The prince is more stable

Chapter 37: Self-pollution and goodness
Outside the palace gate, there were seven or eight boxes of various sizes piled up.

One of the boxes had been opened by Zhao Hao, and it was full of money, mostly copper coins and white jade gems of equal value.

Zhao Hao knelt in front of the box with his fat body, holding a handful of copper coins in his hands and crying inconsolably.

This time she really cried, because Zhao Xiaoqian saw sincere tears.

There is no one in the world who understands Zhao Hao’s suffering.

It was really hard. He had to support a huge palace, more than a dozen concubines in the palace, and countless unofficial women outside.

The snow salt business has not yet been launched, and the palace has no income. Every day when he opens his eyes, he has to face various expenses. Zhao Hao, who used to be a very optimistic person, is now a little depressed.

Zhao Xiaoqian stood behind him, watching Zhao Hao crying silently.

Cai You was stunned. His Highness the Prince of Chu's behavior at this moment was truly unexpected. The dignified Prince of Chu of the Song Dynasty, seeing money, was like seeing his dead mother come back to life...

He probably never cried so sadly on the day the Empress Dowager passed away.

Cai You had no idea how poor the Chu Palace was and how much pressure Zhao Hao was under.

Zhao Xiaoqian grinned at Cai You and smiled awkwardly: "Excuse me, ha, excuse me, my father... has always been sentimental, often crying over the passing of time. Seeing all this money today, I'm sure he must be filled with sadness..."

The more Zhao Xiaoqian spoke, the more his scalp tingled. He couldn't help but wink at Zhao Hao, his eyes containing a strong warning.

Just shut up! I can’t keep making this up!

Cai You's eyes widened. Zhao Xiaoqian's explanation was a bit abstract. He still didn't understand why the King of Chu was so "sad" when he saw the money.

Zhao Hao finally received his son's warning look, sniffed hard, and his mental state returned to normal.

"Who did you just say you were?" Zhao Hao asked.

Cai You hurriedly saluted: "My son Cai You, my father is the new Minister of Revenue, Cai Jing..."

Before he finished speaking, Zhao Hao waved his hand and said, "It's not important. I just want to ask you, are there any more of these stinking things?"

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled awkwardly at Cai You, then grabbed Zhao Hao's sleeve and threw him through the door.

It's so fucking embarrassing. Both father and son love money, but... you should at least behave yourself!
While asking for money, we should also have some shame, okay?
Zhao Hao was dismissed. Zhao Xiaoqian smiled awkwardly at Cai You again: "Excuse me."

Cai You also smiled, his shrewd eyes swept across the palace gate, and cautiously asked, "It seems that the Chu Palace has been...not so well off lately?"

Zhao Xiaoqian hastily denied it: "That's not true. How could my Chu Palace be short of money?"

Cai You smiled: "I understand."

Zhao Xiaoqian was stunned: "What do you understand?"

"Don't worry, my lord. I will definitely help the Chu Palace and make all the arrangements clear."

Zhao Xiaoqian blinked blankly and replied halfheartedly, "Thank you, thank you..."

…………

The money Cai You sent was compensation for the dozen or so playboys who were beaten yesterday, and the bet for the Cuju game.

Of course Zhao Xiaoqian accepted it with a smile, as it was what he deserved.

After Cai You said goodbye, the father and son closed the door and counted the money, both of them were very happy.

There was a lot of money, seven or eight boxes, and the copper coins, silver and precious jade inside, totaled about five thousand strings of cash.

The Chu Palace, which was financially strapped, was temporarily relieved by this unexpected windfall.

When Zhao Hao heard that the money was compensation for the last Cuju match, he was surprised and laughed out loud.

He didn't expect his son to take revenge so thoroughly. He not only beat up the participants, but also cut off a piece of flesh from their bodies.

"My son! This kind of thing can't be a one-time deal, it has to be done often." Zhao Hao said earnestly.

Zhao Xiaoqian was stunned. "Father, do you mean that I often blackmail the wealthy and powerful people in Bianjing?"

