Prince Ning raised his glass and said with a sad expression, "Then I can only wish my brother a good journey, and hope that he will be born into a wealthy family in his next life, and not into the royal family."
After saying that, he drank the whole glass of wine and even showed the bottom of the glass.
King Yan: Hehe
"You're hoping I'll die."
Prince Ning tutted his words. "I originally hoped to exchange sincerity for sincerity, but in return I was met with suspicion. My brother, your prejudice against me is too deep. You were deceived by Prince Zhao, and why haven't you come to your senses yet? Did he give you some kind of magic potion that made you fall head over heels for him?"
"Stop talking nonsense. King Zhao is dead, why do you have to slander a dead man?" King Yan was very disgusted.
Prince Ning waved his hand and said, "Forget it, forget it. I won't talk about Prince Zhao. He's dead now, so I'll be more careful with my words."
He stared at the Prince of Yan and pondered for a moment. "If you find life boring, I won't force you. But have you ever asked your wife, children, and Concubine Shu what they think? What if they find life interesting? Wouldn't you be harming them now?"
King Yan smiled coldly and said, "Just say what you want to say."
Prince Ning said, "If you insist on refusing to return, I will have no choice but to request an imperial decree to expel your wife and children from the capital and relocate them to a remote, cold, and inferior county. Your three generations will be barred from officialdom and will not be allowed to leave the area without an imperial decree. What do you say?"
Prince Yan gripped the wine glass tightly with his hands, his eyes filled with hatred.
Prince Ning was not afraid at all, and he held the wine glass and drank it slowly.
He knew that the King of Yan could accept his wife and children being buried with him and going to hell with him, but he could not accept his wife and children living in the world.
How tiring it is to live a miserable life!
How embarrassing!
They are bullied by others and have no basic human dignity.
The Prince of Yan was such a proud person that he could not bear to see his wife and children treated like this.
I have to say that Prince Ning is a ruthless man. He specializes in hitting people where they are most vulnerable, and his blows are extremely heavy.
Prince Yan wanted his wife and children to die with him, but Prince Ning disagreed.
Prince Ning has made his attitude clear: if you don't let me build my reputation, I won't let you off easily either.
King Yan smiled coldly, the fierceness in his eyes faded, replaced by a helpless sigh.
"What do you want?"
Prince Ning laughed heartily, "Oh, brother, I am wholeheartedly thinking about you and will never let you suffer any loss.
However, I'm afraid you won't be able to keep your title of prince. However, I can secure for you the title of auxiliary general, and allow your family to continue living in the capital.
Even Shu Jieyu, I can guarantee that she will be released from the cold palace and taken back by you to take care of her. The Shaofu will send a monthly stipend to Jieyu.
Prince Yan chuckled, "You are only the regent now, what qualifications do you have to interfere in the affairs of the harem?"
Prince Ning put down his wine glass and looked at Prince Yan with a half-smile. "Do you know what the biggest difference between you and me is? It's not that I'm thicker-skinned than you, but that I'm better at listening to their opinions and never being stubborn.
You are right, the old man is still alive, so I cannot interfere in the affairs of the harem. But I did not say that I would personally intervene in this matter.
There are so many people in the palace. I can just contact one or two of them and petition the emperor. I won't even need to show up and the matter will be settled.
Do you really think it's difficult to release Shu Jieyu from the cold palace? It may seem difficult to you, but to me, it's just a matter of a few favors."
The King of Yan was furious. "You relied on such opportunism to defeat the King of Zhao?"
"Wrong! This king is destined to be king. The outcome has long been determined. This king is the true emperor. All of you were so happy back then just to highlight my wisdom and might."
King Yan: “…”
This king has never seen such a shameless person.
What’s even more terrible is that this person was actually appointed as the crown prince and would soon ascend the throne and become emperor.
The King of Yan gritted his teeth and said, "The King of Zhao was defeated too resentfully."
It is a great misfortune that King Zhao was defeated by such a shameless person!
All I can say is that God was blind and let Prince Ning get the upper hand.
The pot of wine is half finished.
The two of them ate food and drank wine. Thinking back, it had been a long time since they had sat down face to face to drink and talk properly.
