The Queen Mother was old, her condition was capricious, and she drank Chinese medicine for more than half a year before she gradually improved. The harem was a little stable for only a few months, but there was an uproar in the court.

The cause was the collapse of the Haitang construction project in Haining, the embankment was washed away by the tide, and the entire county was almost destroyed, the people were displaced, and the wailing continued.

The emperor has always attached great importance to the sea pond project, and several southern tours have visited the embankment in person, and now there is such a turmoil, and the dragon face is furious in an instant, dozens of officials are held accountable, and the minister of the Qin mission is also sent to investigate.

However, the investigation was fruitless.

When Yingyun helped the Queen Mother for a walk, she occasionally mentioned this matter and sighed: "There have been many disasters in the past few years, something happened to Haining, it seems that we are going to launch our harem fundraising again." ”

The queen mother's body gradually recovered, her steps were slow, and she said: "The harem can have a few money, and the internal affairs government can't make ends meet. Relying on the harem to raise donations, it is nothing more than to show people. ”

"That's right," Ying Yun nodded, and said, "If it weren't for the emperor's second tour of the south, the concubines wouldn't know that the imperial merchants and salt merchants in Jiangnan were the real rich and rival countries." ”

The Queen Mother smiled and said: "Next year's southern tour, the emperor is going to pick wool from them." ”

Speaking of the southern tour, Yingyun asked: "The concubine heard the emperor say, Lafayette, you really don't plan to go to Jiangnan together this time?" ”

The Queen Mother sighed and said: "No, a handful of old bones, I have a serious illness, it is better to raise it in the palace." Besides, the treasury is empty, and if I go out, the emperor will definitely have to put on a show, so why make it worse for him. ”

Yingyun pursed her lips and said, "If you don't go, this southern tour won't be interesting." ”17

The Queen Mother patted her hand and said, "You go with the emperor, he is in a hurry right now, and it is a comfort to have you by his side." As for the palace, you can rest assured, I will show you. ”

Ying Yun nodded reluctantly: "Alas, that's okay." ”

In the first month of the twenty-seventh year of Qianlong, before the Lantern Festival, the emperor started his third southern tour. On this trip, the emperor only brought Yingyun alone, and the accompanying team was also very small, and there was no magnificent scene of the previous two times.

After the emperor and queen got on the imperial boat on the canal, they thought about how to get money from the rich merchants in Jiangning.

Yingyun lay on the desk, looked at a Western chiming bell ticking and walking, looked up at the emperor, and sighed: "Alas, this trip with you is really a poor trip." No one would have imagined that the dignified king of a country also has a time when he is shy in his pocket, and no one believes him when he says it. ”

The emperor snorted helplessly: "I'm about to go to Jiangning Mansion, what does the empress think?" ”

Ying Yun smiled dryly and said, "I have ideas, but the concubines don't know your intentions, Your Majesty, how do you want to deal with those rich businessmen?" What about forcible seizure? Or is it tactful and mild? ”

The emperor raised his eyebrows and asked, "What is forcible seizure?" What is euphemism and mildness? ”

Yingyun said bluntly: "Forcibly grabbing is to put a knife on their necks and blackmail them one by one to see if they want money or death." As for being tactful and gentle...... There are many more ways to do it. ”

The emperor said with great interest: "I would like to hear about it." ”

Yingyun said: "One, the emperor can ask the rich businessmen to borrow money and allow them interest, that is, to lend the emperor's loan." On the other hand, the emperor can use disaster relief as an excuse to hold a charity auction, if they can get a royal thing, the concubines guess, those rich merchants must rush to it. ”