I'm really not King Jing of Zhongshan

Chapter 242 Who is the Marquis?Liu?

呵；
Ha ha······
Don't be ignorant of flattery...
"Prime Minister, what a powerful official..."

"Ah······"

With a mocking smile, Liu Sheng cast his interested eyes on Dou Ying and Yuan An sitting opposite him.

Before coming, Liu Sheng had expected that today's meeting with Zhou Yafu would most likely be a 'Hongmen Banquet'.

But even so, Liu Sheng did not completely rule out another possibility.

Especially after meeting Yuan An and his cousin Dou Ying, Liu Sheng naively thought that Zhou Yafu might "get back from the wrong way" after a while today;
At the very least, the relationship between the two can be eased a little, so that the two can reach a tacit understanding similar to 'well water does not violate river water'.

But after all the calculations, and being fully prepared for Zhou Yafu's arrogance, Liu Sheng never expected that he, who has become a prince, could still hear these six words from a certain Han population.

"Praise..."

"Hey;"

"hey-hey······"

With a sneer and another sarcasm, Liu Sheng finally stopped having illusions.

He only sighed slightly melancholy, and then turned sideways with a half-smile.

"it is good."

"—Since the prime minister 'called' me to ask something, I will listen to it."

"It's a matter of long experience."

"Listen to the prime minister, what incredible things he can say..."

After saying this with a strange smile, Liu Sheng immediately sat up straight, and really put on a posture of 'listening all ears'.

Only on that youthful and immature face, there is still a sarcasm that can't wait to overflow.

On the opposite side of Liu Sheng, Dou Ying and Yuan An had completely forgotten the manuscript they had made earlier.

Now, the two only hope that this meeting, which should not have happened, can end as soon as possible.

If there is no accident, after this meeting is over, the two will have to discuss carefully: Where is the Vitex, it is more suitable for the two to go to the Taiwo, to plead guilty to Liu Sheng and Negative Jing.

Only Zhou Yafu, seeing that he could neither frighten Liu Sheng nor anger Liu Sheng, his complexion became gloomy again.

But after all, he is the heir of the general and the heir of the hero;
After the phrase "don't be ignorant of flattery" failed to achieve the expected effect, Zhou Yafu also understood in his heart: the previous plan could no longer be carried out.

Next, I can only bite the bullet and follow what I said before...

"I heard that the son stabilized the price of grain in Guanzhong by relying on the taxes and grain collected by the local counties and counties last year, but not returned to the people."

"I don't know about this, son, can you explain it to me?"

"—Since Emperor Taizu Gao established Han Guozuo, the agricultural tax of our Han family has always been included in the treasury of the Prime Minister's Mansion."

"Why did you come to my son, and the agricultural tax was included in the Shaofu?"

"Where did the Young Mansion have the guts and who was instigated to privately include the tax and food that should have been included in the Prime Minister's Mansion's treasury?"

As Zhou Yafu uttered this sentence after sentence of questioning, even questioning, every time he uttered a sentence, the heads of Dou Ying and Yuan An lowered a little.

On the opposite side of the two, seeing that Zhou Yafu really dared to ask, Liu Sheng shook his head with a sneer after a brief moment of astonishment.

——Let you ask, do you really ask?

Ah······

"It turns out that Hou Tiao wanted to ask me to ask my teacher for his crimes~"

"That's why I underestimate Tiaohou."

"——I thought that Tiao Hou had been the prime minister for more than half a year, and he still didn't know the gate of the prime minister's mansion, which way to open..."

"I never thought that Marquis Tiao actually knew that the treasury should be controlled by the Prime Minister's Mansion;"

"Do you know that the agricultural tax should go to the national treasury?"

As soon as he entered the military tent, Zhou Yafu completely tore his face, and Liu Sheng obviously didn't need to be polite.

He said a word without concealing the meaning of ridicule, then shook his head with a smile;

After a while, he sighed again, and turned sideways indifferently.

"Last year, Marquis Tiao was appointed as Taiwei by his father, and he led the army to fight to quell the chaos between Wu and Chu."

"——A rebellion between Wu and Chu, Tiao Hou naturally took the limelight;"

"It was added to the title of Marquis Jiang and promoted to the prime minister. It can be said that the scenery is unparalleled, and the achievements are the best in the world."

"But how did Tiaohou know that in just three months of rebellion, most of the farmers in Guanzhong missed the spring plowing?"

