The holy driver stayed in Hangzhou for three nights and set off on the fourth day.
Brother Jiu was sitting next to the window of the boat and was so angry that he turned into a toad.
The fourth elder brother saw that he was showing off his emotions and reminded him: "Hurry up and stop it. You are worrying too much. You are just a woman!"
Brother Jiu stood up and said angrily: "Let that bastard Li Xu succeed again!"
It turned out that on this return trip, the emperor ordered the spare royal boat to be packed into a cabin, and also sent two palace ladies and two young eunuchs to go there.
This is prepared for the women over there in Suzhou.
This is to take people back to the palace.
Li Xu once again presented his beauty successfully.
Brother Jiu hated this, and felt suffocated when he heard it.
"Again and again and again and again, what on earth is Khan Ama thinking?"
Twenty-eight years brought back Wang Guiren.
In the thirty-eighth year, he brought back the concubine Gao.
I am bringing someone with me again this year.
The fourth elder brother shook his head and said: "Things involving the palace family members are not yours and mine's to talk about!"
The people around the emperor's father, even the concubines with no status, are also the concubines of the princes.
Brother Jiu hummed softly: "You can't choose a good one in the Eight Banners draft? If you want a Han woman, there are many women with flags and drums in the Ministry of Internal Affairs..."
The fourth elder brother could guess a little bit of what the emperor's father was thinking.
Most of the Eight Banners showgirls came from noble families, and if they left a name, they would be given status.
The emperor's father is here at this age, so it would be greedy to choose a beautiful girl from the Eight Banners.
The beautiful ladies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs have been doing a lot of bad things in recent years, and the emperor's father also has a grudge against Bao Yi, and he doesn't like her anymore.
Among the Han women in the south of the Yangtze River, those who can be sent to the imperial court now are no longer from humble backgrounds like Wang Guiren, but mostly scholarly ladies.
There was a scholar who surrendered, and he accepted these women not only because of their beauty, but also because of their beauty.
Since ancient times, there have been more than just one or two people who have been concerned about nepotism.
Fourth Brother said: "Don't worry about Li Xu all the time. You can't even make friends with him."
Brother Ninth asked: "What's going on with Sun Wencheng? This weaving is like a bird's nest, and I can't even get to the front when picking up or dropping off a car..."
Fortunately, Sun Wencheng, the cashmere clothier, cut off the wool.
It's just that it's obvious that this person is not very clever, has no talent, and does not have any holy family.
Whether Cao Yin or Li Xu, they were all local snake-like figures in the south of the Yangtze River; when they came to Sun Wencheng, they were just like ordinary officials, without any provocation.
The fourth elder brother said: "The only person Khan Ama truly trusts is Cao Yin. Li Xu only helped Cao Yin because of his background and smoothness. When he came to Sun Wencheng, he even made up for it and did not restrict Cao Yin."
Just..."
Hearing this, Brother Jiu rolled his eyes and said: "The imperial court is also very funny, and they respect the loyal and martyr men of the previous dynasty..."
For those ministers who submitted to the Qing Dynasty, they looked down upon them and felt that they were doing something wrong.
The fourth elder brother looked at the ninth elder brother and said, "This is the way of loyalty and filial piety that Confucianism advocates, and it wins the hearts of people all over the world."
Brother Jiu disagreed and said: "It's just a fool. You really have the guts to not serve in this dynasty. What's the result? How many people are willing to be rich and have a bright future? Even if there are old men seeking fame, there are not many who prevent their children and grandchildren from going to school."
The fourth elder brother said: "You have already had an attack on Li Xu before, that's all. This dissatisfaction is obvious, and even if you think about it, he won't dare to slander you."
Brother Jiu didn't want to mention this frustrated person anymore. He just remembered one thing and said curiously: "Fourth brother, Khan Ama wants to bring Han women back to the capital. Will the prince take him? There is no news yet.
I wonder if I will think about bringing people with me when I get to Suzhou..."
Fourth Brother shook his head and said, "Probably not."
The prince is in his prime and has few heirs. If he brings a commoner daughter into the palace, it will be an eyesore to the nobles of the Eight Banners.
The emperor's father is here in the Spring and Autumn Period. He has eighteen princes under his knees. It doesn't matter how many younger brothers are born from civilian girls.
Brother Jiu couldn't think of this and said: "Think about it, the prince is hard-hearted and has no sympathy for women..."
*
In the prince's cabin, the prince and the people around him were also talking about the two maids who had served the prince when they visited Suzhou Zhizao Mansion.
As we were about to return to Suzhou, we had to make a decision on how to arrange the two of them.
The prince relented.
Girls who sell themselves as maids have suffered a lot.
These two maids are both poor children who lost their mothers.
The former one was bullied and sold by his stepmother, and the latter one had both parents gone and was sold by his uncle.
Therefore, when people around him asked about the arrangements of the two people, the prince said: "Tell Li Xu to send them to Beijing later!"
It cannot be brought into the palace, just placed outside the palace.
They can always be sheltered from the wind and rain, preventing them from withering outside.
It's so hard for a child without a mother.
Immediately, the prince's expression became a little cold, and he said: "Look later, what are the origins of the maids sent to other places? There are too many who have lost their mothers..."
