Concubine Huang said she wanted to leave

Chapter 354 Fundraising
The next day, in the Palace of Compassion and Ning, all the concubines gathered together, Shang Kelan was still the last one to order, and everyone was used to it.

During the gossip, the Queen Mother didn't even look at her. Shang Kelan occasionally talked to Jia Zhaoyi, and most of the time she listened to others.

After everyone had finished talking, Shang Kelan looked at the Empress Dowager and said, "Empress Dowager, the New Year's Eve is approaching, but the court's money is limited, and Your Majesty has also discussed it with the ministers and concubines. I don't know what the Empress Dowager thinks ?”

The queen mother glanced at her, and said coldly: "Hmph, you have already discussed with His Majesty, why are you here to ask me what this old lady is doing?"

Shang Kelan's expression remained unchanged, and he lowered his eyes and said: "Your Majesty values ​​the Empress Dowager in his heart, and the concubines also respect the Empress Dowager, so naturally they have to ask the Empress Dowager for instructions."

The queen mother was choked up by her, so angry, she simply looked away and stopped talking to her, and turned to Zhao Kehan, "Han'er, how did you celebrate the new year in the Zhao residence?"

Zhao Kehan ​​smiled slightly, and before he could speak, Zhao Kexi who was on the side couldn't wait to interject: "The concubine knows! Empress Dowager, in the past, when the concubine Jia and the concubine were in the Zhao residence together, the Chinese New Year was very lively. The concubine's father and mother I never cared about such things as silver, so every New Year, the mansion where the concubine lives is the most lively place in Zhejiang Province, not as picky as some people!"

As she spoke, she deliberately gave Shang Kelan a look.

Shang Kelan took a sip of tea indifferently, and replied: "It seems that Chen Zhaoyi is worthy of being the daughter of a merchant. Her family is well-off and never short of money. It just so happened that there was a snowstorm in some places in the north recently, and they are collecting donations everywhere. My palace and Zuoxiang's mansion I have already donated 3000 taels of silver, so I wonder how much Chen Zhaoyi, who is from a wealthy family, can donate?"

When the matter of donation was mentioned, all the concubines shut up.

They were all women who were given to Jin Yantang by ministers and relatives to marry him when Jin Yantang first came to the throne, and their mothers were naturally not bad.

During the period of the first emperor, he did not know how many court servants he favored, but in Jin Yantang, except for the women in the harem, most of the servants in the Hall of Mental Cultivation and the Imperial Study were servants, so his relationship history can be described as extremely clean.

Zhao Kexi listened to Shang Kelan's words, snorted disdainfully, and said, "3000 taels of silver? What kind of snowstorm can this stop? My palace's contribution of 1 taels of silver should be regarded as accumulating blessings for my mother family and His Majesty! "

As soon as she finished speaking, she turned her head to Shuhua and said, "Shuhua, go to the warehouse to get the money."

"Yes, ma'am."

Shang Kelan's eyes flickered slightly, and she said with a smile: "Chen Zhaoyi is really generous, this kind of arrogance is beyond the reach of this palace."

How can everyone fail to see this obvious aggressive method?
But Shang Kelan has donated, and they can't pretend to be dumb anymore. As soon as Shang Kelan finished speaking, Jia Zhaoyi smiled and said: "Hey, the two ladies are kind-hearted people, and the Buddha will definitely bless you. Concubines also don't look down on the sufferings of the world, but the concubine's savings are not as good as those of the two empresses, I am really ashamed, and the concubine is willing to donate 500 taels for the common people."

Shang Kelan nodded and said with a smile, "Jia Zhaoyi has a heart."

But Zhao Kexi said contemptuously: "Just 500 taels, she is really a woman from a small family!"

Zhao Kexi didn't have anything to say. Jia Zhaoyi was a woman from an official family. Her appearance might not be as pretty as Zhao Kexi's, but her identity and temperament were much stronger than Zhao Kexi's.

Jia Zhaoyi's face remained unchanged, and she replied with a smile: "Chen Zhaoyi is rich and powerful, and naturally my concubines dare not compare."

