Chapter 80 The Prince Who Failed to Revolt
Jiang Hao, the envoy of the Ministry of Military Virtue, walked heavily into Prince Jing's mansion, tightly clutching a thick stack of banknotes in his hand.
His mood was like the gloomy weather, depressed and uneasy. He knew the amount of silver was huge, but when he actually saw the figure of 18 million taels, he was still shocked.
He took half of the bet money, but the amount of money made him feel unprecedented pressure.
Jiang Hao is the emperor's private soldier, who was picked up from the pile of dead bodies by the emperor. Besides, it is his duty and he must be loyal to the emperor.
After careful consideration, he decided to return the banknote to He Fei. He found He Fei and said firmly, "Prince Jing, I will return the money to you and report it to the emperor truthfully."
He Fei smiled slightly, looking calm.
He didn't take the banknote, but patted Zhang Qian's shoulder gently. "Take the silver. You did a good job leading the Wude Division's spies this time. This is a reward for you. You can report it to the emperor. The Great Zhou doesn't ban gambling, but I can legalize it and make some private money. I think the emperor won't have any objections."
Jiang Hao felt relieved after hearing this, but he was still a little hesitant.
He knew He Fei's status and influence in the court, but such a huge amount of silver would inevitably arouse the emperor's suspicion.
However, He Fei's frank attitude made him understand that the matter was a foregone conclusion and he could only act as he was told.
At the same time, in the villages around Xiangyang City, villagers were busy vaccinating against cowpox.
This was a people-friendly policy implemented by He Fei in the name of the emperor, aimed at preventing smallpox.
The villagers were moved to tears by the emperor's kindness and praised his benevolence.
He Fei stood on the city wall, looking out at the land, his heart filled with satisfaction. He knew that these measures not only won the hearts of the people for the emperor, but also helped him win the gambling money so that his brother would be less likely to bet.
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Chuigong Hall.
The chief eunuch, Eunuch Mai, walked lightly before the Emperor, bowed, and said in a respectful and gentle voice, "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager Chen invites you to dine with her at noon."
The Emperor raised his head from the mountain of memorials and nodded slightly: "Go and tell Mother in person that I will be there on time."
The emperor looked at the memorial from the Wude Division in his hand, which told about the uproar over the marriage of the Prince of Rongchang and the gambling that was taking place in the casino.
Prince Rongchang, Jingwen, and Jiaer simply gambled to make some private money.
No wonder Jia'er insisted on asking Jingwen to go to Jiangnan together. The memorial mentioned that the gambling involved a total of 18 million taels of silver, which almost accounted for one-tenth of the annual fiscal revenue of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
However, Jingwen used his own glass bonus of 3 million to gamble, and the gambling money was legal.
Da Zhou didn't ban gambling, but he wasn't angry at the two little bastards for gambling.
Hehe, he was angry because he thought it was because of his temptation and slight distrust that Jingwen and Jiaer went to Jiangnan to relax sadly. These two little bastards.
At noon, the Emperor promptly entered the palace of Concubine Chen. Inside, the air was thick with the scent of sandalwood incense. Sunlight filtered through the carved window lattices onto the exquisite rosewood table, illuminating the table with its alluring colors. Concubine Chen was already waiting by the table, her eyes filled with affection.
"Mother, you are cooking again. Why do you have to work so hard?" The emperor's tone was gentle, but he could not hide the fatigue in his eyes.
Concubine Chen smiled brightly and personally served the emperor the dishes: "Your Majesty is very busy and it's rare for him to come and dine with mother. I'm in a good mood, so I made a few dishes you like. Come and try this steamed sea bass, it was your favorite when you were a child."
The emperor took a piece of food with chopsticks and savored it carefully: "Mother's cooking skills are as good as ever."
A sly glint flashed in Concubine Chen's eyes, and she said nonchalantly, "Your Majesty seems to be worried about something today?"
The emperor put down his chopsticks, his eyes fixed slightly. "Mother, do you know why Jia'er went to Jiangnan?"
Concubine Chen chuckled softly, her eyes full of understanding. "Of course I know. Didn't you hear everything behind the screen that day? Jia'er and Jingwen took three million taels of silver to gamble in Jiangnan. They were lucky, with a six-to-one odds, and won eighteen million taels."
The emperor frowned slightly, his tone filled with helplessness: "Since mother knew, why didn't you dissuade me?"
Concubine Chen didn't care and put a piece of green vegetables into the emperor's bowl with her chopsticks. "Jia'er is a very smart child. She said she would use this money to open a women's medical school in the name of the emperor in Da Zhou, so that those poor women can learn a skill and make a living.
This is a good idea. She also said that she and He Fei would not participate in the opening of the Women's Medical College. They would just provide the money and not take care of anything else. "
Upon hearing this, the emperor's expression eased slightly: "Will royal gambling become a trend?"
Concubine Chen put down her chopsticks and looked at the emperor with a deep gaze: "Your Majesty, although Jia'er is a woman, she has a heart to help the world. She does not want fame or profit, she only wants to find a way out for women in the world. Isn't such a heart worthy of praise? Besides, they didn't gamble in person..."
The emperor was silent for a moment, then he sighed, "Mother is right. But this gambling matter is a bit..."
Concubine Chen interrupted, "Your Majesty, gambling is not prohibited in the Great Zhou Dynasty. Jia'er and Jingwen used their own money, so they didn't break the law. Moreover, they won money and wanted to do something practical for the country and the people. Isn't this kind of thought much better than those court officials who scheme against each other all day long? Besides, they have handed everything over to Your Majesty. No matter how you arrange it, they won't interfere. If it weren't for this, I would have scolded you long ago."
Upon hearing this, the Emperor's expression gradually relaxed, a hint of a smile appearing on his lips. "Mother, you are right. It is I who am too obsessed with formalities."
Concubine Chen nodded with satisfaction and poured another bowl of soup for the emperor: "I'm glad that your Majesty understands. Come, try this soup again. I specially added wolfberries to replenish qi and nourish the spirit."
The Emperor took the bowl of soup, but he was already thinking: If they didn't get involved with Jia'er's Women's Medical College, perhaps it would truly bring a new look to the Great Zhou. As for the gambling, since his mother had said so, there was no need to pursue it too much.
Outside the palace, the sun was shining brightly, and a gentle breeze carried the fragrance of flowers. Concubine Chen watched the emperor's brow gradually relax, a flicker of relief in her eyes. She knew that this lunch not only soothed the emperor's heart but also paved the way for Jia'er's plan for a women's medical school.
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Originally, fireworks were set in Yangzhou in March, but now it was the end of May. Zhang Xiaojia took off his thick leather jacket and changed into light clothes.
When she returned to Beijing this time, she needed to compile the prevention and treatment of smallpox into a book, print it out, and put it in her Women's Medical College. This would allow those poor women to have a skill. The court would definitely send those women to various states to get vaccinated with cowpox to prevent smallpox. In this way, these women would have a foundation for themselves and could make a living as official doctors in various states.
She is the prince's concubine and cannot participate in politics, but she can still be a miracle doctor.
The first page of this medical book must be inscribed with the following: The emperor’s benevolence moved Heaven, so he invented the method of curing cowpox.
She felt that she had truly devoted herself to the emperor.
Fortunately, the emperor is a benevolent monarch who admires the founding empress of the Zhou Dynasty. He supports women setting up their own families, women divorcing, women doing business, and women holding official positions.
This time, her mission is to help the women of the Great Zhou do a hundred things and become a pioneer of women's rights. She does not want fame or fortune.
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