Changsheng and Datouchou were very worried. You must know that money is never dung, but food and clothing to survive, and military supplies for war. Money is needed to feed the people, and money is also needed to feed the soldiers. Without money, nothing can be done.
If the people have no food to eat, the consequences will be very serious. They can only rebel and they will definitely rebel. No matter how terrible the king's law is, it is not as terrible as starving to death.
Changsheng was the transfer minister and knew where to get money, but after thinking about it, the only ways to get money were the ones Datou mentioned before, either borrowing from Ni Zhuo, fighting and robbing, or digging graves to collect money.
It's a bad idea. These three methods are all bad ideas. Borrowing money from Ni Zhuo can't wipe out his face. Ni Zhuo was forced to leave by the emperor that day. How could he have the nerve to borrow money from others? The most important thing is that he left most of his money when he left. All the family property was left in the Tang Dynasty. As a businessman, it was not easy to do this.
It was also very difficult to send troops to rob. Tongchen had always suffered defeats before, and then the fake emperor ordered him to hold his troops still. Sun Ru had enough time to deploy troops and set up defenses. At this time, attacking Jianghuai would be twice the result with half the effort.
Stealing the tombs of former dynasties? No, absolutely not. Not to mention Taoist priests, even ordinary people know that digging graves greatly damages one's moral character. The objects buried with them are all Yin objects. It is ominous to take them, and it is even more ominous to use them.
Seeing that Changsheng was helpless and worried, Datou couldn't bear it and said, "My lord, you don't have to worry too much. As the saying goes, there are still three pounds of nails in a broken ship. In addition to the scattered properties of the Ni family in various states and counties, we still have in our hands Some money, a few houses in Chang'an, and a ship on the sea. You asked me to find someone to secretly build a big ship. This money can also be saved. I just made a rough calculation, it's ten million taels. You should be able to get it together.”
Chang Sheng did not answer. Ten million taels is undoubtedly a huge sum of money for a certain person or a certain yamen, but for a country with a population of more than 70 million and which is building troops to fight, this amount of money is undoubtedly a drop in the bucket. .
Datou thought for a while and then said, "Your Majesty, the emperor is responsible for the trouble. He cannot be treated like a normal person. When Song Cai and the others left, didn't you give 10 million taels to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and ask the emperor to take care of this?" Spit out the money.”
"Do you think Zhu Quanzhong can keep this money in the Ministry of Internal Affairs?" Changsheng smiled bitterly and shook his head, "Earlier, I read the official documents from three provinces and six ministries. More than 10 million taels from the Ministry of Internal Affairs were also shipped to Luoyang."
Hearing Changsheng's words, Datou was very angry, "Are these officials wearing chamber pots on their necks? After all the money has been taken away, will they drink from the northwest wind in the future?"
"Who dares to disobey the emperor's decree?" Changsheng shook his head and said, "How could they know that the emperor is a fake emperor?"
"Oh, you're so angry at me," Datou stomped his feet angrily, "I'm just wiping my ass when someone poops. This is so fucking annoying."
"Okay, stop talking. Why didn't I see you angry when I made you the general?" Changsheng could only smile bitterly.
Hearing Changsheng's words, the resentment in Datou's heart subsided a little. After thinking about it carefully, the emperor was still very good to them. He promoted them to higher ranks and promoted them one after another. Now that the court is in trouble, they should share the emperor's worries.
While the two were talking, Yu Yi hurriedly returned and solemnly thanked Changsheng, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
"I don't know anything." Changsheng turned around and stepped forward.
Datou and Yu Yi followed, and Datou asked curiously, "How many have been killed?"
"One." Yu Yiyi was expressionless.
"It's not like a family doesn't come into the same house, this old immortal..."
Before Da Tou could finish speaking, Chang Sheng turned back and glanced at him. He supported Yu Yi in taking revenge, but did not agree with Yu Yi's anger on innocent people.
Datou naturally knew why Changsheng was looking at him, so he hurriedly shut up, tilted his head, and looked away.
When the three of them went to the back hall, the lights in the hall were still on. In addition to Liu Tianlin's guards, Yang Kai and Shi Xuanming were also guarding outside the hall.
What Ling Changsheng didn't expect was that Eunuch Zhou was also standing outside the palace. Due to the cold spring night, Eunuch Zhou was shivering from the cold.
