Two days later, Zhao Ji, the Son of Heaven, approved Wang Hao's proposal to set up a temporary military prison center, composed of core senior officials from the three ministries of the Imperial Historical Observatory, the Ministry of War, and the Privy Council, to supervise the logistics and military resources of the Northern Expedition preparations.

However, as far as the government and opposition officials and the people of the capital are concerned, they do not care about the establishment of the military prison center, but pay attention to the increase in the price of grain, wine, tea, sugar, pig iron and other people's biological resources.

The price of rice has risen from 30 wen to 40 wen per bucket of rice, and the price of wheat has also risen by 10 to 30 wen per bucket.

On the morning of the tenth day of the first lunar month, Li Yanqing took a car to Hongqiao Baoyan Zhai, today is the tenth day of rest, the street is very lively, all kinds of stalls and vendors occupy the road, so that the street is extremely crowded, the occupation of the road has always been a stubborn problem that is difficult to solve in the capital, in addition to the army patrol on the royal street, other slightly more lively streets are occupied by small stalls and vendors, the government is also unable to catch up, simply do not care, so that the occupation of the road business is basically out of control.

The Hongqiao area is the hardest hit area of the road business, it is still the morning, there is only one ox cart left on the street, after dusk, even the ox cart can not walk, can only walk.

Although the imperial court was immoral, and the cruel exploitation of the people in order to raise military expenses made the people of the capital complain, but resentment was resentment, and life had to go on, and the people had to work harder, get up early and be greedy for darkness to make a living.

Li Yanqing also experienced the result of rising prices, for example, he hired an ox cart from Yunqi Bridge to go to Hongqiao Baoyanzhai, which usually costs 30 yuan, but after he got on the car today, the price became 40 yuan, an increase of 10 yuan.

The coachman said to him with a sad face: "The official has been sitting on my ox cart, in fact, I don't want to increase the price, but there is no way, there are two children to raise at home, I can earn one hundred and fifty yuan a day for this car, in addition to the cost of food and clothing, rent, I can also save more than a few hundred dollars a month to pay off debts, now everything has risen, if I don't increase the price, don't say to repay debts, I'm afraid even eating will be a problem, yesterday the landlord found me, I rented a house rose by two hundred wen a month, has risen to the consistent money." ”

Li Yanqing smiled: "It's okay, I can accept the price increase, or else!" I'll charter your ox cart for ten yuan a month, and you don't have to pick up other guests, what do you think? ”

Ten yuan is 7,700 yuan, calculated to have an income of 250 yuan a day, of course, it is much more cost-effective than sporadic solicitation, sporadic soliciting is good and can earn 200 yuan a day, bad luck is only 100 yuan, plus now the competition in ox carts is fierce, it is difficult to do business, the coachman is overjoyed, "Of course I am willing, thank you officials!" ”

"I'll come back and tell the housekeeper that you'll be on time tomorrow morning!"

Before, because Sisi didn't go out much, so when she went out occasionally, she borrowed Baoyanzhai's ox cart, and now Sisi has learned to put on makeup, as long as she doesn't speak, it is difficult to recognize her former appearance, and now there is another Hu Qing'er, the number of times she uses the ox cart has greatly increased, and Li Yanqing considered chartering an ox cart for her own family.

Now this coachman's surname is Sun, a native of Chenzhou, he is very honest and reliable, and his skills in driving ox carts are good, Li Yanqing took more than a dozen of his ox carts, and decided to charter this ox cart for his own family.

Not long after, the ox cart stopped in front of Hongqiao Baoyan Zhai, Li Yanqing got out of the ox cart and gave the coachman a silver horn of three yuan, "You don't have to run today, go back and clean up the car, wash the cloth mats, and go to my house early tomorrow morning!" ”

"The villain understands, thank you officials!" The coachman thanked him again and again, and drove the ox cart back to the city.

Li Yanqing walked into Baoyanzhai quickly, and saw his father Li Daqi in the courtyard, Li Daqi was stunned for a moment, "Yanqing, aren't you going to Caofu for a banquet today?" ”

"I'm going to go in the afternoon, I'm looking for Daddy."

"Let's go to the inner hall and sit!"

