Joy of Life: I'm really not a saint

"You should know who the princess is. She has used so much money to win over court officials and bribe the prince, just to gain their loyalty and consolidate her power. To put it bluntly, she is using the money of His Majesty, the master of Qing, to steal his own people!"

He waved his hand, as if to say: If this continues, the Qing Kingdom on this "map" will no longer exist and disappear into thin air.

"The princess won't feel bad if she spends money that isn't her own." Fan Xian smiled slightly, "How could His Majesty punish his sister? Only we, the ministers, can do it!"

Yan Bingyun's face stiffened and sweat broke out on his face. Although his appearance was still cold, his heart was burning with anger.

He suppressed his strange feeling. Fan Xian was indeed a good speaker, but he still responded, "But it is still inappropriate to do this now. You like to talk about business, so I will say that it is not worth it to do this! Please tell me the second reason, sir!"

"The Spring Examination has passed, and the court has selected a large number of talents, although there is also support from Luming Academy. His Majesty has opened an additional special examination because of the previous fraud case. Here, a lot of fresh blood will emerge and be injected into the court. This is a great force, and this force is very clean. And some people in the court have to make room!"

Yan Bingyun nodded. In this way, even if there were too many officials being exiled and the operation of the court was affected, the problem would no longer exist.

And the disaster relief work really cannot be delayed any longer!

"It would be worthwhile if this condition is added. What exactly do you plan to do, sir?"

Fan Xian fell into deep thought. After a moment, he said, "Wang Qinian is still in Shangjing. Let him take action to remove the Cui family's power and channels in Northern Qi. As for Kyoto, let the three places publish an article and have people copy it in large quantities. I want everyone in the city to know about the princess's little affair!"

"After they reveal their flaws, you will have someone look for an opportunity to investigate the Second Prince and the Princess. Especially the Ming family, keep a close eye on them!"

Yan Bingyun hesitated to speak, as if he had heard of this method of distributing flyers somewhere before.

Fan Xian had a blank expression on his face. This was called repeating an old trick!

Yan Bingyun was a man of swift and decisive action, and seeing that the matter had been discussed to a conclusion, he did not stay any longer.

Once you are sure, just do it. He is a qualified executor.

Yan Bingyun bowed his head slightly, clasped his fists towards Fan Xian, and left the house.

"Ah!" Fan Xian sighed with empty eyes. Originally, it would be justified to check it when he took over the inner treasury later. However, he could wait, but the people affected by the disaster could not!

The conversation between Yan Bingyun and Fan Xian at the Fan Mansion in the morning appeared on paper on Emperor Qing's desk in the afternoon.

The words were written by Yan Bingyun, and the letter was delivered by him personally.

"This Fan Xian is quite interesting." Emperor Qing smiled. He didn't often praise others.

"It's really interesting."

Chen Pingping responded with a smile.

As early as the secret letter was on its way to the palace, he had temporarily handed over his authority as the dean to Fan Xian. What authority does the dean have? He controls the entire hospital and can make all arrangements.

From this moment on, Fan Xian will hold enormous power, although this power is temporary. But it also means that during this period, he can mobilize a huge amount of resources and huge power to accomplish this!

Emperor Qing felt that Fan Xian was very similar to Ye Qingmei, and he was very satisfied with his concern for the people. But what made him even more pleased was the cruelty hidden in Fan Xian's heart!

The Supervisory Council is a dog raised by Emperor Qing. This dog must be fierce enough to ensure loyalty! If it doesn't even have the ruthlessness and courage to bite, what is the point of Emperor Qing raising it?

Fan Xian is the one holding the dog now, this is the right given to him by Emperor Qing. Without Emperor Qing's nod, Chen Pingping's order cannot be fully implemented.

"The Supervisory Council and the Imperial Treasury. This is enough to explain to you!" Emperor Qing said silently to the beautiful figure.

Emperor Qing placed the note on the table and waved his hand. Soon, Eunuch Hou came forward, holding up the note and lowering his head. He quietly retreated to the stove and threw the note into it, which burned into ashes.

Emperor Qing glanced at Chen Pingping, who had been sitting in a wheelchair for ten years, and said with a smile: "I heard that Northern Qi built a black ice platform? Is there any story behind this black ice platform?"

"Your Majesty, Northern Qi has indeed established a new intelligence department called Black Ice Platform, and the person in charge is none other than my old rival, Sean!" Chen Pingping turned his wheelchair with both hands so that he could always face Emperor Qing, and replied, "But as far as I know, there doesn't seem to be any allusion to the three words Black Ice Platform."

He was being modest in his statement. With the capabilities of the Overwatch Council, they had investigated the meaning of the Black Ice Platform, but to no avail.

Since Chen Pingping said there is no allusion, then there is none.

"Are you confident that you can beat Sean again?"

"Of course there is." Chen Pingping showed a kind smile on his face, which made Emperor Qing very angry. "But Sean's opponent is no longer me. I am old, and Sean is too far away. Naturally, I have to let young people be his opponents!"

