lady, please calm down

".Miao Chuan, Miao Chuan! That Concubine Cai is knowledgeable and courteous, and treats us with great respect. She is definitely not the vicious person she is rumored to be!"

"Yes, yes, yes. Although Sihai Trading Company will take the lion's share of the joint venture plan proposed by Concubine Cai, Her Majesty also promised to help us transform the looms and improve efficiency. With this calculation, we are not losing out!"

"That's right! People in the world have many misunderstandings about Concubine Cai. When we meet today, we realize that three people can become tigers, and a lot of talk can be used to make money! Concubine Cai is a good person!"

In the evening, Jiangning government office.

Luo Ruji looked at the group of gentry below who were praising Cai, and felt it was ridiculous that Cai had clearly taken 50% of the profits of each of their businesses, but everyone acted as if they had received great benefits for nothing.

This was the effect Cai wanted to achieve when he beheaded Jian Shao and others in front of the post house this morning and afternoon. Although rough, it was also the most direct and effective. Huang Gongliu and others were really frightened.

Before they entered the post house today, they didn't even know if they could come out with their faces fully clothed. Unexpectedly, Empress Cai, the 'knowledge book and gift' queen, only wanted a 50% profit share!

At this time, the scene where everyone was almost celebrating was more like a celebration of the survivors.

In order not to make myself look too cowardly, praising Lady Cai to show that I was impressed by the other party's magnanimity rather than surrendering out of fear became a fig leaf for 'respectability'.

Luo Ruji called the other party over. Firstly, he wanted to find out the attitude of the gentry towards the Cai family. Secondly, he wanted to see if he could form an alliance of interests with them to advance and retreat together. Now it seemed that it was no longer possible, and he couldn't help but feel waned.

Not long after, Luo Ruji sent away all the gentry and went to the back hall.

Sang Yanting and Zheng Huaihan who were waiting here heard the previous conversation clearly. Luo Ruji sat quietly for a moment and suddenly sighed, "Two adults, what is the current situation?"

Luo Ruji was responsible for the peace negotiation, but the King of Jin did not even give him a chance to meet him. If the latter was given a few days to prepare his troops before continuing southward, his peace negotiation mission would be over. How would he explain what he would do when he returned to the court in the future?

Sang Yanting sighed for a while, but said nothing useful. The court had nothing to do with King Jin, what could he do as a prefect? Peace negotiation is not his profession.

On the contrary, Zheng Huaihan thought for a moment and then whispered: "Master Luo, is the situation at hand not necessarily a good thing?"

"Oh? Tell me what Sizhao has to teach me."

Luo Ruji quickly addressed the other party by her first name. Zheng Huaihan cupped his hand and whispered: "Master Luo, Meng Chang bribed Concubine Xing!"

"Mengchang bribed a lucky concubine?" Luo Ruji repeated in a low voice, seeming to have some understanding, and hurriedly said: "Sizhao, keep talking."

During the Warring States Period, Lord Mengchang of Qi State was imprisoned by King Zhao of Qin. In order to escape, he ordered his retainers to steal a white fox fur, and bribed King Zhao's favorite concubine Xing Ji to intercede for him.

This is the origin of the idiom "cocks crow and dogs robber". After all, Luo Ruji was an official with imperial examination background, so there was no need for Zheng Huaihan to explain this allusion to him.

But what Zheng Huaihan said was not about cock-crowding and dog-robbery, but about a 'bribery'. A powerful man like the King of Jin who dominated the world would naturally not change his established strategic goals just because of a little wealth, but what about the people around him? Furthermore, , everyone knows that the biggest shortcoming of this young hero is his "womanizing". If Cai, who is deeply favored by him, speaks for Lin'an, it might be really useful!
Sure enough, Zheng Huaihan said as soon as he opened his mouth: "This Cai family was born in a small official's family. Although his father has become a country's prime minister, it is still difficult for him to change his nature of making money. The lower officials have heard about it for a long time. When he was in Huaibei, Cai family often abandoned his family. She shows her face and engages in business. This time, as soon as she came to Jiangning, she couldn't wait to get involved in the law to seize the profits of Huang Gongliu and others. It shows that she is very greedy for money. In this case, Mr. Luo might as well do what he likes! "

Zheng Huaihan and others really couldn't understand the idea of ​​doing business in public. After all, Cai was already a concubine of the palace, so would she be short of food and clothing?

