Mo Lan also sensed the danger and quickly hugged Sheng Hong's thigh: "Dad, you have always loved Mo Lan the most. Please help Mo Lan. I really fall in love with the young master..."
Princess Pingning on the side couldn't stand listening anymore and angrily shouted: "Shut up, you want to enter the Duke of Qi's mansion, just dream!"
When Sheng Hong heard this, he was so angry that he wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl in. He threw Mo Lan away cruelly and said sadly: "I told you not to have wishful thinking. Why didn't you listen?"
Mo Lan collapsed on the ground and suddenly burst into a sinister smile: "Since dad doesn't love me, I can only rely on myself. If today's incident is not properly resolved, I can't guarantee whether the news will spread."
Princess Pingning's expression changed after hearing this. She was currently looking for a marriage for Qi Heng. If some rumors spread, it might be a scandal.
"you dare!"
Mo Lan chuckled: "Why shouldn't I dare? In the worst case, everyone will die together."
Sheng Hong looked at this usually well-behaved daughter with heartache and said in disbelief: "You want to drag the Sheng family to death together?"
However, Wang Ruofu sneered and said: "Stop having your big spring and autumn dreams. The Marquis has known for a long time that you have some backup plans. From this afternoon on, the Sheng family has been surrounded and not even a fly can fly out."
Mo Lan's eyes flashed with fear: "It's impossible, how could he know?"
Qin Hao ignored Mo Lan's vicious look, but said to Sheng Hong again in a deep voice: "Please make a decision as soon as possible!"
Sheng Hong looked at Mo Lan blankly, and the vicious look in his eyes made him shudder. It was only at this moment that he realized that he had never understood this daughter.
Wang Ruofu hesitated to speak, she knew she couldn't say this, otherwise Sheng Hong would impose the guilt of dealing with Mo Lan on her, and the two of them would never have a chance to turn around.
"Well, let's deal with it. Just tell the outside world that you suddenly contracted a serious illness... and die of the disease." Sheng Hong finished this sentence with difficulty, and tears were already streaming down his face.
Mo Lan was obviously stunned for a moment, then woke up, threw herself in front of Sheng Hong, and hugged his thigh: "Father, you can't do this to me. I am your biological daughter. Father, please take a good look at me.
I am Mo Lan, whom you have loved since childhood. I just celebrated my hairpin ceremony last year, and I am not married yet..."
Sheng Hong was also in tears, but he still gritted his teeth and shouted: "Dongrong, send the young lady on her way!"
Afterwards, Mo Lan was dragged out, and Sheng Hong looked at Qin Hao and Princess Pingning coldly, asking questions one by one.
"Princess Princess, Lord Marquis, are you two satisfied with this treatment?"
Princess Pingning looked away. As long as she didn't damage Qi Heng's reputation, she had nothing to say.
Qin Hao met Sheng Hong's gaze and shook his head coldly: "Not enough."
Sheng Hong stood up in anger: "I have already lost a daughter, what else do you want? Do you want all the members of the Sheng family to be buried with this evil beast?"
Qin Hao slowly shook his head: "Shangshan people might as well think about how Mo Lan, a woman who has not yet left the palace, has the ability to bribe the maid in my house, and how she can think of spreading rumors behind my back and dragging our three families into trouble.
of?"
"People in Shanda should understand the principle of eradicating evil. After losing a daughter, some people will inevitably do some irrational things. By then, everything we have done now will be in vain!"
Wang Ruofu was afraid of being hated by Sheng Hong, but Qin Hao didn't care.
Sheng Hong stood up from the chair in panic. He immediately wanted to escape from here and pretended not to hear Qin Hao's words. However, as soon as he took two steps, he stumbled and fell to the ground.
Wang Ruofu quickly stepped forward to help him.
Sheng Hong cried sadly: "Why are you forcing me?"
Lin Sushuang is the white moonlight in Sheng Hong's heart. In fact, how could he not notice at all what Lin Sushuang did? It's just a preference. His love for Mo Lan is actually to a large extent.
It comes from the love house and bird for Lin Sushuang.
As a standard feudal scholar-bureaucrat, Sheng Hong walked on thin ice in the officialdom, step by step from a minor official to a capital official. He shouldered the heavy responsibility of revitalizing the prosperity of the Sheng family.
