The silver from Jiangnan was sent back.
However, the amount was quite different from what was expected, being several tens of thousands of taels less.
Liu Yi said a lot in the letter, but to sum it up, there was only so much money, not because he was incompetent, but because there were too many difficulties. He had already done his best.
Prince Ning looked at the account book with a gloomy expression.
Pei advised, "The fourth brother has done his best. Don't be too harsh on him."
Prince Ning snorted, "I haven't said a word, and you're saying I'm being harsh on him?"
Pei was embarrassed. "I saw that you were about to get angry, so I tried to persuade you."
"Don't try to persuade me any further. I will make the final decision on this matter."
Prince Ning took the account book and prepared to leave.
Pei hurriedly called out to the others, "Your Highness, how much of this money can be left for the inner courtyard? The inner courtyard has high expenses and has long been unable to make ends meet."
Prince Ning said, "I have other uses for this money. You should find a way to cover the expenses of the inner court."
"How can we overcome this without money?" Pei complained. "It's tens of thousands of taels. The prince should at least leave some for the inner court. If he doesn't give us even a tael, will nearly a thousand people in the palace starve?"
Prince Ning was irritated. "Alright, I'll have the accountant allocate 10,000 taels to the inner court."
Pei thought ten thousand taels was too little and wanted more.
However, King Ning did not give her a chance to speak and left.
Pei was furious and ordered the eunuch Wen Zhong, "Write to the fourth son and ask him what happened and why he only sent such a small amount of silver."
She suspected that Liu Yi had embezzled money.
According to estimates from previous years, even if there weren't 100,000 taels of silver this year, there should be at least 80,000 or 90,000 taels. In the end, only less than 40,000 taels of silver were returned, less than half the expected amount.
Wen Zhong reminded Pei, "Your Majesty, the prince may send people to Jiangnan to investigate. Should we warn the Fourth Young Master?"
Pei's face was stern. "You also suspect that the fourth brother embezzled money?"
Wen Zhong quickly lowered his head and said, "I dare not."
Pei frowned, "How dare Fourth Brother embezzle half of the silver?"
She thought about it carefully and immediately ordered, "Send someone to check on Xiao Qin'er. The fourth brother also wrote to her. Have someone check privately to see if Xiao Qin'er received the banknote."
Wen Zhong accepted the order and then asked, "What if the Fourth Young Master really did send a banknote to the Fourth Madam? How should we deal with this matter?"
Pei warned, "Don't make it public, don't let the prince know. As for the rest, you can handle it yourself."
"I understand."
Wen Zhong took the order and left.
Prince Ning returned to Bixi Pavilion, called Liu Zhao, and threw the account book to him, "Take a look at this account book. Is there anything wrong with it?"
Liu Zhao flipped through the account book, carefully examining each page. He said, "There are a few incorrect amounts. That might be the problem."
Prince Ning leaned back on the Arhat couch and asked, "In your opinion, are the people below fooling the Fourth Prince, or is the Fourth Prince fooling me?"
Liu Zhao smiled and closed the account book. Then he said expressionlessly, "Doesn't your father already have the answer in his mind?"
Prince Ning snorted, "In previous years, you were in charge of Jiangnan, and every year you could deliver at least 100,000 taels of silver back to Beijing from Jiangnan.
This year, the fourth brother took on this important task for the first time, but he only delivered less than 40,000 taels. With such a disparity, I don't believe that the fourth brother is so clueless as to make such a huge mistake.
Either the people below are fooling the Fourth Brother, or the Fourth Brother is colluding with the people below to fool me."
Liu Zhao said with a cold expression, "Two months ago, my son received a letter from Jiangnan saying that the harvest this year was not very good, with a reduction of about 20%."
Prince Ning sneered, "It's hard for you to speak well of the Fourth Brother."
"My son is just telling the truth." Liu Zhao had a blank expression on his face, and no one could guess what he was thinking.
Prince Ning said with a stern face, "Even if production is reduced by 20%, including losses, there should be at least 70,000 or 80,000 taels. Fourth Brother dared to send back less than 40,000 taels. Does he treat me like a beggar?"
Liu Zhao said, "This is my fourth brother's first time going to Jiangnan. He is unfamiliar with the place and it is possible that he will be fooled by the people below him."
