Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 695 The Emperor Wants to Practice Taoism
In the Yangxin Hall,

It was quiet for a while.

Following Xia Shouzhong's words,

Emperor Wu Zhou Shihong put down the memorial and looked in disbelief at the eunuch Xia Shouzhong who was kneeling in the hall. What was going on? What about practicing Taoism in the Wuwei Palace and worshipping sincerely? When did the emperor go to practice Taoism?

"You little dog slave, what nonsense are you talking about? What about the Palace of Inaction, or the Emperor Emeritus practicing Taoism? Why haven't I heard of them?"

"Your Majesty, I am stupid and did not explain it clearly. The Changle Palace of the Retired Emperor is what I now call the Palace of Inaction. The house was damaged during the last earth dragon upheaval, so it was directly replaced with a Taoist palace after reconstruction. It was slightly renovated and decorated in the Taoist style according to the will of the Retired Emperor. The Retired Emperor is now devoted to practicing Taoism and needs to refine elixirs, which costs a lot, so he asked me to come here. I want to ask Your Majesty whether the expenses of Changle Palace need to be tripled, tripled, tripled."

Xia Shouzhong was sweating profusely and stammered as he finished his words. In fact, he did not understand what kind of elixir, and if the price was tripled, the cost of the Changle Palace of the retired emperor was 1.2 million taels of silver a year. If it was tripled, that would be nearly 4 million taels of silver, comparable to the salt tax.

After the royal case,
Emperor Wu Zhou Shihong's face became more and more gloomy, and he was alert in his heart. The emperor practiced Taoism at this age, and he actually wanted to do these things. However, this action seemed familiar, as if, yes, Jia Zhen of Ningguo Mansion, he practiced Taoism, and practiced lawlessness, making the servants in the mansion wear Taoist robes, worship every day, and make elixirs. These things are exactly the same.

What is the emperor going to do? Does he really want to live a quiet life and cultivate his health? Or is he using this cultivation to allude to the Ningguo Mansion? Besides, the expenses of Changle Palace need to be tripled. How much silver is the annual expense? Turning to look at Dai Quan beside him, he asked with suppressed anger;

"How about the Changle Palace? How much silver is needed for the annual expenses?"

Dai Quan, who was standing there, trembled subconsciously when he heard the question from His Majesty. The Changle Palace was kept secret, and he did not get any news. It seemed that Xia Shouzhong was very capable. He even kept the matter of cultivation secret.

"Your Majesty, I have heard that Changle Palace needs a large amount of white and black brocade. The things needed are all purchased by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. I was negligent and did not receive the letter. As for the expenses of Changle Palace, the annual needs in the past were about 1.2 million taels of silver, and there was still some surplus every year."

After Dai Quan finished speaking, he stood still with his head down. He had no intention of deceiving the emperor. Some things could be known with a simple investigation. Although the Changle Palace was extravagant, it relied on the Imperial Household Department, and many things were tributes from princes from all over the country, so it did not cost that much silver.

Emperor Wu had known the inside story for a long time, and he had memorized every move of Changle Palace. Since the Supreme wanted to practice Taoism, that was a good thing. Zhou Shihong thought for a moment, leaned back, and glanced at Dai Quan. He was quite loyal.

"You are loyal, but now I have to triple it, which is nearly 4 million taels of silver, almost the annual salt tax of my treasury. How can I spend so much? The court is already in such a big deficit, it is extremely difficult.
Now the expenses in the palace are also difficult. Last year, the cabinet drafted a bill with a deficit but it has not been signed yet. The treasury is empty. I have decided that from now on, the expenses of the palace will be separated from the treasury and they will not be under the control of each other. Therefore, the treasury cannot spend so much money. "

There was no good tone in his words. There was anger in his words. Xia Shouzhong knelt on the ground all the time, knocking his head deeply on the ground. He didn't dare to raise his head, let alone go back like this.

As a last resort, I asked;

"Your Majesty, how should Changle Palace respond?"

"you,"

"Hmph, you said that the court is in trouble now, and the palace's expenses need to be reduced. Since the emperor has asked, I have no choice but to agree. The annual expenses of Changle Palace are 2.1 million taels of silver. Please save some money, emperor."

