Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 693: Silver can still run away
The front yard of Meng Mansion,

Granny Meng and Meng Yueyun were talking quietly. Suddenly the door to the mansion opened and Madam Meng came out. Seeing her daughter coming back, she felt relieved.

I quickly walked over and took my daughter's hand.

"My son, you've been gone for so long, I was so worried. How are you?"

In a hurry, I wanted to ask more questions, but Granny Meng reminded me,
"Madam, this is not the place to talk,"

"Oh, yes, that's what Granny Meng said. Come on, let's go into the mansion."

Mrs. Meng didn't care about anything else. She took her daughter's hand and entered the mansion. Walking on the bluestone paved road, she asked;
"Meng Po Po, what do you think of the second son of the Rongguo Mansion?"

"Madam, he may appear to be a wealthy man, but he is not as ordinary as the rumors say."

Granny Meng thought about it and gave a general reply that the young lady needed to answer the question herself.

"Oh, normal?"

Mrs. Meng was a little surprised. That was different from what her husband said. What was going on? She turned to her daughter and asked;

"Yueyun, what do you think?"

"Mother, we need to see him again. We can't tell anything from seeing him once. But I heard that Jia Baoyu took part in the special examination this year. If he passes, he won't be ordinary. If he doesn't, he will just be average."

Meng Yueyun was straightforward. She had seen the luxury of the Rongguo Mansion, but it was all superficial. In reality, it depended on the man's achievements. If he had achieved nothing, it would be better for her not to marry him.

"That's easy. Since he is a candidate for this year's special examination, the children of Rongguo Mansion must hold red slips and take the examination in Hanyuan Hall. Coincidentally, your father is also one of the inspectors of Hanyuan Hall. At the invitation of your uncle Feng, he entered Hanyuan Hall to accompany your uncle Feng. When the time comes, ask your father to pay more attention to see what kind of person Jia Baoyu is. It won't be too late to see him after the special examination."

Mrs. Meng had an idea in her mind. Although Jia Baoyu was an average-looking man, if he really passed the exam, he would at least have a secure official position, even if he could not rise to a high position. If he failed, he might still be able to marry into the Ningguo Mansion!
-
The Prime Minister's Residence,

In the study,
The Li family father and son both looked solemn.

At the desk,
Sitting opposite each other,

The two bowls of tea were still visible, with steam rising from the surface. However, the tea in the bowls remained motionless, without any ripples.
But in his heart, there was a huge wave of shock. The eldest son Li Chaosheng could not believe that his father would actually say such a thing. The Ming Dynasty could not do without your father.

"Father, I don't understand!"

"Haha, I don't understand, or I don't want to understand. For twenty years, your father, I not only kill people, govern people, and dismiss people, but also employ people. The national treasury depends on the people I employ to save money, the border depends on the people I employ to maintain stability, and the emperor and the emperor have to rely on the people I employ to deal with any problems."

Li Chonghou's face was somewhat ferocious, and a sinister and fierce look appeared on his usually kind face. He looked at his son in front of him, and thought of something. He smiled and returned to his original appearance.

"This is what I want to tell you. As long as you use the right people, it is the first priority to do great things. I have seen everything you have done in the past few years. I have given you convenience. What kind of people did you use?"

He pointed to a letter on the corner of the table, nodded, and continued talking.
"Jing Cunliang, Wang Mengshan, you can hide it from Prince Zhongshun and the Imperial City Bureau, but you can't hide it from your father. You want to use a chicken to lay eggs, but have you ever thought about what will happen in the future? Last night, an urgent letter from Jiangnan was sent over 600 miles away, saying that Jiangnan's farmland was converted into mulberry trees. Do you know what it said? They can't even measure the land, so they had no choice but to team up with the gentry and attack the people's fields. It won't be long before Jiangnan will be in chaos."

"This, Dad, you already know everything. I, I,..."

For a time,

The eldest son Li Chaosheng was so surprised and nervous that he couldn't speak.

In the study,
The eldest son, Li Chaosheng, seemed a little overwhelmed. He thought these matters were extremely confidential, but unexpectedly, his father saw everything clearly. Thinking of the memorial his father had just mentioned,

He also knew about this. Jing Cunliang had sent someone to send him a secret letter, saying that the land conversion to mulberry trees could not be continued. What should he do? He had no idea about the situation there. According to the usual practice, he could only appease the gentry and powerful people, convert the land of the people first, and deal with the court inspection. He didn't know that his father would say such harsh words.
"Father, I was negligent about this matter, but I have no other solution. Most of the land is in the hands of the gentry and wealthy families. Many officials in the capital are from the south of the Yangtze River. Large tracts of land do not pay taxes. If we want to implement the proposal to convert land into mulberry trees, we can only start with the people and give an explanation to the court. As for whether there will be chaos or not, we can talk about it later."

