I made a fortune by marrying a sickly woman!

Qin Chi is now in the Dali Temple.

Things like food, fodder, and military pay have nothing to do with it.

Qin Chi hesitated for a moment and said, "Minister Xia should be someone who is easy to talk to."

"The Ministry of Revenue is not owned by his family." Ling Dinghou suddenly said, "And that old fox Xia Wei is not someone who is easy to talk to. How did Qi An get him to talk to him?"

"I worked in the Ministry of Industry earlier and asked him to approve a sum of money. He approved it very readily. He was the one who approved the money for the batch of cotton clothes sent to the northwest."

As soon as Qin Chi finished speaking, Ling Dinghou looked at him with strange eyes.

Then, Ling Dinghou put a big hand on Qin Chi's shoulder and said, "Qian, why don't you help Uncle Ling and urge the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of Works to approve the military funds as soon as possible. The Northwest is still waiting for these things to save its life."

"You're being serious. Don't scare Qin."

Duke Ningguo picked up the tea, took a sip, and said with a smile.

Qin Chi hasn't spoken yet.

Ling Dinghou retorted, "We are about to go to war with the Tatars. Without sufficient food and weapons, it will cost lives. My Lord, you are enjoying your life in the capital, but don't forget how hard it is for our brothers guarding the border."

"I know. I know."

Duke Ningguo said that he did not mean that. "Wars have always cost money. If the treasury does not have money, it is useless to ask for it."

Ling Dinghou didn't believe it.

Duke Ning looked around, then approached Marquis Lingding and whispered, "Your Majesty has squandered most of the national treasury over the years, and the remaining money can barely support the normal operation of the court. This time, we can raise funds for the army. The money was obtained from the recent confiscation of property."

Ling Dinghou's eyes widened when he heard this.

Qin Chi also heard it with his sharp ears, but lowered his head and pretended not to hear it.

Qin Chi knew more than Marquis Ling Ding who was in the northwest, but who dared to speak ill of Emperor Cheng?

Anyone who dares to speak out will be dismissed from office or have the grass on his grave taller than his own.

Duke Ningguo's words were a reminder to Marquis Lingding, asking him to urge the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue to secure the military funds as soon as possible. If they delayed any further, the money would be misappropriated again, and even if they killed those civil servants, nothing would be squeezed out.

Ling Dinghou shifted his gaze towards Qin Chi.

As if seeking confirmation from Qin Chi.

Qin Chi nodded slightly, indicating that it was true.

Ling Dinghou could not sit still. "I have something to do, so I'll leave first. Although the annual leave is not over yet, the military situation on the border is urgent, so I still need to go to the palace to discuss it with His Majesty."

"Let's go, let's go. Qin and I need to have a couple more drinks." Duke Ningguo waved his hand to signal Marquis Lingding that he could leave.

Marquis Lingding stood up and bowed to Duke Ningguo.

Qin Chi also stood up and bowed to Ling Dinghou, then watched Ling Dinghou hurried out of the courtyard.

Duke Ningguo said with a smile, "What are you looking at? Come on, sit down quickly."

Then he called the servants to take away the tea and replaced it with a pot of wine and some side dishes.

"The banquet won't start so early, let's have a drink first to warm ourselves up." Duke Ningguo picked up the wine pot and was about to pour wine for Qin Chi.

Qin Chi stood up and stretched out his hand to block it, "You are too polite, Duke. It is my turn to pour you some wine."

"Treat this place as your own home and be less polite. I'll be happier." A young man is getting married in the Duke's Mansion today, so there is no need for Duke Ningguo to come out to entertain the guests.

I drank a few cups with Duke Ningguo.

Most of the time, Qin Chi just touched his lips with the wine, so after Duke Ningguo drank most of the pot, most of the wine was still in Qin Chi's glass.

Duke Ning had heard that he was not in good health, so he did not force him to drink. "Qin boy, I have several beautiful granddaughters at home. Do you want to pick one?"

"The Duke is drunk, and I'm already married." Qin Chi declined.

Duke Ningguo waved his hand, "I didn't ask you to marry a wife, you can just take her home as a concubine. Wouldn't it be great to have a beautiful wife and concubine?"

"That would be too unfair to your lady. I feel guilty about it, so let it go."

Even if someone dared to give it to him, Qin Chi would not dare to accept it.

He didn't have much contact with Duke Ningguo, but Duke Ningguo would always give him convenience every time, and he still had a good relationship with him.

Judging from the fact that Ling Dinghou came to the Duke's Mansion, it was very likely that Duke Ningguo was on the side of his grandfather. As for how much Duke Ningguo knew about his affairs, he had no idea.

But Qin Chi refused to have a concubine.

Duke Ningguo saw this and did not mention it again.

After the banquet was set up, Qin Chi followed the servants out and took his seat. His colleagues were on both sides.

During the banquet, the cups of wine were exchanged.

Qin Chi handled this with ease.

Men and women sit at separate tables here, which reduces some troubles. However, people often come to chat with him and say they want to send him women, which makes him feel annoyed. However, these things are very common in other people's minds. Some people even can't understand why Qin Chi refuses.

One of my colleagues came over with a glass of wine.

Qin Chi looked up and saw that it was Ke Bingzhi from the Hanlin Academy.

If something happened to the Yang family, as Yang Ge Lao's disciple, he was not implicated because of his usual upright conduct.

Ke Bingzhi looked a little drunk. He put his arm around Qin Chi's shoulder and said, "Master Qin, it's normal for a man to have three wives and four concubines. Everyone wants to marry you out of good intentions, but you rejected them all as soon as you came. Do you look down on us?"

"That's right. Among the men present here, which one would want to live with a wife who has been through thick and thin for so long?"

"Isn't Lord Qin henpecked?"

"I heard that Lord Qin's wife is very ordinary in appearance. It's strange that Lord Qin still lives with her alone."

It has to be said that Qin Chi is an outlier in their eyes.

Everyone started to tease Qin Chi one after another.

Qin Chi stood still like a mountain. After everyone finished speaking, he smiled calmly and said, "You may not know this, but I have been in poor health since I was a child, with many illnesses. The doctor said that if you want to live longer, you must cultivate your body and mind. Between your life and a woman, even a fool would know how to choose."

As soon as these words came out.

Everyone else was embarrassed.

Ke Bingzhi laughed dryly and said, "Is there such a thing? I just found out that Lord Qin is weak and frail. I misunderstood."

Qin Chi was not angry when people said he was delicate and weak. He still smiled gently. He raised his glass and said, "What's the big deal? I envy you, Lord Ke. You have many beautiful wives and concubines at home. I often hear that you trade them with others."

"Haha, that's not true. It's just a misunderstanding."

Ke Bingzhi wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

How can this matter of changing concubines be brought to the surface and discussed?

After Qin Chi's words today, no one mentioned sending a woman anymore. Some people originally wanted to borrow a noble in the palace to send a woman to Qin Chi, but now they had to give up halfway.

Yan Xianqing on the side gave Qin Chi a thumbs up.

After this incident, whoever sends a woman to the Qin family will have to think twice before sending her to the Qin family. Otherwise, if they insist on sending a woman to the Qin family, they are trying to kill him. This is not about making friends, but about making enemies.