Chapter 1533: I have no money

Seemingly everyone was happy, and everyone got the result they wanted.

In reality, everyone was unwilling in their hearts!

Everyone was resentful!

Cursing the Jian Shi Emperor for being a bastard.

"Why did my son only get a 'Shun' (obedient) title! What does he mean? Let my son be obedient for a lifetime? Obedient to whom? Obedient to that little brat who hasn't even reached the full month? The partiality is blind! I want to see if the court's Rui Prince can actually grow up."

"His Majesty is really excessive. This is not as good as not granting a title; giving an 'An' (peaceful) title is clearly bullying people. Who doesn't know that the An Prince of this dynasty has never had a good ending. Putting such an unlucky title on my son's head, he is clearly cursing me, cursing the imperial son! Bullying people too much!"

The concubines in the harem were all complaining.

They didn't dare to do anything to the Jian Shi Emperor, but the Jing Concubine and her son, hehe, they wouldn't take them seriously. If they couldn't deal with the Emperor, couldn't they deal with the Jing Concubine and her son?

The Jian Shi Emperor didn't seem to know that he had poked a hornet's nest, and was still angry at the court officials' pressure and the harem concubines' ignorance.

He asked Wang Defa casually, "What is the reaction in the harem?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, all the masters are beaming with joy, shouting that Your Majesty is wise!"

The Jian Shi Emperor snorted coldly. "They are all a bunch of greedy people. How is my imperial son?"

"Naturally, kowtowing to thank you, grateful and tearful!"

The Jian Shi Emperor immediately felt refreshed!

When refreshed, he had to take pills.

He planned to go to the Jing Concubine's palace to rest after taking the pills.

The Jing Concubine's mentality was very stable.

She knew clearly that her son being granted the title of Rui Prince was equivalent to poking a hornet's nest; she didn't know how many people were cursing them mother and son, cursing her to die a bad death.

She was afraid that her bedroom had already been bought off.

But she wasn't afraid!

From the day she decided to step into the harem, she didn't intend to live in peace with other concubines and be a woman who followed the rules.

Her childhood experiences told her that if you want to get something, you have to use unscrupulous means to fight and grab it. Only the person who laughs last is the big winner.

Others' jealousy and hatred were definitely not reasons for her to retreat. It would only make her more fighting-spirited. As long as the Emperor was alive for one day, she would firmly grasp the Emperor's heart.

She ordered her eunuch brother, "Find a few people with a clean background to come in."

"What is this for? Is it unsafe in this palace?"

"Wealth moves people's hearts; some people around me have too many weaknesses. Brother, we two are walking on thin ice in the palace, with no one to rely on. Every step we take must be extremely careful, otherwise we will be doomed. I don't have high requirements, just want the child to grow up safely. But in this cannibalistic palace, how difficult is it to grow up safely. Those little princes who died early without being ranked, are they all because of thin fate and bad luck? I won't naively believe it."

"I'll listen to you! Do you want to tell the Emperor?"

"I naturally want to tell him, and people must be found! Remember, clean background, it doesn't matter if the background is miserable, the key is not to have weaknesses. If there are weaknesses, their weaknesses can only be grasped by us. Brother, you must remember, if you are not ruthless, your life will not be guaranteed!"

"I know! They can bully me, but they can't bully you."

"Bullying you is also not allowed. Bullying you is equivalent to hitting my face." The Jing Concubine's attitude was firm and unquestionable.

The brother and sister kept talking until the palace attendant reported that the Emperor had arrived.

The Jing Concubine didn't apply powder, leaning on the bed, and didn't say she would get up to welcome him. It wasn't until the Emperor stepped into the room that she pretended to get up.

"Beloved concubine, don't get up, lie down properly."

The Jian Shi Emperor's love for the Jing Concubine could be seen from his eyes.

The Jing Concubine had a plain face, not ugly, but rather moving.

The Jian Shi Emperor loved her to death.

"Has anyone come to disturb you these few days?"

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty, no one has disturbed me."

"That's very good! That bunch of court officials is simply... don't think too much about this grand granting of titles to princes."

"Your Majesty, you worry too much; I understand your difficulties. The country and society are all on your shoulders, I only hate that I cannot share your worries! When I recover, I will cook for you myself!"

The two entangled and lingered, their feelings becoming more and more intense.

Taking advantage of the Rui Prince being full and in a good mood, they held the child.

The Jing

Emperor Jian Shi held the child carefully; this was not the first time he had held Prince Rui. He had held him when the child was just born. It was also the first time he had held his own child.

None of the other princes had ever enjoyed this treatment.

Even the eldest imperial prince, Emperor Jian Shi's first child, had never been held.

This embrace was a fatherly love that no other prince had ever enjoyed. Once there is a first time, there will be a second; having held him once, there will be a second time, a third time...

The bond between father and son is established just like this.

Consort Jing did not intend to go into battle alone; she cleverly pulled in her own son, and the mother and son fought together, occupying Emperor Jian Shi's heart together.

When an emperor's heart is biased, as long as the emperor lives long enough, anything can happen.

This was exactly what Consort Jing was gambling on.

The older the emperor gets, the more muddled he becomes, and the more biased he will be.

A young emperor still considers the big picture, wanting to keep the scales balanced as much as possible. An aging emperor only wants to live willfully and act recklessly. Keep the scales balanced? Impossible! He will favor whoever he wants to favor, and he will do so without any concealment.

In the three hundred years of the Great Gan dynasty, counting through the successive emperors, except for one or two exceptions, all the others were of this character.

Even the common folk among the elderly are of this same character.

Few elderly people can manage to keep the scales balanced and treat all their children fairly and justly.

Old children, old children; the essence is willfulness, a willfulness that disregards the consequences!

And it is a willfulness that intensifies.

Consort Jing leaned against Emperor Jian Shi, and the two of them teased the child together. This scene looked like a happy family of three.

Fortunately, no other concubines saw it.

Otherwise...

The inner palace would soon be stirred up by waves again!

Bestowing the title of Prince was only the first step!

What followed was spending a large amount of silver.

Establishing a mansion and government offices—everything costs money.

Before, one could pretend not to know about this, not asking or caring whether the princes were short on money. After all, there was no title bestowed back then, and all spending items could be rejected on the grounds that they did not fit their status.

Now that they were all Princes, one could no longer continue to avoid the issue of spending money.

The Ministry of Revenue had no money, and everyone was eyeing the Emperor's private treasury, wanting the Emperor to bring out money to at least pay the first year's salary and benefits.

Emperor Jian Shi was furious!

"It was you who demanded that I treat everyone equally, and I agreed. Now you are eyeing my purse to settle the new Princes. This is unreasonable! I have no money!"

Emperor Jian Shi played the rogue, not wanting to take responsibility.

"Your Majesty, you are the ruler of the nation and the father of these Princes. In terms of both emotion and reason, this money should come from the private treasury. Even among commoners, when a son grows up and sets up his own household, as a father, one must prepare a portion of assets for each son to help them settle down."

Emperor Jian Shi gritted his teeth, "I said, no money!"