Gao Qiu left the emperor's side hall and walked down the imperial steps with a sigh of relief. A person behind him called out in a low voice: "Commander Gao Dian, stay."
Gao Qiu quickly turned around, cupped his hands and said, "Mr. Liang, do you have any orders?"
Liang Shicheng walked down the steps with a smile on his face, wrapped in a fox fur robe tightly and said with a smile: "We have warmed a pot of wine in the small heating pavilion in front of the palace. It's cold and windy. How about inviting Gao Dianshuai to come over and have a drink?"
Gao Qiu was stunned for a moment, then realized... Emperor Zhao Ji is not worried! I am afraid that the hidden minister Liang Shicheng will have control over the sky lantern, and he must not let himself mess it up... Maybe, there is something else
things.
Liang Shicheng was a real old fox. He never interacted with foreign ministers in the palace. It must be the emperor's intention to invite him to drink openly. This was also a disguised form of support for him!
"Hahaha, Mr. Liang invites you. Gao Qiu is afraid that he has to win! Mr. Liang invites you first."
"Hahaha... let's go, let's go together!"
From a distance, two eunuchs led two officials away quickly. It was Wang Fu, the cabinet minister of Pingzhang, who was under Tongzhongshu's family, and Cai You, the great scholar.
Since the relationship between Cai You and his father Cai Jing broke down, Cai You has become even more popular with Song Huizong. Playing with checks and balances is a basic skill in the emperor's mind. If the Cai family wants to continue the favor, it is impossible for the father and son to be important ministers at the same time...
As for whether Cai Jing is really at odds with his father, or whether the father and son have a tacit understanding, this is not what Zhao Ji cares about. After Cai You left Cai Jing's Taishi Mansion, Zhao Ji immediately rewarded the house and garden. This was his attitude... I don't want to see you.
Father and son are in cahoots!
From then on, Cai Jing devoted himself to training his second son, Cai Sui. It is said that Cai You was very angry about this. He made slanderous remarks to the emperor several times and wanted to kill Cai Sui! It is worth pondering how much of this is just acting and how much is real hatred...
Whether Cai Jing is using Cai Sui as a cover, or whether he really intends to train Cai Sui to completely replace Cai You and support the big tree of the Cai family, the father and son may not be able to tell. However, Cai Sui does not have an older brother.
He is so obsessed with power, but he actually has some real talent.
Cai You looked at the backs of Liang Shicheng and Gao Qiu and curled his lips: "Why are you entertaining him? A Cuju Taiwei, a greedy man from the market..."
Wang Fu's thoughts became much more gloomy, and he whispered: "Xu Shi has made a lot of money from the gambling club. Master Yinxiang naturally wants to appease this good boy!"
"Hmph!" Cai You shook his head and reached out: "Please, Mr. Wang!"
"Hahaha, Brother Cai Xian...why are you so polite?"
The two of them each had their own evil intentions and went to see Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty.
Here Gao Qiu followed Liang Shicheng to a side hall with great fear. In a small pavilion in the back, a table of wine and food had been set up, and two waiters stood next to it.
As soon as Gao Qiu saw it, he knew that today's banquet had been prepared in advance, and he didn't know whether it was Zhao Ji's intention or Liang Shicheng's intention.
"Master Liang, please!"
"Commander Gao Dian, you don't have to be polite."
The two sat down, and the waiter next to them carefully poured wine for them.
Liang Shicheng said with a smile: "Commander Gao Dian, your majesty is now determined to use troops against Bei Liao! Can there be something wrong with the imperial army in Beijing... Can the shortcomings in the past be made up?"
Gao Qiu replied: "Don't worry, Mr. Yinxiang, there are 230,000 Imperial Guards stationed in key areas of the capital. The Privy Council has recruited 180,000 elite troops and their training has already been completed! There is no shortage of armor and tents, but the military horse camp in Moutuogang is over.
...It is the confidant generals of the Privy Council who are guarding the horses and carts..."
"You don't have to worry about that. Someone will give them advice. You don't have to worry about the Northern Forbidden Army. Your Majesty has his own arrangements! For this Northern Expedition, His Majesty even stopped the construction of Genyue Garden... but he has wronged himself.
Ah! Although the three divisions have some different opinions on military expenditures... on the allocation of food and fodder, they are still working diligently! Your Majesty also said that the current ministers are doing well... not many can really share your worries for you!"
