Chapter 182 (The Letter of Appointment)
Nie was not exaggerating. Not long after she and Tang left, someone came to the door to scout ahead. Their purpose was to leave the host's name card and inquire when the banquet would be held. They also brought gifts, but they were just ordinary snacks, sugar, dried fruit, and other small gifts. Zhao Jian wanted to refuse but couldn't.
In just one day, he had received invitations from four or five households. There was one invitation that Zhao Jian was a little hesitant to accept; it was sent by Princess Wang Liu Niang of Xinwang.
Speaking of Princess Consort Wang Liuniang, even the new emperor had a headache and didn't know how to deal with her.
Prince Xin ran away on the night of their wedding and his whereabouts are now unknown, leaving her alone to guard the huge Prince Xin Mansion. Before finding Prince Xin, the Crown Prince can't easily deal with a clueless woman like her, so the situation remains at a stalemate.
Countless people in the capital were laughing at her. Her husband ran away on their wedding night, and no one knew if he would ever come back. She had been living as a widow since she got married.
The more glorious the marriage was when the late emperor bestowed it upon her, the more destitute she is now; everyone thinks Wang Liuniang is utterly unlucky.
But when Vice Minister Wang was imprisoned, Wang Liuniang's misfortune turned into great fortune. Everyone knew that as a member of Prince Chun's faction, Vice Minister Wang was bound to be charged with treason. Although the verdict had not yet been announced, he was destined to die, and his family was also implicated. All the male members of the Wang family had been imprisoned, leaving only the female members of the household.
These days, Madam Wang has been running around trying to get help from countless high-ranking officials and dignitaries to intercede for her sons. She dares not ask for mercy from Vice Minister Wang; she only wants to get her sons out of trouble.
But at this time, who would dare to plead for her? Everyone avoided her for fear of getting into trouble. So Madam Wang set her sights on Wang Liu Niang. Although her status was awkward, she was still a royal wife. If she risked everything to beg the new emperor, maybe he could spare the lives of her sons?
She was desperate and tried anything, completely out of options.
Although Wang Liuniang hated her father and mother for deceiving her and pushing her into a pit of fire, it was a matter of life and death, so she had no choice but to help her brothers. However, she didn't know anyone in the royal family, and even if she asked someone for help, they could refuse her openly. In desperation, she heard the news that Meng Guanqi and Li Xiaoxiao had been promoted.
This gave her a glimmer of hope, but also intensified her pain.
She had been so eager to marry Meng Guanqi back then. If only her parents had kept their promise, she might have been able to use their connections to help her brothers save their lives.
But it's too late to say anything now. The Meng family is avoiding them like the plague, and she has to ask Li Xiaoxiao for help to save her brother.
Li Xiaoxiao is too favored. Not only is she trusted by the new emperor, but more importantly, the crown prince also relies on her. If she can help plead for him, it will be much more useful than pleading with those princes and nobles.
So she sent someone to deliver an invitation to Li Xiaoxiao, hoping to arrange a meeting with her.
Prince Xin has run away, but he didn't have time to take many things from the palace. I heard that Li Xiaoxiao was born a servant and lived in a house bestowed by the Crown Prince. She probably doesn't have much money. It would be best if we could use money to win her over.
This is the only thing she can be proud of.
As soon as Meng Guanqi and Li Xiaoxiao left the yamen, Zhao Jian hurriedly reported to them on what had happened that day. He learned that the Nie family had made a special trip to arrange the banquet, and that several other families had come to inquire about the matter. Meng Guanqi said, "Today, someone at the Hanlin Academy also asked us when our family was planning to hold the banquet."
Li smiled and said, "I still have Pang Shi above me, but he hasn't mentioned holding a banquet, and no one has asked me. So what should we say? Do you think we should hold one?"
Meng Guanqi pondered for a long time: "I estimate that it will be done. Let's discuss it carefully."
The news of their promotion had barely spread when people came to deliver invitations, showing that they had been watching them for a long time. Countless people wanted to use this opportunity to build a relationship with them, and they also had to adapt to this pace and social obligations as soon as possible.
Zhao Jian then took out Wang Liuniang's visiting card: "Young Madam, this was sent by Princess Xin. She wants to find an opportunity to see you."
Wang Liuniang actually wants to see her? Li Xiaoxiao asked in surprise, "Why does she want to see me? I don't know her."
She and Wang Liuniang never crossed paths.
Meng Guanqi thought for a moment and then realized: "They probably want to plead for the Wang family."
Li Xiaoxiao frowned: "Minister Wang is guilty of treason, how could I possibly plead for him?"
Meng Guanqi said, "It's not necessarily about asking you to save Vice Minister Wang. Don't forget, his five sons have also been imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice's jail."
Meng Guanqi had heard about how the Heavenly King's wife had been asking for help everywhere, but he never expected that Wang Liuniang would actually think of asking Li Xiaoxiao for help.
