Datang: Empress mother-in-law sent Li Er to test me

After finishing speaking, Li Er gave Empress Changsun a look, and then led her away from Zuixian Tower quickly.

Seeing this, Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and Yuchi Jingde got up one after another, cupped their hands and said:

"Nephew Zhang Xian, let's go back too. This matter is of great importance. Your father-in-law may still use our place, so we won't stay any longer. Let's leave!"

After finishing speaking, the three princes took Fang Jun, Du He, Yuchi Baoqi, and followed Li Er to leave in big strides.

Is it necessary to be in such a hurry?It was as if you were doing it for yourself, Zhang Dun looked at the back of them leaving dumbfounded.

----

Back in the palace, Li Er brought Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui directly to Ganlu Hall.

"Xuanling, Keming, do you think Zhang Dun's method is feasible?"

Hearing Li Er's enquiry, Fang Xuanling's expression became serious, and he bowed and said, "I think it's possible."

Du Ruhui echoed, "The minister seconded the proposal."

"Okay!" Li Er showed a smile on his face and said, "Then I will leave this matter to you two."

"Go to the mansions of the rich and famous families in Chang'an City, and bring my will to see how much you can charge!"

As he spoke, Li Er rubbed his palms excitedly, and said, "No matter how little their donation is, it won't be less than a million guan, right?"

"I'm going now." Seeing Li Er's eagerness, Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui smiled and bowed loudly.

"Thank you for your hard work." Li Er nodded with a smile on his face: "Go early and return early! I am waiting for your news at the Ganlu Palace!"

Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui nodded heavily, then strode away from the palace to Chongrenfang.

Chongrenfang is located in Wannian County, not far from Pingkangfang.

As we all know, Pingkangfang is the most prosperous market among the [-] squares in Chang'an City.

The closer you are to Pingkangfang, the higher the house price.

Those who can buy a house in Chongrenfang are either rich or expensive.

There is another important reason why the two chose to come to Chongrenfang first.

The residence of the five surnames Qiwang is located in it.

With smiles on their faces, Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui came outside the mansion with the word "Cui's Mansion" written on it.

The Li Mansion in front of him lived in Cui Zhao, head of the Boling Cui clan with five surnames Qiwang.

When the people of the world mention the five surnames and seven looks, they will first think of the Li family in Longxi and the Li family in Zhaojun.

In fact, among the five surnames and seven Wangs, regardless of political influence, the Li family in Longxi and the Li family in Zhaojun are not as good as the other five.

The Boling Cui family is number one.

Qinghe Cui, Fanyang Lu, Xingyang Zheng, and Taiyuan Wang ranked second.

The Li family of Longxi and the Li family of Zhaojun ranked third.

Looking at the closed door of the mansion, Fang Xuanling walked to the door and patted the door heavily.

crunch!Accompanied by the sound of the door opening, an old housekeeper with a hood poked his head out, and was startled when he saw Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui, he quickly opened the door and bowed to them, "I've met Fang Gong, Du Gong."

Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui nodded with smiles on their faces, Fang Xuanling asked, "Is Patriarch Cui at the residence?"

As soon as the words fell, a burst of laughter sounded: "The two princes came hand in hand, how can the old man not be at the house?"

A hale and hearty old man dressed in silk and satin walked over with a cane and a smile.

"Patriarch Cui." Fang Xuanling and Du Ru cupped their hands with a dark smile.

Cui Zhao waved his hand and said, "Mrs. Fang is from the Qinghe Cui family. My Boling Cui family and the Qinghe Cui family are indistinguishable from each other. Fang Gong, you are not an outsider."

After finishing speaking, Cui Zhao looked at Du Ruhui, and said with a smile, "Mrs. Du is from the Taiyuan Wang family. My family, Mr. Cui, have always been married. Du Gong, you are not an outsider, so you don't need to be polite as a family. Please come in."

Leading the two of them into the hall of the mansion, as soon as Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui took their seats, Cui Zhao said to the old housekeeper, "Serve tea."

"I don't know why Mr. Fang and Mr. Du came to this old man's humble house?"

Fang Xuanling smiled and said: "Patriarch Cui asked so straight to the point, so the two of us will speak directly."

"The imperial treasury is empty, Your Majesty asked the two of us to come here."

