Chapter 35 This is not my mother

Li Er returned to the palace and sat on a low couch, his expression uncertain. He laughed for a moment, then gritted his teeth for a moment. Empress Consort Changsun came in with a bowl of lotus seed soup, but he didn’t notice. The empress placed the tray on the low table, came behind Li Er, and gently massaged his shoulders and back. Li Er grabbed Changsun’s hand to stop her massage, pulled her in front of him, and said to her, “Guanyin maid, talk about family matters and let me change my mind. It’s really chaotic in the court today.”

Changsun did not ask what had happened in the court. As long as it was about politics, Li Er would not ask if she did not say it.

“My concubine has specially prepared 500 strings of cash today, which I plan to give to Cheng Qian. He and Yun Ye don’t have the money to run the Academy of Diligence, so I can only help them so much. The rest is up to them. Second brother, Yun Ye is probably Cheng Qian’s first friend. The other day, we saw three people messing around in the East Palace, and I felt a little sad for no reason. Cheng Qian has never been as happy as that day, and I can feel it.”

Li Er was a little annoyed. It seemed that as soon as he heard Yun Ye’s name, his brain hurt. He picked up the lotus seed soup that was just the right temperature that night and finished it in two mouthfuls.

“Oh, did I say something inappropriate?” The Empress Dowager wiped the corners of Li Er’s mouth and asked with a smile.

She pulled the Queen’s hand away in a bad mood: “I get a headache every time I hear that kid’s name. You don’t have to prepare any more money for Cheng Qian. They’ve settled it themselves.”

“They solved it themselves, and you approved the money for them in the court?”

“Yes, I did. I gave them more than 20,000 taels of silver.” Li Er thought about it and felt pain in his heart. Four iron plates had taken 4,000 taels of silver from him, not to mention the bets from the ministers. No one would default on a debt. At most, by the day after tomorrow, Yun Ye would have no less than 26,000 taels of copper coins in his hands. What kind of reason is this? I don’t have money to build the palace in my palace. It’s been half a year since it was thrown there in a dilapidated state. This kid used more than 20,000 taels of silver to build a five-acre-sized courtyard?

“Ah! Your Majesty, how could you give the Imperial Household Department so much money? I calculated that 1,000 strings of cash would be enough.” Empress Consort Changsun was shocked.

“Do you think I want to?” Li Er told the empress about what happened in the court today. Empress Changsun covered her chest and let out a sigh, angrily saying, “This is ridiculous! Twenty-six thousand taels of silver! How much can be done with that for the court? How can it be allowed to be squandered by a minor? I will have Yun Ye enter the palace, and give him six thousand taels of silver. The rest will be put into the treasury for other uses. At the very least, the palace will be repaired. Your Majesty, I don’t know, but I don’t have that concern. He is still a minor, and it is precisely the time when I should take care of him.

Looking at the queen’s graceful and graceful back, Li Er’s mood suddenly improved. No matter who had 20,000 taels of silver in the account for no reason, and who had solved a big problem, they would all feel better. The emperor was no exception.

Yun Ye, Li Chengqian, Cheng Chumo, Changsun Chong, and Li Huiren were celebrating with a toast. Changsun Wuji was a happy person, and he had his son bring over two large carts of copper coins, saying that he was willing to lose. Li Xiaogong was also unambiguous, and the same two large carts were piled up in the courtyard like a mountain.

The colleagues at the Ke Wu Academy admired the Marquis like the Yellow River bursting its banks, and the old man with white hair carried ten strings of cash to the treasury without even tripping over the ground. It weighed sixty catties, and it seemed that the saying that money can move the world was true.

The poor and diligent gentleman who served as the accountant’s voice was so loud that it could not be louder, causing idle officials from two neighboring provinces to crane their necks and look inside. Those who knew knew that this was the Ke Wu Yuan, and those who didn’t thought it was the treasury.

Fushun Building, the master has spoken. After finishing today’s work, we will go to Fushun Building one hour early. The entire Kewu Academy will go to Fushun Building, and the master has booked the entire place. Everyone knows what Fushun Building is. It is not a place for ordinary people to go, nor is it a place for low-level officials to go. It is located in the East Market, occupying the prime location at the entrance of the East Market. It is said that the inside is not much worse than the imperial palace, and it is served by high-ranking dignitaries. If it weren’t for the Marquis’s booking, we wouldn’t be able to go in and take a look in our lifetime. We have benefited greatly from the Marquis, and we can brag about it in front of our neighbors for the rest of our lives.

