Chapter 12: Qingliu Discussion, Yan Song Recommends Taoist Fairy
His Majesty summoned Lu Bing.
The pre-year fiscal meeting has been brought forward to tomorrow.
The two pieces of news quickly reached the ears of Prince Yu and Prince Jing.
His Majesty summoned Lu Bing, and there was nothing particularly noteworthy.
But the point is that after His Majesty summoned Lu Bing, the financial meeting before the New Year was brought forward, which made all parties think about it.
Prince Yu’s Mansion, in the main hall.
There was a stove burning brightly, an incense burner was placed on the table, and a group of people were sitting around the fire, stretching out their hands to warm themselves.
"The palace suddenly moved up the financial meeting. What does this have to do with Lu Bing?" Gao Gong suddenly asked.
Upon hearing this, Xu Jie, Zhang Juzheng, Zhao Zhenji, Tan Lun and others all had different expressions.
Prince Yu Zhu Zaigui, who was sitting at the top seat, paused for a moment while holding the teacup, then continued.
"Let's do it earlier than necessary. It's only a few days away." Zhao Zhenji glanced at everyone and said something nonsense.
Zhang Juzheng, who was standing aside, sat upright without saying a word, but a thoughtful look appeared in his eyes.
Obviously, he was also wondering why the imperial financial meeting was held earlier and how this matter was related to Lu Bing.
As everyone knows, your majesty is a cultivator of profound cultivation and attaches great importance to life.
At this time, he completely ignored the date and hastily opened the imperial financial meeting ahead of schedule. This was actually a signal.
What they care about now is the deeper meaning of this signal.
"Your Majesty's decision is not something we can speculate on," Xu Jie said slowly, "Just do your part. For us, there are more important things."
Gao Gong, who had a hot temper, seemed to have thought of something when he heard this, and slammed the table and said angrily:
"Down with Yan, the Yan Party must be eliminated, otherwise our Ming Dynasty will be tormented and there will be no peace for a single day, and the country will be destroyed sooner or later!"
Upon hearing about the country's demise, Prince Yu frowned, but said nothing. Gao Gong always had a hot temper, but he had no second thoughts.
However, he also agreed with this point of view in his heart.
The Yan Party is the supporter of Lao Si. If the Yan Party falls, Lao Si will lose his supporters.
"The Yan Party is shamelessly greedy and embezzles money for their own benefit. They earn three million from the country's money and they dare to put two million into their own pockets!"
In the hall, Gao Gong stood up when he was excited, and slapped his palms with the backs of his hands, making a 'pa pa' sound.
"The national treasury is already extremely empty!"
"If we allow them to continue to deceive Your Majesty and do not stop them, will the people of this world still be able to survive?"
Looking at the irritable Gao Gong, the steady Xu Jie, and the chatterbox Zhao Zhenji, Zhang Juzheng pondered for a moment and then spoke.
"We should see the crux of the matter," he said, raising his hand and bowing to Prince Yu, "The Yan Party is valued by your majesty because they can continuously send money to the palace."
Even if this was said explicitly, Jiajing was protecting the Yan Party.
Although Prince Yu felt uncomfortable being talked about his father in person, he also knew that this was the fact.
He could only remain silent, which was considered as his agreement with Zhang Juzheng's words.
"I think if we want to fight against the Yan Party and make His Majesty give up the Yan Party, we have to start with money."
"If we can also have a feasible way to make money, then we can relieve your majesty's worries, and the Yan Party will no longer have the upper hand. The Yan Party is powerful, so if we work slowly, we will surely be able to eradicate it!"
Listening to Zhang Juzheng's fresh and to-the-point statements, Prince Yu was very satisfied, so he nodded slightly to show his approval.
In fact, they all knew that the imperial court was suffering from a serious financial deficit, and that disaster relief, military supplies, royal family expenses... were no longer enough to cover expenses.
Even the Yan Party could no longer come up with the money, or to be more precise, was unwilling to cut off its own flesh and blood to feed the imperial court.
At this time, if I and others come up with a solution, then in the eyes of His Majesty, the Yan Party will no longer be indispensable.
