Page 224
Salt is a necessity of life. Daily cooking is inseparable from salt. Salt tax accounts for a large proportion of the court's taxes. Don't underestimate the floating price of 10%. Quantitative changes lead to qualitative changes, which are astronomical figures.
If this was done, the salt merchants would be able to make a lot of money and make back the donated money, and in the end they would be unscathed. In short, that would be to pass on the donated money to the people, and the people would still suffer. Common people.
Trading time for space, you don’t have to pay even half a penny, and you might even make a small fortune. Is this a loss reduction? Do you think this abacus is crackling?
Of course, it is good for water dissolution, because with the one million taels of silver donated by the salt merchant, the remaining five hundred thousand taels can be easily operated, which is equivalent to successfully completing the emperor's mission.
Wen Zhixing felt the two sharp gazes and was startled. If it was an ordinary imperial envoy, he could still deal with it with the help of his position as the Salt Transport Commissioner and there was no need to worry. However, the young man in front of him was not only an imperial envoy, but also an invaluable prince, and a prince in power, and he could not afford to offend him.
Thinking of this, Wen Zhixing knelt down and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, I also feel that this is very inappropriate and have doubts in my heart. However, the salt merchants also have their own difficulties. Not to mention the annual fixed donations, but when the court is short of silver, they are the ones who contribute money and manpower. They are really unable to do so. However, I have also persuaded them. We can raise 500,000 taels of silver for donations first."
Shui Rong stared at the trembling Wen Zhixing and sneered, the so-called "officials supervise business sales", if salt merchants don't have the protection of salt road officials, do you think they can sell salt with peace of mind? It's normal for officials and merchants to collude.
However, Wen Zhixing was also smart. If he couldn't do anything about it, he would take a step back, donate 500,000 taels to give an explanation, and stay out of the matter.
After groaning, Shui Rong said: "Forget it, let them donate 500,000 taels first, and you can get this done as soon as possible."
Five hundred thousand taels, this is not a small sum. Let the salt merchants donate it first to provide disaster relief and build embankments, which can solve the immediate urgent need. The shortcomings will be made up slowly.
Wen Zhixing felt relieved when he heard this and hurriedly responded.
After sitting down, Wen Zhixing raised his eyes and glanced at Shuirong, and said with a smile: "It's rare for Your Majesty to come to Yangzhou. The salt merchants prepared some thin wine in the Qinhuai River and asked my subordinates to invite Your Majesty to come. I wonder if Your Majesty can appreciate it?"
Shui Rong's heart moved when he heard the words. He stared at Wen Zhixing with an inexplicable color in his eyes and said softly: "Well, I have long heard that the Qinhuai River has unique scenery. It is rare to come to Yangzhou, so I want to see it."
The banquet hosted by the salt merchants probably had a follow-up, and Shui Xiong happened to go to meet these salt merchants. It was definitely not because of the "gold powder of the Six Dynasties and the water-washed grease" of the Qinhuai River.
Wen Zhixing smiled knowingly and said nothing immediately.
It was getting late, and a high moon hung alone in the night sky. The soft moonlight shrouded the earth, adding a hazy beauty.
In the wing room where Tanchun was temporarily staying, the lights were bright, and two figures were sitting opposite each other across a small table. On the small table was a chessboard, and it was Tanchun and Daiyu who were playing chess.
At this moment, Daiyu held a cloud in her hand, and as soon as she dropped it, she saw the girl sitting opposite her look through the window at the sky outside, her bright eyes seemed a little dazed, her willow eyes sparkled, and she teased: "Look You are so distracted, but are you thinking about your brother?"
When Tanchun heard the words, his pink face felt slightly warm, and it was fleeting. After all, Tanchun had a cheerful temperament and was not a "whispering" person. He stood up with his handsome eyebrows and said loudly: "It's not getting late, my brother-in-law is still here." Since he didn’t come back, I was a little worried.”
You are your brother-in-law's bed partner. Are you worried about what's wrong with your man?
After saying that, Tan Chun dropped his head and looked at the girl with a white face. There was a bit of playfulness in his eyes, and he smiled and said, "Isn't Sister Lin worried about my brother?"
