When Lu Xiu and his party arrived at Jingzhao City, Chen Qing happened to be on inspection in Lantian County. When he returned to the mansion, it was already the second day.
Chen Qing returned to the mansion, got on a light carriage and headed towards Cuiweiju in the main courtyard. At this moment, he suddenly heard a cry of love, and when he turned around, he saw a boat sailing on the lake.
The boat was filled with his family, including his wife Lu Xiu and his wet nurse holding his son Chen Ji. Chen Ji waved to him excitedly and called him daddy.
Yu Ying, Yu Lian, Li Qingzhao and Zhao Qiaoyun were also there, and everyone had smiles on their faces. Even Zhao Qiaoyun, who had always been sad, smiled when he saw him, and his eyes sparkled.
Seeing his family, Chen Qing felt indescribable joy in his heart. He jumped out of the carriage, pointed at the island and laughed loudly and asked: "Have you ever been to the island?"
Lu Xiu smiled and said: "Husband, we have just been there, and Master said she wants to live there!"
"Stop talking nonsense!"
Li Qingzhao suddenly blushed and explained quickly: "There are so many mosquitoes in summer and it's cold in winter. I don't want to live there."
Chen Qing didn't hear Li Qingzhao's explanation and laughed and said, "You can live here if you want! I'll go back first and you guys will come over later."
"Go! Go! We are going back soon."
Chen Qing first returned to Cuiwei House where his bedroom was located. This is the largest house in the back house. The lake facing it is the southernmost part of the entire central axis. The house covers an area of three acres, with two entrances from the front and back. The maid from the inner courtyard lives in the front yard.
and female escorts, the backyard is a two-story building, including the main bedroom and Chen Qing's inner study.
The inner study room has been decorated. Although the furnishings are exactly the same as those in Chengji County, the area is several times larger. The lounge inside has been turned into a library, with an extra second floor and a lounge on the second floor.
Chen Qing is thinking about financial resources these days. His army has grown to 200,000, and his monthly military salary is 400,000 guan, which is 5 million guan a year. This small amount of money is very important to the Song Dynasty, which has an annual fiscal revenue of 100 million guan.
It's really not worth mentioning,
But for the Xihe Army, it is an unbearable amount of expenditure. If they cannot find sufficient and stable financial sources, they will not be able to support so many troops and can only disarm.
However, Shaanxi Road, which had been ravaged by the Jin soldiers, was so poor and weak. The population dropped sharply by half compared to the Xuanhe period. The Jin soldiers plundered like a fish, so that the financial resources of Shaanxi Road had been exhausted. Most of the families were in a state of abject poverty. At this time, they
We can only release water to raise fish and recuperate. It is impossible to levy taxes anymore. Even commercial taxes must be exempted to promote business prosperity.
Moreover, this kind of recuperation and recuperation will not take effect in a few months, but will take at least a few years. The question is, where will the military salary and various expenses of the 200,000 soldiers come from in the past few years?
Chen Qing paced back and forth in the study with his hands behind his hands. He thought of three ways to make money. The first was to mine and mint money. The second was to sell bulk goods to the Song Dynasty, such as wine, salt, sheepskins, livestock, coal cakes, and kerosene.
Wait, the third way is to negotiate with the imperial court and ask the imperial court to bear part of the military expenses.
In fact, mining and minting money is not a good way. It is equivalent to printing money. If the money is consumed in Shaanxi Road, it will definitely cause hyperinflation. But if the money is taken to Bashu to buy cloth, oil, tea cakes, chicken, duck and fish
Pigs, etc., a large amount of materials are shipped to Shaanxi Road, which is a good thing.
Just as he was thinking about it, the door opened and his wife Lu Xiu came in with a cup of tea. Seeing his wife staggering, Chen Qing hurriedly stepped forward to take the cup of tea and complained: "If you are inconvenient, let Ah Ying and Ah Lian do it.
What if I accidentally fall?"
