The prince was still a little dazed, but Taifu Lu's eyes were already bright.
"Wonderful!" He clapped his hands, "You can tell at a glance that they asked for money under a clever pretext, but His Highness has no one to use it, so it won't do anything to reject it. This handover does not require reconstruction, and there is no need to rebuild it.
The taxes were paid, and two problems were solved at the same time! But..."
Taifu Lu looked at Yan Ling with doubts in his eyes: "Can your Duke Zhao's government come up with such a large sum of money?"
Guanzhong did not need to pay taxes to the court. They shouldered the heavy burden of guarding the country, and all military and political expenses were paid for by themselves. Logically speaking, they had just fought one battle, so they should not have much money on hand. Taifu Lu couldn't help but become suspicious, and Yan Erdu
I didn’t even ask Duke Zhao Guo, but I just agreed to it, and my power became stronger and stronger...
Yan Er looked at the prince with a simple and honest face and said: "When we conquered Xirong, your majesty allowed us to keep part of the loot, which was worth some money. Previously, my father had offended your majesty, and he had been uneasy. Now that he has the opportunity to share your majesty's worries, he will definitely not
I will hesitate. Besides, this is your first time in charge of government, so I will help you no matter what, so that your highness can do his job beautifully!"
The prince was moved when he heard this: "I know you are the most loyal person!"
Taifu Lu's expression softened a little. Also, Duke Zhao was reprimanded and for the sake of his son, he had to please the emperor no matter what.
Under the guidance of Taifu Lu, the prince reviewed the memorials one by one and sent them to the emperor in person.
The emperor was having dinner with his new beauty and had no time to see him. The prince left the memorial and resigned knowingly.
After the emperor finished his meal and played around for a while, he felt relaxed and went out to attend the meeting.
His first question was: "Has Prince Duan's Mansion been searched? Has the Third Division come to report it?"
Zhang Huaide said with a smile: "Back to Your Majesty, Dali Temple has come to report. Prince Duan's Mansion is still being searched, and all the property needs to be counted. No illegal items such as soldiers' armor have been found."
The emperor nodded. He half-believed Yu Manqing's accusation, but it was about imperial power and he could not tolerate any doubts.
"Tell them to check carefully and don't miss anything."
Zhang Huaide heard the implication of his words, responded with a smile, and presented the memorial returned by the prince.
The emperor unfolded it and took a look, nodding frequently: "That's right! Who is the prince asking about?"
Zhang Huaide replied: "My servant heard that His Highness returned to the East Palace first. He got angry for some reason and drove away all the subordinate officials. Then he took Marquis Yan to the Bowen Hall to meet Master Lu."
The emperor exclaimed: "Lu Qing, no wonder."
He continued reading with confidence.
Zhang Huaide's eyes flashed and he waited silently with his head down.
After turning to the last few memorials, the emperor said: "Is this Lu Qing's idea? It's really wonderful!"
He was very excited and asked Zhang Huaide to talk about the matter, his face full of joy: "Lu Qing is really getting older and stronger. Hasn't he been too talented in the Bowen Museum in the past few years? Or else he will be transferred back?"
Zhang Huaide laughed and said, "Teacher Lu is the tutor appointed by His Majesty, so he is naturally the pillar of the country. There is also the Marquis of Yan. His Highness the Crown Prince approved it like this, so it must be the Marquis of Yan who made the promise."
The emperor nodded: "This boy, it's not in vain that I treat him well."
Zhang Huaide sighed: "Speaking of it, the Marquis of Yan and His Highness the Crown Prince are really destined in the past life. Ever since he came to Beijing, even Young Master Yang had to wait in the queue. Your Highness is very kind to him, and he treats His Highness with all his heart and soul, saying that he is the best friend of the monarch and his ministers.
Friendship, rather than brotherhood. Previously, they fought in front of His Majesty, and neither of them had any thought of superiority or inferiority. This is true friendship!"
The emperor had a smile on his face at first, but he slowly stopped smiling.
Zhang Huaide continued: "I have served your Majesty for many years. I have always seen you having a headache because of Duke Zhao. Now I see that Marquis Yan and His Highness are so close, and I can't help but feel happy. With Marquis Yan helping to bridge the gap, you no longer have to worry about the Yan family in the future.
"
The emperor reluctantly nodded and changed the subject: "Summon Lu Qing, I still have many details to ask him."
"Yes." Zhang Huaide nodded and went out to call someone.
…
Late at night, maybe because the day was too ridiculous, the emperor did not summon the beauty tonight.
There was only one lampstand left in the palace. The emperor sat alone for a while, and then a guard in black came in from outside.
"His Majesty."
The emperor waved his hand to signal him to excuse himself and asked in a deep voice: "What did you find?"
The black-clothed guard stood up and reported, "I've made a humble investigation. In the past few months, the prince has often gone out of the palace to play. Sometimes he goes to Fuwang Villa to gamble, and sometimes he goes to Qujiang Pavilion for boating. However, the expenses of the East Palace have actually decreased compared to before."
The emperor narrowed his eyes: "Is he always with that guy Yan Er every time he goes out?"
"Yes." The guard in black paused, "And..."
"What else is there? Stop hesitating and say it quickly!"
The black-clothed guard said: "I heard that Young Master Yang and Young Master An have been spending a lot of money recently."
The emperor's heart skipped a beat: "Who is there? Keep talking!"
The guards in black came in one by one, and the emperor became more and more depressed as he listened. Almost all of the prince's close companions were among them.
"Where is Yan Er?" the emperor asked in a deep voice, "Did these things start after he came?"
"Yes." The guard in black replied in a low voice, "As long as Mr. Yan is present, he will never ask others to pay."
The emperor was silent, and the light shone on his face, casting layers of shadows.
The guard in black hesitated for a moment and then said: "There is another matter. I don't know whether I should report it or not."
"explain!"
"The prince has a courtyard outside the palace, and a gift car arrives every month. It seems to be from the west..."
The emperor was stunned for a moment.
What kind of other courtyard, he didn’t even know!
…
Finally, on the holiday, the prince finally found the opportunity to leave the palace.
"But I'm exhausted. I have to do homework every day, and recently I even added government affairs." He complained, with a bit of pride in his tone.
There is no way to be dissatisfied. After living for eighteen years, the prince has never been as comfortable as he is now. There is no stumbling block for Concubine Shu and De, and Taifu Lu praises his rapid progress, and his father is also very satisfied with him.
His cousin Mr. Yang smiled and complimented: "Your Majesty, you trust His Highness!"
The prince chuckled, turned around and called: "Yan Er, come quickly! I'm waiting for you!"
Yan Ling agreed, squeezed to the front, and walked side by side with them.
Young Master Yang turned his head and asked with concern: "I haven't seen you for a while, are you okay?"
Yan Ling replied: "It's very good, but it feels like it's getting rusty after being stuffed for a long time."
Young Master Yang smiled: "Well, let's have a good time today. The polo field in the other courtyard has been built, and we have an appointment with Prince Fu."
"Great, I will definitely convince them today!"
A group of young men, who were of an energetic age, went to the other courtyard with their friends, and kept playing until nightfall without wanting to disperse.
At this time, a low-key carriage quietly left the palace.