Emperor Jin

Chapter 23 Shocking
"Your Highness...!"

Ji Xinku waited all night, but she didn't dare to say anything. It was almost dawn when she saw Bao Jin return to her room, her eyes were red with anxiety and worry.

"Did you go out? I thought..."

She had a red face, and asked with some embarrassment: "Did Your Majesty invite no one to sleep with you today?"

"No, he's staying in the queen's palace."

Baojin changed into her regular clothes, took off her embroidered shoes, and replied.

"Sure enough, as rumored, His Majesty only cares about the empress and the empress, and the newcomer is just a decoration..."

Thinking of the rumors in the palace, Ji Xin couldn't help imitating her tongue.

Bao Jin laughed softly, "Do you really think...the emperor and empress are intimate?"

"Is not it?!"

Ji Xin was taken aback by the question.

Bao Jin took the silk scarf from her, and a sneer appeared on his lips, "On the night of Concubine Ce, the emperor stayed in the middle palace. The operation and maintenance is really worth pondering..."

"Only when there is a crack, do you need to make up for it deliberately...and once it gets out of control, the crack will only widen."

Bao Jin said with a smile, the early morning wind blew past her, and there were already faint voices outside.

"Look, after the newcomer is promoted, the palace will become more and more lively..."

Her voice got deeper and deeper, almost inaudible——

"On this stage in the palace, there has never been a lack of performers. They coax you to sing and then I will go on stage... but I don't know who will have the last laugh this time."

The voice is melancholy, but with sober fearlessness.

***
The time of January is fleeting, and the people in the palace are gradually getting used to the colorful new beauties, as well as the slender figure in the green dress accompanying the emperor.

In the narrow and winding road, Bao Jin passed by safely, ignoring the whispers beside the road. Those peeping, mocking, and even jealous eyes were just a breeze blowing on her face in her heart, and they could not cause any ripples.

Time went on as usual, the emperor did not favor the new concubines, he just ordered a few people to serve the night, and there was no appreciation afterward.

In addition to being lonely and frightened, these women had this heavy sorrow, but none of them dared to speak out.

Worrying about gains and losses, Concubine Yue, who was grounded for talking wildly after drinking, was almost forgotten by people.

Undercurrents are still raging in the court, the empress and empress have worked side by side for many years to create this foundation, and now they have won most of the world, but it is still the same as before - the empress participates in state affairs with her exquisite wrists.

Harem meddling in politics is a taboo, not only the officials complained, but also the former subordinates complained a lot, but because of their prestige, they did not dare to impeach them publicly.

The Queen knew this well, but she was not afraid. She secretly supported the New Deal, and under the combination of toughness and softness, she actually showed a bold posture.

On November [-]th, the cold and gloomy air of winter subsided all at once, the clouds finally showed a clear sky, and the sun shone straight down, dyeing everything in the world into a thin golden streak.

In the evening, the streets are still full of tourists, and the people in the capital seem to want to get rid of the cold for many days, and they come and go among the restaurants and shops.

Baojin covered his face with a veiled hat, and looking down from the emerald-colored building, he could see the embroidered building lanterns, pleasing to the eye, red sleeves fluttering on the street, jewels and emerald swaying wildly, a scene of prosperity and extravagance.

Except for the Cuise Building, this street is full of Qin Building and Chu Pavilion. When a breeze blows, the voices of the young and beautiful people are added with a faint melody of silk and bamboo.

"Looking at the peaceful and bustling scene in the capital, who would have thought...a year ago, soldiers were coming to the city, and the country was in ruins?"

Bao Jin drank a cup of warm wine, narrowed his slightly drunken eyes, and sighed softly.

Shen Hao sat beside him, his lips moved, but he still hesitated to speak.

The two seemed to be in a leisurely manner, but the atmosphere was faintly dignified.

After that day, Song Lin delivered the ledger very quickly. To everyone's surprise, it took two large boxes to lift the ledgers of various thicknesses.

Facing Baojin's astonished eyes, Song Lin calmed down and said: "Your Majesty managed a lot of assets secretly, which can be said to be spread all over the world, as close as Yingkou in Gyeonggi, as far as Shu, Dali, and Nanyue, and there are even merchant ships on the sea that can go directly to Travel to the Song Dynasty."

Bao Jin fixed his gaze on him, and it took him a while to come back to his senses——

"These... are all owned by the royal family?"

"It was privately owned by the late emperor."

Song Lin subtly corrected her statement, got up and bowed, and went straight away, leaving Baojin alone, looking at the box full of books, feeling like a splitting headache.

……

Bao Jin recalled the situation of that day, and felt upset again. She turned to Shen Hao and said, "Is there any reason for those account books?"

"I have some eyebrows..."

Shen Hao frowned, not knowing what to say for a moment.

"Is there not enough manpower to settle accounts?"

Bao Jin glanced at him and asked slightly surprised.

Shen Hao looked at Bao Jin, gritted his teeth, and finally said——

"The ledger is very clean, but we found something else..."

"What is it?"

"Large trade in contraband."

Shen Hao said in a low voice, the palm of Qianjun's hand was trembling slightly at this moment, almost dropping the teacup from his hand.

"How could this be?!"

Bao Jin's eyebrows were condensed, and her heavy eyes were shining brightly, she couldn't believe her ears.

"I couldn't believe it at the time...but I can see it vividly in the ledger. There are standard swords, copper mines, salt, and even bed crossbows... they are sold continuously, and the amount accumulated over the years is already very large. amazing!"

Bao Jin listened intently, his hands were already icy cold.

Although she is young and inexperienced, she has learned a lot about state affairs and civil affairs through more than one year of tempering. The above-mentioned prohibited items, let alone selling them publicly, are smuggling is a capital crime. thousands of miles.

But the royal family actually broke the ban first!
"Perhaps, these are all made by Song Lin in private..."

Shen Hao's voice was deep but extremely soft.

"You don't have to lie to yourself. It's absolutely impossible to hide such a big deal from my sister for a long time."

Bao Jin recalled Song Lin's meaningful words that day——

It is privately owned by the first emperor!

She gathered herself together, wiped off the cold sweat on her fingers, and murmured: "Sister, you are an emperor, and the world holds hands, why should you...?"

There was a dead silence in the elegant room, and after a while, Bao Jin asked again: "Where did you sell it?"

This time, Shen Hao's lips were trembling, "There are Shu, Nanyue, Jiangnan, Korea... and even the rebels."

The last four words burst out from his lips, almost spilling blood.

Baojin was dazzled by the sound, as if falling into the clouds, but his heart was agitated——

"What exactly is going on?!"

She resolutely shouted.

At this moment, he heard hurried footsteps on the stairs, it was actually a steward in Cuise Building!
With a condensed expression, he managed to suppress his panic, and stepped forward to report: "The shopkeeper sent me to tell you, someone below wants to see the young lady!"

A thunderbolt from the blue is nothing more than that!
Bao Jin and Shen Hao glanced at each other, and each of them was terrified in their hearts——

Who is it?
(End of this chapter)