Prince Ning looked dissatisfied. "Stop playing the brotherly game in front of me. You and the Fourth Brother have always been at odds. What's your intention in speaking up for him?"
Liu Zhao chuckled softly, "My son is devoted to doing good, and father is not satisfied?"
Prince Ning narrowed his eyes, stared at Liu Zhao, and then started laughing again.
He mentioned another thing, "This month the old man summoned the King of Chu three times. He really dotes on the King of Chu."
The King of Chu was the eldest grandson of the Emperor, the eldest son of Crown Prince Renxuan, and Liu Zhao's cousin.
Liu Zhao smiled and asked, "Are those people anxious?"
Prince Ning nodded. "How can I not be anxious? Over the years, Prince Chu has received the most favor. Some people in the court are already discussing whether this old man should make Prince Chu the crown prince."
Liu Zhao said in a resounding voice, "Bypassing the prince and enthroning the grandson as the crown prince is simply a recipe for disaster. I'd like to know how the grandson will deal with all these uncles when he ascends the throne. Unless, while Grandfather is still alive, he imprisons all of you, Father, to stifle any possibility of rebellion."
Prince Ning bared his teeth. "The old man has been shrewd all his life. He won't become confused in his old age. Is he really going to kill us sons?"
Liu Zhao thought about it and suggested a solution, "Why not test the emperor's grandfather's intentions?"
Prince Ning stared at Liu Zhao, "Are you saying that we should ask someone to establish a crown prince?"
Liu Zhao nodded.
Prince Ning laughed heartily. "It's time to test the old man's feelings. It's not good to keep him hanging like this."
At this time, someone was asking to see him outside.
Chang En quietly went out to deal with it.
A moment later, Chang En hurried back to the side hall, "Your Majesty, there's news from the palace that Concubine Li is two months pregnant."
"What? Are you sure Li Zhaoyi is pregnant?"
Chang En nodded, "This is absolutely true."
Prince Ning exchanged a glance with Liu Zhao, then waved his hand and told Chang En to leave.
Prince Ning frowned and paced back and forth in the side hall with an annoyed look on his face.
"Humph, this old man is really vigorous. At this age, he can actually make Li Zhaoyi pregnant. If I didn't know that no man is close to Li Zhaoyi, I would have suspected that she was pregnant with someone's bastard."
Liu Zhao frowned and said, "Li Zhaoyi is pregnant, and the emperor's grandfather is vigorous and energetic, so he naturally refuses to admit his age."
If people don't admit their age, they won't rush to appoint a crown prince.
There is no way to talk about the Crown Prince's statement.
Now it seems that the people who were most disappointed about Li Zhaoyi's pregnancy were the King of Chu and the Concubine Dowager Sun.
After the emperor's eldest grandson was made King of Chu, the Crown Princess Sun also became the Dowager Consort.
Liu Zhao added, "Father, we should hurry and select a servant who is close to the King of Chu to submit a petition to establish the Crown Prince."
"Are you trying to frame the King of Chu?"
Liu Zhao nodded.
Prince Ning laughed, "Li Zhaoyi is pregnant, and the King of Chu has sent someone to petition for the establishment of the Crown Prince. If nothing unexpected happens, the old man will be furious.
This prince knows a little about the old man's temper. He refused to accept his age many years ago, and Li Zhaoyi's pregnancy made him even more unwilling to accept his age.
Anyone who dares to come to me and ask for the establishment of a crown prince or grandson at this time is courting death. If the King of Chu had not been favored and gradually gained momentum, I would have taken this opportunity to punish the King of Zhao.
The King of Zhao escaped a disaster, and he should be grateful to the King of Chu for stealing his limelight."
Prince Ning felt better at the thought of being able to plot against the Prince of Chu.
He said, "I am planning to send someone to Jiangnan to investigate. Do you have any candidates?"
Liu Zhao said: "Anyone around my father can take on the important task."
Prince Ning laughed heartily. "After a few months of training, you've become more eloquent. Not bad, not bad. The fourth daughter-in-law is pregnant, and as the eldest, you should hurry up. If the fourth daughter-in-law wants to give birth to a legitimate grandson, I'll see what you can do."