After seeing off Cheng Chumo, Changsun Chong, and Li Huiren, Yun Ye stood in his courtyard waiting for someone. Li Chengqian didn’t understand who he was waiting for, so he asked him, but he didn’t say anything, so he had to stand in the courtyard with him.

The winter afternoon sun shone on his body, making him feel lazy. At this time, the climate in Chang’an was pleasant and moist, not as dry and cold as Xi’an in later generations. The bamboo was still green, the pine trees were still green, and except for the bare tung trees, it was almost impossible to feel that you were in the middle of winter. The fact that it wasn’t cold in winter was not good news for Yun Ye. The locust eggs in the shallow soil would not be frozen to death, which meant that a huge locust plague would arrive in June as promised. The imperial court had made preparations, and if His Majesty was prepared to bear the losses, it was not known whether the people of Guanzhong were prepared for it.

He picked up a branch and dug in the garden, but he didn’t find any locust eggs. He hoped that the historical records were wrong, and that he would rather be ridiculed by others than be a prophet.

Empress Consort Changsun should be here by now. Emperor Li Er has the breadth of mind of a great emperor and would never think of taking advantage of his own wife. It would be strange if the Empress Consort would let him off. Judging from the contact they have had these days, the wise and intelligent empresses in history were all downright landladies, or at least knowledgeable ones. She would never let go of the opportunity to help her husband out of trouble. How much grain can 20,000 strings of cash buy? Yun Ye seemed to hear the voice of the Empress Dowager. Her instinct for converting money was to look at the size of the grain pile. She would not consider how much profit Yun Ye would make if he operated for a year with the 20,000 taels.

This was an era of economic desolation, and people were still basically in the early stages of bartering. It was no joke that ordinary people couldn’t find a penny at home, but the family was quite well-off, with cows, sheep, chickens, and grain. If Yun Ye put down his body to become a businessman, it wouldn’t take long before the former first rich merchant of the Tang Dynasty would become a joke.

“What bad thoughts are you having? You have deceived His Majesty and the ministers, who else do you plan to deceive?” The pleasant voice of Changsun sounded in the back of his head.

“Your Majesty, this is a matter of mutual consent. How can it be called a lie? Besides, I am doing this for the Royal Academy. The Royal Academy has the word “royal” in it, so if you really think about it, Your Majesty and I are on the same side. If the reputation of a liar spreads, who will dare to deal with me?” He quickly argued, “A liar’s reputation is not something to be proud of!”

“It’s true that you can be killed for your heart. You actually dragged His Majesty into the water. As early as when you asked to hang the words “royal” and “imperial,” I felt that something was wrong, but I didn’t know where it was wrong. Now it seems that you are just relying on the cleverness in your seven orifices to do whatever you want. If you don’t give an explanation today, this matter will not pass.” Changsun was about to say that if you don’t give an explanation today, this matter will not pass.

Li Chengqian felt for the first time that he was too far from his mother and Yun Ye. It wasn’t knowledge, definitely not knowledge. He couldn’t say those two words even if he was beaten to death.

“Your Majesty’s kindness is enough to illuminate every corner of our great Tang dynasty. I am eternally grateful. It so happens that I have obtained a batch of things made of copper and filth. Under Your Majesty’s inspiration, I have decided to offer half of them to Your Majesty for the benefit of the people.” Yun Ye looked sincere as if he had truly reformed.

“My mother rules the world, so what is the use of a few pieces of copper?” Changsun didn’t say it all.

Harsh! Yun Ye moaned in his heart. Half is not enough. You can’t make me work for nothing!

“Your Majesty’s broad-mindedness is really embarrassing to me. I have decided to offer you 20,000 strings of cash.” There was no way out. This was Yun Ye’s last line of defense. If he was not satisfied, he was ready to throw a tantrum.

“Alas, you are a sensible child. On account of your sincerity, I will reluctantly accept it, and will spread your kindness to the world on your behalf.” After much consideration, the empress accepted the 20,000 taels that Yun Ye had promised, leaving two accountants behind and returning to the harem.

“Yezi, is this my mother?” Li Chengqian was a little disbelieving.

“Yes, this is the Empress.” Yun Ye casually replied to Li Chengqian.

“My mother is not like this.”

“That’s why I said it was the Queen. Chengqian, you still have a lot to learn!”

“Yes! Yes.”