Chapter 2856 Four Kings and Eight Gongs, Lai Da’s Family Confiscated

The next day, during the Great Court Meeting, the atmosphere in the Hall of Supreme Harmony was solemn and solemn.

Emperor Yuankang was wearing a bright yellow dragon robe, standing on the steps of his Majesty, glaring at the ministers below, his face was full of cyan, and his eyes were flashing with anger. He never expected that the ministers would actually cry out for poverty with him, facing the south It was snowing heavily and the treasury had no money. They were still unwilling to pay back the money. They just asked Emperor Yuankang to give him some time to wait for them to slowly collect the money.

"I can afford to wait, but the people in the southern provinces cannot afford to wait. Do you really have to watch the people suffer and have riots to make you happy?"

The ministers once again used the ultimate skill of silence is golden, bowed their heads and remained silent, which made Emperor Yuankang furious. He could no longer suppress it and said angrily.

"You just stay in the Hall of Supreme Harmony today. Whenever you are willing to pay back the money, I will leave again. I don't believe you yet and I can't cure you!"

After that, Emperor Yuankang sat on the dragon chair, closed his eyes and said nothing, and he and the ministers went on to see who could outshine the other.

It is easy to borrow money but difficult to repay it. The experience of Emperor Yuankang fully demonstrates the truth that the uncle is the one who owes money, even if he owes money to the emperor, it is the same.

Jia Chang stood in the hall with a calm expression. He was a new member of the court. During the border war, he got a lot of good things, but he was not extravagant, so he did not pay any extravagance to the treasury.

Jia Chang has a martial arts spirit and a strong body. Not to mention standing for a day, even for three days and three nights, it is extremely easy for him.

But many ministers in the court are different, especially the civil servants. On the one hand, some of them are old and cannot withstand the torment; on the other hand, even if they are young, they have no strength in their hands. They cannot lift it with their hands or carry it on their shoulders. They cannot stand up. One day, my back was sore and my chest was pressed against my back because of hunger. One after another, people begged for mercy and offered to pay back the money.

It seems that it is the same in ancient and modern times. If you want people to pay back money, you have to use some tricks to make the person who owes money uncomfortable, so that you can get the money back.

In the evening, the ministers began to speak one after another. Most of the remaining ministers were distinguished generals. Their families had a great business and had been rich for a long time. They were lavish and spent countless money. They were the ones who owed the most money. The least was hundreds of thousands of taels of silver, including Ningrong Second Mansion.

Emperor Yuankang saw that these people were stubborn and refused to pay back the money. He had no choice for a while. He couldn't really let them stand until they died. Many people could no longer bear it, their faces turned pale, and they fell to the ground. They continued. It is not meaningful.

Emperor Yuankang snorted angrily, got up and left the Hall of Supreme Harmony, returned to the Palace of Qianqing, and tried to think of a way. Now he had the money that the civil servants wanted to pay back, which was enough for disaster relief, and there was also a small amount of ten million taels.

On the third day, Emperor Yuankang held another court meeting. In addition to arranging disaster relief matters, he still forced the remaining ministers to pay back the money. He even sent a debt collection team. If the money was still not paid after one month, he would be dismissed from office, ransacked his home, and was exiled to Lingnan. .

For a time, the government and the public were in an uproar, and many timid ministers began to return the money to the treasury overnight. However, the four princes and the Wuxun Group still held on.

Some of the nobles were unwilling to pay back the money, and some really had no money. In desperation, they had no choice but to go together to see the Supreme Emperor and Emperor Tai Zhen, hoping that he could make the decision for them.

Emperor Taizhen was getting older. He thought about his old friendship and comforted the nobles with a few words, saying that he would give Emperor Yuankang some grace. In fact, he was just fooling them. After all, the nobles owed money from their dynasty. How could he? He might slap himself in the face and make it difficult for Emperor Yuankang.

Some of the four princes and eight princes could not understand. They really thought that relying on Emperor Taizhen, they could arm-wrestle with Emperor Yuankang and fight against him. They were so desperate that they even got together with King Zhongshun.

King Zhongshun was Emperor Taizhen's favorite youngest son at that time. He was the same mother as Emperor Yuankang. He was also expected to ascend to the throne. However, he didn't expect that Emperor Yuankang would step in halfway and become the Supreme Being. He was unconvinced and tried to win over him. The ministers in the court hoped that Emperor Yuan Kang could not sit on the dragon throne and was deposed by Emperor Taizhen, so that he could sit on the throne he had dreamed of for a long time.

On this day, the Beijing Prince's Mansion sent a message inviting the four princes and eight princes to gather to discuss the matter. Both the Ningrong and Ningrong Mansion received the message, and because Jia Chang was born in the Rongguo Mansion and was the Marquis of Wu'an Mansion, he was also invited.

