A thousand heads dyed the sky of the capital red in an instant.
The new emperor started a killing spree as soon as he ascended the throne, and actually demanded a thousand heads.
The court officials were terrified.
Emperor Wende and the late emperor are indeed father and son.
The difference is that the former emperor had a ferocious look and was quick at killing people.
Emperor Wende seemed easy to talk to on a daily basis, but once he started killing people, the number of heads rolling was just as great as that of the previous emperor.
Is the new emperor making an example of someone else to scare the monkeys?
This case not only resulted in the killing of a thousand people, but also saw a large number of people having their homes confiscated and exiled.
The entire family of the chief culprit, General Cai, consisting of several hundred people, was exiled to Wuzhou.
Yes, it is Wuzhou, where the crime occurred.
I don’t know what Emperor Wende was thinking. He actually exiled this group of people to Wuzhou. Isn’t he afraid that there will be another gang fight and ten or eight people will die?
The case was tried slowly but the verdict was reached quickly.
A few days later, a heavy rain washed away the blood on the ground in Caishikou, leaving no trace.
In early June, the exiles set out from the capital.
Early in the morning, someone stretched his neck and looked towards the city gate, as if waiting for someone.
"Let's go, let's go, we won't come back."
All the married-out daughters of the Cai family were implicated in this case, and they were considered lucky not to have been divorced by their husbands' families.
How can I dare to expect them to see me off?
Let’s go, let’s go, let’s get on the road.
I waited until the last moment, but still didn't see anyone. I could only sigh and leave the capital with heavy steps.
After this departure, is there any hope of returning to Beijing in this lifetime?
Take a look!
Look at this capital city.
One less look, one less look.
Especially the children, their lives were destined to be buried in that remote and impoverished place of Wuzhou, facing the loess and back to the sky. In a few decades, who would still remember the Cai family in the capital?
The Cai family's sons are only fit to be a bunch of country bumpkins and will never be able to enter the upper class.
“Woo…”
Some of the parents burst into tears.
I have lived a life of luxury for the first half of my life and have seen everything I should have seen.
It's just a pity for the child, as he was brought down to earth before his life even began.
How can I expect to gain any knowledge in this life? I even have to be frugal with what I eat and drink.
The sins of the ancestors will be borne by the descendants.
This family is completely finished.
At the city gate, in an inconspicuous carriage, Cai's eyes were already red from crying.
The maid also suppressed her tears.
When the exiles were far away and out of sight, the maidservant spoke up to persuade them, "Baolin, stop crying. You might hurt yourself. Let's go back to the mansion."
Cai nodded and wiped her tears with a handkerchief. "I am a heartless person. I know they are all looking forward to my appearance. I will at least give them some comfort, even if it is only a few taels of silver.
But I was afraid. I was terrified. I was afraid that once I got off the train, the livelihoods of these hundreds of people would fall on my shoulders, becoming a burden. I couldn't bear it, and I didn't want to. So I shamefully fled.
"Baolin, please don't say that about yourself. You have no choice. If you want to blame someone, blame Aunt Xu. The Cai family has never been good to her. So many years have passed, why can't she get rid of the hatred in her heart?" The maid said to the end, gritting her teeth.
All of Cai's dowry hated Aunt Xu.
Just because Aunt Xu ruined Cai and also ruined their lives.
They were Cai's dowry, and their families were all in the Cai family.
As soon as something happened to the Cai family, all their family members were sold away. No one knew where they were sold to, and they wondered if they would ever have the chance to see each other again in this life.
Cai was tired of crying and said, "Why mention her? Is it disgusting?"
"This slave deserves to die."
"Forget it, don't let me hear about her in the future."
"I understand."
The carriage moved slowly forward and arrived at the palace.
Cai avoided people and returned to the third room through the second gate.
The third prince is not here.
The servant said that the third prince had gone into the palace.
Cai was curious, "His Highness has no errands, why did he come to the palace?"
The servant said, "Although Your Highness has no official duties, he should still come to the palace to pay his respects to the ladies from time to time. Baolin, have you forgotten that Your Highness has not yet married?"
