Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 532 No Money Talk! The Key to Bribery!
Seeing this, Zhao Qingzhi chuckled lightly and reminded him at the right moment, "Governor Zheng, it would be too vulgar to measure such a priceless masterpiece by money alone."

"This item is truly priceless; its value cannot be measured by ordinary gold or silver. We cannot talk about money, absolutely not!"

Although his tone was soft, it subtly hinted at a deeper meaning.

Zhao Rui was carefully examining and admiring the jade carving of a six-armed coral parrot when he heard Zhao Qingzhi's words. He immediately gave a thumbs up and chuckled, "Inspector Zhao has excellent taste! You've hit the nail on the head!"

"That's right, this item is indeed a priceless treasure that cannot be bought with any amount of money!"
Zhao Rui gently stroked the jade carving in his hand, and then said, "To be honest, similar jade carvings fetched a record price of hundreds of thousands of taels of silver at an auction held at the Jinling Auction House not long ago."

"And that jade carving, in terms of both quality and craftsmanship, is far inferior to the one we have."

"If we were to put it up for auction, the price would probably be even higher. It could easily fetch a million taels of silver."

One million taels of silver?
Zheng Hongjian's expression suddenly changed.

He could naturally understand the underlying meaning in Zhao Rui's words.
Although the jade carving of the 'Six-Armed Coral Parrot' in front of him was precious, Zheng Hongjian was still quite discerning.

In recent years, the imperial court has carried out a large-scale mining operation in the Bago jade mines, resulting in a large quantity of jade being imported into the Ming Dynasty.

Jade jewelry is no longer as sought-after as it once was.

Prices naturally declined gradually.

Although the downward trend was not obvious due to the court's deliberate control.

However, such a jade carving of a 'six-armed coral parrot' would cost no more than ten or twenty thousand taels of silver.

For ordinary people, this is already an astronomical price.

But Zheng Hongjian, as the governor, was naturally wealthy and had long been prepared.

Furthermore, since this item was a "gift" from the Empress, its value has increased significantly. Zheng Hongjian estimated that he might have to pay 100,000 taels of silver for it.

Although it hurts a little, it's not like I can't afford it.

To everyone's surprise, Zhao Rui asked for one million taels of silver right off the bat.

As expected of the emperor's chief eunuch, he really dares to ask for a price!

Zheng Hongjian was filled with emotion.

The expression on his face began to change unpredictably.

This is a scheme to fleece him, to slaughter him like a fat pig!
At this moment, Zhao Rui let out another low sigh: "But we are rootless people, what use is more money to us?"

"Moreover, this is a treasure personally bestowed by Her Majesty the Empress, so it is of extraordinary significance."

"Although Her Majesty the Empress once kindly stated that if our family is short of money, we can sell it to raise funds, and she will not blame us."

"Even if we starve to death on the streets, we would never do such a thing!"

Zheng Hongjian was puzzled again when he heard him say that.

I have no idea what he was really thinking behind all those words.

Zhao Rui's tone became somewhat serious. He turned to the two of them and explained, "The reason I brought this treasure with me on this northern tour with His Majesty is actually for another reason."

"We have heard that the floods in Henan are devastating, with countless people displaced. The situation is severe and a large amount of money is urgently needed for relief."

"I also thought that I could share His Majesty's burdens, help the court solve its problems, and do my bit to help."

His eyes gleamed with compassion: "So I brought this item with me. If I can find someone who is destined to receive it, I will reluctantly part with it and exchange it for money to help the suffering people in the disaster area."

"This is a treasure bestowed by Her Majesty the Empress. Spending it on the people in the disaster area is also a way to accumulate merit for Her Majesty the Empress."

"In this way, it can be considered that I have done my part for His Majesty and the court."

"He did his best to fulfill his filial duty to the Empress."

"As for ourselves, money is nothing but an external thing. What use would it be to us?"

Was the money spent on people in the disaster area?

Zheng Hongjian's expression changed again.

At this moment, Zhao Rui sighed again, his tone tinged with regret: "It's just a pity that such a destined person is truly hard to find!"

As he spoke, he intended to put the 'Six-Armed Coral Parrot' jade carving back into the luxurious wooden box.

Upon seeing this, Zhao Qingzhi, who was standing nearby, quickly said, "Eunuch Zhao, please wait!"

"This is the first time in my life that I have ever seen such a rare treasure!"

