frightfiction Chapter 1352 This is to make him bleed
Chapter 1352 This is to make him bleed
The smile on Prince Jin's face froze slightly, and his heart instantly became as clear as a mirror.
This is to make him bleed!
He immediately showed an embarrassment, and said with a hint of embarrassment: "Your Majesty, I am grateful for your consideration."
"However... Bingzhou is a remote place with limited production, and my family's expenses are also quite high. In recent years, I have been really... strapped for cash. I am afraid that I am unable to meet your expectations..."
"Oh?"
Nangong Xuanyu raised his eyebrows, his tone still gentle: "Eighth brother, you are too modest."
"Everyone knows that you have always lived a simple life and do not indulge in luxury. You must have saved a lot over the years. Besides, when it comes to sharing the country's worries, the amount of money is not important; it's the thought that matters."
"I have no doubt about your loyalty and patriotism."
Bai Mufeng immediately interjected, his voice clear and full of praise: "Your Majesty, what you said is absolutely right!"
"Your Highness the Prince of Jin is renowned for his virtuous character and compassion for the people. He is a role model for the royal family! If he can lead the way in responding, it will surely inspire all officials and rally the people, truly a blessing for the country!"
Several ministers nearby also echoed: "Yes!"
"Your Highness the Prince of Jin is very understanding of justice!"
"If Your Majesty could donate generously, he would be a role model for the world!"
"..."
Everyone spoke one after another, like an invisible hand, firmly placing the King of Jin on a high position, leaving him in a dilemma.
To refuse would be to slap the emperor in the face in front of all the ministers and confirm the reputation of being stingy and ungrateful.
If he agrees and pays out real money, it will be like cutting his flesh!
Prince Jin secretly clenched his hands in his sleeves, his nails almost digging into his palms.
He had planned everything, but he had never expected that the emperor would do this in the Yangxin Palace in such a seemingly gentle but actually coercive way.
This is not a negotiation at all, it is clearly forcing people to donate!
The gentle smile on Prince Jin's face was almost unable to be maintained. A cold light flashed in the depths of his eyes, and finally turned into a helpless sigh, with a bit of helplessness after being put on the spot: "Royal brother... My Lords... It's really... Alas!"
He took a deep breath, as if he had made a great decision, and bowed to Nangong Xuanyu and said, "Since your Majesty has said so, how dare I refuse?"
"But the treasury is truly short of money. I, your humble servant... am willing to do my best to raise twenty thousand taels of silver to meet the court's urgent needs. I will do my best to help."
The Zhou dynasty implemented a dual salary system for royal family titles, with the prince receiving the highest salary of 10,000 taels of silver and 10,000 hu of rice per year.
Twenty thousand taels of silver was two years' salary for the Prince of Jin. Although it wasn't a major blow to him, it was enough to make him feel the pain for a while.
Upon hearing this, Nangong Xuanyu's face immediately blossomed into a satisfied smile, and his tone was full of praise: "Great! I knew that Eighth Brother would never let me down!"
"At critical moments, you can rely on your own family."
"Your twenty thousand taels are better than the fifty thousand taels of others! On behalf of the people living along the border, I thank you, Eighth Brother."
Prince Jin felt a sweet and fishy sensation in his throat. He suppressed the surging blood and tried to raise the corners of his mouth, maintaining a respectful and proper attitude: "My Royal Brother, you are too kind."
"Sharing the country's worries is the duty of a minister."
When he said this, his heart was already cold, and he secretly cursed that this trick was really a bloodless killer!
Nangong Xuanyu leaned back on the dragon chair happily, his tone relaxed: "In that case, the matter is settled. Eighth brother can return and deliver the silver directly to the Ministry of Revenue."
"My dear ministers, you should also follow the example of the King of Jin and do your best."
All the ministers responded in unison: "We obey your order!"
Prince Jin then bowed, his lowered eyelids hiding all the emotions in his eyes. Only the slightly twitching corners of his mouth revealed the turbulent waves in his heart.
He was heartbroken over the twenty thousand taels of silver, and before he could catch his breath, he heard the emperor on the throne speak again, his tone still casual: "By the way, Eighth Brother."
Nangong Xuanyu seemed to have just remembered something. "The border war is tense. The soldiers and horses in your Bingzhou fiefdom are known for their bravery. Now that national funds are tight, why not... allocate some of them to the border to help defend it and serve the country?"
King Jin felt a layer of cold sweat on his back instantly!
The troops in his fiefdom are the foundation on which he has managed for many years and are also the capital for his future plans!
If these troops are transferred to the border, nominally to assist in defense, they will actually be like sheep walking into a tiger's mouth.
At that time, his troops will be disbanded and reorganized, and sent to the most dangerous front as cannon fodder, and their life and death will be completely in the hands of the emperor's trusted generals.
This is simply going to whip his spine!
Prince Jin's heart was filled with alarm, and he could barely suppress the fierce look in his eyes. However, he quickly put on a more sincere, even somewhat panicked smile, "Your Majesty, I would rather die than refuse."
"It's just... alas, the Bingzhou troops have been out of action for a long time. They are just a team to maintain local security. Their equipment and training are far inferior to the elite border troops."
"Letting them deal with the ferocious Xiongnu would not only fail to aid border defense, but would also delay military operations and burden their fellow soldiers. Such a sin would be unforgivable even if I die a thousand times!"
He spoke earnestly, devaluing himself to the point of being worthless. Every word he spoke was for the sake of the country, and every word was filled with embarrassment: "Besides, Bingzhou has not been very peaceful in recent years, and there have been occasional rebellions by bandits."
"If the troops are transferred away, the area will be left empty and chaos will arise, which will only cause trouble for my brother the emperor."
"In my humble opinion, it would be safer for me to send people to reorganize the troops in my fiefdom and wait for them to be deployed. Then I will wait for my brother's orders."
Nangong Xuanyu listened quietly, his deep eyes lingering on Prince Jin's face for a moment.
The emperor's lips curled up into a half-smile, with a knowing look, but he didn't point it out. "Eighth brother, you've thought it through very carefully."
"In that case, we can discuss this matter later. The peace and tranquility of your fiefdom is also a major concern, so you should focus on rectifying it first."
He had already snatched a large piece of meat from the King of Jin today, and he knew that he couldn't push him too hard, lest he become desperate.
Knowing when to stop is the right way to manage your subordinates.
Prince Jin breathed a sigh of relief: "My royal brother is wise!"
Nangong Xuanyu waved his hand and said, "That concludes today's meeting. My dear ministers, you have all worked hard. Please withdraw."
All the ministers said in unison: "We, the ministers, shall take our leave!"
Prince Jin followed the crowd out of the Yangxin Palace. When he passed by Bai Mufeng, his footsteps paused slightly.
He turned his head and glanced at Bai Mufeng's handsome and gentle face with a half-smile, but he said nothing.
Bai Mufeng seemed completely unaware, even meeting King Jin's gaze and bowing politely, his gesture extremely respectful. The warm, friendly smile on his face didn't change in the slightest.
He was so frank that it seemed as if the person who had just suggested that King Jin make a generous donation was not him.
After Prince Jin walked away, Zhou Yuhu approached Bai Mufeng and lowered his voice with a hint of worry: "Brother Bai, you just said... I'm afraid His Highness Prince Jin has already held a grudge against you."
Bai Mufeng watched the back of Prince Jin disappear at the end of the palace road. He gently brushed off the non-existent dust on his sleeves, and said with a faint smile that was difficult to understand, "Brother Zhou, you worry too much."