When Gao Qiu heard this, he understood in his heart that Zhao Ji still couldn't let go of the nonsense of Gen Yue Garden!
Jiangnan has been looted and rebelled by the Ying Feng Bureau. Now it is at the critical moment of annihilating Fang La. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. Every day, Gao Qiu will receive some reports of the Forbidden Army's battle losses and the death of their heads...
...Those strings of numbers made Gao Qiu, who had never experienced a battle, feel frightened just looking at them!
...In December, the Western Army was unable to adapt to the climate and killed 1,215 people due to illness, and 4,562 people died in the battle after they fell into the water during three campaigns against bandits...17,000 Manichaean bandits were killed.
Five hundred and forty-five, 49,000 bandits were killed... 74,000 bandits were killed... 5,530 soldiers of the Sixth Battalion were killed... 5,530 were killed...
Gao Qiu can be regarded as a high-ranking official who has seen big scenes, but he still sighs for a long time when he picks up the battle report... The heads are rolling! How many of the dead people were killed for their good deeds? Report the dead soldiers, and how many of them were killed?
How many of them took the opportunity to sign up to make up for the shortfall in the past?
What a mess!
But even so, the emperor is still thinking about the majestic and faint Mount Gen... It can be seen that this emperor... he is still a good emperor!
Gao Qiu nodded and said: "My emperor is wise! I have really wronged myself for the eternal foundation of the Song Dynasty... I am not talented, but I am willing to share your worries for you! Gen Yue is the essence of the heaven and earth, and the scenery of the Song Dynasty's literary talent!
But if it is to be passed down to future generations for generations to admire and boast about... it is simply a waste of natural resources to be so abandoned!"
Liang Shicheng chuckled and said: "Captain Gao is good at management and knows how to advance and retreat! He is also loyal... Your Majesty did not misjudge the person!"
Gao Qiu gritted his teeth and said: "Wazi Street has been destroyed, and I don't know how long it will take to rebuild... I will think of a way to send some Xiang troops from nearby Gyeonggi into the city and build it quietly... As for money, Wazi Street can't be counted on.
It just depends on the betting club..."
Liang Shicheng's eyes lit up: "The gambling club now earns nearly one million a year. Is there any other way to make profits?"
"Cuju and horse racing, these two biggest lottery jackpots can earn nearly 150,000 taels per month! In addition, the shops near the stadium are also owned by the imperial army, and the rent and income are also 30,000 to 50,000 taels!"
Liang Shicheng was shocked... "What? Nearly two million taels a year? How...why did the inner court only get more than 800,000 yuan?"
Gao Qiu sighed: "Charity... nearly half of the profits this year were actually used to encourage students to do relief! Every year, Taixue took away more than 100,000 taels to repair houses and buy books, pens, ink, paper, and inkstones... and...
We need to subsidize travel, food and accommodation expenses for candidates from all over the country who come to Beijing! We also have to provide free accommodation for candidates from poor families to study for the exams in the capital... Some candidates who failed the exam actually stayed in the capital and stayed at charity gambling clubs every day.
We live and eat for free in the student inn! Once we kick people out, the professors from the Imperial College and the Imperial College will scold them... saying that we are corrupting the world by gambling under the guise of charity!"
Liang Shicheng said angrily: "These rotten scholars are really greedy!"
Gao Qiu sighed: "There is also relief. Over the years, the victims have been displaced inside and outside, and we have rescued more than a million yuan! There are not many fewer victims who have fled to Bianliang. I am afraid that they have been rescued by the local officials.
I’m almost too greedy for ink…”
Liang Shicheng sighed... "Let the Yushitai worry about this! It's just a pity that all this money is flowing out in vain!"
How could Gao Qiu dare to offend the Imperial College and the Imperial Academy? Those poor and sour men had to yell and curse a few times for no reason. They couldn't kill him, they couldn't scold him... they threatened to go outside the palace gate to petition and beat the drums at every turn!
The old fox Liang Shicheng will definitely not do the hot potato of reducing charity expenditures. It will probably fall into the hands of Cai You, Wang Fu, Li Yan and a few others... However, some profit can be made, but the infamy will have to go to Song Huizong.
Got it!
Gao Qiu cupped his hands and said, "Mr. Liang, there are still some confidential matters here... Okay..."
Liang Shicheng glanced at the waiter who was waiting next to him. The waiter hurriedly and cautiously bowed and stepped back, closing the door of the Nuan Pavilion carefully.