Lu Zuo smiled slightly, "Otherwise the emperor wouldn't have summoned you to the palace specifically at night. The emperor either wants to test the prince, or he really wants to hear your opinion."
"Mr. Lu really had a brilliant plan. At that time, the emperor said that I was his son and there was no need to be secretive, but it was okay. So I thought that the emperor has always been arbitrary, so why did he summon me so suddenly? He also asked me about my identity. Opinion? I thought he was deliberately testing me to see my attitude towards the prince’s move. So I said that Xia Jingying was mature and prudent and had been in the official department for some years. I also deliberately said that the prince had always thought highly of him, so I let him It's perfect to take over the household department." Liu Xun was quite proud when he said the next part.
Lu Zuo also nodded, "Your Majesty, this is a good move. He didn't expose his flaws. He can calm down the situation for a while. Then how could he get involved?"
"When I had just finished speaking, the emperor said that not only did the prince recommend Xia Jingying to him, but he also recommended it to the emperor."
"Oh?" Lu Zuo's face was as dark as water. "That's right. No wonder the emperor has been hesitant. It turns out that it is because this old fox can't sit still. It seems that now is the time to get rid of Xia Jingying from the Ministry of Finance first."
In the evening, Ma Market Market has gradually been decorated with various night lights, and the shadows of the lights sway from time to time in the cold wind. The widest street of Ma Market Street is where the prince's residence is located, and the huge palace lanterns remain unmoving in the cold wind. , a dozen guards were standing guard at the door in high spirits. At this time, an official sedan stopped opposite the gate. A middle-aged man dressed as a butler carefully opened the curtain of the sedan and whispered softly: "Master, the Prince's Mansion has arrived, please slow down!"
"Well..." A majestic reply came from the sedan, and then a middle-aged man in court clothes walked out of the sedan. Against the background of the setting sun, the man's face was fair, with obvious crow's feet at the corners of his eyes. He had a thin hump and a black mustache under his nose. His tall and straight body completely dwarfed the thin servants around him. Without looking at the steward next to him, he asked, "Has the invitation been submitted?"
The butler looked up and replied with a smile: "Sent it in, someone should come out soon."
Sure enough, the servant in the mansion walked down the stone steps and came to the man. He cupped his hands and said, "Master Xia, His Royal Highness is waiting for you at Qiuban Pavilion. Please come with me!" The servant immediately made a gesture of invitation.
"Well! It's your turn, please lead the way!"
The Autumn Pavilion in winter becomes more and more beautiful under the setting sun. But when the cold wind blows, the dead lotuses in the pond drift on the water. Occasionally, I see a few koi carps competing for food in the water, which makes Liu Yan laugh out loud. Laughing, Du Zongting, the imperial censor behind him, also started laughing.
The servant just now walked up behind Liu Yan and reported in a low voice: "Your Highness, Mr. Xia is already here. Are you waiting outside the corridor?"
"Oh!" Liu Yan said loudly without looking back, "Then please come in!"
"yes……"
When Du Zongting heard that Xia Jingying, the Minister of Household Affairs, was coming, he asked, "Your Highness, please...do you want me to step aside?"
Liu Yan raised the corner of his mouth, "No need!"
After a while, Xia Jingying walked quickly to the Qiuban Pavilion, knelt down and saluted, "Student Xia Jingying pays homage to the prince Qiantai."
Liu Yan laughed loudly and turned around, "Hey, Mr. Xia is so polite, please get up quickly! You were selected as the emperor at the age of twenty-one, and you have been in the officialdom for almost twenty years. I will A young boy, where do you think he is a student?"
"I don't dare, this time I will..." Xia Jingying raised his head and glanced beside him. It turned out to be Du Zongting, the imperial censor. He didn't say any more. He just nodded to Du Zongting and said, "Master Du is here too!"
Du Zongting also nodded to Xia Jingying, "Mr. Xia is well!"
Liu Yan calmly stepped forward and helped Xia Jingying up, "Master Xia, don't be cautious, Master Du is also mine."
Du and Xia smiled and cupped their hands with each other. Xia Jingying continued: "Without your support this time, I don't know what I can do to get ahead? So I have prepared a small gift, and someone will send it to you at the party. Please accept it, Your Highness."
"Master Xia, you're too polite." Liu Yan patted Xia Jingying on the shoulder, "As long as you have the heart to do so! Moreover, now that the emperor is strictly investigating corruption, you have just been promoted to this official position and you are already anxious. If you give a gift, I'm afraid it will attract people's attention!"
"Don't worry, Your Highness, this official will definitely keep everything secret..."
Before Xia Jingying finished speaking, Liu Yan interrupted him, "No need!" the prince said sternly, "The Ministry of Household Affairs is now in a deficit, and many officials have not recovered the money they borrowed. So I asked you to take over the account. The lack of department is not to hide evil!"
Xia Jingying's face darkened, "This is exactly why I came here."
Liu Yan turned his back, then nodded, looking at the sunset on the wall, "Grandpa Huang has always wanted to take back the money, but due to human feelings, he has not done it several times. This time he finally agreed to let you come. To meet this shortcoming, we can accomplish a lot now!"
Xia Jingying's forehead was beaded with sweat, and his tall body was bent like a shrimp, "Your Highness, you should also know that the older the official, the more money he needs. Not to mention that the officials of the imperial court owe money to the treasury. Even a lot of Prince Long and Sun also often borrow money from the Ministry of Accounts. If you really ask your subordinates to collect these arrears, I am afraid that many people will be offended."
"What are you afraid of! I still have me here!" Liu Yan looked indifferent and didn't care. "I also owe the Ministry of Household Affairs one hundred thousand taels of silver. Don't worry, I will be the first to make up the money. . And our people, I will urge them."
"But I've seen the bills, and some of them are huge. I'm afraid I won't be able to collect them all for a while, right?"
"You don't have to worry about this. Anyone who is a fifth-rank official in the capital or above, any of our people, let them pay back as much as they have, and I will make up for the rest."
"This..." Xia Jingying frowned and felt embarrassed, "The total sum is not a small sum, it adds up to more than one million taels at least!"
Liu Yan was silent for a moment, "I'm afraid that the officials are also our people now. Master Quan said he will solve it."
Xia Jingying seemed to understand that there was a fat vacancy in the civil service department. Now that the prince controls this life, money is no longer an issue. "You mean to sell your official position and get a title?"
Liu Yan turned around and glanced at Xia Jingying. Xia Jingying quickly bowed and apologized, "I made a mistake, I made a mistake! Your Highness, please forgive me."
"Everyone says you are an honest person. I think you are not stupid!" Liu Yan continued to look at the sky, "Please handle this matter for me. I will take care of the money issue when the time comes." Send it here, the emperor will definitely let you handle this matter in a few days, so don’t be soft-hearted then."
"What do you mean, Your Highness?"
