Chapter 143: Paper Money, Rubber
Zhao Xiao felt as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water over his head, and he was half sober in an instant.
"Aunt...I...we..." He stammered and his tongue almost broke down. A voice in his heart kept saying, it's over, she knew.
In fact, Zhao Xiao was not afraid of others knowing their relationship, he was more afraid of making things difficult for Song Yuzhu.
He has no relatives or friends, so he doesn't care even if he is hated or scolded by others. But it is different for Song Yuzhu. He is the emperor of Daqi, a wise ruler, and the most precious treasure in his heart. He will not tolerate others slandering him.
Zhao Xiao was silent for a moment and said, "Aunt, this matter has nothing to do with Yuzhu. I was the one who provoked him."
After saying this, Zhao Xiao lowered his head and waited for Jiang Rong's scolding.
However, after waiting for a long time, she still didn't speak, and Zhao Xiao raised his head in confusion.
There was not much anger on Jiang Rong's face, instead, she showed an expression of "as expected".
"No wonder Zhu'er lied to us and said she was ill and never appointed concubines. So this is what happened."
Jiang Rong had long noticed that the relationship between the two was unusual. Even though they were close friends, how could two friends not marry or take concubines and still get together so often?
Yuzhu made excuses saying that she was not in good health, but could Zhao Xiao not make excuses too? This kid was full of energy and didn't look like he had any health problems.
In addition, when she attended a tea party a few days ago, she heard several ladies in the capital city talking about things in the rear quarters, such as who had a male catamite and which man had a male actor as his lover, so she became interested.
Jiang Rong had been observing the two of them secretly since they entered the door today. She discovered that their eyes kept glued to each other from time to time. It wasn't the look between friends at all, it was clearly the look of lovers who had been apart for a long time!
It was Song Bai who was so stubborn that he didn't notice it and even treated Zhao Xiao as his brother.
"I'm sorry..." Zhao Xiao apologized ashamedly.
Jiang Rong sighed, "I know I can't stop this. Although Yuzhu appears gentle on weekdays, he is very stubborn in his bones. He will never change his mind."
Zhao Xiao nodded. If he hadn't wanted to rebel, he wouldn't have had the courage or the idea to do so.
"But I still have something to say."
Zhao Xiao pricked up his ears and lowered his head to listen.
Jiang Rong looked at his body and said, "If Zhu'er is with you... he will definitely be the one who suffers. He has a weak foundation to begin with, so you have to take good care of him."
Zhao Xiao understood what she meant and his face turned red.
"Uncle, aunt, don't worry. I will definitely take good care of him! If anything happens to Yuzhu, I will bring my head to you!"
Jiang Rong muttered unhappily, "Who wants your head? I won't be able to have a grandson. You two should take good care of your health and don't let us worry."
"Oh!" Zhao Xiao's eyes turned red with excitement. He had originally prepared himself to be separated from his lover, but he didn't expect Jiang Rong to forgive him so easily.
After a day of preparing meals, Jiang Rong was a little tired. She stood up and said, "Don't just giggle. This matter only needs to be known to me. Don't let Yuzhu's father know about it. He has a straightforward personality and I'm afraid it will be difficult for him to accept your relationship for a while."
"Yeah!" After seeing Jiang Rong off, Zhao Xiao excitedly drank two more glasses of wine alone.
Soon Song Yuzhu came back, pulled him up and said, "Let's go back to the palace."
After leaving the Song Mansion, it was already late outside, and Zhao Xiao carried him into the car.
"Hey!" Song Yuzhu was startled and patted him on the back, fearing that someone would see him.
Zhao Xiao also got on the carriage. He hugged Song Yuzhu and said, "Yuzhu, I am very happy today..."
"Have you drunk too much?"
"No, I'm awake. Guess what my aunt just said to me?"
"What did you say?"
"She asked me if we were in that kind of relationship."
Song Yuzhu's body stiffened and her heart skipped a beat: "What did you say?"
"I told her the truth."
"Then what? What did my mother say?" Song Yuzhu's face turned pale with fright.
Zhao Xiao held his hand and kissed his fingertips and said, "Your mother asked me to take good care of you and not tell your father about this."
Song Yuzhu withdrew his hand doubtfully: "Did she really say that? Didn't she scold you?" This was not the Jiang Rong he knew!
