"absurd!"
Prince Ning scolded Princess Huyang, "You believe everything you hear, and don't even think about it. Don't say the palace doesn't have any expenses for cutting. Even if they did, your share wouldn't be missing out."
When Princess Huyang heard this, her worry turned into joy.
"Is what Brother Wang said true? Are you really not going to cut my expenses?"
Prince Ning's face was serious. "I promise you that I will never cut your expenses."
Huyang was smiling happily.
Pei gritted her teeth.
She had already planned that once she started cutting expenses, Huyang would be the first one to be targeted.
She had long disliked Hu Yang, and she was unwilling to take the opportunity to teach her a lesson.
As a result, the prince actually promised that he would never cut Huyang's expenses. This is really outrageous.
In this case, doesn’t it mean that the palace will have to support Huyang for the rest of his life?
Why?
She's not an unmarried sister-in-law.
Huyang had a mansion, land, shops, and a title. Although she was fined for three years, after three years, she would still be able to enjoy her glory.
Huyang's own income was not enough, and he even asked the palace to pay for the support of the three of them, mother and son.
What's the reason for this?
"Your Highness, is this appropriate?" Pei asked softly.
Although Pei was already furious in her heart, she still looked very calm, with the demeanor of a princess.
Prince Ning is used to spending money lavishly, so why would he care about such a small amount of expenses?
In his opinion, it’s just a matter of how much money it costs to support a few people.
So he said, "There's nothing wrong with that."
Princess Huyang took the opportunity to make a request, "Brother Wang, can you give me some money so I can perform a ritual for my husband? My husband died with his eyes wide open, and he haunts my dreams every night. If I don't perform a ritual for him, I won't be able to rest in peace."
Prince Ning nodded, "Yes!"
Hu Yang wiped his tears and said, "Thank you, Brother Wang. Seven or eight thousand taels is almost enough."
Upon hearing this, Pei smiled coldly.
Hu Yang really asked for a huge sum of money. Seven or eight thousand taels, when it came out of her mouth, it sounded like seven or eight taels, as simple as eating and drinking water.
I really don't know where she gets the confidence from.
He is obviously a pauper and owes a lot of debts, but he shows off all day long.
Pei looked towards Prince Ning.
There was no money left in the mansion, and she wanted to see how the prince would deal with the "small change" of seven or eight thousand taels.
Prince Ning said solemnly, "A mere ritual doesn't require seven or eight thousand taels. Which temple's monks dared to inflate the price and take advantage of you? Tell me, and tomorrow I'll have people raze that temple, arrest those monks, and torture them severely."
Pei lowered her head and smiled, feeling happy.
Sure enough, the prince is not so easy to fool.
Princess Huyang's face froze, and she said guiltily, "No, there aren't many monks in the temple. I was just planning to add some more incense money so that the monks will be more attentive."
Prince Ning snorted coldly, "No matter what temple it is, five hundred taels of silver is the maximum amount of money for incense offerings. If those monks dare not be attentive, tell me that I will have the temple demolished from top to bottom."
Oh, oh, oh!
Princess Huyang was about to cry again.
Brother Wang is not easy to fool!
What medicine did Brother Wang take wrong? Why is he always so picky?
Princess Huyang began to sob again, "My husband suffered so much before his death. I just want him to have a glorious afterlife. I hope my prince can understand."
Prince Ning remained unmoved. "Even if you want to pass away in style, it won't cost more than seven or eight thousand taels. I'll give you two thousand taels, enough to hold a grand ceremony. I believe that the Prince Consort will rest in peace after receiving this money. If he still can't rest in peace, I'll talk to him personally."
Princess Huyang was choked. "Brother Wang, please don't scare me. How are you going to talk to him?"
Prince Ning sneered, "Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, all at once. I don't believe that Prince Consort Chen would dare to wander into my dreams again. If he dares to haunt the underworld again, I will send people to raze the Chen family's graves."
Princess Huyang was horrified and burst into tears. "I've already wronged my husband, and yet you want to raze the Chen family's tombs? Are you deliberately trying to make me the Chen family's scapegoat?"