The grandson of Gong Gongqing of Zhenguo is now the first-class Bo Niu, the grandson of Liu Biao, the grandson of Liguo, is the first-class son Liu Fang, the grandson of Duke Chen Yi of Qi is hereditary third-rank Wei Zhen general Chen Ruiwen, and the grandson of Zhiguo Gong Ma Kui is hereditary third-rank Weiyuan general. Ma Shang, the hereditary first-class son Hou Xiaokang, the grandson of Xiaoming, the Duke of Xiu; Sun Shiguangzhu, the hereditary third-class Zhaoyi general of the Duke of Repair, plus Jia Zhen, Jia She of Ningrong's second mansion, and Jia Chang of Wu'an Hou's mansion , several other county princes were not in Shenjing City, but the juniors from the mansion attended the party, so many people from the Eight Dukes' mansions also came to join in the fun.

It turns out that these four kings had the greatest contribution back then, and their descendants still hold the title of king now. They are different from the Eight Dukes and have a respected status. However, now only the King of Beijing is in the city of Shenjing.

Now, King Shuirong of Beijing has not lost his crown since he was young. He was born with beautiful appearance and a humble temperament. In addition, because the four princes and eight princes had a deep friendship at that time, they shared difficulties and prosperity, and did not regard each other with different surnames, so he did not regard himself as the king.

A carriage galloped on the official road and stopped outside the palace in the background. Li Hu jumped off the carriage, opened the curtain, and said to Jia Chang who closed his eyes to rest.

"Master Marquis, we have arrived at the Prince's Mansion in Beijing!"

Jia Chang straightened up and slowly opened his eyes. A ray of light shot out, which was extremely frightening. With a calm expression, he stepped out of the carriage and arrived in front of the main gate of Beijing Prince's Mansion. At this time, the door opened and the Chief of Beijing Prince's Mansion stood in front of him. Outside the door, he is responsible for welcoming guests.

Chang Shi's surname was Liu. When he saw Jia Chang coming, he quickly walked down the steps with a bright smile on his face and said respectfully.

"Marquis Wu'an, you are the only one left, the prince and others are waiting for you!"

Although Jia Chang is only a marquis, his title is higher than that of many of the Four Kings and Eight Dukes. Among the people gathered today, he is second only to King Shuirong of Beijing, and the others have a lower title than him. In addition, Jia Chang had outstanding military exploits, held military power, and his status was definitely not inferior to that of King Shuirong of Beijing. He was deeply trusted by Emperor Yuankang, so he was the last one to arrive as the finale.

"Please lead the way!"

Jia Chang nodded, his expression calm and without any fluctuations. Liu Changshi glanced at Jia Chang and led the way respectfully, secretly amazed in his heart.

"Sure enough, he is different from other people in Ningrong's second house. He is handsome and handsome, with deep majesty, calm eyes, stable temperament, and faint evil spirit. He is worthy of being praised as the white emperor of the world. Huo Qubing of this dynasty was awarded the title of Marquis at a young age. He is hard-edged. Block, different from the ordinary, a hero in the world!"

Jia Chang walked into the palace and met the people from the four princes and eight princes. After greeting him for a few words, he sat in the empty seat under Shuirong. That was the seat reserved for him alone. If the other three kings were all Now that he's here, he can't sit in this position, but he's only second to a few people.

Wang Shuirong of Beijing didn't have much contact with Jia Chang, but he had known Jia Baoyu of Rongguo Mansion for a long time. He had also heard rumors that he was born with a jade in his hand, so he looked at Jia Baoyu in a different light and made good friends with him.

"This is the first time I have such close contact with Marquis Wu'an. Our ancestors and I have a life-long friendship. We can get closer in the future!"

Beijing Wang Shuirong has a beautiful face and a gentle temperament, but he is not as frivolous as a young man. He smiled at Jia Chang and said that he wanted to close the distance between the two parties.

Jia Chang looked at the less powerful King of Beijing with a polite smile on his face. This man was a smart man. He knew how much he weighed and was very obedient to Emperor Yuan Kang. Unlike some people, he But he did not refuse to interact with him and said.

"Your Majesty, you're welcome. This is also my first time attending a gathering among four princes and eight princes!"

Jia Chang has already separated his house and is not a serious head of the Ning Rong House, so he has never attended such a gathering. He didn't want to come when he was invited today, but thinking about his background in the Rongguo House, he reluctantly did it.

Jia Chang exchanged a few words of greetings, and after meeting everyone else, he kept silent. He had a principle today, silence is golden, he would never talk nonsense, just listen.

Jia Chang listened quietly to everyone discussing the shortage of the treasury. As expected, most people were unwilling to pay back the money. Among them, Niu Jizong, the Duke of Zhenguo, was the most intense. He shouted that the Supreme Emperor had made the decision and that the loyal and obedient King could help. His Majesty could not do anything. Sample.