His eyes were filled with longing as he cupped his hands and pleaded, "I wonder if Your Excellency could lend me a look so that I may have the honor of properly appreciating it and feast my eyes on it?"

Zhao Rui's hand, which was about to be put back, stopped in mid-air.

He glanced at Zhao Qingzhi and said with a smile, "Then Inspector Zhao must be extremely careful. This item is priceless and fragile."

"If it accidentally falls to the ground, it might shatter into pieces!"

“We are worried that Inspector Zhao will not be able to afford the compensation.”

Zhao Qingzhi quickly replied, "Please rest assured, Eunuch Zhao, I will be extremely careful and will never allow this rare treasure to be damaged in the slightest."

Before he finished speaking, he stepped forward, leaned slightly forward, and respectfully took the exquisite "Six-Armed Coral Parrot" jade carving from Zhao Rui's hands.

After acquiring it, Zhao Qingzhi carefully held it in his palm, handling it as if it were a priceless treasure.

He watched intently, constantly making sounds of amazement, his heartfelt admiration overflowing.

After admiring it for a moment, Zhao Qingzhi raised his head and turned his gaze to Zheng Hongjian, whose eyes had been shining just moments before but now appeared unusually calm. A playful smile appeared on his face: "Lord Zheng, wouldn't you like to come and appreciate this priceless treasure as well?"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Hongjian gave Zhao Qingzhi a deep look, his eyes seemingly still flickering with hesitation and struggle.

After a moment, his face darkened, as if he had made up his mind. He finally reached out and pretended to take the "Six-Armed Coral Parrot" jade carving, saying, "Come, let me have a good look at this rare treasure."

Unexpectedly, perhaps Zheng Hongjian used too much force, or perhaps Zhao Qingzhi's hand loosened its grip by chance at that moment, but Zheng Hongjian failed to catch it steadily. With a crisp "bang," the priceless jade carving of "Six-Armed Coral Parrot" fell to the ground and shattered into countless tiny green fragments, scattering all over the ground.

“You…” Zhao Rui abruptly stood up from his seat, took two quick steps forward, and, disregarding all decorum, squatted down. Looking at the shattered treasures on the ground, his face was filled with sorrow and anger:

"Didn't we repeatedly tell you to be careful and cautious?"

"This beautiful jade carving is now smashed to pieces! What are we going to do? This was a gift from Her Majesty the Empress!"

Zhao Qingzhi and Zheng Hongjian exchanged a knowing glance and nodded almost imperceptibly.

Zhao Qingzhi spoke first, his tone filled with regret and self-blame: "Eunuch Zhao, this is all our fault. We were careless and didn't hold it properly, and we smashed this rare treasure to pieces. We deserve to die a thousand deaths!"

After saying that, he raised his hand without hesitation and slapped himself twice hard across the face. The sound of the slaps was crisp and loud, showing no mercy whatsoever.

Zheng Hongjian followed suit, and his efforts were even more intense.

He mustered all his strength and slapped his own cheeks hard, each slap making a dull thud.

In just a short while, his cheeks became visibly red and swollen.

"What's the use of slapping yourself in the face?" Zhao Rui's anger flared up instantly. He stood up abruptly, pointed at the scattered jade fragments on the ground, and questioned sharply, "Do you think slapping yourself a few times will restore this 'Six-Armed Coral Parrot Playing with a Parrot' jade carving to its original state?!"

Zhao Rui shook his head in anguish: "If it were an ordinary jade bracelet, it might be barely repairable. Even if the value is greatly reduced after repair, at least its shape can be preserved."

"However, the carving on this object is so exquisite and intricate, and now it has been smashed to such a state that it is absolutely impossible to repair it!"

"This is a rare treasure worth a million taels of silver, and it is an invaluable gift personally bestowed by Her Majesty the Empress!"

"Although Her Majesty the Empress is kind and benevolent and will not blame us for this, how can we possibly repay Her Majesty's kindness!"

He became more and more excited as he spoke, and his voice rose a few decibels: "Besides, our family originally planned to sell this item to someone who was destined to receive it, in order to raise funds for disaster relief and donate them to the people in the disaster area to save them from suffering."

"And now, you've smashed it to dust with your own hands!"

Zhao Rui's gaze was sharp as a knife as he swept over Zheng Hongjian and Zhao Qingzhi: "Do you know that what you smashed was not just a jade carving, but also the food that millions of people in the disaster area depend on for survival, their only hope in their desperate situation!"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Hongjian and Zhao Qingzhi immediately nodded repeatedly, bowed their heads in apology, and their faces were filled with shame and self-reproach.

