The third volume of Linglong Dice An Red Bean 153 Inclined Basin

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  The day after the emperor prayed for rain, the scorching sun had somewhat subdued its presence. The sky turned overcast and was no longer as sweltering as it had been in previous days, but still, not a single drop of rain fell.

  Liu Ying was very disappointed, and after staring at the imperial edict in the Xuan Shi Hall for a long time, she finally ordered the Imperial Historian to present the jade seal, dipped it in ink and was about to stamp it when suddenly heard the sound of Han Zhangyu bowing outside the hall, "Your servant pays respects to Her Majesty the Empress."

  "Your Majesty." Zhang Yan came in from the palace gate and performed a courtesy.

  "Hmm." Liu Ying smiled indifferently and asked warmly, "How did you get here?"

  Although Ah Yan often disguises herself as a young man to go out and have fun, she has always been strict about the distinction between the front and back palaces, and rarely comes to the Xuan Shi Hall in person.

  Zhang Yan pouted and said, "It's all for Your Majesty. I was worried that Your Majesty's body was too weak after returning from the Temple of Heaven yesterday, and today you came to the Proclamation Hall again. It's always a bit unsettling, so I came to take a look."

  She smiled and said, "What are you doing now?" Unintentionally glancing at the draft of the imperial edict that had been placed in front of him for a long time.

  Strictly speaking, the imperial concubines should not interfere with the political affairs of the previous dynasty. However, she was the empress and Liu Ying had always asked her for advice on governance, so she didn't mind about this matter.

  The edict was only a few lines, ordering Taifu Xiahou Ying to slaughter all the horses in Yunyang Horse Farm. Zhang Yan read it twice before understanding its meaning, and her face changed color. Seeing Liu Ying take up the imperial seal again, wanting to stamp it, she hastily grabbed his hand and advised, "It won't do."

  "This horse farm was established with great effort by Your Majesty, and now you are going to slaughter all of them. Have you gone mad?"

  "A Yan," Liu Ying said in a low voice. "Let go."

  "No way." Zhang Yan pressed down on the jade seal, competing with him in strength, shaking her head and scolding. "With enough war horses, Uncle, you can fight against the Xiongnu in the future. You haven't even covered it up yet, which means you yourself are reluctant to part with this horse farm. If this edict really goes out today, Uncle, you will definitely regret it later."

  "Yes." Liu Ying concisely stopped arguing with her, "I don't want this imperial edict."

  A square inch of He Tianyu's seal fell into Zhang Yan's hand with a thud, weighing heavily in her palm. The imperial historian behind her couldn't help but let out a sound at the sight.

  "I hope that these horses will one day help the great Han men conquer the Xiongnu. I also hope to keep the Yunyang horse farm. Perhaps, after this drought passes, I will regret it. But if I don't issue this edict, I will regret it now. Ah Yan, are those horses more important than the lives of the common people? Their crops are withering and they are on the verge of becoming refugees, yet I still have to use old grain to feed the horses. How can I bear it?"

  "Because of this severe drought," he sighed, "the supply of old millet at Yunyang Horse Farm has been decreasing again and again. According to reports, those horses have become so weak that they can no longer be used. If it doesn't rain soon, they will not survive either. It's better to slaughter them now and let people eat horse meat for a meal."

  A Yan, you will understand. Won't you?

  Zhang Yan held the heavy jade seal, momentarily at a loss. Hurriedly, she handed it back to the Emperor on his imperial desk.

  "I know," said Zhang Yan, but she knew even more. If this horse farm was really abandoned, it would be impossible to rebuild another one in a short period of time. "But maybe after a few days, the sky will rain again. There's always a way." She said hastily, "Or else, I'll think of a solution."

  "Ah Yan." Liu Ying wanted to call out to her, but she ran off without looking back. He rubbed his nose and smiled wryly for a moment. Ah Yan had really grasped his temper accurately. Originally, this edict was something he had thought about for a long time before deciding on it. No matter how she tried to persuade him, she couldn't change his mind. But her behavior now made it seem like he hadn't discussed it with her at all before sending it out. He felt very sorry for not considering her feelings. For the time being, he could only put the edict aside and think about explaining things clearly to her once they talked again.

  Actually, Ah Yan said one thing that is correct.

  He was indeed reluctant to give up Yunyang Horse Farm. Otherwise, this imperial edict would have been sealed and issued long ago, how could it lead to a dispute with her?

  The Pepper Chamber

  Zhang Yan was summoned to dispel worries and asked, "As the private housekeeper, you are in charge of managing the palace's money, silk, and other goods. Since I entered the palace four years ago in the tenth month of winter, it has been more than a year now. How much money and silk does the inner palace's private house have?"

  Jie You said, "The princess's name is under the jurisdiction of ten counties in Tangmu County. In the past year, a total of 3,124 jin of grain and 681 bolts of silk have been collected. This year, the expenses for the inner palace are 1,056 jin of grain and 230 bolts of silk. There are still 2,068 jin of grain and 451 bolts of silk left over."

  Zhang Yan sighed and said, "You keep two months' worth of expenses for the imperial palace, then gather up the rest and send it to the Ministry of Revenue to relieve the refugees from this drought in Guanzhong."

  "But Your Majesty," Xie You shook his head and said, "although you have this kind intention, but with such a small amount of money, it would be more than enough for the imperial palace, but for disaster relief, probably..."

  It's just a drop in the bucket.

  "I also know that," Zhang Yan sighed, "but this is just a small head, and the power is thin. Just trying to create an atmosphere."

