The prince is more stable

Chapter 98 Xiao Yi Returns
Zhao Xiaoqian really needed money.

The court was restoring order, and Zhao Xiaoqian also had to clean up the aftermath.

Favors owed must be repaid, and money owed must also be repaid.

He has been walking on thin ice all his life, and he really can't reach the other side without money.

Zhao Hao lay on the cash box, like a pig demon who had occupied the treasures of heaven and earth, and refused to give them up no matter what.

"Son, you are still too young. You can't manage so much money..." Zhao Hao advised earnestly.

"Our family suffered heavy losses during this escape. Many copper coins were left in the treasury and we didn't have time to take them away. Our family property has shrunk by half. You can't squander it any more."

Zhao Xiaoqian said helplessly, "Father, please don't make a fuss. If I really need money, I can get it back even if I spend it all. When we return to Bianjing, we will have money naturally."

Zhao Hao said stubbornly, "Tell me first, why do you need money?"

"My son has grown up and wants a woman. I plan to use money to get a woman to lie down and give birth to a bunch of kids for me." Zhao Xiaoqian said calmly.

Zhao Hao's eyes lit up: "Very good! This should have been done long ago."

After saying that, he got out of the way.

The term "carrying on the family line" obviously hit the mark for Zhao Hao, and he was willing to support it without any bottom line.

Zhao Xiaoqian opened the box without hesitation, roughly estimated the amount of silver, then clapped his hands and asked Chen Shou to come in, picked up the box and left.

Zhao Hao, with a look of pain on his face, followed Zhao Xiaoqian out the door reluctantly, muttering as he walked, "It doesn't take so much to hit a woman, right? You should save a little..."

…………

Unfortunately, Zhao Xiaoqian had no intention of spending the box of money on women.

There is no son in the world who doesn't lie to his parents, and Zhao Xiaoqian is no exception.

Money is indeed useful, and it is used on men.

In another tent not far from Zhao Xiaoqian's tent, Chen Shou and Zhang Xiaoyi sat cross-legged on a cushion.

Chen Shou's expression was calm, but Zhang Xiaoyi was a little uneasy.

Zhao Xiaoqian glanced at the two of them and opened the cash box in front of him.

Inside was a pile of neatly arranged large official silver ingots, each weighing twenty taels.

Zhao Xiaoqian took out one ingot at a time, and when he had collected a total of fifty ingots of silver, he pushed them in front of Zhang Xiaoyi like a gambler playing poker.

"Count it, it's exactly one thousand taels..." After thinking for a while, Zhao Xiaoqian took out two more ingots from the box and pushed them out.

"The extra forty taels are my reward to you. Thank you for saving me in my time of crisis. You are my savior." Zhao Xiaoqian said with a smile.

Zhang Xiaoyi held his breath, staring at the silver in front of him. After a while, he pointed at it and said with difficulty, "All... all mine?"

"Yes, it's all yours. I keep my word. I promised a reward of a thousand taels of silver. No less, no more."

Zhang Xiaoyi was so excited that his whole body was shaking.

What does one thousand taels of silver mean to an ordinary citizen?
Of course it is impossible to buy a luxury house. The housing prices in Bianjing are equivalent to those in Chang'an in the Tang Dynasty. It is very difficult to live in Chang'an.

But one thousand taels was enough to buy a small, stand-alone house in Bianjing City, and there would be a few hundred taels left over, so Zhang Xiaoyi and his mother could live comfortably for many years without having to worry about food and clothing.

It can be said that this one thousand taels of silver instantly lifted Zhang Xiaoyi's class from the bottom to the middle class.

At this moment, Zhang Xiaoyi was extremely grateful.

He was feeling fortunate that his decision to row the boat with Zhao Xiaoqian was the right one.

His eyes instantly filled with tears, and Zhang Xiaoyi's whole body exuded a sense of exhaustion after suffering so much and finally gaining something sweet.

His life has always been as humble as dirt, and anyone can step on him and crush him into the mud. From his youth to middle age, he has carried too heavy a burden.

He forced himself to smile, he hunched over, he felt suffocated by the weight of life, the world in his eyes was always in black and white, it was a kind of hopeless existence.

People are like ants, but they are lucky enough to encounter an opportunity, and the world becomes colorful.

The pile of silver in front of him meant that the fate of him and his mother would change from then on.

With tears in his eyes, Zhang Xiaoyi did not count the silver. Instead, he knelt down facing Zhao Xiaoqian and kowtowed three times.

"Sir, you are my great benefactor. From now on, if you have any requests, I will risk my life to serve you."

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and said, "That's not necessary. This is what you deserve. My life is worth much more than this pile of silver."

Turning to look at Chen Shou next to him, Zhao Xiaoqian pointed to the remaining silver in the box, which was about a thousand taels.

"Chen Shou, you and your brothers have worked hard this time. The rest of the money is yours. I can't let you work for me in vain. Take the silver and divide it among the brothers." Chen Shou was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed, bowed and said, "Thank you, Your Highness. I and my brothers will go through fire and water for you!"

