I am Li Shen and Li Shimin, the free kings of the Tang Dynasty

"The steward of Prince Ji's mansion? Are you talking about Li Shitou?"

Li Zhi was stunned.

"Your Highness, it is Li Shitou." The servant reported.

Li Zhi and Li Yifu looked at each other, both of them were full of confusion. What could Li Shen possibly want by sending someone here at this time?

"Take him to the front hall."

Li Zhi said something and called in a few servants to clean up the broken teacups on the floor.

He stood up and walked out of the study with Li Yifu to the front hall.

"Your servant pays respect to His Royal Highness Prince Jin."

When Shitou saw Li Zhi, he hurried forward and bowed.

"Well, what does Li Shen want you to do?"

Li Zhi was quite satisfied with Shi Tou's attitude. He nodded and sat in the main seat.

"Your Highness Prince Jin, my master asked me to come here for the coming-of-age ceremony to be held in half a month."

Shitou replied respectfully.

"The coming-of-age ceremony? What could possibly happen during the coming-of-age ceremony? Could it be that he wants to break the rules?"

Li Zhi felt puzzled. The coming-of-age ceremony was held in the imperial palace, and although the two of them held it together, they had no interaction.

By that time, all the rituals will be fixed. After offering sacrifices to the ancestors, the coming-of-age ceremony will be performed, and finally everyone will go home to visit their mothers.

Stone saluted and replied:

"In reply to His Royal Highness Prince Jin, the coming-of-age ceremony will be held in half a month. The Ministry of Rites has issued an official letter requiring our Prince Ji's Mansion to purchase some of the items needed for the ceremony.

These include items for sacrifice.

My master asked me to ask whether His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin would pay half of the money. After all, it is a ceremony of coming of age for both my master and His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin.

If my master were to go out, he would be afraid that people would criticize His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin.”

"So, Li Shen asked you to come here to ask for money?"

Hearing Shitou's words, Li Zhi felt a little disdainful. A bastard's son is a bastard's son. Even if he has some money, it is just petty.

Without pure bloodline, vision and perspective, it is difficult for one to be accepted into the upper class.

At this moment, Li Shen's status in Li Zhi's heart dropped a little bit.

"Your Highness, Prince Jin, I'm not asking for money. My master said that if Prince Jin is not willing to pay, my Ji Palace can pay for it."

Shitou replied respectfully.

Li Zhi smiled slightly, his expression full of contempt. How much money could be spent on the items purchased for the coming-of-age ceremony?

Even if royal items are a little more expensive, a few hundred strings of cash would be enough.

This Li Shen actually had the disrespect to send people to his house to beg for money just for a few hundred strings of cash. No wonder people outside say that Prince Ji is greedy and regards money as his life.

It's such a disgrace to the royal family.

He picked up the teacup and blew on it.

"Tell me, how much money does Li Shen want? If your Ji Wangfu can't afford it, I can help Li Shen pay for it."

As he spoke, he didn't even raise his eyelids, his tone was full of contempt, and he drank his tea slowly.

Shitou had no expression on his face and bowed.

"Your Highness Prince Jin, you only need to pay 10,000 strings of cash for all the items, and the rest..."

"Puff~~~cough~~cough~~"

Before Shitou could finish his words, Li Zhi spat out a mouthful of tea, choked, and started coughing non-stop.

The maid hurried over and patted Li Zhi on the back to help him calm down.

After coughing for a while, Li Zhi suddenly raised his head and looked at Shitou and asked loudly:

"How much did you say?"

"To His Royal Highness Prince Jin, ten thousand copper coins."

Stone repeated it again.

With a "bang!", Li Zhi slammed the table heavily, his face livid as he scolded:

"How dare you! You bastard, how dare you deceive me?"

It's just a matter of a few hundred strings of cash, but this dog slave actually asked him for ten thousand strings of cash. Isn't this just cheating him?

Do you really think he knows nothing?

"Your Highness Prince Jin, please calm down. This is not what I said. This is what my master said.

If you don't believe it, Your Highness can send someone to Prince Ji's mansion to inquire."

When Shitou saw Li Zhi getting furious, he was overjoyed, because he knew it would be like this.

The prince must have deliberately angered Prince Jin.

However, Stone's face did show an expression of respect and fear.

Li Zhi became even angrier when he heard this.

"Is Li Shen crazy because of poverty? Or does he think I am a fool? Does he think I am easy to deceive?"

Li Zhi shouted angrily.

"Your Majesty, please calm down."

Li Yifu on the side comforted him in a relaxed manner.

Li Zhi was almost furious. This was really too much. I didn't provoke you, but you took the initiative to provoke me?

And he even defrauded him of ten thousand strings of cash. This was simply intolerable.

"Manager Li, the materials for the coming-of-age ceremony only cost a few hundred strings of cash, so why did Prince Ji ask for 10,000 strings of cash?

This is somewhat against the rules, and if it gets out, it will also damage the reputation of King Ji."

Li Yifu looked at Shitou and asked, with a different meaning in his tone.

Shitou acted as if he hadn't heard it, and replied very humbly and respectfully:

"Your Highness, Prince Jin, my prince said that the coming-of-age ceremony is a major event in life and must be solemn.

You can't be as ordinary as ordinary people.

So the prince prepared to sprinkle clean water on the streets, pave the road with red carpet, perform lion and dragon dances, hang lanterns and decorations, and set off firecrackers.

Our prince ordered that all the red cloth, silk and brocade in Chang'an City be purchased and used to decorate the 108 squares with lanterns and colorful lights.

There are some other arrangements, which I am not too sure about, but my prince said that we must show the nobility of the royal family."

After hearing Shi Tou's words, both Li Zhi and Li Yifu were shocked. What on earth was Li Shen going to do?

It’s just a coming-of-age ceremony, is it necessary to make such a big fuss?

There are clean water splashed on the streets, red carpets paved on the road, lion and dragon dances, lights and decorations, and firecrackers blasting. Do you think you are an emperor on a trip?

Li Yifu standing by was even more shocked than Li Zhi. Li Zhi at least knew what kind of person Li Shen was.

Li Yifu only heard it from hearsay.

Hearing this pomp and circumstance, one secretly sighed inwardly, thinking that Prince Ji was indeed just as the rumors said, arrogant, extravagant, wasteful, and obsessed with money.

Seeing it today, I found that what he said was true.

Although the coming-of-age ceremony is indeed a major event in life, the royal coming-of-age ceremony is already very grand.

Prince Ji actually felt that this was not enough and wanted to make it even more grand so that all the people in Chang'an would know about it. Wouldn't this be a celebration for the whole world?

Li Zhi took a deep breath and said to Shi Tou:

“Go back and ask Li Shen if he takes himself too seriously. Who does he think he is?

The crown prince’s coming-of-age ceremony was not so grand. What does he want to do?

Does he know that this is beyond the limit?

Does he want to take me with him and use me as a shield?"

“Your Highness Prince Jin, my prince only wanted to show off the strength and nobility of the royal family, and he had no other intentions.

My prince said that this money was paid by ourselves and it is not from the national treasury, so they have no control over us.

This time it will cost more than 30,000 strings of cash, but my prince said that His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin only needs to pay 10,000 strings of cash.

The rest of the money will be paid by our Ji Wang Mansion."

"Haha, just ten thousand strings of cash."

Li Zhi was so angry that he laughed. He sneered and continued:

"Li Shen is so arrogant!!"