Chapter 487: The fragrance suddenly rises, and the fragrance comes
Chapter 487: The fragrance suddenly rises, and the fragrance comes
The sky gradually darkened, and the afterglow of the setting sun gently fell on the glazed tiles of the Forbidden City, dyeing the palace complex with a light golden color.
Inside the Fengtian Hall, preparations were being made for a celebratory banquet to welcome the triumphant return of the Beijing army.
Every detail reveals nobility and joy.
On both sides of the palace gate, the tall palace lanterns have been lit. The exquisite patterns on the lampshades are reflected on the ground under the setting sun, emitting a soft and warm light.
A group of court officials, dressed in various official uniforms, chatted and laughed as they left their respective offices and entered the palace.
The six ministries and nine officials walked steadily and with calm faces.
They have seen many such programs, and what they are thinking about in their minds are still the many things happening in the yamen.
But the many officials following them are different.
His Majesty was greatly pleased with the return of Marquis Xiping.
He specifically instructed the Ministry of Rites to bring along some hard-working officials from the six ministries.
They will be much happier, their faces will be filled with joy that is hard to conceal, and they will walk as if they are floating in the air.
Not only is it possible to attend tonight's celebration banquet, but it is also a recognition from the Ministry of Rites and the imperial court!
Li Zhigang, a doctor in the Ministry of Works, was one of them.
Even though I've been working for three days straight, my brain is almost at a standstill.
But at this moment, he was still full of energy, with red eyes.
He walked with his arms and legs wide open, his long sleeves swinging left and right, and he didn't recognize his relatives.
Fortunately, the officials from the Ministry of Industry nearby were in low spirits and too lazy to argue with him.
Qin Kui, the Minister of Works, walked in front, with his head slightly tilted.
Looking at Li Zhigang's arrogant look, he sighed slightly and said in a low voice:
"Be more stable!"
Li Zhigang then calmed down a little, and took two quick steps with his sleeves lifted up, came to the side and back of Qin Kui, and said excitedly:
“Sir, don’t say that expensive things are good.
After drinking that Pu'er tea, I feel refreshed and can fight for another three days and three nights."
Qin Kui looked helpless, sighed and said nothing.
Li Zhigang did not intend to let him go, and continued:
"Sir, this Pu'er tea is so good, can I have more?"
"What are you going to do with so much!"
"I am a good friend of Xie Chunyu. He is now working for Your Majesty and works very hard every day. I am going to give him some.
If there is any news in the future, I will also be able to find out a little bit."
Qin Kui's eyes were calm: "Didn't you take it before? Are you taking it again?"
"Uh!"
Li Zhigang's face froze.
“Besides, Pu’er tea is not valuable, Lu Yunyi is just exaggerating.
There is no other Pu'er tea shop in Beijing, and he says how much is what he wants."
"what?"
Li Zhigang was stunned. How could a person be so shameless?
But he immediately became excited, his eyes sparkling:
"Sir, now that our Ministry of Industry has some, we should give them some more. Then we can say that they are worth a thousand taels of gold!"
Qin Kui paused!
"Li Zhigang! Your priority is not to seek personal gain.
Instead, we need to build the business steadily, quickly and with high quality!"
A strong sense of official authority was overwhelming.
Li Zhigang shuddered, and quickly realized that he was a little too proud, so he started to make amends:
"Mr. Minister, I obey your order. From tomorrow on,
I will start to work on this matter and will not slack off. I will live on the construction site when the time comes."
"Ah."
Qin Kui nodded. He had no doubt about Li Zhigang's ability to get things done.
At this time, the newly appointed Minister of Revenue, Yang Jing, walked past the crowd and headed straight towards Qin Kui.
He is tall and thin, with a long beard and a sharp face, which makes him look particularly capable!
"Minister Qin, the Ministry of Works has not yet submitted a budget for road repairs next year. I wonder how long it will take?"
When Qin Kui saw him coming, a gleam of light flashed in his eyes.
In the past, when he went to the Ministry of Revenue, several officials of the Ministry would avoid him, for fear that he would ask for money or a budget.
Now the weasel comes here to wish the chicken a happy new year with ulterior motives!
He shook his head. He hadn't slept for three days and he didn't want to get entangled with it.