The father and son walked into the inner hall and sat down, a maid served them tea, and Li Daqi asked, "Have you gone to the military prison?" ”

"Not yet! The venue has not yet been approved, and it may be the day after tomorrow. ”

Li Daqi sighed, he originally wanted to complain to his son a few words, he didn't do a good imperial history trial, he wanted to run to do military supervision, he would offend people if he found a problem, he couldn't find the problem, and if something happened in the future, he would have to take responsibility, but the matter had been decided, and it was useless to complain, Li Daqi had to not mention this matter, and asked: "Is there anything wrong today?" ”

"Daddy, remember when I said that I should exchange my money for gold and silver as much as possible?"

Li Daqi nodded, "Of course I know, since last year, I won't accept meetings, and I try not to save copper coins, I mainly have silver in my hands, and there is a lot of gold, yesterday I got the news that all major money shops have stopped exchanging gold and silver, but it has little impact on us." ”

The price of silver against copper money has been relatively stable, the official price and the black market price are basically maintained at about one tael of silver to one thousand copper coins, and one tael of gold to ten taels of silver, but since Wang Hao submitted the Northern Expedition plan and prepared to launch the news of ten coins, the price of silver has risen sharply, and the major shops have gone to the money shop to run on silver, and the price of silver in the black market has risen to one tael of silver to one thousand two hundred dollars.

The money shop can only maintain the official price, which leads to the fact that as long as the silver can be exchanged, it can earn 20% of the profit, although the major money shops dare not change the official price, but they will not do the wrong, so they quickly suspended the exchange of silver.

Li Yanqing said: "I'm just worried that my father can't stand the temptation of interests and sells the silver in his hand on the black market, now it's just the beginning, once the Northern Expedition breaks out, the price of silver and gold will rise." ”

Li Daqi smiled and shook his head, "How can I sell it!" This little bit of profit can't tempt your father. ”

"It can't be stored in the capital, let alone in the money shop, once the court is in urgent need of silver, it will exchange the silver from the major money shops, and Daddy will only get it in the future."

Seeing that there was no one left and right, Li Daqi lowered his voice and said: "I put the silver and gold in a big iron box and buried them in the six manors in Ezhou, this matter is secretly operated by me and three Wenzhuang disciples, and it is very reliable. ”

Since his father said this, Li Yanqing was relieved, he was just about to get up, but Li Daqi held him down, "Daddy is not forcing you, but you and Sisi have been together for two years, but you have not been able to give birth to a son and a half daughter, of course, she is weak and not easy to have children, I can understand this, and I will not blame her, but I only have you as a son, and I have a single lineage of yours, when will you marry a wife and give me a grandson, I will die in a hurry!" ”

Li Yanqing smiled and said, "Daddy, can't you just work hard?" If you have another son, all the problems will be solved, and you don't have to worry about it here. ”

"You-"

Li Daqi was so angry that he couldn't speak, and after a while, he sighed and said, "Isn't my own situation clear?" I can't give birth anymore, I can only count on you to raise a grandson for me, and then you want to go to war or suppress bandits, I don't care. ”

Li Yanqing felt the chagrin in his father's tone, and a trace of joke in his heart disappeared, and asked in a low voice, "Daddy, what happened?" ”

Li Daqi sighed, "Do you remember Li Er and Li San who played with you when you were a child?" ”

"Of course I know, the Patriarch's Glory Ancestor, what's wrong with them?"

"I only found out yesterday that Li Er married a wife at the beginning of last year, at the end of last year, his wife gave birth to a son, and she is pregnant again this year, and it is estimated that she is also a son, I remember that Li Er is the same age as you, and everyone is about to have two sons, but you don't even have a shadow of your wife, how can I not be in a hurry?"

Li Yanqing was silent for a long time and said: "Everyone has their own fate, Li Er got married early because he couldn't get into school, marriage is just for him, but it's different for me, a suitable marriage is a huge boost to my future career." ”

"But you are now a servant of the sixth grade, and the role of marriage still has a little effect on Zhou Chun and them, but it has little effect on you."

Li Yanqing shook his head, "My so-called six-rank imperial history is just a chess piece of Liang Shicheng, he can make me a five-grade high-ranking official today, and tomorrow he can demote me to a commoner, this official position does not actually belong to me, but I hold it in my hand for him, in the final analysis, it is because I do not have a strong force behind me to support it, and if I want to obtain this supporting force, marriage is a way." ”

After a long time, Li Daqi finally nodded, "Daddy understands, okay!" I'm not going to force you anymore, you decide for yourself. ”[.]