Prince Ning burped. "Have you thought it through? While the Emperor hasn't issued the decree yet, there's still a chance to act. If you continue to delay, and the Emperor orders your death, it will be too late to save the situation."
The King of Yan laughed sarcastically, "When you have gained enough fame, you will order my death."
Prince Ning looked at Prince Yan with disdain. "Why should I sentence you to death? You truly underestimate me. I want to keep you alive, to show you how the Zhou dynasty can flourish again under my control. I want you to admit that I am the most suitable person for that position."
"Crown Prince Renxuan is overly benevolent, lacking the authority expected of a superior, making it difficult to balance the various forces within the court. Prince Zhao is too cruel and extravagant. If he were to take the throne, the people would surely be filled with resentment and unrest. Only if I ascend the throne and adopt a combination of firmness and flexibility can we recreate the prosperity of Emperor Taizong's reign."
King Yan chuckled twice, "You are not modest at all."
Prince Ning chuckled proudly, "You lose because you're too modest. Okay, now that you've figured it out, I'll go back and ask for your approval."
King Yan frowned, "I didn't promise you."
Prince Ning had already stood up. He waved his hand and said, "Whether you agree or not is the same. You always say one thing and mean another, I know. You don't have to say it. I will do it for you and save your life. Just wait for the memorial to thank you."
Prince Ning talked to himself and left.
King Yan looked at the remaining food and wine on the table and felt very depressed.
He simply picked up the wine jug and drank all the remaining wine.
Prince Ning left the courtyard where Prince Yan was imprisoned drunkenly and went to the Queen Mother Sun.
He stood at the gate of the courtyard and shouted inside, "Hey, you killed my brother the Crown Prince, why don't you ask for death as an apology?"
Concubine Sun had known for a long time that Prince Ning had come to the Zongzheng Temple, but she did not expect that he would come to see her.
Concubine Sun came out of the room and said, "Your Majesty, please stop talking nonsense."
Prince Ning sneered and pointed at Sun. "You vicious woman, you still dare to be stubborn even when facing death. Wasn't it you who killed my brother, the Crown Prince? You are so greedy for power that you even poisoned your own man. It's truly disgusting."
"Your Majesty has not convicted me, so what qualifications do you have to convict me?" Concubine Sun asked sternly.
Prince Ning leaned against the door frame, his arms folded. "Don't think that no one in this world knows what you and Young Supervisor Fang have planned. Once you do something, there will be traces left."
Concubine Sun frowned, "If Your Majesty finds me guilty, then please sentence me to death. I will not object."
Prince Ning laughed heartily. "This prince, the decree to execute you will come down soon. Just wait for me. I will use your head to comfort the spirit of my prince in heaven."
After saying this, Prince Ning left.
Concubine Sun was so angry that she fell backwards.
The Prince of Yan, who was in the next courtyard, listened to Prince Ning's loud shouting with a thoughtful look on his face.
Looking back at Prince Renxuan, his death was truly too clever.
If it was truly a human plot, everything would make sense. But I never expected that Concubine Sun would be so cunning and resourceful as to even plot against the Crown Prince's life.
Women are truly the most vicious.
Prince Ning left the Zongzheng Temple and boarded the carriage. He no longer looked drunk, but more sober than anyone else. His eyes sparkled, gleaming with an inscrutable light.
"Enter the palace!"
At his command, the coachman drove the carriage towards the palace.
As soon as Prince Ning entered the palace, someone brought him news.
"Your Majesty, His Majesty is meeting with the Minister of Revenue to discuss the establishment of a county outside the South City Gate."
When Prince Ning heard this, he was furious. "How dare you snatch food from me, old man? Are you tired of living?"
Prince Ning had long regarded the establishment of a county outside the South City Gate as his own achievement, so how could he let the Ministry of Revenue reap the benefits halfway?
The Nanchengmenwai project was his eldest daughter-in-law's property. This achievement was his to take. What was the purpose of the Ministry of Revenue's intervention?
Prince Ning ignored everything else and hurried to Xingqing Palace to take back his credit from the Minister of Revenue.
These court officials are all very evil-hearted.
He finally got a chance to show off his achievements, but the Ministry of Revenue came out to steal it. How unkind of a person.
