In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 973 The Emperor is overjoyed!

The profit-sharing meeting of Yingtian Trading Company did not completely conclude until the afternoon.
There were significantly more carriages leaving than when they arrived.

Interspersed among them were carts loaded with silver chests, the chests neatly stacked.

The copper nails on the box gleamed in the sunlight.

They were afraid that others wouldn't notice that it was filled with silver!
For government offices with a stake in the government, this silver was a symbol of power.

The Ministry of Works and the Ministry of War were the most prominent.

The officials from the other four departments were so angry at the sight that they nearly ground their teeth to powder.

He secretly resented his superior for not acting sooner.

Now we can only watch helplessly as others pick up money.

On the Governor's side, the Left Army Governor's troops were the most eye-catching.
Carts laden with silver arrived one after another, with Governor Zhu Shou riding a warhorse.

Clad in armor, laughing heartily,
This caused the other generals from the different governor's offices to look at each other in bewilderment.
Wealth is a powerful motivator; who wouldn't want money?

Let alone a single share, even a single share would amount to nearly ten thousand taels.
Enough for the expenses of a government office for a year.

How could anyone not be tempted!
Many people secretly made up their minds.
When we get back, we must persuade Shangguan to find a way to get some shares of Yingtian Trading Company!

Last year, I received 690,000; this year, 810,000; and next year, who knows, it might be 1 million.
Ling Han, the Vice Minister of Justice, was a former official of the Yuan Dynasty and came from a wealthy family.

He asked himself honestly, and realized that he wasn't really that obsessed with money; enough was enough for him.

But seeing this scene today, he couldn't sit still any longer.

He boarded the carriage and hurriedly returned to the capital.
He then hurried to the Ministry of Justice and went straight to Yang Jing, the Minister of Justice.

"Master Yang!"

Before they even entered the room, Ling Han's voice could be heard in the yamen.

Yang Jing was sitting behind his desk, frowning as he reviewed the results of the Ministry of Justice's search of the capital.

He wanted to identify and address any shortcomings.

Let's see if we can find any trace of flintlock muskets.

Hearing the sound, he suddenly looked up.

Seeing that it was Ling Han who had returned, his expression softened somewhat:
"It's Lord Ling. Has the shareholders' meeting finished?"

Ling Han hurriedly walked to the lower seat and sat down.
He took the cold tea offered by the clerk, drank it all in one gulp, and sighed heavily.

Seeing that he didn't answer, Yang Jing put down his pen in surprise:
"What's wrong, Lord Ling? Has something happened?"

"no!"

Ling Han's tone was full of displeasure. He looked up at Yang Jing and said in a deep voice:
"Lord Yang, do you know how much money Yingtian Trading Company received today?"

"How many?"

"Eight hundred and one thousand taels! The Ministry of Works alone received one hundred and forty thousand taels!"

Ling Han's voice was filled with disappointment and frustration, and his breathing was somewhat rapid.

Yang Jing was also taken aback by this number, and a deep sense of regret welled up in his heart.
The Ministry of Justice has no stake in the Yingtian Trading Company.

Even at the very beginning of the business's establishment, the Ministry of Justice became a stumbling block.
The merchants held a grudge, and they wouldn't even send good items to the Ministry of Justice.

"So many? What about the Ministry of War?"

"Nearly 70,000 taels!"

Ling Han then announced another number and continued:

"Lord Yang, this can't go on!"

The Ministry of Justice was already neglected by both its own officials and its subordinates.

We have neither manpower nor money.

The Ministry of Personnel was in charge of all officials in the empire, while the Ministry of Rites was in charge of all rites

The Ministry of Revenue manages all the nation's finances; these are people who are never short of money.
Now even the cash-strapped Ministry of War and Ministry of Works have turned things around, while our Ministry of Justice is still stuck in the same place.

If this drags on, the gap will only widen.
Sooner or later, even the Court of State Ceremonial will be able to surpass us!

Yang Jing's face darkened; he got angry whenever the matter was brought up.

He was originally the Minister of Revenue, at the height of his power, but he was transferred to the Ministry of Justice, which was essentially a demotion.

Nowadays, the Ministry of Justice is short of funds and has a lot of work, and the tasks are mostly thankless and arduous.
In the assassination case alone, His Majesty and the Crown Prince have repeatedly reprimanded him for his poor handling of the matter, and he has truly suffered a great deal of injustice.

"Lord Ling, this has always been the way of the Ministry of Justice. You have worked in all six ministries for many years, so you should be aware of this."

"Precisely because we understand this, we can't let things continue like this!"

Ling Han slapped his thigh hard in frustration:
"The Ministry of Works takes too much of the money, more than 100,000 taels of silver every year. Can they spend it all?"

