Use a substitute on your wedding night to scatter the ashes of your entire family

Thinking of this, Yi Qing smiled and said, "Just because the people don't have money doesn't mean the officials don't have money, and it doesn't mean the merchants don't have money. Your Highness, this silver doesn't have legs, it won't run away by itself."

Ling Heng's inquiring eyes fell on Yi Qing's face: "But now the taxes have been collected until the 22nd year of Jingzhang."

Yi Qing smiled and said, "Wealth will always be in the hands of a few people. It has nothing to do with the year when taxes are collected. The treasury is empty, so those who hold wealth should naturally give more."

"Your Highness, there is no shortage of wealthy businessmen in Northern Jin. They should all understand the principle of the lips and teeth being cold."

Ling Heng relaxed, leaned back in his chair, and even put down his chopsticks: "Tell me."

"For example, the Zhu Mansion. I heard that Madam Zhu's family is a royal merchant family and is extremely wealthy."

Ling Heng recalled that when Li Shuangwan married him, although there was no wedding, her dowry was still quite large.

Now that I think about it, it should be that Old Madam Zhu gave much of her dowry to Zhu Anhe, and Zhu Anhe gave most of his things to Li Shuangwan.

What's funny is that in the short few months that Li Shuangwan had been married to him, she even had to ask the palace's housekeeper for the monthly wages for the servants in her Le Xiaoyuan.

Moreover, just a few days after her death, Zhu Anhe took away all her belongings without leaving a single thing behind.

Even if Li Shuangwan died, she had already become Ling's woman.

Zhu Anhe actually took away the Ling family’s things as he pleased.

And he had no way out.

Isn't it because he was just an unfavored prince at that time, and because he was crowned king too early, he had no chance of becoming the supreme ruler.

Do they dare to do whatever they want to us, relying on the fact that they have a large number of troops under their command?

Thinking of this, Ling Heng clenched his hands slightly. Their Duke Zhenguo Mansion is really great!

Yi Qing didn't notice the change in Ling Heng's expression and continued talking.

"For example, the Gu Mansion that bought ten Yan Xue Pavilions in one go was able to come up with five million taels of silver at once. His financial strength must not be underestimated."

Ling Heng was brought back to his senses by these words.

Yes, this Gu Mansion suddenly appeared in the winter of last year.

He sent Sipo to investigate, but after half a year he only found a clue.

When he asked, Sipo only said that he had some clues and would report to him after confirmation.

But unexpectedly, he died suddenly.

Now, no one has any idea who is behind this Gu Mansion.

Without Sipo, the little clues we had at the beginning were cut off by someone.

When Jing Yiqing mentioned this, Ling Heng narrowed his eyes slightly and suddenly thought of something.

Could it be that Sipo’s death was caused by the Gu family?

They discovered that Sipo knew their secret.

So you want to kill people to silence them?

"Shadow." Ling Heng raised his voice.

A dark shadow suddenly appeared in front of Ling Heng and knelt on one knee.

"Go check the Gu Mansion on East Street. The more detailed the better."

As soon as Ling Heng finished speaking, the man in shadow disappeared, without making a sound from beginning to end.

Yi Qing's expression didn't even change, as if he had known for a long time that there had always been such a person by Ling Heng's side.

Ling Heng's admiration grew stronger, and he said, "Continue."

Yi Qing seemed to have received some kind of reward. After thinking for a while, he said, "And those who received the compensation were willing to spend ten taels of silver to buy a bottle of rouge and powder. Now that they have received ten times the compensation, it wouldn't be too much to ask them to pay some of it, right?"

Ling Heng's eyes deepened and he looked at Yi Qing without blinking.

"In fact, Your Highness, how many officials in Shengjing City are truly honest? Who doesn't have some dirty money on their hands?"

A smile appeared on Ling Heng's face. On the way back to the East Palace, he already had an idea.

Taking the opportunity to investigate and confiscate a few corrupt officials would not only earn a sum of money but also fill the national treasury.

It can also help suppress Ling Yan's power.

Cai Zhong was shocked when he heard Yi Qing's words. Is Yi Qing really just a maid serving Li Shuangmiao?

Today he truly looked at Yi Qing with new eyes. No wonder, in just one night, she was promoted from a concubine to a maid.

Ling Heng laughed: "Come here, bring the gold-inlaid jade pearl butterfly-wing hairpin from the storeroom to Yi Zhaoxun."

Another level up.

Cai Zhong quickly congratulated Yi Qing: "Congratulations to Yi Zhaoxun."

Yi Qing was even stunned for a moment. She was just in the brothel with her mother.

My mother complained a few words when she had no patrons due to her old age and fading beauty.

Unexpectedly, it actually hit the mark and solved the Crown Prince's urgent problem.

I quickly stood up and gave thanks.

Ling Heng personally helped her up: "Do you have any other good suggestions?"

"besides?"

But after a moment, Yi Qing thought of something.

He smiled, poured Ling Heng a glass of wine, and handed it to Ling Heng: "Your Highness, you can ask officials above the fifth rank to donate silver according to their ranks in the name of the emperor."

"As the rank of an official increases, the amount of silver donated increases by 10%."

Ling Heng picked up Yi Qing and strode towards the bedroom: "You are really my lucky star."

Cai Zhong's eyebrows twitched a few times, and he quickly ordered people to prepare water.

……

Three days later, news came from Jingzhao Prefecture.

Because there was sufficient evidence, Xu and Lin were quickly convicted and scheduled to be executed in the autumn.

Du Sheng and several others were sentenced to exile to Ningguta for attempted crimes.

Li Huaiyi in Zhilan Courtyard had a very hard time these days. Even when faced with a beautiful woman like Mingrui, he couldn't muster the slightest interest.

The ninth-rank official in charge of the Water Department is not a human job.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching, and all regions are constructing water conservancy projects and building embankments and dams for fear that floods and snowstorms may come any day.

But the national treasury could not allocate even a tael of silver.

He was a lowly official, but he was surrounded by a bunch of untouchables every day. They were either begging for money or on their way to beg for money.

Sometimes they say the food is too bad, there is not even any meat, so how can they do such heavy work.

Then they said that the monthly allowance had not been paid for so long that their wives and children were almost starving to death.

What's more, there is a shortage of materials for building the dam. Even a skilled cook cannot cook without rice, but the superiors are under great pressure.

It's really a headache.

But in just a few days, he had had enough of this kind of life.

What I fear most every day is dawn.

At this moment, Mingrui came over with her waist twisted again.

As soon as Xu was taken away by Jingzhao Prefecture, she became the mistress of the backyard of the second house.

"Master, why are you back so late today?"

As he said that, he sat on Li Huaiyi's lap.

Li Huaiyi was tired after a whole day, his legs were shaking, and he was exhausted both physically and mentally after just taking a shower.

Although Mingrui was delicate and weak, she was after all a living person weighing over 100 pounds sitting on his lap.

A heavy weight fell on his legs, nearly crippling him.

He pushed the person away and said, "Get away from me. I'm really annoyed."

Mingrui didn't want Li Huaiyi to push her, so she fell to the ground, her eyes immediately filled with tears: "Master, don't you have pity on me?"

The pearl hairpins and rings on her head suddenly jingled, and the golden hairpin with double butterflies spreading their wings that Li Huaiyi had snatched from Xu a few days ago fell to the ground with a crash.