Her mother was famous for her bad temper when she was young, and her father didn't dare to provoke her. It was only in recent years, after Yutong was born, that she gradually became gentler.
"That's why I'm so happy." Zhao Xiao looked at him with love in his eyes.
Song Yuzhu didn't expect her mother to guess their relationship, let alone agree to this. Her heart warmed, and the heavy burden on her shoulders was suddenly lifted, and she felt enlightened.
"Axiao, I'm so happy!" Song Yuzhu hugged his neck and kissed his forehead.
Zhao Xiao stroked his back. He could feel the temperature of his hot palms through his clothes. As he stroked, his hands became restless and slid down along his waistline.
Song Yuzhu was even more anxious than him. She tore off Zhao Xiao's belt and bit his neck like a puppy.
Zhao Xiao is not the only one who has been vegan these past two years. We are all adults and it is very painful for him to endure it.
Zhao Xiao was so angry that he was about to turn over and pin the man down when the carriage suddenly stopped.
"Your Majesty, we have arrived."
The carriage stopped at the door of the palace.
Zhao Xiao picked up Song Yuzhu and ran down the carriage, running so fast that an afterimage was left. Li Dehai, who was on duty nearby, thought he was dazzled. He rubbed his eyes and saw that the door of the bedroom was still open, and sobbing sounds were heard from inside.
His old face turned red, and he quickly went forward to close the door, then told the newly transferred eunuch to prepare hot water.
The two returned to the bedroom. Zhao Xiao put Song Yuzhu on the bed and quickly took off his coat. His lower body was lifted up and it was so hard that his underwear was pushed up high.
Song Yuzhu felt her waist go weak after just one look. He lay on the couch, his chest rising and falling, his Adam's apple sliding up and down, his cheeks flushed with lust, as if he had applied two smears of rouge, making him look particularly bright and attractive.
"Axiao." Song Yuzhu's voice was as light as a sigh.
"I'm here." Zhao Xiao leaned over and licked his earlobe.
"Mmm..." Song Yuzhu's ears were very sensitive. She wanted to hide because of the itch, but her body was firmly restrained by Zhao Xiao. She could only passively endure this unbearable "torture" and let out a hoarse moan.
Zhao Xiao seemed to have a special liking for his ears. He first outlined the shape of the auricle with the tip of his tongue, then sucked on the earlobe, and finally probed into his cochlea as if making love.
Song Yuzhu moaned and pushed Zhao Xiao's strong chest, but was caught by the wrist and pressed on top of his head. The disparity in strength made it impossible for him to break free, and he could only tremble and let him pick her.
Zhao Xiao kissed his eyes, the tip of his nose, and finally went straight into his lips.
Song Yuzhu bit the tip of his tongue lightly, and was immediately choked by Zhao Xiao's ravages. The saliva that she didn't have time to swallow flowed down her chin, forming silver threads.
Zhao Xiao stood up and untied his belt. It must be said that clothes in ancient times were really convenient. After untying the belt, only a pair of underwear was left.
Zhao Xiao kissed along his neck all the way to his waist. Seeing that he was going to go down, Song Yuzhu was so scared that she clamped her legs together: "Ah Xiao, what are you doing?"
"Be good, let me kiss you." After saying that, she pulled off his underwear and started licking his penis. Her deft and powerful tongue kept circling around his glans, stimulating Song Yuzhu so much that his body stretched like a bow.
Song Yuzhu's face was terribly hot. She covered her eyes with one hand and touched Zhao Xiao's hair with the other.
"Ah Xiao...ah!"
Zhao Xiao sucked his dick and started to suck it. The intense stimulation made Song Yuzhu's scalp numb. They had never had sex in this way before. When Song Yuzhu thought of Zhao Xiao helping her to have sex, she felt so comfortable that she felt like she was going to heaven. Soon, her back felt numb and her lower abdomen was tense. She was about to ejaculate.
He quickly pushed Zhao Xiao away, but the semen still sprayed on his jaw.
Song Yuzhu panted heavily, pulled his clothes over to wipe his face, "Why don't you get out of the way?"
Zhao Xiao said: "I don't mind you being dirty."
Song Yuzhu stood up and touched his hard lower body, wanting to help him with cumshot, but Zhao Xiao refused. "Let's talk about it next time. Today I just want to fuck you." Her rough hands moved up along his buttocks, and her fingers stopped at his back garden and began to knead it.
