Chapter 8 Borrowing Silver
At this moment, Zhao Xuanxuan saw Zhao Yingluo walking into the room, and deliberately lifted the Xiangyun gauze skirt on her knees slightly, revealing her slender bow shoes. Come.
Zhao Yingluo has a face like a silver plate, a begonia beard on her forehead, crescent moon eyes, and a water chestnut mouth. She looks like she is smiling even if she is not smiling. When she saw Zhao Kai, she said "Yo": "I didn't expect that Third Brother was here. I really have a deep relationship with Twenty Sisters. My palace is not far from Yuexin Palace, and I have never seen Third Brother come to my place to sit for a while." "Sit down."
Zhao Kai stood up and said with a smile: "Qimei is teasing me again. Third brother has long heard that Qimei's palace is so luxurious that even a god can live in it." My sister never invited me to visit."
Zhao Yingluo raised her sleeves, covered her mouth and giggled, not sitting down, and said: "It's better to catch the sun than to catch it. Brother, please come with me to sit in Kunyu Palace. Third Sister and Ninth Sister are staying in my palace for the past two days. I was just worrying about playing Pai Gow with "Three Missing One". Third Brother, come and join in. Let's play. Eight laps, okay?"
Zhao Xuanxuan smiled and said, "It turns out that the seventh sister came to my place to find a poker friend. I said why is it so rare to welcome 'Yue Xin Palace' today. The seventh sister is here."
Zhao Yingluo glanced at her and said with a half-smile: "Twenty sisters are more talented than Boyi, and they are not the same as ordinary people. How can they get into this kind of thing? Where are your eyes?" She turned around and tugged on Zhao Kai's sleeves, saying coquettishly: "Third brother, let me go! The cards in my palace have been laid out, and the chips have been divided."
Zhao Kai didn’t want to go, so he excused himself: “It’s such a hot day, what kind of cards are you playing...”
Seeing Zhao Kai’s refusal, Zhao Yingluo briefly shook the white silk fan in his hand, and half He half-sarcastically said: "Third brother, all Gen Yue's palaces have porcelain jars for storing ice. Not only do they exist here, they also exist in Qimei Palace."
Zhao Kai laughed after hearing this: "Seventh sister, instead of pushing Pai Gow, Third Brother wants to appreciate your talent more. I heard that your pipa playing is getting better and better recently."
Zhao Yingluo brushed a handful of tired silk from her temples. Phoenix held the golden lantern pendant in his mouth, sat down against the table, and said with a slight smile: "It's just a bluff. I heard that the third brother's mansion has a group of southern opera actors. They all have voices that are like piercing the clouds, and dances that are astonishing." "Hong. The third brother can be said to be a true hero, and a true celebrity is a man of style."
Zhao Kai asked with a smile: "The seventh sister is in the deep palace, and the information is quite good." He paused. Said: "Now my eldest brother is assisting my father in managing the government, and the country is in good order. I, an idler, am just looking for some fun."
"That's because the third brother has good financial management." Zhao Yingluo held on to the fan, and there was something He shook his head and said, "I can't do it. The Ministry of Internal Affairs allocates me only 200 guan every month. After spending the food and clothing, what else will I end up with? I can't compare to Twenty Sisters "She is deeply loved by her father and never lacks money."
Zhao Xuanxuan said dissatisfied: "Xuanxuan really doesn't like what the seventh sister said. The monthly salary of this prince and emperor is the same. As a prince, my eldest brother only has more than a hundred coins. Besides, my father has never given me a favor. Even if he has this intention, the queen will not allow him to make the decision. The harem stipulates that royal rewards are given on time and in accordance with the rules. , the reward is some colorful satin, mountain treasures, and antiques. When have you ever seen cash?" Zhao Yingluo smiled and said, "No matter what, you are always richer than me. At least you have a pure mind and don't eat meat. You don't have enough money to spend, why don't you lend me some. "
When Zhao Xuanxuan heard that the Shunde Emperor came here to borrow money, she sneered: "How much expenses can the seventh sister have to make money so tight?
Zhao Yingluo sighed: "I don't know how. I have spent all my money in the past few months and have no savings at all." After all, my communication costs a lot, so if I want to benefit from it, I will inevitably spend a lot of money. It's okay to feel wronged, but they won't be happy without the reward from the palace people! "
Zhao Xuanxuan muttered: "Since you are tight on money, you still like to play cards.