"Old Master, you are a rare guest today. How come you have time to come and visit my father?"
The voice of King Ning arrived before his men.
When the Minister of Revenue heard this, he suddenly felt a headache.
He hurriedly stood up and bowed to King Ning when he came in.
"No need for formalities. Your Excellency is loyal to the Emperor and the country, so there is no need to be so particular about formalities. Father, are you feeling better today?"
The emperor hummed, "I heard you went to Zongzheng Temple?"
Prince Ning nodded repeatedly, "My son scolded Prince Yan severely. He has deeply realized his mistakes and cried out that he wanted to kowtow to the emperor and apologize. My son has asked someone to prepare the four treasures of the study. He is currently writing a letter of apology."
The left corner of the emperor's mouth twitched several times. "I'm not as good as you at lying with my eyes open."
Prince Ning shouted, "Father, you have wronged me. I am not lying at all; every word I said is true. If you don't believe me, call Prince Yan and ask him if he has fully realized his mistakes."
The emperor was too lazy to talk nonsense with Prince Ning, as Prince Ning always had the ability to make a serious matter laughable.
The emperor said with a stern face, "What are you doing here? I don't need your service here."
Prince Ning laughed. "My son came here, naturally, to discuss the matter of establishing a county outside the South City Gate. I am the one who will take on this responsibility, Your Excellency, am I right?"
The Minister of Revenue was upset. He was about to achieve the credit, but Prince Ning came out to steal it. What was going on?
Prince Ning bared his teeth at the Minister of Revenue, "Gu Jiu is my daughter-in-law. Who else is more qualified to handle this matter than me? My Lord Minister, do you think I have already said this?"
The Minister of Revenue said solemnly, "Establishing a county outside the South City Gate involves population, land, commercial taxes, corvée labor, head tax, land tax, and so on, all of which fall under the responsibility of the Ministry of Revenue. I believe no one is more suitable to take on this important task than the Minister of Revenue."
Prince Ning was well prepared. "Then may I ask, Your Excellency, do you have a population register outside the South City Gate? A register of merchants? A register of land? You don't have one, but I do.
My daughter-in-law is very capable. She made preparations early on, registering everything from population to land and even taxes. Once the court establishes a county, we can get the actual data from her.
The Minister of Revenue lowered his eyes, seemingly benevolent, but he refused to give in. "Back when we were registering the refugees, the Ministry of Revenue had already conducted a thorough investigation outside the South City Gate. We only need to compare it with Madam Zhao's list to know the exact situation."
"Master Shangshu, do you insist on snatching this job from me?"
"This is the Ministry of Revenue's responsibility, how can we delegate it to others? As the crown prince, Your Highness should take a broad view and not waste time on such trivial matters."
"The King is pleased!"
The Minister of Revenue coughed lightly and said, "Since the prince is unwilling to let go, why not ask His Majesty to make the decision?"
"Father, you must make the decision for your son. The Minister is relying on his seniority to take the credit away from my son."
The Minister of Revenue puffed his beard and glared, looking as if he had seen a ghost.
Prince Ning, you are the crown prince!
Could you please have some shame?
Even at such an old age, he still acts like a child and complains.
Not only did he file a complaint, but he also filed the complaint in front of the person involved.
Where is face?
Don’t you really want it anymore?
The Minister of Revenue suddenly felt very tired.
I don’t know whether it is fortunate or unfortunate to have such a shameless crown prince.
The emperor also felt ashamed. Prince Ning had no composure like a crown prince and was just like a scoundrel.
The emperor said with a stern face, "Prince Ning will cooperate with the Ministry of Revenue on the establishment of a county outside the South City Gate. The Ministry of Revenue will be responsible for commercial taxes and strive to collect a certain amount before the New Year. Prince Ning will be responsible for population and land. This is settled. Also, Gu Jiu is required to cooperate fully and not to go against his will."
The emperor is a man who loves money.
Before Prince Ning came, the Minister of Revenue had been fooling the emperor, saying that the market outside the South City Gate was very prosperous and how much tax revenue he had missed out on.
The emperor was both angry and anxious.
It's outrageous that I almost missed out on such a huge amount of money.
The emperor immediately agreed to set up a county as soon as possible so that he could collect commercial taxes in a legitimate way and not miss out on any profit.