Therefore, the only explanation is greed for money.

This impression is naturally derived from a superficial understanding based on the collection of various one-sided and exaggerated gossips circulating in the world.

Cai Sanniang is extremely cautious. She has been running back and forth for many years regardless of the hard work, and more importantly, she realizes her self-worth. If she was the only woman in the palace, maybe she could calm down and support her husband and raise her children.

But the actual situation is not like this. The proud and arrogant Third Lady will not be willing to be a vase, or to be an ordinary one among the royal family members.

She just wants to make herself better than the sisters next to her, so the struggle with a lower intensity cannot satisfy her. What she wants is to use the world as a stage and accompany her men everywhere.

This kind of thinking can be called deviant at the moment. Zheng Huaihan couldn't see through Cai Sanniang's inner thoughts, so his understanding of her was naturally greatly skewed.

Sang Yanting thought Zheng Huaihan's plan was very good, but he immediately became vigilant and dissatisfied, thinking to himself: You are the only one who has many things to do!

Luo Ruji, who was worried because he couldn't start the peace negotiation, also felt that this plan was feasible. He couldn't help but get up and pace back and forth to think about it. After a while, he suddenly stopped and looked back at Sang Yanting, "Sir Sang, I think this plan can be tried. , what do you think?”

"But then, let's give it a try."

Shangguan said, "You can give it a try," so what could he say, but his uneasiness became more and more serious.

As expected, Luo Ruji sighed with emotion and pointed out something: "The military situation is changing day by day. It is too late to ask for instructions from Your Majesty and Prime Minister Qin. When I come to An, I will travel lightly and simply. If I implement this plan, please give me your support, Lord Sang!"

Why are you afraid? Sang Yanting felt angry, blaming Zheng Huaihan for talking too much. After all, Cai was the daughter of the prime minister and a concubine of the royal palace. She was not a village woman who had never seen the world. Even 30,000 to 50,000 taels might not be able to move her heart!

Now that it's all right, Mr. Luo just wanted him, the prefect, to pay for this money by saying, "It's easy to take care of people."
The superior officer had already called his name, and Sang Yanting could no longer pretend to be stupid, so he said with a loyal face: "Master Luo, when the country has something to do, I should do my best! Over the years, I have saved seven hundred yuan in salary. Sixty-two taels, I'll let my wife pawn a few more pieces of jewelry to make up for 800 taels!"

8. Eight hundred taels?
You use eight hundred taels to bribe a royal concubine?
Are you stupid, or is she stupid?

"Master Sang!" Luo Ruji was displeased and lectured: "This money is not for you to take, but for Master Sang to subvert. When the peace is concluded, I will go to the emperor and ask the Ministry of Revenue to allocate funds to compensate you!"

Hey, do you really think I'm stupid?
By the time you get it on the table, the Ministry of Household Affairs is wrangling over funding, and it will take a year and a half to complete just one set of procedures.

Even if the Ministry of Household Affairs can really allocate funds, how many cents will be left if you touch one on the left and cut off on the other?
Moreover, you also added a precondition of 'waiting for peace to be negotiated'.

What if the peace negotiation fails?

Treat me as a charity!

"Lord Luo, your loyalty to the imperial court is evident! But after serving as an official for seventeen years, you have earned a reputation as an 'incorruptible' official. Eight hundred taels is the limit, and you can't get any more!"

Sang Yanting killed the wealthy Zhou official who had no money. No one else knew about it, and he, Luo Ruji, didn't know?
Three years as a clean magistrate and a hundred thousand silver coins are not just talked about in private.

Besides, this Jiangning Mansion is a prosperous place in the world second only to Lin'an and Tokyo. You, Sang Yanting, are so poor!
Seeing that Sang Yanting was not getting enough oil and salt, Luo Ruji couldn't help but coldly ordered: "A big change is coming, national affairs are the most important thing! Mr. Sang summoned all the officials in Jiangning and apportioned them according to their grades. Within two days, they must collect 500,000 silver, Hundreds of fine clouds and brocades, and thirty sets of exquisite heads and faces!”

"grown ups!"

In such a situation, if you still dare to force the apportionment, aren't you afraid of provoking the whole Jiangning government to completely turn to the Anfeng Dynasty?