If you say the wrong thing, that would be bad.
"It's Minister Yang. I've been busy with the workshop these days and haven't had time to urge him.
Wait until tomorrow, tomorrow the officials will go and ask about it."
Yang Jing from the Ministry of Revenue did not embarrass him and nodded gently: "Then I will send someone to get it tomorrow."
Send someone?
Qin Kui felt his hair stand on end and a vague sense of crisis came over him.
"Thank you for your help, Lord Yang."
The two of them just walked and chatted casually.
Seeing the Fengtian Palace right in front of him, Yang Jing smiled and spoke in a low voice:
"Master Qin, has the Ministry of Industry found any way to make money?
If you don't mind, could you let the Ministry of Revenue get involved as well?
You may not know that the Henan Provincial Administration Office sent us a document a few days ago.
The Yellow River was turbid and turbulent, and the upper reaches were blocked. The provincial governor speculated that
Something may happen to the Yellow River in the next one or two years, and it may have to change its course.”
Hearing about the Yellow River, Qin Kui's face became extremely solemn and he nodded:
“The Ministry of Construction has already sent people to survey and map the area, but we will have to wait a month for the details.
However, regarding the repair of river embankments and the treatment of the Yellow River after its diversion,
The Ministry of Works has submitted a memorial, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has also reviewed it."
Yang Jing sighed softly:
"Yes, I have also read the memorial.
Just repairing and raising the dikes in Kaifeng, Tongxu, Taikang, Huaiyang and other places would cost 1.9 million taels of silver and require the conscription of more than 20,000 laborers.
The Yellow River is regulated every year, but it also deteriorates every year, and every year a lot of money is thrown away."
Qin Kui also sighed:
"Nothing is more beneficial to one's fortune than the Yellow River, and nothing is more detrimental to one's fortune than the Yellow River."
"The Yellow River flows through Henan Province, which is the heartland of the Central Plains. If we ignore it, the entire court will be in dire straits."
Yang Jing's expression changed back and forth, he lowered his head and whispered:
"Sir Qin, the Yellow River must be regulated.
But recently, His Majesty launched another northern expedition, which disrupted this year's budget.
In order to win this war, some of the next year's money was also spent.
The Ministry of Revenue is really unable to continue now, so please help, Lord Qin."
Qin Kui looked at Yang Jing with some shock.
The Ministry of Revenue asked the Ministry of Works for money? This is ridiculous!
"Sir Yang, did I hear you correctly?"
Yang Jing pursed his lips slightly, looking embarrassed:
"Mr. Qin, the six ministries of Personnel, Revenue, Rites, Military, Punishments, and Works,
Only the Ministry of Works is a government office that can directly create money, while the other five ministries require spending money.
I came to see Master Qin today out of necessity, hoping to ease the tension of the past two years."
The Ministry of Works has always been known as the most spendthrift government office in the imperial court.
But at the same time, it is also the government office that makes the most money.
It’s a pity that the size of power is measured by how many officials one can control, not how many people one can control.
The Ministry of Works’ workshops are spread all over the country, but they have the lowest power and are the punching bags in the court.
Nothing is accomplished, and everything is to blame.
Qin Kui shook his head slowly:
"Master Yang, you are joking. The Ministry of Industry is having a hard time right now.
I don’t even know where the year-end wages will come from, how can I help the Ministry of Revenue overcome its difficulties?
To put it bluntly, if you can help the Ministry of Revenue, I will also pay out the reward money that the government owed last year."
Yang Jing was a little embarrassed because the Ministry of Works did not issue the reward money last year.
Even when he was the Left Vice Minister, he pushed the responsibility away on the grounds that there was no spare money in the treasury, and the Ministry of Works took charge of it.
"Master Qin, the situation was really pressing.
The battle in Luchuan has not yet ended, and the Ministry of Revenue really has no spare money."
Qin Kui also looked relieved and smiled honestly:
"Master Yang, please don't take this to heart. The Ministry of Works understands the difficulties of the Ministry of Revenue, but the Ministry of Works also has no spare money and cannot borrow money. Please also understand the Ministry of Revenue."
It's bad. After saying this, Qin Kui wanted to slap himself.
You are still confused, what are you talking about?
