Chapter 787: He’s Cheap!
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
As for why the two of them were standing there, it could be traced back to an hour ago…
Ever since the Consort Dowager fainted and woke up again, other than going to her residence on the agreed date, neither he nor the other musicians in the palace band had been summoned.
In the palace music team, the musicians had their own duties. Musician Xiao played the flute and composed music as usual. Occasionally, someone would mention that after the Consort Dowager fainted, her personality seemed to have changed.
She had once again devoted himself to the affairs of the court. She left early and returned late every day. Even the palace maids and eunuchs rarely saw her.
To be precise, it was not that her personality had changed, but…she pulled herself together again.
After all, before she fainted a year ago, the Consort Dowager was like this.
Suddenly, she claimed that she was sick and did not attend the morning court, and she gradually became complacent, content with the status quo.
The old officials took advantage of this opportunity to secretly cultivate their own forces and cause all kinds of trouble in the provinces and counties under their jurisdiction.
“Speaking of which, it’s time for the Consort Dowager to pull herself together.
She did nothing in the past year, and even I, a zither player, can’t stand it.”
“Isn’t that so? If it wasn’t for Prince Huai and General Wang, the commoners would be the ones suffering!”
Xiao Ken heard his seniors discussing in the morning.
He was sitting there with his back against the wooden frame, one leg bent over the window sill, the other leg resting leisurely, his green belt fluttering in the wind, the loose black hair beside his forehead was smooth.
He was holding a jade flute in his hand. The pendant was very small and ordinary people wouldn’t notice it. It was a flat embroidery with ugly stitches. It had been scrapped. The outer circle was pink and there was a little white inside. The embroidery was small and it was difficult to see what it was. At first glance, it looked like a pig’s nose, but he liked it very much. He treated it as a treasure and made it into a pendant.
He was the most handsome person in the band. The seniors often joked that he was not only handsome and talented.
In addition, he was young and had a bright future. He simply did not leave a way out for others.
“A merchant girl doesn’t know the hatred of a subjugated country. She still sings about the flowers in the backyard across the river,” the young man said in a teasing voice.
The discussion in the room stopped abruptly, and they looked at him. It was a sunny day this morning. The glaring sunlight came in through the window, and half of it was blocked by his body, blurring his silhouette.
They narrowed their eyes.
“Damn, that young man is so dazzling!”
Then, they turned their attention to the poem he had just read.
“This poem is full of hostility towards our profession. It’s a forbidden poem.
How could you recite it?”
He twirled the pendant around his slender finger.
Xiao Ken’s lips curled up mysteriously. “Don’t worry. I just think that the poem is wrong. We should show the poet how much we prioritize national affairs.”
When he spoke, he looked relaxed. The others looked at each other and realized that he was mocking them.
The palace did not support musicians like them for nothing. In modern terms, their monthly salary was a commission system.
If the Consort Dowager did not summon them, they would not get any commission. Even if they were musicians palace, it was just superficial
glory.
And they were still happy that the Consort Dowager had put her energy back into the court and were even discussing it leisurely.
They all pointed at Xiao Ken.
They had spoiled him. He did not care about seniority at all and said whatever he wanted.
One of them suddenly had a flash of inspiration and asked, “you usually treat money like dirt. What’s wrong with you today? It doesn’t seem like you.”
He dragged the last syllable. He glanced at the others, and everyone agreed.
Xiao Ken didn’t mind. He smiled, grabbed the jade flute in his hand, turned around, and jumped down from the other side of the window. He swaggered away amidst the “huff” of his seniors.
He didn’t agree with what they were saying.
The Consort Dowager in the past year…was not that bad.
On the contrary, when he went to the Consort Dowager’s residence a few days ago, he felt that she had changed.
She became exceptionally intelligent and dazzling.
Indeed, everything was good, but he did not like things that were too perfect.
In the words of the seniors, he was a cheap man.
Xiao Ken strolled around the palace after leaving the palace band.
His expression was calm, but he was frustrated.
He could not understand why the Consort Dowager had suddenly changed.
Perhaps because they had seen the former Consort Dowager, but he had not.
Coincidentally, he had entered the palace a year ago. At that time, the Consort Dowager had just woken up from her coma.
Xiao Ken subconsciously stopped when he heard the discussion.
In the corridor on the opposite side of the hall, he could see Si Zhengliang, Ning Bianyi, Ning Yining, and a few other officials coming out of the main hall together, discussing something as they walked.
Although they all looked tired, the discussion was very intense.
Ning Bianyi was still as cynical as ever. Just by looking at his extremely rich expression, one could tell that someone like him could stir up trouble.
Xiao Ken looked up at the sun.
At this hour, the morning court session had just ended.
The Consort Dowager’s morning court session today actually lasted nearly four hours.
In the past, the Consort Dowager would not even be able to last two, much less four hours. She might even be so anxious that she would drink alcohol to numb herself. Then, she would summon him to complain and wondered why she was so stupid. The scene was quite interesting to think about.
Now…
The Consort Dowager no longer needed him.
An obscure light flashed across Xiao Ken’s handsome eyes.
However, this was only the beginning. What the ministers discussed next made Xiao Ken even more shocked.
The reason why the Consort Dowager took four hours of morning court today was to announce a major event.
She wanted to abolish the two-tax system!
For such a fundamental reform of the code of law, even an emperor might not have such courage.
This morning, Su Ji showed her prowess in court and turned the tide.
Even Ning Bianyi couldn’t win against her, and in the end, he ended up being accused of being too conservative. If this continued, he would become a sinner, and he would be accused of delaying the national economy and the people’s livelihood.
Xiao Ken listened to them talk about what had happened court today with righteous indignation.
The Consort Dowager they were talking about and the one he knew…were completely different..
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