The angry Sang Yanting almost said these words, but in the end, Sang Yanting, who was still on the sidelines, swallowed the words and only glared at Zheng Huaihan angrily.

Look, it's all your fault. Now, all the officials in the government have to be cut off!

Unexpectedly, Zheng Huaihan did not look guilty at all for having done something wrong. Instead, he bowed to Luo Ruji and Sang Yanting one after another and said with a smile: "My two lords, we are officials thousands of miles away from home, which is very hard. We should sympathize with each other. Officials are poor, but Mr. Huang and others are well-off. Since they are sensible and gave up more than 50% of the profits of the spinning mill to form a joint venture with Concubine Cai, it is reasonable for us to ask them to lend us some money, right?"

Luo Ruji and Sang Yanting turned to look at Zheng Huaihan at the same time. Hey, thanks to Mr. Zheng's reminder, how could they forget this group of people!

Luo and Sang quickly looked at each other, and the tense atmosphere immediately dissipated. Sang Yanting stroked his beard and said: "Huang Gong and others are all loyal to the country, and we should give them a chance to show off. I'd like to ask Zheng Sir, please go and tell them that this is a service for the country, and the funds allocated by the Ministry of Household Affairs will be repaid to them in the future."

"Yes." Zheng Huaihan accepted the order. After taking a few steps, Luo Ruji said again: "Ahem, Mr. Zheng, remember the total number clearly and make sure there is no mistake. 800,000 pieces of silver, 300 pieces of cloud brocade, and five pieces for women." "Ten pairs"

Ok?
Just after such a while, the price increased?

However, Zheng Huaihan didn't seem to be surprised at all by this. He only smiled and said: "I have clearly remembered it, one million pieces of silver, five hundred pieces of brocade, and one hundred sets of heads and faces."

Anyway, they don’t need to pay for it themselves. If they do more, the chance of convincing Cai will be greater. They are all contributing to the country. Even if they don’t need so much, the few of us who are busy working on this matter can do it ourselves. Is it okay to drop some money for shoes and tea?

There are so many wealthy families in Jiangning, and it would be enough if each family contributed about 80,000 yuan.

Seeing that Zheng Huaihan was so righteous, Luo Ruji couldn't help but nodded in approval and said: "Master Zheng, just go ahead and do it, but pay attention to your attitude, explain the truth clearly to all the members, and avoid causing trouble."

"Yes, please keep this in mind."

During the handover of Jiangning city defense, Sang Yanting, Zheng Huaihan and other Jiangning officials performed well. In order to ensure order in the city, the King of Jin reserved quasi-armed forces such as government servants and policemen for the government office, which allowed the government government to maintain a certain degree of deterrence. force.

Therefore, when Zheng Huaihan came forward to raise money, even though the wealthy Jiangning residents grumbled and complained privately, they were generally cooperative.

After all, a million dollars is spread evenly among dozens of families, which is really not a lot.

In this situation of great change, it is worth paying this price to keep your family safe and your property intact.

On the 21st, it was afternoon.

Zheng Huaihan visited King Jin again, but just like last time, King Jin was not in the city, so he asked to see Concubine Cai instead.

Cai Hua seemed to have just woken up from a nap, with the light pink blush from waking up from a nap still on her face. Her natural charm and lazy demeanor made people dare not look directly at her.

"., in the Mid-Autumn event, all the culprits have been killed, and the chickens and dogs in the south and north of the Yangtze River have heard of each other. At this time, turning the war into jade and silk is the hope of all the people. It can not only appease the people's hearts, but also complete the name of the Jin King's benevolence, righteousness and love for the people."

Zheng Huaihan lowered his eyebrows and said a lot, but Cai Hua, who was sitting at the head of the table, covered her mouth and yawned, lazily saying: "Master Zheng, why did you come here to tell me this? I'm a woman and don't know what to say." Understand this."

"Madam, when the gentry in our residence met with my wife yesterday, they all said that she is a virtuous woman. If she can persuade the King of Jin to withdraw his troops, the 500,000 officials and people of our residence will be deeply grateful to my wife for her great kindness."

Speaking of this, Zheng Huaihan's eyes briefly paused on Ru'er and then quickly looked away.

Naturally, Cai Hua noticed this deliberately staged expression, but she heard her say: "If you have anything to say, just say it, no problem."