Cai was stunned for a moment.
Yes, the Third Prince is now a prince, and he must marry a noble lady to be worthy of his status. He must give birth to a legitimate son early so that he can have the confidence to compete for that position.
Cai laughed at herself. Has she become stupid recently? She didn't even think of such an important thing.
"Which girl does Your Highness want to marry?"
"I think it's one of those noble families, or maybe they're marrying into some of the old masters in the court."
"I heard a few days ago that His Highness asked about the Pei family. Could it be that His Highness wants to marry a girl from the Pei family?"
"No way. The Queen will definitely not agree."
Cai was in a daze. She couldn't afford to offend the Pei family or any other family.
Now, she can only live with her tail between her legs.
Because she married the Third Prince Liu Yan early on, she was spared the fate of being exiled after being convicted of a crime.
Cai wanted to cry, but her tears had already dried up.
At this time, she heard the servant mention another matter.
"The Hu family has been coming here quite frequently lately. I wonder if they're plotting to arrange your marriage."
Cai suddenly raised her head.
"Did the Hu family really come to our house?"
"I dare not hide it from Baolin. This is absolutely true."
The Hu family is the uncle's family of the Third Prince Liu Yan.
The Third Prince Liu Yan's mother passed away early, and the Hu family had less contact with the palace. Only during the New Year would they send someone to the palace to deliver a New Year's gift to the Third Prince.
Now that Liu Yan has become the prince, the Hu family has also rushed to get close to him.
Liu Yan needed help and the help of his uncle's family, so he put aside his past grudges and became close to the Hu family.
Cai has been so worried about the Cai family recently that he actually overlooked such important information.
She suddenly realized that the Third Prince would most likely marry a girl from the Hu family, and even if she was not his legal wife, he would give her a position.
Cai gritted her teeth and said, "Alright, stop talking. No matter who His Highness marries in the future, everyone just needs to do their duty."
The Hu family did want to marry their daughter to the Third Prince Liu Yan, and Liu Yan did not object.
However, the Hu family was of ordinary origin, and the girls from the Hu family could not be his legal wife.
Liu Yan had already made up his mind that even if his wife did not come from a top family, she should be a famous lady in the circle.
He entered the palace and begged Emperor Wende.
He wanted Emperor Wende to arrange a marriage for him as soon as possible.
He was already twenty years old and didn't even have a child, so he was very anxious.
However, Emperor Wende thought more.
Arranging a prince's wedding is a huge expense, at least tens of thousands of taels, and up to a hundred thousand taels at most.
Now, let alone tens of thousands of taels, Emperor Wende is not willing to pay even a few thousand taels.
So, he said to the Third Prince Liu Yan, "I have already asked people to keep an eye on your marriage, as well as the marriages of the fifth and sixth princes. When we find suitable candidates, I will grant you brothers marriages. As for you, don't be anxious. Take good care of your health first. Only when you are healthy can you talk about raising children."
Liu Yan was very disappointed. "Father, could you please grant me the marriage first? It doesn't matter if we set the wedding date for next year."
"Don't you understand the principle that you can't eat hot tofu in a hurry? Please step back. I have many things to do."
Liu Yan had no choice but to retreat.
He went to see Queen Mother Pei.
Empress Dowager Xiao also told him not to be anxious.
"The late emperor was too turbulent, leaving behind a huge mess. His Majesty is preoccupied with state affairs, and with the treasury empty, he can't take care of you for the time being. Your aunt Huyang is still a princess, but His Majesty refuses to grant her a title no matter what. Do you understand?"
Empress Dowager Xiao implicitly reminded Third Prince Liu Yan that the national treasury was empty and there was no money to arrange a wedding, so if he wanted to get married, he would have to wait.
Liu Yan's face turned pale. "Is the court in such trouble?"
"Who says it isn't? So many people rely on the national treasury for their livelihoods. Furthermore, with the frequent natural disasters in recent years, tax cuts and disaster relief are needed everywhere. It's very difficult for Your Majesty to support such a huge mess alone."
