She picked up the young prime minister while fleeing famine

With a cold laugh in his heart, Liancheng Ruihong also pulled his grandson to stand up and retorted to King Cheng, expressing that his family supported King Cheng's army and was willing to donate 100,000 taels of silver for military expenses.

The family head who spoke first quickly chimed in, saying that his family could also donate 100,000 taels of silver. Although it was a large sum of money for the family, they were determined to donate it.

Having finally gotten a chance to show his face in front of King Cheng, he had to seize the opportunity and not let the Liancheng family trample on him. Sure enough, after the man finished speaking about donating money, King Cheng gave him an appreciative look.

The fact that these two people made their statements one after another instantly put the other businessmen and aristocratic families at the banquet in a very difficult position.

But at this moment, the entire banquet was quiet. Everyone looked at each other and no one dared to make a sound. Some people even lowered their heads and began to regret it in their hearts.

Why would they come to the banquet? King Cheng is cruel; how could there possibly be anything good coming from inviting them?

However, this was a banquet hosted by King Cheng, so they dared not refuse to come.

"Both of you are indeed magnanimous. My Ministry of Revenue is still lacking a few talented individuals. Why don't you two select some capable nephews or sons from your families to share my burden?" King Cheng laughed heartily, seemingly oblivious to the awkward silence, and spoke with praise.

However, the moment he made the offer of two official positions, those who were still considering their options were immediately tempted, especially the merchants who were already quite wealthy.

Among the city's agricultural, industrial, and commercial sectors, merchants held the lowest social status and were not even allowed to participate in the imperial examinations, which made them even more envious of the official position granted by King Cheng.

Immediately, two wealthy merchants joined the ranks of "donations," and to stand out, one donated 120,000 taels and the other 150,000 taels.

It's fair to say that businessmen are really quite wealthy.

Following closely behind these two, other merchants and small families, large and small, all joined the ranks of "donating," fearing that if they were slow, they would lose the opportunity to impress King Cheng.

Everyone present had heard, more or less, that King Cheng had recently established the Six Ministries, modeled after the imperial court. Presumably, each ministry was short of manpower right now, and it would be foolish not to seize such a good opportunity.

Everyone was enthusiastically participating, but the small merchants near Lian Chengmo and his apprentice all wore wry smiles. Judging from where they were sitting, they were just small merchants from Yunzhou.

So many merchant families are here today. Even if they donate money along with us, firstly, they won't be able to donate much, and secondly, even if they do, it won't be their turn to seek official positions in the Six Ministries.

Therefore, compared to the enthusiasm of those at the front, the small business owners at the back were much more rational and did not join in the clamor for donations.

Seeing this scene, Liancheng Ruihong stroked his beard. His grandson's plan was indeed brilliant. Using the second family, which they had always suppressed, as a pawn, everything was developing in the direction they had envisioned.

Seeing these people so eager to contribute money, and even afraid that they wouldn't be able to win the King's favor if they contributed too little, Liancheng Ruihong felt extremely comfortable.

King Cheng was eager to get rid of Shan Cong'an, but Shan Cong'an, a mere military general, was not so easy to defeat. After more than half a year of fighting, he had only managed to capture a few of the less important cities.

However, their army and supplies suffered heavy losses due to their overly aggressive methods. Since King Cheng did not want to spend money from his own treasury, he could only exploit his supporters.

If things continue like this, the Liancheng family will be completely drained, which is why Liancheng Haoxuan came up with this terrible idea.

Invite all the merchants and small families from Huayang Prefecture and Vietnam Prefecture to a banquet, then rip them off handsomely, making them willingly pay.

As for the so-called officials from the Ministry of Revenue, this was just information they deliberately released to create the current situation. There are only two prefectures; how many officials could they possibly need? They don't even have enough for themselves.

However, in order to stabilize morale, we can just give them a few minor vacancies to appease them. Of course, we will only give them to the few families that are easy to please and who have donated the most money. Not everyone can get one.

Everyone knows what's going on, which is why they're all rushing to "donate money."

However, looking at those at the bottom who couldn't get a word in edgewise, Liancheng Ruihong stood up and coughed.

He was already sitting in a position second only to King Cheng, and when he stood up, he became particularly conspicuous, drawing the attention of everyone, including King Cheng.

"Your Highness, since everyone is so enthusiastic, why don't you have them write down the agreement and then you send someone to collect the silver later, so they don't have to go through the trouble of delivering it again?"

"Of course, if you have cash on you, you can give it to me now," Liancheng Ruihong said with a slight smile, offering advice to Prince Cheng.

