kvmb Chapter 27 A Secret Deal
Chapter 27 A Secret Deal
Li Linfu, dressed in a magnificent official robe, stood in his residence with a gloomy expression. He narrowed his eyes slightly, put his hands behind his back, and paced back and forth.
"My lord, the chief steward of the Imperial Household Department has arrived."
"Take me there," Li Linfu said expressionlessly.
The chief steward of the Imperial Household Department waited in a room in the side courtyard.
Li Linfu stopped and, with a slight bow, said with a smile, "Steward, I have a favor to ask of you today, and I hope you will grant me that request."
The head steward of the Imperial Household Department frowned and said with a serious expression, "Lord Li, what do you mean by this? I would never dare to accept bribes."
However, his eyes kept glancing at the servant behind Li Linfu.
Li Linfu sneered inwardly; he naturally understood the steward's thoughts.
With a wave of his hand, the servant brought over a small box.
The chief steward, still feigning reluctance, said, "Lord Li, this is unacceptable. As the chief steward of the Imperial Household Department, how could I do such a thing?"
He slightly raised his chin and looked at Li Linfu with a smile.
Li Linfu was not in a hurry. He slowly walked to the steward's side and said softly, "Steward, rest assured, this matter is known only to heaven, earth, you, and me. As long as you help me with this favor, I will definitely repay you handsomely in the future."
He coughed lightly and said, "Alright, Lord Li, since you are so sincere, I will help you this time. But this is a one-time exception." He gently stroked the edge of the box, subtly hiding it in his sleeve.
Subsequently, a group of eunuchs who had been waiting for a long time were led into the palace by the chief eunuch of the Imperial Household Department.
Half of these eunuchs were Li Mao's men, and the other half were Li Linfu's men.
Li Linfu looked at the eunuchs, crossed his arms, and secretly plotted in his mind.
He summoned his eunuchs and said sternly, "Remember this: from now on, all matters in the palace must be reported to me. I need to know Li Mao's every move."
The eunuchs nodded hurriedly, not daring to look up at Li Linfu.
Li Linfu glanced at them thoughtfully, then turned and left.
Inside the Prime Minister's residence.
Li Mao admired the layout of the prime minister's residence and followed the steward into Zhang Jiuling's residence.
Zhang Jiuling came out to greet him, cupping his hands and saying, "Your Highness Prince Shou, it is an honor to have you here today. I am sorry for not welcoming you sooner."
Li Mao returned the greeting with a cupped hand, saying, "Your Excellency is too kind. I have come today specifically to pay you a visit."
After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two went into the living room.
Zhang Jiuling secretly wondered what Li Mao's purpose was in coming here.
He looked at Li Mao and said, "Your Highness Prince Shou, may I ask what brings you here today?"
Li Mao smiled slightly, pondering how to bring it up.
He took a small sip of tea, then put down the teacup, tapped the table lightly with his finger, and said, "Prime Minister, I have come to deliver two clever and quick-witted pageboys to you."
As Li Mao finished speaking, two pageboys entered. They were twins, looking about eight or nine years old, with youthful faces.
Zhang Jiuling leaned forward slightly, carefully examining the two pageboys in front of him.
"These two children seem quite clever. I wonder why His Highness Prince Shou would send me a page?" Zhang Jiuling asked, his fingers gently stroking his chin.
Li Mao smiled and said, "Lord Zhang, these two pageboys have been intelligent since childhood and are quite knowledgeable in poetry and prose. I feel that they are quite compatible with you, so I specially sent them to you." As he spoke, he gently gestured for the pageboys to come forward.
Zhang Jiuling's heart stirred; he decided to test his two pageboys. He asked, "What is the next line after 'Singing and drinking freely in the daytime'?"
One of the pageboys immediately replied, "Youthful companions make returning home a pleasure."
He puffed out his chest slightly, as if waiting for Zhang Jiuling's praise.
Zhang Jiuling then asked, "What is the next line after 'A lone sail disappears into the vast blue sky'?"
Another page replied somewhat timidly, "Only the Yangtze River flows to the horizon."
Zhang Jiuling reached out and stroked the heads of the two young pageboys, clearly very satisfied with their answers.
"These two pageboys sent by His Highness Prince Shou are indeed clever and quick-witted. I am quite pleased with them," Zhang Jiuling said.
Seeing that Zhang Jiuling really liked the two pageboys, Li Mao's lips curled up slightly.
After all, some things are better left unsaid.
At this moment, Zhang Jiuling was also making plans in his mind.
Prince Shou must have had his reasons for sending the pageboys, but these two pageboys were truly delightful.
“Your Highness Prince Shou, we have prepared a small feast. Why don’t we eat and talk?” Zhang Jiuling gestured for him to speak.
Li Mao cupped his hands slightly and said, "Then I shall accept your offer."
The two of them entered the reception room one after the other.
After Li Mao sat down, he said, "Prime Minister, I have a small matter to ask for your help."
Zhang Jiuling put down his wine cup and said, "Your Highness Prince Shou, please speak."
Li Mao looked at Zhang Jiuling with a serious expression and said, "I want to open more restaurants, but not in the name of restaurants. So I need Lord Zhang's cooperation."
Zhang Jiuling's heart skipped a beat, but he remained outwardly calm and asked, "Your Highness Prince Shou, please speak frankly. If I can help, I will do my best; if not, I am afraid I cannot help you."
Li Mao bowed slightly and said, "Prime Minister, I would like to ask you to propose to His Majesty that the Shouwang Banquet is far too popular and should benefit the people, allowing them to participate and profit together, and to further develop the Shouwang Banquet Restaurant."
Zhang Jiuling frowned, not understanding why Li Mao would do such a thing.
"Your Highness Prince Shou, are you really willing to sacrifice your own interests and then share them with the people?" Zhang Jiuling asked doubtfully.
Li Mao sneered inwardly; of course, he wouldn't actually lose his own interests.
Immediately, Li Mao said with a firm gaze, "Lord Zhang, I care deeply for the people and hope that more people can enjoy the delicious food of the Prince's Birthday Banquet. Moreover, this is also for the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty."
Zhang Jiuling looked at Li Mao, still harboring some doubts, feeling that something was amiss in the matter.
“Your Highness Prince Shou, I will report this matter to His Majesty at the morning court tomorrow. As for whether it will succeed or not, it will be entirely up to His Majesty to decide.”
Li Mao stood up, cupped his hands slightly, and said, "At the morning court tomorrow, the Prime Minister only needs to state his position from his own standpoint, and try to make people feel that the Prime Minister is targeting me at every turn."
Zhang Jiuling frowned slightly, but still cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness Prince Shou, rest assured, this is nothing more than a small favor."
As he spoke, Zhang Jiuling turned his gaze to the two pageboys.