Son of Song Dynasty

Chapter 60
Funing Palace, Imperial Study Room.

"Son pays respects to father." Zhao Dezhao greeted Zhao Kuangyin with a smile as soon as he entered.

Zhao Kuangyin's expression was not as friendly and easy-going as when he saw his son in the past, and he said coldly with a sullen face, "I haven't seen you for a few days, so I'm finally willing to come here."

Zhao Dezhao knew that the emperor's father was still holding his breath because of the confiscation of his house without authorization, and said with a smile: "My son has been busy with the preparations of the State Administration of Taxation these days and has not bothered to come to the palace. It is only now that everything has been finalized. I came in to see you and report the progress to you."

Zhao Kuangyin snorted heavily in his nostrils, with an expression of being too lazy to answer, and did not answer his son's words.

Zhao Dezhao knew that his father actually wanted to hear, so he told the actual progress he had made recently, one by one:

"The son has negotiated with the Ministry of Household Affairs, and the distribution of tax money will be based on the previous agreement between the son and the father: [-]% for internal treasury supervisors, [-]% for local and state capitals, and the remaining [-]% for the Ministry of Household Affairs."

"The final version of the tax stamp has been determined, and it has been handed over to the printing workshop under the supervision of the internal treasury to print it in a hurry. The first batch of [-] tax stamps can be printed the day after tomorrow. Liu Lexian has also begun to choose among the idle servants in the harem Appropriate manpower, teach them to calculate and read, and prepare for the subsequent dispatch to various state capitals as tax collectors."

"The State Administration of Taxation has set up a shelf, and my son has transferred from the Ministry of Household Affairs to a group of officials with practical experience and proficiency in arithmetic. With them, there will be no problems with the accounts of the State Administration of Taxation. It is expected that within 30 days, Dad You can receive your first tax payment."

Every time Zhao Dezhao reported a result, Zhao Kuangyin's expression eased a little. After his son finished speaking, he immediately asked questions about the key problems:
"How did you negotiate with the Ministry of Households? I know a little about Ma Shangshu's temperament. It is not too difficult to force him to accept [-]% of the share, but it must be reluctant. Since he is unwilling , why can he actively and fully cooperate with you? This is strange."

"Father Mingjian, Ma Shangshu was indeed very reluctant at first, but his son moved him with emotion, understood it with reason, and patiently persuaded him. After all, he understands righteousness and is willing to put state affairs first,"

Zhao Dezhao slightly lowered his eyebrows and lowered his eyes to pretend to be honest. Since Ma Shangshu had already taken refuge here, he had to give him money in front of the emperor's father intentionally or unintentionally.

"Oh? Emotional, sensible, patiently persuading? Can old man Ma be a persuasive person? When did he become so reasonable? I don't think I have the ability to convince him!"

After Zhao Kuangyin finished speaking, he stared at Zhao Dezhao with burning eyes.

Zhao Dezhao was a little terrified by his father's menacing gaze, and a series of thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant:

"Did dad know that I used some unsightly methods? Know that Ma Shangshu and Tang Zhongcheng were provoked by me to fight each other and become sworn enemies? It shouldn't be, the two of them will never I will tell the outside world that Dad’s Imperial City Secretary can only receive some rumors at most, there must be no evidence, um, at most it is a lie to me..."

Although he was a little flustered in his heart, he didn't show it at all on his face, and his eyes met Zhao Kuangyin's gaze calmly.

Zhao Kuangyin finally withdrew his gaze, smiled and said, "If Daddy guessed correctly, you must have been spat on by Ma Shangshu a lot, and even scolded a lot, right? The one who used to print salt money privately by the internal treasury It's a bad thing, daddy himself has been slobbered by that old man, he won't even let me off, the emperor, can he let you go?"

After finishing speaking, he stretched out his hand and patted his son's shoulder to express his condolences: "Erlang, it's hard for you, hard work."

"Ever since we were born, it has always been Daddy who sheltered our sons from the wind and rain, and supported our Zhao family. How did you ever say that hard work is hard?"

Looking at Zhao Kuangyin's gray temples, thinking of his father's difficult journey through the wind and waves for decades, and thinking of his father's life expectancy of less than two years, Zhao Dezhao couldn't help feeling a little excited, and his eyes were slightly moist.

"Sanlang is still young now, and I am the only one who has grown up and started a family. My son is just covering up the spittle of the foreign ministers and the material opinions of the government and the opposition for his father, and sharing some worries for his father. How dare he feel hard?"

Zhao Kuangyin was obviously touched, he showed a loving smile, and patted his son's shoulder again.

"Erlang, if you can think this way, it means that you have really grown up and can take on things. Daddy can consider giving you more burdens in the future."

Zhao Dezhao's heart moved, and he was about to take the opportunity to repeat to his father the old story that he wanted to serve in the Forbidden Army, but Zhao Kuangyin suppressed his smile and changed the subject suddenly:
"However, although you have the mind to share your father's worries, you are still too careless in your actions, so that you treat the court's order as nothing, causing an uproar in the court!"

Zhao Dezhao lowered his head and looked at his toes, thinking only in his heart: "I just settled the public debt with me, now daddy is going to start to settle the private debt with me now?"

Sure enough, Zhao Kuangyin's voice suddenly rose an octave, and his tone was full of the great anger of a violent father for his unruly son.

"I told you to go with Liu Lexian to deal with Chi Jianxin. It's to let you vent your anger and support you, not to let you seize the opportunity to seize the opportunity to make a fortune!"

"You actually mobilized hundreds of people to raid the house and make a fortune together. It's such a big scene. I'm afraid it won't make everyone in Tokyo know about it? Are you so short of money?! Since you were born, when will I be?" Are you hungry, or when have you been poor?!"

"At that time, Lao Tzu gave me very clear instructions. Which word did I say that you were allowed to raid the house? You just ignored Lao Tzu's words! Did you know that many courtiers insisted on you, saying that you entered the house with open fire and robbed other people's property? It forced you, Lao Tzu, to show the face of the emperor in court, so I can protect you in front of the officials!"

The more Zhao Kuangyin spoke, the more angry he became, and his breathing became heavier. He even raised his foot a few times to kick someone and then put it down again.

Zhao Dezhao was secretly complaining in his heart: "Why are the censors so persistent? Those censors with only one mouth can't tell fortunes. How can they know that I took someone to raid the house in the middle of the night? Obviously it was the couple who ran into them that night. Some of the night patrol officials in Kaifeng Mansion recognized me or someone from my mansion, and reported to my uncle overnight, and he took the opportunity to release the censors to bite me hard in the court hall!"

Although he disapproved in his heart, Zhao Dezhao still lowered his head, pretending to listen to his father's teachings honestly.

It wasn't until the old man lost his temper and got over the anger that Zhao Dezhao took out a thin album from his arms, and presented it to Zhao Kuangyin with both hands.

(End of this chapter)