Seeing Chang Sheng enter the courtyard, Eunuch Zhou hurriedly trotted up to greet him. He knew that Datou and others were Chang Sheng's confidants, and he never shunned them. When he got close, he bowed his hands and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for protecting me. Thank you, Your Majesty, for keeping me safe."
Changsheng didn't answer or stop, he just turned his head and looked away, hinting to Eunuch Zhou that there were many people here and there was no need to show too close to him.
Eunuch Zhou understood immediately and raised his voice and said, "Your Majesty, the Emperor has been waiting for you."
"How is the emperor's spirit?" Changsheng asked casually.
"It's not good," Eunuch Zhou shook his head and said, "I'm in a daze most of the time. I have convulsions and sweating profusely from time to time."
Changsheng nodded. The emperor was imprisoned for more than a month. Every day he was in danger and tortured. Not to mention the emperor who was always pampered and pampered, even a warrior in the martial arts world would be trembling with fear and fear after suffering such an ordeal.
Da Tou was short, and when Eunuch Zhou was walking beside him, the whisk on his elbow swept over his head and face. Da Tou often cleaned Chang Sheng's room and had seen the whisk in his bag. He saw that Eunuch Zhou's whisk was not very similar to Chang Sheng's whisk. Same, so he pulled Chen Wei and looked at it curiously.
The whisk used by eunuchs has a shorter tail and is more like a folk feather duster. It is part of the royal rituals. Moreover, not all eunuchs hold whisks. Only the chief eunuch who accompanies the king is qualified to hold it.
When he arrived at the steps of the back hall, Liu Tianlin also came over. Like Eunuch Zhou, he also came to express his gratitude. The emperor was transferred to the subcontract for a whole month. He, the commander of the Yulin Army, didn't notice it. Fortunately, Changsheng had sent him to rescue him before. The emperor gave him a chance to help him in times of need. If not, the emperor would definitely blame him afterwards.
Liu Tianlin's attitude towards Chang Sheng was extremely humble. As the saying goes, people must ask for something if they are polite. Although Liu Tianlin did not say it explicitly, Chang Sheng knew that he hoped that he would not mention the incident when they blocked Zhang Shan from outside the palace gate. Zhang Shan came to rescue him thousands of miles away, but he was They blocked the door. If the emperor knew about this, none of them would have an easy time.
Liu Tianlin did not explain clearly, and Changsheng did not take the initiative to express his position. In fact, he had some prejudices against Liu Tianlin, because when he was still in Chang'an that day, Eunuch Zhou went to declare the king's decree and told him privately that the emperor had thrown a memorial to Liu Tianlin. On his face, according to Eunuch Zhou, what the emperor said that day was, 'Don't brag anymore. If he intends to rebel, can you stop him? 'This shows that Liu Tianlin once suspected that he had disobedient intentions.
While Chang Sheng was talking to Liu Tianlin, Eunuch Zhou stepped forward to open the door and announced softly, "Your Majesty, Prince Yong is here."
"Please." The emperor's voice came from the palace.
After hearing the emperor's words, Changsheng nodded to Liu Tianlin and then followed Eunuch Zhou into the back hall.
The lights in the palace were brightly lit. The emperor did not lie down, but sat on the bed wrapped in quilt. Two young eunuchs stood at the door of the inner room, not daring to breathe. They were all sweating profusely due to excessive tension.
The emperor's eyes had always been blurry. After seeing Changsheng, he became a little brighter. Before Changsheng came closer, he ordered to give him a seat.
It was obvious that the emperor had a lot to say to Changsheng, but when Changsheng sat across from him, he hesitated and hesitated.
Changsheng can guess what the emperor is thinking. The emperor survived the disaster and is still frightened. He desperately wants to talk to others and seek comfort. However, as the emperor, he is the ruler of the world and the most respected one. If he shows his vulnerability in front of his ministers, it will be a big loss. majesty.
Knowing the emperor's concerns, Changsheng took the initiative to speak, "The escort arrived late, which frightened the emperor. Fortunately, the emperor is the destined emperor, and he has the blessing of auspicious stars. If there is any danger, he will be lucky."