Cui Zhao was stunned, and said in confusion: "The treasury of the imperial court is empty. Your Majesty should find a way to make up for the emptiness. Why do you want you to come to the old man's humble house? There is nothing the old man can do about it."

Chapter 40 Zhang Dun's "Recording Merit with a Stone", a plan to kill people and punish their hearts

Fang Xuanling said with a smile: "Patriarch Cui is joking, the names of the five surnames and seven Wangs, no one in the world knows? Patriarch Cui is the head of the Cui family in Boling, who in the world doesn't know?"

"Others will say that there is nothing they can do about it. I believe this, but the only one who doesn't believe Patriarch Cui has nothing to do."

Du Ruhui nodded and said: "Patriarch Cui, more than half of the goods supplied to the east and west cities of Chang'an City are provided by the five surnames and Qiwang behind the scenes. Helping the imperial court tide over the difficulties, is it not just a matter of your words, Patriarch Cui?"

Seeing the two holding him, Cui Zhao's smile faded away, holding the head of the cane with both hands, and remained silent.

Seeing this, Fang Xuanling asked, "Patriarch Cui, is there any difficulty?"

Cui Zhao said in a deep voice: "Fang Gong, Du Gong, for the sake of our family, I will not hide from you."

"Also please don't lie to me, tell me the truth, how much is the treasury short?"

Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui looked at each other, and then Fang Xuanling said: "There is still a difference of 120 million."

Cui Zhao nodded slightly, "My tax revenue in the Tang Dynasty adds up to more than ten million yuan every year. The national treasury has such a big emptiness. The Son of Heaven exempted the localities from taxes."

"The old man remembers that from last year to this year, many places were affected by disasters. The emperor exempted them from taxes, and the treasury was empty. This should be the problem?"

Fang Xuanling clasped his hands and said, "Patriarch Cui sees fire like a bird's-eye viewer, Fang admires it."

"The problem lies with His Majesty." Cui Zhao squinted his eyes and said, "Your Majesty let me bear the burden. Mr. Fang and Mr. Du, do you think this is reasonable?"

"Patriarch Cui misunderstood." Fang Xuanling waved his hand, and said: "Your Majesty does not want Patriarch Cui's family to help, as long as there are wealthy and famous families in Chang'an City, Fang and Brother Du will meet them one by one."

"Your Majesty's intention is to invite all the rich and famous families in Chang'an City to donate money to solve the problem of the empty treasury."

Fang Xuanling patiently explained: "The Boling Cui family is the head of a wealthy family, that's why the two of us came to visit first."

"I also hope Patriarch Cui will help out."

Du Ruhui followed up and said, "Your Majesty even said that the rich and famous families in Chang'an City will help the imperial court this time. The imperial court will not treat any family badly. They will set up a monument of meritorious deeds for you in a prominent position in Chang'an City to show that the rich and famous families have done for the court. achievements."

Hearing this, Cui Zhao's eyes glowed brightly, and his voice became a bit colder: "Your Majesty is a good plan, this trick is to record merits, and it's really hard to call the old man to advance or retreat!"

"Did Fang Gong come up with this plan, or Du Gong?"

Fang Xuanling shook his head and said, "It's not what the two of us thought."

Cui Zhao spit out: "Then this son's talent can afford the word monstrous!"

"As soon as Le Shi's plan of recording meritorious service comes out, no matter whether it is to win a false name or not, the wealthy and famous families in Chang'an City will have to donate money to the court."

"And this money can't be donated less."

"Whether the rich and famous families donated money or not, the imperial court will record it on a stone tablet and put it in a prominent place in Chang'an City. Is the old man right?"

Seeing Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui's embarrassment, Cui Zhao continued: "If you donate a lot of money, you will indeed gain a reputation."

"But the donation is too small. Once it is recorded on the so-called merit tablet and seen by the people of the world, the infamy will roll in and rush to the rich and famous families who donate less!"

Cui Zhao clapped his hands and applauded: "Okay, very good! This plan is brilliant, forcing the rich and famous families into a dilemma, I have to admire it!"

Fang Xuanling coughed lightly, "Patriarch Cui agrees?"

Cui Zhao said with a half-smile, "Does this old man dare not agree? If I don't agree, the imperial court will set up a monument of merit and virtue tomorrow, with the words 'Boling Cui's hearing of the national calamity and not donating' written on it, ruining my Boling Cui's The reputation, this loss, I, as the head of the family, cannot bear it!"

Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui laughed dryly twice.

In fact, when they heard Zhang Dun talk about the method of "recording merits with stones", they knew the power of this method.

A plan to kill people!

Zhang Dun's method seems to be a benefit to those who donate, but it is actually forcing the wealthy and famous families into a dilemma!

If there are too many donations, it will naturally win a false name.

But what if someone does not donate, or donates less?

If there is less donation, it will be written truthfully on the monument of merit and virtue. When the time comes to compare the donations with more donations and less donations, what will people in the world think?

It’s okay not to donate, if you don’t donate money, just like what Cui Zhao said, write directly on the monument of merits and virtues: “A certain family in a certain place heard of the national disaster and didn’t donate a cent”, then the person with this surname in this family is probably Never lift your head up.

But if it is a donation, how much is too much?

Because the words on the merit tablet also have a lot to say.

Donate money to the imperial court, and only the rich and famous families who donated money are recorded on the merit tablet.

What if after the "how much money to donate" is followed by "how much fertile land, mansions, and shops this wealthy family has", etc.?

It would be better not to donate!

The most ruthless part of Le Shi's plan is that if he wants to donate money to buy a false name, he has to endure the pain of gouging out his flesh. That's not a small amount of money!

The consequences of donating less or not donating are beyond the reach of any wealthy family.

The most important thing is that all the rich and famous families in Chang'an City, including the five surnames and Qiwang, have no other options at all.

So when Cui Zhao said that Zhang Dun was "an evildoer", Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui felt that this statement was not too much for Zhang Dun.

Just because of what he did.

I don't know what a monster is!

Cui Zhao's face was cloudy and uncertain, and his old hands were placed on the head of the crutch, tightening and loosening again, as if making a difficult decision in his heart.

Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui looked indifferent, not in a hurry, and even took a few sips from their teacups.

Zhang Dun's method seemed almost impossible to them.

This time, if they hadn't pried out millions of coins from the rich and famous families in Chang'an City, they both felt ashamed to go back to Li Er, let alone see Zhang Dun in the future.

Such a good plan, if it is ruined in the hands of the two of them, where will I put my face in the future?

"Mr. Fang, Mr. Du."

After a long time, Cui Zhaofang raised his head, stared at Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui, and said, "I promise to donate money to the court to help the court tide over this difficulty."

Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui looked at each other and smiled, this result was expected.

"However, I haven't figured out how much money I want to donate to the imperial court."

Cui Zhao changed the subject, looked at Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui and said:

"Mr. Fang, Mr. Du, you are going to go to the mansions of the other five surnames and Qiwang. Why don't you send someone to invite them here?"

"For one, it will save you trouble."

"Secondly, the old man would like to discuss with the other Patriarchs with five surnames and Qiwang first, how much money should be donated to the imperial court."

"This is the best." Fang Xuanling smiled, cupped his hands and said, "Then I'll be fine."

Cui Zhao waved his hand, then called the old housekeeper in, and in front of Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui, told the old housekeeper to call over the other six Patriarchs with five surnames and Qiwang.

After the old butler agreed, he left Cui's mansion, about half an hour later, there were footsteps outside the hall.

Chapter 41 Five surnames and seven hopes have confessed?Donate 70 Guan

"Cui Gong of Qinghe, Lu Min of Fanyang, Zheng Da of Xingyang, Wang Kuo of Taiyuan, Li Zun of Longxi, Li Yu of Zhaojun."

Six elderly people walked into the hall with crutches one by one, looked at Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui and said:

"I've met Mr. Fang, Mr. Du."

Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui hurriedly got up, and bowed their hands in return. Fang Xuanling smiled and said, "Six Patriarchs, how are you doing these days?"

Cui Gong said in a low voice, "I can live for a few more years."

Fang Xuanling shook his head, "If I look down, Patriarch Cui must live a long life."

"If you don't come, I will indeed live to be a hundred years old." Cui Gong looked at the embarrassment on the faces of Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui, and said calmly: "Fang Gong, Du Gong, the old man has already heard about it. , can you give me some time and let us discuss it?"

"Okay! Then I will walk around the courtyard with Du Gong first." Fang Xuanling nodded, and then walked out of the hall with Du Ruhui.

After the figures of the two were no longer in sight, the faces of the six old men who had just arrived suddenly became gloomy.

"Humph!"