This pair of sworn brothers and sworn sisters had a deep relationship, so she didn't believe Daiyu and wasn't worried. If not, why would she be looking for her to play chess in the middle of the night? She just couldn't let go and took the opportunity to investigate.
She laughs at fifty steps, but Daiyu dares to tease her with words.
Daiyu's face paused slightly when she heard the words. There was a hint of pink at the base of her crystal ears, and there was a hint of shyness in her eyebrows. Her beautiful eyes flickered, and she raised her eyes to look at the sky outside. Her two curved eyebrows revealed a hint of darkness. color.
It's natural to worry about my brother, but...
Daiyu fell down, raised her eyebrows slightly, and hummed with a bit of dissatisfaction and resentment in her voice: "We are worried about our brother here, but our brother over there is enjoying himself on the Qinhuai River and has long forgotten about us."
How could they not know what kind of place the Qinhuai River is? There are brothels and pavilions, and there are many boats. Her good brother is probably wearing soft jade in his arms at the moment, and his red sleeves are fragrant.
Thinking of this, Daiyu felt unhappy.
Although Tanchun didn't know the scenery of the Qinhuai River, he also knew that it was not a serious place, especially at night. It was a paradise for men, and he felt a little uncomfortable.
Yangzhou thin horse or something, isn’t it a man’s favorite?
But as a man, it's normal to act when the occasion arises.
Pursing her pink lips, Tanchun coughed slightly and said, "Brother-in-law, he went to do business."
Daiyu pursed her lips, obviously unhappy, and acted like a little girl, saying angrily: "We can't talk about serious matters in the yamen, we have to go to the Qinhuai River. In my opinion, that's because my brother has evil intentions. Third girl, you can't Be more careful."
Tanchun raised his eyes and looked at Daiyu. There was a bit of unnaturalness in her handsome face. As her brother-in-law's pillow partner, it was reasonable for her to look like this. But the strange thing was how Daiyu could be more beautiful than her pillow partner. To be annoyed, there seemed to be a sour taste in his words, something inexplicable.
I guess I miss my brother too much.
At this time, the maid's voice came from outside, saying that the prince was coming, which made the two of them happy and looked at the door with bright eyes.
After a while, Shui Rong walked in, stared at the two people playing chess, felt slightly startled, and said gently: "Why are you still up so late?"
When Daiyu heard this, her eyebrows furrowed slightly, with a look of dissatisfaction on her fair face, and she said in a charming voice: "Brother, I'm not asleep either."
Water soluble: "."
He was out to socialize, and Daiyu was in a leisurely mood. How could this be compared?
Tan Chunying glanced at Daiyu and felt funny in her heart. Sometimes she admired Daiyu's mouth. She dared to say anything. She seemed to be her brother-in-law's nemesis.
Covering his mouth and smiling, Tanchun stared at the young man with crooked eyebrows and said, "Brother-in-law, Miss Lin couldn't sleep, so she asked me to play chess to kill some time."
Tanchun would not expose her worries about her brother-in-law. Otherwise, Daiyu would be embarrassed and annoyed.
Shui Rong nodded slightly when he heard the words, but didn't say anything. In the dead of night, most of his thoughts were random, especially for Daiyu, who was sensitive. The silent atmosphere would only arouse the sadness in her heart. There was nothing to do at the moment. I won’t think too much about it.
This is called diversion.
Thinking of this, Shui Rong looked at Daiyu with a smile and said in a gentle tone: "So it's me who disturbed Yan'er's elegance. How about my brother playing a game of chess with you?"
Daiyu's heart moved when she heard this, and she became interested in playing chess with her brother. If she went back, it would be silent and she wouldn't be able to sleep.
Staring at Shui Rong, Daiyu saw the rosy look on the young man's handsome face, her eyes moved with a hint of worry, and she said softly: "No, it's getting late, and I'm a little tired, so I'll go back and rest first."
With that said, Daiyu stood up and walked away, walking towards Shui Rong. There was a bit of worry in her beautiful eyes, and she said softly: "Brother, please rest early."