Lu Xiu smiled and said: "I have something I want to talk to my husband about, so I won't bother you!"
"No! No! Sit down and speak slowly."
Chen Qing helped his wife sit down, and Lu Xiu said with a smile: "I heard from Li Mei that all the officials are persuading the husband to marry a daughter of the Wei family as an equal wife, as a means to win over the gentry in Guanzhong. Is it true?"
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Chen Qing smiled and admitted frankly: "It is possible, but I did not agree."
Lu Xiu smiled a little sincerely, "Actually, I think it's not bad! Isn't marriage the best way to stabilize the situation?"
Chen Qing shook his head, "When I captured the Hexi Corridor, the chief of the Yellow-headed Uighurs wanted to marry me the daughter of a nobleman, but I didn't agree. If I capture the Shaanxi Road today and marry a daughter to me, then the next step is to capture the Hedong Road.
What should we do, seize the Hebei Road and seize the Central Plains? I don’t want to set such a precedent."
Lu Xiu breathed a sigh of relief and asked with a smile: "But what if you marry the emperor's concubine as your second wife?"
Chen Qing's expression suddenly became unnatural, and he forced a smile and said, "Madam, please don't make this joke!"
Lu Xiu said calmly: "Actually, your husband also knows her thoughts well, right?"
Of course Chen Qing knew it well. He had sensed that Zhao Qiaoyun was interested in him as early as Ganquan Castle, but he had been pretending to be stupid. Zhao Qiaoyun was the emperor's sister, how could he marry her?
"Qiaoyun is a princess, how can the princess be the second wife, so don't think too much."
"But she doesn't care. She doesn't even need her name. Although she didn't say it, I know."
Chen Qing shook his head and said with a smile: "With a wife like you, other wives try their best to prevent their husbands from marrying again, but you try your best to give me a woman."
Lu Xiu said with a displeased look: "I'm not trying every possible means to give you a woman, I'm afraid that you will marry outside and keep bringing women home, so I'll fill your hole first. Qiaoyun is my junior sister.
It's pitiful, I'm willing to accept her, but I won't accept other women."
"Let's talk about this later!"
Lu Xiu nodded, "Let's talk about it later! I still have important things to discuss with my husband."
"What's up?"
Lu Xiu said with some anxiety: "My chest has been a little tight these past two days. Today I asked two old imperial doctors to check my pulse. They both said that my condition is not stable and I need to pay attention to my pregnancy."
Chen Qing was startled and his expression became serious, "Is it that serious? Could it be because the road is more difficult?"
"The old imperial doctor also said that it has something to do with this long journey. The fetus has moved. Husband, I feel like there is a little girl in my belly. I really don't want any accidents."
"Is there any best way?"
"Liu Imperial Physician proposed a plan to me. His daughter has been practicing medicine with him for twenty years and has rich experience. Alternatively, I can ask her to live in the mansion permanently and take care of me until the child is born."
"sure!"
Chen Qing agreed without hesitation: "I will hire her as a full-time physician in my mansion, and I will give her preferential treatment. But where is her husband?"
"She is a widow, and her daughter is already married. She has been practicing medicine with her father."
"Then don't worry."
Lu Xiu hesitated again and said, "She may have to diagnose my pulse and listen to the fetal movements at night, and my husband may have to sleep alone."
"It doesn't matter to me. The safe birth of the child is the most important thing."
"I understand, I will make arrangements for my husband."
After saying that, Lu Xiu stood up to leave. Chen Qing quickly supported her and asked the two maids waiting outside to help his wife back to the bedroom.
"Come here you two!"
Returning to the dormitory, Lu Xiu waved to Yu Ying and Yu Lian, and they quickly walked forward obediently.
"Just leave one of you here with me at night, and the other will take care of your husband. Take turns!"
The two of them secretly glanced at each other, with secret joy in their eyes.
"You two damn girls, listen carefully to me. Don't think that I don't understand your thoughts. Let me warn you first, only once a night. If you dare to be immodest, I will kick you out and get married!"