Dugong

Chapter 142 Internal Strife Continues
A faction, whether it is the court, the army, or a gang, must have a clear goal, or rather, an enemy.

The enemies of the Imperial Horse Administration were the Directorate of Ceremonial, the Garrison Command, and the Prince of Zhenbei.

This is not only His Majesty's intention, but also Li Ping'an's deliberate guidance.

The presence of three rival families throughout the palace, the capital, and the provinces can strengthen the cohesion of the Imperial Horse Administration, reduce internal strife and infighting, and at the same time, revenge against these rivals becomes the standard for subordinates to achieve merit and be promoted.

More importantly, the eunuchs under his command were oppressed and threatened by their enemies, so they had no choice but to serve under Eunuch An.

"Subordinates are the foundation of a stable power, and so are enemies!"

Li Ping'an kept in mind his godfather's teachings that Eunuch Chu, who had been an ancestor for decades, was never at peace, but was always fighting.

If you defeat an old enemy, then create a new one.

The day you become invincible, His Majesty will make an example of you.

This matter is somewhat disrespectful, and Eunuch An dared not delve into it further, at least not before the time of the Innate Realm.

at dusk.

After Li Ping'an finished reviewing the memorials, he took turns calling over Eunuch Xia, Xiao Chenzi, and others for a chat.

These are truly idle chatter, such as concern for one's descendants and children.

Such private chats can bring people closer, solidify relationships, and also sow discord among the eunuchs under one's command, causing them to distrust each other.

Judging others by one's own standards, Eunuch An absolutely did not believe that His Majesty's secret meeting with Eunuch Hai and Commander Gong was merely a casual chat.

They're definitely trying to harm our family; we must be careful!
The Imperial Horse Stables did not finish their shift until the hour of Chou (1-3 AM), with Xiao Chezi serving by their side, followed by a dozen or so eunuchs of all ages.

Normally, he would definitely be aggressive and domineering.

Today, Li Ping'an specifically instructed everyone to obediently follow the rules, keep their heads down and backs hunched, and walk silently.

Instead of taking the usual route back to Cining Palace, they took a half-circle route, passing by Wentiao Hall.

"pity……"

Li Ping'an sighed halfway there, but seeing Xiao Chezi looking at him with a puzzled expression, he did not explain.

Try taking a longer route; you'll eventually run into them.

I have done my duty diligently until the hour of Chou (1-3 AM), so His Majesty should see me without me noticing. Otherwise, wouldn't I have wasted my time?

Upon returning to Cining Palace, Empress Dowager Zhou had already retired for the night.

Li Ping'an waved his hand to stop the eunuchs and palace maids from bowing, explaining that elderly people sleep lightly and being startled awake in the middle of the night is bad for their health.

After resting for a while by the phoenix couch, Eunuch Rong quietly entered the room.

They exchanged a glance, and the two went to the second room on the east side to talk.

"We met Eunuch Meng today. The underground palace of the imperial mausoleum has already been dug more than three zhang deep."

Eunuch Rong said, "According to what Eunuch Meng said, the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs colluded with the Ministry of Works to make the wood and stone used to support the underground palace non-compliant with regulations."

Li Ping'an asked, "Have you seen it yourself?"

"We've seen it, and we all think Eunuch Meng was too lenient."

Eunuch Rong said, "The Directorate of Ceremonial and the Ministry of Works embezzled 70% of the silver and planned to use the remaining 30% to build the imperial mausoleum. However, the supervising eunuchs and foremen below wanted to embezzle, and even the farmers who were performing labor duties would cheat and shirk their responsibilities."

After all the calculations, I estimate that about 10% can be used for construction!

As the saying goes, what the superiors do, the subordinates will follow suit. If the superiors are corrupt, the subordinates will naturally follow suit. After layers of exploitation, how much is left to build the imperial mausoleum is entirely up to fate.

At worst, if they embezzle all the money and fail to complete the project, they can find another excuse to get the imperial treasury to approve the funds.

"So good."

Li Ping'an said with satisfaction, "Eunuch Rong has kept a close eye on the imperial mausoleum matters, but remember not to interfere. Even if the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs has a change of heart, do not sabotage it in secret."

Back then, in order to eliminate the Leng Gonggong faction, Li Ping'an personally demolished the Imperial Hunting Garden.

Looking back now, I realize I acted somewhat carelessly. His Majesty must have been suspicious; even if I was acting on His Majesty's behalf, I was still suspected of overstepping my bounds and showing great disrespect.