Emperor Wu wanted to deny it directly, but the emperor ruled the world with filial piety. If it were to be spread out, it would damage his reputation. As a last resort, he had to give the money to the retired emperor, but he also gave a discount and increased the number by an integer. In other words, the number was changed from 1.2 million taels per year to 2.1 million taels per year, almost doubling.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I will obey your order."

Xia Shouzhong was overjoyed. He finally did not return empty-handed. He knelt down and kowtowed again, then continued;

"Your Majesty, the Emperor has something else to tell you."

When he heard that the servant had something else to do, Emperor Wu Zhou Shihong suddenly felt a headache. He kept talking and didn't respond, so he asked in annoyance;
"Tell me, if you have anything else to say, tell me all at once."

"Yes, Your Majesty, the Emperor has also asked me to pass on a message to Your Majesty that there is something in the harem that needs your attention. Jia Yuanchun, the legitimate daughter of Rongguo Mansion, has been in the palace for ten years and has reached the age of 20 this year."

Xia Shouzhong swallowed his saliva and spoke with difficulty. He didn't dare to raise his head. He buried his head deeply in the ground with his hands, not daring to say another word.

Only Emperor Wu frowned. He had a vague impression of the one in Rongguo Mansion. He had always been the minister beside the Queen. It seemed that Yuqing had also mentioned him. However, there were too many memorials from various places some time ago. He was busy for a while and neglected this matter. Speaking of that girl, she had been in the palace for so long. She couldn't delay because of her age. So he asked;
"Dai Quan, how is Jia Yuanchun in the palace now?"

"Your Majesty, Jia Yuanchun, the legitimate daughter of Rongguo Mansion, has been serving the Empress. Some time ago, the Empress arranged for Jia Yuanchun to live alone in Chunyun Palace, saying that she would serve her well. Now Jia Yuanchun is still living in that palace, and there is nothing wrong with it."

Dai Quan thought about it and thought that Jia Yuanchun's chance was right before his eyes. He just didn't know what position she would get when the opportunity came.
"Hey, Yuqing is really thoughtful for me, so that's the case."

Zhou Shihong turned his gaze to the people in the hall again and said;

"Go back and tell the Emperor that I will keep this in mind and will not let her down. As for Changle Palace, you have to watch out. What those servants did is limited to Changle Palace. Anyone who dares to wear that Taoist robe and wander around in the palace will be arrested and beaten to death without explanation."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will obey your orders."

Xia Shouzhong heaved a sigh of relief. What the emperor had ordered was almost completed. As for the servants serving in Changle Palace, none of them were brave enough. Thinking of this, they kowtowed to express their gratitude and then left the room.
When we got outside the temple,

As the wind blew, his body suddenly felt cold and he couldn't help shivering. Then he felt that his back was already wet. His Majesty's power was getting stronger and stronger. He took a step forward and was eager to leave the Yangxin Palace.

In the imperial study room,

The atmosphere is still solemn.

Emperor Wu sighed heavily, thinking of the situation of the Ningguo Mansion Jia family. In this situation, how should the Ningguo Mansion's case be judged? After reading the files of the evil deeds done by Jia Zhen, Zhou Shihong was extremely angry. A noble mansion actually used despicable means to occupy the wives and daughters of the clan members. They were worse than pigs and dogs.

But today, the attitude of the retired emperor is unpredictable. He practiced Taoism at this time, why not earlier or later? If the world knows about it, does it mean that everyone needs to follow suit? Then the court will be in chaos. As for Jia Yuanchun, the legitimate daughter of Rongguo Mansion, she should be given a status, and the Jia family still needs to be appeased. In this case, he has a plan in mind.
"Dai Quan, immediately place people in Changle Palace to secretly monitor the palace's movements, especially to see if there are any evildoers hiding there. I am worried."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I understand."

Dai Quan also knew that the palace had been peaceful, but it would no longer be like that from now on. Also, he had to go back and investigate thoroughly. Even he had neglected such a big matter, so how could those on duty keep an eye on it?

"Also, I'm thinking, since the emperor wants to practice Taoism, it's better for him to practice openly than to let those evil Taoists take advantage of the situation. Don't we have Taoist sects like Wudang Mountain and Longhu Mountain in the Central Plains? We can find some respected old Taoists to accompany the emperor in practicing Taoism and talk about scriptures."

"This? Your Majesty, if this happens, everyone in the world will know about it, and rumors will probably spread everywhere."

Dai Quan was a little confused. All along, those martial arts sects and the imperial court had kept to themselves. If they followed what His Majesty said, there would be trouble.

