novelSusiti Chapter 104 The Crown Princess Runs Away with Funds
Chapter 104 The Crown Princess Runs Away with Funds
Chapter 104 The Crown Princess Runs Away with Funds
News of the Song-Tang Yangtze River Alliance, fueled by those with ulterior motives, quickly swept across the land!
The entire nation was once again shaken!
The fact that the Southern Tang once again submitted to the Zhou Dynasty is not surprising, since before this, the Southern Tang had always been a vassal state of the Later Zhou Dynasty.
The most crucial thing is that annual tribute of 50 strings of cash!
The Song Dynasty inherited the foundation of the Later Zhou Dynasty. After many years of recuperation and development, the annual revenue of the Later Zhou Dynasty was only 600 million strings of cash.
The eldest prince only went out to fight one battle, and the Song Dynasty's fiscal revenue increased by nearly one-tenth!
In this era, money means fighting power. This extra 500,000 strings of cash could even support a regular army of 50,000.
And it happens every year!
How could this not greatly excite the entire Song Dynasty court and its people?
Emperor Zhao Kuangyin personally ordered the curfew to be lifted, the whole country to have a three-day holiday, and a special imperial examination to celebrate the triumphant return of his eldest son!
For the first time, the name of Prince Zhao Dezhao of Wugong County resounded throughout the entire world.
December of the first year of the Jianlong era of the Song Dynasty.
Zhao Dezhao officially returned to the capital, while Li Chuyun temporarily served as the prefect of Yangzhou, staying behind to manage affairs in Yangzhou and Huainan, and incidentally to complete a secret mission assigned by Zhao Dezhao before his departure.
"I want to go home to my sister! Zhao, you little thief, let me go home!"
Inside the carriage, Zhou Nuying, Li Congjia's son Li Zhongyu, and Zhao Dezhao sat facing each other.
Li Zhongyu was only three years old at the time and did not know what had happened. He timidly clutched his sister-in-law Zhou Nuying's sleeve and looked at Zhao Dezhao with fear.
On the contrary, Zhou Nuying kept arguing the whole way, which was annoying.
Zhao Dezhao glanced at her, feigning ferocity, and said, "Say another word, and I'll send you to the army camp to be cooked and used as rations!"
Although Xiao Zhouhou was said to be exceptionally beautiful, she was only ten years old at the time, and it was difficult for Zhao Dezhao to develop any fondness for such a young girl.
Zhou Nuying trembled with fright at these words, her face turning pale. She could only glare at Zhao Dezhao with her big eyes, but her mouth, as if possessed, dared not utter another word.
She had also heard that some ruthless generals never carried provisions when they went to war, eating wherever they went, leaving ten houses empty.
It turns out that Zhao Dezhao was such a villain!
Seeing that she had finally calmed down, Zhao Dezhao breathed a sigh of relief. He was thinking that once they arrived in the capital, he would arrange for Zhou Nuying and Li Zhongyu to stay at Tianqing Temple.
It just so happens that Xiao Fu is also there. They are both orphans and widows, so it's good for them to keep each other company.
"Your Highness, news has arrived from the capital."
Just then, Ludoson's respectful report rang out from outside the carriage.
The curtain was lifted, and Zhao Dezhao reached out and took the secret letter handed to him by Lu Duoxun. After unfolding it, his brows furrowed slightly.
"My good uncle was actually granted a marquisate?"
Zhao Dezhao narrowed his eyes, realizing that this matter was not simple.
Given my father's personality, if Zhao Guangyi hadn't made great contributions, why would he have been granted a title so easily?
It's almost obvious that Zhao Guangyi was behind this, and there was only one woman in the whole world who could influence Zhao Kuangyin to change his decision.
—His good grandmother, Empress Dowager Du!
"The thief has no intention of killing me!"
Zhao Dezhao's eyes hardened. In the past, he might have endured such things and tried to hide, but after being tempered in the army for so long, he didn't even realize it himself.
His personality has quietly undergone some changes.
They lacked patience and gained more of the arrogance and domineering nature of warriors.
"Looks like it's time to use some tricks on my second uncle and grandmother."
Zhao Dezhao smiled and continued scrolling down. When he saw a seemingly insignificant message, his eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a serious expression.
This is a small matter.
The story tells of Fu Zhaoshou, the son of the Prince of Fuwei, who rode his horse through the street and crashed into the carriage of the prime minister, Wei Renpu. Not content with this, he then insulted the prime minister in the street.
