His Majesty summoned me.
Gu Jiu had no choice but to put down everything he was doing and rush to the palace.
Come to Xingqing Palace again.
Xingqing Palace is still the same Xingqing Palace, but the people inside have changed.
I don’t know where the familiar faces have gone.
The people who replaced him now were the ones Gu Jiu was more familiar with. They were the group of people headed by Chang En who served Emperor Wende when he was in the palace.
There were even two servants who used to serve in the Bixi Pavilion who chose to undergo castration and entered the palace to become eunuchs.
Gu Jiu shook her head. She didn't understand. A good servant, with his previous relationship with Emperor Wende, would have a bright future. Why did he have to choose the most difficult path?
Is being a eunuch really better than being a normal person outside the palace?
She stood under the eaves, and the door of the hall was closed.
Suddenly, an angry roar came from inside, "Get out!"
Huh?
Who's inside?
Gu Jiu looked at the eunuch who led her into the palace.
The eunuch looked at the nose and the heart, without saying a word, not even a glance.
She discovered that these eunuchs, who talked non-stop outside, would become as stiff as gourds with sawed mouths and would not speak easily once they returned to Xingqing Palace.
The door of the hall opened from the inside and she saw Liu Zhao walking out.
She blinked her eyes. Was the person that Emperor Wende just yelled at "get out" Liu Zhao?
What did Liu Zhao do wrong to be scolded so harshly by Emperor Wende?
When Liu Zhao left the hall, she stepped forward and asked quietly, "What's going on?"
As she spoke, her eyes subconsciously glanced into the hall.
Several big guys were in there, including Liu Yi.
Liu Yi was kneeling in the center of the hall, and the bosses were silent.
Liu Zhao's face was calm. "It's okay. Father is a little busy today, you may have to wait for a while."
Gu Jiu simply pulled Liu Zhao to the side hall.
The eunuch who led the way twitched his eyes.
Madam Zhao, aren’t you being too casual?
This is Xingqing Palace, not Prince Ning's Mansion.
Gu Jiu pretended not to see the eunuch's dying expression.
Liu Zhao lowered his head and smiled. Inexplicably, his originally bad mood suddenly became happy.
"Tell me, is it because of the treasury tax and the censor's impeachment that the emperor scolded you?"
Gu Jiu felt a little self-blame and guilty.
A tax on traveling merchants is obviously a good thing, but because of her identity, it has attracted so many impeachments.
I heard that impeachment memorials had to be carried in baskets every day.
It seems that all the censors in the capital and outside the country are concentrating their firepower to impeach the couple.
Son of a bitch!
Gu Jiu was very angry.
People say that when you drink water, you should remember its source.
While enjoying the benefits brought by the peddler tax, the imperial censors turned their pens into swords, killing her, the well digger, with every blow drawing blood.
Damn, they are all a bunch of ungrateful people.
Gu Jiu was almost vomiting blood out of anger.
Liu Zhao laughed and secretly kissed her on the cheek, "I'm fine."
"How can it be okay? His Majesty scolded you and told you to get out in front of all those bigwigs in the court. You are the eldest prince, how embarrassing."
Liu Zhao said, "Respect is nothing."
Gu Jiu frowned, "Are you planning to follow His Majesty's example and become a completely shameless person?"
Liu Zhao laughed silently and felt happier.
He said, "The emperor summoned me to the palace not just to discuss the treasury tax. Anyone with eyes can see that the treasury tax is a good thing. Those censors are simply nitpicking and are specifically targeting our prince for impeachment.
The Emperor understands this clearly. Having seen the benefits of the trolley tax, he naturally cannot abandon it. If he cannot abandon it, he certainly cannot abandon us, nor can he formally punish us. At most, he can issue an imperial decree to reprimand us, as an explanation to the court officials.
You know, Father has only been on the throne for a few months, and his position is still unstable. Those imperial censors impeached us, perhaps to intimidate Father. How could Father fall for their tricks and be led around by the nose by them?
Gu Jiu suddenly realized that the itinerant merchant tax was such a good thing, how could Emperor Wende allow those censors to make such a fuss? It turned out to be just a show.
