On the other hand, inside the elegant room, mourning was already everywhere.
Except for wealthy ministers like Cai Jing, most of the officials present were already unable to make ends meet.
It's not that he is really poor, but that he has incurred a lot of debts and his salary is used to pay off the debts.
As for gray income, it cannot be seen in the light, so naturally it is not easy to show to others.
The relatively low-ranking officials are really on the verge of "bankruptcy". In order to hold on to their interests, they can only take part in gambling. After going back and forth, they lose all their salaries and are still burdened with usurious loans. They have been squeezed out for a long time.
Out of breath.
Even though I didn't dare to make a loud noise in front of His Majesty, I couldn't help sighing.
"What on earth is going on here? We've obviously won, so why did we lose in such a confused way?"
"Zhao Huan must be cheating! Even if we leave this situation to the generals in the court, we will never win."
"I think so too, but... there are so many pairs of eyes watching, and choosing generals to play games is similar to playing chess. There is no room for cheating at all."
"This time I lost miserably! I got a thousand taels of silver, and I planned to support it until the next salary payment, but this time it's better, I will definitely have to borrow money to live."
"You're still talking about it! I, a high-ranking fifth-grade official, have almost lost my pants, it's so embarrassing!"
At this moment, everyone noticed Zhu Lian standing outside the door.
In the entire gambling game, only two people made a lot of money. One was His Majesty as the boss, and the other was naturally Zhu Lian.
Losing five to one, that is to say, Zhu Lian won a total of four thousand taels of silver!
All the officials were extremely jealous, but they had no choice but to make sarcastic remarks.
"A husband and wife are of the same mind, and their strength is as powerful as gold. I'm afraid the princess and the prince have already secretly had an affair, right?"
"Without the word "I'm afraid", this is clearly the game played by the couple!"
"Prince Ding showed weakness at first, and then suddenly turned the tide and harvested our money."
"How shameless!"
Zhu Lian didn't care when the villain complained to the officials first. After all, how could he stop his mouth if it was someone else's?
Besides, she made four thousand taels of silver in vain, so what does it mean if someone says a few words to her?
Zhu Lian didn't even bother to pay attention to them. He was about to turn around and leave, but was stopped by Zhao Ji.
"There will be another game later, so there is no need for the princess to leave. Let's join in the fun together."
Zhu Lian stopped, turned around slowly, and saluted Zhao Ji.
"Your Majesty is so elegant, even if you lend me a hundred courages, I would not dare to disturb your Majesty's mood."
"It's just that the prince hates gambling the most. If he knew that I participated in gambling, I'm afraid he would severely punish me. I beg your majesty to have mercy and don't embarrass me."
Hearing this rhetoric, Zhao Ji couldn't help but laugh.
"Prince Ding will punish you?"
"This is the funniest joke I've heard this year."
"Although the king is violent, everyone in the world doesn't know that you are the only one who can stroke him, but he doesn't dare to bare his teeth?"
"You are clearly trying to frustrate me."
Seeing that he could not escape, Zhu Lian had no choice but to bow his head and accept.
"Your Majesty, please calm down. I'll just stay and join in the fun."
Zhu Lian planned to enter with the three women around him, but was stopped by the Wudesi guards.
Guardsman Wudes bowed pretending to be humble, but his face was cold, and there was no doubt between the lines.
"The princess and Miss Zheng can come in, but the maid stays outside."
Before the holy drive, of course, there was no choice.
Xiaoxia and Chen Yushu could only stay outside the door, watching helplessly as Zhu Lian and Zheng Qingyun were locked in the house. Although they were anxious, they could do nothing.
Xiaoxia reacted quickly and winked at Chen Yushu, telling her to notify Zhao Huan immediately.
By the time Chen Yushu ran to Hongyan Pavilion, the third level had already begun.
All the singers who were chess pieces have withdrawn, and a desk has been placed in the center of the hall.
Zhao Huan and Li Shishi sat across from each other, with a copper bell in front of them and an incense burner in the middle of the table.
The incense burner is very ordinary, but the incense placed on it has been modified, and every other inch is marked with black ink.
A stick of incense is divided into eight sections.
Li Shishi introduced softly: "I think back in Genyue, the prince arranged a play for the Jiaofang Singer."
“I can’t remember the play clearly, but the arias are still fresh in my memory.”
"I dare not forget to worry about my country despite my humble position..."
"Although I am a daughter-in-law, I am brave and care about my family and my country. In this last step, I will discuss the strategy with the prince."
"The slave asks first, then the prince answers, and vice versa when the answer is correct."
"If the incense burns to the mark and the bell has not yet sounded, it is equivalent to admitting defeat."
"Three sticks of incense, twenty-four sections, please give me your advice."
It is undeniable that this Master Li does have a lot of "flower jobs", no wonder he can make Zhao Ji fascinated.
The so-called argumentation is actually, to put it bluntly, a debate competition.
When it comes to the power of words, Zhao Huan has never been timid.
He couldn't help but smile at Tao Kan when he looked at Master Li, who was so beautiful and beautiful, so close at hand.
"As expected of Master Li, he can always come up with elegant dramas that are eye-catching."
Li Shishi naturally knew Zhao Huan's character, and I am afraid that Zhao Huan had despised her to the extreme at this time.
And in the whole world, only Zhao Huan would be so dismissive of her.
Instead of being angry, Master Li secretly admired Zhao Huan. After all, the Song Dynasty was weak and it was time for a strong man with an iron fist.
But an iron hand alone is not enough. You must have both civil and military skills to save the building from falling. Tonight, Li Shishi will test Zhao Huan's skills on behalf of His Majesty.
"Your Majesty, please stop teasing me. In the battle of Yizhou, Your Majesty was a skilled man and was brave. He took the initiative to fight in the street, which made the slave family admire him."
"I just don't know if the prince's understanding of strategy is so unique and profound."
As soon as he said this, Zhao Huan understood that Li Shishi was by no means a flower vase.
At least he was familiar with military literature and knew the military aspects well. It was precisely for this reason that he was able to attract the attention of the heroes in Liangshanbo.
Li Shishi was right, the battle of Yizhou was just a battle at the tactical level.
Whether it can rise to the strategic level still needs time to be demonstrated.
After all, if Yizhou is not peaceful, it will not replace Taiyuan Prefecture. No one can be sure whether the Jin people will attack Yizhou or Taiyuan.
At this moment, the singer of Hongyan Pavilion lit the incense burner, which meant that the discussion officially began.
Li Shishi was well prepared and blurted out: "The Jin's destruction of the Liao is only an immediate matter. There must be countless good generals and counselors among the Jin people, so they naturally understand the importance of Taiyuan Prefecture."
"How did the prince make the Jin people leave Taiyuan alone and focus on Yizhou?"
"This is no less than the national policy of going against gold."
"I'm afraid that only when Lord Zhuge is alive can he strategize, win decisively from thousands of miles away, and perform such miracles, right?"
Master Li is such a good person, every word is accurate, and everything he said is right to the point.
This was clearly aimed at Zhao Huan. If His Majesty hadn't been behind it, he wouldn't have believed it even if he killed Zhao Huan!