"No borrowing!"
As expected, Yang Jing's eyes lit up and his tone became excited, fearing that Qin Kui would change his words.
"Minister Qin, I heard that the Ministry of Industry has recently come up with some novel items. Can we let the Ministry of Revenue handle them exclusively?"
Even though Qin Kui had just witnessed Li Zhigang's shamelessness, he was stunned by Yang Jing's shamelessness.
"Lord Yang, are you kidding?" Even with Yang Jing's thick skin, he felt a little ashamed at this moment.
Before he could say anything, Qin Kui raised his hand to refuse:
"Master Yang, please don't mention this matter again.
The newly developed items of the Ministry of Works are military equipment and are supervised by the Right Vice Minister Lu.
This is a personal order from His Majesty, and even I cannot interfere!"
"Alright, alright. We're almost at Fengtian Palace. We'll discuss this matter tomorrow.
Otherwise, you can go find Lord Lu and discuss it with him."
As Qin Kui spoke, he led many officials from the Ministry of Works and fled away quickly.
Yang Jing was left standing there in a daze, his face full of worry, and his neatly trimmed beard was now a tangled mess.
He had just taken office for two months, and things in the entire government office had not yet been sorted out, and then there was a problem with the Yellow River again, which made him feel overwhelmed.
At this time, the newly appointed Minister of War, Shen Xi, came up with a look of gloating.
“Hahaha, Lord Yang, Lord Qin is a famous craftsman with great skills, and he has always been frugal.
He could use the waste materials from the construction of the Imperial Temple to pave the road, so it would be extremely difficult to deduct money from him."
Yang Jing glanced at him, snorted coldly and said:
"Qin Kui plans to shut down the military equipment workshop provided to Fujian Dusi.
Lord Shen, you should first think about how to gather enough weapons for the Northern Expedition. By then, I'm afraid it will be too late to draw them from other places."
Shen Xi's face froze and his voice suddenly rose two tones!
"what?"
He glanced through the crowd at Qin Kui's hurriedly leaving back, cursed inwardly at the old villain, and hurriedly chased after him.
The Minister of Rites Li Yuanming walked over slowly.
His hair and beard were gray, his body was old and hunched, but he looked noble.
Looking at their appearance, he shook his head helplessly:
"Six Ministry officials, how can you be so loud and noisy?"
"Hehe." Zhang Zhi, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites beside him, smiled.
He looked at Yang Jing and pointed to the distance:
"Master Yang, isn't that Master Lu? You can go ask him."
Yang Jing turned his head and saw several young people gathered in groups of three or five not far away, walking towards the Fengtian Hall.
His eyes lit up, he cupped his hands, said thank you, and hurried over.
Seeing him so flustered, Zhang Zhi's eyes flashed with surprise and he chuckled:
"Sir, it seems that the Ministry of Revenue really has no money."
Li Yuanming nodded with a smile:
“There were too many things going on this year, and the grand festival cost a lot of money.
Now that the Beijing troops have returned, we have to pay out bonuses and pensions, and the Ministry of Revenue is having a hard time."
Many of the adults around laughed to varying degrees.
Looking at Yang Jing who was hurrying away, his eyes were puzzled.
"Master Lu, Master Lu!"
Lu Yunyi, who was looking at the Fengtian Palace, heard the exclamation and slowed down his pace. He soon saw an old man in a red robe walking quickly towards him.
He has a thin figure and a capable look!
Especially the second-grade flower rhinoceros on the waist, which made Lu Yunyi's eyes flash with doubt.
Who is this person?
Li Jinglong on the side raised his eyebrows and lowered his voice:
"Yang Jing from the Ministry of Revenue has just been in office for two months. He was previously the Left Vice Minister."
Lu Yunyi's face suddenly showed realization. He looked at Yang Jing who was rushing towards him and bowed, saying in a loud voice:
"Your subordinate Lu Yunyi pays homage to Minister Yang."
The sudden sound attracted many people's attention.
Even Yang Jing's rapid pace slowed down, and a look of embarrassment appeared on his face.
Seeing Lu Yunyi's action, Li Jinglong almost couldn't hold it in. He burst out laughing and quickly lowered his head.
The many family members and Beijing army generals behind him looked at the scene in front of them with strange expressions.
