20demayo Chapter 335 Bird Scales
Chapter 335 Bird Scales
Luo An thought about it more and more and felt something was wrong: "Birds of a feather flock together."
Nian Yao laughed out loud: "That's called a united couple. What do you need twenty million for? Are you really going to give it to Xu Sheng?"
Luo An didn't say anything.
Nianyao continued, "What are you going to do with the money you're giving Xu Sheng? Does the Crown Prince know you want money for him? Is it money from the heavens or money from the palace?"
This is a long story, so Luo An thought for a moment and decided to start from the beginning:
When Heaven on Earth was first established, the money came from the palace. At that time, the late emperor was still in power, and he favored Master Luo. Whatever Master Luo asked for, the late emperor would give him, including rare medicinal herbs from the palace and the Imperial Medical Academy, which would be sent to Heaven on Earth.
As the reputation of Heaven on Earth grew, the number of disciples increased, and more and more people sought medical treatment. To save trouble, Master Luo requested two accountants from the palace.
One year, Dongyang suffered a series of disasters, from floods to locust plagues to droughts... Dongyang exempted taxes while allocating disaster relief funds. The palace was so poor that even the Empress's phoenix crown was almost pawned by the Emperor.
The Empress, clutching her phoenix crown, had a huge argument with the Emperor, saying, "Why can't we use the money from Heaven and Earth? If we're too embarrassed to take it, we can always borrow it and pay it back later when we have the money."
It has always been the palace that sends things to Heaven on Earth; His Majesty never even considered taking anything from Heaven on Earth. But the Empress reminded him of this, and His Majesty thought it made a lot of sense, so he came to discuss it with the old manor owner.
Master Luo, living a secluded life in the mortal realm, was unaware of the great calamity befalling the common people. Upon hearing the Emperor's words, he immediately instructed his accountant to allocate the remaining ten thousand taels of silver for emergency relief, and to send all other gold, silver, jewels, and calligraphy and paintings by famous figures to the palace.
Thanks to the wealth of the Heavenly Realm, Dongyang safely weathered the famine. Only then did the emperor realize that the Heavenly Realm's resources were more stable than Dongyang's tax revenue.
Such a good thing as borrowing money without having to pay it back is bound to happen again and again. Besides, people in the mortal world have money to burn, and the palace can spend any amount of money it wants.
After this incident, the emperor sent two accountants over and instructed them to regularly copy a set of the account books of Heaven and Earth and send it to the palace.
Every now and then the emperor would look through the account books. When he saw that the money in the Heaven and Earth Palace had accumulated to a certain point, he would send someone to bring it over to the Imperial Household Department. This later became a regular practice.
To facilitate access to and from the mountain, the emperor opened another route up the mountain, which was guarded by soldiers year-round, allowing only disciples from the manor and people from the palace to enter and exit.
As a result, the estate only has a surplus of ten thousand taels of silver per year, with the rest all in the palace. Therefore, if Luo An needs money, he has to ask An Liangchen for it.
Upon hearing this, Nianyao couldn't help but exclaim, "Crown Prince An is truly... truly wise!"
Luo An went to Nan Yue, Qin Zhou, and Xuan Zhi Mountain. An Liangchen didn't say anything openly, but secretly spent most of the money from the Heaven and Earth Inn.
When Luo An asked for 20 million, An Liangchen immediately said the palace had no money and even asked the Imperial Household Department to show him the account books to prove his innocence. Like his father, Luo An was indifferent to money and had no patience to look at the account books.
Moreover, Luo An had an inexplicable trust in An Liangchen. He believed that An Liangchen would not lie, after all, such a large country had been at war for years and there were many places to spend money.
Unexpectedly, An Liangchen had pre-purchased items and pre-issued military pay, spending the money ahead of schedule.
Nianyao is right. As the crown prince, An Liangchen is indeed incredibly wise.