"Is it possible to make money at sea?" Prince Yu spoke at this time.
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the people present changed unnoticeably in an instant.
Xu Jie, who was calm and composed, said at this time: "The risk of maritime business is too great. It's a complete gamble..."
"If you are not careful, you may lose everything." "In addition, once you open a maritime business, it will violate the ancestral system." Xu Jie stared at Prince Yu with deep eyes and said in a deep voice: "The Yan Party is powerful, but its actions are against the harmony of heaven. Its luck has run out."
"At this critical moment, Your Highness must not be impatient, and must not make the slightest mistake. Don't forget, there is also His Highness Prince Jing!"
Upon hearing the name of Prince Jing, Prince Yu was startled and suddenly alert.
In fact, ancestral rules and so on are just nominal matters. The Zhu family has always been careless in doing things.
To be disrespectful to our ancestors, the ancestral system has been a very "flexible" one since the time of Emperor Chengzu.
If we go back further, there were signs of this as early as Jianwen, otherwise how could the feudal lords be reduced?
As for him, or his father, if it is beneficial, the maritime ban can be lifted.
But at this moment, after listening to Xu Jie's words, he was considering another key point, that is, once he opened a maritime business, the fourth brother would use this as an attack point!
If there is an accident at sea, everything will be over!
Xu Jie was right. It would be better to do nothing and watch the Yan Party go to destruction than to risk making any mistakes.
My father has always liked the fourth brother and is very displeased with me. If I make a mistake at this time, it would be fatal.
He has worked hard for many years and absolutely cannot make any mistakes at the critical moment.
"I heard that the Yan Party invited a Taoist master from Zhengyi Dao." At this time, Zhang Juzheng suddenly spoke and changed the subject.
"Yes, I received news that this Zhengyi Taoist master seems to be a young girl." Zhao Zhenji began.
Gao Gong snorted coldly and said, "Shameless Yan Dang, unworthy of a human being, they can do anything dirty just for the sake of profit!"
The topic was successfully diverted from the sea.
"Young girl?" Prince Yu raised his eyes and asked curiously, "Female Taoist priest?"
"Cough!" At this moment, a crisp cough suddenly came from the side hall, and Prince Yu looked a little unnatural.
"Yes," Zhang Juzheng nodded slightly, "I sent someone to investigate this nun, and she has made great achievements in Taoism."
"Master Tao has passed away, and Immortal Lan is a wandering cultivator. There are no Taoists in the court, so it is understandable that Zhengyi Dao sent people to the capital."
Everyone started talking about this Taoist nun.
"Hmph, a nun?" Gao Gong, who had a hot temper, said angrily, "In my opinion, she is just like Yu Xuanji!"
"Pah, disgusting!" he said, and spat loudly.
Hearing this, everyone couldn't help but laugh and shake their heads, and the atmosphere became a lot more relaxed for a moment.
Just as the Qingliu faction had expected, Yan Song did intend to take this opportunity to recommend a Taoist fairy to Jiajing.
Yan Mansion, in the lobby.
"May I ask, fairy, are there any fairies in heaven?"
Yan Song, who looked like a kind old man with dim eyes, smiled and looked at the girl in blue Taoist robe sitting beside him.
Accompanying him was the young cabinet minister Yan Shifan.
"Master Yan, please do not ever say the word fairy again. I feel ashamed." The girl bowed and raised her beautiful, unpainted oval face, saying:
"Whether there are immortals in heaven or not, I dare not speak rashly."
"But, what is certain is that there are no immortals here..."
"Master Qingfeng." At this time, the young cabinet minister Yan Shifan interrupted and said with a smile: "There are immortals in the sky and real dragons in the world."
"Hmm?" Hearing this, the girl was startled, blinked, looked at Yan Shifan, stood up and bowed on the spot, and asked earnestly, "Could it be that the young elder is also a cultivator?"
"Qingfeng would like to hear the details."
Qingfeng is the girl’s Taoist name.
Looking at this innocent girl, Yan Song's old face was filled with smiles, and his deep eyes were flashing with an inexplicable look.
Thousands of thoughts were already flashing through my mind.
"..."
(End of this chapter)
