After sending the Queen Mother back to the palace, Man Bao gave the Queen Mother two sets of acupuncture. Xiao Yuanzheng also watched and changed the medicine. After the Queen Mother had eaten and drank the medicine and fell asleep, the two of them left.

Xiao Yuanzheng took a deep breath and said, "Fortunately, there was no danger."

Man Bao: "...It's just a short journey from the palace to Xuandu Temple, and we haven't left the city yet."

I was either carried or rode in a carriage all the way, what could possibly happen?

Xiao Yuanzheng glanced at her and said: "What do you know? The Queen Mother has not moved for a long time. She has done this up and down so many times. If she is frightened or accidentally falls, not only will the hats on our heads be removed,

, I’m afraid even my head will be picked off.”

Before Man Bao had time to speak, a chamberlain waiting outside had already trotted up to him and whispered: "Master Zhou, your majesty declares you."

Xiao Yuanzheng shut his mouth and stopped discussing the matter. He nodded to Zhou Man and said, "Go ahead."

Manbao went to see the emperor with his chamberlain.

The emperor went out for a trip, and he still had to work when he came back. He was immersed in reviewing papers. When he heard Zhou Man's salute, he raised his head and looked at her, saying, "Here you come? Sit down."

Man Bao found a seat on the right side and sat down, but she felt a little uneasy. This was the first time she entered the emperor's study, and she was given a seat without saying a few words.

The emperor put down his pen, took the bill from the side and handed it to Gu Zhong. Gu Zhong took it off and showed it to Zhou Man.

Zhou Man was confused as he took the bill, and a strong sense of crisis suddenly arose in his heart. The emperor wouldn't let her pay the money, right?

While he was thinking about it, the emperor asked: "What three wishes did the Queen Mother make?"

Man Bao breathed a sigh of relief and without any hesitation, he stated all three wishes of the Queen Mother.

The emperor was also stunned for a moment, but he soon understood. He thought about it and said to Gu Zhong: "Let the manager of the inner treasury pay the money."

It is impossible to use money from the treasury. There was a debate in the court about Buddhism and Taoism just a few days ago.

Gu Zhong hesitated for a moment, then took the bill and went down. Man Bao took the opportunity to excuse himself.

The emperor said quietly: "Zhou Man, you don't agree with spending large sums of money on Buddhism and Taoism, why don't you stop the Queen Mother today?"

Man Bao was stunned for a moment and said: "Your Majesty, I do not agree, but if the Queen Mother is using her own private room, then who am I qualified to advise? Besides, the Queen Mother is not in good health, so it is best to follow her at this time.

"

Man Bao paused for a moment. She also felt that the centenary sesame oil was a bit expensive, mainly because after a hundred years, the patrons of Xuandu Temple would not know how many to replace, so it was completely unnecessary.

She had the same idea as the emperor had before, "Your Majesty can pay for one or two years first. After two years, if you still want to continue the Queen Mother's wish, then you can pay again."

The emperor said righteously: "This is the Queen Mother's last wish. How dare you fool the Queen Mother?"

Man Bao said: "Aren't you afraid that you will spend money?"

"But the Queen Mother's wishes are all good."

"Yes, whose wish can be evil?" Man Bao said speechlessly: "But Jiangshan Sheji first looks at the moral character and talents of the ruler; secondly, it looks at whether the ruler is dedicated to his duties and loyalty, and the remaining two wishes are even more important.

Needless to say, the wish is very beautiful, but whether it comes true or not depends not on the gods, but on the person involved. So I think there is no need to waste that money."

The emperor remained silent and did not speak.

A few years ago, no, even last year, he had the idea of ​​donating money to buy the queen's life. But now, not only Wei Zhi and others told him that gods and Buddhas cannot be trusted, but even Zhou Man, a believer, said that he must believe it.

She is not confused, and what she believes in is not gods and Buddhas, but the classics left by the sages.

When the emperor looked back on his half-life, he had no choice but to believe what Zhou Man said, that gods and Buddhas were just human comforts.

The emperor rubbed his forehead and waved his hand: "Go down."

He decided to fulfill his filial duty. Although the price of sesame oil was quite high, he couldn't afford it, so he just wanted to make the Queen Mother happy.

Man Bao exited, and after only walking a few steps, he saw the manager of the inner treasury coming over in a hurry. When he saw Zhou Man, he just nodded slightly, and Zhou Man bowed and stepped aside, waiting for him to walk over before starting again.

However, she couldn't help but glance back at the hurried steward, lowered her head and suppressed a smile, feeling that the emperor couldn't get the money.

The emperor really couldn't come up with the money. The manager of the inner treasury bowed his head and reported: "...the money for the Imperial Medical Office has been allocated this year. Adding in the expenses for the fifth prince's marriage, there is only 768,000 in the inner treasury.

Six hundred..."

The veins on the emperor's forehead bulged slightly, "Just tell me that you still have seven hundred and sixty-eight taels. There is no need to tell me in copper coins."

The head of the inner treasury lowered his head and said: "But those are not silver, but copper coins..."

In other words, the emperor didn't even have any money.

He looked sad.

"However," the manager of the internal treasury raised his head and said, "The summer wheat is already being harvested now. It will be dried and stored in the warehouse in a short time. By then, you will be able to make money by selling a batch."

The emperor then remembered that the summer and autumn harvests were coming soon, and the income of Huangzhuang should be quite a lot, and he felt better.

The eyes of the emperor and the treasurer fell on the bill together.

The emperor sighed and said: "Let's pay for the sesame oil for one year first, and then we'll talk about next year."

In fact, what Zhou Man said is correct. Whether the country is stable or not depends on the king, the official, the gods and the Buddha... This can only give you psychological comfort.

Naturally, the Queen Mother did not know these things. She was getting worse and worse now. The emperor turned around and told her that the three everlasting lamps were lit and the Taoist temple had begun to perform rituals for her. She nodded happily, "Okay, okay."

, there is one more thing about the Ai family."

The emperor held her hand and asked, "Mother, please tell me."

The Queen Mother said: "The Ai family knows that Yunfeng is disobedient and not sensible enough. She always makes the emperor and empress angry."

The emperor smiled generously and said: "She is still a child. The queen will not argue with her. Mingda and Changyu are also very friendly sisters."

"The Ai family naturally knows this. Mingda is a very reasonable child."

The emperor nodded with deep understanding.

"So the Ai family is thinking that the sisters should take good care of each other in the future. If you find a good match for Changyu, she will stay in the capital and can see her sisters from time to time. However, Yunfeng is marrying far away from Lu.

, I’m very worried.”

The emperor listened carefully to her next words.

"So the Ai family thought that since Jun Ma is also studying in the capital, it would be better to leave Yunfeng in the capital as well, so that the sisters can take care of each other in the future."

The emperor smiled and said: "Mother, won't Yunfeng stay in the capital now?"

The Queen Mother understood what he meant and nodded with a smile: "Please ask the Emperor to take more care of her in the future."

The emperor agreed.

The Queen Mother said: "How many good days are there for Xiao Wu?"

The emperor smiled and nodded, "Yes, the official day will be in three days."

"No wonder the palace has been so lively recently," the Queen Mother said softly: "The Ai family has been unable to sleep more and more recently, and they can't eat much. If I stay up a little longer, I see that Mingda is getting older. She has grown a lot on her face in the past six months.

The meat has fallen apart a lot."

The emperor held the queen mother's hand and said nothing.

The Queen Mother continued: "Let's find her a prince-in-law while I'm still awake. Otherwise, if we stay here for a year or two, all the good men will be sent away."
Chapter completed!