Zheng Huaihan then carefully took out a bunch of objects from his arms, bowed and presented them with both hands, and said in a low voice: "Please Madam, please persuade the King of Jin to withdraw his troops. Please give me a few things to show my respect."

Cai Hua gave a faint look, and Ru'er stepped forward to pick it up and presented it to the former.

This is a gift list. 'Seventy thousand taels of gold, five hundred pieces of cloud brocade, and hundreds of palace-made heads and masks.'

That is to say, in a top city like Jiangning, wealthy merchants had the habit of carrying gold when bartering for large amounts, so they could find so much gold in less than two days.

Cai Hua held the gift list, raised her charming eyes, and showed a charming smile.

Zheng Huaihan naturally hoped that Mr. Cai would open his eyes at the sight of Qian, as he did now, but he was momentarily distracted by this smile. He quickly retracted his gaze, lowered his head, and regained his composure.

Unexpectedly, Cai Hua suddenly asked with a smile: "At the current official price, seventy thousand gold should be worth one million taels of silver, right?"

"Back to Madam, the official price of gold and silver is 1:14, and 70,000 gold can be exchanged for 980,000 taels of silver."

"In that case, Master Zheng, please exchange the silver and give it to me."

"."

Zheng Huaihan couldn't help but hesitate. The official price of gold and silver was indeed one to fourteen, but at this price, it couldn't be exchanged for silver.

For private banks, the normal exchange ratio has been stable at around one to ten in recent years. Seventy thousand gold. Naturally, it was the result of his discussion with Luo Ruji and Sang Yanting. If Cai agreed, he could save three hundred thousand taels of silver, and everyone could share the profit.

"Madam, you also know that after the war in Jiangning, it is not easy to raise this gold. If madam can help the two countries eliminate the war, we will express our gratitude afterwards!"

Seventy thousand gold is quite a lot, and Zheng Huaihan wants to fight for it again.

But who is Cai Hua?

Will she believe the 'thanks later' pie?

After all, even the puppy she treated with all her heart and soul was different before and after. Where did you, Jiangning Mansion, get rotten sweet potatoes and stinky bird eggs to coax me?

I saw Cai Hua slowly putting the gift list on the table, sighing softly: "I want to help you, but you Jiangning Mansion needs to know that I am not the only one to receive this money. There are many counselors and counselors under my prince. , if we do not distinguish between Run and them, I alone cannot persuade the King of Jin to withdraw his troops."

Zheng Huaihan couldn't tell for a moment whether Cai was greedy and took the opportunity to raise the price, or whether he really needed to take care of King Jin's subordinates.

After all, the latter situation is indeed very consistent with the situation of the Zhou army.

"lady."

Zheng Huaihan wanted to say more, but Cai Hua directly stretched out a slender finger and said generously: "One hundred thousand gold, if you pay one hundred thousand gold, I will help you negotiate the deal, and I will take care of the rest by myself."

"."

Zheng Huaihan even lost his mind again. No, this is a bribe after all. As the bribe-receiver, don't you show any restraint?
Just say the amount of bribe demanded directly?
Really greedy for money!

Moreover, this amount was too precise, it took all the money he had worked hard to raise for a day and a half!

After a brief inner war between heaven and man, Zheng Huaihan decided to admit defeat. After all, getting the King of Jin to withdraw his troops was more important than retaining the silver.

As long as he solves this big trouble for Mr. Luo, he is equivalent to joining the line of Qin Prime Minister. Here, he takes this opportunity to have a relationship with Qi State Prime Minister Cai. No matter who is in the world in Qi and Zhou in the future, he Zheng Huaihan can be considered as one of the two. Xiangzhixin.

"Okay! The foreign minister can raise enough money by selling everything!"

"Hehe, since Mr. Zheng is sincere, I will naturally not let Mr. Luo down."

Cai Hua directly pointed out the person behind Zheng Huaihan. Anyway, the two sides reached a consensus after bargaining. Zheng Huaihan once again took out a stack of bills and a small copper plate from his arms and presented them respectively.

He also explained: "This is a bill for 70,000 gold. I will order someone to deliver the remaining 30,000 gold later. Madam can order someone to deliver it at Xinyi Gold and Silver Shop in the north of the city at any time. This small copper plate is a ship There is a merchant ship parked in Shitoujin, and Yun Jin and Tou Mian are all in the ship. Madam ordered someone to hold the ship license, and the merchant ship can be used by Madam to deliver the goods to any place designated by Madam."

