Taiping Inn

North of the Imperial Capital, exit the city from Anding Gate, and ride along the official road for about an hour, there is a large garden called "Yuqing Garden".

This garden was first built during the reign of Emperor Xiaozong. The original owner was the father of Empress Xiaozong. It was taken into the royal family during the reign of Emperor Shizong. After Emperor Muzong ascended the throne, he gave it to the Prince of Yan. After the renovation by Emperor Shizong and the Prince of Yan, it now covers an area of ​​about 1,500 acres. There are front lakes, back lakes, Yihai Hall, Qingya Pavilion, Tingshui Pavilion, Huaju Pavilion and other imitation Jiangnan landscape buildings in the garden, which is known as the first garden in the Imperial Capital.

Because of his old age, the Prince of Yan rarely leaves his residence in the Imperial Capital and has not been to this garden for many years. In addition, due to the wars in recent years, the income of the palace has suddenly decreased, but the expenses of the palace are huge. From eunuchs and servants to palace guards, it costs more than 10,000 taels of silver per month, not to mention the expenses of interpersonal relationships, food, clothing and other expenses. Therefore, maintaining this garden makes the Prince of Yan a little overwhelmed.

Many people think that the kings are extremely rich and second only to the emperor, but this is not the case. When the kings were in charge of their own fiefdoms, it could still be considered so. However, after Zhang Suqing implemented the new policy and the kings entered the capital one after another, the fiefdom tax and the palace were nationalized, and the good days of the kings were over.

Originally, when the kings were in charge of their fiefdoms, there was often a situation where the tax revenue of a state could not supply the expenses of the palace, and the financial pressure of the court was huge. So Emperor Muzong moved the kings to the Imperial Capital one after another at the suggestion of Zhang Suqing. After the Ning Wang Incident, the kings' troops were cut again and again. The Ning Wang and Qi Wang, who were the most powerful among the kings, were suppressed, and the rest were leaderless. In addition, the Golden Horde moved south and the five clans in the northwest started an uprising. The kings had to give up their fiefdoms and palaces and settle in the imperial capital, changing from sitting in their fiefdoms to remote fiefdoms.

In this process, most of the wealth accumulated by the kings for many years was filled into the local treasury or returned to the national treasury. Except for the Qi Wang Mansion, other palaces became decorations. Its guards were reduced from the original 3,000 to 100 people. 3,000 seems not much. At that time, Qi Wang Xu Wugui was famous for his 3,000 guests. It can be seen that he was very powerful.

This operation was equivalent to a disguised reduction of the vassal kings, turning the vassal kings into simple princes. As a condition for compromise and exchange, Emperor Muzong agreed to the kings' participation in political affairs, strengthening the voice of the royal family in the central government of the court. Therefore, although the kings had grievances, they were not forced to a dead end and did not make a desperate bet.

As a result, the princes actually became members of the dynasty bureaucracy. Without the support of the local treasury, the princes' annual salary was only 10,000 taels of silver, and finance became a major problem.

The income of the princes generally came from the following sources: first, the salary and rice of the title; second, the salary and subsidy of the official position, such as the clan leader of the clan office is an official position, and there is another salary in addition to the title; third, the income from the farms and mines under the name; fourth, the operation of various shops under the name; fifth, the rewards in the palace; sixth, personal relationships, social gifts, but it is also a huge expense; seventh, the vacancies, that is, the vacancies, the quota of soldiers allocated by the court to each mansion can be used at discretion, not necessarily full, so if the princes do not want to be decent, they can also eat the vacancies.

Although the income of the kings is not low, the expenses are huge.

The number of guards, eunuchs, vacancies and servants who run manors and shops in the palace and outside the palace that a prince has to support is more than that of a governor's mansion. Other expenses were also extremely huge. Especially the purchase of various materials, the construction and maintenance of manors and mausoleums, as well as the expenses of the royal consort, concubines, prince, prince's consort, concubines, and county lords.

The King of Yan was old, with many children and grandchildren, and a large population in the palace, so the expenses were naturally high, and the finances of the palace became a problem that could not be avoided.

Therefore, the King of Yan was very frugal on weekdays. Other kings kept music and entertainment and restored gardens, but only the King of Yan advocated Confucianism. His salary, except for daily expenses, was used to buy land and houses, and the profits were collected every year. Many people in the royal family laughed at him for being stingy, but the Prince of Yan said, "Why don't you have foresight? In addition to the salary and land, the prince's residence has no other loans. If you don't accumulate it when you have surplus for future generations, how will you divide the property when your descendants multiply?"

This Yuqing Garden was not something the Prince of Yan wanted on his own initiative, but Emperor Muzong specially rewarded the Prince of Yan because the Prince of Yan presented Xie Zhi to the palace, so the Prince of Yan had to take it. For the Prince of Yan, it was like an ordinary person who got a thousand-mile horse and couldn't bear to throw it away, but couldn't afford to serve or raise it if he kept it. The key point was that it was given by the emperor and couldn't be sold. Of course, Emperor Muzong was not as extravagant as Emperor Shizong, and lived a simple life. The first thing he did when he ascended the throne was to reduce the expenses in the palace. It is unknown whether Emperor Muzong intentionally threw this hot potato to the Prince of Yan.

For this reason, the Prince of Yan thought of a way to secretly rent out the entire Yuqing Garden. Although this move was detrimental to the dignity of the royal family, it could not resist the considerable income, which was also a method used by many declining royal families. These royal families had been living in luxury since childhood and had no way to make a living. After their families fell into decline, they began to sell their belongings. After selling the valuables and having nothing else to sell, they rented out their living quarters. After all, they were all large houses with several entrances. If they rented out half of the house, they and their family could still live in the other half.