"That's right. We can discuss this later. First, you should issue an imperial decree to the Princess Chang and Princess Yongcheng, asking them to come to the capital as soon as possible. They want to be filial, so I will grant their wish and let them go to Changle Palace to accompany their father. Remember, pass the imperial decree directly to their princesses' residences. I think the two imperial sisters have already come to the capital."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Dai Quan nodded his head and agreed. The news of the two princesses coming to Beijing had long been known to the Imperial City Bureau. After verifying it, he reported it to His Majesty, but His Majesty did not say anything. Now it seems that His Majesty has already made arrangements.

suddenly,

Thinking of the tribute convoys from other vassal kings, the post station reported that it would take another half a month to get there. Thinking of this, he bowed and said,

"Your Majesty, the tribute convoys from various princes are all on the way. It is estimated that they will take another half a month to travel. In addition, the princes from various places have written to ask their princes to come to the capital together to pay respects to Your Majesty and the Emperor. Since the convoys are here, I think those princes' princes should have come to the capital with the convoys." "Haha, great, really interesting. They are just sending some tributes, but they are regarded as a group of filial sons and grandsons. Who are those princes coming to the capital to pay respects for? In my opinion, the greetings are fake and the tests are real. They have deployed spies to keep track of their movements at any time so that Prince Zhongshun can prepare early."

"Yes, this slave accepts the order."

Emperor Wu looked exhausted. The government, which should have been calm, was in turmoil again. The princes from all over the country had different thoughts. He didn't know if it was the intention of the retired emperor. He could only play chess for now. After the imperial examination, Marquis Luo Yun would be free. It was time to use Marquis Xiangyang and his two imperial sisters.

And the Zongren Mansion,

Think for a moment.
He waved his hand to let Dai Quan leave, and the imperial study fell into silence again.
The Imperial Household Department,
Dai Quan drafted the imperial edict, sealed it, and then summoned two eunuchs from the Imperial Household Department and handed them the two imperial edicts.
"You two, take these two decrees directly to the two princesses' residences. Find their stewards and hand them over to them. Don't say anything else. Come back after you've delivered them."

"Yes, Governor,"

The two eunuchs looked at each other, somewhat unbelieving that such an important matter as the imperial edict was given so casually, but they did not dare to say much. They reached out to take the imperial edict, held it in their arms, and then both withdrew.
at this time,

There was no one in the hall.

Xiao Yunzi came over with tea in his hand and quickly poured a bowl of tea for his godfather.
"Godfather, you've been tired all day, drink some tea to moisten your throat,"

"Well, you are really attentive to me, and I love you for what you have done."

Praise a sentence,
He took the tea and drank a few sips, feeling much better. He was still thinking about what His Majesty had told him to do, so he gave the following instructions:

"Inside the palace, please be more careful. Changle Palace must be monitored day and night. Don't be careless. We were negligent this time!"

"Godfather, it's all my son's fault. I was negligent."

Xiao Yunzi knelt down quickly. He was in charge of all the secret agents in the palace. He didn't notice such a big thing and almost missed the big event.
"Okay, this matter is neither big nor small. No one would have thought that the things the emperor wanted were actually used to decorate the Taoist temple. I also find it weird."

Thinking about Jia Zhen of Ningguo Mansion, who was also a Taoist, whether there was any connection between them, the evil Taoist thought about it and said;

"You need to keep an eye out for any suspicious people in the palace, such as demons. Just ask Liu Chen to keep an eye on Ningguo Mansion and withdraw the troops. After the imperial examination, all the troops of the Northern Pacification Office will be given to him. It is not easy for the prince of a vassal state to come to Beijing."

"Yes, godfather, I will remember this. I will make sure to explain this matter to Liu Chen. Then godfather, what about the two princesses?"

Xiao Yunzi, with a stern look on his face, secretly made up his mind not to be careless again. All those who were collecting intelligence under him had to be replaced. As the saying goes, if the old goes, the new will come.
"Of course we are watching them together. Those two masters are not simple!"

A shrill voice sounded,
Dai Quan left his message, got up and went back to the imperial study.
Luoyunhou Mansion,

In the East Garden Courtyard,
Gu Zixiang personally picked the medicine and made a fire in the yard to boil it. The whole yard was filled with the smell of smoke and medicine, which choked the passing maids and servants.