Such incidents were not uncommon during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.
As the son of Fu Weiwang, Fu Zhaoshou held military power and was practically the uncrowned crown prince of Hedong. He wouldn't even take Wei Renpu seriously, let alone Lü Yuqing, a former official of Zhao Kuangyin who had served him since his time as a prince.
However, Wei Renpu was not someone to be trifled with. In a fit of anger, he reported the matter to the emperor.
Zhao Dezhao knew that once his father found out about this, his sensitive nerves would definitely be touched.
My father was already extremely wary of such arrogant and unruly soldiers, and with this incident, how could he not take some measures to curb these arrogant soldiers?
"Another big show is about to begin."
Zhao Dezhao murmured something, looked out the window, and felt an increasing urgency to return to Kaifeng.
Meanwhile, in the Southern Tang Dynasty, in Jiangning Prefecture, where Chengxintang was located.
"What has the Crown Princess been up to lately?"
Li Congjia put down the memorial in his hand, his expression indifferent, his tone completely unlike that of someone asking his beloved.
Since the Treaty of Jiangshang, Li Congjia has never visited Zhou Ehuang again, and he rarely even goes to see her.
Every time Li Congjia saw Zhou Ehuang, he would recall the night Cuiping was burned, and the scene of Zhao Dezhao laughing wildly as he charged at him, which made him feel disgusted.
Over time, Li Congjia's attitude towards Zhou Ehuang became increasingly distant.
"Your Highness, the Crown Princess has spent most of her time in her palace these past few days. She also occasionally goes out for a stroll to relax and buy some odds and ends from the shops of northern merchants. A while ago, she went to the Imperial Treasury and borrowed some silver and silk."
"How much was withdrawn?" Li Congjia frowned slightly. This was not the first time Zhou Ehuang had gone to the Imperial Treasury since her return.
The inner treasury was the royal family's exclusive storehouse. Previously, Empress Zhou was deeply trusted and loved by Li Congjia, which is why she had the right to withdraw money from the inner treasury.
"Not much, three thousand taels of silver and one hundred bolts of silk," the eunuch replied hastily.
Li Congjia pondered for a moment, then dismissed the matter, and asked again, "Has the list of unmarried women in the capital been completed?"
"Your Highness, the Imperial Household Department has already completed the statistics. There are approximately 28 suitable daughters of high-ranking officials in the court."
"Choose an auspicious time." After a moment's hesitation, Li Congjia said calmly.
"Yes, sir!" The eunuch respectfully withdrew.
Just then, a maid from the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace rushed into Chengxin Hall in a panic, knelt down with a thud, and cried out in alarm, "Your Highness! Something terrible has happened! The Crown Princess has disappeared!!"
"What?!" Li Congjia jumped to his feet. "What happened?!"
"This servant...this servant doesn't know either—" the maid sobbed, "Today, as usual, this servant followed the Crown Princess out of the mansion and strolled around the South Market. But for some reason, there were an unusually large number of people in the South Market today, and several shops were having sales. This servant followed the Crown Princess the whole time, but when I turned around, the Crown Princess suddenly disappeared—"
Upon hearing this, Li Congjia felt a sudden sense of foreboding.
Can a perfectly healthy person just vanish into thin air?
"Investigate! Investigate! Investigate those shops!" Li Congjia roared, then suddenly remembered something and added in a cold voice, "Go check the internal treasury, the recent income and expenditure!"
"Here you go!"
The entire Chengxin Hall instantly sprang into action, and before long, the Imperial Guards who had gone to investigate returned, all with grim expressions.
"Your Highness—" The Imperial Guard leader hesitated for a moment, but still told the truth: "Those shops that the maid mentioned were all empty—"
"Empty?" Li Congjia's ominous premonition grew stronger. "What about the Imperial Treasury? How have the income and expenditure been lately?"
"Back to Your Highness————"
The Imperial Guard leader, on the verge of tears, cried out, "The Imperial Treasury—is empty too!"
Bang-!
Li Congjia felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck him, and he froze on the spot.
If by this point he still doesn't understand what's happening, then he's incredibly foolish.
His Crown Princess —
They've absconded with the money!!
"That damned Zhao Dezhao!!"
A hysterical roar erupted from Chengxin Hall, startling countless birds into flight.
>