It was just getting dark.

In Jiuqu Garden, there is a large hall facing the river that can accommodate hundreds of people for gatherings. Only a small bronze lamp is lit.

The oil used in the lamps was also very low-quality vegetable oil. The light was dim, making the entire hall dark as if it were a haunted old house.

Yinyuan was wearing an old robe that had been washed so much that it looked white. He sat cross-legged under an oil lamp, squinting at the military intelligence sent from the front line.

The left sleeve of his robe was at his side, where the light was brightest.

On the cuffs, two egg-sized patches are very conspicuous.

While it was still dark, Baishuang took light steps and brought a cup of tea to Yinyuan.

The water for today's tea is good, it is natural spring water from a beautiful peak in Jiuqu Garden; but the quality of the tea is very poor, it is the large-leaf tea that street porters use to quench their thirst, you can buy one or two taels for two copper coins, and the boss will give you an extra two cents.

Under the light, the tea soup is dim in color, with some residue floating in it.

Yinyuan took the teacup, took a big sip, and placed the teacup next to the oil lamp. The poor quality tea soup became even more glaring.

He patted the cushion beside him and laughed softly, "Moro Xiu fought well. Thirty-six armies were dispatched at the same time. Except for Anping Prefecture, all the large-scale riots outside the prefecture were suppressed."

Bai Shuang sat quietly beside Yin Yuan, her eyes as clear as water, smiling at him.

Even when sitting on the ground, Bai Shuang was about half an inch taller than Yin Yuan. This woman was really too tall.

Yin Yuan's eyes swept over Bai Shuang's curvy figure and he laughed, "My beloved concubine, are you living well in Jiuqu Garden?"

Baishuang nodded, looked at the dim oil lamp, then looked at the patches on Yinyuan's robe sleeves, and the coarse tea.

"Your Majesty, the light is too dim and it hurts your eyes. Can I light a few candles for you?" Bai Shuang blinked her big watery eyes.

"Alas, the state affairs are difficult." Yin Yuan waved his left hand, and two patches were shaking in front of Bai Shuang's eyes: "If you can save a little, then save a little!"

Bai Shuang pursed her lips and was speechless.

"If you can save as much as possible, save as much as possible." These words should never have come from Yinyuan's mouth.

During the day, he ran to the lion sanctuary to personally feed a huge black alien blood lion that had just been delivered. The big guy ate more than 200 kilograms of the best lean beef tendon in one meal!

How many candles can be lit with that money?

Bai Shuang smiled and said, "Your Majesty, you are worrying about state affairs. You are really... putting yourself at a disadvantage."

Yin Yuan sighed and pretended to say, "As the emperor, this is reasonable... Well, my beloved concubine, are you used to living in Jiuqu Garden? Do you miss home and your family?"

Without waiting for Bai Shuang to speak, Yin Yuan continued, "I am not a mean and ungrateful person. If you miss your family, you should go back to the Bai family in the next two days to see Mr. Bai and chat with him about family life. That is what you should do."

Without waiting for Bai Shuang to speak, Yin Yuan continued to speak: "It's just that now that you are the Imperial Concubine, it stands to reason that Old Master Bai should have the title of Marquis, but now... it's difficult!"

Waving his hands, still not giving Bai Shuang a chance to speak, Yin Yuan sighed faintly and said, "Don't worry, my beloved concubine. I definitely didn't deliberately withhold his title because of the rumors spread outside, such as the so-called rumors that Mr. Bai sold his daughter for fame."

Bai Shuang's eyes widened, her eye sockets were watery and moisture quickly condensed.

Yin Yuan rolled his eyes, looked at the dark ceiling caisson carvings, and said faintly: "It's just... the state affairs are so difficult, my beloved concubine, look at me, how stingy have I been these days?"

"It's just the beginning of spring, and money is needed everywhere. The Ministry of Revenue has run out of money, and the Imperial Treasury has just allocated a large amount of military pay, which is also almost gone; the Junior Treasury still has a little bit of money, but so many royal family members are eagerly waiting for the money to be distributed."

"My private vault, ah, don't even mention it, it's also stretched to the limit, and my expenses are not enough to cover my income!"

Bai Shuang looked at Yin Yuan with tears in her eyes, and finally managed to say, "Your Majesty, it is really too difficult!"

Yin Yuan kept nodding his head: "Yes, it's difficult. With such a big business and such a big stall, there are places to spend money everywhere... Unfortunately, the income is small and the expenditure is large. It's difficult for me, too difficult!"

Bai Shuang grinned slightly and gave Yin Yuan a smile purely out of politeness.

She did know that some time ago, Lu Yi had confiscated a large sum of money from the home of a minor official. That pile of gold and other jewels, if converted into copper coins, would amount to a terrifying astronomical figure.

It's only been a few days, and Yinyuan is already so poor?

hehe!

"My beloved concubine must be homesick and missing her relatives... Tomorrow, tomorrow, I will send my beloved concubine back to visit Master Bai in Yushunfang. Well, let's have a brief chat about family life."

Yin Yuan's eyes glowed green under the dim light of the oil lamp, staring straight at Bai Shuang.

"Tell Master Bai everything you have seen and heard today. Well, let's just say that I intend to confer the title of 'Duke' on Master Bai. However, if you confer the title of 'Duke', you must be given fiefdom, salary, and various rewards. But now, the country is in a difficult situation, and everyone is poor!"

Bai Shuang widened her eyes and looked at Yin Yuan in horror.