Li Chaosheng could only put it off. He would ask about the subsequent events later.
I thought I would be scolded, but my father Li Chonghou patted my shoulder and said with relief;

"Although it is like drinking poison to quench thirst, it may not be a solution to the current situation. Since Jing Cunliang and Wang Mengshan have become disciples of Prince Zhongshun, it is better to make the fake play real. All future agendas will be sent to Prince Zhongshun's mansion. The money they make is for the prince. If we talk about it from a higher level, it may not be something that is not done for His Majesty and the Emperor. So, you have to get yourself out of this. Now, the most important thing is Jingnan."

Li Zhonghou narrowed his eyes. Some people rely on the people behind them to do whatever they want. They are surprisingly bold and do everything they should and shouldn't do. Of course, sometimes it's not that he wants to do this, but he is in a situation and has no choice. So, take this opportunity to cut off the traces left behind and keep them as a backup.

But the eldest son, Li Chaosheng, looked flustered, swallowed his saliva, and replied with difficulty;
"Father, this is not good. You put the people you need in front and the people you don't need behind. Where is your authority? Besides, it will take some time to see what happens in Jiangnan. In the south of Beijing, the imperial army has already marched south. The rebels of the Taiping Sect are vulnerable. It only takes a snap to suppress them. Why do we need to pay attention to the south? Is it unnecessary?"

Li Chaosheng really didn't expect that his father's attention was actually focused on southern Beijing. That place was the place where Lu Wenshan and Gu Yichen confronted each other. Why should we pay attention to it? It would be a waste of time.

Seeing his son's puzzled expression, Li Chonghou finally smiled, picked up the tea bowl, and took a sip of the tea carefully. Good tea is good tea. Even if it is past the best drinking time, it still makes people have a long aftertaste.

"Who told you that the court will definitely win in Jingnan? It was Lu Wenshan or Gu Yichen. Their two parties undermined each other and made Jingnan out of control. This hurdle will be difficult to overcome. If Wang Ziteng loses to Jingnan, then someone will need to come out to clean up the court. That person is your father. I have this prestige. Last time, I resigned to test Your Majesty to see if the Li family still has favor. If you agree, your father will withdraw and leave the favor to you. Unfortunately, Your Majesty left me behind."

"Dad, are you confused? Father has made great contributions to the court. How can His Majesty really let you resign? And how could Wang Ziteng, who has nearly 150,000 brave soldiers, be defeated by bandits? Isn't this just a fantasy?"

Li Chaosheng didn't believe it at all. Although he had never fought in a war, he knew that the imperial court had sufficient supplies, so how could it be defeated, unless it met someone as good at fighting as Luo Yunhou. If it couldn't win in a battle or a siege, it would be a defeat anyway.

"I can't believe it, but who made your father take the initiative? General Gu Ping of Jingnan is my man. When he went south, he sent me a letter saying that the elite of the enemy army was comparable to the imperial guards, and he couldn't predict whether he could defeat them. Then he went south to Lin Yue Mansion and fought a bloody battle in Luoye Valley for a day. Do you know the result?"

"What? He's my father's man, how come my son doesn't know? The cabinet hasn't received any of Gu Ping's letters, as if they disappeared. No officials in Linshan County City have submitted memorials. I don't know what's going on. From the looks of my father, I think he has failed."

Li Chaosheng smiled bitterly and shook his head. He thought he was smart, but in his father's eyes, he was nothing.

"Yes, we were defeated. Most of the 30,000 elite troops were killed, and Linyue Mansion was also lost. Fortunately, Qin Yunjiang led his troops to break through the siege, and there was a chance of survival. He wanted to return to Linshan County City, but unfortunately Chenzhou City had already been captured by the enemy army, so he could only take the risk of going to Wuzhou in the northwest. This was his last message before he left. My guesses in my heart have all come true. I am afraid that Linshan County City will change hands."

Li Chonghou looked solemn. It was not an easy task to make Gu Ping, this unruly warrior, fail.
Li Chaosheng was sitting opposite, feeling flustered. He had just said it verbally. If the 30,000 elite troops were really defeated, the court would certainly hold them accountable. In this way, Gu Ping would be able to stay safe.
"The defeated general, the imperial court is here,"

"As for the court, I will protect him. Besides, who can say that they will definitely fail? When Wang Ziteng's army is defeated and the whole world is shaken, His Majesty will definitely use someone to turn the tide. At that time, after cleaning up the mess, someone will be needed to guard the place in the south of Beijing. You said that only Gu Ping is the most suitable person to make up for his crime and make meritorious service."

