"Everyone knows we need to increase revenue, but it's not easy. The palace has a lot of annual revenue, but there are still many places to spend money."
Ouyang Fu was the assistant housekeeper, and she knew the annual income of the palace.
There is definitely not a million taels, but there will definitely be three or five hundred thousand taels when the weather is good.
But not every year is blessed with good weather.
The farmers depend on the weather for their livelihood.
Shops can also be affected by natural disasters.
Several trade routes will also be affected by various factors.
In recent years, the palace’s income has always been insufficient to cover its expenses.
On the one hand, natural disasters were frequent, and on the other hand, the population of the palace increased, and expenses also increased accordingly.
Gu Jiu looked at the worried Ouyang Fu and said, "Things will work out in time. If they really want to cut expenses, it won't just be your courtyard. It will be the entire mansion that will be affected."
Ouyang Fu smiled bitterly, "Sister-in-law is right. Your East Court has a large population. If you want to cut expenses, I don't know how much trouble it will cause."
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "No matter how much trouble it causes, as long as the princess gives an order, I will definitely follow it."
Ouyang Fu was embarrassed for a moment, hiding the embarrassment on her face with her sleeves. "Sister-in-law is right. If mother is really determined to cut the expenses, we can only follow her orders. There is no other way. I have things to attend to, so I'll take my leave first."
"Take care, second brother and sister-in-law."
Qingmei whispered, "Madam, what the Second Madam said sounded a little strange to me."
Nanny Fang said sternly, "Second Madam is trying to instigate Madam to oppose the Princess. Didn't you hear that?"
"Ah?" Qingmei was surprised. "Is that really what Second Madam meant?"
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "That's about right. The princess wants to cut the expenses, but the second wife is definitely not willing to do so. She doesn't want to take the lead, so she came to test my attitude."
It’s a pity that Gu Jiu is unwilling to cooperate with Ouyang Fu.
Nanny Fang said worriedly, "If the princess really wants to cut down on expenses, there are dozens of people in the East Courtyard, and Madam must make plans early."
Gu Jiu nodded.
There were not many people serving her, only less than twenty maids, including eunuchs.
The main reason was that there were too many servants around Liu Zhao, dozens of them.
If you really want to cut expenses, then cut the servants around Liu Zhao.
He doesn't need so many people anyway.
Gu Jiu was walking in the garden.
Someone came forward and bowed, "I greet the Madam."
This voice is familiar.
"Look up."
It was indeed the actor who sang little songs that I had seen in Bixi Pavilion before.
Lan Xiang was dressed clean and fresh, a complete change from her previous seductive demeanor in Bixi Pavilion.
He secretly observed Gu Jiu.
The eldest lady has a pair of beautiful hands, which is really enviable.
Gu Jiu asked him, "Why did you come out instead of staying in your room?"
Lan Xiang lowered her head and said submissively, "The prince has summoned me, and I dare not disobey."
"The prince summoned you to sing?"
Lan Xiang nodded, "Exactly."
Gu Jiu raised his eyebrows and smiled. Prince Ning seemed to be in a good mood and was even interested in listening to the actors singing.
She casually asked, "Are you from the south?"
"I don't even know where I'm from. Ever since I was old enough to understand, I've been learning to sing from my master in Jiangnan."
oh!
Many actors were abducted and sold into opera troupes when they were young.
It is extremely rare for someone like Aunt Tan to come out and sing songs and be noticed by Lord Gu and taken as a concubine.
It can be said that Aunt Tan has extremely good luck.
She had just started singing, and before she had experienced much of the cruelty of society, she was noticed by Lord Gu and taken into his mansion to enjoy wealth and glory. As a result, her pride was preserved.
Gu Jiu said: "Since the prince has summoned you, you should go there immediately."
"As you command, I respectfully escort my lady."
Lan Xiang retreated to the side of the road and bowed her head to see Gu Jiu off.
After the people walked away, the musician glared at Lan Xiang fiercely and said, "If you dare to do anything wrong, I will break your legs."
Lan Xiang lowered her eyebrows and smiled pleasantly, "Brother, why are you so nervous? Xiang knows her limits and won't do anything rash."
"That's better!"