Outside the courtyard, Ning Bainian led his personal soldiers to guard the place, not daring to leave.
inside the house,

Zhang Jinyu closed his eyes for a while and gradually felt much better.

It's strange, I felt so uncomfortable when I just came back, but now I feel much better. This disease can't be cured. Thinking about what happened today, people in the world are just after fame and fortune. Every family has its own difficulties.
Although the Marquis of Xiangyang had no real power, unfortunately he was indispensable to all matters among the nobles. There were not many people in the world who could handle everything well and do things without leaving any complaints.

Just thinking,

I heard the door opening in the house.

Qin Keqing came in carrying a bowl of medicine wrapped in brocade.

"My dear, get up and take your medicine. It's still hot."

moment,

Qin Keqing came to the bed and helped Zhang Jinyu up.

"My dear, the medicine has just been boiled. Drink it while it's hot."

Zhang Jinyu didn't think about anything else. He took the bowl and drank it in one gulp while holding his breath. It was just that bitter. Then, Qin Keqing put a honey fruit into Zhang Jinyu's mouth, which made him feel much better. However, the scene just now reminded Zhang Jinyu of a scene where Pan Jinlian fed medicine to Wu Dalang. Didn't she also say, "Dalang, it's time to take the medicine!"

As soon as I thought of this, I quickly dismissed the idea. What's wrong with that? When I thought of this,
"Madam, I just heard from Baozhu that you went to Yaoji Store? Why did you take so long?"

Zhang Jinyu was also a little curious. After all, Qin Keqing seldom went out. Why did she go to Yaoji Store in East Market today?

Qin Keqing sat beside the bed, holding a bowl of tea in her hand, pouring honey into it, stirring the tea with a spoon, and handed it to her husband.
"My dear, drink some sweet water to get rid of the bitter taste. Today, I wanted to take people to Rongguo Mansion to take a look. Who knew that not long after the Marquis left the mansion, people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs came and said that there were still many properties to be sold in the East Market, and asked if the Marquis's mansion needed them. I thought that the Marquis's mansion didn't have much income now, and some of it was from Yang Hanyu's courtyard, so I thought about buying some shops, and talked to my mother about it. Then I went to the East Market to take a look, and by the way, I went to Yaoji Store to buy some cakes."

Zhang Jinyu leaned on the bed, took the honey water, and drank it in a few gulps. The bitterness in her mouth was much less. She smacked her lips and remembered that Eunuch Wang from the Ministry of Internal Affairs had sent someone to tell her about this matter. She seemed to have replied to him, but she forgot because she was busy.
"I remember now. At that time, you said that all the shops in the East Market would be reserved for me. I forgot about it because I was busy these days. Oh, my lady went there and bought the shops."

Qin Keqing smiled and called Ruizhu, who took out a stack of land deeds and handed them to the lady. Qin Keqing stretched out her jade hand, took them, and smiled.
"My dear, I heard you say that if there is a suitable shop in the East Market, you should buy it."

"Uh, I did. How much did you buy?"

Zhang Jinyu didn't understand the time yet, it seemed like he had said it like this, a little more, a little less doesn't matter,
Qin Keqing raised the land deed in her hand and replied with a smile;

"I didn't buy much. I went around and although some places were burned to ashes, the location was good and cheap. The person sent by Eunuch Wang said that if I bought all of them, I could get a lower price. I thought so, so I bought more than 30 shops and spent one million taels of silver. Then I asked the pawnbroker to find someone to rebuild them."

Seeing Qin Keqing's happy face, Zhang Jinyu closed his eyes helplessly. He knew that the Ministry of Internal Affairs was eager to sell the property for the sake of petty profits. It might not be to get rid of the goods. Although it was cheap, but you bought so many of them, all of which were the property of other families. You have offended everyone, forget it.

"As long as Madam is happy, we should try to connect these plots of land that are connected together and build some attics to make them more elegant. As for the follow-up, if someone else comes from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, we can just say that the Marquis' Mansion has no money and doesn't want it."

"Why?"

"Just listen."

"Yes, my dear, I understand."

Qin Keqing pouted and grumbled helplessly, then nodded, her eyelashes drooped slightly, her beautiful eyes flashed, and she said nothing more. Unintentionally, she was pulled into the quilt by Zhang Jinyu.
"Ah, my dear, I can..."

(End of this chapter)