Li smiled and said, "Even if they are his sons, if they break the law, they must be dealt with according to the law. Do you think I can persuade the Minister of Justice to release them?"
Meng Guanqi took the invitation from Zhao Jian: "I'll take this invitation. You can go now."
After Zhao Jian left, Meng Guanqi carefully explained to Li Xiaoxiao, "Do you know why Wang Liuniang wanted to ask you to save her brother?"
Li Xiaoxiao guessed: "Because I can speak in front of the Emperor?"
Meng Guanqi nodded, while Li Xiaoxiao scoffed, "Do I look stupid? Those bigwigs in the court can all speak to the Emperor, why doesn't she ask them for help?"
Meng Guanqi said, "Firstly, those big shots would never take the risk to plead for the Wang family. Secondly, don't underestimate your influence in front of the Emperor; their words may not carry as much weight as yours."
In terms of trust, Emperor Hongxing trusted Li Xiaoxiao far more than himself, and Meng Guanqi was aware of this, though she herself was unaware of it.
Li Xiaoxiao scoffed: "Even if my words carry weight, I'm not going to plead for the Wang family. Why should I?"
Meng Guanqi tapped her forehead: "You know that you can't plead for the Wang family with just words, do you think Madam Wang and Wang Liu Niang don't know that? So they will definitely try every means to bribe you to talk."
Li Xiaoxiao then realized: "You mean, they'll bribe me?"
Meng Guanqi laughed and said, "Isn't this only natural? You used to always say how I could support my family with only three taels of silver a month. Look, isn't the way to make money right in front of you? And this time we're having a banquet. Why do you think so many people are watching? Do you really think they're short of food? They want to test the waters and build a relationship with us so they can openly give gifts. If we really hold the banquet, even if there are only ten steamed buns per table, they'll still eat happily and go home, believe it or not?"
Li Xiaoxiao's mouth opened into an "O" shape.
Meng Guanqi said, "Otherwise, how do you think the high-ranking officials in the capital acquired their mansions, fields, and shops? Let's not talk about others, just take our own family. That's a five-courtyard mansion in Taiqing Ward. Just that mansion alone would cost at least forty or fifty thousand taels of silver. You know, my grandfather was the Minister of Rites back then, and his annual salary was only 1,200 taels of silver. How many years would it take him to buy that mansion without eating or drinking? And what about the fields, shops, and all those servants?"
Li Xiaoxiao's mouth was agape.
She seemed to see herself sitting on a golden mountain, with golden leaves falling continuously from the sky.
So this is how officials get rich!
She doesn't even have to earn money herself; plenty of people give her money.
And this is just the beginning.
She stared at the invitation in Meng Guanqi's hand: "How much money do you think Wang Liuniang would give me if I could get the Wang family's son out?"
Meng Guanqi joked, "We need to have a good talk about this, but the Wang family has been raided, so Madam Wang probably doesn't have much money left. This money will definitely come from Wang Liuniang, which means it will come from Prince Xin's mansion. Prince Xin fled in a hurry, so he probably only took some cash with him. He definitely didn't have time to take the shops, estates, and things from his mansion in the capital. They should be worth a lot of money, right?"
Li Xiaoxiao said, "If I were to ask for ten thousand each, would Wang Liuniang have to pay it?"
Meng Guanqi said, "Fifty thousand taels? In exchange for the lives of the Wang family's five sons, if you really put it that way, Wang Liuniang will definitely give it to you."
Li Xiaoxiao sighed, "If someone's will is not firm, they can easily get blinded by money and not be able to get out."
Meng Guanqi smiled and said, "So what do you plan to do? Help or not?"
Honestly, Li Xiaoxiao was shamefully tempted by so much money.
She wanted the money, but she wanted to take it openly and honestly.
The next morning, she went to the palace with the invitation in her arms.
After Emperor Hongxing finished his court session, she ran over to him and asked, "Your Majesty, are you free now?"
Emperor Hongxing looked up from his desk: "What is it?"
He had just ascended the throne and was overwhelmed with affairs of state. He spent a great deal of time dealing with state matters every day and disliked being disturbed.
Li Xiaoxiao took out the visiting card from her bosom and handed it to Emperor Hongxing.
Emperor Hongxing curiously took the invitation and read it. After reading it, he looked up and asked Li Xiaoxiao, "Princess Xin wants to see you. Why did you give me the invitation? Are you asking if I can see you?"
Li Xiaoxiao shook her head: "No, she's planning to give me money. I'll ask His Majesty if I can accept it."
Emperor Hongxing nearly choked on his own saliva. Wan Quan, who had overheard the conversation, couldn't help but widen his eyes. Good heavens! She actually came to ask His Majesty in a serious manner whether or not it was permissible to accept bribes.
Is she genuinely naive or just incredibly bold?
But Emperor Hongxing clearly knew her well, knowing her straightforward and outspoken personality: "Why did she give you money? What does she want from you?"