"You are old? You have to understand that I am a few years older than you! Doesn't that mean I am even older?"

"Your Majesty, please forgive me! Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven, how can you be old?"

Chen Pingping knew that it might be his smile that hurt Emperor Qing, so he bowed and apologized.

If Yu Wenyun, the internal minister of Northern Qi, were here, he would definitely sigh again: Serving the emperor is such an exhausting job!

Chapter 200 Commercial Street.

The emperor frowned, did not pursue the matter any further, and nodded lightly, meaning his goal had been achieved.

He asked again: "What do you think of Li Ang now?"

Chen Pingping was shocked and was also thinking about how to answer.

If Emperor Qing asked about other people and things, he could answer calmly. But even he couldn't see Li An clearly and thoroughly.

"Your Majesty, are you asking about Ye Liuyun?"

Seeing Emperor Qing nod, Chen Pingping had an idea in mind and replied, "If you ask me to talk about Li An, I do have some opinions. But I dare not speculate on Master Ye Liuyun's affairs."

"Then just talk about Li An!"

This cunning old dog.

How could Chen Pingping not know that this question was a trap.

If I were to discuss Ye Liuyun's affairs, which was the so-called exchange in Northern Qi, I would be wrong no matter what I said. If I handed over the captured land, and there were any voices of opposition in the court, I would be cannon fodder for their concentrated fire! If I didn't hand it over, the Ye family's forces in the army would hate me!

If he hated him, it would be fine. Chen Pingping was not afraid of others. But if he hated the Supervisory Office and Fan Xian, who would take over the inspection, it would go against Chen Pingping's original intention.

Therefore, after he understood Emperor Qing's intention, he could only grit his teeth and shirk his responsibility.

"Whether this Li An is from the temple is still in doubt, but he has learned a lot, and all of them are amazing. The origin of his martial arts skills is a mystery, and the method he practiced should be the same as Fan Xian, but he has reached the master level at such a young age, and his mind is unpredictable. He is indeed a major threat to our Qing Kingdom."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "Besides, Li An is now deeply trusted by the Northern Qi royal family..."

After all, I couldn't get around it.

Emperor Qing asked, "I heard that Fan Xian and Li An are very close friends?"

Although he knew that His Majesty was asking knowingly, Chen Pingping had no choice but to answer: "It's just a rumor. They are just nodding acquaintances. Perhaps it's the mutual appreciation between the two talented scholars. May I ask Your Majesty, where did this rumor of a very close relationship come from? I can also ask the Supervisory Council to investigate and punish them accordingly."

"I forgot which eunuch in the palace was the chatterbox." Emperor Qing asked Eunuch Xiang Hou in a serious tone, "Do you know who it was?"

"Your Majesty, it's Xiao Tanzi from the Imperial Household Department."

"In that case, just kill him!"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

As the two men were asking and answering each other, someone lost his life.

This little Tanzi was the eldest princess's man. He probably didn't know how he was exposed. Since he entered the Imperial Household Department, he had no contact with the eldest princess.

But he didn't know that the Supervisory Office had the details of his first meeting with the princess, and all his subsequent actions were seen by Chen Pingping. The reason why they kept it secret was that they wanted to take advantage of his hiding and do something.

The chess pieces that have been planted now have not been used yet, and this road has been blocked by Emperor Qing.

Emperor Qing's attitude towards the eldest princess is really intriguing. Or is it simply to remind himself to be careful about the limits?

Chen Pingping didn't know that even though so many years had passed and he considered himself the person who knew Emperor Qing best, he couldn't understand his actions at this moment.

Forget it, since it is useless, it can be regarded as waste utilization.

After asking all the questions that needed to be asked, Emperor Qing asked Chen Pingping to leave. But when Chen Pingping turned the car around, Emperor Qing spoke again.

"Since Li An has set up the stage, I will accompany him to the end of this play! Let the people from the Ministry of Rites and the Honglu Temple prepare to receive the envoys from Northern Qi. And you must also pay attention to the things I have instructed you to do!"

"I understand!"

At this point, Emperor Qing finally truly agreed with what Chen Pingping said.

From different perspectives and in different things, young people are indeed better than the older generation! Although they are not as calm as the older generation and may seem a little reckless in doing things, they will also show enough ability and courage in an emergency.

This incident is a good proof of this.

Not to mention Fan Xian, even Yan Bingyun, he had not paid too much attention and attention to him before.

It was not until he returned alive from Northern Qi that Emperor Qing truly took him to heart.

"What a talent!"

However, Emperor Qing's eyes became colder as he watched Chen Pingping's departing back!

He understood Chen Pingping's concern and care for Fan Xian, but when answering him, he said that Fan Xian and Li Ang were just nodding acquaintances, and the fact that they were very close was just a rumor. This was a deception by a minister to the emperor, and he could not tolerate it!

······

More than two months had passed, and the capital was still somewhat depressed. In the west of the city, apart from some Hu people still hawking their wares, there was not much noise with the Qing accent.