If you borrow money from someone now, how will you pay it back in the future?
Zhao Yingluo smiled slyly and said: "The worst case scenario is that I can sneak out of the palace and sell my belongings." "
Only then did Zhao Kai and Zhao Xuanxuan hear Zhao Yingluo's "overtones", and they both felt nervous.
Zhao Kai ordered the eunuchs and maids on his left and right to step back and asked Zhao Yingluo. He smiled and said: "Seventh sister needs money, and third brother still has some money, so I can help you out. But for us brothers and sisters, sitting together and being affectionate and talking a few words would take us half a day to relax, and we would also make insinuations to hurt our friendship. Isn’t it too boring?
Zhao Yingluo crossed her fingers, put them under her chin, tilted her head and said, "Seventh sister respects third brother very much." You know this too. The third brother loves calligraphy, and last year he mentioned Ouyang Xun's copy of "Dingwu Ben Lanting Preface". The seventh sister spent half a year to fulfill the third brother's wish. However, not everyone in the palace is as considerate of my third brother as I am. The third brother loves twenty-sister and takes her out of the palace to play. As long as the father doesn't know and doesn't blame him, there is nothing anyone can do. The blame is that you played too much outside, saved some human bear, arrested some human trafficker, and held the Kaifeng governor accountable for his unfavorable performance. If the other princes, emperors and concubines follow suit and become 'Bao Qingtian', then the father, the queen and the queen will not faint from anger..."
Zhao Yingluo said it eloquently, bluffing Zhao Xuanxuan's expression changed, but Zhao Kai's expression was calm. He knew that Zhao Yingluo was exaggerating. After he arranged for Xu Huan that day, he ordered his servants to call the Minister of Punishment to his palace, Prince Yun, to state the matter. Hearing this, he was shocked and without saying a word, he put pressure on Kaifeng Prefecture Yin Yanying and asked him to arrest Tian Laosan quickly, otherwise he would be investigated for dereliction of duty. Not many people in the court knew about this, but Zhao Yingluo learned about it in the harem. Zhao Kai was confused. He narrowed his eyes and looked at her.
Zhao Yingluo looked proud, flipping the emerald ring on his right middle finger with his left hand, and said slowly: "Third brother, don't worry. Neither the father nor the mother knew what happened. Seventh Sister did not bring any attendants here, just to remind you. After reminding me, I kept the matter in my stomach and would not mention it to anyone else. I know that the third brother owns four major underground banks in the private sector and makes as much money every year as if he were traveling overseas. There are also Wang Zhongcheng's uncle's manor, which has hundreds of acres, and countless pawnshops in Luoyang and Fengqiu. The third brother was able to sit under the shade of such a thick tree and enjoy the cool air. The seventh sister was very envious and wanted to be taken care of by the third brother. At least it alleviated the current famine of not being able to make ends meet. "
Zhao Kai said "ha": "How much money Qimei needs, Third Brother is within his ability, there is no ambiguity.
Zhao Yingluo said quietly: "It's not much to say, but it's just a drop in the bucket for Third Brother." I think my Kunyu Palace is uneven and not beautiful enough. We are preparing to open up the gallery on all sides and divide it into small rooms with hollow partitions. The walls are all replaced with purple teak wood and let famous craftsmen carve out the words 'Liuyun Baibat' or 'Suihan Three Friends'. It can also be 'landscape figures' or feathers and flowers. As for the cabinet, I don’t want anything else. I just want the craftsman to cut slots into the wooden wall according to the shape of the toys, so that the piano, sword, hanging bottle, etc. can be hung on the wall, but they are flush with the wall. In addition, I think the palace lantern is not bright enough, so I plan to use South China Sea shark croaker as a lantern and whale fat as a candle. There is also a floor, I think white marble is the best...
Zhao Xuanxuan couldn't bear it, interrupted her eloquence, and said: "Seventh sister, your palace is already made of gold windows, jade sills, and brick walls. It is the most luxurious residence in Genyue, and you are particularly unsatisfied. You will need at least fifty thousand taels of silver to renovate Kunyu Palace like this."
"It's not fifty thousand taels. It's one hundred thousand taels..." The number reported by Zhao Yingluo made Zhao Xuanxuan shudder. Zhao Kai said calmly: "Since Qimei has spoken, if I frown, I don't deserve to be treated by you. Call me "Third Brother". I will return home later and order the banknotes to be sent to Qimei's palace. I just hope that Qimei will not tell anyone about the money, otherwise the brothers and sisters will come to ask for money. The third brother is probably going to drink the northwest wind."