The Prince of Yan did not go to such lengths, but he did make a detailed account. To maintain Yuqing Garden, the royal palace had to spend about 28,000 taels of silver every year. The key point was that the Prince of Yan rarely lived there and had been idle, which was equivalent to wasting money. But if it is rented out, a net profit of 100,000 taels of silver can be made every year, and the tenant will bear the expenses of maintaining the manor. All in all, it will be nearly 130,000 taels of silver. The annual salary of a prince is only 10,000 taels of silver. This is equivalent to 13 years of extra salary. No matter how you look at it, it is a good deal.

So the King of Yan rented out the Yuqing Garden. As for who has such a big deal, he is definitely not a native of the Imperial Court. It’s not that the powerful and powerful people in the imperial capital do not have such financial resources, but that there is no need for this. After all, they are all people who have manors in the local area. With this 100,000 taels of silver, it’s better to clean up their own garden. Another thing is that King Yan was embarrassed to rent it to his family or neighbors. He bowed his head all day long and didn’t see him. Do you want this old face?

So, the Yuqing Garden was finally rented out by a family named Su from Jiangnan.

This family surnamed Su is not someone else, but the Su family, second only to the Qian family in Jinling Mansion, which is Su Yunyan's mother's family. However, it was not the Su family who paid for it, but Cihangzong, who had close ties with the Su family, rented the manor in the name of the Su family.

When it comes to wealth, the first thing people think of is Taiping Sect, Butian Sect and Qingwei Sect. In fact, Cihang Sect, which masters the South China Sea, is not inferior to these three sects. It can be seen from the fact that it supports Zhengyi Sect’s finances with its own strength. It is obvious that later, Zhengyi Sect quickly weakened. In addition to Zhang Jingchen's own death, the attitude of Cihang Sect became swaying.

The reason why Cihang Sect is relatively unreputable is that Cihang Sect is not as high-profile as Qingwei Sect and Butian Sect, nor is it like Taiping Sect opening a number of money shops. In the past, it has been hiding behind Zhengyi Sect. Very low-key.

The Taoist sect has emerged in many talents over the years, but the Confucian sect has no choice but to be with the financial situation of both sides. The Confucian school uses land for its living, while the Taoist school focuses on commerce. The maritime trade is booming and the war is less affected, so naturally all the talents in the world enter the Taoist sect.

In fact, not only is the Pin Nu Sect operating in the Imperial Capital, but the Cihang Sect is also the case. Han Wugui died when Song Zheng threatened Wangqing Sect. Su Yunxian came to the imperial capital with Murong Hua, who escaped from Wangqing Sect, and he already had this idea. Later, Bai Xiushang rented Yuqing Garden, and Murong Hua lived here for a while. Bai Xiushang also taught Murong Hua's "Cihang Sword Classic" here. Later, Bai Xiushang no longer often set foot in the imperial capital, so Murong Hua was responsible for managing the Yuqing Garden.

This time, when the masters of each sect came to the capital, the righteous people were arranged in the Yuqing Garden. I'm afraid the King of Yan would never have expected that his manor would become a place where "filth and dirt are hidden".

People in the evil way have other arrangements, and they are not here.

Among the evil path sects, the first one to come over was Mrs. Leng, and the first one to arrive here on the righteous path was Bai Xiushang. Strictly speaking, King Yan is the owner of Yuqingyuan, and Bai Xiushang is the real tenant who pays the money.

Bai Xiushang's identity is unusual, not only because she is the number one person on the Taixuan List, but also because she is extremely important among many sect leaders, including Li Daoxu, Qin Qing, Li Xuandu, Dan Tai Yun and others. The first person after that.

This time, not only Murong Hua, but Li Xuandu and Qin Su also went to welcome him together. After all, from a private perspective, Bai Xiushang was Li Xuandu's future mother-in-law, and Qin Su's stepmother was the elder.

In the Tingshui Pavilion, Bai Xiushang sat in the main seat, with Li Xuandu and Qin Su on the left, and Murong Hua on the right.

Because the higher the level of cultivation, the harder it is to have children, it is a trend to acquire adopted sons and daughters in the world. The relationship between master and apprentice is not much different from that of parents and children. Bai Xiushang treats Murong Hua almost as half of her daughter.

For Bai Xiushang, the "dear daughter" Su Yunying has already married Yan Feiqing. This is something that the old master Zhang Jingxiu had already decided when he was alive. It continues the alliance between the two sects and cannot regret it. This is also one of the keys for Yan Feiqing to restore the sect leader. Li Xuandu's external pressure is a hard knife. If Zhengyi Sect loses the financial support of Cihang Sect, it will be like being cut by a soft knife. If you want money, you must recognize Yan Feiqing's identity. I think Zhang Jingxiu had already considered this when he was alive. He made this marriage a way out for this disciple who was not a parent-child better than a parent-child.

In this case, it is in line with the interests of Cihang Sect that Murong Hua can get along with Li Xuandu's line, and Bai Xiushang is of course happy to see it. And she agreed to Murong Hua help Li Xuandu, but when she saw Murong Hua, she naturally wanted to give some advice.

Although Murong Hua had defected to the sect, he was particularly respectful to this benefactor, master and half of his adopted mother. After all, it is not an exaggeration to say that he was kind to be a good man and a good master. Qin Su, the leader of the Wangqing Sect, was willing to pardon her for stealing secret books, half because Li Xuan wanted to use her, and half because of Bai Xiushang's face.

For a moment, it was a happy time.