An Liangchen didn't ask Luo An what he needed so much money for, but judging from Luo An's usual lifestyle of not gambling or whoring, unless he was planning a rebellion, he wouldn't need such a large sum of money. Even if Luo An indulged in drinking, gambling, and whoring, he wouldn't need such a large sum of money.
Anyone with a modicum of common sense would know that there's absolutely no way An Liangchen would give him 20 million. Even if An Liangchen were truly wealthy, he wouldn't give him 20 million.
Luo An patted his head and sighed, "I was really... bewitched."
Luo An didn't understand what he wanted 20 million for, nor did he really want to give Xu Sheng 20 million. He didn't know what had gotten into him, but he just asked for 20 million.
Nianyao patted his chest, adjusted to a comfortable position, and continued to rest her face against Luo An's chest: "Last time you said the Goddess Temple was washed away by the water, so why did you tell Prince An that you were staying at the Goddess Temple?"
Luo An said, "I have renovated the Temple of the Goddess."
Nianyao could roughly guess, but to confirm it, she thought of the mirror again. The realm of immortality should be sentient and possess its own power, which is why it didn't recognize the gemstones that were later inlaid.
The mirror was found on Conch's territory. Conch was the strangest among them, while she was clearly the most ordinary. Why did the mirror's gem break in her hands twice?
When Luo An looked down, he noticed that Nian Yao was asleep, her arms wrapped around his waist, nestled in his chest. A few strands of black hair were scattered across her face, giving her a languid yet alluring look.
He stared at Nianyao, unable to come back to his senses for a long time. Many years later, Luo An would still remember Nianyao sleeping peacefully in his arms on a cold winter day.
It turns out there really is such a person in the world, holding her is like holding the whole world. Her presence can easily dispel the desolation and loneliness of years of life.
Since the beginning of the Lunar New Year, Heaven and Earth gradually suspended its operations. The senior sister led the disciples in cleaning, hanging lanterns, and pasting Spring Festival couplets... The whole resort was bustling with activity and joy in preparation for the festival.
Nianyao strolled around the village and arrived at Moonlight Pool again. The fish in Moonlight Pool were the best she had ever eaten. She had eaten all the fish in Moonlight Pool last time, and since she hadn't been back for a while, there should be some left.
The water in Moonlight Pool was as clear as ever, and Nianyao immediately spotted a fish with an orange-red dorsal fin nestled at the bottom. The water was a bit cold in winter, and she looked around, trying to find a branch to spear the fish.
Just then, the chubby boy, carrying medicinal herbs, passed by and greeted Nianyao: "Madam!"
Nianyao casually plucked a leaf from his basket: "Is this also for treating hidden ailments?"
The chubby boy said, "Madam, this is Achyranthes bidentata. It is used to treat cold and dampness-induced weakness and paralysis, limb contractures, knee pain that prevents bending and straightening, promote blood circulation, and treat burns and sores caused by heat."
Achyranthes bidentata? Nianyao confirmed, "A cow's knee?"
The chubby boy laughed heartily and took out achyranthes bidentata from his basket: "Look, doesn't the ridge on this stem look like a cow's knee?"
Nianyao tossed the leaf back into the little fat boy's basket, showing no mercy: "It doesn't look like it."
The chubby boy pointed to the fish in Moonlight Pool: "Madam, do you see the fish at the bottom of the pool? It's called Bird Scale, doesn't it look even less like one?"
Nianyao's mind stirred slightly: "What does bird scales treat?"
The chubby boy said, "The bird scales in this pool were raised by the eldest sister at the request of the Crown Prince. She extracts their gallbladders to treat infantile convulsions and conjunctivitis, and they are specially prepared as medicine for the young prince."
We have to sneak past on the outer edge whenever we pass by, afraid of disturbing the fish. Last time, some clueless person caught all four fish. My eldest sister was terrified and immediately asked someone to buy four more.
The chubby boy pointed to the sign next to him: "The Heavenly Bird Scales, those who steal them will be punished. This is a sign that the eldest sister specially put up just in case."