"What a pity." Zhao Lin sighed.
"What a pity." Li Xingye said.
Zhao Lin said, "If we could increase commercial taxes, the national treasury wouldn't need to be so tight."
Li Xingye shook his head: "If commercial taxes could be increased, there would be no need for you and me to worry about this."
It seems that Li Xingye also knows the importance of commercial taxes, but the court can't do anything about it. He can only sigh helplessly as he watches the money pile up but can't be collected.
If anyone dares to raise commercial taxes, the censors alone can scold him to death without the intervention of the big guys.
Zhao Lin said bitterly, "When I enter the cabinet one day, I will definitely write a petition to increase taxes on merchants and reduce taxes on ordinary people."
Li Xingye laughed heartily: "You are a mere scholar, yet you are not even an official yet and you are thinking of joining the cabinet? You are quite courageous."
Zhao Lin said proudly, "I have knowledge and talent, and with your support, why can't I join the cabinet?"
"You have ambition." Li Xingye, who never underestimated himself, said, "If you truly possess such ability and a heart that cares for the people, what's wrong with me helping you?"
Zhao Lin immediately asked, "Does the Master agree to help the students?"
"You." Li Xingye pointed at Zhao Lin and said, "I'll send someone to tell Wei Bai."
Li Weibai, the queen of the current dynasty, the daughter of the late emperor, and the emperor's sister, Li Xingye had to call her aunt.
When Li Weibai was born, the late emperor was already quite old and doted on his little daughter. Even after the late emperor's death, the current emperor still cherished her, naming her a concubine and allowing her to see the emperor without kneeling. Although she was a younger sister, she was actually about the same age as his daughter.
However, although Li Weibai was favored by the emperor, she was actually very embarrassed. After all, her brother was not as good as her biological father, and the father also had his own daughter. Therefore, she lived in the *** Palace for a long time and did not pay much attention to foreign affairs. She only held a chrysanthemum viewing party on the Double Ninth Festival every year and invited young women from all families in the capital to participate.
Because most of the invitees were daughters of royal families and officials, and because it was said that the emperor held this chrysanthemum viewing party just to find a good match, many men of marriageable age set their sights on this chrysanthemum viewing party and racked their brains to get an invitation.
Li Xingye acted quickly and someone sent an invitation to Zhao Lin that evening.
"The day after tomorrow morning, outside the city's West Hill, Mr. Zhao, don't forget."
The servant who delivered the invitation gave instructions.
"Thank you very much."
Zhao Lin sent the servant away, looked at the invitation in his hand, and sighed.
"Why, you're not happy about going to meet your confidante?" Sudi said sourly.
Zhao Lin shook his head and said, "If Qing'er hadn't wanted to go, I really wouldn't want to get involved."
Sudi asked in confusion, "Why? The *** is hosting a chrysanthemum appreciation party, and scholars from all over the capital, including many from other places, are vying for it. Why don't you want to go?"
Zhao Lin said: "When there are many people, there will be many things to do."
Sudi was speechless and said, "If you want to have fewer problems, become a monk. You will definitely have fewer problems."
"Haha, who told you that being a monk means less trouble?" Zhao Lin laughed.
"Being a monk doesn't require you to marry a wife and you don't have to go through so much trouble to meet her. Isn't that good?" Sudi said.
Zhao Lin smiled and shook his head.
Double Ninth Festival.
Zhao Lin came to Xishan with the invitation.
The entire West Mountain has been blocked by soldiers and officers, and is filled with various carriages and horses. One must have an invitation to enter.
Zhao Lin took out the invitation and showed it to the guarding officers before going in.
"Zhao Lin, why are you here? Are you trying to please some young lady so you can become her son-in-law?"
Zhao Lin turned his head and suddenly looked gloomy.
It turned out to be the sisters Zhao Mingyu and Zhao Mingya.
Zhao Lin flicked his sleeves, turned around and left, thinking it was a waste of utterance to even scold them.
