"The peppercorns have also increased! It's over, I haven't collected the peppercorns yet. I won't chat with you anymore. I have to buy some, otherwise I won't know what the price will be tomorrow and the day after tomorrow." Luo Muyu turned around after listening to Huan'er's words. He ran away in a hurry and looked nothing like a mother who had just finished her confinement.
"Why are prices so messy?" Hua Qingxue was really surprised. Prices are the foundation for a country's long-term stability. If they are allowed to grow wildly, it will cause panic and even riots among the people, with very serious consequences.
"Does the court not care?" Hua Qingxue immediately thought that the court would do something: "It shouldn't be that serious. You should reserve some necessary things and put other less important materials first. , it’s okay to buy again after the price stabilizes for a period of time.”
"Yes, ma'am, what we bought today is exactly what we need right now." Huan'er and Xi'er answered honestly.
Hua Qingxue nodded, but she really couldn't understand how the emperor could be so crazy at his feet.
"There is someone behind the scenes."
Fu Tingye came back and answered Hua Qingxue's doubts immediately.
"So that's it." This kind of economic thing is not her expertise, so she doesn't know much about it, but after hearing what Fu Tingye said, it was indeed the case.
When merchants cover up their goods and wait to sell them, the market price will fluctuate.
"But what is the purpose of doing this? Is it just to make money? If the court finds out who is the troublemaker behind the scenes, they will definitely not let it go easily. When the evidence of the crime comes out, the whole clan will be humiliated. "
"That's not very clear. It must be difficult for that person to control the prices of so many items in Shengjing." Fu Tingye said lightly: "It's just that his purpose behind it seems to be for the Queen Mother."
It turned out to be the Queen Mother's Liang Zi... Hua Qingxue opened her mouth in disbelief.
"Well, since it's none of our business, it's okay not to worry about it." Hua Qingxue sighed and seemed to relax.
Fu Tingye pursed his lips: "No, I also have the attitude of watching the fire from the other side."
I wonder if the Queen Mother is still in the mood to eat at this moment.
In Cining Palace, Zheng Shuwen, who was being cared about by Fu Tingye at the moment, really couldn't eat. Not only that, she also threw several blue and white porcelains made by official kilns, each of which was unique and the only one.
But Zheng Shuwen was not distressed. What was distressed was Zi Yuan and the other maids.
"Your Majesty, being angry is harmful to your health. You should take care of yourself." All the palace people were kneeling down below. Also kneeling on the marble floor of the main hall were officials from the Ministry of Household Affairs, the Ministry of Industry, and the Ministry of Personnel. .
The skyrocketing price of goods this time was beyond everyone's expectations. The imperial court had exhausted all its stocks and was still unable to suppress the price that seemed to be possessed by evil spirits.
I don't know which string was wrong. Rumors flew in the market. In panic, people began to stock up on food. In the frantic looting, there were countless incidents of beatings, smashing and fights.
Even Jing Zhaoyin's threshold has been stepped down three inches by various complainants.
"Trash! They are all a bunch of trash!" Zheng Shuwen yelled: "Absurd! How ridiculous! How do you monitor your daily life to allow this kind of thing to happen? Is this how the imperial court pays you every month to do things? ?!”
All the officials could not raise their heads.
Too cowardly to say anything.
"Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs! Minister of the Ministry of Works! Should the two adults come up with a solution? Are we going to let the situation develop and cause chaos for the people?" Zheng Shuwen brought a teacup over and landed exactly where the two ministers were kneeling. .
The two ministers were also veterans of the court, but this was the first time they encountered this kind of thing. The situation changed so rapidly that they could not find any good solution for a while, so they could only lower their heads and continue to accept the insults from the Queen Mother.
"Why did the Queen Mother have such a big fire?" came a calm and simple voice, followed by the Prime Minister Zuo slowly walking into the hall.
Zheng Shuwen turned around and saw that it was him. She calmed down some of her anger and said, "The Prime Minister must have known that I am in dire straits now. I wonder if the Prime Minister has any countermeasures?"
Zuo Xiang gave her his hand and said, "This is exactly why I came here."
"Speaking."
Prime Minister Zuo paused and said: "The imperial court should immediately issue a city-wide announcement to appease the people, and at the same time open the imperial warehouse to replenish the goods that are in short supply in the market and suppress the market price."
That's an idea.
After Zheng Shuwen heard this, she immediately asked the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Household Affairs to handle it.
All the officials finally withdrew, leaving only the left prime minister in the main hall.
"Prime Minister, do you have anything else to report?" Zheng Shuwen sat down and felt a little calmer, but the next words of the left minister made her irritable again.
Because the left minister told her that the national treasury was now on the verge of a deficit and a large amount of cash was urgently needed to maintain turnover, otherwise the court would be in great danger.
Zheng Shuwen subconsciously clenched her fists, her nails digging into her flesh, but she felt no pain at all.
Finally, after Zuo Xiang left, Zheng Shuwen hurriedly walked out of Cining Palace and went straight to Qianqing Palace.
Li Jingnan was reading a book when the familiar fragrance invaded him. He knew that the Queen Mother had arrived. As he slowly put down the book, the Queen Mother's figure also appeared in his sight.
