jdhmnovel Chapter 1312 Oh? So sincerely convinced
Chapter 1312 Oh? So sincerely convinced
Yu Zhengqing lied to the emperor.
He concealed the existence of the walkie-talkie.
Whether you call him a disloyal subject or a cunning strategist, he was stubbornly convinced of one thing—the walkie-talkie belonged to Shen Zheng.
Even if it were to be presented to the emperor, it would not be his place to overstep his bounds.
"I left in haste on my return to the capital and forgot to ask Lord Shen if there were any items he wished me to bring back..." He looked terrified and bowed to apologize, "It was my oversight, and I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."
The emperor's expression froze for a moment: "Not even a single letter?"
Yu Zhengqing: ......
How is he supposed to answer that?
Beside the emperor, Eunuch Hong kept winking and making faces at him.
Yu Zhengqing pinched his fingertips.
After fiddling around for a while, something actually came to mind: "Mahjong! Although I've never played it, I've heard Father..."
"I have already fought it," the emperor interrupted him mercilessly.
Yu Zhengqing was taken aback: "You...you've already played mahjong?"
When did this happen?
Mahjong... wasn't it something Shen Zheng invented on the ship back to Liuyang Prefecture?
The Emperor raised his chin: "Liang Fu presented this to me on behalf of Shen Qing. Nowadays, in the palace, not only are the Empress and I skilled in martial arts, but Hong Banban is also familiar with the palace maids around the Empress. When we have nothing to do, the Empress and I will bring them to a table together."
Eunuch Hong gave Yu Zhengqing a shy smile.
“…” Yu Zhengqing had almost forgotten about Liang Fu. “It was my ignorance and slow thinking that prevented me from knowing sooner…”
"Never mind." The Emperor waved his hand, gradually accepting the fact that Shen Zheng had not written to him. "Did you encounter any obstacles on your journey to escort Huai Gongwang back to the capital?"
Yu Zhengqing stood up and knelt down neatly: "Your Majesty, when I passed through Jingzhou, a group of bandits attempted to kill Huai Gongwang. Although they failed, I was also unable to capture him alive. It was my incompetence, and I beg Your Majesty to punish me!"
The emperor's expression darkened slightly, and he nodded slightly: "As long as the person is not dead, that's good. Get up."
Yu Zhengqing slowly rose, and the Emperor said again, "If someone dares to silence someone halfway, there must be something behind it. Go to the Ministry of Justice again and explain the situation to Luo Bizhi, so that he can include this matter in the Huai Gongwang case and investigate it thoroughly together."
"Your subject obeys the decree." Yu Zhengqing bowed and stepped back. "Then I shall proceed..."
"By the way," the Emperor suddenly called out to him, a smile on his face that he couldn't understand, "When Shen Qing received the appointment as prefect, were you happy? Were you satisfied with the gift I gave her?"
Yu Zhengqing paused, unable to help but recall Shen Zheng's face, which had wrinkled like a dried date skin.
He told the emperor his second lie: "When Lady Shen received the imperial decree, she was extremely respectful and overjoyed, repeatedly kowtowing to express her gratitude to the emperor, saying, 'I will certainly do my utmost to be loyal and wise! I will fulfill my duties faithfully! I will never fail the emperor's grace!'"
The emperor smiled enigmatically: "Oh? So willingly submitting?"
Yu Zhengqing: ......
You know they're not convinced, yet you still ask!
The emperor chuckled and waved his hand: "You've had a long journey. Go back to your residence and rest for a few days. You should head to your destination before next month."
......
After leaving the Imperial Study, Yu Zhengqing went to the Ministry of Justice.
The place remains the same as I remember: solemn, cold, and deserted.
Half an hour later, at noon, Luo Bizhi didn't offer him a meal before he left. Hungry, he walked out of that cold, imposing door.
"Lord Yu!"
Ji Benchang was waiting for him outside the Ministry of Justice.
He asked, slightly puzzled, "Lord Ji, what is this...?"