These people are blinded by their official positions. What if they go home and their minds clear and they change their minds? Of course, we need to keep the written agreement in hand. If the other party goes back on their word, King Cheng can enforce it, right?

Some people were still worried about not having much money on them, but when they heard him say this, they immediately thought it was a good idea and said that if they signed a written agreement, they could donate more.

Most of these were merchants from outside Yunzhou, from Vietnam Prefecture. They had been offering prices based on the amount of cash they had on them.

"Hahaha, my dear minister, you are so thoughtful. Bring me writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones." King Cheng laughed and waved his hand. Immediately, many maids came forward and placed writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones on the various tables.

However, there were too many people, and it wasn't Lian Chengmo's turn yet. He clenched his fists as he looked at the scene at the banquet.

King Cheng openly sold official positions; it was utterly lawless.

That's not right either, where is the law these days?

Lian Chengmo was very angry, but he couldn't do anything about it. Not to mention that he couldn't do anything now, even when he was in a high position in his previous life, such things still happened in remote counties.

Recalling the things he had discovered before his death in his previous life, Lian Chengmo punched his thigh, but even at this moment, he restrained himself and did not make a big fuss.

"A bunch of people being used as pawns, is it really worth getting angry about?" Murong Fu turned to look at his eldest disciple and said in a low voice.

The eldest disciple came from a prestigious family, and his grandfather was an honest official. Murong Fu could understand why he disapproved of such things, but in the eyes of this江湖人 (jianghu person), it was just a mutually agreeable transaction and nothing more.

“You’re right, they’re just a bunch of scoundrels.” Lian Chengmo was taken aback when he heard this, and then he let go of his hand.

His gaze swept across the sea of ​​people to Prince Cheng sitting in front of him, and Lian Cheng and his grandson Rui Hong not far from him.

If we can't resolve this issue, let's deal with the people who caused it. King Cheng is too arrogant, and so is the Liancheng family.

A maid quickly brought over a tray, with writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone on one side and silver donated by the people in front on the other. Lian Chengmo remained seated without moving, while Murong Fu smiled at the maid, picked up a brush, and casually placed a silver note on it, with the back facing up.

Several small merchants chose to pay directly with silver notes, since it was too frightening to have the King's men come to their door demanding money.

Chapter 189 What are you shouting at this time?

So the maid didn't show any surprise and went to the other people with her tray. They didn't think much of the small merchants sitting at the end of the table; they were just there to make up the numbers.

Because several small merchants before him had only donated a thousand or a few hundred taels of silver notes, the maid didn't look closely enough. Otherwise, she would have noticed that Murong Fu had only given her a five-tael silver note.

It's unbelievable that he still has such small denomination silver notes in his hand. I don't know what he has to exchange them for. Five taels of silver isn't heavy.

However, the maid didn't see it at the moment. By the time she discovered it, she wouldn't know who had put it there, let alone whether it was intentional or a mistake.

However, when Murong Fu saw his eldest disciple looking over, he quietly offered an explanation.

"Just five taels of silver, that'll cover the meal." Murong Fu smiled smugly and took another big gulp of wine.

Lian Chengmo was speechless upon hearing this, but he still picked up his chopsticks and started eating. After all, King Cheng was going to empty everyone's wallets today, so the dishes were prepared quite well.

The chefs at Prince Cheng's residence were certainly no ordinary chefs. This meal probably cost more than five taels of silver, but since it was money spent, they had to make the most of it.

Murong Fu suddenly felt amused to see his eldest disciple eating his food in silence; his eldest disciple really knew how to manage a household.

While Liancheng Ruihong's move was approved by most people, some were unwilling, joking that no one would be happy to be forced to spend money.

Normally, if everyone just joined in the commotion, it wouldn't have been a problem if a few didn't join the crazy crowd. But with Liancheng Ruihong's actions, the maids went from table to table demanding money. If they didn't pay up, they might not be able to leave the house today.

So some people were angry, mostly those who wouldn't get any benefit from donating or not, and they didn't look too happy.

Just then, Rouge suddenly whispered something in King Cheng's ear, and King Cheng laughed with great interest.

"Haha, you are in for a treat! My beloved concubine is here to thank you all for your generosity and is willing to contribute something to the celebration."

"Haha, with subjects like you and a confidante like my beloved concubine, how could I possibly fail to conquer this world? Hahaha, my beloved concubine, go forth."

Cheng Wang's voice was loud and clear, and you could tell he was genuinely happy.