Zhao Hao spat in displeasure, "What are you talking about! What are you talking about! How can you call this extortion? We're all friends, and we gave it voluntarily. Friends are supposed to share money. Giving each other some money is against any law."

"Voluntary? Gift?" Zhao Xiaoqian was a little uncomfortable.

Whose general is this, so shameless...

Zhao Hao suddenly narrowed his eyes and said, "My son, are you aware of the recent rumors circulating in the palace?"

"I know. It's about the memorial submitted by my father."

"Well, the truth about the memorial I submitted has been leaked from the palace. It's most likely the emperor himself who released the news. My son, what do you think the emperor's purpose is in doing this?"

Zhao Xiaoqian thought for a moment and said, "There are two possibilities. One is to build momentum for the new law and promote our King of Chu and his son as the leaders or the first to step forward. It's almost the same idea. In short, the entire court's attention is now on us."

"The second possibility is that the government may have taken a liking to the child and is trying to build momentum for him first, then take advantage of the situation and appoint him to a powerful position."

"To implement the new law, the first step is to purge the old party in the court. However, the old party is powerful, and the emperor is also a bit troubled. He needs some trustworthy ministers from the new party to assist him. The child's background and position have earned the emperor's trust and made him feel worthy of use."

Zhao Hao looked at him in surprise, then nodded with satisfaction. He suddenly sighed, "My son has really grown up. Time flies so fast. It seems that overnight, the child has grown up, and I have also grown old..."

"Father, don't be so sentimental. You were just calculating how many girls you could sleep with." Zhao Xiaoqian ruthlessly ruined the atmosphere.

Zhao Hao chuckled, then calmed himself down and said slowly, "My son is right. I think so too. There are very few official positions with real power appointed to clan members. Perhaps my son can ask the government to make an exception."

"However, no matter what the emperor thinks, my son must not appear too perfect in the eyes of the emperor and the people of the world. If you are too perfect, the emperor will be uneasy. After all, your background is too sensitive, and the emperor is young and has no children..."

"If you want the government to trust you, you must be self-deprecating. Sometimes, offering a little evidence or creating some bad things is not a bad thing for you, but a good thing. Do you understand what I mean?"

Of course Zhao Xiaoqian understood that throughout history, there were countless examples of officials desecrating themselves to ensure their safety.

The most famous one is Wang Jian, a general of the Qin Dynasty. Before leading his troops to attack Chu, Wang Jian kept asking the First Emperor for fields, land, real estate and gardens. His greedy face was simply unbearable to look at.

Was Wang Jian really short of money? Of course not. What he wanted was the trust of the First Emperor. This self-degrading method could dispel the emperor's suspicion and gain his trust.

Zhao Xiaoqian is different. He doesn't mind defilement. Even if it's not for this purpose, he still wants to defile himself.

Because he really needs money.

…………

Ever since Cai You smiled cleverly and said "I understand" in front of the palace gate, things seemed to be developing in a strange direction.

The playboys in Bianjing City were in trouble.

Before Zhao Xiaoqian did anything, Cai You began to share his worries.

He gathered together all the playboys in Bianjing City, whether they were princes or dukes, regardless of their background.

In short, those who have bullied the Prince of Chu over the years should take the initiative, because the Prince will collect compensation.

At the beginning, the playboys were naturally dissatisfied.

Who gave you the nerve to give me money just because you asked for it? Why?
Cai You was not in a hurry. He just asked the playboys to meet him, and then took the dozen or so playboys who were ambushed at the horse farm out for a walk.

Only two days had passed since the incident, and the bruises on the faces of the ambushed playboys had not yet disappeared. They all looked bruised and swollen, and then they began to speak out voluntarily or under duress.

Family members, who understands...

I was riding a horse and singing, and suddenly I was beaten by the prince!
Why was I beaten? Because I bullied him before, and the prince wanted revenge.

You guys have bullied others too, right?
Any idea how to do this?

(End of this chapter)