"That's natural." Zhao Ying stood up with a wide smile and said with a smile: "When talking about money, it depends on the person. How many brothers and sisters can compare. How about the friendship between me and the third brother? When my Kunyu Palace is repaired, I will invite the third brother to play as soon as possible.
"After that, she twisted her waist and left without even looking at Zhao Xuanxuan.
"Third brother! "Zhao Xuanxuan's face turned red with anger, and she complained: "It's obvious that the Seven Big Feet are here to blackmail you! You lend her the money happily, who knows when she will return it to you! "
Zhao Kai said lightly: "It's okay if you don't pay it back. One hundred and fifty thousand taels of silver were exchanged for her peace of mind, which was not too much of a loss. He paused and said thoughtfully: "It is better than her telling the prince about this matter, which will cause more trouble..."
While Zhao Kai and Zhao Xuanxuan were discussing, the prince Zhao Huan followed the instructions As usual, he went to Song Huizong to report on government affairs. As soon as he entered the imperial study, Song Huizong slapped him in the face with a memorial: "A worm with no conscience, deceiving the emperor, being lawless... what did he do!" ”
Zhao Huan was scolded so that he didn’t know what to do. He picked up the memorial and took a look. It turned out to be the memorial submitted by the minister Li Gang to impeach the censor Zhongcheng Wang Fu. Zhao Huan saw that Wang Fu was listed in the chapter. His crimes included openly accepting bribes and selling officials and titles; using his power to collect treasures and silk for his children; and in the name of paying tribute to the emperor in the Yingfeng Bureau, he extorted treasures from all over the world and took them for himself. Local officials paid less than ten tributes to Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty. One part and the rest were given to Wang Fu. Wang Fu lived an extremely luxurious life. Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty once gave Wang Fu a mansion in the west of Tokyo, where he kept a large number of servants. The beggar could collect a large amount of white rice from the stinking ditch next to the Wang's house every day. The beggar went back to wash and dry the rice, and he accumulated the rice into a hoard in a year...
Zhao Huan was silent after reading this. He appointed himself the prince to supervise the country, and he knew very well what Wang Fu had done. Wang Fu used his status as the uncle of the state to enclose land among the people, which had already angered Zhao Huan. Song Huizong relied heavily on Wang Fu. Wang Fu was a disciple of Cai Jing. During Cai Jing's absence, Wang Fu followed the emperor's wishes and assisted in government affairs. He once exercised the power of "acting prime minister" to implement decisions on major political affairs in the Song Dynasty. The procedure is as follows: the prime ministers negotiate, present the decree in person, and then ask the Zhongshu Shengmin to draft the decree. After deliberation by the subordinate provinces, if there is any inappropriateness, the Zhongshusheren and the subordinate ministers have the right to refuse to pass it, and then submit it to the ministers. The establishment of the "Three Provinces and Six Ministries" has been implemented since the Sui Dynasty. However, Wang Fu repeatedly violated the rules, and the censor Chen Guoting once wrote a letter to remove all redundant officials in the name of "imperial envoys". Zhang Rulin, the transshipment envoy to the west of Jing, once asked Song Huizong to stop paying tribute to flowers and fruits on Jingxi Road, so as to reduce the burden on the people. However, Wang Fu had the two men confiscated their homes and demoted them to the capital without asking. In remote prefectures and counties, officials had impeached Wang Fu many times. Song Huizong was not aware of this. Why did he suddenly "retain" Li Gang's memorial today? Zhao Huan tentatively asked Song Huizong: "Father, please calm down. He was an official of the imperial court and committed such a heinous crime. I wonder what his father planned to do with him? "
Song Huizong didn't answer. He sat down and asked Zhao Huan: "Huan'er is the prince, how do you think it should be dealt with?
Zhao Huan considered his words and answered carefully: "If the truth is true, any crime committed by Wang Fu is a serious crime of deceiving the emperor, even if he is killed nine times, it is difficult to redeem any of it." According to the laws of the Song Dynasty, Wang Fu should have his father issue an edict announcing his unforgivable crime and punishing him with death to eliminate the Ming Dynasty... But..."