"You just said that the Emperor asked you to come to the palace, not just for the commerce tax? Is there a new mission for you?"
Liu Zhao pondered for a moment, "In recent years, natural disasters have been frequent across the country, and people are fleeing famine everywhere. Many of them have become bandits, looting everywhere.
Although these bandits and rebels were small-scale and only engaged in minor activities, they caused great damage to the local area.
"Over the past few years, the people below have suffered terribly. Tax revenue has been declining year by year, trade routes have been affected, and prices are exorbitant. Father is determined to rectify this situation and plans to send troops to sweep through the area and completely put an end to the frequent banditry."
"Did you take on this task?" Gu Jiu was a little nervous.
Liu Zhao did not hide it, "I volunteered to take this job."
Gu Jiu frowned. "This kind of small-scale banditry doesn't require a prince to personally lead the troops to quell it. It's clearly a waste of talent. Furthermore, the bandits are small groups, extremely dispersed, and flexible. Although they are small-scale, it will take a lot of time to completely wipe them out."
If you leave, you won't be able to achieve anything in two or three years. With your status, how can you leave Beijing for two or three years? Tell me the truth, are you hiding something from me?
Liu Zhao hugged her to prevent her from seeing the expression on his face.
He is proud.
Xiaojiu can always detect the truth from the details.
He was worried too.
Xiaojiu being too smart may not be a blessing.
He whispered in her ear, "I will take this opportunity to go to Jiangnan and will return to Beijing before the end of the year at the latest. I will take Qian Fu with me, but I've left a few others for you."
Gu Jiu wanted to push him away, but failed.
Liu Zhao still held her tightly, "Don't move."
Gu Jiu was furious and asked quietly, "What are you doing in Jiangnan? Are there any bandit problems in Jiangnan?"
"But Jiangnan has a navy. Didn't you say you wanted to build one? I secretly asked my father for permission, and he allowed me to reorganize the navy and build the Great Zhou's navy."
Gu Jiu's expression shifted slightly. She wanted to ask Liu Zhao if he was doing all this because of Zhou Jin? Was he planning to overthrow Zhou Jin?
However, the words that came out of his mouth turned into, "You, can you swim? You are a landlubber, why are you going to the sea? I'm afraid you will vomit all over the boat and won't be able to get up."
Liu Zhao laughed muffledly, "Can't you say something nice?"
Gu Jiu snorted and asked, "When are we leaving?"
"Leaving next month."
Counting the time, there are still more than twenty days.
Gu Jiu sighed, "Never mind. You are a prince, so you can't stay at home every day. If you want to go, go ahead. I will keep an eye on the capital for you."
"Thank you, my lady."
"Stop talking nonsense. Don't act impulsively before you're sure. I know you want to kill him, but the sea is still his territory. In short, you can't take risks. Don't stand under a dangerous wall. Otherwise, I will remarry with the child."
Liu Zhao bit her earlobe and said, "Give up the thought of remarrying. In this life, you are mine in life and my ghost in death."
"roll!"
Gu Jiu was very depressed.
The eunuch came to remind Gu Jiu that it was her turn and she should hurry to the main hall to meet the emperor.
Liu Zhao finally decided to let her go.
She smiled and said, "I'm going in."
"Go ahead."
Gu Jiu turned and left.
Liu Zhao's eyes gradually turned cold.
He had received accurate information that Zhou Jin had returned to the sea several months ago and continued to be a pirate.
Liu Zhao had no idea how Zhou Jin escaped the search and left the capital.
However, this did not affect his determination to kill Zhou Jin.
Since Zhou Jin liked beauties so much, he would send one to him. He wanted to see if Zhou Jin could handle it.
…
Gu Jiu walked into the hall and bowed first.
"No need to be polite!"
Emperor Wende was full of energy.
Gu Jiu secretly glanced around. Liu Yi was gone, and several court officials were also gone.
She just stood quietly in the center of the hall, and would never speak unless Emperor Wende asked her a question.
Anyway, you won’t go wrong if you stick to the principle of saying less and making fewer mistakes.