Li Xiaoxiao said, "I haven't met her yet. I received the post yesterday, and Meng Guanqi and I analyzed it. We think she wants me to save her brothers and see if I can spare their lives."
Emperor Hongxing raised an eyebrow: "You haven't even seen her, so how do you know she doesn't want to save Minister Wang, but rather her brothers?"
Li Xiaoxiao said, "Vice Minister Wang is the most important accomplice in the treason case. How could he possibly escape the death penalty? Only his sons will be sentenced depending on the depth of their involvement in the case, and they can pull some strings."
Emperor Hongxing asked, "So what do you plan to do? Have me spare their lives so you can collect your money?"
Li Xiaoxiao blinked: "The Wang family has no money, they've already confiscated everything. What Wang Liuniang can offer is the money from the Prince Xin's mansion. Doesn't His Majesty want to take this opportunity to reclaim some of their assets?"
Since Prince Xin has not yet been punished, there is naturally no reason to take back the property that the Emperor and Empress had previously bestowed upon him. When Li Xiaoxiao brought it up, Emperor Hongxing became somewhat interested: "Are you saying that I should take this opportunity to take back the property that the late Emperor bestowed upon Prince Xin?"
Li Xiaoxiao said, "Anyway, Wang Liuniang is generous with other people's money. She doesn't care about things that aren't hers. If the Wang family can save the lives of several sons, His Majesty can just find a place to exile them and recover a lot of property. This will allow your subordinates to make a little money as well. Why not?"
Wan Quan secretly gave Li Xiaoxiao a thumbs up. Brilliant, that was a really brilliant move.
Who just said she's stupid? She's incredibly smart!
Your Majesty could easily use the lives of the five sons of the Wang family to secretly confiscate the Prince Xin's mansion, which would be a considerable sum of money, and it wouldn't alert the Ministry of Revenue, allowing the money to go entirely into your private treasury.
General Li is truly a lucky general. His Majesty has only been on the throne for a short time, and first the family of Prince Chun was raided, then Prince Xin's. His Majesty must be laughing in his dreams.
Emperor Hongxing was indeed very interested. He ordered Wan Quan to bring the account books of Prince Xin's property and also found the files submitted by the Ministry of Justice. He decided to accept Li Xiaoxiao's suggestion: "Go see Princess Xin and have her hand over 80% of Prince Xin's property. I can spare her five brothers' lives and instead exile them to a thousand miles away."
Eighty percent? That's too ruthless. Leaving only twenty percent is probably to support Wang Liuniang and the servants of the Prince Xin's mansion. However, a prince's twenty percent of property is not the same as an ordinary person's twenty percent. Even if only twenty percent is left, it should be enough to support Wang Liuniang for the rest of her life.
Li Xiaoxiao felt a little guilty towards Wang Liuniang, but this guilt quickly vanished. If Wang Liuniang was ruthless enough not to agree to exchange so many things for the lives of her brothers, Emperor Hongxing could only watch helplessly, unable to do anything about it.
It all depends on whether she's willing to give it up.
Just as Li Xiaoxiao was about to accept the order and leave, she suddenly remembered her purpose. Oh dear, she had come to ask if she could openly accept a bribe, but she had completely forgotten because of Emperor Hongxing's distraction. She immediately asked, "Your Majesty, what about my share? How much will you give me?"
Emperor Hongxing glanced at her: "How many do you want?"
Li Xiaoxiao tentatively extended one finger, and seeing that Emperor Hongxing did not react, she immediately extended another finger.
Emperor Hongxing chuckled: "I know. I'll reward you after the matter is settled. Also, you and Meng Guanqi have both been promoted, why haven't you held a banquet yet?"
Are you short of money at home? They've come to him personally asking for money. Why don't you learn from others and quickly hold a banquet to collect more benefits? With the couple's favor, there are plenty of people trying to curry favor with them. They'll probably receive so many gifts that they won't know what to do with them.
Li Xiaoxiao sighed, "I feel uneasy when others give me gifts, but I feel at ease when receiving them from His Majesty."
Emperor Hongxing was extremely satisfied and waved his hand, saying, "I don't care about the meager sum at your banquet. You can take it as you please."
Li Xiaoxiao left the palace to find Wang Liuniang, completely satisfied.
Wang Liuniang had been waiting for news from the Li family, fearing that Li Xiaoxiao would refuse to see her, but instead she received news that Li Xiaoxiao had come to her door in person.
She quickly called over Madam Wang: "Li Xiaoxiao is here. If she's willing to come, there's a chance. Mother, don't worry, I will do my best to save my brothers."
Madam Wang had lost a lot of weight and looked more than ten years older. Hearing her daughter's words of comfort, hope rekindled in her eyes: "Sixth Sister, whatever she asks for, you must agree to it. Right now, the most important thing is to save your brothers' lives."
Wang Liuniang forced herself to suppress her displeasure, but she had no choice. As long as people were alive, there was hope; if people were gone, then there would truly be nothing left.
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