Too shameless, what Yin Yuan meant by this was...
Yin Yuan drooped his eyelids and said faintly, "You can tell Master Bai that even a title of 'Lord' is not impossible. Well, I can also consider the position of the headmaster of the Imperial College."

Bai Shuang grunted and looked at Yin Yuan softly, "I understand, but I'm afraid that my uncle doesn't have much money... Everyone in Gaojing knows that my uncle is a poor teacher, with nothing to lose."

"Hey, what are you talking about?" Yin Yuan shook his sleeves and looked at Bai Shuang with resentment: "Mr. Bai is of course incorruptible, but he has so many disciples and grandchildren who are filial and respectable... I heard that Mr. Bai is building a garden, and it's quite large, and the total cost is no less than 10 million strings of cash?"

Bai Shuang's eyelids jumped, and she said hurriedly: "There is absolutely no such thing. How much money can a mere garden cost?"

Bai Shuang really had no idea about worldly expenses like building a garden.

But no matter how ignorant she was, when the amount of silver and money reached the tens of millions, she knew it was no small matter.

Yin Yuan waved his hand and tugged at the front of his robe, revealing a palm-sized patch on it: "Hey, there is no smoke without fire, there must be a reason. Well, my beloved concubine, let me discuss this with you again!"

Yin Yuan looked at Bai Shuang and said quietly, "Among my concubines in Jiuqu Garden, you and Concubine Qi have the highest status. The other concubines are just ordinary concubines. Only you and Concubine Qi are noble concubines."

"Well, Concubine, there are rules for your monthly expenses, and that's a lot of money!"

"But recently, state affairs have been difficult. If we can't find an income source... Concubine Qi and I have already discussed it. In a few days, we will lower the status of the concubines in Jiuqu Garden."

"Qi Fei is my first woman, and she is willing to demote herself from a noble concubine to a concubine... and the other concubines also agreed to demote themselves to a lower status than a concubine, to the level of 'beauties'."

"My beloved concubine, I'm afraid you will have to bear the grievances."

Bai Shuang looked at Yin Yuan in shock: "Princess?"

Yin Yuan hurriedly shook his head: "No, I am the most democratic. Concubine Qi and several concubines said that you have just entered the palace and are still a newcomer. You are afraid that you will not be able to adapt to the high position you suddenly got... I think it makes sense, so, I will wrong you, my concubine, and make you a 'concubine', which is lower than 'beauty'... Okay?"

The corners of Bai Shuang's mouth twitched.

She got the position of imperial concubine beside Yinyuan, which invisibly won a lot of luck for the Paradise Palace.

With her position as a royal concubine, the Paradise Palace could enjoy endless benefits. She could even imagine what a magical and magnificent scene it was inside the mountain gate of the Paradise Palace.

What if she suddenly changed from a noble concubine to a "maid" who was only two levels higher than an ordinary palace maid?

I'm afraid that the group of old antiques in the Paradise Palace who are close to death and are just waiting for the inspiration of heaven and earth to extend their lives will personally come to Jiuqu Garden to kill her!

Bai Shuang looked at Yin Yuan aggrievedly: "Your Majesty, I will go back to visit my parents tomorrow."

Yin Yuan patted the big patch on the table in front of him and said with a leisurely smile, "That's great, let's talk about family life for a while, haha... My beloved concubine, please don't tell Mr. Bai about the embarrassment here. After all, if this kind of thing gets out, it will be a disgrace to the royal family."

"Hehe." Bai Shuang laughed dryly twice.

Yu Changle rushed in from outside the hall like a ghost without making any sound, went straight to Yinyuan, and whispered a few words in his ear.

Yinyuan's body suddenly stiffened, and then he jumped up suddenly.

"Ah? Again?"

"That old fellow Bai Changkong, he is, he is, what bad luck has come to him? Ah? Again?"

"How many black-scale monsters are there near Yushunfang now?"

"Looking down from the sky, there must be at least a million of them? And they are constantly emerging from the canal?"

"Forget it, this time the old fellow Bai Changkong is finished...Summon Lu Yu, summon Lu Yu, and ask him to quickly protect the Imperial City and Jiuqu Garden."

"Have people set up defenses around Yushunfang to support the officials and people of Jiuqufang. At the same time, we must guard against the black-scaled monsters and prevent them from spreading to other towns."

"Let the general move, let the Five Army Headquarters move. Well, if the garrison in the city is not enough, let the Five Army Headquarters transfer troops from the Five Army Camp outside the city."

"Lower the canal sluice gates, cut off the entrance and exit channels, and don't let those black-scaled monsters invade through the canal again."

"Hey, what's going on?"

Yin Yuan ran out of the hall in a rage, "Please ask Master Shi E to move into Jiuqu Garden and ask him to come and take charge. Otherwise, I will feel uneasy."

Bai Shuang stood up and cried out pitifully.

Yin Yuan waved his hand without even turning his head, and shouted, "My beloved concubine, please take a rest. I am not in the mood to tonight."

"Hey, hey, your good uncle...wait for news. After tonight, if he is still alive, you can go back to visit your parents."

"If he dies... you just, you just... promise to him for the rest of your life!"

"The country is in a difficult situation, and Jiuqu Garden also needs to save money. It's really difficult!"

Bai Shuang looked at Yin Yuan's back and rolled her eyes. She had a thousand sweet and witty greetings to the founding emperor of Dayin in her mind, but she didn't have time to finish them.