Liu Zhao raised his eyebrows, "Even if Fourth Brother leads the Master to give birth to a legitimate grandson, what does it matter? Has my son ever been afraid?"
Prince Ning looked at Liu Zhao with a half-smile, "You'd better never be afraid."
Liu Zhao smiled and said, "If your Majesty has no other instructions, I will take my leave."
Prince Ning waved his hand and said, "Go and do your thing. While you have some free time, spend more time with your wife. It would be best if she gets pregnant soon."
"Don't worry about this, Father."
Liu Zhao stood up and left.
King Ning arranged for people to go to Jiangnan.
…
The newly decorated Prince of Chu's Palace has been occupied for over a month since Prince Renxuan and his family moved in from the East Palace.
The news of Li Zhaoyi's pregnancy spread like wildfire to thousands of households in the capital.
Some people were busy singing praises and flattering the emperor.
Some people were delighted, especially Li Zhaoyi's family members.
Some people were worried, led by the King of Chu and his family.
The Queen Mother Sun sat on the ground, the King of Chu sat below her, and Fang Shaojian sat opposite her.
The King of Chu's face was gloomy. "Mother, Concubine Li is pregnant. What should we do with our son?"
Concubine Sun Zhi looked towards Junior Supervisor Fang and said, "Junior Supervisor Fang, tell me what you think."
Fang Shaojian bowed slightly, "Your Highness, it is better to remain still than to move. Continue to be a filial son and grandson, and serve His Majesty.
As for the child in Li Zhaoyi's belly, it may not be a prince. Even if the prince grows up to be able to speak, run and be in the arms of a mother, it will take at least several years.
The prince can take advantage of these few years to carefully plan. In addition, the old servants in the palace will also make arrangements in advance.
It is difficult to train an excellent prince, but it is easy to teach him bad things."
Upon hearing this, the King of Chu nodded secretly.
Concubine Sun said, "Everyone around Concubine Li Zhaoyi was personally arranged by His Majesty. When the prince is born, His Majesty will certainly personally inquire about it and arrange for trustworthy servants to serve him. Are you sure that the people you arranged can get close to the prince and lead him astray?"
Fang Shaojian smiled mysteriously, "I may not be sure about other things, but I am completely confident in arranging people to serve Li Zhaoyi."
oh?
Concubine Sun stared at Fang Shaojian suspiciously. How many tricks did this old slave have?
But if you think about it carefully, it's not surprising.
Fang Shaojian served Queen Cui Ruizhen for twenty or thirty years. Twenty or thirty years was enough time for him to take root in the palace and weave a dense network.
The seemingly unrelated person might just be a pawn in Fang Shaojian's network of relationships.
Concubine Sun said, "Since you are so confident, I will leave this matter entirely to you. This time, don't let me down."
"Don't worry, Madam. I dare not disappoint you."
…
Jiang Yan stood anxiously in the center of the hall, feeling very helpless.
She didn't know why the imperial concubine wanted to see her.
She looked around and saw that there were several people called in with her. Without exception, all of them were outstanding in appearance.
There was movement in the hall.
The imperial concubine appeared with Prince Zhao.
King Zhao sat at the bottom, his eyes scanning everyone's face inquiringly.
"Mother, do we really have to give all these beauties to our father? He is old now, so it would be better for him to give them all to his son."
Concubine Xue glared at Prince Zhao. "Look at how little you have achieved. Is your palace short of women?"
King Zhao chuckled and said, "My son was just joking."
Concubine Xue snorted, "Li Zhaoyi is pregnant, and you still have the mind to joke."
The emperor loves his eldest son, and the people love their youngest son.
However, this statement did not come true for the emperor.
Prince Renxuan was the eldest son, but the emperor did not love him and even regarded him as an enemy.
If Crown Prince Renxuan had not blocked the knife for the emperor and died, the family of the Eastern Palace would have been imprisoned long ago and would not have been granted the title of King of Chu.
Now that Li Zhaoyi is pregnant, if she gives birth to a prince, he will definitely be the emperor's most beloved son, and no one will be able to steal his limelight.
All the princes, even the youngest, have reached adulthood.
In the eyes of the emperor, all adult princes are hateful.