Song Yuzhu was so stimulated by his explicit words that he almost cried out. He bit his lower lip and raised his body to cooperate with Zhao Xiao's fingers.
There was a prepared cream in the cabinet beside the bed. Zhao Xiao took a piece and smeared it on Song Yuzhu's back garden. It quickly melted into water. Two fingers slid in smoothly, finding his most sensitive spot and pressing it.
"Um...ah..." Song Yuzhu raised her head and clamped her legs tightly around his arms.
Zhao Xiao patted his butt: "Relax, you're squeezing too tight."
"Um...ah...Ah Xiao..."
Zhao Xiao couldn't help it, so he pulled out his fingers, making a popping sound. He held his penis and rubbed it against his back garden, the liquid that flowed out made Song Yuzhu's back garden wet, and with a little force, the front head penetrated inside.
Zhao Xiao kissed his cheek: "Yuzhu, I miss you so much. I want to fuck you like this every day on the boat."
Song Yuzhu swallowed her saliva: "Me, me too..." There is nothing explicit that cannot be said in front of your lover.
As he spoke, the entire penis was inserted into him, stretching him to the extreme.
"Ah..." Song Yuzhu let out an unbearable cry. She hadn't made love for two years and her body was far more sensitive than she had imagined.
Zhao Xiao also sighed comfortably while being wrapped up. He held his waist and pushed twice. After he got used to his size, he began to thrust quickly.
"Ah...Ahhh!" Too fast, too fast. Every time it hit his prostate, Song Yuzhu became hard again with such pleasure.
"Ah Xiao...slow down, slow down, I can't take it anymore."
Zhao Xiao did not stop for a moment, he held Song Yuzhu's ankles, almost bending him in half. His thick penis slammed into his snow-white buttocks, bringing out the pink tender flesh inside.
The sound of bodies slapping each other was mixed with the sticky sound of water. The pounding sensation came like waves of the sea. Song Yuzhu's eyes were full of stars. He thought in fear, would Zhao Xiao fuck him to death?
After a stick of incense had passed, Zhao Xiao was finally about to ejaculate. He locked Song Yuzhu's waist tightly, increased the speed of the impact, and with a low roar, shot all his semen into his body.
After ejaculating, he did not pull out his penis, and continued to kiss Song Yuzhu's cheek.
"Axiao..."
"Are you comfortable?"
Song Yuzhu said frankly: "I felt so comfortable that I almost went to heaven.
Zhao Xiao kneaded his penis which had been orgasmed twice and said, "Then I'll make you feel comfortable again."
Before he could refuse, he felt the penis in his anus getting hard again.
This time, Zhao Xiao directly picked him up and fucked him while standing. In this position, Song Yuzhu had nowhere to hide. Every insertion hit his prostate hard. He couldn't stand such stimulation and his body trembled like a sieve.
"I can't take it anymore... I don't want it anymore... wuwuwu... Xiao, please spare me... my dear brother..."
Zhao Xiao's blood boiled when he was called "good brother", and he couldn't control himself and ejaculated again.
The night was still long, and the eunuchs waiting outside heated the water over and over again.
*
When Song Yuzhu woke up the next day, the sun was already high in the sky. When she stood up, her waist ached as if it was no longer her own. This was the result of excessive indulgence.
He almost fainted last night and had no memory of how Zhao Xiao helped him take a bath and changed him into clean clothes.
When Li Dehai heard that he had woken up, he hurried in with mouthwash and a spittoon.
"Where's Zhao Xiao?"
"General Zhao went to the military camp. He told me to tell you that he will be back at noon."
Song Yuzhu stood up with the help of the bed, and the discomfort in his back made him frown.
"Your Majesty, would you like to rest a little longer?"
"No, there are still many things to arrange."
Song Yuzhu changed his clothes, put on a cloak, and went to the Palace of Tranquil Longevity in a sedan chair. Normally, he would never take a sedan chair if he could walk, but today he really couldn't walk, and his legs were as soft as noodles.
It snowed last night, covering the entire palace with a layer of white.
The eunuchs carried the sedan chair and walked on it, making a creaking sound.
The eunuchs who were sweeping the snow in the palace stopped their work and knelt beside the sedan chair to pay their respects when they saw it.
"It's so cold, tell them not to kneel, just bow and salute."
"Hey..." Li Dehai responded and quickly asked the eunuch to give the order.