Seeing that Gu Jiu was silent like a saw-mouthed gourd, Emperor Wende snorted, "Eldest wife, do you know why I asked you to enter the palace?"
"My daughter-in-law doesn't know. Can your Majesty give me a hint?" Gu Jiu was very honest.
Emperor Wende could tell at a glance that Gu Jiu was playing dumb.
He asked directly: "The censor impeached you for overreaching and daring to interfere in the affairs of the Ministry of Revenue. What do you say?"
Gu Jiu looked innocent. "It's really unfair. My daughter-in-law has never had her hands in the Ministry of Revenue. The censors' impeachment is pure fabrication. If someone else, someone with a less sensitive status, had made a suggestion to the Ministry of Revenue and it was adopted, would those censors still impeach her?"
Emperor Wende laughed heartily. "You are the wife of a prince, not an ordinary person. The censors will naturally hold you to the strictest standards. Don't be complacent. You enjoy the imperial tribute, so you should accept the court's supervision."
Gu Jiu's mouth twitched. "My daughter-in-law's annual salary only adds up to 1,800 taels, plus 500 dan of rice. This little contribution is simply not enough to withstand the aggressive supervision of the censors."
Emperor Wende glared, "Are you complaining?"
Gu Jiu shook his head, "The daughter-in-law dare not complain, the daughter-in-law is just stating the facts."
"So you don't think you're wrong?"
"My daughter-in-law is wrong." Gu Jiu admitted her mistake very straightforwardly. "My daughter-in-law's mistake was that she shouldn't have given suggestions to the Minister of Revenue. She should have watched the Ministry of Revenue continue to be poor and watched those idle officials in the capital continue to be owed salaries."
"presumptuous!"
Emperor Wende scolded him harshly, and Gu Jiu shuddered.
It has only been a few months, but Emperor Wende has become more majestic than when he was a prince last year.
It is true that living in a place changes your energy and nourishing your body.
After becoming emperor, Emperor Wende's temperament changed from the inside out.
Gu Jiu felt very aggrieved and simply stopped talking.
After Emperor Wende calmed down from his anger, he looked at Gu Jiu's aggrieved expression and laughed again.
"What's the matter? Are you still feeling wronged? Even Liu Zhao doesn't dare to feel wronged, so why should you feel wronged?"
Gu Jiu's eyes were red. "My daughter-in-law didn't know how to help the Ministry of Revenue solve its problems, and it turned out to be her fault. Next time, my daughter-in-law must be careful and keep a distance from everyone in the Ministry of Revenue."
Emperor Wende snorted coldly, "Stop your angry words. You helped the Ministry of Revenue solve its problems. Everyone in the Ministry, including me, will remember your contributions. I heard you want to build a road. Are you going to use that mud and cement?"
Gu Jiu hummed and nodded, "I had this idea before. But now my daughter-in-law has changed her mind. She doesn't want to build the road."
“Why not build the road?”
"I'm afraid of being impeached and implicating Liu Zhao. If Your Majesty wants to build a road, I'll sell the earth and cement to the court at cost price. I can even give Your Majesty the cement formula. It doesn't matter."
Emperor Wende looked at Gu Jiu with a strange expression, "You worked so hard to come up with this recipe, are you really willing to give it to me for free?"
"Of course I'm willing to give it up."
If we don't build roads, we can just build houses. Building houses with cement is strong and fast.
Emperor Wende secretly rolled his eyes and said seriously, "You are seriously slacking off."
Gu Jiu said nothing, looking like she had suffered a great injustice and said she didn't want anything and didn't want to do anything, she just wanted to go home and take care of her husband and children.
Emperor Wende pointed at her, very dissatisfied.
"This first road still needs you to build it."
"My daughter-in-law can't fix it."
"Bullshit!" Emperor Wende was a man of few words. "Don't lose your temper in front of me. You've caused such a big mess, and I'm already showing you mercy by not punishing you. This first road will be built from the capital to Luozhou. Let's see if it works first."
Luozhou, located in the central part of the empire, is an important hub city connecting the capital and the south of the Yangtze River. It is the second most populous city in the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Luozhou is rich in water and soil resources, with fertile land and vast plains. It is a place blessed with unique advantages and has been prosperous since ancient times.