Prince Ning said sternly, "How dare you! You are a princess, a noble and precious woman. The Chen family is nothing to you. How could they deserve such behavior? Since she is dead, I will find another marriage for you in a year or two, if you wish."
Princess Huyang was stunned and stopped crying. She stared blankly at Prince Ning, "Is this what mother meant?"
Prince Ning had a blank expression on his face. "No matter whose idea it was, please stop crying over Prince Consort Chen. It's ugly."
Princess Huyang lowered her head, wiped her tears, and had a complicated expression.
This was the first time Pei heard of this, and she thought that the royal family was indeed a heartless and disloyal people.
Less than two months had passed since Prince Consort Chen had died, and Concubine Shu and the prince were actually planning to find another marriage for Huyang.
Tsk tsk tsk…
I just don’t know what the siblings Chen Min and Chen Lu would think.
Princess Huyang wiped her tears and said, "I'm not thinking about it right now. We'll talk about it later. Right now, I just want to perform a ritual for my husband."
Prince Ning immediately ordered the housekeeper, "Allow two thousand taels of silver to the princess."
The housekeeper obeys the order.
Princess Huyang gritted her teeth and asked, "Brother Wang, can't you give me a little more?"
Prince Ning said unhappily, "I just paid off the debt owed to the Ministry of Revenue, so how could I have extra money? If you have nothing else, please leave."
Princess Huyang stamped her foot and asked, "Brother Wang, have you been persuaded by my sister-in-law to really cut down on the expenses of the palace?"
Pei secretly rolled her eyes.
Prince Ning said sternly, "Whether to cut the expenses or not, the prince and the princess will discuss it. Now, stop meddling in other people's business. And next time, don't believe everything you hear. This servant is a gossip, and he deserves to be severely punished."
The word "severe punishment" was heard, and it shocked Princess Huyang with a murderous aura.
She looked around and knew that no matter what she said, it would be useless.
"Brother Wang, you are busy. I will take my leave first."
When turning around to leave, Princess Huyang did not forget to glance at Pei.
Pei smiled sarcastically and said, "No matter how eloquent you are, you can't change the situation."
What is the general trend? The general trend is that the palace has no money.
And this matter has attracted the attention of the prince.
As soon as Princess Huyang left, the side hall became quiet.
Pei looked at Prince Ning and said, "Your Highness, the accountant is out of money. What should we do?"
Prince Ning casually flipped through the account book and asked, "You just said to cut down on expenditure. How do you cut down on expenditure?"
Pei was delighted and said calmly, "After much thought, I think there are only two solutions: one is to lay off employees, and the other is to cut expenses. I ask Your Highness to make the decision."
Prince Ning asked, "How much money can be saved in a month by cutting down on staff and expenses?"
this……
Pei looked towards the clerk of the royal palace.
The palace steward hurriedly said, "That depends on how many people are tailoring and what the standard for tailoring expenses is."
Prince Ning stared at Pei, "How many people do you think should be laid off?"
Pei asked cautiously, "Cut it by 10%?"
She originally wanted to cut it by 20% at one time, but she was worried that Prince Ning would object, so she didn't say so.
King Ning nodded and said, "Cut off one adult, that's enough."
"The palace should lay off some people, those who are taking advantage of the situation, those who are dishonest, those who are not careful with their words, and those who are cunning and treacherous."
Pei was so excited that she couldn't help but say, "I obey your command."
King Ning asked again, "How do you plan to spend the money?"
Pei said hurriedly, "I've compared the various palaces, and the expenses of the royal palace are too high. Why not start with the servants' monthly wages?"
The palace steward remained indifferent, as he was receiving a salary set by the court. No matter how it was cut, it would never reach him.
The other dozen or so accountants were different; they all received monthly allowances. If this were to be cut, wouldn't their monthly income be significantly reduced?
But I am of low status and my words carry little weight, so I dare not speak rashly.
Prince Ning had no specific ideas. "First, you should come up with a plan for me to review. If there are no problems, I can adjust the expenses."
