After arranging all this, the old lady rewarded her with another set of fine jewelry. Jiang Shuwan happily wore it and played with it in the room, just in time to see Pei Yanzhi walk in from outside.
Today, Pei Yanzhi was wearing his old clothes, a plain-colored robe that had faded from washing.
For someone of his status, wearing clothes like that is really beneath him.
But he had handsome features, stood tall and elegant, and smiled like the bright moon in one's arms.
Even in old clothes, the loose robes and long sleeves draped over the body exude a unique elegance that others lack.
The elegance and charisma of these distinguished figures are truly dazzling.
This is Pei Yanzhi, who has just passed the imperial examination. How extraordinary he will be when he holds great power!
When Pei Yanzhi entered, he saw Jiang Shuwan staring blankly into space.
He frowned slightly, staring at the jewelry in her hand. "But is there something wrong with the headdress?"
"No, no, it's very good."
Jiang Shuwan chuckled awkwardly and told Xiao Tao to put away her jewelry, then asked, "Why has the young master come?"
"The adopted son of the Liu family has arrived. He is a seven or eight-year-old child, the perfect age to attend the clan school. I've come to inform you that he will be attending classes at the Pei clan school from now on. If he needs to hire a renowned tutor, all expenses will be deducted from my monthly salary. If he has any other needs, you don't need to worry about them; the people in my courtyard will take care of them."
This requires hands-on involvement.
That's fine, I never wanted to get involved in the Liu family's affairs anyway.
"Alright, I'll do as Your Highness says."
Jiang Shuwan smiled and nodded.
She had heard from the old lady about the Liu family adopting a son before, saying that Pei Yanzhi had made it happen, and that they had not only adopted the orphan of the Liu family whom Liu Yunyan had her eye on.
They also reclaimed the property of the Liu family that had been swallowed up by their clansmen, but it was little in cash; most of it consisted of paintings, calligraphy, land, and houses.
Especially houses.
One of these places is the old residence of the Liu family in Beijing.
"Young Master, where does Young Master Liu live?" she asked tentatively.
"Let them live next to my cousin. Liu Xiaoqi is still young, and the Marquis's mansion only recognizes his older sister. Letting them live closer together will help cultivate their sibling relationship."
So thoughtful?
Now that the Liu family has been re-established, they should logically move out of the Marquis's residence and start anew.
Yet they placed the Liu siblings in the mansion, and thought of everything so thoughtfully.
As expected...
Pei Yanzhi and Liu Yunyan are not ordinary cousins.
Having realized the truth, Jiang Shuwan naturally agreed to everything.
She agreed quite readily.
In any case, Pei Yanzhi will handle all the expenses, so she won't need to bother him.
After seeing Pei Yanzhi off, Jiang Shuwan went to Donglai Street to find Song Yi.
She decided to let Song Yi handle the business data.
The Song family has been in business for three generations, with involvement in various industries. Song Yi is a business genius, bold yet meticulous. Data that other merchants dare not easily reveal is not a secret to him.
Their alliance had always worked well, as long as she offered a little enticement...
"It's nothing, young mistress, there's no need for thanks. Just invite me for a cup of tea."
Watching Song Yi, who had only drunk a cup of coarse tea, bury himself in writing business data for her, Jiang Shuwan felt a surge of emotion and shed tears.
Good heavens, what a kind person! Thinking she was going to do other business, he wrote down all her data without holding anything back.
He even thoughtfully gave her the business data he had collected over the years.
What a kind person!
Jiang Shuwan was deeply moved, and Song Yi was also overjoyed.
In this way, he was one step closer to Jiang Shuwan.
Once we get closer, we can use her to do things for His Highness, and we might even be able to persuade her to surrender to His Highness.
Thinking this way, Song Yi was overjoyed.
So when the news of the old emperor increasing commercial taxes came back and he presented the data he had written in court, Song Yi was completely dumbfounded.
The prince opposite him was laughing maniacally.
"Hahahaha, cousin, look at you! You went to great lengths to get close to her, but you didn't even get to use her. Instead, she used you completely. Cutting off someone's money is like killing their parents. Once those noble families find out that you were behind the commercial tax laws, do you think you'll die?"
The man, dressed in black, had been sitting in the garden watching a play, but upon hearing this, he stopped watching, patted the armrest, and laughed so hard he almost fell over, his hair all disheveled.
He brushed aside when a palace maid tried to comb his hair, leaving it disheveled as he laughed maniacally.
Song Yi felt a pang of sadness.
"Your Highness, what are you laughing at? My misfortune is your misfortune..."
"Hahahaha." The other person was still laughing wildly, in a gloating way.
"..."
Song Yi =_=: No wonder the Crown Prince called you a madman; there's a reason for it.
In the Golden Palace, the old emperor was still engaged in a verbal battle with his ministers.
He wanted to raise taxes, but not a single official in the court agreed.
Especially the noble families, their eyes turned red with rage.
"These merchants barely make any money, why should we increase taxes on them?"
"Heaven cherishes life, and the people have already suffered greatly these past few years. Your Majesty, as the Son of Heaven, would actually compete with the people for profit over a few copper coins?"
"Besides, the one-thirtieth tax rate was originally set at the beginning of the nation's founding. How can ancestral laws be changed so easily?"
"Disregarding the people's livelihood and the late emperor, Your Majesty's actions are just like those of the previous dynasty!"
The old emperor's face turned pale from the criticism, but the officials kept firing at him like machine guns.
We have to confront them; the continuation of aristocratic families is nothing more than money, power, and knowledge.
Those officials from humble backgrounds are one thing; their foundations are shallow, so increasing commercial taxes won't harm them much.
These families have shops and businesses passed down for generations, so there's no question of them being taxed.
Furthermore, it was even less likely that officials under the First Prince and the Crown Prince would agree to increase commercial taxes.
You know, those merchants have to pay a lot of silver to their masters every year. If a commercial tax is added, won't the amount of silver they pay be less?
Without money, where would one find the luxury of food and drink, and how could one cultivate one's own power?
For a time, the officials were outraged, arguing about "competing with the people for profit" and citing ancestral laws, and simply disagreed.
This directly offended the old emperor.
They disagree with increasing land tax, and they disagree with increasing commercial tax. Isn't this just pushing him to the brink?
and.
When the emperor saw his ministers going against his wishes, he felt a silent threat.
Although in recent years, as his health has deteriorated, he has indeed felt his strength waning, and the regime and imperial authority have been declining day by day.
More and more people in the court have their own agendas, while fewer and fewer are truly loyal to him.
But he's not dead yet!
It's not that bad yet!
"Guards! Drag them out and execute them!"
The old emperor picked up the memorial on the table and threw it away. In his extreme anger, he did not lose his mind and only beheaded a few officials who were the most vocal but whose power as aristocratic families was only second or third-rate.
"His Majesty!"
It had been a long time since they had seen such a volatile old emperor. The ministers were trembling with fear, and hearing the sound of heads rolling outside, no one dared to defy the old emperor for a moment.
However, the person in charge of commercial tax affairs could not be decided.
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