As the saying goes, take one step and look three steps ahead. Li Chonghou took one step and looked five steps ahead. He had also thought about the back-up plan. The only ones who could fight were those border troops. Even Luo Yunhou might not be used. Even if he was used, how could he stay in Jingnan for a long time? If it was possible to stabilize the war situation, he would have to come back. To guard the place, another person was needed. "Dad, are you talking about Luo Yunhou?"

When Li Chaosheng heard that someone was able to turn the tide, a figure appeared in his mind. Isn't the most capable fighter in Dawu Luo Yunhou?

"Yes and no, he is not the only one who can fight. To ensure victory, we really need him. It depends on whether Your Majesty needs him. You must remember that Gu Ping's return to Jingnan will stabilize the situation. Those rebels must be suppressed, but they cannot be suppressed all at once. This is the most important thing. The court cannot live without Jingnan for a day, and Jingnan cannot live without General Jingnan for a day. As long as the rebels are there, Gu Ping will be there. As long as Gu Ping guards Jingnan, I will be able to sit firmly in the cabinet, and no one can overthrow us."

finished,

Li Chonghou finally sat back on the recliner, lay down peacefully, pulled the quilt over himself, and closed his eyes.

At this time, the eldest son Li Chaosheng had a sudden enlightenment as if he had been enlightened. His father was still the chief minister of the cabinet, who was in charge of all the affairs.

Bow down and worship,
"Dad, I know what to do now, but Dad, if I want to stir up the world and compete with the northern and southern factions, I need to join the cabinet."

He raised his head to look at his father, but unfortunately, Li Shoufu seemed to be asleep and did not move at all. Helplessly, he could only bow again and slowly leave the study.
Before leaving, he carefully closed the door of the study and told the old butler waiting outside the door,
"Uncle Li, father is asleep. We need to pay more attention to him."

"You are too polite, young master. I understand."

Ouchi Palace,

The Hall of Nourishing Heart,
In the imperial study room,

The old eunuch who had just gone to Luo Yunhou's mansion was kneeling in the hall, reporting Luo Yunhou's situation.
"Your Majesty, I went to the Marquis' Mansion and delivered a message to the Marquis. The Marquis readily agreed and said he would attend the court meeting on time tomorrow. That's right, that's right."

The old eunuch hesitated, and it felt wrong no matter how he spoke. He didn't know whether to speak or not. Emperor Wu was reviewing the memorial, and he didn't know whether he heard it or not, and he ignored it.

Only Dai Quan, who was standing beside him, looked up and heard a shrill voice.
"If you can say it, say it. If you can't say it, don't say it. What else can you hide if you are hesitating?"

Seeing the anger in the governor's voice, the old eunuch trembled with fear and immediately knelt down and kowtowed.

"Replying to the Governor, it's not that I don't want to tell you, I just don't know how to tell you. I went to the Marquis' Mansion to see the Marquis. He was fine when I came this morning, but just now when I went there, the Marquis was lying on the bed, suffering from a cold and fever. I saw that the Marquis was seriously ill, and I was a little worried. I went to ask about him, and as soon as I walked up to him, I smelled a strong odor of alcohol. Drinking alcohol when you are seriously ill is unbearable."

The old eunuch kowtowed again and said to His Majesty:
"Your Majesty, I was a little worried when I saw this, so I asked the Marquis whether he would invite the imperial physician to come and treat him, and whether he would go to the court tomorrow. But the Marquis replied that he did not need the imperial physician to treat him, and that he would not be late for the court meeting, so he asked me to come back and report. Before I left, I looked around and found that there was no wife or concubine in the Marquis' room to serve him."

"Well, Luo Yunhou is sick!"

Emperor Wu Zhou Shihong threw the memorial in his hand, somewhat unbelieving. He came to the palace to report in the morning, full of energy, how could he be so seriously ill in such a short time? The imperial examination will be held the day after tomorrow, and he cannot be absent from the grand court meeting tomorrow.
Suddenly I thought of the smell of alcohol that the person in the hall mentioned. Where did it go at noon?
He turned to look at Dai Quan beside him and asked;

"Dai Quan, where did Marquis Luo Yun go to eat at noon after leaving the palace?"