Pei was overjoyed and agreed, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. I will come up with a plan as soon as possible."
Prince Ning threw the account book aside and said, "This is an offensive job. Princess, have you thought about how to proceed?"
Pei had already made up her mind. "I will take the lead, along with my two concubines and my three daughters-in-law. We will each be responsible for a part. Your Highness, do you think this will work?"
Prince Ning asked, "Aren't you afraid that someone might pretend to obey you but actually disobey you, and take revenge on you?"
"I will arrange for someone to supervise and put an end to this kind of phenomenon."
Prince Ning thought for a moment and said, "You should first come up with a plan. Then have the accountant calculate how much money you can save this month."
Pei knew clearly that King Ning would not give in easily before the rules were released.
She agreed, "I'll go down right away and ask someone to come up with a set of rules."
She got up and left.
The palace steward and dozens of accountants were still staying in the side hall.
Since Prince Ning didn't let them leave, they had to wait.
Prince Ning asked the Lord Housekeeper, "Is the princess's method feasible?"
The housekeeper considered it carefully and said, "Okay, okay. My only concern is that the whole palace will be in chaos, disturbing the prince and making him restless."
Prince Ning sighed, "It's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but it's hard to go from extravagance to frugality. For so many years, the palace's income hasn't increased. It's really strange."
The Lord Housekeeper said, "Business has been difficult in recent years, and the palace's expenses are high. The princess wants to cut expenses for the sake of the palace."
"I know. I'm asking you, how much silver can be saved in a month according to the princess's plan?"
"If the princess also cuts down some of Chunhe Hall's expenses and sets an example, I estimate that I can save at least two to three thousand taels a month."
Only two or three thousand taels?
Prince Ning thought it was too little.
If you can only save this little bit of money, why bother cutting costs and risk causing chaos?
The housekeeper added, "If you want to save five or six thousand taels a month, it depends on the princess's determination."
If you are determined enough, you can save money no matter what.
If you are not determined enough, you may give up halfway.
"I am worried that the princess is full of enthusiasm now, but when difficulties arise, she will complain again. It is troublesome, really troublesome."
Prince Ning walked around in the side hall and said, "We still have to find a way to open up the source of income."
The housekeeper suggested, "Why not open a few more shops?"
Prince Ning snorted, "How much money can you make from running a shop? Two to three thousand taels a year. Even if you open ten more shops, it'll only be twenty to thirty thousand taels. Besides, all the relatives and nobles are opening shops now, so business is not as good as in previous years. Maybe we won't make any money and even lose money every year."
The head of the household deeply agreed with this.
There are so many shops in the capital.
Royal family members, nobles, officials, wealthy families, who doesn’t have a few shops?
It is almost impossible to make huge profits by opening a shop now.
You can only take the trade routes, south, north, west, and east.
If everything goes well along the way, you can earn at least tens of thousands of taels in one trip.
If the sea trade goes smoothly, it's not a problem to make 100,000 or 200,000 taels per trip. This is much more profitable than running a shop.
The only thing to worry about is the high risk and the long delay on the road.
Prince Ning stared at the Housekeeper, "Is there no other way?"
The housekeeper shook his head and said, "I am stupid and can't think of a solution."
snort!
Prince Ning waved his hand and said, "Everyone, go down and think carefully about this for me."
If this continues, the whole family will be left with nothing.
Pei acted quickly and came up with a charter in two days.
Meanwhile, the servants were all discussing the princess's plan to cut expenses, causing everyone to lose interest in their work and become worried.
Many people even thought that layoffs were coming soon and they might be the ones to be laid off, so why should they work so diligently?
Negativity, fear, complaining, grumbling...
All kinds of negative emotions.
Gu Jiu was in the garden, looking at the servants who were not in the mood to work, shaking his head without comment.
Nanny Fang whispered, "It seems that this time the cost of tailoring is unavoidable."
Gu Jiu nodded. The princess was very determined this time. If she didn't make some noise, wouldn't it mean that she lacked courage?