The only drawback is that if war breaks out, the road is flat and there is no place to escape.
Such a prosperous place naturally attracted a lot of people.
Many families and bigwigs in the capital have set up businesses in Luozhou.
Luozhou Academy was renowned throughout the country, even posing as a distant rival to the Imperial College in the capital.
Emperor Wende's decision to build a cement road from the capital to Luozhou was obviously a well-considered one.
If we have to build something, we should build cement roads that have the greatest economic value.
From the capital to Luozhou, there are 800 miles of mountains and rivers. With the current productivity, this is a huge project, and the money and grain consumed will be millions.
Gu Jiu asked, "Between the capital and Luozhou is a huge project. Your Majesty, do you really want your daughter-in-law to pay for the road construction out of her own pocket? This is a project that benefits the people and should be paid for by the court."
Emperor Wende said shamelessly, "The court is short of money. You know the Ministry of Revenue's treasury is full of filth. If you can find a way to get money from somewhere else, I will strongly support you. I can also take a few hundred thousand taels from my own private treasury and give it to you to build this road."
Gu Jiu secretly bared his teeth and asked, "Does His Majesty also agree to set up a toll booth?"
"I can agree to a toll booth every fifty miles. But the toll booth attendants must give priority to veterans. This is non-negotiable."
When Emperor Wende saw Gu Jiu's road construction plan, which set a toll station every fifty miles, he immediately thought of post stations.
This toll station could be used to deliver letters to and from the imperial court, and during wartime, it could also serve as a warning and defense.
That is why Emperor Wende asked for veterans to be given priority as toll booth employees.
"My daughter-in-law has no objection. Veterans can be given priority. What about the fifty-year limit?"
Gu Jiu doubted the emperor's credibility, but still followed the rules and set a fee deadline in the plan.
Charge for fifty years.
Fifty years later, the road was handed over to the imperial court.
It is up to the court to decide whether to continue charging fees or provide free passage.
There are many unspoken rules in the court, but Gu Jiu prefers to expose these unspoken rules to the sun and have everyone sign a contract.
Even if someone breaks the contract one day, it doesn't matter. Just think of it as a lesson learned.
These days, you have to pay a price to do anything, especially when dealing with the imperial court.
It's not strange to change one's orders every day.
Emperor Wende said, "Fifty years is not enough. I can only give you thirty."
"Forty-five years." Gu Jiu bargained.
Emperor Wende frowned, "Thirty-five years."
Gu Jiu said, "Forty years, no less. Your Majesty, you can't ask a horse to run without giving it grass. Building a road costs millions of dollars and grain. Each carriage passing through only costs three cents. How long will it take to recoup the cost?
Your Majesty, please don't let your daughter-in-law do business at a loss. Otherwise, who would be willing to be the sucker and pay for the road construction for the court?"
Emperor Wende saw that Gu Jiu sounded pitiful and asked, "Really not making money?"
"What's the point of making money? If you don't lose money, you're making money."
“Then why do you want to build roads?”
Gu Jiu said honestly, "I just want to sell cement and let people know about its wonderful uses. Maybe some wealthy family will be willing to pay for a road to be built in front of their house. Even if it's a small amount, it's still meat."
Emperor Wende nodded and believed what Gu Jiu said.
It wasn't until the following year, when the cement road was completed and he learned the monthly revenue of the toll station, that Emperor Wende realized he had been fooled by Gu Jiu. Then, he almost vomited blood.
Something that is not profitable and something that is not losing money is profitable are all fake, fake.
Toll booths are making too much money, isn’t that a good thing?
From the capital to Luozhou, the most golden road in the Great Zhou Dynasty fell into Gu Jiu's hands, and it took forty years.
Emperor Wende always regretted his decision whenever he thought of this.
He was buried in a pit dug by Gu Jiu. How unreasonable.
Since then, Emperor Wende has run his own cement factory, built his own roads, and set up his own toll booths. He didn't even give Gu Jiu a sip of soup.
Fortunately, Gu Jiu holds the road to gold production and doesn't care about that little bit of money.
This is a story for later, so let’s not discuss it for now.
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