"Zhao Lin, stop." Zhao Mingya shouted.
Zhao Lin walked faster.
"Zhao Lin, stop right there!" Zhao Mingya shouted.
Many people around looked over.
"That's the poet Zhao Lin? Why did Miss Zhao Wu ask him to do something? Is she interested in him?"
"It's very likely that Miss Zhao Wu is still unmarried. She may be here to find a suitable husband. Zhao Lin is not bad."
"Zhao Lin is talented, but unfortunately he's an orphan and unworthy of the young lady of the Zhenbei Marquisate."
"That's not certain. What if Zhao Lin wins the top spot in the palace examination after the New Year?"
"The Marquis of Zhenbei has always wanted to move up to the civil service position. Maybe he'll actually take a fancy to him..."
Zhao Lin stopped immediately when he heard the surrounding discussions. He turned back with an impatient look on his face and said, "Miss Zhao Wu, are you going to give us the manor outside the city?"
Zhao Mingya paused and asked angrily, "Why should I give it to you?"
Zhao Lin sneered, "I'll accept the loss. So, Miss Zhao Wu is planning to default on her debt?"
Zhao Mingya said: "It's none of your business. It has nothing to do with you."
Zhao Lin said leisurely, "Before we came here, Brother Su specifically told me to ask Miss Zhao Wu when she gave the manor to us. The threshold of the Zhenbei Marquis's Mansion was too high, so we didn't dare go. I didn't expect to meet her here."
"So it's a debt. What the Zhenbei Marquis Mansion did is a bit shameful. They actually refused to pay the debt."
"That farm can earn tens of thousands of taels of silver for the Zhenbei Marquisate every year. Would you be willing to give it to them?"
"Don't want to give me that bet, what's the point of saying this now?"
"So what if they're just cheating? Does Zhao Lin really dare to go to the Zhenbei Marquis Mansion to collect the debt?"
The surroundings started talking again. Zhao Mingyu quickly pulled Zhao Mingya to stop her from talking nonsense, and then said to Zhao Lin: "There are too many people here, let's go to a place with fewer people to talk."
"I'm busy." Zhao Lin refused.
Zhao Mingyu stepped forward and whispered, "Don't you want to know mother's attitude?"
Zhao Lin didn't want to at first, but then he thought it wouldn't hurt to listen. It was a good opportunity to see what the old witch was up to, so he said, "Well, I'll give you a few minutes, no, a quarter of an hour."
"Hmph, in the end, he just wants to please mother and let him go back." Zhao Mingya whispered.
Zhao Mingya pulled Zhao Mingya, and the three of them left the crowd and went to a deserted place.
"Miss, isn't that Mr. Zhao? He really came in. Hey, why is he hanging out with the young lady from the Zhenbei Marquis's Mansion?"
Zhu'er said to Yun Zhiyi.
As the new top courtesan, Yun Zhiyi also received an invitation.
Yun Zhiyi glanced at Zhao Lin and Zhao Mingyu calmly and said, "Perhaps Master Zhao has something to discuss with the young ladies."
Zhu Er curled her lips and said, "What could possibly happen to them? I think it's just that Master Zhao feels that he can't reach Miss Fu's height anymore, so he's ready to change his target."
"Don't talk nonsense, Mr. Zhao is not that kind of person." Yun Zhiyi scolded.
"Hmph, we'll soon know if it's someone like that. Let's go find Miss Fu and tell her about this." Zhu'er said.
"No rush."
Yun Zhiyi suddenly stopped and said, "Let's go and take a look."
"Go ahead."
When they arrived at a place where there was no one, Zhao Lin said impatiently.
Zhao Mingyu considered his words and said, "Mother means that if you want to return to the Zhenbei Marquis Mansion, you must obey. You must do whatever mother tells you to do, and you must not do anything that mother tells you not to do."
"What? What did you say?"
Zhao Lin scratched his ears and said, "I didn't hear clearly. Please say it again."
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