After Chang Sheng spoke, the emperor didn't know how to answer, but he eagerly ordered Eunuch Zhou to serve tea to Chang Sheng.
Changsheng said again, "Zhenzhen Zhang is a master of Xuanmen and is proficient in the art of Yin and Yang. Previously, I had talked to Zhenzhen Zhang about the dark clouds covering the sun. According to Zhenzhen Zhang, the emperor is an eternal wise king and a god-given saint. But we are destined to have this calamity. As the saying goes, if you don’t enter the Nine Netherworlds, it is difficult to ascend to the heavenly palace and the sky. Now that the emperor has passed the calamity, he will surely be able to achieve peace and prosperity in the future."
Hearing Changsheng's words, the emperor's eyes sparkled, "Zhang Zhenren really said this?"
The purpose of immortality is to comfort and encourage, but what he said is not true. In fact, what Zhang Shan said was to do his best and obey fate. However, at this time, the emperor's energy was frustrated and he had no confidence. He must be cheered up and rekindled with fighting spirit.
"Seriously," Changsheng nodded and said, "Zhenzhen Zhang is a divine figure. He knew that the emperor was in trouble just by observing the sky at night. Unlike the stupid ministers, he only knew that the emperor was in danger after being reminded by the goddess of the earthly branches."
Changsheng's words are naturally not true. In fact, Zhang Shan came back to collect rice and grain for the military this time, and he came back to rescue the veterans from the Western Regions. The talk of observing the sky at night and the reminder from the goddess are all nonsense, but Unable to resist their good fortune, the two of them hurried back in a hurry and actually saved the emperor.
"With the protection of heaven and earth, and the protection of the gods, the two beloved ministers have been entrusted by the gods to rush to the capital to protect King Qin. If they had not arrived in time, I would not have survived." The emperor was so scared for his life.
"The emperor is auspicious and blessed by the gods." Longevity does not require credit.
The emperor was still in shock and his thoughts were unclear. Changsheng turned his back on the guest and said again, "To report to the emperor, the ungrateful villain stubbornly resisted and refused to confess. In anger, Datou and Yu Yi used severe torture, including burning, skinning, and cramping. , I never thought that the villain could not bear the pain and the punishment, but his liver and gallbladder were split and he died miserably in prison."
There are three realms of speaking: talking to oneself, being incoherent, not conveying the meaning, and even being unable to express one's own thoughts accurately.
Precise expressions, clear enunciation, concise and concise ideas, and the ability to express one's ideas clearly and clearly.
The highest state of speaking is that every word you say is what the other person wants to hear. It is not easy to do this, because only by knowing what the other person wants to hear can you target what they want to hear.
Chang Sheng's words reached the highest level. The fake emperor pretended to be the emperor and stole everything that should belong to the emperor, including the concubines in the harem. The anger in the emperor's heart can be imagined. The emperor must be made aware of the torture that the fake emperor received before his death. Extremely cruel torture, even the guy who caused the trouble was cut off. Only in this way can the emperor relieve his anger, and the innocent concubines and palace personnel imprisoned in the prison can survive.
As expected, after hearing Changsheng's words, the emperor let out a sigh of relief and said, "Very good, these treacherous and evil thieves deserve to die."
After the emperor finished speaking, Changsheng immediately struck while the iron was hot, "Your Majesty, that evil thief has blasphemed the power of heaven and defiled the palace. The humble minister boldly suggested that before the news was leaked, behead all the concubines and those in the palace, so as to cover up people's ears and stop talking. .”
"That's fine." The emperor nodded.
Seeing that the emperor nodded in agreement, Changsheng was stunned. His original intention was to take care of the bad guys himself and leave the good guys to the emperor. He proposed to kill them all and let the emperor be a good person and take a step back to show his magnanimity. , never thought that the emperor did not pardon everyone as he expected, but agreed to kill all the concubines and palace residents.
How does this end? Whether the emperor was blinded by anger, or whether he was distracted and confused, what he just said was very clear. In order to cover up people's ears and stop talking, the emperor should know that killing those people at this time will not help, because the matter has already happened Word spread.
The suggestions he made cannot be overturned casually. Now that the matter has come to this, Changsheng can only bite the bullet and continue. Then he puts down the tea cup and stands up. "It is not too late. The sooner the better. This matter should not be left in the hands of the imperial guards. By the way, Wei Chen personally led the people..."