Shui Rong felt quite surprised when he heard this. He saw Daiyu's intention, but he was worried about drinking some wine so he took care of him. They rushed in both directions. He could only say that this sister's pain was not in vain.
Smiling, Shui Rong stared at Daiyu's fair face and said gently: "Then sister, rest early and don't think wildly."
When Daiyu heard this, her heart felt even warmer. Her bright eyes were shining with an indescribable brilliance. She softly said "hmm" and left with light steps.
At this time, Tanchun came over with a cup of tea, handed it to the young man, and said softly: "Brother-in-law, drink some tea to moisten your throat."
Shui Rong lowered his eyes and looked at the girl in front of him. She was gentle and well-behaved. She felt a little like a young daughter-in-law. Her heart moved slightly. After taking the tea cup and taking a sip, she said: "You're right, it's getting late. Let’s take a rest early.”
When Tanchun heard this, she was unaware of him and immediately told the maids to prepare warm water for washing. After a while, she helped Shuirong take off her clothes, and the two of them went to bed together.
Chapter 319 Tanchun: Desire for Knowledge
In the wing room, the candles on the elevated shelves were brightly lit, casting a circle of orange light that swayed in the wind from time to time, with varying brightness.
On the bed, with curtains all around, Tanchun is nestling in the boy's arms. A faint sweet fragrance of amber, fragrant wood, fruit wine and a faint fragrance of pollen on the clothes linger in the nostrils. The fragrance blends together, and the unique fragrance can't help but make people's hearts beat, and there is an indescribable strange feeling in the heart.
She was very familiar with this feeling, it was like this every time her brother-in-law bullied her, tingling and tingling.
With her snow-white face raised, Tanchun stared at the young man with her watery eyes, like a pool of clear water. Her green-white fingertips gently drew circles on the young man's chest, winked, and said softly: "The scenery of the Qinhuai River is so dense, is my brother-in-law confused?
Probably because he was lost in sight. If not, why would it be so quiet tonight?
Water soluble: "."
It is inappropriate to say that the scenery is enchanting. The Qinhuai River is known as the smoke and moon area of the Six Dynasties and the place where gold and powder gather. What is enchanting is not the scenery, but the beauty of the boat.
There's something strange about this. Could it be that I've been very close to Daiyu in the past two days and got infected? In other words, this is a skill that is inherent in the daughter’s family.
However, there is nothing wrong with being dissolved in water, and it even makes me feel happy in my heart. After all, my men have all gone to the place of love and romance. How can I turn a blind eye? Even though the gentle and generous Yuanchun will not advise anything, he will at least give me a roll of his eyes, and then he will be harsh. To "teach a lesson".
Tanchun's words of exhortation don't just mean that he is jealous. If he takes it calmly, he will hurt this red rose in vain. After all, water dissolution not only affects the body, but also the heart.
A little greedy, but normal.
Shui Rong put his arms around the girl's waist, feeling soft and delicate, and said, "The lights are shining brightly, the scenery is red and emerald, the scenery is okay, but it's a little too noisy."
It’s true that we went to the Qinhuai River, but there was nothing romantic in Shuirong. We mostly just ate wine, listened to music, watched theater and danced.
Tanchun spat inwardly when she heard this, her clear eyes moving. The sound of stringed instruments, orioles playing on the willows on the bank in the spring sunshine, would her brother-in-law find it noisy? Perhaps she was just feeling proud.
Shui Rong looked at Tan Chun's suspicious face and understood in his heart. To be honest, Shui Rong did not dislike the noise, and even enjoyed it, but could this be said?
Looking at Tan Chun's slightly pursed pink lips, Shui Rong leaned down and pursed his lips.
There is no need to say anything at this time. Just wait and see. Is it possible to discuss the scenery of the Qinhuai River with the person next to you? Are you talking about the graceful and graceful people, or the delicate and graceful body?
Instead of looking for trouble, we might as well explore the structure of the human body.
Moreover, Tan Chun took the initiative to mention what happened on the Qinhuai River, which made Shui Rong's mind picture of the graceful elves dancing on the boat. His heart felt a little hot and he needed artificial cooling.