Liu Yan said with guilt: "I only regret that I am not capable of sharing my father's worries."
"It's just that you are a filial son. On behalf of your father, you should take good care of your health. Only when you are healthy can you raise a child."
The third prince Liu Yan left the palace disappointed.
After returning to the palace, he found the housekeeper and asked how much property the family had and how much surplus it had.
The butler naturally refused to tell him, "Your Highness, please don't embarrass me."
Liu Yan was displeased. "I was just asking how much property the mansion has. You look so embarrassed."
The housekeeper complained, "Your Highness should also know that the properties in the mansion are nominally registered under the Prince's Palace, but in reality they are managed by people sent by the Young Master. I really don't know the specific profit situation."
"Even the accountant doesn't know?"
"The accountant is now only responsible for collecting money from the Shaofu and keeping a running account."
Liu Yan frowned, "Why should the Shaofu be in charge of the palace's assets?"
"The properties of the palace were originally purchased by His Majesty. All of His Majesty's affairs are managed by the Shaofu. Those properties should also be managed by the Shaofu. Even the Empress gave her dowry to the Shaofu to manage. The Empress's concubines all received responsibilities in the Shaofu and have official status."
"really?"
"Of course this is true. Your Highness, have you never heard of it before?"
The Third Prince Liu Yan shook his head. He had too few people around him and was not well-informed.
It was news that everyone else knew, but he didn't know it, and he felt very upset.
He looked unhappy and sent the butler away in a rather tough manner.
After much deliberation, he decided to go find the Second Prince.
Both of them were born out of wedlock, and in a sense, their interests were the same.
The brothers in this mansion were on the verge of forming cliques, splitting into several small groups, and fighting secretly.
Emperor Wende had no time to care about his sons.
Even if Emperor Wende knew in advance that his sons would fight with each other, he probably wouldn't care.
He has always supported his sons fighting each other, as long as no one was killed.
What about brotherly love and respect? That's all bullshit.
Knowing it was fake, Emperor Wende did not ask his sons to act in front of him.
Emperor Wende is better than the previous emperor in this respect: he is not hypocritical.
He would not force his sons to do anything that he could not do himself.
For example, he can't be friendly and respectful to his brothers.
So let the sons fight if they want to.
Wenditi is very open-minded.
He is also considered the most open-minded among emperors.
His harem is also of this style.
He didn't expect the women in the harem to be harmonious, so he didn't force them to put on a show in front of him.
Queen Pei complained about his woman, and he listened happily.
When Empress Dowager Xiao complained about her daughter-in-law, he listened with a smile.
But concubines, if anyone dares to complain about the Queen and the Queen Mother in front of him, sorry, everything will be done according to the rules.
Emperor Wende did not ask the women to be harmonious, but he also did not allow anyone to break the rules.
He made the same request to his sons: Fighting was allowed, but they should not break the rules.
Anyone who dares to break the rules will be taught a lesson by him.
…
In midsummer, the sun rises early.
The capital woke up early from its sleep.
Deng Cunli brought his men to inspect the villa inside and out to ensure that today's tea party could be held smoothly.
He glanced at the sky. "Prepare a hundred more umbrellas; it might rain today. Tell the kitchen to prepare enough ingredients. Madam said today's buffet must leave a deep impression on all the guests. Bring some more drinks."
In short, make as many preparations as possible. If it rains, the guests will stay longer. If you don't make more preparations, you won't end up with nothing to eat or drink, and you will bring shame to the lady."
The servants received the order and acted quickly.
This villa is the property of Princess Huyang.
Last time, in order to renovate the three main halls, Gu Jiu held the first ever bidding conference here.
Anyone who had the good fortune to witness the grand occasion will never forget it.
This time, we are still in this villa, but the decoration style of the villa has changed a long time ago.
Bai Zhong came to Deng Cunli and asked, "Will Madam come today?"
"Brother Yu has caught a cold, and Madam is afraid she can't leave."