"But what? " Song Huizong picked up a thin jade white bowl, took a sip of the sour plum soup inside, frowned, and ordered the eunuch beside him to move away.
Zhao Huan raised his eyes and saw that the eunuch was Song Huizong. Li Yan, the most powerful eunuch around him, calmed down and said in a clear voice: "But Wang Fu helped his father regain the Sixteen Provinces of Youyun. The late emperor's grandfather made a posthumous edict during his lifetime. Whoever can regain the sixteen states of Youyun will be given a royal title. The father may have promised hundreds of officials that if the late emperor's wish can be realized, he will be given a gold medal to avoid death. During the Jin Kingdom's attack on the Liao Dynasty, Wang Fu asked the Song and Jin Dynasties to unite to destroy the Liao Dynasty and take the opportunity to recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun. After his father agreed, he was ordered to serve as an envoy from the Song Dynasty to the Jin Dynasty, so that Song and Jin Dynasty established a "sea alliance" and became allies and brothers. If Wang Fu is to be investigated and prosecuted now, many officials will definitely plead for his help. I hope that my father, in view of his previous meritorious service, will be open-minded and given a lenient sentence.
Even if the emperor's father was kind and exempted Wang Fu from the death penalty, it would not be easy to choose another envoy who was as good as Wang Fu to interact with the Jin Kingdom. Therefore, I would like to ask my father to put the overall situation first and not to act rashly for the time being. "After saying that, he shook the front of the apricot yellow Hangzhou silk Shuanglong Chuanyun robe with both hands, and knelt down to Song Huizong.
After hearing this, Song Huizong sat in silence on the chair. After a while "Haha" broke the silence with a smile: "I never expected that Huan'er would intercede for Wang Fu. Wang Fu had meritorious service in regaining the Sixteen Youyun Prefectures...with meritorious deeds...with meritorious deeds...The inclusion of Youyun Prefectures in the territory of the Song Dynasty was inseparable from Wang Fu's efforts. The previous Emperor of the Later Jin Dynasty, Shi Jingtang, ceded the Sixteen Youyun Prefectures to the Liao Kingdom, causing the Central Plains Dynasty to lose all its natural resources. Without the barrier of Yanyun, the barbarians would attack southward, and the Song Dynasty would inevitably become a mere fish. However, the joint attack of the Song and Jin Dynasties on the Liao Dynasty also depleted the military supplies accumulated since Xining and Yuanfeng, making Zuozang's treasury and the treasuries of various governments even more empty. In order to avoid military service, the people have paid more than 62 million yuan in free money over the years, and public resentment is already brewing. Wang Fu also took the opportunity to impose exorbitant taxes and extort money from the people, which incited the refugees to rebel. In addition, he sold his official position and disturbed the discipline. If I continue to tolerate him, why should I warn all officials? Why did the history books describe me after my death as a foolish emperor who employs people poorly? Have you ever thought about this? ”
Zhao Huan put his hands on the ground, and beads of sweat fell on his forehead. He knew everything Song Huizong analyzed. The only thing he didn’t know was what Song Huizong would do next. What cards are being dealt? Although he is the legitimate prince and the heir to the Song Dynasty, he has always been unpopular with his father. The first reason is that his mother, Queen Xian Gong, died early, leaving only him and Emperor Rongde. Zhao Jinnu and his brother, except for the prince Zhan Shigeng Nanzhong and his father-in-law Wukang Jun Jiedu Zhu Bocai, there is really no support for Wang Fu. If he becomes the leader, he will not be able to defeat the king. Fu fell immediately with one pull, which would inevitably leave a lot of trouble in the future. Secondly, Wang Guifei, favored by Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty, was Wang Fu's biological sister. Under her knees were King Yun Zhao Kai, King Xin Zhao Zhi, King Chen Zhao Ji, Emperor Maode, Zhao Fujin, and Emperor Hui Shu. Ji Zhao Cheyu, Kang Shudi Ji Zhao Xiuyu, Chongyi Emperor Ji Zhao Yingyu and many other children died in their early years, but Zhao Kai and Zhao Fujin were extremely favored by their father.
? As the saying goes, "The mother is more valuable than the son." In fact, the son is also more valuable than the mother. The harem was in the spotlight. Empress Zheng was extremely jealous of her. If he hadn't been so arrogant because of his sister's favor, he wouldn't have dared to be so arrogant. ?