Lord Yang, let's go find His Majesty together.
I request Your Majesty to allocate some funds from the Ministry of Works to the Ministry of Justice!

The six ministries should advance and retreat together; how can only the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Works make money?
If all else fails, we can go and plead with Lord Lu on our behalf.

Please ask him to share some of the shares circulating outside with us.

"While others eat meat, we can at least have a sip of soup!"

Upon hearing this, Yang Jing raised an eyebrow, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.

This doesn't seem like it's impossible.

Especially at this critical moment,
The assassination attempt had already exposed problems within the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Works.
Yingtian Trading Company is now under the unified management of the Market and Commerce Bureau.

If Han Yi were in charge of getting money from the two government departments, he certainly wouldn't have been able to accomplish this.

But if Lu Yunyi were to handle it, perhaps there would be a turning point.

But then, Yang Jing shook his head:
"I have a grudge against Lu Yunyi."

He couldn't possibly give the Ministry of Justice a share of the Yingtian Trading Company's assets.

"Lord Yang, we have to give it a try, no matter how it may not work!"
"With His Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince speaking, how could he dare disobey?"

Ling Han grew increasingly anxious and hurriedly tried to persuade him.

Yang Jing's expression was somewhat strange. Although he didn't completely agree with this statement, he was also tempted to give it a try.
After all, with so much silver, any risk is worth it!

"Alright, after the court session ends, call Lord Zhang, and we'll go together."

Ling Han finally breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Ling Han had relented.
"it is good!"

Inside the Wuying Hall, the ice blocks in the bronze censer emitted a chilling aura, slightly dispelling the oppressive heat of the summer.
Even so, the hall was still somewhat stuffy and humid.

Zhu Yuanzhang sat at the head of the table, frowning as he read through the memorial sent by the censor from Longzhou.
It states directly that there are rumors in Longzhou that Duke Chang Mao of Zheng is not dead, but is hiding in the camp of the local chieftain.

He read this memorial for a long time.
Finally, he picked up the vermilion brush and gently wrote a few lines on it:
"Order Yang Wen and Han Guan to mobilize troops to attack the traitor Zong Shou and order him to hand over the rebellious minister Chang Mao."

After finishing writing, Zhu Yuanzhang handed the document to the chief eunuch beside him:

"Send it to the Governor's Office immediately."

"Yes!"

The chief eunuch Li Zhong quickly left the main hall, handed the document to a junior eunuch, and then hurriedly returned, bowing and reporting:

"Your Majesty, the Marquis of Wuding has not yet returned. It seems that today is going to be a very grand occasion."

Zhu Yuanzhang did not respond, but instead asked:
"Is Consort Ning satisfied with that hairpin from last time?"

The head eunuch immediately laughed, leaned closer, and whispered:
"Your Majesty, Consort Ning said that the value of the hairpin is not important; what matters is Your Majesty's sentiment."

"Humph"

Zhu Yuanzhang snorted coldly, but a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth:

"This Consort Ning is all talk and no action. Years ago, even the Empress was completely fooled by her."

At this point, Zhu Yuanzhang paused, his vermilion brush pausing, and his expression darkened.
"The anniversary of the Empress's death is approaching, isn't it?"

"Your Majesty, there is less than half a month left. Now that the palace has some extra money, shall we make some preparations?"

Zhu Yuanzhang straightened up and remained silent for a long time before saying:
"Let's follow the usual rules; there's no need for a grand celebration."
The money in the imperial treasury must ultimately be spent on important matters of the court; it cannot be spent on excessive extravagance.

"Yes!"

At this moment, hurried footsteps came from outside the hall, accompanied by Guo Ying's hearty laughter:
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty!"

Zhu Yuanzhang slightly raised his eyelids and saw Guo Ying rushing in. He couldn't help but scold:

"What are you howling about? Is the sky falling down?"

Guo Ying stopped at the lower level, holding a large box in her hands, and said with a smile:

"Your Majesty, the dividends from Yingtian Trading Company have been distributed!"
"Consort Ning specifically instructed me to buy you a gift, and I have brought it back for you!"

Zhu Yuanzhang raised an eyebrow, a hint of joy flashing in his eyes, but his face remained impassive as he coldly snorted:
"They just keep doing all this fancy stuff."

He paused, then asked casually:

"What is it? Carrying a big box into the palace, aren't you afraid of being impeached?"

Guo Ying laughed and put the box on the ground.
Take out a long, sleek mink coat with a bright, soft coat.

Upon seeing this item, Zhu Yuanzhang unconsciously rubbed his fingers together, his gaze fixed intently on the fur.

Guo Ying explained:
"Your Majesty, this is top-quality sable fur that Hongfenglou obtained from Liaodong."
It uses the finest materials and the most exquisite craftsmanship, and is made by top artisans.