…
Even if the tree wants to be still, the wind will not stop, let alone when someone deliberately stirs up the wind and rain.
The capital is not peaceful!
The news that Prince Ning exchanged southwest silver for official silver had already spread throughout the capital.
Prince Zhao's Mansion.
Prince Zhao laughed heartily. "Brother Prince Ning is so foolish as to do such a foolish thing. When the emperor reprimands him, I will see how he responds."
The counselor whispered a warning, "Your Highness, be careful of Prince Ning's evil plans."
"Why should I be afraid of him? He dared to do it, so why should I say anything? He was just being stupid, exchanging Southwest silver for official silver. In my opinion, he must have gone crazy because of poverty."
King Zhao was very contemptuous of King Ning.
The counselor wanted to remind King Zhao to be cautious, but King Zhao looked impatient and said, "Don't bother with all that nonsense. I'll just watch the court tomorrow morning."
…
East Palace.
It was still that shabby room.
Crown Princess Sun rubbed her brows and said, "I am not in the mood to play chess today. Junior Supervisor Fang, please put away the chess pieces."
Fang Shaojian smiled and asked, "What worries you, Madam?"
"Prince Ning used the Southwest Silver to replace the Guanping Silver. I don't believe you would not know."
Fang Shaojian played chess with himself, holding the black pieces in one hand and the white pieces in the other.
"Prince Ning is defiling himself. Your Majesty, there is no need to worry about it."
Crown Princess Sun sneered, "Does Prince Ning still need to defame himself? The absurd things he has done over the years are too numerous to list. Young Supervisor Fang, I hope you can take this matter seriously instead of just brushing it off."
Fang Shaojian raised his head and looked at the other party, "What exactly is your Majesty worried about?"
Crown Princess Sun said word by word, "Prince Ning may seem reckless, but he's not aimless. He swapped Guanping silver with Southwest silver, and he didn't hide it at all, even if it became public knowledge. If you say there's no deeper purpose behind Prince Ning's actions, I don't believe it."
Fang Shaojian smiled and said, "No matter who Prince Ning is targeting, Your Majesty, we don't have much time left. We can't waste our limited time and manpower on Prince Ning."
Crown Princess Sun frowned, "What do you want?"
"The Shangsi Festival is approaching, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is almost fully recovered. Based on my understanding of His Majesty, he may be unable to contain himself and is about to take action. Has Your Majesty made up her mind?"
"I have already made up my mind."
"Just in case, we have to ask again. Will the Queen change her mind again?"
Crown Princess Sun said with a resolute expression, "I will never change my mind."
Fang Shaojian asked sinisterly, "Even if this fails and the Crown Prince's life is implicated, Your Majesty will not waver?"
Crown Princess Sun hesitated for less than a second, "I have already made up my mind, how could I waver?"
"As long as your Majesty is resolute, that's all that matters. Even if it costs us our lives, we will lend a hand to you."
"Prince Ning's side?"
Fang Shaojian slowly shook his head, "Don't worry about Prince Ning. He is not our target. I hope Your Majesty can distinguish between the primary and the secondary."
Crown Princess Sun took a deep breath and said, "I really can't bear to see Prince Ning being so arrogant."
"If this succeeds, Prince Ning's arrogance won't last long."
Crown Princess Sun nodded secretly, reminding herself not to be impatient.
She asked quietly, "Has everything been arranged in the palace?"
Fang Shaojian said confidently: "Don't worry, your Majesty, everything is under control."
Crown Princess Sun nodded in satisfaction. "That's excellent. The future and lives of thousands of people in the Eastern Palace all depend on you, Young Master Fang. I hope you won't let me down."
Fang Shaojian smiled meaningfully, "We dare not let the Empress down. The Empress will definitely be grateful to us later."
Crown Princess Sun stood up and left.
Fang Shaojian held a black piece in his hand, staring at the chessboard with an unpredictable look in his eyes.
Suddenly, he overturned the chessboard, and the chess pieces rolled to the ground and all over the room.
He threw his head back and laughed.
"You're so ambitious and audacious! You really don't know how to spell the word 'death'! Unfortunately, someone is holding our lives in their hands. Haha..."
Fang Shaojian lowered his head and looked at the chess pieces scattered all over the floor, his eyes flashing with madness.
