Mr. Wen pondered for a moment before replying, “There's only one Wang family in Liushu Lane with four members.” 。The couple, along with their two sonsPerhaps because Marquis Xinting returned victorious and autumn harvest was about to begin, the Emperor's mood had been especially good these past two days.

So, the more troublesome folds of the six ministries were successively sent over, hoping that the emperor would show mercy and approve them.

At this moment, the Minister of Revenue and the Minister of Works were both in the Imperial Study. One wanted to suppress the relief silver, while the other wanted to request silver to repair the river channels quickly due to the shortage of rainfall this year.

The Emperor was getting a headache from being pestered.

Even the most skillful cook cannot make a meal without rice.

The Emperor wanted to generously reward the fallen soldiers and also prepare for the future by repairing the riverbank, but he was powerless. The national treasury was empty!

A soldier who can be killed is a sacrifice for the country. Every family has parents and elders.

Tianwu couldn't take the life of someone else's son, but he wouldn't even offer any compensation.

Speaking of waterways, they are the foundation of people's livelihood.

This year there has been little rain, next year perhaps there will be more rain, then in order to store the harvest, it will depend on drainage through the river channels.

Protecting the river course is about ensuring a bountiful harvest for years to come.

After finally seeing off the two important ministers, the emperor couldn't even bring himself to drink a cup of tea.

The eunuch supervisor cursed the two ministers in his heart. They just patted their butts and left, leaving them to face a disgruntled emperor. What a thankless task this was.

He was pondering what to do to please the emperor, or perhaps summon one of the favored concubines to "put out the fire" in the palace.

As a result, a little eunuch ran to report, "Grand Steward, the Marquis has arrived."

The lord has arrived

The eunuch chief's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly went to greet them in person.

The Marquis had a warrant that allowed him to enter the palace at any time, without needing an announcement. However, the Marquis was a man of etiquette and always sent a young eunuch ahead of him to inform the palace when he arrived.

Moreover, he was generous with every reward, so from the chief eunuch to the lowest-ranking ones, all the eunuchs liked the Marquis' visits to the palace.

Seeing the eunuch head of staff enter, the marquis bowed and smiled warmly, "Manager Yi, is His Majesty currently receiving courtiers"

"No, no." The head eunuch bowed and replied, the smile on his face genuine this time.

Before entering the palace, his family name was Yi. However, in everyday life, officials who came to pay their respects usually called him "Grandfather" or "Manager." Few people, like the Marquis, addressed him by his surname, which made him feel deeply respected.

He proactively said a few more words, “Your Lordship may not know, but just now the Minister of Revenue and the Minister of Works just left. The Emperor is worried right now, he didn't even want to drink a sip of tea. Your Lordship coming over at this time is perfect, the Emperor will surely be delighted to see you.”

The lord nodded and handed the basket in his hand over.

The basket was filled with a dozen golden watermelons, each the size of a hand, their fragrance filling the air.

Yi Zongguan was surprised and asked, "Oh my, Lord Hou, where did you find these golden fruits I heard they were out of season!"

"A few days ago, the Emperor mentioned

this fruit. The old slave specially sent people out to purchase it, and after much effort, finally bought a basket. Unfortunately, the taste is far inferior to that of the Golden Beach variety. The old slave didn't even dare to present it to the Emperor!"

The Marquis laughed, “This is the kind grown in Suijin Beach. The village elder remembered I was away on campaign and hadn't tasted this year’s fruits and vegetables, so he specially planted a few rows of late melons, just in time for them to ripen.”

"I hadn't planned to bring anything for the Emperor, but today, the county princess went into town with me. This morning, she personally led people to pick a basketful."

"Oh my, no wonder the Emperor dotes on the Miss. She is truly intelligent and charming. The Emperor would surely be delighted if he knew." Estate Manager Yi beamed, holding a basket of gold fruits aloft as if it were a treasure trove.

Firstly, the Emperor loves to eat this, and secondly, the Emperor appreciates that the county princess truly cares for him.

With this basket of golden fruits, these past few days whenever the Emperor was in a bad mood, he would send up a dish, and the Emperor would certainly not get angry.

Thus, the two walked all the way to the study outside, just about to go up the steps, when a group of people came out from the back hall.

It was Princess Three who came, accompanied by two maids-in-waiting and two palace maids.

The third princess had a hint of excitement in her eyes, clearly she was here again after last time's attempt to curry favor with the emperor failed.

