"Grandmother's kindness, and grandson's heart."
Liu Zhao's expression was indifferent, and he said what he meant, but he still insisted on his own opinion, and rejected the kindness of Empress Dowager Xiao.
Empress Dowager Xiao frowned, "Don't forget your identity, you are the grandson of the emperor."
Liu Zhao lowered his head and smiled, "The grandson understands what the imperial grandmother means. It's just that the grandson thinks that there are not many children, but whether they can be successful. Even if there are only two or three children, but all of them can be successful, it is not in vain to be a parent. cultivation.
Besides, there are too many children, and grandchildren can't afford it. The grandson's one-year salary plus Juelu is not enough to support himself. The family needs to take care of the household, and Xiaojiu needs to take care of it. How dare my grandson ask Xiaojiu to pay for a woman for me. Doing this, am I still human? "
Pooh!
Someone secretly laughed out loud. Noticing something was wrong, he quickly lowered his head and covered his mouth.
Empress Xiao was furious.
"It's the first time Ai's family heard that the dignified prince can't even support a few women."
But Liu Zhao said: "Grandmother, raising a woman is not just a matter of giving them food. They have to provide a yard to live in, arrange servants to serve, clothes for four seasons, monthly regulations, and rewards during festivals.
Raising one more woman is equal to the cost of ten more people. Ten more women means one hundred more expenses. Food, clothing and housing cannot be thrown away at will, and the royal servants must also have the dignity of the royal family. This means that the overhead increases exponentially.
At a glance, raising a woman is just a matter of adding a pair of chopsticks, but in fact all the accounts cannot stand careful calculation. After careful calculation, this is not raising a woman, it is clearly raising a gold swallowing beast, and the gold swallowing beast does not bring a dowry. "
puff!
In the main hall, several female relatives were overjoyed.
They suddenly discovered that His Royal Highness, who is cold-hearted and cold-faced, has such an understanding side. It is completely speaking the voice of a woman.
Those concubines raised in the backyard not only consume money and food, but also worry about everything. It's not just a gold-swallowing beast, it's clearly a reminder. Urging the man to die, also urging the mistress to die. Neither is a good thing.
After having fun, the female relatives began to envy Gu Jiu again.
How lucky Gu Jiu was to meet His Royal Highness.
Why didn't I have the luck to meet a considerate husband.
Empress Dowager Xiao said angrily: "You are just sophistry. According to what you say, men all over the world should not keep concubines, and don't say that having more children is more blessing."
Liu Zhao smiled, and said: "It is not necessarily true that more children will bring more blessings, but more children and more disputes is certain. Any family with many children, after two generations, will most likely fail if they do not encounter great opportunities.
Just because of a family with many children, just the separation of the family can turn a huge family into a dilapidated household. Even if the whole family is not separated, in terms of money, it is getting poorer and poorer. The imperial grandmother may wish to think about it, those big families that have been passed down for hundreds of years are not all because they adhere to the protection of the first line, give up the partial house of the concubine branch, or even suck blood from the side house of the concubine branch to support the direct branch. Decades later, concubines are destined to end badly, so why bother to raise so many women and have so many concubine children in the first place. "
"Ridiculous. Can those families compare with the royal family? The royal family is rich in the world, and they can't even support a few women and concubine children. It's a joke in the world."
Empress Dowager Xiao was very angry, and the consequences were serious.
Today Liu Zhao talks a little too much, he has changed his temper of cherishing words like gold in the past.
After listening to Empress Dowager Xiao's words, he laughed, "Grandmother should tell father about this, whether the royal family is really rich all over the world, and whether there is money, I believe no one can know better than father.
The grandson and brothers are still living together under the same roof, isn't it because they have no money. Since you have no money, save a little. Why raise some useless women to waste money and food. "
Empress Dowager Xiao snorted coldly, "In the end, you just don't want to take a concubine. You are protecting Gu Jiu."
Liu Zhao said as a matter of course: "Xiao Jiu married her grandson with a generous dowry, managed the housework, and made money to support the family. The grandson should respect her.
It doesn't make sense for the grandson not to feel sorry for the wife who brought the dowry, but to feel sorry for the woman who not only has no dowry, but also consumes money and food to cause trouble.
The grandson can't see what's good about such a woman. The children born are also from the concubines, and they are not as expensive as the gold from the concubines. "
His Second Highness, Third Highness, Fifth Highness and Sixth Highness, and the two concubine County Lords all disliked hearing these words.
Liu Zhao's words overturned half the room.
Many people changed their faces, but they just held back.
Empress Dowager Xiao smiled coldly, "Ai's family was also a concubine to the first emperor. Your father is also a concubine. What's the matter, is your father not as good as the deceased Prince Renxuan?"
"Grandson dare not!"
"Why don't you dare. You mean what you say. You just look down on concubines and concubines. Ai's family is also a concubine. Do you look down on Ai's family?"
"The emperor's grandmother is the empress dowager and the wife, and the emperor's father is also the son."
Empress Dowager Xiao chuckled, "You will make excuses. After all, you just look down on the woman arranged by the Ai family, and you just look down on the Ai family in your heart. You are an unfilial son."
"The emperor's grandmother is serious." Liu Zhao put away his smile, and his eyes were a little serious.
Empress Dowager Xiao snorted, "You just rely on your status as the head of the throne and don't pay attention to others. You are a bastard."
