Ming Dynasty: pacifying the rebellion and defending the border, dominating the world

Chapter 360 The Coronation Ceremony, Huge Expenses

Xu Yu had to suppress her chaotic thoughts.

He bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I have something else to report!"

"Oh?"

Zhu Jinzhen nodded, looked at Xu Yu, and seemed to have guessed something: "Could it be related to my enthronement ceremony?"

"Your Majesty, that is indeed the case."

Xu Yu nodded, taking out a blue cloth-covered account book from his pocket.

Zhu Jinzhen turned a page of his book, his voice flat and emotionless: "Minister Xu, rise. Have the Ministry of Revenue's enthronement ceremony accounts been prepared?"

Xu Yu held the account book high above his head: "Your Majesty, I, along with the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of Personnel, and the Imperial Censorate, have completed the verification. However, because the ceremony concerns the national dignity and must showcase the grandeur of our Great Ming Dynasty, therefore—"

"Read it." Zhu Jinzhen interrupted him.

Xu Yu's Adam's apple bobbed, and his fingers, as he unfolded the ledger, trembled like leaves in the autumn wind: "The enthronement ceremony requires a set of twelve-symbol imperial robes, embroidered with gold thread, requiring one hundred taels of pure gold and three thousand peacock feathers; the crown tassels must be made of twelve strings of pearls from the Songhua River, each pearl being over an inch in diameter..."

He mustered his courage and stole a glance at Zhu Jinzhen's face. Seeing that the other man's expression was calm, he dared to continue reading, "The jade tablet for sacrificial rites to Heaven must be carved from Hetian mutton-fat white jade, and be three feet six and a half inches long, corresponding to the 365 degrees of the celestial sphere; the sacrificial offerings at the Imperial Ancestral Temple must consist of twelve pure-colored cattle, sheep, and pigs, raised in the Shanglin Garden for one hundred days, and fed daily with ginseng soup and millet..."

The incense smoke inside the hall seemed to have stagnated.

Xu Yu felt cold sweat trickling down her spine, soaking her undergarment.

He clearly remembered the discussions he had held with the Ministry of Works at the Needlework Bureau and the Inner Textile and Dyeing Bureau, when they discussed the unprecedented and unique dragon and phoenix robe.

Only by weaving with gold thread can the dragon and phoenix robes flow like life under sunlight and candlelight. They are supplemented with silk from Tianshan ice silkworms, warm jade that has never been destroyed in volcanic craters for millions of years, peacock feathers, and the skillful hands of many craftsmen to create the sun, moon, and stars that can change into a seven-colored halo from different angles. It is the ultimate in luxury.

It can also keep you warm in winter and cool in summer, and has the effect of slightly protecting you from water and fire.

The only issue is the production cost...

"Your Majesty," he said, his voice trembling as he read the crucial part, "the Ministry of Rites estimates that the combined costs of the enthronement ceremony, the investiture of the empress, and the sacrifices at the Imperial Ancestral Temple will be... 45 million taels of silver."

The last few words were practically squeezed out through clenched teeth.

Xu Yu stared intently at the tips of her shoes, her heart pounding against her ribs.

As the provincial governor, Xu Yu knew all too well that in the past five years, the court's annual revenue had been between 30 million and 50 million taels of silver.

But that wasn't what truly made him uneasy.

Instead, Zhu Jinzhen was currently carrying out a major crackdown on officials and dignitaries in the capital, dealing with a series of problems caused by corruption in the Ministry of Revenue. When he submitted such accounts at this time, even Xu Yu would find it hard not to suspect that he had embezzled some of the money and profited from it.

Xu Yugeng seemed to already see Zhu Jinzhen's furious expression.

However, the expected outburst of anger did not materialize. The scene that Xu Yu had imagined—Zhu Jinzhen throwing the account books in his face, sending back orders for him to cut expenses again, or questioning him—did not happen.

Zhu Jinzhen merely turned a page of the account book, the soft sound of the pages turning particularly clear in the silence: "Why do we need pearls from the Songhua River?"

Xu Yu was taken aback for a moment, then hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, the Songhua River pearls are round and full, and are said to be protected by the River God. They have been used in grand ceremonies throughout history..."

"Hmm." Zhu Jinzhen didn't look up, but simply nodded calmly, his gaze falling on the words "one thousand taels of pure gold" in the account book. "One thousand taels of pure gold, melted into gold thread?"

Xu Yu was shocked and quickly bowed: "Yes! Your subject has ordered the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Works to investigate. The Needlework Bureau and the Inner Textile and Dyeing Bureau have skilled craftsmen with superb skills and the ability to imitate the Golden Thread Robe and make dragon robes and phoenix robes with gold thread."