  "Think about it," she said with a smile. "If I, the Empress of the Central Palace, were to donate, would the officials and servants of the Weiyang Palace not also have to donate? If the Weiyang Palace donates, then naturally the various marquises who remain in Chang'an will also have to donate their share of good intentions. Most importantly," Zhang Yan tapped her case, "those Liu surname princes."

  "This time the disaster is most severe in Guanzhong, which is directly under the control of the Han court. The vassal kingdoms of the princes and kings have been less affected. They are Your Majesty's closest relatives, with rich and prosperous fiefs, and at this time of national crisis, they should naturally contribute their share of effort... These vassal states are wealthy and have ways to generate wealth, which is what I value most."

  Empress Zhang magnanimously donated her own fief income, and the imperial consorts of the Unofficial Palace, upon learning of this, whether they admired or envied her, also had to donate their own collections of precious coins.

  "A total of over 1,000 kilograms of grain, 400 pieces of silk and 600 kilograms of coins were collected, as well as 52 pieces of various decorations." In the Changle Palace, Zhang Yan smiled at Empress Lü and said, "Not a bad result, is it?"

  "Good." Lü Hou snapped her fingers, a smile appearing on her face. "You little girl, coming to me isn't just about showing off your skills, but also about forcing the palace's hand, right?"

  Zhang Yan laughed and fell into her arms, "What did Grandma say?"

  Lü Hou ignored her and ordered instead, "Su Mo, prepare the items according to the Empress's previous instructions. Let Her Majesty take them away later."

  Su Mogu's aunt calmly and quietly read a sentence, her eyes not looking sideways. As if all the things gathered in the Weiyang Palace were just a trifle to her, a light blow, without leaving any marks.

  "Many thanks to Your Majesty for your kindness to the people." Zhang Yan stood up and bowed.

  "It's not that I'm being kind to you, but rather I'm being kind to Your Majesty and you." Empress Lü said with a sidelong glance at her, "Since you've gone to the trouble of putting on such a show, how could your humble servant not support you? Those consorts are not like you, the empress, each year their allowance is fixed, they're not wealthy, it's actually hard for them. Take this private gift."

  Zhang Yan hummed, raised her head, "I'm not singing this play for them, but for those wealthy lords with money in their hands. They're the ones who should be crying, not me. They have to take out real goods, as for me..."

  She smiled and snapped her fingers, saying slyly, "What belongs to Your Majesty is mine."

  Rumbling. A majestic thunder rolled across the sky.

  Husband and wife should be one body, it's just like taking something out of the left pocket and putting it into the right pocket. She doesn't dare to say anything to others, but as for her own uncle, if she wants something, will he not give it to her?

  Zhang Yan got up and ran to the corridor, looking at the sky and said with joy, "It's finally going to rain!"

  Lü Hou waited for her under the corridor for a long time before turning back. She pretended to be angry and said, "You're very pleased with yourself, what about me?"

  "Goodness gracious," Zhang Yan blinked and then smiled, "Does the Empress Dowager want to argue with your son?"

  We're all family, aren't we? Being so petty and calculating with each other isn't too much, is it?

  Lü Hou's face filled with joy and she smiled.

  When the heavy rain was pouring down, Liu Ying was discussing financial matters with Neishi Luo Zhu in the Xuan Shi. Upon hearing the sound of the rain, he looked delighted and stood under the corridor for a long time listening to the rain before turning around and saying, "The rain has finally come." He felt relieved.

  "Congratulations to Your Majesty." Zhì Sù Dū Wèi Luó Zhū stood up and bowed, "The drought has finally been lifted."

  He saw Zhang Yan running towards him from the corridor of Chang Le Palace, her long skirt fluttering behind her. The heavy rain had soaked her black hair, eyelashes, cheeks and clothes. A few strands of hair stuck to her face, hanging straight down, but she was laughing with extreme joy and radiance, rushing straight into his arms.

  "Slow down." Liu Ying hastily hugged her tightly, the dark red deep clothes were dry and refreshing at first, but after getting wet, they became very heavy. He held A Rong, feeling much heavier than usual. And her whole body's dampness also made his own dry clothes wet.

  She raised her head in his arms, a pair of almond-shaped eyes shining like stars, "Uncle, it's raining."

  She repeated again, saying "It's finally raining."

  "Uh-huh." Liu Ying smiled and nodded, saying "It's raining, huh?"

  In the fifth year of Emperor Hui, this severe drought once again greatly injured the vitality of the Han Dynasty, which had just recovered a bit. Although the rain finally gave the emperor face and fell, relieving the drought, things were far from over. The crops in Guanzhong had almost no harvest, but the people's lives still had to go on. When the final list of donations from the palace and the various marquises and kings was presented to Liu Ying, he sighed and said after a while, "It doesn't have to be like this."

  Zhang Yan pushed the list to one side, sat down beside Liu Xin, and stroked his forehead with her hand. "Seeing Uncle unhappy makes me unhappy too."

  Liu Ying smiled and said, "I don't think I've frowned yet."

  "But your eyebrows furrowed in concern."

  "A Yan," Liu Ying put away the list and said solemnly, "The dowry that you and your mother have given me this time, I will definitely return to you in the future."

  Take a detour on the way.

  Cough cough. Decided in the dead of night to put the fragment here.

  Look. The pre-order for this book was opened two days in advance (I thought it should be June 1st).

  But early opening has its own advantages.

  Cough. There are still several hours left before the May recommended ticket distribution ends.

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  This is too depressing.

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