It's a pity, she's just too unlucky!

At once, she saw Manager Yi, and behind him, the icy-faced Marquis.

She mustered her courage and wanted to pay her respects to the Marquis.

Last time, when I was so rude, after returning home, grandma already said that she is a princess, and the Marquis no matter how angry he would be wouldn't do anything to her. She just needs to put on an airs and act high above everything else.

It's a pity, saying it like this, it's too hard to do.

The Lord's eyes were like eternal ice. Just one glance from him, and she was frightened into fleeing in terror.

Two palace maids carrying trays were caught off guard, and their trays were knocked over, scattering the snacks all over the floor.

Yi Zongguan frowned and shouted at the stunned mamas and palace maids, "What are you waiting for Go chase the princess! If something happens to the princess, you'll all be beaten!"

Two grandmothers and two maidservants immediately lifted their skirts and chased after them.

Yi Zongguan then led the Marquis up the steps. As soon as the Marquis entered the Imperial Study, he hurried to wash his golden fruit.

The Emperor heard the commotion outside and furrowed his brow, asking, "Cousin, did you run into the Third Princess again"

The lord nodded, not bothering to hide anything. He said directly, "Perhaps she bullied Fu Niuer last time and felt guilty, fearing I would cause her trouble. She ran away when she saw me."

The Emperor smiled wryly. He felt sorry for his own child, but there was nothing he could do about it; the child simply wasn't up to par.

But speaking of this, he might as well reveal it, replying, “The Third Princess was spoiled by the Empress and became unruly. I have already moved her out of Kunning Palace. Cousin, don't bother with a child!”

"No," the Marquis shook his head. "The princess is still young. She can be taught more by her nannies. Besides, she is a princess, not a prince. Even if she is not well-taught and has a somewhat willful temperament, it will not harm national affairs."

This hit the nail on the head, but it felt too lighthearted... Not like my cousin's temperament.

"Were the Minister of Revenue and the Minister of Works here just now" The Marquis, seeing no eunuchs or maids in the room, felt more at ease and changed the subject.

The Emperor sighed and replied, “That’s right, they all come here asking for money. I’m like a piggy bank, everyone wants to take money from me!”

The Marquis chuckled, "The Emperor is the head of Tianwu, naturally everyone relies on the Emperor to make decisions and distribute money."

At this time, Yi Zongguan brought in the cut golden fruit.

The sweet fragrance immediately caught the emperor's eye, and he asked, "Where did this golden fruit come from"

Yi Zongtang stepped forward, took the silver fork and handed it to the Emperor, smiling as he recounted what the Marquis had just said. In the end, he didn't forget to take credit for himself, "Your Majesty, as you can see, the princess is the one who cares about you most!"

The emperor actually laughed and asked the Marquis, "Since you brought Fu Niang into the city, why didn't you bring her here"

The Lord replied, "I will have her stay at the Marquis' mansion to oversee things and organize these few months' accounts. Let's see how much profit there is from the estate so that we can use it to supplement the war casualty relief funds."

The emperor immediately felt a sour taste in his mouth and sighed, "Those soldiers died fighting for the country, and they should be properly compensated by the court. As a result, not only can we not afford their pensions, but we also need you to make up the difference."

The Marquis was also looking downcast and said, “I led them across the river to the north, but I couldn't bring them back. I feel guilty.”

"Brother Emperor, you can't say that!" The emperor spoke up to stop him. "Even if there is guilt, it should be those old foxes in the court who are guilty, and those wealthy clans who live off the people's sweat and toil! Brother Emperor has been facing bullets and arrows, protecting Heavenly Martial's peace. What could he have done wrong!"

He grew angrier and angrier, saying, "It's infuriating that I can't wipe out these parasites all at once! Every single one of them could easily come up with tens of thousands of taels to pay the pension, yet they all claim poverty, just wanting to see me make a fool of myself, to see Tianwu make a fool of himself!"

The Marquis didn't seem angry at all. He took a sip of tea and said calmly, "Some people, kind words are useless to. Only when they are hurt can they become sober."

The Emperor's heart skipped a beat, and he glanced at Yi the Chief Steward.

Yi Zongtang immediately stepped back and personally stood guard outside the door.its fame spread widely, and more and more people came to Qingchengguan.Earlier, the land was insufficient, so several small courtyards were added later.Occasionally, when distinguished guests come, it...