Fixed number

  Liu Ziguang was interrupted by the Emperor while he was indulging in his wonderful fantasy of being a high-ranking official.

  "My dear subject, I have one more thing," said the Emperor.

  "Your Majesty, please speak." Liu Ziguang was delighted at this moment, thinking that perhaps he was going to introduce him to a potential partner, and princesses or noble ladies were all welcome, he would not refuse anyone.

  "The gold and silver obtained from the last search of Zheng, a former official of the Ministry of War... This... I'm in a tight spot lately, the Empress Dowager has been withholding my allowance, those antiques and paintings can't be exchanged for money, no one dares to accept the treasures from the palace, my workshop is about to shut down... Can you lend me some money to tide me over?" The Emperor was somewhat embarrassed, a mighty ruler asking his minister for a loan.

  "I'm dizzy, I'm going crazy! My salary hasn't even been paid yet and I have to lend money to the Emperor? What kind of thing is this?" Liu Ziguang was struck, this little Emperor not only has his eyes on my people, but also on my money!"

  But the one who borrows money is a potential giant, investing in him will yield tenfold, even hundredfold returns. This money, lend it! No, not lend, invest. Lending is debt, investment is everyone's right, and the return is also on a different level. This money must be given, and it must be given generously!

  Liu Ziguang took out a large amount of money, all of which was prepared for his escape. He produced silver notes, stocks, and land deeds worth at least 300,000 taels. He even brought out foreign currency and loose change: over ten Great Song dynasty gold coins, several ingots of silver, and half a string of copper cash.

  "Humble official's life is yours, these wealth are external things, what use do you have for them? For your majesty's great cause, I decide to donate all my family property. Besides these, the Practicing Fierce Army has a batch of gold, silver and jewels, I will send someone to deliver them after I return. I also have 500 brave soldiers, who are willing to follow your command."

  The emperor and others just waited for this sentence, fierce general, silver, army, all of them are here now, I'm so touched, nothing else to say, tears streaming down.

  Two pairs of hands clasped together, two people with their own secrets gazed deeply at each other. At the same time, they raised the tea cups in their hands "Let's substitute tea for wine, drink this cup to the full, from now on we'll be a family."

  The fragrant Bi Luo Chun was gulped down by the two, and Liu Ziguang smashed the porcelain tea cup into powder. "Liu Ziguang will be crushed to pieces like this cup if he betrays Your Majesty's kindness." Seeing Liu Ziguang's fierce words expressing his loyalty, the young emperor was also moved: "Brother Liu's sincerity and loyalty have deeply touched my heart, I wish to become sworn brothers with you, sharing honor and shame, and being as close as liver and gallbladder."

  "Isn't it a great honor to be considered as an elder brother?" Liu Ziguang said with feigned surprise and humility. He even used the term "elder brother", which meant he had already agreed to the emperor's request.

  A fraternal bond that would affect the fate of the empire was being formed in a pavilion on the shores of Xuanwu Lake. The Tianqi Emperor Zhu Youjian of the Ming Dynasty and Liu Ziguang, the newly appointed Generalissimo of the Imperial Guards, were becoming sworn brothers. The young emperor had read about the Peach Garden Oath in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and Liu Ziguang had also taken an oath before, so they were both familiar with this ritual. Together, they knelt in the pavilion, facing the distant mountains, and knocked their heads three times on the ground, reciting the lines "Though we cannot be born on the same day, in the same month, or in the same year, let us hope to die on the same day, in the same month, and in the same year" with great fluency. From then on, Liu Ziguang became the emperor's sworn brother. After hastily completing the oath-taking ceremony, the two men burst out laughing and sat down to continue their discussion.

  The relationship has become more intimate, and speaking also became a few points more considerate. Liu Ziguo put forward constructive opinions: "Your Majesty,"

  "Our current power is still far from enough, building weapons requires money, recruiting soldiers requires money, and buying off neutral forces also requires money. I, your humble minister, have only a few hundred thousand taels of silver at my disposal. People need to eat food, horses need to eat grass, and just paying the military expenses is already a strain... There are ways to collect a large sum of money, but what if..." Liu Ziguang deliberately left a cliffhanger

  "What good strategy do you have? Tell me and I'll listen." Zhu Youjian's curiosity was piqued.

  "The Imperial Palace!" Liu Ziguang said resolutely.

  "The palace? I just said, the rare treasures in the palace. There are many antiques and paintings, but even if you can break through the layers of guards and take them out, who would dare to want these treasures under the sky?" The emperor shook his head, this idea was not new.

  "It's not just the Great Ming Dynasty under heaven, there are also the Northern Qing, Western Xia, Russia, Korea, Ryukyu and Japan..." Liu Ziguang counted on his fingers, smuggling national treasures was a very profitable business.

  "There's also Travian, Spain, France and England." Zhu Youxiao continued, "These are all wealthy countries, especially the country of Travian, which was established by the Southern Song Dynasty in overseas territories to avoid the Mongol army. Their maritime trade is very developed, and their gold and silver coins can circulate in various countries. They share the same culture and ancestry as the people of the Ming Dynasty, and many aristocratic families who yearn for Chinese culture will certainly pay a good price for our precious calligraphy and paintings."