How could he not be happy? He raised so much money for the military by treating people to a meal. He was even thinking of doing the same thing again if he ever ran out of funds.

"Your Highness is teasing me again. As long as Your Highness can conquer the world, what does it matter if I dance a hundred times?" Rouge gently covered her mouth and said reproachfully.

That sweet voice, paired with her alluring eyes, captivated Cheng Wang. Just as he reached out to pull her away, Rouge gently pushed him aside and went to prepare for the dance.

After changing into her dance costume and wearing a veil, Rouge re-entered surrounded by dancers. It was probably in the style of the barbarians. Rouge's dance costume was very form-fitting, and her fair arms and legs could be faintly seen.

She slightly raised her hand in a gesture, and the sound of string and bamboo instruments instantly rang out. Unlike the previous dancers, this piece had a very fast rhythm.

Rouge spun around rapidly, performing difficult dance moves right from the start, and then moving on to other graceful movements each time she stopped.

With each of these movements from different angles, Rouge's eyes were alluring, her gaze sweeping over every guest in the banquet hall, instantly captivating the men who stared at her intently.

Even worse, some people dropped their chopsticks while trying to pick up food.

The South has always valued soft and gentle language as its mainstream aesthetic. Even in brothels, the sounds of silk and bamboo instruments are slow and gentle. They rarely hear such vibrant music and dance.

"As expected of the courtesan, her figure is truly amazing. It was worth coming today. This money... mmm mmm." Someone murmured to themselves, completely captivated.

"Are you out of your mind? She's now the Prince Cheng's concubine, shut up!" The family member next to the man quickly covered his mouth.

"Tsk tsk, indeed, to die beneath the peony is to die a romantic death!" Murong Fu couldn't help but praise as he watched the graceful dance.

Whether it was the mansions of princes and nobles he had visited, or the brothels, taverns, and pleasure boats, he had rarely seen dances that could compare to Rouge's. Not to mention that Rouge came from a foreign land and had a unique and eye-catching dance style.

"She's quite good at training people." Lian Chengmo glanced at her and had to admit that Rouge's dancing was indeed excellent, comparable to the top dancers in the palace.

However, even though his soul was that of an adult, he was still not interested in Rouge. It wasn't that he thought she was a plaything, but he simply disliked people like her who used their looks to seduce others to achieve their own goals.

However, Lian Chengmo's words reminded Murong Fu that Rouge was Murong Qing's person, but after looking around the banquet, he didn't miss any of the maids, and Murong Qing was not among them.

Given such a great opportunity to shine in front of King Cheng, shouldn't she make an appearance and assert her presence?

The thought had barely crossed Murong Fu's mind when he instantly realized something was wrong.

Among the dancers, some were carrying weapons; a flash of white light had just passed by.

The next second, Murong Fu pulled his eldest disciple back quickly. In the middle of the banquet hall, several dancers who had been circling Rouge suddenly launched an attack.

Their goal was not only to become king; two of them, skilled in concealed weapons, launched indiscriminate attacks on the guest seats.

Lian Chengmo was almost hit, but fortunately Murong Fu reacted quickly and pulled Lian Chengmo out of the banquet hall.

"There's an assassin!" The guards reacted quickly and came to the emperor's aid.

The dancers fought with the guards and tried several times to break through the encirclement and assassinate the king.

"My beloved concubine, come here quickly!" King Cheng shouted to Rouge, who had fallen to the ground, from behind his guards.

"..." Rouge, what are you shouting for at a time like this?

Sure enough, she was kidnapped the next second.

Of the dancers, only five were assassins. Three of them were already injured, and one of them held a dagger to Rouge's neck, threatening her.

“King Cheng, if you want her to be alright, then cut off your own arm.”

"Your Highness, you mustn't!" the guards shouted anxiously.

"Rouge, don't be afraid, I will save you. Hurry up and rescue my beloved concubine!" King Cheng urged his men anxiously.

The guards didn't care about Rouge's life or death at all. Besides, the prince hadn't given them any orders to bring her back alive, so they swarmed around her.

Seeing that the hostages were no longer effective, the dancer slashed Rouge's neck with her knife and continued fighting the guards.

Murong Fu and Lian Chengmo stood at the entrance of the banquet hall, observing the situation. They were somewhat unsure of the origins of these dancers. With such tight security at the Prince Cheng's residence, how could assassins disguised as dancers have managed to infiltrate?

Before the master and disciple could figure anything out, a thick cloud of smoke suddenly rose from the banquet hall. Murong Fu quickly led his disciple to the side corridor.