Jia Chang looked at Niu Jizong with a dead look. This first-class uncle couldn't see the situation clearly and actually wanted to use the mantis as a chariot. He really didn't know whether to live or die.

Beijing Wang Shuirong summoned everyone this time to share Emperor Yuan Kang's worries. How could he let Niu Jizong continue? He quickly interrupted and said with a smile.

"Everyone, we are all from a family that has a lot of money. Now that the country is facing a crisis, we should do our best. What's more, we owe money to the court. If we have plenty of money, there is no need to go against His Majesty for money and offend His Majesty. I'm afraid If you can’t eat and walk around, you will regret it!”

When Niu Jizong heard this, his face was full of dissatisfaction and he said loudly.

"Your Majesty, what you said is wrong. Why should we pay back the money? Even if King Zhongshun said it, he won't pay back the money. He has borrowed three to four million taels of silver from the treasury!"

When Jia Chang heard this, a sarcastic smile appeared on his face. Don't look at King Zhongshun jumping for joy now, that's because the Supreme Emperor is still here and Emperor Yuankang can't deal with his own brother.

When Emperor Taizhen dies in the future, the first person Emperor Yuankang will deal with is King Zhongshun. In recent years, King Zhongshun has relied on Emperor Taizhen's support to cause trouble for Emperor Yuankang. His Majesty has the most vengeful temperament. How can I spare him lightly?

Jia Chang leaned on the back of the chair, looked at Niu Jizong with a deep expression, and said quietly.

"King Zhongshun, I am the emperor and my brother is the emperor. Do you think you can compare with him?"

"His Majesty has been on the throne for more than ten years. Some people still can't see the situation clearly. They are dreaming about their own dreams. Their minds are really unclear!"

Niu Jizong was blocked by Jia Chang and was speechless for a long time. Naturally, he could not compare with King Zhongshun, but he still refused to pay back the money.

Seeing this, Jia Chang shook his head slightly, saying that it was hard to persuade the damn ghost. If Niu Jizong wanted to die on his own, he could still stop him, so he said no more.

At noon, everyone walked out of the hall and came to the courtyard. The palace had already prepared a banquet and arranged songs, dances and operas.

Jia Chang immersed himself in cooking and didn't like opera, but he was very different. Jia Baoyu also came today. Shui Rong took a special look at him and was very close to him. He even took out the wagtail incense rosary given by Emperor Yuankang and gave it to Jia Baoyu. , and asked Jia Zheng and Jia She, who were accompanying him, to thank him again and again.

After the party ended, Jia Zheng invited Jia Chang to go back to Rongxi Hall to discuss the matter.

In the Hall of Rongxi, Jia She and Jia Zheng sat above them, with heavy faces, staring at Jia Chang, and spoke.

"What do you think about repaying the money? Should our family pay it back?"

Jia Chang took a sip of tea, calmly and calmly, put down the teacup in his hand, and spoke slowly.

"Your Majesty is determined to clear the national treasury. It is not advisable not to repay the debt. The government should make plans in advance!"

Hearing this, Jia Zheng nodded slightly and understood what Jia Chang meant. If they didn't pay back the money, they would be going against His Majesty. How dare they.

Jia She was impatient, and with a gloomy expression on his face, he spoke.

"You say it lightly, but my family owes three to four hundred thousand taels of silver. Now how can the father-in-law have so much money that we can't survive?"

Jia Chang was not surprised. There was a bad debt in the Rongguo Mansion. Everyone reached out, Jia She reached out, Mrs. Wang reached out, Wang Xifeng also reached out, and the officials and servants in the mansion also reached out. They had already reached out, leaving nothing but empty space. Shelled.

"It's okay if you don't pay back the money. Just wait for your Majesty to convict you, remove you from office and remove your title, and let your family be exiled to Lingnan!"

Jia Chang would not spoil Jia She, so he sneered and said.

When Jia She heard this, his body stiffened and he no longer had the momentum he had just before, and he just spoke.

"Then what should I do? The government can't get the money, and it won't be paid back no matter what!"

Jia Zheng also nodded in agreement. He had already asked the three Tanchun sisters. Now there is only more than 100,000 taels of silver left in the house, which is not enough to repay the debt.

"Indeed!"

Jia She's eyes lit up slightly, and he thought of an idea. He looked at Jia Chang and said.

"Brother Chang, you have a lot of money in your house, why don't you come up with this money?"

Jia Chang's face turned cold when he heard this. Although his family was not short of hundreds of thousands of taels of silver, he was not the heir to the Rongguo family and would never be taken advantage of.

"I didn't borrow the money, so why should I pay it back?"

"I am not the head of the Rongguo Mansion. There is no reason for me, a member of the branch manor, to pay back this money!"