Girl, you took the initiative to provoke me, so you can’t blame your brother-in-law.
"Well"
Tan Chunqiao couldn't help but let out a disgusting snort, slowly closed her beautiful eyes, touched the young man's shoulders with her bare hands, and gently held her shirt, immersed in her brother-in-law's love and intimacy for her, and felt a surge of shame and joy in her heart. Sweet.
After just a moment, I felt that the red mandarin duck bellyband in front of me was piled up, and those familiar hands were as warm as jade, and then my heart was startled, and I felt wet.
The girl now raised her head slightly, enduring the numbness, and whispered: "Brother-in-law."
Shui Rong turned a deaf ear and looked at the top of the snow-capped mountains. After a while, he looked at Tan Chun, who had a faint breath and flowing eyes, and said softly: "Girl, is your mood better now?"
Hearing this, Tanchun opened her beautiful eyes, raised her eyebrows, and complained a little in her heart. At this time, it was inappropriate to mention another sister in front of her, and whether she considered her mood.
Pouting her pink lips, Tanchun said softly: "It has gotten better these past two days, but my brother-in-law also knows Sister Lin's temper. I heard Zijuan say that Sister Lin only sleeps four times and one watch every night, and then she can't sleep anymore. , weeping silently."
Shui Rong was silent when he heard the words. Daiyu had a sensitive personality and high emotional susceptibility. To put it bluntly, she was too sentimental. It was like the sadness of losing her father was magnified several times, and her heart was filled with melancholy.
Daiyu behaves normally in front of them now, just because she doesn't want them to worry, or maybe she has pride and is pretending to be strong.
Holding Tan Chun's slender hand, Shui Rong said: "I think it won't be long before Zhuo'er is going to help her return to Gusu. Third girl, you should also go with Zhuo'er. After finishing the errands, my brother-in-law will pick you up." , okay?”
Having a caring "sister" by her side can always alleviate the sadness in Daiyu's heart, and save her from feeling sorry for herself in the dead of night. It's because she is weak and will be well-rested. If she continues to endure it, she may damage her foundation. .
Tan Chun took control of the world, and felt his heart pounding with fear. His snowy face was as gorgeous as the clouds, and he followed the young man's technique step by step.
She understands the meaning of water dissolution and agrees with it in her heart, but
After pondering for a moment, Tanchun bit his pink lips lightly, looking at the young man in front of him with wavering eyes, his handsome eyebrows slightly frowned, and there was a hint of reluctance in his voice, and he said: "Then I will leave the servant letter. They, brother-in-law, can’t be left alone.”
Tan Chun was also quite worried about Daiyu's current situation. Since her brother-in-law had this intention, she just agreed. However, she came with the "orders" of the two most distinguished women in the palace, so she couldn't let her brother-in-law be without anyone around her. people.
Shui Rong lowered his eyes and looked at Tanchun, with a smile on his face. He loved Tanchun even more in his heart. Not to mention the friendship between sisters, Tanchun's cheerful and unshakable temperament highlighted his true character. How could he It makes people dislike it.
After leaning over and looking at her, Shui Rong said, "Servant Shu will follow you, leaving Xiao Hong and Wu'er to do some things like serving tea and water."
Tanchun's delicate body trembled slightly, her snow-white cheeks were as bright as clouds, her long eyelashes trembled slightly, her teeth bit her pink lips lightly, her voice was a bit coquettish and soft, and she said angrily: "Listen to my brother-in-law."
Shui Rong smiled and said nothing, and suddenly paused. He noticed something strange, smiled knowingly, stared at the girl's blushing eyebrows, and said with a smile: "Girl, you..."
I didn't expect it. Today's Tanchun seems to be too sensitive.
Tan Chun stared at the slender jade-like fingertips in front of him, feeling ashamed and unable to restrain himself. He covered his jade cheeks with his bare hands and said urgently: "Brother-in-law, stop talking."
It would be nice to know this person. Why show him naked in front of her? He is really shameless.
Hearing this, Shui Rong was noncommittal and said with a smile: "You should take more care of Qi'er, and my brother-in-law will reward you in advance."