Prince Ning refused to leave even after receiving his assignment. Seeing this, the Minister of Revenue decided to stay too. He wanted to see what else Prince Ning could do.
"Father, establishing a county is simple. Who should we choose as the first county magistrate?"
The Minister of Revenue immediately said, "The Ministry of Revenue has many capable officials. We can easily appoint anyone to be a county magistrate."
Prince Ning's mouth twitched. He came to grab the position of county magistrate again. Does he have any shame?
He beckoned to the Minister of Revenue. Seeing that the Minister of Revenue was unwilling to come over, Prince Ning went over by himself, put his arm around the Minister of Revenue's shoulders, and acted like a good brother.
"Sir Shangshu, after the county is established outside the South City Gate, if you want to have a continuous income, you have to rely on my daughter-in-law. If this first county magistrate does not meet her expectations, she will easily cause you trouble, which will be enough to give you a headache."
The Minister of Revenue looked at Prince Ning, "What does your Highness want to say?"
Prince Ning laughed heartily, "The first county magistrate has already been chosen. Your Excellency, please do not argue."
The Minister of Revenue frowned, "Your Majesty hasn't issued an order yet, so how can we choose a candidate?"
Prince Ning released him and said, "Father, I think the first county magistrate should take into consideration the progress of the project outside the South City Gate. It would be better to choose someone who is both capable and approachable. I have an excellent candidate here. Please review it."
The emperor knew what Prince Ning was up to and asked, "But is it Gu Yu of the Gu family?"
"Huh! Father also knows this person?"
snort!
Gu Jiu is quite good at scheming and selling her cousin everywhere.
The Minister of Revenue was surprised to hear this. "Hey, that name is familiar. Isn't that the young man next to Lord Gu?"
Hey!
It turned out that Gu Jiu had already decided on the candidate.
After thinking about the various tax revenues outside the South City Gate, the Minister of Revenue decided to give Gu Jiu some face.
"Your Majesty, I believe that Gu Yu is very suitable for the position of magistrate of the newly established county outside the South City Gate."
"oh?"
The emperor smiled faintly, "How much benefit did Gu Jiu give you?"
"Father is really good at joking."
"Your Majesty is joking."
The two denied it almost in unison.
The emperor snorted coldly, "They are all hoping to make money outside the South City Gate."
Prince Ning smiled and said, "My son heard that father invested 300,000 taels in Gu Jiu. When Gu Jiu makes money, he makes money for father."
"Ask Gu Jiu to hand over an account book. I want to see what she did with all that money this year."
"Okay! I'll take care of this for her. I told her not to mess around."
The emperor was satisfied.
The plan was decided, and the county magistrate was also decided.
The Minister of Revenue worked quickly and completed the procedures in two days. A county was established outside the south city gate and named Xinmin County.
The county government office had not yet been completed, so they were temporarily using a borrowed building for their work. The tax officer from the Ministry of Revenue immediately arrived in Xinmin County with official documents and began collecting taxes.
The Minister of Revenue was arguing with Prince Ning while competing with Gu Jiu in a battle of wits and courage.
Xinmin County Magistrate Gu Yu has been forgotten.
Gu Yu was very depressed during this period.
Lord Gu was in mourning, and he was dismissed from his job. He thought he would have to find a way to do some work after the New Year.
Unexpectedly, after the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, the Ministry of Personnel issued a notice asking him to report to the Ministry of Personnel on another day.
He came to the Ministry of Personnel with a confused look on his face and feeling anxious.
When he got the appointment document as the magistrate of Xinmin County and left the Ministry of Personnel, he realized that he was going to be the magistrate!
Wait, Xinmin County?
Could this be the opportunity that Sister Xiaojiu had mentioned?
Gu Yu made a prompt decision and went to Prince Ning's Mansion to meet Gu Jiu.
As it turned out, Gu Jiuren was not there. He was currently at the Ministry of Revenue, arguing with the Minister of Revenue.
Gu Yu ran to the Ministry of Revenue again.
He was familiar with the Ministry of Revenue. After entering the yamen and walking towards the innermost signing room, he heard the sound of Gu Jiu slamming the table.
"If this lady says no, then no!"
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