"Your Majesty, Duke Cheng Guo is asking for an audience outside the hall!" Qixi crept in and stood about three meters behind Emperor Yongxi, bending down and saying.
"He picked the right time." Emperor Yongxi, who was meditating, slowly opened his eyes and ordered, "Invite him in."
"yes."
Qixi nodded and quickly retreated.
"Your Majesty, Shen Zhuang, is here to see you. May your Majesty be blessed." After Shen Zhuang came in, he knelt down in front of Emperor Yongxi and said loudly.
"Brother Shen, why is this necessary? Although we are monarchs and ministers, we have also been friends for many years. We are not in the Dazheng Palace, so there is no need for such a courtesy." Emperor Yongxi stood up and came over, lifted Shen Zhuang up, spoke warmly, and at the same time ordered Qixi General The brocade stool was delivered.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
"I know that you have recently lost your beloved son, and I have ordered Nanya to thoroughly investigate the murderer. The deceased has passed away, and the living still need to mourn. Don't let this ruin your body." Emperor Yongxi said like a spring breeze blowing on his face, "By the way, is the old lady okay?"
"Your Majesty is concerned, my mother is in great grief because of her grandson's incident, and has not gotten out of bed for several days."
"Then let Xia Yuanli come over and have a look?"
"Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty. My mother just misses her grandson and doesn't want to eat or drink. It's nothing serious. There is no need to work for Sir Xia." Shen Zhuang declined politely.
"Let's take a look. The old lady is old after all. I will give you two more three-hundred-year-old ginseng to go back and replenish the old lady?"
Thank you again, Shen Zhuang.
"Your Majesty, I heard that you want to borrow ten million taels of silver from Huitong Bank using next year's salt tax as collateral?" Shen Zhuang stepped forward and asked.
"I have such an idea, but it is not the salt tax of the entire Zhou Dynasty, but the salt tax of Yangzhou, Suzhou and Ningzhou." Emperor Yongxi lowered his head slightly and said slowly.
"Your Majesty, the total salt tax of these three states is less than two million taels a year. Now that the three states are still at war, next year's salt tax cannot be collected at all. You only use one year's salt tax as a mortgage and take away one Isn't ten million taels of silver too much? You might as well just go to Huitong and get the money directly." Shen Zhuang said, although the "Huitong" bank is managed by his Shen family, it does not belong to him alone. The royal family There are also shares and dividends are paid every year.
"The three southeastern states are important salt-producing towns. When the salt tax was at its highest, it could reach five to six million taels of silver per year. In recent years, the court has cracked down on illicit salt. The stronger the crackdown, the more illicit salt dealers became more rampant, and the salt tax also dropped every year. , However, the production of salt continues to increase every year, Brother Shen, do you know why?"
"Your Majesty, salt and iron are the exclusive business of the imperial court. The Shen family is only responsible for collecting taxes. You should ask the tax supervisor and the mine supervisor. They are directly responsible."
"Ningzhou Salt and Iron Commissioner Liu Qian is the younger brother of your concubine Liu Zhimei, right?" Emperor Yongxi said, "And Suzhou Salt and Iron Commissioner Tang Zhe is also a member of your family, right?"
When Shen Zhuang heard this, a thin layer of sweat suddenly broke out on his forehead.
"If I had decreed that their homes should be confiscated, there would be more than this number, right?" Emperor Yongxi came over and slowly leaned down.
"Your Majesty is magnanimous, I understand." Shen Zhuang quickly stood up and knelt on the ground, not daring to raise his head.
"Of these 10 million taels, six million taels were lent to you by me as a mortgage on the salt tax, and the other four million taels were voluntarily donated to the court by you," Emperor Yongxi said.
"I understand." Shen Zhuang knew clearly why Emperor Yongxi did this. The maximum salt tax for the three southeastern states is six million taels per year. From now on, the tax revenue cannot be less than this amount. As for the four million taels, it is said that Donation is actually a penalty.
Otherwise, if Emperor Yongxi broke out on the spot, then it would not be such a small amount of money.
"I heard that Nanya requested that the Fourth Young Master be opened for an autopsy. Do you disagree?"
"Yes, the deceased is gone, why disturb the child's peace anymore? What's more, the inspection department has checked it, and I have carefully looked at the child's wound. It is Xirong Puppet Shadow Hall's secret killing technique, You Hong. "Is there anything doubtful about this?" Shen Zhuang straightened up slightly and said.
"I believe that Brother Shen is not mistaken, but the external wounds caused by 'Youhong' can be faked. If we want to be completely sure that it was injured by 'Youhong', we must conduct a comprehensive autopsy on the body."
"Your Majesty, do you want to disembowel my child?" Shen Zhuang was a little displeased. He couldn't even save his son's body, so how could he still be considered a father?
"If it is helpful to find out who did it, we can do it if necessary." Emperor Yongxi said, "Don't Brother Shen also want to know who paid the killer of Qixing Pavilion to kill Fourth Young Master Shen?"
"I just need to know that he is the killer of Xirong Puppet Shadow Hall!"
"So you launched a revenge against Luo Jing's stronghold of Xirong Puppet Hall, and blamed it on Zhenwuyuan?" Emperor Yongxi asked.
"I didn't, and I wouldn't dare to do this." Shen Zhuang directly denied it.
