Chongzhen's face looked a little unhappy at this time, but he still asked Wang Chengen with a somewhat urgent tone.
There was a trace of hesitation in Wang Chengen's eyes. He looked at Chongzhen in front of him and said thoughtfully: "I'm not sure about the details. I have to ask the prince to find out."
"Tell me, what was the donation scene like at that time?"
Chongzhen's eyes were full of curiosity as he looked at Wang Chengen in front of him.
He was a little curious. He, the emperor, didn't get much money from these officials even though he was shameful. Why was the prince able to get the money?
Wang Chengen pondered for a moment, looked at Chongzhen in front of him and said: "At that time, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince also asked the wealthy and powerful people to ask for donations. Naturally, these people did not give much money. Basically, they were crying about poverty and saying the most.
But I’ll give you an amount like 510 taels.”
After hearing Wang Chengen's words, Emperor Chongzhen sneered for a while.
"That's like something those people could say!"
"Then what?"
Chongzhen asked curiously towards Wang Chengen in front of him.
Wang Chengen pondered for a moment, looked at Chongzhen in front of him and said, "Then His Royal Highness did not directly refute these people's words, but asked the kitchen to serve the food."
“Serving???”
Chongzhen looked at Wang Chengen in front of him with a puzzled face.
"Yes! Serving! There is only one pot of bean sprouts."
"Only a pot of bean sprouts served?"
Chongzhen became more and more puzzled. Even if people came to eat this meal without donating any money, they couldn't just serve them a pot of bean sprouts!
"It hurts the royal family's face!"
Chongzhen shook his head.
Wang Chengen on the side did not answer Chongzhen's words, he hesitated for a moment.
"Then, His Highness said that if you have a good time today, you must eat and drink well, but only one dish is not allowed to be wasted. All the dishes on the table must be eaten! Otherwise, he will not be given face."
Hearing Wang Chengen's words, Chongzhen showed a trace of doubt on his face. He looked at Wang Chengen in front of him and said, "That's it? Then why do you say that the prince has raised more funds than me?"
"Your Majesty, don't worry, I haven't finished speaking yet."
At this time, Wang Chengen said quickly to Chongzhen in front of him.
Chongzhen nodded and signaled Wang Chengen to continue.
"Then, everyone quickly picked up a handful of bean sprouts and stuffed them into their mouths. The bean sprouts tasted very salty, almost salty and bitter..."
Wang Chengen's expression became a little strange.
Chongzhen was stunned for a moment, looking at Wang Chengen in front of him with a hint of confusion in his eyes.
What does it mean?
"Then, we palace ministers are the quickest to choose to change the pledge amount, and then we can leave. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will move the bean sprouts on our table to the remaining tables..."
As he said this, Wang Chengen looked a little strange.
At this time, Emperor Chongzhen finally reacted, and his face didn't look very good.
"What is the difference between the prince's doing this and forced donations? How is it different from bandits? It damages the reputation of my royal family!"
"Although His Highness the Crown Prince did this, he also ate bean sprouts...like all officials."
Wang Chengen hesitated for a moment, looked at Emperor Chongzhen in front of him and said.
“It’s so salty, can he still eat it??”
Emperor Chongzhen asked with a hint of disbelief in his eyes as he looked at Wang Chengen in front of him.
"Yeah! And His Royal Highness finished eating two chopsticks with no expression on his face!"
Hearing Wang Chengen's words, Emperor Chongzhen had a look of disbelief in his eyes. If it weren't for the person talking to him in front of him was his confidant eunuch, it would be hard for him to believe it.
My son, a prince who has been well-fed and well-fed since childhood, was able to eat two chopsticks of salty and bitter bean sprouts without changing his expression!
So cruel!
"But the prince's behavior is still the same as robbery!"
The face of Emperor Chongzhen who said these words was a little ugly. Wang Chengen on the side did not answer the words, but in his heart he did not agree with his Majesty's words.
After all, it's now time. The reputation of the royal family is not as important as money. Without enough money, no one will work for the royal family.
He felt that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince had done a very good job!
Emperor Chongzhen hesitated for a moment. He originally wanted Wang Chengen to call the prince back to the palace, but after hesitation, Emperor Chongzhen gave up the plan and sat down on his dragon throne.
He is not stupid, of course he knows very well that the current Beijing city and the current Ming Dynasty are all supported by the prince alone. The prince is forced to do this. It can be said that he is completely forced by the actions of those officials and dignitaries!
Thinking of this, Emperor Chongzhen sighed slightly.
"Wang Chengen, please pay more attention to the prince's health and ask the imperial doctor to check the prince's body!"
Chongzhen hesitated for a moment, looked at Wang Chengen in front of him and said.
"Yes! Your Majesty!"
Hearing Emperor Chongzhen's words, Wang Chengen's face flashed with joy, and he quickly said to Emperor Chongzhen in front of him.
Looking at Wang Chengen's back, Emperor Chongzhen sighed slightly.
Although he didn't agree with it at all on the surface, he had gradually realized a cruel fact in his heart. His abilities seemed to be completely inferior to his eldest son, who was just fifteen or sixteen years old...
Although I don’t know why my eldest son, who is only fifteen or sixteen years old, suddenly burst out with such powerful power.
But... as of now, my son's abilities are quite good!
The bean sprout trick was really a stroke of genius, but those officials just couldn't tell the story of their suffering!
And more importantly, he took two big bites himself first!
This made these officials unable to say a word even though they had their own objections in their hearts!
How dare you say that you can't eat something that His Royal Highness, who has been living in fine clothes since he was a child, can eat even the prince who is only fifteen or sixteen years old?
So smart...
Emperor Chongzhen sat on the dragon chair, holding the handle of the dragon's head beside him. He squeezed his hand until it turned white, then slowly released it, and he let out a long breath.
He now only has one evaluation of Zhu Cixi.
How intelligent and almost demonic!
Moreover, he is cruel to others and even more cruel to himself. He is simply the template of a tycoon!
Having such a son, Chongzhen didn't know whether he should be happy or sad.
Before he came to the throne, he was brainwashed by those in the Donglin Party, thinking that if the people in the government were righteous, the whole world would be better off if there were righteous men.
But with all his experiences in the years since he took the throne, Chongzhen felt more and more that what his teachers said simply didn't work!
The so-called public righteousness and the so-called gentleman are all lies!
These people are the biggest bugs in the entire country!
They controlled the government and formed a political party. They never paid taxes on the land in their hands, resulting in more and more land being rented. The national tax revenue could not be collected at all, and the national finance became increasingly difficult...
But no matter what, Chongzhen no longer had the strength to dig out this country's maggot!