Zhao Xiaoqian laughed heartily.

A boss who only knows how to make empty promises will never be able to build a big business. Zhao Xiaoqian is different. He never makes empty promises but gives solid benefits.

Money may not necessarily buy loyalty, but a stingy person will definitely not get the loyalty of others.

Turning his gaze to Zhang Xiaoyi, Zhao Xiaoqian said, "You are a good person, loyal, reliable, and capable. It's a waste of your talent to be an idler in the market. Come work with me in the future, and you will definitely benefit from it."

Zhang Xiaoyi was overjoyed and knelt down to kowtow again: "Thank you so much, Your Highness, for your kindness. From now on, I belong to you, Your Highness!"

Zhao Xiaoqian looked at him deeply.

In fact, Zhang Xiaoyi followed his carriage all the way last time and expressed his desire to follow him, but Zhao Xiaoqian perfunctorily refused.

A person's true character is revealed in times of crisis, and his loyalty is revealed in times of turmoil. Zhao Xiaoqian would not keep anyone around him without testing them.

During this natural disaster, Zhang Xiaoyi's performance impressed him, so he decided to recruit him.

Zhang Xiaoyi may not be a talented person, but Zhao Xiaoqian values ​​loyalty more.

…………

Two days later, the water level in Bianjing City dropped a lot, but most buildings and streets were still submerged in water.

Kaifeng Prefecture has mobilized officials and laborers to clear the silt. The Ministry of Revenue has not yet calculated the losses caused by this flood, but it is foreseeable that it is definitely an astronomical figure that the court cannot afford. Perhaps the entire year's treasury revenue has been lost.

Zhao Xu and all civil and military officials remained in Weishi County, which became the temporary court of the Song Dynasty.

Disaster relief and dredging work were carried out in an orderly manner, and the emperor, his ministers and the people tried their best to restore the original appearance of the city of Bianjing as quickly as possible.

The flood did not affect the summer heat. The silt in Weishi County has been almost cleared, but the streets are still filled with unpleasant fishy smell.

Flies and mosquitoes were flying around, and disaster victims were gathering in groups of three or four. The small city looked like a nuclear ruin.

There were also soup kitchens in the city, not only official ones, but also those run by local merchants and gentry. Some of them were doing pure charity, while others, of course, just to gain fame.

No matter whether it is true goodness or hypocrisy, as long as the hot porridge falls into the stomachs of the victims, hypocrisy is also true goodness.

Zhao Xiaoqian led Chen Shou and the imperial guards for a stroll in Weishi County at dusk.

Today, Zhao Xiaoqian's identity is to handle official business in the Imperial City Department.

After the disaster, public security was in chaos, and Bianliang and the cities near the capital city experienced more or less vicious incidents such as looting and oppression of disaster victims.

Kaifeng Prefecture was busy with disaster relief and post-disaster reconstruction, and had no manpower to maintain public order. So Zhao Xu personally issued an order, ordering the Imperial City Division to investigate and crack down on illegal activities in the capital.

Zhao Xiaoqian, who had been idle for a long time, had no choice but to bring his men out for patrol.

Weishi County was not far from Bianjing City, only about a few dozen miles away, so many people from Bianjing City fled here. After the disaster, the county seemed to be even more crowded than Bianjing.

However, where there are people, there are not only rivers and lakes, but also evil.

When Zhao Xiaoqian and his group walked to an unknown alley, they heard a woman's scream, followed by a man's vicious threat and loud slaps.

Zhao Xiaoqian is usually indifferent, but that doesn't mean he will turn a blind eye when encountering evil. Especially when he has the power to punish evil, he has to take care of what he should take care of.

After hearing the noise in the alley, Zhao Xiaoqian gestured to Chen Shou.

Chen Shou understood and rushed into the alley with several imperial guards. Zhao Xiaoqian valued his life more, so when there was danger, he let his men go first and he would appear last. This would highlight the protagonist's status as the finale, and secondly, this appearance would be more dazzling. The only thing missing was a thrilling background music.

A crime was indeed happening in the alley.

The evening light projected onto the mottled stone wall, and Zhao Xiaoqian was stunned when he walked into the alley.

What a coincidence! It turned out to be an acquaintance.

Three ferocious-looking men were threatening a woman with knives. The woman looked very disheveled, with her arms tightly holding a cloth bundle. The three men's target was obviously the bundle in her arms.

And Zhao Xiaoqian was very familiar with this woman.

Jiang Miaoxian, the most beautiful lady in Zuihuayin.

After confirming through eye contact, I knew that this was the person who had accompanied me to drink wine.

We can barely be considered friends, but this friend is quite expensive and I have to spend money every time I see her.

"Beast! Let that beast go!" Zhao Xiaoqian shouted angrily, and his long-lost sense of justice broke out.

(End of this chapter)