"How do you know that last year, all the peasant households in Guanzhong who had men who went out with the army, who were soldiers and civilian husbands, had all their fields and acres in their homes were women, children, the elderly and the weak looking after them?"

···
"In Kanto, Taiwei Zhou strategized, and with a snap of his fingers, Wu Chu was wiped out;"

"However, in Guanzhong, the people suffer from the fact that there are no young men in their families, so they can only allow spring plowing and irrigation to be delayed, and even have to abandon some fields."

"——In Kanto, Zhou Taiwei took three months to put down the rebellion;"

"But even these short three months have reduced Guanzhong's harvest for the whole year last year by a full [-]%..."

···
"Father Emperor Renze~"

"I couldn't bear the people in Guanzhong to suffer from hunger and cold due to the chaos of the seven kingdoms of Wu and Chu, so I ordered: the agricultural tax and low tax for the whole year of last year will be exempted;"

"Father said: Even if the loss suffered by the people of Guanzhong due to the Wu-Chu Rebellion last year cannot be completely eliminated, the burden on the people's shoulders can be somewhat lightened..."

Speaking calmly, Liu Sheng looked at Zhou Yafu with an increasingly sarcastic look.

After the last words were spoken, he raised his head slightly towards Zhou Yafu and smiled jokingly.

"Does Tiao Hou know about these things?"

"Does Tiaohou know what the Wu-Chu Rebellion last year meant to the Chang'an court and all the people in the world?"

"Knowing that the rebellion in just three months has caused how many farmers in Guanzhong who could still have enough to eat have to tighten their belts so as not to feel too hungry?"

···
"Does Marquis Tiao know why his father and the imperial court want to stabilize food prices?"

"Knowing the price of food, what does it mean to the people?"

"—Don't even need to say these, just ask Tiaohou: Junhou, do you know what the price of grain is?"

"If you know the word calm, how should you write it???"

The merciless cynicism made Zhou Yafu's face turn red;

But Liu Sheng didn't give Zhou Yafu another chance to humiliate himself.

"Tiaohou, I don't know."

"Tiao Hou doesn't know what grain prices are, what is stabilizing grain prices, let alone why the court wants to stabilize grain prices."

"—Tiao Hou only knows: a Wu-Chu rebellion allowed Tiao Hou to pay homage to the Han Prime Minister by virtue of his great achievements;"

"I only know that the prime minister is the head of a hundred officials who avoid the way, are extremely courteous, and are extremely human officials;"

"But I don't know at all: what kind of responsibilities the prime minister of my Han family needs to shoulder."

···
"Today, Marquis Tiao called me to the North Camp, but because I didn't enter the camp gate by car, I lost the opportunity to insult me ​​and make my name famous like Emperor Xiliu, Emperor Taizong Xiaowen did in the past. "

"—After I walked into the Chinese army tent, Tiao Hou, as a minister, did not stand up to greet me;"

"Successful prince worships first, but still doesn't know how to stand up and return the salute;"

"Wearing civilian clothes and entering the military camp, meeting the prince, etc., there is no need to say much."

"In the end, Marquis Tiao even dared to say in front of me, Wei Qihou and Doctor Zhong that I, the crown prince, is 'to be discussed'?"

"And you said that I came to this barracks because I was 'called' by Marquis Tiao?"

"——I actually asked the prince of the Han family not to 'know flattery'??????"

When he first heard Zhou Yafu's question, Liu Sheng was astonished at "Why Zhou Yafu asked such a stupid question";
When he opened his mouth to give Zhou Yafu an answer, Liu Sheng found it funny what Zhou Yafu did today.

But when it came to the last sentence, "How dare you tell me not to be flattering", Liu Sheng's brows were filled with undisguised sarcasm and a sneer full of jokes.

And after Liu Sheng said the next sentence, even the guards outside the army tent couldn't help breaking out in cold sweat...
"Your Majesty, Mrs. Liu?"

···
Junhou, Liu Shi?

···
The five words of extreme indifference, uttered from Liu Sheng's mouth, completely plunged the army tent into a bone-piercing chill.

Outside the military tent, the guards were sweating profusely, so they couldn't help but walk away from the surrounding area of ​​the military tent;

In the military tent, Dou Ying and Yuan An were stunned, their eyes swept over Liu Sheng on the opposite side and Zhou Yafu on the head from time to time, as if they were dumbfounded;

In the first place, Zhou Yafu was dressed in commoner clothes, his face was as sinking as water, and he couldn't speak with a sense of loss.