In this family, and only with Lin Sushuang, he could get some comfort. How could he be willing to let Lin Sushuang die?
Princess Pingning was frightened when she heard that Mo Lan had another plan, and said angrily.
"You yourself are not strict in discipline, so why are we forcing you? If the reputation of our three families is even slightly compromised, how can your Sheng family get away with it? She is just a concubine, how can it be compared to the century-old foundation of the Sheng family?
?”
Sheng Hong froze, tears fell from the corners of his eyes, and he stood up in despair: "Let's go home."
Princess Pingning said to Qin Hao: "Thanks to Lord Marquis, my son's reputation has been preserved this time. I will definitely come to express my thanks one day."
"Princess, you are welcome. I am doing this for the reputation of Dongchang Hou Mansion. Besides, Yuan Ruo and I have been friends for many years, so how can we stay out of this matter." Qin Hao said seriously.
Qi Heng suddenly sighed: "Miss Mo Lan was also my classmate, but she didn't expect that because of me..."
Qin Hao interrupted directly: "This matter is all caused by greed, what does it have to do with Yuanruo? With Shanshan people's love for her, she will definitely find a suitable husband for her, but she has to marry Gao Ruo.
The door, and acting so unscrupulously, will inevitably cause greater trouble in the future, does Yuan Ruo still plan to marry her?"
Princess Pingning also advised: "Yes, what qualifications do such women have to enter our Qi family?"
Qi Heng closed his eyes in pain. He knew that his hope of going to Minglan was completely shattered. After all, Minglan was also a girl from the Sheng family, and his mother would not agree to this alone.
After sending Princess Pingning and Qi Heng away, Qin Hao also returned to the bedroom.
Yu Yanran still didn't know what happened, and asked with some confusion: "Why is it so late? Aren't the guests sent away long ago?"
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Qin Hao sighed and told Yu Yanran the situation.
Yu Yanran covered her mouth and widened her eyes: "Oh my god, how could this happen? Is Mo Lan crazy? Minglan won't be implicated, right?"
Qin Hao patted her forehead lightly: "How can your husband succeed if I take action? Don't worry, no one will know about this."
Yu Yanran rubbed her forehead, then moved her body inside, winked at Qin Hao and said, "Husband, it's getting late, please rest early."
Qin Hao took off his coat and got into bed. Just when he wanted to do something good for his physical and mental health, Yu Yanran held down his offending hand and said coquettishly: "Husband, I'm not even out of confinement yet."
Well, Qin Hao could only endure it for now. Yu Yanran felt a little sorry and whispered: "If my husband really can't hold it in anymore, why not let Jade take care of you."
Qin Hao shook his head when he heard this: "Let's forget it. Jade is your maid, so don't hurt the feelings between you little sisters."
Yu Yanran looked at Qin Hao doubtfully: "Although Feicui has been with me since she was a child, she is still a maid. If my husband adopts her, she is an aunt. Only then can we treat each other as sisters."
Well, it makes sense, but Qin Hao still feels that this kind of behavior is a bit too scumbag, just like sleeping with someone's best friend: "You have to be willing to do it."
Yu Yanran smiled playfully and leaned into Qin Hao's ear: "Husband, in fact, Feicui has thought about it for a long time. I saw her that day..."
Qin Hao glared at her: "How could you, a dignified lady from the Marquis's residence, peek into the privacy of my servants?"
Yu Yanran smiled and said: "My husband is usually too brave, Jade is always waiting by the side, so it is inevitable..."
This is true. Feicui has been waiting in the room, and it is inevitable to hear some indescribable sounds. She is actually about the same age as Yu Yanran, and she is the age when her love affair first started.
Before Qin Hao could react, Yu Yanran shouted: "Jade."
"My slave is here." Feicui thought of what Yu Yanran said to her in the evening, and suddenly blushed, timidly coming to the bedside.
Yu Yanran opened a corner of the curtain, and Qin Hao saw Feicui wearing a tube top, her head lowered, standing by the bed and not daring to look at him.
Qin Hao glared at Yu Yanran. Needless to say, this must have been arranged by Yu Yanran, otherwise how could this girl dare to be so bold.
Yu Yanran smiled tenderly and said: "Husband, the weather is very cold, can you bear to let Feicui stand like this all the time?"