  "Is that agreed upon, Your Majesty? I'll need a map of the imperial palace, information on the guards' personnel and shift changes, as well as all relevant data regarding the treasures. With my skills, it's no problem at all to sneak into the palace and grab a few pieces of old jewelry." Liu Ziguang was very confident in his agility.

  Zhu Youxiao also believed in Liu Ziguang's thieving skills, nodding his head and saying: "I'll have someone prepare the materials. For now, for the sake of the Zhu family's throne, we can't help but commit this heinous act. I hope our ancestors won't blame me." As he spoke, he shook his head in resignation, but in reality, having grown up with eunuchs and palace maids, he didn't have such noble sentiments. The treasures in the palace had been on his mind for a long time, only he hadn't had the chance to take them out due to strict surveillance. Now that Liu Ziguang was cooperating with him, on the surface, he pretended to be very reluctant and unwilling, but in reality, he was overjoyed.

  "Our ancestors will certainly understand your difficulties, for the sake of the country and the people, borrowing something from the palace is also inevitable. Besides, Your Majesty taking your own things can't be considered a great sin. Of course, apart from the imperial palace, we also need to visit some greasy government offices like the Ministry of Revenue. I won't let off officials like Zheng who are corrupt." Liu Ziguang comforted the young emperor as they walked out of the pavilion.

  Now that the official business is over, Liu Ziguo should also take his leave. Zhu Youjian accompanied Wei Zhongxian to see him off all the way to the small dock, watching as he boarded the Minglun ship. The Emperor said: "The things you need, I will have Xiaoxianzi send them to Lianfeng Hao for you. If there's anything else, you can find me through Xiaoxianzi. Also, here is a small gift for you, which might come in handy at some point." As he spoke, he nodded to Wei Zhongxian to hand over an embroidered box.

  Liu Ziguang took over the brocade box and thanked him again. As the Minglun ship set sail, it slowly moved away from this small island in Xuanwu Lake.

  As the bright wheel ship sailed away, Wei Zhongxian said: "I don't know if this person can bear the heavy trust of Your Majesty?" Zhu Youjian said with full confidence: "Is there a better choice for me? Such a rootless person can help me more wholeheartedly. Li Guochang is a lone city under siege, chasing after the clear emperor's lost boots at night, his martial arts and bravery are all first-rate, and he has a ready-made team. Most importantly, he is very compatible with me, like an old friend. If such a person cannot bear the heavy trust, who can?"

  "Your Majesty is wise." Wei Zhongxian nodded in agreement. He knew that there was another point that the emperor had not mentioned, which was ambition. Only those who were ambitious and did not have a wild heart could achieve great things. This Liu Ziguang and he, Wei Zhongxian, were alike in having a heart that yearned for success and advancement. Since childhood, Wei Zhongxian had been poor and sent to the palace as a servant. From a young age, he was assigned to attend to the emperor and had spent over a decade in the palace, learning how to scheme and plot. Following a puppet emperor who could be deposed at any moment would not lead to greatness, but if this emperor were to solidify his position on the throne, it would be an entirely different story. The high-ranking position of head eunuch was tailor-made for him, and rising above others would be effortless. If things went well, he might even become as renowned as the three eunuchs of the previous dynasty. Therefore, Wei Zhongxian chose to follow the emperor in his power struggle, taking a gamble that offered hope. Not doing so would mean silently growing old and dying in the palace with no one noticing.

  I hope Your Majesty won't misjudge him, Zhu Youxiao still has a bit of his ancestor Zhu Yuanzhang's inherited genes, he's good at winning people over. Isn't Liu Ziguang being dazzled by those empty and elusive official positions? Before the coup succeeds, everything is just an illusion.

  On the bright boat, Liu Ziguang eagerly opened the brocade box, and a delicate ivory card lay in the box with a faint relief and number. There was also a small note with usage instructions: The waist cards of the East Factory are divided into two types, low-level personnel use purple copper cards, high-level personnel and special personnel use ivory cards, holding ivory cards can enter and exit any place including the imperial palace at will, and can arrest any official civilians, mobilize any official soldiers, including the Imperial Guard. Of course, this card is fake and can only be used in certain situations, such as intimidating the Five City Garrison and low-level Imperial Guards. Forging East Factory waist cards is a capital offense that no one dares to commit, so the Emperor took advantage of this loophole and forged a few ivory cards, now giving one to Liu Ziguang as a gift for their meeting.

  I don't know if there's a fake certificate or not, but Liu Ziguang has been feeling better and better about Zhu Yuxiao. He is knowledgeable, open-minded, courteous to others, and doesn't bother with trivial matters. It's quite interesting to work with someone like this.

  Back on shore, he changed to horseback and returned to the Practicing Wind ship. The two young ladies had been waiting for over an hour already. Seeing him return, Peng Jingwei immediately ran over and circled around him, sizing him up.

  I checked and it's ranked 12th on the free book list, monthly and weekly. The monthly recommended list and weekly recommended list are all within 200. This result is not bad, very powerful, give me all the flowers, leaving them in hand is useless anyway.

  I've become a VIP