As soon as she finished speaking, the rest of the people also started donating, but none of them exceeded a thousand.

After the collection of donations was over, the queen mother was also tired, so she asked everyone to retreat.

Although she said she didn't like Shang Kelan, when it came to the people, the Queen Mother still took 2000 taels of silver from her savings.

After everyone left, the Compassionate Ning Palace was also empty, only Concubine Jia stayed to talk to the Queen Mother.

She helped the queen mother to the bedroom, poured a cup of tea for the queen mother, and then said: "Your Majesty, my concubine wants to go out of the palace to worship Buddha in the Taimiao these two days. This year, there are plagues and floods in the Great Zhou Dynasty, and there is still snowstorm now." , There is another war in northern Xinjiang, so I want to pray for them."

The queen mother was stunned for a moment, then looked at her and said: "The year is approaching, and there are people everywhere in the capital. I am worried about what will happen to you. If you want to pray, you can pray in the palace temple."

Zhao Kehan ​​sighed, and said: "I heard that the imperial temple outside the palace is very effective. If someone asks for a child, they will have a child in the next year. I also think that your Majesty has no heirs in the harem, so..."

Before the words were finished, the queen mother said clearly: "So that's the case, since this is the case, the Ai family will send some guards to follow you, how many days will you go?"

Concubine Jia smiled and said: "Thank you, Empress Dowager, my concubine will come back after three days. If I go just this once, I'm afraid I won't be able to show my concubine's sincerity, and let the Buddha blame me."

The queen mother quite agreed: "That's the reason, but tomorrow the son of Zuo Xiang's mansion will get married, and you won't go?"

The people from Zuo Xiang's mansion sent someone to invite Shang Kelan to the mansion today, but Shang Kelan was cleaning up the accounts from the previous year, so he really couldn't go back, so he stayed in the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Zhao Kehan ​​smiled wryly: "The relationship between the concubine and the concubine Chen is so stiff, I heard that the eldest son is arrogant and dandy, I am afraid that if the concubine goes, she will just bring her own humiliation."

The Queen Mother frowned slightly, then sighed, and said, "Oh, this Zuoxiang Mansion is really..."

Thinking that there will be a happy event in Zuo Xiang's residence tomorrow, the queen mother still didn't say any bad words, she just patted Zhao Kehan's hand and said, "It's really hard for you."

Zhao Kehan's expression was moved, and then he smiled: "Fortunately, although both of my parents are dead, the Queen Mother treats my concubine like her own daughter. I don't feel lonely, and I will serve you well in the future!"

The queen mother was amused by her, scratched her nose and said: "You little girl, why are you so sweet?"

Zhao Kehan ​​turned his gaze, and fell on Nanny Li who was standing beside him, and asked in doubt, "Why don't you see Wanqin today?"

The queen mother smiled and said: "The girl is resting today, and there is no shortage of people here at Aijia, so let her go back to Yushuyuan."

Zhao Kehan ​​understood, and after talking with the Queen Mother for a while, he took his leave and left the Compassionate Ning Palace.

At this time, in the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

In the dormitory, Shang Kelan was indeed cleaning up the accounts, but it was not the accounts of the harem, but the donations raised just now.

I saw Shang Kelan wearing a lavender dress sitting by the table, holding a writing brush in his hand, and a blank piece of paper on the table.

Yuliu waited beside her, and began to check the amount of donations that she had just written down with her abacus.

When Yuliu was about to finish the calculation, Shang Kelan asked, "Have you figured it out? How many taels of silver have we raised?"

Holding the abacus, Yuliu said respectfully, "Report to Madam, a total of 7000 taels of silver was raised."

7000 taels?

Shang Kelan nodded, stood up and collected the money on the table, and said: "The money I raised in front of the Queen Mother, you will send people to the palaces and courtyards to take it back later, if there are fraudsters Then come and tell this palace that everything will be dealt with as the crime of deceiving the emperor and breaking the law."

(End of this chapter)