Qin Hao had no choice but to say to Jade: "You don't regret it?"
Jade immediately knelt down beside the bed, blushed and said in an inaudible voice, tremblingly: "Master Marquis, I am willing."
Qin Hao sighed, pulled her up, then lifted the quilt, and Jade shyly got in.
Yu Yanran smiled evilly and leaned into Jade's ear: "You must serve the Marquis well."
Jade buried her face: "Please have mercy on Jade."
Unable to bear it anymore, Qin Hao pulled Jade over, lowered his head and kissed her slightly trembling lips.
.......
The next day, early in the morning, Yu Yanran drank Jade's tea and gave her a bracelet. She said with a smile: "We will be real sisters from now on. Serve the Marquis well and give birth to a boy and a girl in the future."
Spread the branches and leaves for the Hou Mansion, do you know?"
"No." Jade shyly took the bracelet.
When Qin Hao saw this scene, he couldn't help but sigh, this evil feudal society is so wonderful.
After breakfast, Qin Hao played with the two little guys for a while. The newborn grew very fast, almost every day, but he was a bit sleepy. Especially the daughter, who would not wake up no matter how much trouble she fell asleep, but her brother did. On the contrary, he would wake up at the slightest movement and cry loudly.
Yu Yanran felt most sorry for her son. As soon as her son cried, she would hug him and not let go until she coaxed him to sleep. In fact, Qin Junye and Qin Liu were the same. They cared about their grandson far more than their granddaughter.
Qin Hao, on the other hand, prefers girls. As long as he is at home, he will always hold his daughter and walk around. The servants of the Dongchang Hou Mansion see this and do not dare to neglect the eldest lady of the Hou Mansion.
Of course, since Shen Congxin messed up his errands, Qin Hao's life has not been as leisurely as before. The first thing is the pension for the fallen soldiers.
The money given by the court was too little, so Qin Hao could only find a way on his own. When he happened to catch Zhou Yan, many nobles wanted to make money overseas, so Qin Hao summoned these nobles.
"Everyone, I believe you have heard that I will be in charge of overseas affairs again in the spring of next year. I believe you all know that overseas materials are rich and cannot be brought back just by the few ships of the imperial court. I invite you to come today. I just want to ask you if you are interested in cooperating with the imperial court to develop overseas resources."
This kind of thing cannot be hidden, and Qin Hao naturally cannot do it in a private name, otherwise he will easily be jealous of Zhao Zongquan.
The second son of Duke Chengguo immediately asked: "Master Marquis, I wonder what kind of cooperation method it is?"
"Yes, we have to come up with a charter on how to distribute profits."
Qin Hao waited patiently for them to finish their discussion, and then said: "Actually, it's very simple. Every time we go to sea, the court collects 20% of the goods as commercial tax, and the rest is collected by each family."
As soon as these words came out, there was an uproar in the front hall, and Dongyang Hou stood up to leave: "Isn't it too harsh to withdraw 20% this time? There are wind and waves everywhere on the sea. If the ship sinks, we won't be able to catch anything. It's risky. It’s too big.”
"Yeah, 20% is too much. How much profit do we have?"
Qin Hao took a sip of tea to moisten his throat and stared at Dongyang Hou. The latter was frozen there for a moment, either leaving or staying.
Everyone in the front hall gradually became quiet.
Qin Hao then comforted him and said, "Don't be impatient, Marquis Dongyang, just listen to what I have to say."
"The imperial court will not take the 20% for nothing. First of all, your merchant ships can go to sea with the imperial fleet. If there are any pirates or native bandits on the road, the imperial court will deal with them to ensure the safety of all merchant ships."
"Secondly, there are more than just Siam and Chenla overseas, there are also farther waterways, and the profits will be more abundant. These waterways will also be explored by the imperial court, and they can also be shared with you when the time comes."
At this point, Qin Hao suddenly paused: "Of course, in order to avoid competition with each other causing the prices of various commodities to skyrocket, we will set up ten quotas in each channel to protect the common interests of you and the court."
Suddenly, the front hall was filled with people. There are only ten places in each channel, which means that the rest will be excluded. The wealth is so exciting. Who doesn’t know that there are gold and silver mountains overseas, just waiting to move them? Make money now.
The opportunity is right in front of you, who doesn’t want to get a ticket to board the ship?