Zhao Qingzhi said, "Things have come to this point, and we two are indeed beyond redemption even if we die a hundred times, our sins are too grave."

"It is now impossible to restore this item to its original state."

He suddenly raised his head, looking at Zhao Rui with a firm gaze, his tone heavy with sorrow and earnestness: "But we must never let this ruin Eunuch Zhao's sincere filial piety towards His Majesty, the court, and the Empress!"

"We must not allow Her Majesty the Empress's immeasurable merits to be tarnished because of this!"

"We absolutely cannot allow the millions of people in the disaster area to fall into a desperate situation of starvation and destitution because of our mistakes!"

"Otherwise, we would truly have no face to face Eunuch Zhao, nor would we be worthy of our official robes, nor of the teachings of the sages, nor of being born into this world!"

Zhao Qingzhi's words became increasingly impassioned: "I am ashamed before the court for its careful cultivation and for failing to show my filial piety to His Majesty and the Empress; I am ashamed before the millions of people in the disaster area, and for letting my good intentions to help the people go to waste!"

He gritted his teeth and said resolutely, "Therefore, although this jade carving has been damaged, we two will pay the one million taels of silver in compensation, even if it means going bankrupt and selling all our possessions. We will not shirk our responsibility!"

"I only ask that you fulfill Eunuch Zhao's sincere and virtuous filial piety towards the Empress, as well as his compassionate heart for the country and its people!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Rui's heartbroken expression vanished instantly, and a barely perceptible smile even appeared at the corner of his mouth, but it disappeared in an instant, and he returned to his usual expressionless state.

His voice was steady as he said, "Are you two truly willing to offer this one million taels of silver..."

"We are willing! We are ready! Eunuch Zhao, we are extremely willing!" Zheng Hongjian and Zhao Qingzhi bowed in unison and replied.

Zhao Rui sighed softly, his tone carrying a mixture of helplessness and magnanimity: "So be it, so be it. Since the 'Six-Armed Coral Parrot' is already destroyed, even if I kill you two, it won't make a difference and won't undo the loss."

He softened his tone slightly: "Besides, neither of you did it intentionally. It was just a slip-up that caused you to fall to the ground. It's understandable and not an unforgivable sin."

"Even if Her Majesty the Empress finds out, given her kind and benevolent nature, she will only comfort you two and will not issue a decree to punish you."

Zhao Rui's gaze swept over the two men before finally settling on their faces: "It's rare that you two still have this kind intention, willing to compensate at the full price and take responsibility. How can our family continue to blame you?"

As he spoke, he slowly turned around, strolled back to his chair, sat down again, and remained composed.

Zheng Hongjian and Zhao Qingzhi remained standing respectfully in place, leaning slightly forward, bowing and scraping repeatedly, offering flattery incessantly.

Zhao Rui slowly raised his hand and waved it in a daze, indicating that they no longer needed to be so polite.

He cleared his throat and said slowly, "Although our family doesn't need much money, there are some things that are absolutely essential."

“Filial piety and merit towards Her Majesty the Empress are indispensable.”

"We must also do our utmost to provide relief to the people in the disaster area."

He emphasized earnestly, "It's like carrying a load on both ends. Neither end can be missing the slightest bit. Do you two understand what I mean?"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Hongjian was first taken aback, then it was as if a lightning bolt had struck his mind, and he suddenly realized.

Only now did Zheng Hongjian fully understand the deeper meaning hidden in Zhao Rui's words.

This Zhao Rui, while repeatedly praising the Empress's virtues, kept mentioning the urgency of providing relief to the disaster-stricken people, and at the same time, he didn't forget to emphasize his own filial piety and goodwill...

It turns out that what he wanted was not one million taels of silver, but a full two million taels!

This is just asking for the moon!
Two million taels!
That's two million taels!

Even if he served as governor for a thousand years, he wouldn't receive this much salary!
A storm raged in Zheng Hongjian's heart, and an unnamed anger surged to his head.

He mentally cursed Zhao Rui's ancestors for eighteen generations.

However, despite the turmoil in his heart, Zheng Hongjian dared not show the slightest dissatisfaction or unusual behavior. He could only suppress his anger and maintain a submissive posture.

……

(End of this chapter)