Prince Yu's Mansion was in such a financial crisis. According to Prince Yu's character, he would probably convene a small cabinet to discuss matters soon. After Zhu Ping'an entered the office, he did not boil water or make tea as usual. Instead, he sat at the desk, reviewing "Questions and Answers between Emperor Taizong of Tang and Li Weigong" while waiting for Prince Yu to summon him.
Sure enough, Zhu Ping'an had just turned two pages of the book when a eunuch came to ask Zhu Ping'an to go to Prince Yu's study to discuss matters.
The name of Prince Yu’s study was Yuantang, which was engraved in gilded regular script on the door plaque.
When Zhu Pingan first saw the name of Prince Yu's study, he thought of the Qian Gua in the Book of Changes, "A dragon hidden in the abyss will rise to the sky." A soldier who doesn't want to be a general is not a good soldier, and a prince who doesn't want to be an emperor is not a good prince. Zhu Pingan believes that Prince Yu's naming of his study "Yuantang" must have this meaning.
Prince Yu's study has three bedrooms, a relatively rare layout of one front and two back rooms. The front room is the most spacious, with a standard study layout, while the back room is Prince Yu's temporary living room. As for what the room further inside is used for, Zhu Ping'an has no idea.
However, Zhu Ping'an had heard that the innermost room was also a bedroom, but it was quite secretive. It was said that sometimes the palace maids who served Prince Yu would be called in by Prince Yu to make the bed, and it would often take more than an hour for them to stagger out with tangled hair...
"Morning, Mr. Gao."
When he walked to the front of the study, he met Gao Gong who was walking from another direction. Zhu Ping'an took the initiative to bow and greet him.
"Good morning, Zihou." Gao Gong smiled and nodded. "Yesterday I got a copy of Mi Fu's running script calligraphy. I heard that Zihou likes calligraphy very much and practices calligraphy every morning. I can play with it with Zihou for more than a month."
"Really? Then I would like to thank you very much, Mr. Gao." Zhu Ping'an's eyes lit up and he bowed to express his gratitude.
After a brief greeting, Gao Gong entered the study first, followed closely by Zhu Pingan.
"Your servant Gao Gong/Zhu Ping'an greets His Royal Highness Prince Yu." After entering the study, Gao Gong and Zhu Ping'an bowed to Prince Yu at the same time.
"Master Gao, Zihou, please don't be polite. Please take a seat." When Prince Yu saw the two men coming in, he quickly stepped forward and gave them a light support, inviting them to take a seat.
"Thank you, Your Highness."
Zhu Ping'an and Gao Gong both responded by expressing their gratitude.
Gao Gong took his seat directly, while Zhu Ping'an greeted Chen Yiqin and Yin Shidan who had arrived earlier before taking his seat.
After the small cabinet arrived, Prince Yu directly dismissed the servants and strictly ordered that no one was allowed to approach the study.
"Today, I invite all the gentlemen to come here. I believe you all know the reason."
After dismissing the servants, Prince Yu walked exhaustedly to the chair and sat down. He glanced around at everyone and said in a hoarse voice.
Prince Yu sat very low, as if he was about to sink into the chair. It felt like he had been walking for three days and three nights without sleep, but still had not reached the end. Finally, he could not hold on any longer and collapsed halfway.
Gao Gong, Chen Yiqin, Yin Shidan, and Zhu Ping'an all nodded slightly.
Annual gift.
Everyone understands.
It has been three years since Prince Yu received his annual gift. This is no longer a secret in the court, not to mention the officials in Prince Yu's mansion.
"Yes, I am now penniless. To be honest with you, I only have less than a hundred copper coins left in my account." Prince Yu leaned back in his chair, patted the handle of the chair gently, and confessed with an anxious and tired look on his face.
Well, as a prince, how does it feel to have a net worth of less than a hundred copper coins
Upon hearing this, Zhu Ping'an expressed deep sympathy for Prince Yu.
Besides, there is a feeling of being in the same boat. Prince Yu has not received his annual gift for three years, and I have also been fined. I haven't received my salary for two months, and this period of zero salary will continue for ten months. Moreover, I was fined 160 taels of silver by the black-hearted Emperor Jiajing for my meritorious service in checking the treasury not long ago. If Li Shu hadn't supported me, I wouldn't even be able to collect the fine...
Of course, Zhu Ping'an's life has become much better since he opened Zhu Ji Fast Food.
Although Zhu's store is not big, it is doing a booming business. Although it is not profitable, after deducting the costs of labor, food, etc., he can still make three to five taels of silver every day. At the end of a month, it is much more than his salary.
"Don't worry, Your Highness. I will go to the Ministry of Revenue today to urge them. Why does it take so long for the annual gift to be issued to Your Highness? If the annual gift is issued on time, Your Highness won't have to worry about this." Yin Shidan stood up upon hearing this and said angrily.
Prince Yu shook his head upon hearing this, stretched out his hand and pressed down, motioning Yin Shidan to sit down, then laughed self-deprecatingly: "Master Yin, there is no need to go, the Ministry of Revenue will not allocate funds. I have sent three people to the Ministry of Revenue to urge them yesterday, but they refused to release the funds three times with three reasons, either suppressing or delaying. Haha... I, the son of the emperor, feel like a joke. I am like a beggar in the Ministry of Revenue, begging again and again, and being rejected again and again..."
He was the son of the emperor, and his annual gift was withheld for three years. He sent people to the Ministry of Revenue to collect it again and again, but they were sent away like beggars. It was a huge joke...
As he laughed and thought, Prince Yu felt powerless and uncomfortable, and his eyes became wet...
"As the saying goes: When a car reaches a mountain, there will always be a way out; when a boat reaches a bridge, it will naturally go straight. Your Highness Prince Yu, please relax."
"There are always more solutions than problems. Your Highness, please be patient."
Seeing Prince Yu like this, Gao Gong and Chen Yiqin hurriedly stood up to comfort Prince Yu and encourage him.
From Zhu Ping'an's perspective, Gao Gong and Chen Yiqin were like two old birds, comforting Prince Yu, the injured young bird.
Zhu Ping'an was well-versed in history and knew that Gao Gong and Chen Yiqin were like ministers, teachers and fathers to Prince Yu. They both cared about Prince Yu sincerely. During the period when Prince Yu was in hiding, it was thanks to the care of these two people that Prince Yu had taken, otherwise he would have been eliminated long ago.
Prince Yu needed comfort the most at this time, and he couldn't let Gao Gong and Chen Yiqin take all the credit, so Zhu Ping'an also stood up, bowed to Prince Yu with a serious face and comforted him: "When the master is worried, the minister is humiliated, and when the master is humiliated, the minister dies. Today, Your Highness has encountered setbacks, and we dare not not die for you to share your worries."
"Don't worry, Your Highness. We will help you solve your problems." Yin Shidan also stood up to comfort Prince Yu.
"Thank you, teachers." After being comforted by Gao Gong, Zhu Ping'an and others, Prince Yu calmed down a little, but only a little. As long as he thought about the current tight financial situation where he couldn't even afford food, Prince Yu was at a loss. After he finished speaking, he stood up with a worried look on his face and bowed to Gao Gong, Zhu Ping'an and others for advice: "But now we are at the end of our rope, we can't even afford three meals a day, and the Ministry of Revenue doesn't issue annual gifts. What can we do? Teachers, please give us some advice."
Food is the most important thing for people.
When marching to war, if there is no supply of rations, the soldiers will mutiny; the same is true in the palace. If the palace cannot even provide three meals a day, how can you expect the officials and servants to work for you
How could Prince Yu not be worried