"What book have you read recently? Can you share it with your mother?" Zheng Shuwen was agitated about everything, but the moment she saw Li Jingnan, those disturbing things suddenly became less important.
However, Li Jingnan looked indifferent: "They are just some idle books that the Queen Mother doesn't like."
Zheng Shuwen was rejected, but she was in a good mood: "I'm here today to discuss something with you."
A sharp flash of light flashed in Li Jingnan's heart. Counting the days, it had been a few days since Chen Yuan's farewell, and it should have come.
"Mother, please speak."
He was also in a good mood, so he used the word "please", but Zheng Shuwen didn't notice it.
"The Crown Prince of Liao wants to buy our country's Thunder Thunder. What do you think about this?" Zheng Shuwen sat down outside the railing with a normal tone, as if the two of them were chatting about everyday matters.
Li Jingnan lowered his eyes slightly, it turned out that this was the case, and Xiao Han was indeed persistent. After buying it for so long, he still hasn't finished it.
"It's all up to the queen mother to make the decision." Li Jingnan was so well-behaved and docile that he was not at all like the rebellious boy he was before.
For a moment, Zheng Shuwen almost thought that the person in front of her was not the child who was constantly resisting her, but the child she longed for.
"My child, you can finally understand your mother's feelings." Zheng Shuwen was very moved, her eyes filled with mist.
After being locked up for so long, has Li Jingnan finally become sensible
Great...it's not like her good intentions for so long have been in vain.
"..." Li Jingnan did not answer.
The question was too difficult and he didn't know where to start.
"It's okay, it's okay. There is a process. Queen Mother will wait for you, waiting for that day..." Zheng Shuwen burst into tears immediately, crying until she couldn't help herself.
However, with her tears blurred, she did not realize that her gaffe did not produce any emotion in front of Li Jingnan.
I don’t know how long it took, but when Zheng Shuwen calmed down again, it was already half an hour later.
Li Jingnan had already laid down and took a nap. Zheng Shuwen looked at his back and felt that the years were quiet. This should be the most harmonious time since the rift between mother and son.
very good.
She left in a hurry, there were still many things waiting for her to arrange.
The courtiers of Zuo Xiang's line mobilized the wealthy businessmen in Shengjing City to donate money to alleviate the court's immediate needs. The Queen Mother also contacted her natal family again. The Zheng family has gained a lot of benefits overt and covertly in recent years by relying on the Queen Mother as their support.
At this moment, the Queen Mother needs support, and several family heads agree, but the old lady... is not easy to deal with.
"Hmph! Sheng'er has not asked a question since she returned to Beijing. It's so outrageous! She will only think of us when something happens! How can we help? Let her be in trouble for a while!" The old lady was still thinking. Zheng Sheng was very angry.
No matter how many family heads tried to persuade her, they could not change her mind. For a while, the matter reached a deadlock.
In the test flight space behind the School of Science, guards have been patrolling back and forth since the afternoon.
Tongtong had been playing nearby, not far away, and would look at her from time to time. However, when it was approaching sunset, Huan'er suddenly came to find her and promised to take her to the street to play.
Tongtong couldn't resist, so he could only follow Huan'er, but he knew clearly in his heart that the general was deliberately sending her away.
I'm afraid there are important things in the house tonight.
She had a good premonition. The bomb developed by Hua Qingxue using a new type of purified gunpowder has been made, and the effect will be officially tested in the open space tonight.
Everything is ready. After dusk, the sky is blue and empty.
Fu Tingye and Hua Qingxue came together. Prior to this, Liang Wensheng and Su Shaowen were already ready. They only waited for the two orders to test the explosion immediately.
"General, madam, can we start now?" A guard came forward and asked.
Hua Qingxue looked up at Fu Tingye: "General, you decide."
Fu Tingye looked serious and frowned. He pondered for a moment and said, "No! Tonight's test is cancelled."
Ah... everyone was slightly surprised.
Hua Qingxue was also a little confused: "Isn't the time agreed upon in advance? Why was it rescheduled?"
Fu Tingye pursed his lips: "It's not that it's rescheduled, it's that this place is not remote enough."
Hua Qingxue understood in an instant that the location of her villa was given to her by Li Jingnan. Although it was on the outskirts of Beijing, it was still a place where people gathered.
Although the test flight area is considered a clean place, it is only relatively speaking.
Compared with the test site at Panshui Camp, the smoke was still heavier, and the bomb was very powerful, and there was no noise isolation around it... It was true that I didn't think carefully.
"Okay, it all depends on the general." Hua Qingxue nodded, expressing understanding.
Fu Tingye hummed and led her back. The remaining people were dumbfounded for a moment before they started busy packing and removing their equipment.
When Hua Qingxue and Fu Tingye came back, Zhao Sheng was already waiting.
"Steward Zhao, have you negotiated the details of the cooperation with the Tang Sect?" Hua Qingxue expected that the other party would report the matter back and forth. Sure enough, Zhao Sheng nodded to her: "Yes, Madam, it's almost done. I bring the agreement here." Please take a look at the manual."
"In addition, Mr. Tang Yu has another message for me to convey to you."