There is no shortage of fools in this world. Sometimes there are too many fools and there are obviously not enough scammers.
Shopkeeper Wu clutched his thirty taels of silver tightly and said, "Wait a minute, what if you take this thirty taels of silver and don't pay it back?"
Zhao Li retracted his outstretched hand. He knew full well that impatience can lead to failure. "Look at you, Shopkeeper Wu. You're so successful and so handsome. With your intelligence, how could I possibly fool you?"
Shopkeeper Wu left happily: "That's right, but let me make a deal. I can only lend you 27 taels, and the other 3 taels are interest."
Zhao Li grabbed the silver and put it in his pocket, then said: "You are asking for too much."
"You have to take it!" Shopkeeper Wu wanted to snatch it back.
If he wanted to take back the silver that was in Zhao Li's hands, he would be dreaming. He covered his arms and said, "Deal!"
Linghu Yunlong was furious. He whispered to Zhao Huan: "Shameless! As a prince, you have brought shame to the royal family." As he said that, he was about to step forward to intervene.
Zhao Huan disagreed with Linghu Yunlong's idea. He waved his hand to stop him: "Talent! I want this person."
"Ah?" Linghu Yunlong was stunned and stopped.
Little did they know that although the dragon boat had been built, there was no suitable person to lead the mission. This Zhao Li was quite skilled at deceiving and deceiving people. If he led people to America, he would definitely be able to bring back sweet potatoes and corn.
However, this profit-seeking commoner Zhao Li still needs to be tempered, and Zhao Huan still needs to test him to see if he is capable of taking on the arduous task of going on a diplomatic mission to America.
Zhao Huan said: "Stop him, I want to treat him to a meal."
Linghu Yunlong had no idea what Zhao Huan was up to. He strode after Zhao Li, who had just walked out of the teahouse, and said, "Prince, please stay."
Zhao Li turned around and looked at Linghu Yunlong blankly: "Who are you?"
Linghu Yunlong clasped his fists and said, "My master admires the Duke's demeanor and would like to invite him to dinner. What do you think?"
Zhao Li looked at him as if pie had fallen from the sky, unable to believe that such a good thing could actually happen. Then his eyes rolled and he had an idea: "Are you officials from other places?"
Linghu Yunlong replied in a rather ambiguous tone: "Please do me the honor, Your Majesty."
Those in the capital who knew Zhao Li avoided him as much as possible, while officials from other provinces who came to the capital were unaware of the situation. They often assumed that this prince was extremely powerful, so they would curry favor with him. They were usually deceived by Zhao Li to the point of losing everything, and they had to say thank you before leaving.
Zhao Li was delighted: another little white sheep to be slaughtered. So he nodded and said, "Okay, let's go."
Fanlou, the largest restaurant in Beijing.
After Zhao Huan and Zhao Li introduced themselves to each other, they sat in a private room and chatted, with Linghu Yunlong accompanying them.
Zhao Li identified Zhao Huan as an official from out of town who had come to the capital. "Alas, there are many government affairs in this dynasty that need to be handled. His Majesty has been summoning me frequently in recent days, asking me to give suggestions on the promotion and appointment of officials from various places. I am so busy that I am overwhelmed."
Zhao Huan smiled faintly and filled his glass: "It turns out that the prince has a bright future working for His Majesty."
"Well," Zhao Li said with a proud and arrogant expression, "Where are you from, Mr. Zhao?"
Zhao Huan was stunned: "Huh?"
Zhao Li snorted disdainfully, "All of you officials who came to the capital to report on your work are the same. You went to the Privy Council, right? Are the officials there unhappy?"
Zhao Huan smiled and did not answer.
Zhao Li snorted. "These bastards in the Privy Council, how many times have I told them to be cordial with local officials reporting to them? Yet they all have sullen faces, as if their wives have died. I'll tell His Majesty and have them spanked."
Zhao Huan finally understood that this guy was treating him like a local official. He cupped his fists and said with a smile, "I'm from Datong, Shanxi. This trip to the capital did indeed face quite a few obstacles from the Privy Council. Fortunately, I met the Prince. I hope he'll put in a few good words for His Majesty."
Finally getting to the point, Zhao Li'an suppressed his excitement and asked, "What position does Mr. Zhao hold in Shanxi?"
Zhao Huan hurriedly stood up and said, "Your humble servant is the magistrate of Datong Prefecture, Shanxi Province."
Zhao Li waved his hand and said, "Sit down, sit down and talk. Brother Zhao, I can say a few good words to you in front of His Majesty. But the current emperor is wise and sage, and my few words won't propel you to the top. The palace eunuchs, the harem, and all the departments need to be taken care of. If you want to climb the ladder, you'll have to put in a lot of effort."
Zhao Huan smiled and pulled out a five thousand tael banknote from his pocket. Zhao Li's eyes immediately lit up. Zhao Huan clutched the banknote and said, "Prince, I have always wanted to find a job in the capital. I wonder if you..."
Zhao Li wanted to snatch it away, but he pretended to be calm and said, "Well, as long as you are willing to help, I will naturally take care of the rest for you."
Zhao Huan pretended to be overjoyed and handed the banknote over with both hands: "Please take care of it, Your Majesty. I will definitely reward you handsomely after the matter is completed."
Zhao Li could no longer bear it and snatched the banknotes away, tucked them away in his arms. "Don't worry, brother Zhao. Tomorrow I will speak to His Majesty in the palace to discuss this. There are vacancies in both the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War. I will consider which position would be best for you."
Zhao Huan stood up and bowed to the ground: "Thank you so much for your support, Prince."
After three rounds of wine and five dishes, they were both so drunk that they could hardly speak straight.
Zhao Li patted Zhao Huan on the shoulder and said, "Brother Zhao, I want to tell you something. That year, I was seventeen years old, and she was also seventeen years old..."
Zhao Huan hugged Zhao Li and said, "Prince, I like you and your personality."
"Eh, even if I really like you, I can't do that. I don't have any homosexual tendencies..."
Zhao Li returned to his palace drunk. The dilapidated mansion had long since lost its former luxury. After his father, Zhao Shanshui, died, Zhao Li dismissed the servants because he could no longer afford to pay them.
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