Flowers of the World Series: Flowers in Bloom

Chapter 27

To the outside world, Li Jinchen was the queen's descendant, and only the queen and a few people around her knew her life experience, not even Li Jinhua and Li Jinying.So her external identity is very useful.

Xiao Ruhai, the magistrate of Zhongsu Prefecture, was clearly a distant relative of Empress Xiao, but in fact he was a member of the Fourth Prince.Over the years, under the guise of the queen's cousin, he has plundered the people's fat and anointed the court's disaster relief funds, all of which have been embezzled by him, how could Li Jinchen ignore it.

The large team escorting military supplies has already entered the post camp.Mu Xin told Xiu Niang to investigate Xiao Ruhai secretly.

In the magistrate's government office, Xiao Ruhai knelt on the ground with his butt out.

"His Royal Highness Chu, the drought has been going on for years, where is there any money to prepare good meals for you and the soldiers? If you don't believe me, follow me to the back hall to have a look, the minister's wife and children also eat bran and swallow vegetables!" Xiao Ruhai Choked up and said.

Sure enough, Xiao Ruhai's ugly woman and the two children in the back hall ate clear porridge with a few vegetable leaves, and there were very few rice grains in it.

After chasing to the front hall, Li Jinchen was a little irritable, "Zhongsu Prefecture is the largest state capital in the north, and it is a place where commerce and trade must pass. There are giants, merchants, and big households here. This king is the most favored prince in the dynasty. They don't come Ingratiate yourself?"

"Big households, everyone is in danger now. They will have a hard time in a disaster year!" Xiao Ruhai quickly changed the topic again.

"That won't work. It's fine if I don't get any benefit from escorting the military funds. When I get to you, the autumn wind won't blow. Aren't the two imperial brothers going to make me laugh to death?" Li Jinchen sat on the chair with a straight face.

"Lord Xiao, you are too ignorant of flattery! Our King of Chu is giving you face, and you don't want it? Don't toast or eat fine wine!" Mu Xin pressed the knife on her waist.

Xiao Ruhai shuddered, and said quickly, "That night, the local tycoon held a banquet at night. I guess they haven't received the news of your arrival yet. I'll go and inform them now. I'll go now."

"Call all the big families in the area! This king wants a lot, and this king's preferences, you know." Li Jinchen rolled his eyes.

The three of them left the state government office.Zhan Lian asked, "Isn't your autumn wind too obvious? It's so obvious!"

"Don't you think his poverty is too fake? Just entered the room, I saw the dust on the window sill was as thick as a finger, and the woman who was eating was not beautiful, but the clothes of herself and the child were clean, How can it be impossible to be sloppy to the point where the house is not cleaned? Besides, Zhizhou’s offerings don’t make him eat porridge with wild vegetables every day, right? , so where did his monthly salary go? This king just wants to blatantly hit him, and those wealthy businessmen, to see what they are up to." Li Jinchen analyzed.

"So that's the case, then you hit the local merchants with the autumn wind, how about that?"

"It's not necessarily bad. Merchants are willing to make friends with people in the officialdom, not to mention His Royal Highness has a high status. The relief money has not been distributed for a long time. Presumably these merchants cannot get rid of their ties, and it would be good to blow up." Mu Xin analyzed.

"You two sang together, you have a lot of tricks." Zhan Lian teased.

"Don't dare to be, it's His Highness who is wise and has a clear mind." Mu Xin smiled.

After returning to the post camp, Situ Qing heard about Li Jinchen's plan from Zhan Lian.Feeling uneasy, he must have lived in seclusion before and had never participated in this kind of banquet, so he went to find Li Jinchen and wanted to go together.

"Where's your hairpin?" Situ Qing remembered that the ivory hairpin on top of Li Jinchen's head trembled when he rode away on horseback. Why did his hair lose the ivory white after he came back?

"It was stolen by a little refugee. It was His Highness's favorite hairpin, and it was a birthday present from Princess Jinxiu to His Highness." Mu Xin said.

"It's a lot of trouble, but it's just a hairpin. Although I feel a little distressed, the child must be hungry. At that time, I was afraid that my identity would be lost and it would be difficult to catch up." Li Jinchen is a newcomer.I found an ordinary hairpin and said goodbye at will.

"I heard that you're going to a banquet. I'm going too. You've lived in seclusion and never experienced such a scene. I'm afraid you won't be able to handle it." Situ Qing explained.

"What are you afraid of if you haven't eaten pork or seen a pig running? Could it be that this king will be eaten?" Li Jinchen laughed.

"Your Highness, let General Situ be with us, she has more experience than you and me. Besides, there are more people and more helpers." Mu Xin persuaded.

"Okay, then the general will go to drink with the king. Mu Xin, bring more people."

Later, Xiao Ruhai sent a soft sedan chair to pick up Li Jinchen.Mu Xin and Situ Qing rode horses and followed the sedan chair into a large manor in the suburbs.

There are water pavilions, terraces, rockeries and small springs in the manor.Under the leadership of Xiao Ruhai, a group of people walked through the gallery and walked to an elegant attic.The round table in the attic can accommodate more than [-] people, sitting in front of the table are more than a dozen middle-aged men in rich clothes, most of whom are probably rich locals.

When those wealthy merchants saw the visitor, they hurriedly stood up to greet him.

"No! No!" Li Jinchen said cheerfully. "It's a tiring journey, and I can't even eat a good meal. It's better for the veterans to give this king a dental sacrifice." Li Jinchen sat at the top, Situ Qing sat on Li Jinchen's left, and Mu Xin sat on Li Jinchen's right , Xiao Ruhai sat on Mu Xin's right side.

"His Royal Highness the King of Chu escorted military supplies to the front line, and worked hard for the country and the people. If we small businessmen can do our part to share the burden for the King of Chu, it is our duty!" A shiny-faced man next to Xiao Ruhai The man smiled silly.

Li Jinchen squinted his eyes and scanned around. Among the dozen or so people, only a thin man sitting on the side closest to the door didn't have a smile on his face.

Xiao Ruhai quickly recommended, "This is His Royal Highness King Chu, this is General Situ Qing, and this is General Mu Xin. This is Zeng Pan, a big local family. He has made a lot of contributions to our local area."

"For example?" Li Jinchen asked.

"Ah?" Xiao Ruhai was taken aback.

"For example, what kind of contribution he has made! Tell me about it." Li Jinchen laughed.

"For example, donating porridge helped a lot of refugees... right?" Xiao Ruhai licked his face and gestured to other merchants, who quickly nodded in agreement.Xiao Ruhai quickly changed the subject, "Since everyone is ready, our local big households have arranged a lot of programs and delicious dishes. His Royal Highness, how about we have a banquet?"

"Okay!" Li Jinchen replied.