In the Bureau of Needlework and the Bureau of Imperial Textile and Dyeing, Xu Yu, together with the Ministry of Works, discussed the creation of dragon and phoenix robes that were unprecedented and unique. The gold thread made from 'a thousand taels of pure gold' was not considered particularly precious in the preparations for this enthronement ceremony. After much deliberation, this particular arrangement came about.

Zhu Jinzhen wasn't bothered by the so-called thousand taels of gold. He just asked casually, and seeing Xu Yu's nervous look, he couldn't help but shake his head slightly: "On the dragon robe and phoenix robe... I will later send Zhu Ting, the number one expert of the Ming Dynasty, and Lu Miaozi, the number one all-rounder of the Sui Dynasty, to help you with this matter."

Zhu Jinzhen didn't know much about the extraordinary skills of the craftsmen in the Daming Palace, but he knew that Zhu Ting and Lu Miaozi were absolutely unparalleled in the world when it came to the gold-threaded garment.

The former was known as the most skilled healer, and he even personally sewed a piece of Azure Blood Silver Silkworm Inner Armor for Lu Xiaofeng. It was impervious to swords and spears, and could deflect 30% of the force of the Finger Profound Master's blows. It was difficult to pierce except with the most famous swords of the time.

The latter had even seen the Longevity Formula forged from Xuanjin silk threads.

In terms of skill, no craftsman could possibly surpass him.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I obey your decree." Xu Yu nodded with a smile. He was overjoyed that His Majesty was willing to assign a capable person to help him share the workload.

Moreover, Xu Yu had heard of those two people.

Zhu Ting, the most skilled doctor in the Ming Dynasty; Lu Miaozi, the most versatile talent in the Sui Dynasty.

They are all renowned in their respective countries.

Zhu Jinzhen casually flipped through the account books, pausing for a moment when his fingertip traced the line "Shanglin Garden Imperial Sacrifice": "Twelve purebred cattle and sheep, it's not considered extravagant. They are fed ginseng soup every day... This is nothing special."

Let alone ordinary ginseng soup, even ginseng soup made from century-old ginseng is not as valuable as a thousand taels of pure gold to Zhu Jinzhen.

Xu Yu misunderstood, thinking Zhu Jinzhen was dissatisfied. His knees buckled, and he almost knelt down: "Your Majesty, I know I was wrong! This is the Ministry of Rites' suggestion, Your Majesty..."

"No need to explain." Zhu Jinzhen closed the account book, casually handed it over, and it floated into his arms. "I have no intention of blaming anyone. I don't care about the other emperors, but my enthronement ceremony must be grand."

"As for waste..."

Zhu Jinzhen sneered and pointed outside the Wenhua Hall, "The Eastern Depot, the Western Depot, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard are raising this sum of money for me. I believe that the powerful and influential people in the capital and the officials of the court will not let me down!"

Xu Yu lowered her head, not daring to look directly at him, her back drenched in cold sweat.

He thought of the rumors circulating in the capital, and of the powerful and influential people who had come to his residence to plead for him today. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, thinking how incredibly stupid those people were, especially those from the Ministry of Revenue.

He thought he could use the issues of finance and the Ministry of Revenue to control Zhu Jinzhen, but in the end, he was a diligent official who spent half his life embezzling countless sums of money, only to have his efforts benefit others.

"What's wrong?" Zhu Jinzhen looked at Xu Yu's nervous appearance and smiled slightly.

"No!" Xu Yu hurriedly shook his head and replied, "The Ministry of Rites will do everything according to His Majesty's wishes. There will be no breach of etiquette. We will take into account the dignity and will not disappoint His Majesty."

"That's for the best!" Zhu Jinzhen nodded in satisfaction. He didn't care about the opinions of the world at all. So what if his coronation ceremony was extremely extravagant? This was something he 'earned' through his own abilities. Who would dare to criticize him?
"I will give you a number."

"Sixty million taels."

"As long as the expenditure does not exceed this limit, the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Works, and the Ministry of Revenue can propose their own measures without having to report them."

The reason it was 60 million taels was that before Xu Yu came to report, the Eastern Depot and the Western Depot had already reported some results. Starting with Yang Tan, the Minister of Revenue, and then the investigation of a series of corrupt officials involved, the total amount confiscated was 50 million to 70 million taels.

According to reports from the Eastern Depot, Western Depot, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard, this number is far from the limit.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty understands!" Xu Yu kowtowed deeply, his forehead pressed against the cold gold bricks, yet he felt a surge of warmth welling up from the bottom of his heart. He was unaware of Zhu Jinzhen's thoughts and plans, only assuming it was due to the trust, protection, and favoritism of his own emperor.

With this huge expenditure, Xu Yu was fully confident that he could make Zhu Jinzhen's enthronement ceremony a grand and spectacular event.

At that time, Xu Yu's position as Minister of Rites will be as immovable as Mount Tai standing on the earth!
(End of this chapter)