Let’s die together!
…
Today's morning court is like a vegetable market.
At the beginning of the morning court session, an imperial censor impeached Prince Ning for disobeying the imperial edict and disregarding the law.
It wasn't just one censor, but more than a dozen censors, all firing at full force, aiming their artillery at Prince Ning.
Prince Zhao also took the opportunity to jump out and said, "Your Majesty, Prince Ning used the Southwest Silver to replace the Guanping Silver. There may be something behind this. Why not hear what Prince Ning has to say first?"
After King Zhao finished speaking, he winked at King Ning, as if to say: No need to thank me, as a brother, this is what I should do.
King Ning: Haha!
The King of Zhao harbored evil intentions, he just wanted to see him perform.
It’s hard to say who will watch whose show.
Emperor Kaiyao is in a bad mood today.
Many days had passed since the Ministry of Revenue had been clearing its arrears, but the amount it had collected was still less than one million taels.
In the hall, there are few people with clean bottoms.
Especially Prince Ning, who dared to use southwest silver to replace official silver, openly playing tricks on the court officials, with no manners at all, and simply defying the imperial edict. He deserves to die.
"Prince Ning, get out here right now. You used Southwest silver to replace official silver, and you even dared to order the palace guards and yamen runners to beat me in the street. Do you know your crime?"
"I acknowledge my guilt!"
King Ning was very straightforward and simply knelt on the ground to apologize.
King Zhao was very proud and gloated over other people's misfortunes.
The other princes were similar, and were happy to see Prince Ning in trouble.
Emperor Kaiyao had a bad temper. He stepped down from the dragon throne and kicked Prince Ning in the chest. "You bastard! Who gave you the guts to play tricks on the officials and defy the imperial edict? How could I have given birth to a thing like you, worse than a pig or a dog?"
Prince Ning took the opportunity to fall to the ground, holding his chest and crying in pain, unable to get up.
Emperor Kaiyao was so angry that he kicked him a few more times. He was about to order people to drag Prince Ning away and beat him up, when someone stood up.
"Your Majesty, Prince Ning used Southwest Silver to replace the official silver. This means that Prince Ning's mansion still has at least 45,000 taels of silver on deposit. Your Majesty, please issue an order requiring Prince Ning to immediately hand over this deposit and repay the Ministry of Revenue as soon as possible."
The speaker was Li Shizhong, who had been a sting in the court planted by Empress Ruizhen Cui. Now that Empress Ruizhen Cui was gone, Li Shizhong had joined forces with the Cui family to protect the crown prince.
Prince Ning brought his own death upon himself, so don't blame him for taking advantage of his misfortune.
Upon hearing this, Emperor Kaiyao felt that it made perfect sense.
Pointing at Prince Ning, he angrily said, "Rebellious son, hand over the silver immediately, or I will make you pay."
Prince Ning said with a guilty conscience: "Your Majesty, I have no money left."
"Forty or fifty thousand taels of official silver can never disappear out of thin air. Your Highness Prince Ning, please don't try to fool me." Minister Li stared at Prince Ning.
Prince Ning immediately jumped up, pointed at Li Shizhong's nose and cursed, "Who told you that I have 40,000 or 50,000 taels of official silver? Which eye did you see? If you don't have evidence, don't talk nonsense."
Minister Li wiped his face silently, wiping off the spit. He felt extremely disgusted with Prince Ning.
Prince Zhao was heartbroken. "Brother Prince Ning, please don't be so stubborn. The news that you used 45,000 taels of southwest silver to replace the official silver has already spread throughout the court and the capital. Everyone knows that you still have 45,000 taels of official silver in your mansion. You should quickly take it out. Don't anger my father again."
Prince Zhao pretended to persuade Prince Ning, but in reality he was adding insult to injury. He and Li Shizhong sang the same tune, forcing Prince Ning to hand over the silver while also trying to sow discord between the Emperor and Prince Ning.
With the emperor's hot temper, it would only take a few rounds for King Ning to be in trouble.
Prince Ning was completely honest. "Who told you that I still have 45,000 taels of official silver? I tell you clearly that this is all slander. Father, do you know where this Southwest silver in your hand came from?"