Seeing that the number of people walking on the street was thin, some Hu Ji wore less and less clothes and twisted their waists to attract customers. But even the vigorous vitality of spring could not arouse the enthusiasm of customers. The merchants knew why, and the people of Qing dared to be angry but dared not speak out.

They already knew what the eldest princess of the royal family had done.

But life had to go on as usual, and living in Kyoto, they could only think of other ways to find a stable source of income for themselves and their descendants.

In contrast, during the Northern Qi Dynasty, there was a so-called "commercial street" in Shangjing City, which had everything. Because it was located at the hub of all the streets in the city, it was very close to everyone, and even if you lived in the suburbs, it was very convenient. The people talked about it with great relish, saying that the goods in this commercial street were of good quality and very cheap, so there was no need to run around the city when buying things.

Ordinary people understand life best and will always compare prices before doing anything.

They calculated that apart from geographical factors, the things in this commercial street are much cheaper than outside.

Some wealthy businessmen also like to come here to shop. They leave their names here so they don't have to pay, and settle the bill at the end of the month. When the people in each family count the bills, they find that the discounts are quite large. While their living standards have improved a lot, they also spend less. Even if they know that this is Li Ang's business, they will not go against the money.

Of course, the goods in the commercial street are mainly aimed at the ladies and young ladies in various mansions.

In addition to some new things, such as perfume and underwear, there are more glittering things. Whether it is gold, silver or glass, the things are still the same, but the shapes are ingenious and clever.

It is said that money from women and children is the easiest to make. Apart from underwear, which people are somewhat resistant to, the best-selling item is perfume.

The fragrance sprayed all over the body and could last for several hours. As long as they did not go out in strong winds, they would feel like they were surrounded by flowers in the mansion or in the boudoir. It was much better than gouache and was much easier. They noticed the strangeness in their master's eyes, which was the same look they had many years ago.

The women's blushing faces make them look even more charming, and when paired with their underwear, the effect becomes even more amazing.

As for the defect of not being able to withstand the wind?

They can afford this expensive perfume and they travel in carriages, so why would they care about these things?

There are many shops on the commercial street, and there have been no vacant storefronts in the past two months. This has made many latecomers beat their chests and stamp their feet, secretly saying that they have missed a good opportunity.

The rents of these shops are very expensive, and the owners are mostly young people. If you look closely, you can see some familiar faces, most of whom are illegitimate sons of nobles.

For some reason, this imperial teacher in our court seems to prefer children from poor families or illegitimate sons of noble families.

Chapter 201 The whole world belongs to me, including you.

The major shareholder of the commercial street was Li An, and he sent Chen, the butler, to handle the affairs of the street. He never cared about anything else. Even in the two months since the street opened, he only showed up once, announced many rules and regulations, and then disappeared.

But at the end of the month, everyone saw several horse-drawn carriages driving out from the end of the street, and went straight into Wanshizhai where Li An was.

After that, several other carriages loaded with gold or silver would go to the palace.

Yes, to the palace.

If everyone in the capital city doesn't know that this is a street opened with joint investment from His Majesty the Emperor and the Imperial Master, it would be embarrassing to tell others about it.

After calculating the transport volume of these carriages, they could roughly know the profit of this street in a month.

I'm afraid even the snatching won't be this fast!

Go back and teach that spendthrift wife a lesson. Isn't this simply handing money into Li Ang's hands?

They were afraid of Ang Lee, and hated and resented him even more.

They believed that Ang Lee had betrayed the class he belonged to and that his starting point was not that of an upper-class person. His move of vigorously recruiting students from poor families made these people see a huge crisis.

It is now late May. According to the Jinyiwei guards who are protecting the rice fields outside the city, the first season's early rice will be harvested in two months, in late July, and the yield will be verified by then.

If the result is really as Li An said, then no one in Northern Qi will be able to control Li An.

This is not about force, but another level.

There was a flood in Qing State, and even the Emperor of Qing ordered grain to be transferred from all over the country. In addition to the domestic treasury, many shopkeepers and caravans were sent to Qing State, and grain was also purchased from several neighboring countries. The price of grain has risen to a frightening level, and some bloodthirsty grain merchants are like wolves seeing meat, hoarding grain frantically, and waiting for the food in Qing State to run out before selling it all to Qing State to maximize their profits.

All the dignitaries in the court tacitly kept silent about Li An's new grain.

They knew that they could still fight for their favor in the court on weekdays, but if the news about new grain was touched upon, it would become Li Ang's weak spot and bottom line. They didn't want to play such an exciting game.

Even some of the grain merchants' backers did not dare to say anything.

The output of the new grain remains a mystery. If the output is not so high, those grain merchants will not be able to get a piece of the meat and they may even commit suicide!

While Zhan Doudou was sitting in the carriage looking at the scenery of the whole city, he also issued an imperial decree, ordering the Jinyiwei to send twice as many people to guard the farmlands outside the city where new crops were planted, and there must be no mistakes.