If it was just a coincidence, if Li Xu arranged it deliberately, it would be really disgusting.
"This is a sycophantic minister, he knows how to figure out his intentions..."
The prince said to himself.
Is Li Xu trying to please himself because he is trying to figure out what his superiors want?
He remembered that he had written to Li Xu several times asking for money, and Li Xu had happily honored him.
What about this time?
Seeing his current situation, will Li Xu still be filial?
The prince narrowed his eyes and ordered the people around him: "Send a message to Li Xu later and ask him to help Gu Zhu build a house, and prepare some makeup and money for the two girls..."
*
Two days later, Yuzhou arrived in Suzhou.
The anger in Brother Jiu's heart has long since dissipated.
The Holy Master is still stationed in Suzhou Weaving Mansion.
It happened that the Suzhou Weaving House presented new satin and new silk as tribute, and within three days, the emperor rewarded them twice.
On the first day, rewards will be given to the ministers, bodyguards, army guards, deacons of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and others.
On the second day, the prince, civil and military ministers, and officials who came to the court were rewarded.
As a retinue of the prince, Ninth Prince received all the best rewards, including a lot of good materials, including four pieces of woven gold, four pieces of shiny satin, four pieces of floral satin, four pieces of tribute satin, and eight pieces of Korean yarn.
Eight pieces of plain yarn.
Brother Jiu looked at everything, and several of them were materials unique to the Suzhou Weaving Bureau.
He still hated Li Xu, but he couldn't help but say that Li Xu had done a good job.
It is also quite clever to prepare new materials at this time.
There is also the filial piety of the Longevity Festival in it.
Thinking that he loved to use Songjiang cloth in Fujin, especially the inner clothes of several children, he asked Cao Shundao: "How much Songjiang cloth did you buy last time when you went to Songjiang?"
Cao Shun said: "According to the list drawn up by me and Fujin, there are one hundred horses for class A and one hundred horses for class B."
Brother Jiu nodded and said, "That's enough."
Cao Shun said: "Master, Li Xu has prepared filial piety, and I have also sent here, sixteen pieces of silk and satin of various colors."
Brother Jiu raised his eyebrows and said, "Where have you sent them?"
Cao Shun said: "The prince and the three masters, as well as Master Ding and Master Gao, there are six places in total."
Brother Jiu sneered: "It's really smooth!"
Bao Yi is a slave of the emperor, so it is not wrong to be filial to his little masters.
The two people in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, one is a superior official and the other is a colleague, it is reasonable to treat each other with courtesy...
*
Zhizhifu Yamen.
Li Can received a message from the prince's relatives and came to find his brother.
"Brother, what does the Crown Prince mean when he asks someone to send a message? Why don't you just take him back to the capital instead of letting us go and send him off..."
It's just two girls. The prince has a separate boat and can be arranged in any cabin.
Li Xu was thinking about what he had been reprimanded by the emperor a few days ago.
The prince's situation was not good.
The prince himself knew very well that he was concerned about reputation and could not bear to be a woman.
The prince has lost his confidence.
Very bad.
Who doesn't know that the prince used to be arrogant, but now he is restrained in his actions.
If the Li family wants to keep their wealth, they have to find a way.
But here, the prince still needs to be respectful.
"Just follow your orders..." Li Xu said.
Li Can frowned and said, "Just give it away and pay it back. How do you prepare a house? And how much money do you need to prepare for it?"
Li Xu felt his heart sinking as he listened.
The prince casually gave the order for the purpose of setting up an outer residence.
But that was no ordinary outhouse.
If the prince ascends the throne, then he will be the emperor's concubine and will enter the palace.
This house cannot be too small, and the fourth floor is the smallest.
It must be in the inner city.
In Nancheng, it is inconvenient for the prince to come in and out, and it is not safe either.
Also don’t be too far from the palace.
Li Xu felt a pain in his body and said to Li Can: "Go back to Beijing and borrow 20,000 taels of silver from the Ministry of Household Affairs, buy a house with 10,000 taels of silver, and use the 10,000 taels of silver to make cosmetics."
I really don't have enough money.
After hearing this, Li Can became a little anxious and said: "Brother, in the past 38 years, I have borrowed 70,000 taels from the driver. This year, I have borrowed 140,000 taels from the driver. This deficit is getting bigger and bigger..."
Li Xu breathed out and said: "What can I do? The emperor doesn't want to disturb the place, so he ordered Cao Yin and I to meet him. Cao Yin can borrow more..."
"Then how can we make up for this shortfall?"
Li Can was very worried.
The Ministry of Household Affairs and the Ministry of Internal Affairs allocate only tens of thousands of taels of silver each year, which are responsible for purchasing fabrics.
Among them, the part that can be intervened is at most 20% to 30%, about 10,000 taels of oil and water.
In that case, it would take more than twenty years to pay off the deficit.
But the household expenses are also high.
At the end of the year, most of these ten thousand taels of silver will be spent on expenses.
Li Xu said: "The emperor knows well. Even if he doesn't show sympathy for me, Cao Yin will find a place for Grace to make up for these shortcomings..."