This question startled the old eunuch in the hall and he immediately lowered his head. It was rumored that the secret agents of the Imperial City Bureau in the capital were all over the capital, especially those high-ranking officials. Whatever they did and where they went, someone would report to the Silijian. It turned out to be true.

:

"Your Majesty, after leaving the palace, Marquis Luo Yun should have returned to the Marquis' Mansion. However, at noon, by coincidence, the spy who stayed in Prime Minister Li's house reported that Marquis Luo Yun and Marquis Xiangyang came to pay their respects and drink wedding wine. They also each presented a bag of Yaoji cakes and cakes, and the gift money was also one thousand taels of silver. I guess Marquis Luo Yun drank wine in Prime Minister Li's house."

Dai Quan thought about it carefully and said it out loud. He still didn't understand why Marquis Luo Yun and Marquis Xiangyang went to the Prime Minister's residence to congratulate him. He also heard that only civil officials sent invitations to the wedding banquet and no nobles in the capital were invited. What was going on?

"Oh, so that's how it is. Li Chonghou married his son another concubine. I remember she was the legitimate daughter of Xu Delin, the Jiangnan Transport Commissioner, right?"

Emperor Wu sat behind his desk, and was reminded by Dai Quan, who then realized where Marquis Luo Yun was drinking. The key to tomorrow's court meeting lies in Prime Minister Li Chonghou, so he sent someone to pass on the message, asking King Zhongshun to send someone to deliver a gift. I think Li Qing's family should understand. If he understands this time, his son Li Chaosheng may not be unable to join the cabinet. Thinking of the northern and southern folks, if two tigers fight, one will be injured. It is better to have a three-way confrontation. The civil servants must be under control.

Otherwise, the emperor has too much advantage.

"Your Majesty, the woman the Li family married is, as Your Majesty said, the only daughter of Xu Delin, the Jiangnan Transport Commissioner. She married Li Chaosheng as his second wife, which is why we have today's wedding banquet."

Dai Quan quickly replied, "Master Li, the Prime Minister, is not a simple person. What is his intention in getting married at this time? His subordinates need to pay attention to it."
"Okay, I understand. Since Luo Yunhou has agreed to it, he will definitely not go back on his word. You can go down and have a rest."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Seeing that His Majesty did not punish him, the old eunuch bowed his head in excitement, then slowly retreated and left the room.

But Emperor Wu Zhou Shihong was a little restless. Who was involved in the huge deficit? So he asked;
"Dai Quan, do you know about those unsigned draft bills in the Ministry of Revenue?"

"Your Majesty, I know,"

Dai Quan nodded in agreement. The Imperial Household Department knew about these accounts. Not only was the deficit of silver not calculated in the account books, but the accounts over the years were also intertwined. If it weren't for the repayment of silver by court officials this year and the reconstruction of Marquis Luo Yun's residence in the capital, the Ministry of Revenue might have run out of silver.

However, he could do anything in the Imperial Household Department except the accounts, and he had no idea what to do about them.

"Tell me, how did the loss happen? Could it be that the money just ran away?"

Emperor Wu was angry. Although the deficit in the national treasury was not a matter of one or two days, the account books of last year could not be calculated. This was not a matter of calculation. The current expenses of the palace were all supported by the silver in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the treasury. The national treasury, just from this, could save 5 million taels.

All this money was invested, and there was still a deficit. That was the crime of deceiving the emperor. At this time, Zhou Shihong made up his mind to replace the local civil officials after the imperial examination.
"Your Majesty, some of the accounts in the cabinet have been calculated, but some have not. Lord Gu has ordered that all the deficits over the years should be recalculated. It doesn't matter if it's calculated again. The main deficits happened during the Tianbao period, which almost emptied the national treasury. The construction of Changle Palace alone cost tens of millions of taels of silver, and those rare flowers and plants cost another large sum of silver. The Ministry of Revenue dare not calculate these again."

Dai Quan thought about it and walked over, lowered his head, and reported the account books calculated by the Ministry of Revenue to His Majesty. In fact, Changle Palace could be considered to have relatively large expenses. In addition, a large number of palace maids and eunuchs were dismissed, and the severance pay was another large expense. The most important thing was that the exemption of corvée and taxes in the south of Beijing had lasted for ten years. The expenditure was greater than the income, and no matter how much wealth the family had, it was not enough to spend.

"The Emperor's Changle Palace,"

Emperor Wu murmured, and then he remembered that before he ascended the throne, his father had undertaken a large-scale construction project and rebuilt the Changle Palace in the hunting grounds in the western garden of the imperial palace. At that time, his father had done everything he could think of.

Why.
(End of this chapter)