Chapter 149: The Deadly Fundraising
In an emergency, one must act decisively. The matter at hand is a matter of life and death, and there is no time for delay. He's been arguing with the people at the Ministry of Revenue quite a bit these past two days...
Xu Lanshan naturally sided with him without thinking, and said without hesitation: "Those officials really don't know what's good for them! What the emperor says is certainly not wrong, how could they not listen to the emperor! And they made the emperor suffer so much, it's really wrong!"
Emperor Yuan Yong found this amusing and said happily, "That's right, my Lan'er is still the best and understands my heart the best!"
How could she understand what was going on in the court? It wasn't surprising that she would say that.
Moreover, she did not want to unconditionally protect herself when she thought so, which made Emperor Yuan Yong feel particularly pleased.
My depressed and irritable mood improved a lot in an instant.
"Your Highness, I am naturally on His Majesty's side. How could Your Majesty be wrong?" Xu Lanshan smiled, and she became even more determined to hit the snake with the stick. "Your Majesty, those stingy officials are unwilling to give you money. Can I help Your Majesty find a way to get the money?"
Emperor Yuan Yong was very impressed by her sincere desire to share his worries. He felt both amused and helpless, and was reluctant to reject her.
"Hmm..." Emperor Yuan Yong stroked Xu Lanshan's shoulders and back, chuckling in agreement with her as he said, "I suppose my love for Lan'er wasn't in vain. Lan'er knows how to share my worries. I wonder if Lan'er has any way to get me some money?"
Xu Lanshan's words resonated with her heart. She pretended to think seriously for a moment, then her eyes lit up and she smiled happily, "Your Majesty, I really have a good idea! I've thought about it. I don't have much silver, so it's of no use at all. But I have many jewels and curios bestowed upon me by the Emperor. I want to pick out a dozen or so good ones. The Emperor should have a trusted person spread the word that I'm selling those 10 or 20 items to fulfill my vow to help the disaster victims, and the highest bidder will win. To make it more realistic, how about I stay at the Royal Temple for a few days? That would be a good time to conduct the transaction. I'd like the Shanggong Bureau to make an exquisite box for each item, showing that it's been approved by the Emperor. Whoever buys it can take it out openly."
"Your Majesty, these are imperial creations. There are many wealthy merchants in the capital. Even if the price is exorbitant, they will surely be tempted and willing to spend the money! I will select twelve items. Each one can be sold for thirty to fifty thousand taels of silver. Wouldn't that provide enough money for disaster relief?"
A few hundred thousand taels, at least enough to provide relief to the villages and towns near the capital, right? That's a big effort, right?
Emperor Yuan Yong was stunned.
Xu Lanshan pretended not to notice and continued with a smile, "You can't choose too many of these things. If you choose too many, they will become worthless. Scarcity makes things valuable! Things like this are just right for me, whose status is neither high nor low. If my status is too high, it seems a bit unbecoming of the royal family, and if it is too low, it seems a bit insufficient. I am just right! Your Majesty, do you think this idea of mine is good?"
Emperor Yuan Yong: “…”
"emperor!"
Xu Lanshan acted coquettishly, with a look of anticipation on her face.
Emperor Yuan Yong sighed softly: "Does Lan'er really think so?"
Emperor Yuan Yong quickly calculated in his mind that if it could really be accomplished, the hundreds of thousands of taels of silver he would receive would indeed relieve a large part of the pressure.
But he didn't know if this would work.
Xu Lanshan, of course, lobbied hard, nodding repeatedly: "Yes, Your Majesty, this is a good idea! Let's give it a try! If it works, that would be great. Even if it doesn't, it would be a loss of face for me. I don't care."
Emperor Yuan Yong almost laughed out of anger.
Xu Lanshan: "Besides, it may not be embarrassing. After all, I am praying to Buddha and making a wish. Who dares to say that I am embarrassed?"
The more Emperor Yuan Yong thought about it, the more he leaned towards Xu Lanshan.
He pondered and said, "I'll think about it again..."
He had to ask his confidants to investigate and find out whether the big merchants in the capital were really willing to buy royal items at high prices.
If you want to do it, you must succeed.
Xu Lanshan also knew that it was impossible to convince him to agree at this moment. It seemed that he was also tempted. This was actually a good idea. He would know it if he just thought about it again.
Xu Lanshan was no longer anxious. She blinked, nodded obediently, and said with a smile, "Well, I will listen to Your Majesty! I just said whatever I thought of, and I don't know if it will work. Naturally, I have to listen to Your Majesty's careful consideration before I can proceed. However, I sincerely want to help Your Majesty!"
Emperor Yuan Yong smiled. "Whether it succeeds or not, I appreciate Lan'er's kindness! If it really succeeds, you don't have to give me these jewels and treasures. You can choose from my private treasury."
He smiled and said, "If it succeeds, Lan'er will have made a great contribution to me. I will naturally reward you. From my private storehouse, you can choose whatever you like."
Without hesitation, Xu Lanshan smiled and said, "Then I, Your Majesty, must first thank you for your grace. With Your Majesty's protection, this will definitely succeed! Even if it doesn't work out, Your Majesty, even if I don't have any merit, I have worked hard. Will Your Majesty not reward me as a token of consolation?"
Emperor Yuan Yong was amused. "According to Lan'er's idea, no matter what the outcome, I won't suffer any loss, right?"
Xu Lanshan covered her mouth and giggled: "Yes! How could the emperor bear to let this concubine suffer?"
Emperor Yuan Yong laughed and pinched her cheek gently. "Lan'er does have a point. I have no way to refute it, so I can only listen to Lan'er."
Xu Lanshan smiled and praised: "Your Majesty is wise!"
Emperor Yuan Yong was even more at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
The two of them laughed and joked for a while, and then Xu Lanshan stood by as usual, assisting Emperor Yuan Yong in reviewing the memorials. When Emperor Yuan Yong had almost finished reviewing the memorials, Xu Lanshan took two steps back, gathered her skirt, knelt, and bowed, saying in a sweet and charming voice, "Your Majesty, it's getting late. I should go back now. I'll take my leave."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Yuan Yong raised his eyebrows and said, "It's so cold outside, and the snow hasn't melted yet. Why are you going back home so late at night? Stay and rest. Wait for me for a while."
Xu Lanshan smiled softly, her eyes full of autumn water as she looked over and said, "Your Majesty, I'd better go back. Otherwise, it would be bad if others knew about this... I came here quietly!"
The last time he entered the harem, he only went to her place, and she, having just intercepted Concubine Yu, ended up spending the night in Ganyuan Palace again - if she stayed tonight, she would not be able to hide it from anyone.
If the concubines in the harem knew about this, what would happen? Wouldn't they be in an uproar?
Then she would definitely become a thorn in everyone's side! The kind that everyone wanted to get rid of as soon as possible.
Even though it was still the same now, it was fundamentally different. Even if it wasn't conspicuous now, how many of the concubines didn't dislike others? She was just one of them, and while she was more feared than the others, it was ultimately limited.
If I stay tonight, it will definitely be different.
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