This item has no serial number, but it would sell for nearly three thousand taels at Hongfenglou!

"Only after I revealed my identity and produced Consort Ning's warrant did Hongfenglou agree to bring out the last item in their inventory." Hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's expression softened even more.

As he gets older, winter becomes increasingly difficult for him.
Having a coat like this will definitely keep you warmer.

Having always projected a cold and aloof image, if someone suddenly added an expensive fur coat to their outfit...
It was inevitable that his courtiers would notice that his health was not as good as before.
So she kept enduring it, refusing to say anything even when she was cold.

The chief eunuch glanced at the emperor's expression and immediately understood that the emperor was very satisfied.

He leaned closer and chuckled softly:

"Your Majesty, it seems that you mentioned the cold winter to Consort Ning last time, and she has taken it to heart."

"Yes, that's thoughtful of you."

Zhu Yuanzhang responded calmly and gave the order:

"Take it here and hang it up later."

"Let's see if this stuff is really as warm as Hongfenglou claims when winter comes."

Seeing this, Guo Ying, sitting to the left, immediately stepped forward with a smile and unfolded her mink coat:

"Your Majesty, look how soft and warm this fur is!"

Zhu Yuanzhang reached out and touched it, finding the fur incredibly smooth.
It's warmer than many of the cotton-padded clothes in the palace; I can't help but exclaim in admiration:
"Expensive things are indeed expensive for a reason."

"Hahahaha! Your Majesty, ordinary fur coats only cost a few taels of silver, and they are far inferior to this. This is the finest mink fur in the world!"

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and then asked:

"I heard that Hongfenglou is a joint venture with Da Ning?"

Guo Ying nodded, her tone tinged with emotion:

"Your Majesty, I am truly convinced this time."
Lu Yunyi, that kid, really knows how to make money!

The Hongfeng Building was decorated so grandly that a large room contained only one item, which looked extremely precious.

I've heard that some extremely valuable items require points and can't be bought even with money.

"What do you mean?"

Zhu Yuanzhang became interested and pressed for more details.

"It seems that one point is worth one thousand taels of silver. A mink coat like this would cost thirty points. If you don't have enough points, we won't sell it to you."

Upon hearing this, both Zhu Yuanzhang and the chief eunuch's brows twitched violently.

The gaze directed at the mink coat held a more discerning quality.

It's one thing to sell things at high prices, but to come with conditions?

Are all the people in Beijing stupid? Who would buy this?

However, both of them were seasoned veterans who deeply understood the thoughts of the powerful and influential in the capital.
Money is just a number to them.
The rarer and more expensive something is, the more eager people are to acquire it.

The chief eunuch pursed his lips and asked the question that had been on Zhu Yuanzhang's mind:
"Lord Wuding, Hongfenglou said it would sell one hundred of these coats. Are they all going to cost thirty cents each?"

"That's natural."

"Are they all sold out?"

"Sold out, but I heard from the manager of Hongfenglou that..."
This year, only about twenty pieces were made, and after deducting those sent to various dukes' mansions, less than ten pieces were sold.

If you want to buy it now, you'll have to wait until next year.

Zhu Yuanzhang quickly calculated in his mind,
One piece costs 30,000 taels of silver, so ten pieces would cost 300,000 ta
A flicker of shock crossed his eyes. Even a company as large as Yingtian Trading Company only made a little over three million in sales a year.

A small establishment like Hongfenglou could earn 300,000 taels of silver just from selling mink furs.
Even now, when Guo Ying thinks back on it, she still finds it unbelievable, so she suggests:
"Your Majesty, civil and military affairs are inseparable. The position of Minister of Revenue is still vacant. Why not let Lu Yunyi take it?"
Let him make more money; it will save the imperial court from its current financial straits.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang immediately came to his senses and angrily scolded:
"If he really becomes the Minister of Revenue, he'll turn the six ministries of the court upside down! Get out of here."

A hint of regret flashed in Guo Ying's eyes.
The current Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue is Fu Youwen.
If another minister with a military background were added, the governor's office would be much better off.

Just then, a guard rushed in from outside the hall, bowed, and reported:

"Your Majesty, Yang Jing, Minister of Justice, Ling Han, Vice Minister of the Left, and Zhang Sidao, Vice Minister of the Right, request an audience."

The smile on Zhu Yuanzhang's face vanished instantly, and his expression turned serious.
The three of them came together; could it be that there has been progress in the assassination case?
"Summon them, let them in."

Before long, Yang Jing, Ling Han, and Zhang Sidao entered the hall.

"Your subjects Yang Jing, Ling Han, and Zhang Sidao pay their respects to Your Majesty!"

The three of them bowed in unison.

Zhu Yuanzhang did not ask them to get up, and went straight to the point:

"But has there been any progress in the assassination case? Has the killer been found? Or has the flintlock pistol been located?"