It was Mu Chuting, and it was also the first time she met the six ministers.
She looked him up and down, then quickly looked away.
That's all, she doesn't have the heroism of her husband.
Yang Jing also walked in front of Lu Yunyi, because they were very close to the Fengtian Hall.
He didn't continue to be polite and just said what he was thinking directly.
Lu Yunyi heard Lu Yu hesitated, but before he could speak, Li Jinglong beside him put his hands on his hips and spoke in a deep voice:
"Sir Yang, is the Ministry of Revenue running out of money? Should we ask the Ministry of Works for money?"
Yang Jing was embarrassed and bowed to Li Jinglong:
"Duke Cao, I have no other options left, so I have the nerve to come and ask you."
Lu Yunyi spoke softly:
"Sir Yang, it's not that I'm unwilling to help.
However, the newly developed items of the Ministry of Industry are military equipment, and the first few batches must be deployed to the Ming army first.
According to Ming Dynasty law, it was not allowed to be sold outside, and government offices were not allowed to make money from it.
As for exclusive franchise, there is no way to talk about it. "
Lu Yunyi's refusal was so straightforward that Yang Jing was slightly stunned.
He sighed slightly, then cheered up and talked about other things:
"I heard that the Ministry of Industry and the Governor's Office are planning to open a business together, and it will be quite large. Can the Ministry of Revenue participate?"
Lu Yunyi's eyes flashed with brilliance, and he looked embarrassed:
"I have no say in this matter. This matter was led by the Governor's Office and reported to His Majesty and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.
If the Ministry of Revenue wants to get involved, please ask the general and Qin. "
Yang Jing took a deep breath and whispered:
"Sir Lu, I won't keep you in suspense any longer.
If the Ministry of Revenue can get involved in this matter, it can provide certain support.”
"May I ask?"
A hint of cruelty flashed in Yang Jing's eyes: "The Baochao Division allows you to exchange money for silver!"
Lu Yunyi raised his eyes slightly and looked at Yang Jing with a frown.
Li Jinglong on the side reacted much more violently. He stared at him with wide eyes, his face full of horror.
The Ming Dynasty law stipulated that when common people used treasure notes, they had to exchange them with gold and silver from the Baochao Division.
However, it is not allowed to exchange treasure notes for gold and silver.
The imperial court used this to collect silver from all over the world, and then implemented the "reverse banknote system" by collecting old banknotes and issuing new ones, weakening the power of merchants, with significant results.
Now Yang Jing wants to participate in all the business affairs.
It is extremely bold to put forward such conditions.
Then, Yang Jing stepped forward and explained the operation.
Lu Yunyi understood that it was not exchanged directly by the Baochao Division.
Instead, they achieve this goal through other channels and maneuvers, which also involves losses.
But even so, being able to exchange treasure notes for silver was unheard of.
He knew that some big businessmen and powerful people had a lot of precious money in their hands.
But since he couldn't exchange it for silver, he could only squander it and spend the money as much as he could.
This also led to an unprecedented prosperity in Ming Dynasty's commerce, and all merchants were spending money.
If there is such a channel that can exchange treasure notes for silver, all the rich people in the world will come here.
Even if the handling fee is half of that, they will still flock to us.
"wrong."
Lu Yunyi lowered his eyes and the fists at his sides suddenly clenched.
He turned his head to glance at Yang Jing and saw that he looked sincere and ready to go.
Lu Yunyi felt more and more that danger was approaching.
His eyes sparkled, his heart was resolute, and his voice rose again:
"Master Yang, don't mention this matter again. Military equipment is military equipment. How can we sell it to others?"
As he spoke, Lu Yunyi straightened his back and flicked his sleeves.
He walked straight forward, ignoring Yang Jing who was standing there.
Li Jinglong was still immersed in the fantasy of exchanging the treasure notes for silver.
Seeing him suddenly turn hostile and leave, I couldn't help but be stunned.
But out of trust, he hurriedly followed.
The same was true for his family members behind him and the many soldiers who came to attend the celebration banquet.
The atmosphere in front of the hall was a little weird, and countless people cast their eyes over.
But Yang Jing just stood there calmly, calm and expressionless.
(End of this chapter)