area51novel Chapter 2167 Giving advice
Chapter 2167 Giving advice
Plaything? The two were stunned at first, and then Pei Mingli nodded repeatedly:
"Yes, yes, it's just an ordinary toy, not worth much money. Since Manager Li likes it, then I'll give it to Manager Li."
Wow, he is indeed a servant from a wealthy and aristocratic family, he is extraordinary, Pei Mingli and the others thought to themselves.
He does everything meticulously, even when accepting bribes.
This Li Zongguan is obviously a scholar. He comes from a big family and has some means.
You should know that the same thing, if expressed differently, will have different natures.
Accepting a night-shining pearl is bribery, while accepting a worthless toy is a way of making friends and is a gift from a good friend.
"Thank you very much, Pei Changshi." A smile appeared on Shi Tou's face.
Shi Tou's smile made the atmosphere more harmonious, as if the three of them were good friends for many years.
When Pei Ziyu saw that Shi Tou kept his hand on the box, he knew that the other party had accepted his gift, so he walked back to his seat and sat down, waiting for Shi Tou's answer.
He was not in a hurry. Since he had already accepted the gift, it meant that the other party would provide him with some useful information.
To be honest, Pei Ziyu felt a little sad to give away this set of eighteen night pearls, because these were things he had obtained with great difficulty.
But the man in front of him had followed Prince Ji for many years. It was said that Prince Ji’s mansion had countless rare treasures. What kind of things had he not seen?
If it was just a few gold bars, the other party would definitely look down on it, because the other party's status and position are not comparable to those of ordinary servants.
What's more, the things they want to inquire about are not ordinary matters, they concern their lives and property.
After a long while, Shitou finally spoke:
"Mr. Pei, General Li, you are both heroes. It is my family's honor to make friends with you today.
When dealing with good friends, you should be open-hearted.
It is not wrong for friends to chat with each other, but the law should not be passed on to outsiders. I hope Pei Changshi will keep this in mind. "
"Haha, Manager Li is right. It's just a casual chat between our good friends. It will never be known to others."
Pei Ziyu immediately laughed. We are all civilized people, so we naturally understand this.
Stone nodded:
"You two, I just said that His Royal Highness Prince Ji has a little interest in money. If we can start from there, there will be a glimmer of hope."
"Does Chief Steward Li mean to give some money to His Royal Highness Prince Ji?" General Li's eyes suddenly lit up and he asked.
Stone shook his head:
"Otherwise, you know that my prince is rich enough to rival a country, how could he accept bribes? Wouldn't this be a disgrace to my prince's reputation?"
Shitou immediately rejected General Li's proposal.
The implication is that Prince Ji is not short of money and does not accept bribes.
"So what does Manager Li mean by this..." Pei Ziyu asked in confusion. How can one love money but not accept gifts?
“You two are outsiders, so the prince will naturally not accept your money.
His Royal Highness Prince Ji is extremely talented and is always envied. If outsiders find out that he accepted your money, he will definitely be impeached.
But it is different for those officials who have committed crimes. They have violated the laws of the country. Don’t forget that there is a clause about atonement in the law.
They can use money to buy their lives. "
Shitou said this and drank his tea calmly.
"Manager Li, the crimes they committed are too serious and it seems impossible to atone for them." Pei Ziyu thought for a while and said immediately.
Putting down the teacup, Shitou smiled slightly:
"You two, whether the crime is serious or not is just a matter of a word from the prince. Whether or not you can atone for your sins is also up to His Royal Highness Prince Ji.
Oh, never mind. Now that we have come to this point, let me say a few more words.
If you want to keep them, tell them to give up the money they have embezzled and pay double the amount.
Have you forgotten how Cui Zhiheng survived? "
Shi Tou looked at the two of them with calm expressions. If they still couldn't understand what was said, then Shi Tou wouldn't say anything more, otherwise he would be killed by their stupidity.
Of course, the two of them were not that stupid and they understood everything as soon as they heard it.
If you give money directly to Prince Ji, he will naturally not take it back for the sake of his reputation. But if you give it in the name of atonement, that would be a different story.
This is equivalent to a fine. The money is collected and it is justified. It's smart.
As expected of the top nobles of the Tang Dynasty, his methods are so clever that no one can find any flaws.
"Thank you, Manager Li, for clearing up our doubts. We are both very grateful." Pei Ziyu bowed.
"Haha, Pei Changshi, there's no need to be like this. I've already said it's just idle chat."
Shi Tou laughed and waved his hand.
"Yes, yes, let's chat. Drink tea, drink tea and chat." Pei Ziyu nodded immediately.
"Oh, by the way, Steward Li, this is a good idea, but His Royal Highness Prince Ji has stopped caring about this matter and has handed the case over to Chief Secretary Wang.
And Wang Changshi also said that he would handle the matter impartially and in accordance with the law.
He also said that he would report it to His Majesty and let His Majesty make the decision. I wonder if Chief Steward Li has any good ideas?"
General Li suddenly realized that this matter was no longer handled by Prince Ji himself, but by Wang Xuance.
Wang Xuance was sent by His Majesty, I wonder if he will obey Prince Ji's orders.
"This is easy to handle. You two may not know that Wang Xuance was just a fifth-rank official in the Honglu Temple.
He was chosen by His Majesty to be the Chief Clerk of Prince Ji's Palace. Although he was a fourth-rank official, his salary was not much.
You ask each of those officials to give some money to Wang Xuance, and he will naturally show mercy. In addition, these officials are willing to pay money to atone their sins.
His Royal Highness Prince Ji will not delve into the matter any further, and the matter can be put aside at that time, making a big deal out of a small one.
Perhaps these officials can keep their positions and continue to serve in Xizhou."
Upon hearing this, Shi Tou immediately gave the two of them some advice. From their words, it could be heard that Wang Xuance's relationship with the Prince Ji's Mansion was not that close.
However, the two of them also understood that the Chief Secretary was sent to monitor the prince, and it would not be so harmonious no matter who was assigned the position.
At that time, the fifth prince also killed the chief secretary Quan Wanji and cut off his head to display it to the public.
Wang Xuance was probably being guarded against by Prince Ji in his palace, so naturally he received no rewards, and his salary probably wasn't much.
If it is as Li Zongguan said, it might be feasible. The two of them kept calculating in their minds.
When they heard Shitou say that they might still be able to keep their official positions, they became even more excited.
"Thank you, Manager Li, for telling me the truth. If this is accomplished, we will definitely reward you handsomely."
The two men thanked Shitou with gratitude, not only for the officials, but also to establish a good relationship with the close attendant of King Ji in front of them.
In the officialdom, more friends mean more paths, more enemies mean more walls. Personal connections are very important and may come in handy at any time.
Especially people like Li Shitou who have a say in front of the powerful and wealthy, you must make close friends with them, which is almost the same as making friends with the powerful and wealthy.
"No, no, you two are too polite. I told you it was just a casual chat." Shitou emphasized the word "casual chat" again.
"Haha, yes, let's chat and have some tea, Manager Li." Pei Ziyu smiled happily.
(Thanks to a book friend for helping me find a new name for the newspaper, and that fire dragon, shouldn’t you be the fan leader?
And I asked them if they would really find it for me.
Are you the leader of the anti-fans?