Since the news of the tailoring expenses has spread throughout the mansion, Princess Pei will also force her own plan for the sake of face.
Qingmei sighed, "I didn't expect that Princess Huyang couldn't stop the prince."
Gu Jiu sneered, "I don't know who secretly encouraged Princess Huyang to be a troublemaker. Unfortunately, in the face of money, not to mention Princess Huyang, even the Concubine Shu is useless."
"I heard that Princess Huyang received two thousand taels from the account office to perform a ritual for Prince Consort Chen."
Gu Jiu asked, "When will the ritual be held?"
Nanny Fang said, "We're still contacting the temple. I heard that Princess Huyang wants to hold a ritual at Xiangguo Temple, saying that Prince Consort Chen loved the plum blossoms there the most when he was alive."
Gu Jiu said, "Rituals at Xiangguo Temple are not cheap. Is two thousand taels enough?"
"A little more money for incense and oil will be enough. But after the ritual is completed, there won't be much left of the two thousand taels."
Gu Jiu laughed. Princess Huyang was thinking about getting money from the palace all day long, but Prince Ning still refused to give in.
Prince Ning is used to spending money lavishly, but it is impossible to ask him to generously and selflessly support Huyang.
Princess Huyang probably realized this and simply changed her strategy, asking for money every few days. Although the amount each time was not much, it accumulated into a considerable amount.
It is no wonder that Pei was full of disgust towards Princess Huyang and disliked her in every way.
I met Ouyang Fu and Xiao Qin'er in the garden.
Both of them were in a bad mood, and were affected by the rumors about the cutting costs.
"How come sister-in-law has time to come out?"
"Second sister-in-law, fourth sister-in-law, you are in a good mood."
Ouyang Fu smiled and said, "My fourth brother's wife and I have been busy in the meeting hall all morning. It's really tiring, so we came out to stroll around and relax."
Xiao Qin'er sneered, "Unlike my sister-in-law, who has nothing to do every day, I really envy her."
Gu Jiu raised his eyebrows and smiled, "Fourth sister-in-law likes to say one thing and mean another. I have nothing to do all day, and you don't know how happy you are in your heart. How can you have the nerve to say that you envy me? If Fourth sister-in-law really switches places with me, you will definitely not be happy."
Xiao Qin'er chuckled, "I envy my sister-in-law's leisure time. Unlike us, we are exhausted every day."
"Those who are capable should do more work. Fourth brother and sister-in-law, please don't get frustrated."
Xiao Qin'er raised her eyebrows and smiled, "Don't worry, sister-in-law, I will never think too much."
Ouyang Fu was worried. "My sister-in-law should have heard about it. The family will start cutting expenses soon. I guess this year's flower viewing banquet will be cancelled."
Xiao Qin'er frowned. "The palace holds a flower viewing banquet every year. It's the most dignified thing. If we really cancel it, won't it make the whole city laugh?"
Ouyang Fu said, "There's not enough money in the mansion. There's nothing we can do about it."
"Don't you care about the reputation of the palace?" Xiao Qin'er bit her lip. She was still thinking about showing up at the flower viewing banquet.
What if this is cancelled?
Ouyang Fu looked at Gu Jiu, "Sister-in-law, don't you want to say anything?"
Gu Jiu smiled softly and said to the two of them, "If the palace really cancels the flower viewing banquet, not only will it not cause others to laugh at it, it might even win praise from the palace."
"What do you mean?"
"Have you all forgotten what the court has been busy with recently?"
"Clear the arrears of the Ministry of Revenue."
Gu Jiu nodded. "You can't even pay back the money from the Ministry of Revenue, yet you still dare to hold a lavish banquet and waste money. Aren't you afraid of His Majesty's blame? Aren't you afraid that the Jinwu Guards will come to your house to collect the debt?
"Cancel the flower viewing banquet and cut expenses. Now is the right time. Although everyone will have to go through a hard time, it will win praise from the palace for the prince and make the Ministry of Revenue delay the collection of arrears. This is the benefit."
"It's rare to find someone who understands in this mansion!"
A group of people came out from behind the bushes.
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