And Liu Sheng, after saying the soul-stirring five words, finally locked his cold eyes on Zhou Yafu.

"Tiao Hou, maybe you don't realize how ridiculous your problem is?"

"Hey······"

"—Last year's agricultural tax was swallowed by the Shaofu~"

"It was exempted by the father."

"The taxes and grain collected from the common people were converted into money by the Shaofu and returned to the common people."

"Father was exempted from the agricultural tax, the national treasury had no income, and officials' salaries could not be paid, so the father asked the Shaofu to pay the internal money, convert the agricultural tax for the whole year of last year into money, and subsidize the national treasury."

···
"The money for tax rebates for the people comes from the funds of the Shaofu;"

"The money for state treasury subsidies is also allocated from the Shaofu's internal funds."

"—Obviously there is only one agricultural tax, but the funds of the Shaofu allocated two agricultural taxes to the common people and the national treasury;"

"Two parts of the agricultural tax were spent, but in the end, only one part of the tax was included in the Shaofu's internal funds."

"Now, Marquis Tiao actually asked me: Why was the food that was not returned to the people not included in the national treasury?"

"Humph?"

He gave the answer to Zhou Yafu's 'question' without hesitation, and Liu Sheng no longer hesitated, just got up from his seat.

Put your hands behind your back, take two steps forward, and come to the center of the military tent.

Facing Dou Ying and Yuan An, he slowly raised his hand, but pointed his index finger at the prime minister Zhou Yafu who was sitting at the head of the seat, and his face was changing.

"You two, you should know what's going on, right?"

"—Hou Tiao, I don't even know what agricultural tax is and what is tax exemption;"

"I have never cared about the Prime Minister's Mansion, the treasury, or anything that the prime minister should care about."

···
"Maybe a few days ago, I heard that I stabilized the price of grain with the agricultural tax collected by the local counties last year;"

"So Tiaohou was overjoyed immediately, thinking that he had caught me, so he set up this Hongmen banquet for me in the northern camp."

"One trick, another trick~"

"One ring after another."

"—From the time I stepped into the gate of the Northern Camp, Tiao Hou has been trying to do something so that he can catch me."

"Whether it provokes or intimidates;"

"In the end, it's nothing more than Xiang Zhuang's sword dance, with the intention of Pei Gong..."

···
"What about those two?"

"Today's Hongmen Banquet, you two, what are your identities?"

"—Sword stabbed Pei Gong's Xiang Zhuang?"

"Or Xiang Bo who protects Peigong?"

No questioning was left in the slightest, only causing Dou Ying and Yuan An to raise their heads hastily.

In front of him was Liu Sheng who raised his hand sideways and pointed at Zhou Yafu, looking straight at him;

Turning the corner of his eyes slightly, he saw the head of the throne, Zhou Yafu's face flushed, his breath was heavy, his chest heaved for a while, but he couldn't speak for a long time.

The situation has developed to such an extent that Dou Ying and Yuan An only feel that their hearts are full of bitterness, and they can't say anything...

——Why do you commit such a bastard?
What are you doing with this game? !
What are you doing meddling in this matter? ! !

Isn't it better to stay at home honestly, even if you eat, drink, have fun, and get drunk? ? ?
In their hearts, the two of them had already regretted it;
But after Liu Sheng's question, the one who stood up first was not Liu Sheng's uncle, the crown prince and Taifu...

"What happened today is all my fault."

"Originally, I wanted to make peace out of it, and let His Royal Highness speak up;"

"I didn't expect to end up with such a field..."

Under Liu Sheng's stern gaze, Yuan An was the first to get up from his seat.

After bowing to Liu Sheng, Yuan An turned around and looked up at Zhou Yafu.

Almost at the same time when he turned around, the miserable look on Yuan An's face was replaced by a burst of sternness.

"It's my suggestion to let the prime minister meet His Highness."

"But I never thought that the prime minister would be so stupid now."

"—Back then, the prime minister's father was imprisoned for his misconduct;"

"Fortunately, it was an unintentional mistake. The prime minister's father was able to get out of trouble only after I told the truth to the late emperor."

"But today's prime minister really makes me..."

"Ugh······"

"Prime Minister, please take care of yourself..."

"If one day, the prime minister is imprisoned for domineering like the dead Jiang Wuhou, I will never go to plead with His Majesty again..."