This time he made the right bet on longevity. The emperor was not willing to let him go at this time. He waved his hands hurriedly and said, "Forget it, let them go. This matter is already known to both the government and the public. What's the use of killing them? It's just self-deception." .”
Hearing the emperor's words, Changsheng was relieved, but he had to pretend to be angry, "The emperor is a model of compassion and kindness for us, but these people must not live among the people. They should be moved out of the palace immediately, ordered to become monks and nuns, and banned from entering the temple to chant." Pray to the Buddha to express gratitude to the Emperor for his heavenly kindness and to eliminate your own sins."
"It's accurate." The emperor nodded in agreement.
"The Emperor is the True Dragon Emperor. It is blasphemy for these unclean people to stay in the palace for a moment longer." Changsheng walked out of the inner chamber, passed through the outer chamber and out of the back hall, and ordered Yu Yi and Shi Xuanming to lead the Yulin Army to capture the concubines in the prison overnight. The palace guards escorted him out of the city and sent him to a temple to be ordained and become a monk.
Yu Yi and Shi Xuanming vaguely guessed that Changsheng's move was to protect the concubines and palace people, but they still had a lot of criticism about Changsheng's move. The reason was also very simple. Changsheng himself was a Taoist priest, but he stuffed these hot potatoes into Buddhism. , who are these people? Apart from the concubines, they are maids-in-waiting, and most of them are eunuchs.
"Put them under centralized care, and the Ministry of Household Affairs will allocate money to support them. All of them will not be allowed to leave the temple for life. Anyone who violates the rules will be beheaded and imprisoned." Changsheng deliberately spoke loudly, not to claim credit from the emperor, but to reassure the emperor. This matter was a blow to the emperor. It's too big. If the emperor is worried about these people, don't drag them out and kill them on a whim.
After the order, Changsheng returned to the back hall. At this time, the emperor was exhausted and drowsy. Seeing this, Changsheng said seriously, "The emperor can rest in peace. The lack of money and food in the household department will be left to the ministers to find a solution. You don't need to be distracted." .”
Changsheng's words made the emperor perk up, "Is there anything you can think of?"
"As long as the emperor is at peace, I will have peace of mind. It's getting late. The emperor should rest early." Changsheng drank the tea that he had not drank in one gulp, thanked him for the tea, and then bowed to leave.
The emperor was very moved but speechless. He was really tired, so he asked Eunuch Zhou to escort Changsheng out of the palace.
Eunuch Zhou stood by while Changsheng was talking to the emperor. He had not had much contact with Changsheng before, and he didn't know how powerful Changsheng was until today. He has been with the king for many years and has met countless officials. Changsheng is the only one who combines loyalty, wisdom and courage, the courage to take on responsibilities, and the ability to flatter everyone.
Changsheng walked out of the back hall, and Liu Tianlin immediately came to greet him. He had profound cultivation and clear ears and eyes. He heard clearly the previous conversation between Changsheng and the emperor. Changsheng never mentioned that Zhang Shan was blocked from outside the palace gate, which was tantamount to gangsterism. He covered it up.
"Your Majesty, you are tired, please go to the Forbidden Army Office to take a rest." Liu Tianlin said harmoniously.
"Thank you, General Liu. This action is against the regulations," Changsheng waved his hand and said, "Since I return to the palace, the emperor's safety will be left to you."
Liu Tianlin talked about his duties, and then watched Chang Sheng strode away with Da Tou and Yang Kai.
Datou also heard Chang Sheng's previous conversation with the emperor, and when he left the back hall, he asked eagerly, "My lord, you have such a big job, you don't need to worry about it, where can we get money?"
"Even if I don't take care of everything, this matter won't fall on anyone else. Besides, if you let him worry about it, what can he do?" Chang Sheng smiled bitterly.
"The key is where can we get the money?" Datou asked.
"Just do as you said before." Changsheng sighed.
"I mentioned three methods before, which one are you referring to?" Datou was puzzled.
Changsheng did not answer the call.
"Borrow?" Big Head asked.
Chang Sheng shook his head.
"Robbing?" Datou asked again.
Chang Sheng shook his head.
"Dig?" Datou asked again.
Changsheng nodded...