Emperor Kaiyao smiled coldly, "Where did you come from?"
Prince Ning chuckled at first, "Some time ago, I happened to hear about a way to make money. If you hand over the official silver, you can make a 20% profit by reselling it.
I was tempted, so I exchanged all the 45,000 taels of official silver for Southwest silver.
As a result, that Gu Zhili, hmph, is so ungrateful that he actually dared to bring yamen runners to block the door of the palace. If I see him again, I will definitely teach him a lesson.
"Who do you want to make look good?"
Emperor Kaiyao kicked Prince Ning to the ground.
Then he pointed at him and demanded, "Tell me, where did you get that Southwest Silver? What's the deal with the 20% interest? If you don't explain yourself clearly, I will not forgive you today."
Prince Ning rubbed his chest and said, "Father, please be gentle. I am almost breaking my bones."
Emperor Kaiyao glared at Prince Ning, and he finally behaved himself.
"Your Majesty, I received 45,000 taels of official silver from the Minister of the Imperial Household, and exchanged them for 67,500 taels of Southwest silver. As soon as Lord Gu took the Southwest silver, I sent the 45,000 taels of official silver to the Minister of the Imperial Household."
The so-called Shaofu Tongcheng Yamen was in charge of salt, iron and coinage. It was equivalent to the People's Bank of China in later generations, which was responsible for issuing currency.
The Shaofu Tongcheng was equivalent to the president of the People's Bank of China and the CEO of a listed state-owned enterprise in later generations, and he held extraordinary power.
According to regulations, all the Southwest silver minted from the Southwest Silver Mine was transported to the Shaofu, where the Shaofu Copper Secretary arranged for the Southwest silver to be re-refined and cast into official silver or silverware needed by the court.
Prince Ning revealed the secret in front of all the civil and military officials, saying that he used official silver to exchange for Southwest silver from the Shaofu Tongcheng, just for the so-called 20% profit.
All the officials were in an uproar and talked a lot.
I didn’t expect there would be such a good thing in the capital. You can get a 20% profit by exchanging official silver for southwestern silver.
Many people secretly stamped their feet and sighed. If they had known that there would be such a good thing, they would have exchanged all the official silver stored in their homes for Southwest silver.
A 20% profit is quite a lot.
No matter how small a mosquito bite is, it is still meat.
While all the officials were sighing, some of them turned pale and broke out in cold sweat.
Prince Ning is so vicious, is he going to capture all the Shaofu in one fell swoop?
King Zhao was horrified and couldn't believe that King Ning would say such a thing.
His face turned pale. Good, he is indeed his brother, Prince Ning. He said that a simple matter had been made so complicated, and everyone knew that he was waiting for him here.
Plop!
Shaofu Tongcheng suddenly fell to the ground and fainted.
Emperor Kaiyao smiled coldly and said sternly, "Throw water on him and wake him up."
A eunuch brought a basin of cold water and splashed it hard on the face of the Shaofu Tongcheng.
Shaofu Tongcheng woke up, knelt on the ground, and cried out, "I am innocent!"
Prince Zhao suddenly jumped out with a ferocious look on his face, pointing at Prince Ning and saying, "Brother Prince Ning, you committed a crime yourself, yet you want to involve someone else. What is your intention?"
The Shaofu Tongcheng's surname was Wen, and he was a distant relative of Concubine Xue.
King Zhao has always regarded Shaofu Tongcheng as his own money bag.
If Prince Ning wanted to take advantage of his purse, he had to ask him first if he agreed.
Prince Ning glared, "Seventh brother, be careful with your words. I am reporting the truth without any deception, and I will never involve anyone irrelevant. Father, I still have Lord Wen's handwritten signature in my hand."
Emperor Kaiyao's face was grim. "Present it."
Chen Dachang, the Chief Supervisor of the Chen Dynasty, took the letter from Prince Ning and handed it to the emperor in two steps.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"
Emperor Kaiyao said "damn it" three times in a row.
Inside the hall, all the civil and military officials changed color. This was a murderous rhythm!
Emperor Kaiyao was furious. "Imprison Wen Guangren and investigate this matter thoroughly. Anyone implicated will be shown no mercy."
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