"
Prince Ning looked displeased and angry that Pei looked down on him.
Pei asked, "Who is that? Someone must have spread rumors behind the prince's back, causing him to change his mind."
Prince Ning flatly denied it, "No one has slandered me. I just suddenly thought of Zhao'er, so I made this decision."
Pei looked suspicious, she didn't believe a word of it.
She rolled her eyes and didn't bother with Prince Ning. "I'll go to the accounting office and take a look."
After saying that, he left Bixi Pavilion.
Qin Ma, the confidant, understood what was going on. As early as when Pei was arguing with Prince Ning, she found the maid in the Bixi Pavilion to inquire about the news.
"Before the princess, who has been to the Bixi Pavilion?"
The little maid recalled, "Eunuch Deng from the East Courtyard came here this morning."
"Deng Cunli?"
"Exactly."
When Nanny Qin got the news, she quickly reported it to Mrs. Pei.
Upon hearing this, Pei said, "Hmph! This princess knew that Gu Jiu was restless. He actually dared to send someone to slander the prince. Nanny Qin, go to the East Courtyard and ask Gu Jiu to copy the palace rules a hundred times."
Nanny Qin received the order, "I will go right away."
Pei added, "Tell her that she can leave the East Courtyard only when she finishes copying. The copying must be done neatly, and no one else is allowed to do it for her. Otherwise, I will make sure she never leaves the East Courtyard again."
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