From a son-in-law to a favorite of the empress

Chapter 556

Yangzhou, Zhao Mansion.

Zhao Cheng stretched himself, put the file aside, picked up the tea and wanted to drink it, but found that it was cold.

He simply stood up and walked towards the yard, stretched his muscles a little, and then he felt more energetic.

The mansion was cold and deserted, and he felt that something was wrong, but he could not remember what the reason was.

After a long time, he slapped his head and glared, "Where is my wife?"

After searching the yard for a while, he didn't see anyone. Finally, he found Chen in the bedroom and asked in confusion, "Madam, what are you doing? You stay in the house all day and don't go out for fresh air."

Chen rolled her eyes at him and said, "Don't bother me. I'm making clothes for my granddaughter."

Zhao Cheng was puzzled, "There are so many old maids in Ziyi's Duke's Mansion. They are all skilled in the palace. Why is it your turn to do it?"

"What do you know!"

Chen said unhappily, "Those old maids can do as much as I, a grandmother, do? Why worry about my affairs every day? Go and look at your files."

Zhao Cheng was stunned for a moment, then laughed, "Look at what you said, it seems to be emotional. It's just that I didn't accompany you to go shopping..."

Chen said, "What do you mean by not just? You only have two days off a month, and you don't accompany me, but you accompany your files... You might as well treat the files as your wife, what do you want me to do. "

Zhao Cheng laughed, then pressed her shoulders and said with a smile: "Good wife, don't be angry, come on, I will accompany you out now."

"Tsk!"

Chen slapped his hand away, then stood up and said: "I didn't force you, it was you who begged me to go out, you can't go home before dark."

Speaking of this, she became excited, blinking her eyes and said: "I saw a cloth shop a few days ago, the fabrics inside are bright in color, this time I want to buy more to make clothes for my Wenxin."

Zhao Cheng said: "Come on, I will also give you some reference and suggestions."

"Oh, you finally care about your family. I thought you, the top scholar, only knew how to be an official."

Chen smiled and pulled him out.

Zhao Cheng stroked his beard and said, "Being an official is also being a human being. Those who can't take care of their families can't be good officials."

Chen snorted, "Don't talk about reason in front of me, pretend to be a great gentleman..."

Before she finished her words, a servant shouted at the door, "Master, Bai Jingtang, the head of the Bai family, wants to see you. He said he has something important to discuss."

The smile on Chen's face froze immediately.

Zhao Cheng frowned and asked in confusion, "It seems that the Bai family is really anxious! Let him wait for me in the main hall."

After a while, Bai Jingtang saw Zhao Cheng and his wife coming over, and hurriedly bowed and said, "Meetings to Lord Zhao, and to Madam."

Chen smiled coldly, snorted heavily, turned around and walked out of the mansion.

Bai Jingtang was confused and embarrassed. He looked at Zhao Cheng and asked, "Madam, what's going on?"

Zhao Cheng smiled and said, "Master Bai, you are in trouble. My wife has been looking forward to me going shopping with her for almost two months. Today, you ruined her mood again..."

"You are in trouble. She will definitely whisper in my ear every day and ask me to kill your Bai family."

Bai Jingtang's face fell and he smiled bitterly, "Master Zhao, don't laugh. I really don't have that interest."

Zhao Cheng has been in Yangzhou for almost two years. Bai Jingtang has long understood his style of doing things.

This salt inspector was born as a top scholar in the Jinke. He has extraordinary literary talent and high emotional intelligence. He is a typical humorous and flexible person.

But at critical moments, he knows more than anyone else. He is really difficult to deal with.

Zhao Cheng sat down and said, "Master Bai said he wanted to discuss something else. What exactly is it?"

Bai Jingtang said, "Master Zhao, to be honest, I came here this time to talk to Duke Wei through you. There are many hidden secrets about the Yangzhou Salt Administration."

Zhao Cheng was stunned and said with a glare, "What are you talking about? Yangzhou Salt Administration is my business. What does it have to do with my Ziyi? He is a military commander and knows nothing."

Bai Jingtang was most afraid of hearing such words. The master in front of him was very good at pretending to be stupid. At such times, he often talked for several hours without getting to the point.

"Lord Zhao, your son-in-law's investigation in the south has caused a lot of controversy. There's no need to pretend to be ignorant now, right?"

Bai Jingtang sighed and said, "Please say something nice to him and ask him to show mercy to our Bai family. We are willing to pay half of our property to atone for our sins."

"The court needs money, the treasury needs silver, and the Duke of Wei needs silver to reorganize the army and build firearms."

"To be honest, our Bai family has been selling off its properties to raise cash. Within a month, we can raise 4 million taels of silver and unconditionally offer it to the emperor."Send." Zhao Cheng was shocked and couldn't help but said in surprise: "Your Bai family is really rich... But Master Bai, you found the wrong person. My son-in-law is an imperial envoy, and I can't interfere with him." "Be honest with me, and I will be honest with you. Ziyi needs 8 million taels of silver this time to go south." Bai Jingtang said anxiously: "Lord Zhao, the Bai family is only the smallest of the eight families. The size is not enough to support 8 million taels of silver. I really can't take out so much!" Zhao Cheng said: "That's why Ziyi wants to kill you. By then, it should be enough to sell all the properties, houses and fertile fields." Bai Jingtang said: "Where did the Bai family offend the Duke of Weiguo?" Zhao Cheng said: "You are breaking the law, smuggling salt, evading taxes, occupying fertile fields, countless crimes, I don't need to list them one by one for you as the salt inspector, right?" Bai Jingtang said loudly: "Other families do the same! "

"But your family is the weakest, and it is easiest to take advantage of them."

Zhao Cheng was very frank.

And Bai Jingtang's nose was almost crooked with anger, and he couldn't help but roared: "A dignified Duke of Weiguo, you only pick on the weak?"

"Lord Zhao, you are also the top scholar in the imperial examination, and the most trusted minister of His Majesty. Isn't it unfair for you to do this!"

Zhao Cheng thought for a while, and then said: "Well... do you have evidence?"

Bai Jingtang was stunned, and then he remembered that the person in front of him was also cunning.

He was full of anger, and said word by word: "Lord Zhao, the Bai family is not as weak as you think. Such a large industry is not without people behind it. You are so..."

Zhao Cheng waved his hand to interrupt him, and slowly said: "Of course the Bai family has a backer, the second-rank governor Lu Zhili, right? The frontier officials, their power should not be underestimated. I have been the salt inspector for more than a year, and these things can still be investigated clearly. "

Bai Jingtang hurriedly said: "Then can Lord Zhao discuss it..."

"He's dead."

Zhao Cheng looked at Bai Jingtang and said softly: "Lord Lu Zhili choked to death while eating osmanthus cakes in Shandong Provincial Government a few days ago..."

Bai Jingtang's figure suddenly shook, and he looked at Zhao Cheng in horror, and said in a lost voice: "What?"

Zhao Cheng smiled and said: "The Bai family has no backers, so it's easy to control. This time they are destined to die."

"Master Bai, you have committed a lot of crimes in recent years. The whole family will be executed for sure."

"In addition, I have to tell you that the Bai family has been watched to death and can't leave the city. I advise you not to be stupid."

"Just wait for the trial obediently, don't struggle to death."

At this point, he sighed, patted Bai Jingtang on the shoulder, and said: "We have known each other for more than a year, and we are old acquaintances. Please accept my condolences."