After saying that, Yuan Ang hesitated in every possible way, and finally raised his head, turned his head to the side, and reluctantly bowed his hand to Zhou Yafu.

Then, without looking at Zhou Yafu again, he turned around, walked to Liu Sheng, turned his back to Zhou Yafu, and lowered his head full of shame.

With Yuan Ang's demonstration, Dou Ying finally came to his senses, and got up from his seat with mixed expressions.

With an extremely complicated expression, he bowed his hands to Zhou Yafu, then turned around without saying a word, walked into the tent, and also lowered his head in shame.

Seeing that the two finally realized what they had done today, the anger in Liu Sheng's heart dissipated a little.

But he didn't just leave, but turned sideways, put his hands behind his back, held his head high, and stared into the depths of Zhou Yafu's eyes without fear.

"I know Tiao Hou, why on earth do you hate me so much?"

"Left and right, it's just a sentence of 'abandoning the old and establishing the young'."

"But Tiaohou needs to know: not everyone can intervene in this matter;"

"—At least, it's not something Tiao Hou can interfere with."

···
"I won't tell anyone what happened today."

"Wei Qihou and Zhong Dafu will also keep secrets for Tiaohou."

"It's not because I'm afraid of Tiao Hou, or because I want to show favor to Tiao Hou."

"I just don't want my Han family to lose a meritorious prime minister because of this incident, and cause turmoil in the ruling and opposition parties."

···
"If the prime minister has something to say, I'll be all ears."

"If not, then I'm leaving."

"It's just that before leaving, I have to give Tiao Hou one last advice: Please be a prince, so that you can do it yourself."

When these words came out of Liu Sheng's mouth, all Zhou Yafu could see from Liu Sheng's eyes was calm.

Ultimate calm.

Zhou Yafu is very sure: his actions today must have angered Liu Sheng.

——Anyone would definitely be irritated by what Zhou Yafu did today!
But the more he understood this point in his heart, the calmness in Liu Sheng's eyes made Zhou Yafu feel a burst of upset at this moment.

Although it was only for a moment, countless pictures flashed in Zhou Yafu's mind.

Zhou Yafu thought of many things;
——Thinking of myself, why would I do this;
——I thought about myself, what was I insisting on.

But Zhou Yafu, the only thing he didn't expect was: Is my identity qualified enough...
"Since the young master has made his words so clear, then I will stop beating around the bush."

"—Abolishing the elders and establishing the younger ones is the root of the disaster, and it is a hidden danger for the ancestral temple and the community!"

"——I was entrusted by Emperor Taizong Xiaowen to take care of the Han family on behalf of the late emperor!"

···
"The imperial edict to register the son was issued by the queen mother."

"I want to stop it, but because of the way of loyalty and filial piety, I can't stop it."

"——I believe that the young master must also understand what kind of hidden dangers your majesty will plant for our Han family by abolishing the elders and establishing the younger ones."

"I hope that after the young master returns, he can go to the queen mother in person;"

"Empress Xiang, please resign from the position of Prince..."

The rather serious words only made Liu Sheng stunned for a moment!
Even Dou Ying and Yuan An, who lowered their heads and started to 'reflect on their mistakes' in advance, raised their heads again in horror!
Staring at Zhou Yafu for a long time, after confirming that Zhou Yafu was not joking, Liu Sheng finally just took a deep breath...
"Sigh~~~"

"Hu~~~~~~"

···
"The word loyalty and filial piety can be said from Tiao Hou's mouth, it really makes me..."

"Ah;"

"—Tiao Hou's talk has come to this point, and I have nothing to say."

"I just want to remind Tiao Hou: in my Han family, the Zhou family is not an auspicious surname..."

"Let's say goodbye today, I hope you can do it for yourself..."

Still holding your head high and your chest up, still putting your hands behind your back;

Between the brows, there is also a little bit of embarrassment and feeling
Squinting the corners of his eyes, and finally took a deep look at Zhou Yafu, Liu Sheng finally turned around.

Opening the curtain of the military tent, the indifferent tone came to Zhou Yafu's ears again before he stepped out of the military camp.

"Doctor Zhong, let's go to Changle Palace."

"Maybe the imperial grandmother has something to say to Dr. Zhong."

···
"Wei Qihou, don't follow to Changle."

"On the way home, pass by Zhang Wuhou's mansion in Shangguanli, just go and visit the boss for me."

　Two updates completed~
　　Good night~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)