If they dare to demolish the Imperial Hunting Garden today, will they vandalize the Imperial Study tomorrow?
"We understand and will be careful."

Eunuch Rong nodded and said, "As for you, Xiao Anzi, you must remember the lessons of the past and learn from them."

Li Ping'an raised an eyebrow: "Little Rongzi, are you saying that the Imperial Horse Administration is rife with corruption?"

"Xiao Anzi is indeed quick-witted; he hasn't been blinded by Fugui yet."

Rong Gonggong said, "I've heard from many people that the Imperial Horse Administration has plenty of money. Even low-ranking eunuchs can make a lot of money."

A witty saying circulated within the palace: "To become an official, go east; to make money, go west!"

The office of the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs was located east of the Hall of Diligent Governance, while the Imperial Horse Administration was in the northwest corner of the palace. The junior eunuchs dared not address him by his full name, so they used the location instead.

“Our family’s embezzlement is different from Eunuch Hai’s.”

Li Ping'an explained, "Eunuch Hai only embezzles silver from the imperial treasury, while the Imperial Horse Administration embezzles silver that was not originally in the accounts, such as by abducting merchants and by reforming the salt administration."

Of these newly received funds, the Imperial Horse Administration only takes a portion; the majority is distributed to the Ministry of Revenue, the Beijing Garrison, and even…

He pointed in the direction of the Imperial Study, saying that out of respect for the Emperor, some things could only be done in private and could not be discussed in public.

His Majesty received tens of millions of taels of silver from the Imperial Horse Administration. The imperial treasury, which had been running around since the late emperor's death, had accumulated mountains of gold and seas of silver in just a few years.

The phrase "favored by the emperor" is extremely valuable.

"Xiao Anzi is quite capable. No wonder he was able to suppress the Directorate of Ceremonial and establish the newly opened Office for Investigating Rebellions to monitor officials and common people without attracting any obstruction from the outer court!"

Eunuch Rong suddenly understood and praised him repeatedly.

Having received bribes from Eunuch An, the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War naturally wouldn't obstruct the establishment of the Bureau for Investigating Rebellions.

The Ministry of Personnel may have some complaints, as the Salt Transport Office should have been staffed by officials appointed by the imperial court, but now it has become a subordinate of the Imperial Horse Administration. However, given the prevailing trend, there is nothing that can be done.

Ultimately, the salt administration reform was a way for the imperial court to consolidate local power and increase national tax revenue, which was of great benefit to the dynasty.

"However, there are only so many ways to make money in this world."

Eunuch Rong changed the subject, warning, "Little Anzi, one day you won't be able to make any more money, but the greed of the inner and outer courts will never end. At that time, the Imperial Horse Administration will become your prey."

Li Ping'an frowned slightly. Ever since he came out of the Cold Palace, everything had gone smoothly for him. He was invincible because of his "money".

According to past thinking, as long as one maintains the interests of superiors and subordinates, and internal and external interests, it seems that one can live a long life and sit in a stable position.

Rong Gonggong's words, however, were like a morning bell and an evening drum, instantly waking Li Ping'an.

Silver is only useful in good times; it's completely useless in bad times.

“My family was originally a poor boy from the countryside. After entering the palace, all I thought about was eating white flour buns. I never had any long-term plans.”

Li Ping'an cupped his hands and said, "Now that I have been fortunate enough to rise to a high position, I would like to ask Eunuch Rong for guidance on how to ensure that wealth and honor will continue."

Grandpa Rong held up two fingers: "The first way is to investigate corruption."

The reform of the salt administration and the plundering of merchants are ways to increase revenue, while the investigation of corruption is ways to cut costs. Both the extra and the saved money can be used to maintain stability.

"It can't be done."

Li Ping'an shook his head decisively: "We can't and dare not stop our subordinates from making money. We can't just let them do errands for free. It's fine once or twice, but if it happens repeatedly, they'll become disloyal!"

Eunuch Rong had anticipated this; stopping a eunuch from being greedy was harder than stopping a cat from stealing fish.

"Then only the innate is left. Like Eunuch Wei, as long as he doesn't rebel or betray the country, no matter how much silver he embezzles, he won't be held accountable."

Li Ping'an's lips curled up slightly, and he immediately understood.

"Xiao Rongzi, our family has had someone open a pawnshop to collect antiques and calligraphy. Would you be interested in looking after it?"

(End of this chapter)