The hall fell silent instantly.

Yang Jing tightened his grip on his official robe, stealing a glance at Zhu Yuanzhang at the head of the table.
Seeing his sharp, piercing gaze, he immediately sensed something was wrong:
"Your Majesty, there are no new leads in the assassination case."

"Then what are you doing here?"

Zhu Yuanzhang's voice suddenly turned cold, his tone filled with anger:

"I thought you had solved the case and came all this way just to say there's been no progress?"

Seeing this, Ling Han quickly looked up and said urgently:
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger! We have come today to discuss matters concerning the Yingtian Trading Company!"

"A trading company?"

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned, clearly somewhat surprised.

Ling Han nodded repeatedly and recounted in detail the matters he had discussed with Yang Jing at the Ministry of Justice.

Zhu Yuanzhang listened, increasingly stunned. When he finally understood, his face darkened considerably.

"You've ignored this major assassination case and come before me demanding your share of the business?!"
What is the Ministry of Justice for? It is in charge of all criminal justice systems in the land and apprehends wicked and evildoers!
Now, the rebels are using weapons to assassinate high-ranking officials of the imperial court.

The case has been under investigation for so long, and we haven't even gotten a single lead.

"You lot, all you've got is money on your minds!"

Yang Jing trembled with fright and quickly bowed again:
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger! We are not neglecting our duties, but the Ministry of Justice has been short of funds for many years."

Nowadays, the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Works are making up for their expenses with the help of merchants, and even the Governor-General's Office has a surplus.

Only the Ministry of Justice is struggling to afford winter clothing for its clerks.

Yingtian Trading Company distributed 810,000 taels of silver in dividends this year.

We, your humble servants, only ask for a share of the funds, so that the Ministry of Justice can focus on its investigations without being hampered by funding constraints.

Zhang Sidao quickly echoed:
"Your Majesty, we are not greedy for money."

However, the Ministry of Justice needs to travel extensively to investigate cases, and examining crime scenes and interrogating suspects all cost money.
The treasury is now empty, making it difficult to continue.

If there were some extra subsidies,
"We, your humble servants, will certainly do our utmost to investigate the assassination and bring the murderer to justice as soon as possible!"

Zhu Yuanzhang was furious when he saw the three men's appearance.

However, they were also aware of the Ministry of Justice's difficulties; the imperial court's finances had been strained in recent years.
Of the six ministries, the Ministry of Justice has always been the poorest, with no profit whatsoever.

He suppressed his anger and said coldly:

"The shares of Yingtian Trading Company were initially acquired voluntarily by various government departments."

The Ministry of Justice not only refused to participate in the investment, but also obstructed the process at every turn.
Now that others are getting their share of the profits, you want more? There's no such thing as a free lunch!

Yang Jing's face turned pale, and he hurriedly said:

"Your Majesty, we know we were wrong!"

However, the Ministry of Justice is currently facing a very difficult situation.

We implore Your Majesty to grant some funds from the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Works to the Ministry of Justice.

Even if it's only half a percent, we would be eternally grateful!

Zhu Yuanzhang stopped, his gaze sweeping over the three men, then glancing at Guo Ying, who was suppressing a laugh.

Guo Ying clearly found the Ministry of Justice's current state somewhat comical.

Zhu Yuanzhang gave a light snort:
"Why should I order the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Works to share their profits with you?"
They risked their money and effort, so they deserve their share of the profits!

After a pause, he changed the subject:
"You may want a contribution, but I will not grant you that request."

You should go and discuss it with the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Works, and the Governor's Office yourselves.

If they are willing to give you their share, I will grant it.
"If you're unwilling, then don't bother me again!"

Yang Jing and the other two were stunned, exchanging bewildered glances.

Should we go to the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Works to ask for our share?

How could those departments, having received benefits, easily relinquish their positions?
"Your Majesty...this..."

Ling Han wanted to say something more, but Zhu Yuanzhang glared at him and shut him up.

Zhu Yuanzhang's voice deepened further:
"Either you go and discuss it yourselves, or you go back to the Ministry of Justice and investigate the case properly! Stop thinking about making money all day long!"

Yang Jing, you were once the Minister of Revenue, after all.
Even if they weren't particularly adept at making money, they could always find a way to scrape together some silver to cover the expenses of the government office. How have they fallen into such a sorry state!

"Your Majesty, I obey!"

The three of them bowed and agreed immediately, not daring to utter another word.

Watching the three figures hurriedly leave,
Zhu Yuanzhang snorted coldly, picked up the mink coat from the table,
His fingers stroked the soft fur, his tone tinged with impatience:
"Everyone's eyeing that little bit of money, but they haven't gotten much done on important matters!"

(End of this chapter)