Bai Zhong suddenly panicked, "Can we just hold this bidding tea party?"
Deng Cunli sat down on a chair, and no one dared to underestimate him when he showed his imposing aura.
"Why can't we do that? We do millions of dollars in business every year. Why are you still afraid of those local tycoons?"
Bai Zhong waved his hand, "Of course I'm not afraid of a local tycoon. But I heard that some of the people returning this time are from prominent families in Luozhou, as well as a few from aristocratic families. In addition, the families of several masters from the capital will also be in attendance."
These people who came here are insignificant, but they have important figures behind them. If Madam doesn't show up, what if others think we are being neglectful?
Deng Cunli laughed, "Don't worry, even if Madam doesn't show up, Princess Huyang will definitely be there. Madam has already informed Princess Huyang and asked her to help support the event."
"really?"
"This is absolutely true."
Bai Zhong said, "I'm even more nervous. It's fine if Princess Huyang doesn't come, but if she does, I really don't know how today's tea party will turn out. What if I can't complete the task assigned by Madam?"
Gu Jiu gave the two of them the task of raising one million taels of silver through the tea party.
One million taels is not a lot; the most difficult thing is to raise funds for a specific goal.
The road from the capital to Luozhou passes through more than a dozen counties.
In these counties, all those who were famous and had a say in the local area were invited to the capital.
In addition to the wealthy people in Luozhou and Beijing, Gu Jiu made a strict rule that funds must be raised from these people.
Even if we have to kidnap these people, we must tie them up and put them on the pirate ship that is building the road.
Road construction involves all aspects, and coordination with local officials and people is required along the way.
This requires local people of repute to step forward and help resolve various conflicts of interest and disputes.
Building roads in modern society is bound to lead to various disputes and conflicts, let alone building roads in ancient times.
Gu Jiu knew his own worth.
In the capital, if there is a problem, she can solve it herself.
But in local areas, the locals still have the final say.
Therefore, for every county that this road passes through, at least two prestigious local families must be attracted to invest money.
This ensures the smooth progress of the project.
This task is not easy to accomplish.
So Bai Zhong was very worried, he was afraid that he would not be able to complete the task.
"What are you worried about?"
Princess Fuya's youngest son, Huang Qubing, walked in leisurely, holding a fan and dressed like a playboy.
Bai Zhong was familiar with him and jumped up. "Why are you here today?"
"My sister-in-law asked me to come out and support the event, so of course I had to come. Besides, I also invested money in this cement road."
Bai Zhong asked curiously, "How much money did you invest?"
Huang Qubing grinned and said, "Not much, maybe only about 100,000."
Bai Zhong smiled and said, "We all invested money too."
"I know! You must have made a lot of money following my sister-in-law over the years. Eunuch Deng, you are very rich now."
Deng Cunli said sternly, "Mr. Huang, don't joke around. We are not that wealthy."
Bai Zhong, however, said, "Eunuch Deng is undoubtedly the richest man among us."
That’s because Deng Cunli has a lot of capital and courage.
When the Yuhuaxiang project was first started, no one was optimistic about it, but he invested three thousand taels in one go and took out all his savings.
The most profitable way in the world is to make money from money.
As a result, Deng Cunli became the richest among all the people under Gu Jiu's name.
Deng Cunli asked curiously, "Mr. Huang invested 100,000 taels in one go. Aren't you afraid that you won't get your money back?"
Huang Qubing laughed heartily, "What do I have to fear? There's a toll booth every fifty miles. Pedestrians are free, but passing carriages and horses costs three cents per carriage, three cents per horse, and three cents per donkey.
Three cents is certainly a small amount, but it adds up. I'm very optimistic about the future of this cement road. Once it's completed, it will surely be a bustling bustling city with cars and pedestrians. The small investment will pay off in just a few years. After that, every cent collected will be a profit.
I've already sent people south to Luozhou to buy property. Once this road is completed, the land and property prices in Luozhou will go up significantly. If you have money, hurry up and buy some property. When the road is completed next year, you can sell it and make a profit."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
