Murong Sheng and Xie Kun put down their luggage and greeted Zhao Jiaqi before going out to look for a shop. They had not forgotten the purpose of their visit to the capital.
In the afternoon, Zhao Jiaqi took Li Chuang to East Street and found a broker. Without revealing her identity, she directly selected several maids, young servants, older women, and a gatekeeper.
Six maids who looked relatively clever, four servants who appeared neat and efficient, two honest-looking older women, and one gatekeeper.
These were all being sold for the first time and had not worked for anyone else before.
The broker saw that this was a wealthy household, needing thirteen people at once, and immediately greeted her with a smile: "Madam, have you chosen? We have some nimble and intelligent maids in the back courtyard, would you like to take a look?"
Zhao Jiaqi smiled and politely declined: "These will do for now. I'll come back if I need more." Affordability was the priority.
The broker was a bit disappointed but held onto the hope of a returning customer and maintained his smile. Thirteen people cost a total of one hundred and seven taels of silver.
The broker directly waived the odd change: "Madam, just give one hundred and five taels. That way, it's easier for us to calculate."
Li Chuang was astonished.
Last year, Fan Dage's family bought strong young servants for only thirty-odd taels.
In the blink of an eye, in this capital, there were more women than men, and an old man about his father's age. For thirteen people in total, it cost over a hundred taels.
Compared to that, he still felt that his village was better.
The Imperial Palace.
In the Imperial Study, Huangfu Jin Tao looked coldly at Fan Ze Hao, who was kneeling on the ground, and was very displeased.
"My princess, regardless of her background, talent, or beauty, is not good enough for you? You dare to refuse the imperial marriage decree. Do you not want your head?"
Fan Ze Hao looked up and replied sternly: "It is I who am not good enough for Princess Ping Ting. In this lifetime, Fan Jiaqi is my only wife. I will not take concubines, keep mistresses, nor have an equal wife. If Your Majesty wants my head, I will not give it. At worst, I will resign from my official post!"
The straightforward Fan Ze Hao spoke his mind. While he could respectfully call himself "subject" earlier, he felt stifled by the end.
He would rather lose his head than take more women.
In any case, he had made up his mind. If he was forced to marry a princess, he would resign and go back to farming.
The Crown Prince, hearing this conversation, looked at the骠骑大将军 (Imperial Cavalry General) with newfound respect. He was probably the only one who dared to speak to the Emperor like this.
"Father, the General is deeply devoted to his wife. In my humble opinion, wouldn't it be more practical to bestow some jewels? Coming from a humble background, he might truly find Ping Ting to be a burden!"
As soon as the Crown Prince finished speaking, Fan Ze Hao immediately chimed in: "Jewels are flashy and not substantial. It would be better to bestow silver or land upon me. My family moved to the capital, and we've spent all our money. We're almost having trouble with food. If His Majesty truly wishes to bestow something, it would be better to give me more silver!"
Huangfu Jin Tao was so angry he patted his chest and pointed at the person below: "Marrying my most beloved princess, what wouldn't you have? As my son-in-law, who would dare to say a word against you on the street? You ungrateful wretch! In your eyes, the princess is not as good as gold and silver? How vulgar!"
Fan Ze Hao did not agree with this view and spoke freely: "The prince who breaks the law is punished the same as a commoner, let alone a son-in-law?"
It sounded as if being a son-in-law would allow him to act recklessly. He truly disdained this status.
"If Your Majesty dislikes gold and silver, thinking it vulgar, why not give it all to me? I am a rough man and do not mind vulgar money."
His words left the Emperor speechless. He slammed the desk several times: "Insolence!"
Fan Ze Hao turned his head. It was always the same words, couldn't he change his phrasing?
Huangfu Jin Tao: "Imperial Cavalry General, do not presume on my favor and be so reckless as to contradict me."
"If Your Majesty does not like to hear the truth, then I will not speak it."
What? Would that not appease you?
But why did the Emperor's face turn greener?
A brute, of humble origin, truly did not understand the times.
If it weren't for his genius, bravery, and strategic mind in leading troops, and the fact that he had saved him twice, he would have had him dragged out and cut into ten or eight pieces long ago.
"You... I revoke your position as Imperial Cavalry General. Get back to your hometown."
This was great. Fan Ze Hao was overjoyed and kowtowed: "Thank you, Your Majesty. Your humble subject takes his leave!"
Without hesitation, without argument, without begging for mercy, and without any reluctance towards the Emperor, he left so潇洒ly... he left.
Huangfu Jin Tao casually threw all the memorials on the desk to the ground. He spoke furiously and uncontrollably to the Crown Prince: "Did you see that? So stubborn, not even a hint of submission."
The Crown Prince picked up the memorials from the ground and respectfully said: "Father, you're not meeting him for the first time. In this world, the only one who can convince him is his wife."
Constantly mentioning his wife, and even claiming to only marry one. How many ministers could do such a thing!
Among the ministers, they wished they could flaunt how domineering they were at home. Women, in their eyes, were merely pawns in marriage alliances.
Huangfu Jin Tao took a deep breath, slowly exhaled, and finally shook his head helplessly.
Having thought it through, the Emperor waved his hand: "Forget it, getting angry with him is purely asking for trouble."
"Father, are you truly going to revoke his position as Imperial Cavalry General?" Huangfu Yi Fan asked.
To be honest, he harbored some goodwill towards this brute. At least such a person was loyal and wouldn't engage in double-dealing.
When leading troops in battle, wasn't loyalty paramount?
Moreover, he was an expert at leading troops, and to this day, he couldn't quite grasp Fan Ze Hao's formations.
"Let him cool his heels for now. Once the imperial decree arrives, we will reinstate him as Imperial Cavalry General. It's only a month or half a month!"
As he spoke, Huangfu Jin Tao felt that this unreliable General might actually roll back to that small, dilapidated village.
So he ordered Huangfu Yi Fan: "Go to his home later. Take one hundred thousand taels of silver from my private treasury and give it to him. Don't let this fool actually return to Nanling Village."
"Yes, I will go shortly."
Although Father cursed him, Huangfu Yi Fan understood that it was a sign of deep affection, to be angry with him out of disappointment.
Marrying a precious daughter to a brute had never happened in any dynasty. This was Father's way of elevating him, but he didn't understand the Emperor's intentions.
As soon as he returned home, Fan Ze Hao eagerly hugged Meng Meng and played with her. It wasn't long before he made his daughter cry, and then he stopped.
"Wife, the Emperor revoked my official post and told me to go back to the village. Tomorrow, I'll sell this house, and we'll take the money and go home."
Zhao Jiaqi, who was busy working, was stunned by the sudden words: "Why were you dismissed for no reason?"
This house was bestowed by the Emperor. How could it be sold just like that!
Had this man lost his mind!
Fan Ze Hao put down the child and doted on her, saying absentmindedly: "The Emperor wanted to give me more women. I refused, and in a fit of anger, he told me to get lost. Fortunately, my head wasn't chopped off, which is considered a stroke of luck amidst misfortune."
So that was it.