"Let's talk in the carriage," Ji Benchang invited him to get into the carriage.
After he got in the car, I poured him a cup of steaming tea.
"Lord Yu, there's something I forgot to ask you earlier." Ji Benchang leaned slightly forward, and Yu Zhengqing saw his spittle land in his teacup. "It's just... sigh, you see, the end of the year is approaching, and the entire court is waiting for the Ministry of Revenue to approve the funds..."
Yu Zhengqing seemed to understand.
But a voice inside him warned him not to respond.
"Hehe..." He chuckled dryly, raising his hand to lift the carriage curtain. "Lord Ji, I suddenly remembered that I forgot to tell Lord Luo a few things. I'm afraid I'll be embarrassed..."
"Wait, wait, wait!" Ji Benchang pressed him back down. "I only have one question! When will Huai Gongwang's confiscated property be sent to the capital?"
Yu Zhengqing closed his eyes.
It's time to come.
For Shen Zheng's sake, and for the happiness of the people of Liuyang, he gritted his teeth and decided to go all out: "It's possible... that it won't be able to be delivered."
"What do you mean by that?" Ji Benchang held up an eight: "Didn't you say there were this many?"
Yu Zhengqing scratched the corner of his eye, forcing himself to soften his tone: "In cash, it would be about this much. But Lord Ji... as you know, Liuyang Prefecture is still undergoing reforms, and Shen Zheng has just taken office. There are many places where money is needed. Why don't you loosen your belt and let her have these tens of thousands of taels..."
Ji Benchang slowly raised his hand, and the gesture changed from "eight" to "five".
"You mean..." he spread his fingers, "that I'll let 20,000 taels slip through just one finger's width?"
Why keep such a spendthrift!
"No way!" Thinking of the newly harvested rice, he reluctantly took a big step back: "The Ministry of Revenue can waive the houses, fields, and shops for Liuyang Prefecture, but you still have to give the Ministry of Revenue the cash!"
Yu Zhengqing tapped his nose with his knuckles: "I'm back in the capital now, and I can't manage the Liuyang government office anymore. Your words... are useless to me."
Ji Benchang's eyes widened in disbelief.
What a foolproof act!
"Write a letter to Xiao Shen," he said. "Discuss it with her again."
Yu Zhengqing shook his head: "If you want to write it, you write it. I'm too embarrassed to ask."
Ji Benchang gritted his teeth in secret.
How could he possibly have the nerve to say that?
Yu Zhengqing observed his expression and said, "Actually, if you think about it more carefully... Shen Zheng is very capable. With that money in her hands, she can definitely make more money. If you let her go this time, it will be a very profitable deal for the Ministry of Revenue. Besides, Huai Gongwang... has more than just assets in Liuyang Prefecture."
Upon hearing this, Ji Benchang's eyes darted around.
He knew about Xiao Shen's ability to make money.
Although 80,000 taels is not a small amount, the national treasury is not as empty and strained as it used to be.
Just a while ago, the Xiongnu sent a large sum of money and hundreds of fine horses in exchange for the glasses, all thanks to Xiao Shen.
Thinking about this, his resolve began to waver.
"Alright, alright." He puffed out his cheeks. "I'll write to Xiao Shen and discuss this with her properly."
Yu Zhengqing was overjoyed and was about to speak when he heard him mutter, "I should be able to get back ten or twenty thousand..."
"..." Yu Zhengqing choked.
It's not easy to pluck the feathers from a miserly rooster.
......
A cold autumn rain.
Two days later, Yu Zhengqing personally escorted Xiang He and his party out of the city.
He handed a small, square box to Xiang He.
"Take good care of what's inside. Once we get back to Liuyang Prefecture, hand it over to your master immediately." He said solemnly, repeatedly instructing, "Even if you lose yourself, you can't lose what's inside, understand?"
"Understood!" Xiang He put away the box and bowed, "Your servant is here, and the box is here!"