Chapter 437: Abnormality is a demon
Because he later discussed many details with Jia Yucun and others, it was already midnight when Sun Shaozong returned home.
He was just thinking about spending the night in the study so that he could go to the Wucheng Military Department to borrow troops early tomorrow morning, when he saw Zhao Zhongji rushing out like a night owl and walked up to him and said respectfully, "Second Master, the master specifically told you to go to the flower hall in the back to talk to him when you come back."
It's already this late, and my cheap brother is still waiting for me to come back. He must have something to discuss with me, and it is probably related to today's solar eclipse.
This was really a coincidence. Sun Shaozong's mind was full of random thoughts and he just wanted to find someone to vent to.
So he asked Zhao Zhongji for a lantern and rushed to the flower hall in the northwest corner of the backyard alone.
This area was where Sun Shaozu settled his concubines. As we walked along, we saw red lanterns hanging high on the doors of the rooms on both sides. Only two rooms were pitch black without any light at all.
According to Sun Shaozu's rules, if he had not gone to bed yet in the mansion, more than a dozen concubines would have to stay up late as well. Only those who were menstruating and exempted from the fight would be exceptions.
I guess these dozen women will have to endure hardship again tonight.
Stop talking nonsense.
But when he stepped into the flower hall, Sun Shaozong couldn't help but be stunned, because the hall was filled with large wooden boxes. A rough count showed that there were at least thirty of them.
At this time, the cheap eldest brother was sitting on a box in the middle with a serious expression. When he saw Sun Shaozong coming in, he didn't say a word, but just raised his hand and threw a copper key over.
It was obvious that the key was used to open these wooden boxes.
Sun Shaozong was also curious about what was inside, so after taking the key, he chose the outermost box, turned the lock, and lifted the lid of the box, only to see silver ingots neatly arranged in the box.
Sun Shaozong picked one up and shook it. It should be the standard fifty taels of official silver. The box was divided into two layers, with about forty ingots in it. It should be two thousand taels of silver per box.
Then, wouldn't there be six or seventy thousand taels of silver placed in this room?
Sun Shaozong's expression suddenly became serious, and he frowned and asked, "Brother, where did this silver come from?"
Then I heard the cheap elder brother sigh and said faintly: "Prince Zhongshun gave it to me."
Given by King Zhongshun?!
Sun Shaozong opened his mouth in surprise. Everyone knew that Prince Zhongshun was famous for taking advantage of others without suffering any loss, but why did he suddenly start to give away money? There must be something wrong when things are not normal. This silver might not be so easy to get!
Sun Shaozong was no longer able to care about his own wild thoughts and hurried forward to ask what had happened.
It turned out that Sun Shaozu was also called to the palace by King Zhongshun in the evening.
Prince Zhongshun first scolded Prince Beijing in front of him, and then said that since the matter of taking the post of commander-in-chief had encountered twists and turns, the silver he had collected before should naturally be returned to Sun Shaozu intact.
Sun Shaozu was stunned when he heard it, and he knelt down and said he dared not.
However, after repeated concessions, King Zhongshun still returned the silver to him, and lent him more than a dozen carriages, and transported the silver back to the Sun family with great fanfare.
After hearing this, Sun Shaozong frowned even more tightly. This was obviously an attempt to win people's hearts, and coupled with the fact that a solar eclipse had just passed, it was really terrifying to think about it.
He hurriedly asked: "Besides this, didn't Prince Zhongshun say anything else?"
The cheap brother shook his head and smiled bitterly, "If he wanted to say something else, I would feel more at ease, but he kept scolding that Beijing King Shuirong."
After a pause, he lowered his voice again and said with great fear: "But to me, that sounds a bit like a veiled attack."
Prince Zhongshun had always been a domineering person. He even flirted with Prince Beijing's wife in front of his two brothers. But now he only dared to make indirect accusations ...
Sun Shaozong pointed upwards and lowered his voice, "Could it be that there is some discord between the Emperor and Your Majesty? So someone wants to take advantage of the opportunity to stir up trouble?!"
The cheap eldest brother shook his head again: "Your Majesty has been on the throne for more than ten years, and all the governors in the world have been replaced. The foundation has long been solid. Even if the emperor is dissatisfied, and there is a natural phenomenon, it is unlikely to shake your majesty's throne."
As he spoke, he hesitated again and muttered to himself, "But Prince Zhongshun's actions today clearly seem like he is desperate - could it be that there is some hidden truth that has shaken your majesty's foundation? That's why Prince Zhongshun is panicking..."
The two brothers really thought of the same thing!
But the two of them couldn't figure out what the hidden truth was no matter how hard they tried.
Since Emperor Guangde ascended the throne, he had been working diligently and cautiously because of the control of the retired emperor. It was not until the past two years when he gained a firm foothold that he gradually revealed his own governing philosophy.
But this new reform policy has only just begun, and there shouldn't be any major mistakes that would be serious enough to endanger Emperor Guangde's throne.
"Brother."
Unable to figure out the answer, Sun Shaozong simply brought up another pressing issue: "If the emperor and your majesty really go to war, what should we do then?"
“It shouldn’t be like this, right?”
Sun Shaozu sucked his teeth and scratched his head. After a while, he patted the boxes beside him dejectedly and sighed, "We have to carry these dozens of big boxes home. What other options do we have?"
As he spoke, he gritted his teeth again and said with a grim look, "If it really comes to that, I will have no choice but to risk my life and fight for a huge fortune!"
Seeing his elder brother's statement, Sun Shaozong felt a little more at ease.
Although the possibility is not great, if the time really comes when the Supreme Emperor and Emperor Guangde go to war, the stupidest thing for a middle or high-level military general like my cheap elder brother, who holds military power but is not irreplaceable, to do is to be indecisive.
Especially the two brothers, who first offended the Empress Dowager's family, and then were at odds with the wife's family of Prince Beijing. If Emperor Guangde and Prince Zhongshun were really defeated, the two would definitely be the targets of liquidation.
Therefore, when the time comes, you will have no choice but to fight hard!
Fortunately, no matter how you look at it, Emperor Guangde has a greater chance of winning.
In this way, the two brothers chatted until dawn, and after a simple breakfast, they went to the Wucheng Bingmasi and Shenjiying separately.
During the Wanshou Festival last year, Sun Shaozong had become a familiar face in the Wucheng Bingmasi. Now that he had a relationship with Qiu Yunfei, it was natural for him to be brought before General Qiu without any problems.
But when he saw Qiu Ying, Sun Shaozong couldn't help but be shocked again. It was only over a month since they last saw each other, but this General Qiu seemed to have aged by more than ten years.
If he really had a serious illness, it would be fine if he gradually aged within a month, but I’m afraid that his hair turned white overnight!