"Master Marquis, our Yongxin Marquis Mansion wants this quota! Please make an offer how much it will cost!"
"We, the Zhongyi Marquis, also want one!"
There are only ten spots, so you must strike first. If you don't grab it, wouldn't you just watch the gold and silver slip away before your eyes?
Qin Hao pressed his hand to signal everyone to calm down: "Don't panic, everyone. Although there is only one route for now, the court will add new routes in the future, so there is no need to be so anxious."
But the more he said this, the less everyone believed it. Who knew whether the future shipping routes would be as good as now? Anyway, they only knew that Qin Hao had gone to sea and brought back a large number of rare treasures.
"Then there is no other way. The only choice is the one with the highest price." Qin Hao had a helpless expression, but he was actually secretly laughing in his heart. The principle that rare things are more valuable has not changed since ancient times.
After an intense auction, ten places were finally auctioned for a high price of 2.7 million yuan, which shows how rich these noble families are.
Qin Hao did not touch the money and sent it directly to Zhao Zongquan.
Zhao Zongquan was full of praise for Qin Hao's method of making money: "Qin Aiqing still has a way. Turning stone into gold is nothing more than that, right?"
Qin Hao bowed and said: "Actually, this amount of money is just drizzle. In the future, these nobles will continue to bring overseas wealth back to the Song Dynasty. Just 20% of the tax revenue will be enough for most of the court's expenses. By then, the government will
No matter what you want to do, you no longer need to be constrained by money."
Zhao Zongquan sighed: "Well, what Qin Aiqing said makes sense."
Qin Hao then reminded: "However, one thing needs to be told to the officials. There are also a lot of maritime merchants among the people. The court has not paid attention to this area before, resulting in a large loss of commercial tax. Now it is time to take care of it.
"
Zhao Zongquan nodded and said angrily: "Yes, these people are making a lot of money, but the court is so poor. It's time to take care of it. What do Qin Aiqing think?"
Qin Hao said solemnly: "It's actually very simple. As long as the imperial court sets up shipping offices in each area with sea ports, manages and registers all ships going to sea, it can eliminate most tax evasion. In addition, the imperial court also needs to establish
There is an anti-smuggling agency that specializes in catching smuggling activities. Once caught, the property will be confiscated and relatives will be imprisoned. Naturally, no one will dare to evade taxes over time."
Zhao Zongquan thought for a long time and then sighed with emotion: "Qin Aiqing is more thoughtful and does not bother the two masters. Let Qin Aiqing handle the shipping yamen and anti-smuggling yamen."
Qin Hao bowed slightly: "Thank you for your trust, but this matter cannot be done by me alone. We still need people selected by the court."
This is done to avoid suspicion. After all, these two yamen will have considerable power in the future.
Zhao Zongquan was very satisfied with Qin Hao's sense of proportion, but still asked: "If Qin Aiqing has suitable candidates, he might as well recommend one or two."
In fact, Zhao Zongquan also wanted to place his own people in these two yamen. Unfortunately, he knew that the people from Yuzhou were not the material. It could be seen from Shen Congxin's performance that it was okay to let them fight and kill. , I can’t do such detailed work.
Qin Hao thought for a while: "Wei Chen recommended Sheng Changbai as editor of the Hanlin Academy."
Zhao Zongquan was slightly startled, then smiled and said: "Oh, he is the son of Sheng Hong, a doctor in the Ministry of Rites? I remember that he and Qin Aiqing were Jinshi in the same year, right?"
Qin Hao couldn't help feeling that being an emperor in ancient times was not an easy task. Knowledge and memorization were the most basic thing. Otherwise, if there were so many civil and military officials in the dynasty, how could they dare to be re-employed if they didn't know their details?
"Reporting back to the official family, Weichen and Sheng Changbai were not only Jinshi in the same year, but also close friends. Weichen had studied with Sheng Changbai at the Shengjia School before. However, the reason why Weichen recommended him was not a personal relationship, but because Sheng Changbai was an upright person. He is selfless and selfless, and Wei Chen feels that if he were in charge of the shipping yamen, no one would dare to miss a penny of tax again."
"Oh? Qin Aiqing actually thinks so highly of this person? Come on, go find Sheng Changbai, so that we can meet him." Zhao Zongquan's curiosity was aroused.