Liu Zhao was expressionless.
Gu Jiu frowned.
Liu Zhao's talk about concubines clearly hurt Empress Dowager Xiao's sensitive nerves.
It was a lifetime of shame for her not to be able to compete with Empress Cui Ruizhen. So what if you are a concubine Shu, she is not a concubine.
It was not easy for her son to ascend the throne and proclaim herself emperor, and she became the queen mother and queen mother, and she was restored to power in one day. Before enjoying it for a few days, her grandson came to stimulate her again.
Empress Dowager Xiao took the opportunity to make trouble, clearly she wanted to take the opportunity to teach Liu Zhao and Gu Jiu a lesson.
Gu Jiu wanted to stand up and defend Liu Zhao.
Liu Zhao had obviously expected her actions long ago, and secretly waved his hands, not allowing her to stand out.
"The grandson is indeed an asshole. If the emperor's grandmother is not happy, why not beat her grandson on the last day of Kaiyao's thirty-eighth year to vent her anger. Tomorrow is the first day of the first month of the first year of Wende, a new beginning, this benevolent Ninggong should also have a new look."
Liu Zhao is neither humble nor overbearing, he looks like a dead pig who is not afraid of boiling water and will do whatever you want.
It's a bit like Emperor Wende playing a rogue.
Empress Dowager Xiao pointed at him, "Okay, very good. Then you go outside and kneel. You are not allowed to get up until Ai's family asks you to get up. Otherwise, you will be unfilial."
"Mother, it's not appropriate to celebrate the New Year today." Princess Huyang persuaded in a low voice.
Empress Dowager Xiao scolded Princess Huyang angrily, "Didn't you hear that he dislikes you as a concubine, and you still speak for him?"
"Thank you aunt, I made it difficult for aunt. My nephew will go outside and kneel right now." Liu Zhao was very straightforward, flicked his sleeves, and went out directly. Kneeling on the ground, the back is straightened.
This, this, this...
Why did the Chinese New Year make such a fuss.
Princess Huyang muttered in a low voice, "I'm originally a concubine, and I can only become a concubine if I'm lucky."
"What did you say?" Empress Dowager Xiao was in a bad mood.
The master of Huyang County was afraid of making Empress Dowager Xiao angry, so she categorically denied it, "My daughter didn't say anything. It's Chinese New Year today, and the queen mother should be happy."
Empress Dowager Xiao gouged her out and turned her elbow, wondering what ecstasy soup Gu Jiu gave her.
Empress Dowager Xiao looked for Gu Jiu in the crowd, but found no one.
"Where's Gu Jiu?"
"Sister-in-law was still here just now." Ouyang Fu whispered.
Empress Dowager Xiao was annoyed, "Call her in."
Gu Jiu must have run out to find Liu Zhao.
That's right, once Liu Zhao left, Gu Jiu also walked out of the hall.
Seeing Liu Zhao kneeling on the ground, she frowned, and asked someone to put a cushion under Liu Zhao's knees.
Liu Zhao remained stubborn, "No need."
Gu Jiu was not happy, "In winter, even if it is a solid wall, kneeling like this will hurt your knees. The Queen Mother didn't say that you are not allowed to use a mat, so what does it matter if I give you a mat."
Liu Zhao pursed his lips with a rigid expression.
Gu Jiu ignored him and asked someone to lift him up, and then put the cushion under his knees.
Then she said with a straight face: "I still count on you to live healthy and healthy until you are seventy or eighty years old. Don't get rheumatism at a young age, and your knees hurt when it's rainy.
Let me tell you, I hate serving people the most, and I don't know how to serve people. If you really want to get rheumatism, I won't care about your life or death. "
Liu Zhao lowered his head and smiled, "How dare you say that."
"You dare to do it, are you still afraid of me saying it? There is a better way to solve it, why do you want to offend the Queen Mother?"
Gu Jiu didn't understand Liu Zhao's approach.
In today's matter, the topic can be completely controlled in the aspect of having no money to support women, and there is no need to involve concubines at all.
However, Liu Zhao chose to discuss the issue of concubines. Empress Dowager Xiao just asked Liu Zhao to kneel, which was already a mercy.
But Liu Zhao said: "If I don't mention the difference between the concubine and the concubine, the same situation will come two or three times a year in the future. You are not tired, I am tired. Why don't you take this opportunity to speak thoroughly."
"But the timing you chose is really bad. Why don't you be happy this New Year?" Gu Jiu felt a little distressed.
Liu Zhao smiled at her, "Others are happy, but you are the only one who is unhappy, and my highness is not happy. My highness would rather everyone be unhappy, as long as you are happy alone is enough."
Gu Jiu blushed and felt a little hot all over.
She looked at him, licked her lips subconsciously, not knowing what to say.
She wanted to hug him, to tell him that she was happy, very happy. This is the best New Years gift she has ever received.
"Ma'am, the Empress Dowager invites you to come in and talk."
When the atmosphere was thick, a court lady came out, breaking the tacit understanding between the two.
Gu Jiu: "..." It's a pity, the maid came at the wrong time.
Liu Zhao smiled at her, "Go, I'm fine."
Gu Jiu bit her lip, "Wait for me, I'll figure out a way."
"Don't be impulsive."
"I'm never impulsive."
Gu Jiu raised his eyebrows and smiled, and followed the maid back to the main hall.