Finally, the considerate Zheng Huaihan kindly reminded: "It will take dozens of large vehicles to transport one hundred thousand gold on the ship. To avoid enforcing the population, it is best for Madam to wait until the night curfew before leaving the city."

During the curfew, ordinary people would definitely not be able to take a convoy of dozens of ox carts out of the city, but Zheng Huaihan felt that Cai could definitely do it.

"Thank you Master Zheng for reminding~"

At this point, the private deal between the two parties seems to have been completed.

Zheng Huaihan didn't even consider the possibility of Cai Hua not performing the contract.

First of all, meeting today convinced him that Cai Hua is a greedy person. As long as he is given enough wealth, he would not dare to do it?
Secondly, as long as Cai Hua accepts the money, they will have something against her!
She is not afraid of Jiangning officials, but is she not afraid of Qi officials joining her to ask for bribes in military matters?

If she dares not to do something, Jiangning Mansion can definitely publicize the matter and kill the fish!

In the evening, Cai Hua took people to Shitoujin to accept the merchant ships docked here.

When Ruer saw the Yun brocade piled up in the cabin, she couldn't help but cover her mouth in surprise. Jiangning Yun brocade is the first of the four famous brocades in the world. It was a royal tribute since Zhou Dynasty established the country.

After Ding Wei, there was a confrontation between the north and the south of Qi and Zhou. Qi had no such good things and had to rely on leaking ships to transport a small amount to Qi.

So much so that a piece of fabric that costs forty or fifty taels a piece locally can be sold for more than a hundred taels in Huaibei.

The princess always pays attention to simplicity in running the house. Even if she can afford to wear such expensive materials, she is not allowed to wear them open. She only makes two or three spring and summer clothes for the family.

Women, by nature, are not very resistant to such delicate and beautiful things.

Ru'er groped carefully for a long time, then she smiled flatteringly at Cai Hua and said, "Sister, please give me a few feet, please."

Cai Hua looked at her charmingly and scolded: "Look at your worthless appearance. How many feet are you still standing? Don't you even have the courage to ask for a horse?"

"Hahaha, that servant dared to ask for one."

"Well. When you go north with the ship tonight, pick out some Yunjin. When you get home, send thirty pieces to the princess. Yunong, Ayu, and Jiarou each send five pieces. Oh, by the way, give them to Tie. Courage also counts."

After hearing this, Ru'er wrinkled her nose and said dissatisfied: "Sanniang, you are still thinking about Ayu and Jiarou. Have you forgotten how they were jumping up and down when the phase was vacant some time ago?"

"Hey! It's getting more and more unruly. Are you the one who yelled at Ayu and Jiarou?"

Cai Hua stretched out her hand to twist Ru'er's ears. The latter had been with her for many years and was familiar with the habits of the third lady, so she dodges smartly.

Cai Hua's hand stretched out, then twisted into a slap, hitting Ru'er on the shoulder gently or hard, and said: "Watch your mouth, remember to call me empress! If you are slippery at home and call her, Their maiden names, the princess punishes you to kneel down and I won’t beg for mercy!”

"Hey, slave, don't worry. I'm just aggrieved for the third lady! In terms of merit and qualifications, Chen Jinglue is not as good as the master, but the lady in Rouzhiyuan wants to jump out and fight."

"What you are saying is that he is her father! My father is the father, but other people's father is not the father? We are all married daughters. Who doesn't want his father and brother to be blessed by the husband's family? Who doesn't want to make his parents' family proud of him?"

When it comes to mouth, Ru'er can't compete with Cai Hua. Ru'er just said aggrievedly: "Sister, you only think about others."

"What does it mean to only think about others? It's called saving others by oneself. No matter what, we have entered a family and we are a family. How can I still kill them like outsiders?"

"Pfft. Hahaha."

Ru'er laughed out loud at Cai Hua's last sentence, but Cai Hua looked at the heads and faces carefully, picked out some and said: "I have marked these four pairs of jewelry. You can give them to each one when you get home. Ran'er, Rao'er and the other little girls, please send the rest of the ingredients and noodles to the four major banks for storage."

"Yeah! Send them all to the four major banks? Isn't it enough to have one hundred thousand gold?"