"Okay, I won't ask anymore, but the whole matter is related to the relationship between the imperial court and Xirong. The stronghold of Xirong Puppet Shadow Hall is semi-public. If we don't give Xirong an explanation, then what will happen to us in Xirong Royal Court?" People will suffer the same thing. Also, if your son is assassinated, the court will also give an investigation result. Zhou Dynasty is now trapped internally and externally, and cannot fight on two fronts. What do you want me to do? I will break up with Xirong for you. The border between the two countries is at war again. Regardless of the demands of the Xirong people, they are perfunctory, and the Xirong side retaliates in equal measure, further escalating the contradictions and conflicts?" Emperor Yongxi asked, "Brother Shen, how do you choose in my position?"
"Does Your Majesty think that someone is secretly stirring up discord?"
"What do you think?"
After Shen Zhuang was silent for a long time, he finally said: "Your Majesty, I can agree to open the coffin and conduct an autopsy, but this matter cannot be done in public, and Princess Liuli is not allowed to participate."
"Do you think Liuli is suspicious?"
"I don't dare, but your Majesty has entrusted such an important case to a person with no investigative experience. Isn't it a bit childish?" Shen Zhuang said.
"Wu Ninghou has arranged experienced assistants for Liuli. Moreover, Liuli is a royal princess. I arranged for her to go to Nanya to practice, not just for her to go through the motions."
"Your Majesty wants to train Princess Liuli. I naturally have no objection, but the training needs to start from the grassroots level. Princess Liuli has no experience in handling cases. Even if she arranges for help, can she control such a big case? I suggest you choose someone from Nanya A mature and prudent person should take charge of this case," Shen Zhuang said.
"So what if it's someone else? Does it have to be better than Liuli?"
"I believe it would be fairer to change someone else."
"Have you heard any rumors, or do you think Liuli will use this case to damage the relationship between the imperial court and Xirong, and then destroy the marriage between the Wolf Lord of Xirong and her?"
"Isn't it? Princess Liuli is the true successor of Tianlan Sect. Her original intention is not to be above the court, and she doesn't want to marry to Xirong at all. It was His Majesty who made her agree to this marriage out of great justice. But has Your Majesty ever thought about what would happen if this family The marriage is about to happen, which may not be a good thing for Da Zhou." After Shen Zhuang understood Emperor Yongxi's bottom line, he naturally spoke a lot more forcefully.
How could Emperor Yongxi not know that he had forced Ye Liuli to agree to the marriage out of practical needs, and he had never thought about marrying Ye Liuli to Xirong.
Therefore, Ye Liuli was happy to see the three conditions he proposed to the Xirong Wolf Lord come true.
The development of things is constantly changing. With the stabilization of the war in the southeast, he has become more confident about Xirong, but he has no intention of completely closing the "marriage" option, which would leave no escape route for himself. .
Shen Zhuang keenly grasped the inner thoughts of Emperor Yongxi at this moment. He neither wanted to completely close the door to marriage with Xirong, nor did he really want to marry Ye Liuli to the Wolf Lord of Xirong. At the same time, he also wanted to delay the time until the spring of next year. , the situation in the southeastern war was completely settled.
If the situation in the southeastern war cannot be reversed, even if it means drinking poison to quench thirst, the marriage with Xirong will be promoted. If the Great Zhou Dynasty wins, then the choice will be easy.
"Okay, I promise you, I will replace Liuli." Emperor Yongxi thought about it carefully and nodded in agreement with Shen Zhuang's suggestion.
He was also afraid that Ye Liuli would make the matter bigger for his own benefit and get it to a point where he would be unable to control it.
He was always wary of the Tianlan Sect.
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Shen Zhuang breathed a sigh of relief and finally convinced Emperor Yongxi. If he really let Ye Liuli continue to investigate, he might really be in trouble.
Ye Liuli has already found Ding Xian, and Ding Xian is his man. If Ding Xian is caught, many secrets in the three southeastern states will be exposed...
…
"What do you think?" Shen Zhuang left, and a figure in gray robe walked in from the back of the palace and came to Emperor Yongxi's side.
"He compromised, maybe he was trying to confuse you." Jiang Daozong said slowly.
"You said, since I forced him like this, would he have known it was me?" Emperor Yongxi clasped his hands and asked, looking at the distant black dot outside the hall door.
"Your Majesty, Shen Zhuang doesn't seem like the kind of ambitious person. Could it be that you have misjudged the wrong person?" Jiang Daozong hesitated for a while and said.
"He may not have this idea, but when he reaches that point and wants to stop, will the people behind him agree?" Emperor Yongxi said.
Jiang Daozong remained silent. This topic was too sensitive, and he was a close minister of the emperor. There were some things he could say and some things he couldn't.
"He insisted that I replace Liuli. Liuli should have found out about his sore foot. Otherwise, with his character, he would not take a little girl like Liuli who just entered the world to heart." Emperor Yongxi said, "Nanya They should have found something over there."
"Your Majesty summoned Wu Ninghou into the palace and asked him, wouldn't he know it?"
"I, the emperor's uncle, do not get involved in three things: court party strife, the army, and the struggle for the throne. I have a very clear distinction between what I can do and what I cannot do. I will always abide by my duty and be cautious."
"If Marquis Wu Ning could not do this, how could the late emperor and His Majesty have put him in the position of Nanya for so many years?" Jiang Daozong said.
"Wu Ninghou is already old. He has submitted his resignation to me. He wants to resign as the governor of Nanya and return to his countryside. However, Nanya cannot be without an owner for a day. Once he leaves, who can take charge of Nanya for me? ?" Emperor Yongxi said with a headache.
"Your Majesty promised Wu Ninghou to return to seclusion?" Jiang Daozong was surprised.
"That's not true, but it will happen one day. I can't let him work in Nanya for the rest of his life, right?" Emperor Yongxi said.