Because the adult princes were no longer well-behaved, they only wanted to compete with the emperor for power.
No one likes someone who wants to seize his power. The emperor even wants to kill all the adult princes because they are an eyesore.
However, the small, soft and innocent little prince was different.
The little prince was so innocent and adorable, so pure and innocent. His wide-open innocent eyes shocked the emperor's hard heart.
Let me ask you, can the emperor resist the charm of the little prince?
cannot!
When they thought that Li Zhaoyi was very likely to give birth to the most beloved little prince, many people inside and outside the palace became restless.
If the emperor can live another ten or twenty years, when the little prince grows up, he will be the next emperor.
By that time, before his death, the emperor would definitely clear all obstacles for the little prince to ascend the throne and imprison and execute all the adult princes who were in his way.
Of course!
Don't doubt the emperor's cruelty and ruthlessness.
Perhaps, in order to reduce the obstacles after the little prince ascends the throne, even the concubines in the harem will be dealt with.
Who could be willing to let Li Zhaoyi and her son monopolize power?
Concubine Xue has been in the harem for many years, how could she just sit there and wait for death?
The first thing she thought of was to present a beautiful woman to the emperor.
Li Zhaoyi is pregnant and cannot sleep with him. This is the perfect time to take advantage of the opportunity.
Jiang Yan was extremely beautiful, so her name caught the eye of Concubine Xue.
Concubine Xue coughed lightly and glanced at everyone. "I intend to promote you and let you serve His Majesty. Are you willing?"
The five people looked at each other in bewilderment. Such a good thing that fell from the sky actually fell on their heads.
"Yes, yes!"
Several others shouted their yes.
Only Jiang Yan was a little hesitant.
Among the five people, she is the only one who reads.
Before she came to Beijing, Gu Jiu gave her many books. She kept those books with her all these years and never thought of selling them even during the most difficult times.
She read each book at least ten times.
There is no golden house in the book, but it contains the principles of how to be a good person.
How old is the emperor this year?
Sixty-three, or sixty-five?
How many years do I have left to live?
If the emperor died two years later and they had no children, their second half of life would be even more miserable than being a palace maid.
Concubine Xue asked them to serve the emperor, and she must have wanted them to compete with Concubine Li for favor.
Li Zhaoyi is now in the harem. If someone competes with Li Zhaoyi for favor at this time, there is a 50% chance that he will die at the hands of Li Zhaoyi.
Should she agree or refuse?
But can she refuse?
She was a maid in Ganlu Palace, and she had no right to refuse Concubine Xue's arrangement.
She could only follow the others and kneel down to receive orders.
Concubine Xue nodded with satisfaction. "For the next month, I will arrange for someone to take good care of you. I hope you will do your best and not let me down."
"As you command!"
Jiang Yan secretly glanced at her hands; they were indeed a little rough. The skin on her face, tanned by the sun, wasn't as delicate as it used to be.
If you want to serve His Majesty, you must first take care of yourself. At least you need to remove the dead skin on your hands and keep the skin on your face tender.
Afterwards, they were taken away from their original residences and made to live in side halls, where they were cared for by special personnel.
There were also maids who explained to them matters between men and women, how to please, and how to serve.
The content is novel and jaw-dropping.
It turns out that there are so many things to pay attention to between men and women.
Jiang Yan has been looking for opportunities.
Finally got in touch with Zhou Miao.
The two agreed to meet in the Imperial Garden.
As soon as Jiang Yan saw him, she hurriedly said, "The Imperial Concubine asked me to serve His Majesty, but I'm terrified and don't want to go. Please help me."
Zhou Miao asked, "Serving His Majesty is such a good thing, and you don't want to go? Didn't you enter the palace just to climb up the social ladder? Now that the opportunity is right in front of you, why are you backing down?"
Jiang Yan looked distressed. "I'm not backing down, I just don't want to die. And Your Majesty is so old. What if one day... what will I do then? Am I going to spend my whole life in a nunnery, worshipping the Buddha?"
Zhou Miao gritted his teeth and said, "I do have a plan that would allow me to serve His Majesty and rise to prominence, while also preserving my life in the event of an emergency. I'm just afraid you won't dare."
－－－－－－Digression－－－－－－
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