When Jia Zheng heard this, he also felt it was inappropriate. He stopped Jia She who wanted to say more and said helplessly.

"It's not your turn to pay back the money, but we really have no choice. Can you come up with an idea to help the family get through this difficulty?"

Jia Chang's face brightened slightly. This time he was talking seriously. He had already thought of the idea and said what he said.

"The Rongguo Mansion has long been stolen by the Shuoshu in the mansion. Although the master has no money, the slaves are rich. I heard that when the Lai family built the Grand View Garden in the mansion, they also built a courtyard. His son Lai Shangrong wanted to run for office. But if you spend tens of thousands of taels of silver, your family’s wealth will definitely be no less than 500,000 taels, so you can figure it out!”

Jia She and Jia Zheng were surprised when they heard this. They looked at Jia Chang in disbelief and asked quickly.

"Is this true?"

"Of course it's true. This was told to me personally by an official from the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and he even borrowed his name from the palace!"

The corners of Jia Chang's lips curled up slightly. In the original work, the Rongguo Mansion was in trouble, but Lai Da's family was prosperous and lived a luxurious life. How could he tolerate such slaves.

When Jia She heard this, he leaned forward slightly, his eyes were red, and he said bitterly.

"This is really a poor master and a rich slave. I didn't expect Lai Da to have accumulated such a large fortune. It is more comfortable than the one in Rongguo Mansion!"

"Brother Chang, what do you mean?"

When Jia Chang heard this, he chuckled and said pointedly.

"If the Rongguo Mansion does not make up for the loss, it will be confiscated by Your Majesty. If you don't want to be confiscated, you might as well follow Your Majesty's example!"

A sharp light flashed in Jia She's eyes, his face was fierce, and he said through gritted teeth.

"Then we'll rob Lai Da's house and we'll have the money to pay back the money. We'll even have some money left over, which is enough for our family to get through this difficult time!"

"The elder is right, but this matter should be done sooner rather than later. If Lai Da hears the news and hides the money, it will be difficult for the family to get through this difficulty!"

Jia Chang saw the excitement and didn't think it was a big deal, so he made a few remarks.

When Jia She and Jia Zhen heard this, their expressions changed, they nodded repeatedly, it was true, and they spoke.

"Then we will search the house today without giving Lai Da a chance to react. He is a slave who only earns a few taels of silver per month. How can he save hundreds of thousands of taels of family property? All of it is embezzlement from the house."

"It's just that the manpower in the mansion is not enough and the news will be leaked!"

Jia Zheng frowned a little. Lai Da had been the housekeeper for decades. Everyone in the mansion was fawning over him. If there was any trouble in the mansion, he would notice it immediately.

"This is a simple matter. I can lend you my manpower. They have all followed me to plunder the Jurchens. They are definitely good at ransacking houses. Even if Lai hides the money in a mouse hole, he can still find it!"

Jia Chang recalled the time when he raided the Jurchen tribe in Jianzhou. It was really a sky-high experience. He was amazed by the methods of his group of people. Every corner was plundered, and everyone was given a gift. pen wealth.

"That's good!"

Jia She's face was full of greed. He was inexplicably excited about the confiscation of his home. Thinking that he could make a big fortune from this matter, he couldn't hold it back anymore and was eager to give it a try.

Jia Chang's reaction to Jia She had been expected for a long time. His uncle was uneducated and knew all about eating, drinking and having fun. He didn't have any money in his hands. How could he let go of such an opportunity to make a fortune? All the servants in the mansion ransacked the house.

That night, Jia Chang mobilized 20 guards from the Marquis of Wu'an Mansion and handed them over to Jia She and Jia Zheng. The two led a mighty team straight to Lai Da's mansion, broke open the door, and tied up Lai Da and his wife. When they got up, the Lai Mansion suddenly fell into chaos. The maids and women were trembling with fear. The servants and stewards were all knocked to the ground by the guards of Wu'an Hou Mansion. They were all detained in the courtyard. A group of people swarmed into the house like bandits. , rummaged through boxes and cabinets, and plundered.

Lai Da saw that all the valuable things in his home had been searched out and piled up in the courtyard. His face was full of anxiety and he shouted loudly to Jia Zheng and Jia She.

"Two gentlemen, what are you doing? Lai Da has done nothing to disgrace the family. Why are you treating me like this? It's really chilling!"

Jia She looked at the gold, silver, jewelry, antiques and jades piled up in the courtyard, most of which had the mark of the Rongguo Mansion. Hearing that Lai Da was still crying out, he became so angry that he kicked Lai Da and knocked him down. On the ground, he picked up a gold vessel, placed it in front of Lai Da's eyes, pointed at the seal of Rongguo Mansion on it, and scolded.

"You are so blind, what is this? Why did everything in the Rongguo Mansion end up in your mansion? Your daring slave actually stole it from your master!"