Arriving at the Yangxin Palace, the first thing he did was to arrange the Ministry of Industry to remelt the 500,000 gold coins. Although 500,000 gold coins sounded like a lot, after refining, at most only 300,000 taels of gold would be produced, because the gold coins in the West were not pure gold, but were mixed with a lot of brass.
Gold coins like those minted in England only have a gold content of about 50%, Frankish coins have slightly more, but no more than 70%, and Byzantine coins have an even lower gold content, which is one of the reasons why Zhao Xiao did not sell silk there. What's the point of going all the way there to exchange for a bunch of brass?
After smelting, the purity of the gold can reach about 90%, and this gold will be used for the national fiscal reserve to issue banknotes.
At 1:00 am, Minister of Revenue Liu Lin and Xu Bing were summoned into the palace.
The Ministry of Revenue was responsible for the issuance of currency. According to the development of the country, the quantity of currency to be issued was arranged, and then the currency was minted by the mint.
The minted coins were controlled by the Ministry of Revenue and used for military expenditures, bureaucratic salaries, court expenditures and administrative expenses.
This money flows from the government to the private sector and is then recovered through private taxation and other means, forming a stable economic society.
Song Yuzhu shared his thoughts with the two of them.
"Your Majesty is going to issue paper money?" Liu Lin and Xu Bing asked at the same time.
"That's right."
Xu Bing stroked his beard and said, "The previous dynasty also issued paper money, but the common people did not recognize it, and the merchants did not accept it, so it was gradually cancelled later."
Liu Lin also nodded and said: "Besides, paper money is not easy to store. It is afraid of water, fire and mold. People prefer to use copper coins."
Song Yuzhu also considered this problem, but it is different in modern times. The silver dollar has gradually transitioned to paper money.
"Copper coins are good but too heavy to carry around. Also, they are too cumbersome to count. Paper money is easier to read at a glance."
The two listened to Song Yuzhu's words and nodded in agreement.
Take the past few days for example. The Chinese New Year is coming soon, and people from nearby areas are rushing into the city to buy New Year's goods. Although small change is convenient to use, it cannot be used everywhere. People often carry several strings of copper coins in their cars, which is very unsafe.
Song Yuzhu continued: "I plan to issue five denominations of currency at a time: one cent, five cents, ten cents, fifty cents, and one hundred cents."
The two's eyes lit up. If they changed all the money into paper currency, one string of money would only be ten pieces of paper, which would be very convenient to carry!
Another advantage of paper money is that it can be printed with various iconic buildings and portraits. Song Yuzhu had a selfish motive. He wanted to print people who have made outstanding contributions to the country on the money so that the people would remember them firmly.
Song Yuzhu said, "You two should think about this matter first, and we can discuss it after the New Year."
"As you wish."
After the two left, Song Yuzhu called the Minister of Works Ji Mingli and Shen Lun from the Research Institute to meet the emperor.
The corn seeds that Zhao Xiao brought back from Europe are the most important thing this time. Corn is cold-resistant and drought-resistant, and its yield is higher than millet and wheat. Once corn is promoted for cultivation, it can feed tens of millions more people!
Ji Mingli also knew that these things were valuable, so after sending them to the Ministry of Works, he immediately sent someone to hand them over to the head of the Ministry of Agriculture.
Ji Mingli said: "The Agricultural Department has taken out some of them and cultivated them in the greenhouse. I think new plants will grow soon."
“The pigs and sheep were also taken over by the good herdsmen in Shanglinyuan.”
Song Yuzhu said: "These seeds and livestock will play a big role in the future development of Daqi, so we must do our best to cultivate them."
"Your Majesty, rest assured. I will supervise them carefully and will not slack off even for a moment!" Ji Mingli is quite capable to be the top leader in the Ministry of Works. He knows how important this matter is. If he fails, he will probably lose the title.
Song Yuzhu nodded.
He looked at Shen Lun again: "The Hope brought back a batch of rubber balls from Johor. These rubber balls still need to be processed before they can be used. The Research Department will put this matter on the agenda after the new year."
"As you wish."
In her previous life, Song Yuzhu was not a chemistry major and did not know much about how rubber was made. She only knew that the collected rubber needed to be catalyzed before it could be used, otherwise it would soften or harden with the change of weather.
After arranging these things, Song Yuzhu remembered Duke Charles who came with the Hope.
(End of this chapter)
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