Ru'er looked around, seeing all the good things that were ineffective and sparkling with luxury. She felt heartbroken when she heard that they were going to be confiscated.

Cai Hua rolled her eyes, "We can just take a little to satisfy our cravings. Are you really planning to let everyone in our family take it?"

"Originally, the prince and the third wife earned it for our family. Our family has taken it, and no one else can tell what happened!"

Since ancient times, it is not surprising that Ru'er has this understanding.

Cai Hua was too lazy to explain so much and just said: "Just do whatever you are told. The four major banks are still waiting for the reserve funds to issue new cargo invoices!"

"Oh" Ru'er, who was in a good mood because she got a good piece of fabric today, talked more and was more courageous than usual. She couldn't help but asked carefully, "Sanniang, why don't you keep all these? Is it because you're afraid?" Will the prince scold you when he finds out?"

"嘁~"

Cai Hua first expressed her disdain for Ru'er, and then said: "You know better. When have you ever seen him scold me in all these years? I just don't want the moral gentlemen in the court to use this to cause trouble for him."

As expected, Zheng Huaihan met Cai on the afternoon of the 21st and offered his "sincerity". That night, Cai couldn't wait to transport one hundred thousand taels of gold out of the city.

With the money taken away, my heart feels at ease.

Luo Ruji, on his side, has begun to draft a memorial. He tells how difficult the situation was and how he used reason and emotion to persuade the King of Jin to withdraw his troops.

At present, the main force that the Lin'an Dynasty can mobilize is firmly restrained by Jiang Huaixiong on Jinghu Road. If Luo Ruji can use his sharp tongue to make the King of Jin retreat, he will be able to turn the tide and support the generals of Sheji. God's work!

After returning, it is possible to be promoted or even knighted.

If he can surpass Wan Qixi, Luo Ruji will be proud and proud!
Prime Minister Qin, Your Majesty, let’s see who is the capable minister with both ability and political integrity!

Under such circumstances, Luo Ruji waited peacefully for three or four days.
On the morning of August 25th, Luo Ruji and Sang Yanting had breakfast in the government office as usual.

Because Zheng Huaihan offered the plan of "Mengchang bribes the lucky concubine", he can be regarded as the official who made the first contribution to the withdrawal of the Jin Dynasty, so he was treated as being able to dine at the same table with Luo Ruji.

Since the big event was already settled, the three of them were relaxed and chatting happily.

Until a quarter of the hour.
Suddenly a messenger came in.

The three of them had not finished their meal, so they were naturally dissatisfied with the police officer who barged in so rashly.

As the chief official of the first palace, Sang Yanting immediately frowned and said, "What do you want to report? I wonder if Mr. Luo is having dinner!"

Seeing Shangguan's displeasure, the messenger hurriedly said, "Sir, I just heard from the young man on the street that King Jin led his army to leave the camp outside the city and go east!"

"But King Jin withdrew his troops! Madam Cai is indeed a person of her word! Hahaha."

Sang Yanting immediately said in surprise.

But the happy look on Luo Ruji's face only lasted for a breath, and he immediately realized something was wrong, "Xiangdong? Where did you go?"

The messenger took a careful look at the imperial envoy and said in a low voice: "I heard from the Huaibei sergeant stationed in the city that the King of Jin wants to march on Dantu with his army."

"."

The three of them were stunned and looked at each other. The first person to react was Zheng Huaihan who still didn't believe it: "Dan Tu? Did you really go to Dan Tu? Your information is accurate!"

Dantu is located to the east of Jiangning, at the intersection of the Grand Canal and the Yangtze River. If the Jin Dynasty captures Dantu again, with the advantage of the Qi army's Tianlei navy, they can advance by land and water, and they can go straight to Lin'an in five or seven days.
Seeing Master Zheng's eagerness, the messenger hurriedly said, "Young man, I heard this from the sergeant of the Huaibei Army."

Zheng Huaihan still wanted to confirm the authenticity of the news, but Luo Ruji had already sat slumped on the chair. After a while, he slammed the table and said angrily: "The saint will not deceive me. As expected, only women and villains are difficult to raise." ! Ms. Cai is untrustworthy, is she really not afraid that the officer will expose her bribery matter to the world? "

It is embarrassing for a dignified imperial envoy to be asked for a bribe.

What’s even more embarrassing is that the other party took the money but didn’t do anything! (End of chapter)