Miao Chu

Chapter 302 The Underhanded Tactic
Judge Jiang was not tall and was on the heavier side, but his fatness was not real; it gave the impression of being swollen, and his eyelids were also swollen.

He was wearing a wrinkled official uniform. He had opened the door himself, but he stood behind the door, so he was naturally close. When he spoke, his breath smelled strongly of someone who had been up all night.

The man invited Han Li into the house and personally poured tea. As soon as he picked up the teapot, he felt it was light and realized that it was already empty. He hurriedly said to the clerk who had led the way, "Quickly, quickly go and brew some Miyunlong tea for Zhengyan—the one that Vice Envoy Liu praised last time for its extremely elegant taste!"

Han Li placed his personal bag on the table and said, "I won't drink the tea. Brother Jiang, take a look and see if you need these. If there's nothing else important, the Water Conservancy Bureau is currently very busy. Supervisor Ma told me to go back after I finish my business here."

Judge Jiang, who had been all smiles, offering him a seat and urging him to drink tea, suddenly became indignant upon hearing this and cursed, "How dare this Mr. Ma order people around like this! Even livestock need a rest and a drink of water after working for so long! What does he take you for!"

He continued, “I’ve mentioned it to the Vice Envoy several times, and he even sent a transfer letter to the Imperial Academy, but you refused to comply. Tell me, what are you going to do at the Water Conservancy Bureau? You’d be better off coming to our Ministry of Revenue; that’s the time for you to show your abilities. Now that the matter in Huazhou is finally settled, why don’t we have Vice Envoy Liu negotiate with Supervisor Ma of the Water Conservancy Bureau to transfer you here…”

Before he could say anything more, Han Li shook his head and said, "I've finally finished my job and am about to rest after the handover is done. I haven't been able to concentrate on my studies for many days. Others may not understand the matters on the river, but Brother Jiang knows them best. If things go wrong, you'll be in deep trouble."

Judge Jiang was momentarily dazed.

Sometimes I forget that the person opposite me is a student. When I suddenly hear them say that I should "calm down and study," I'm a little taken aback.

But he refused to give up, and kept repeating various lines of rhetoric.

Who wouldn't like a capable, hardworking worker who can also bring connections?
After being persuaded for a long time, Han Li got tired of it and sighed, "Brother Jiang, I really have something to do in a moment."

He took a sheet of paper from his sleeve and said, "I have copied a book list here. Please count it and see if anything is missing. I will have someone copy it later. It should be done in the next two days at the latest. Remember to send it back in time."

He added, "Besides my own manuscript, there are also letters from my senior brother and my late master inside. Please be extremely careful!"

Judge Jiang said solemnly, "Don't worry, I know how serious this is!"

As he spoke, he rang the bell and called for someone to come over. In front of Han Li, he instructed, "Go and call He Er. Tell him to find seven or eight people, put aside what they are doing, and come over here to copy all the manuscripts related to the broom, stonemason, and carpenter. Be careful. Copy them right here. No one is allowed to take any of the manuscripts away or move around!"

Without waiting for anyone else to do it, he personally reviewed and checked the manuscript and its contents, signed it, and even affixed his fingerprint. He handed the handover document back, still unwilling to give up, saying, "Zhengyan, you..."

Han Li smiled and shook his head, saying, "That's enough. If it weren't for Brother Jiang's past kindness, I would never have sent these treasured items over this time—at most, I would have just pointed out the records in the Capital Water Conservancy Bureau."

Judge Jiang couldn't help but spit inwardly, cursing inwardly: With your pen and mouth, you're afraid of offending people?

But since he had ultimately benefited, he was too lazy to feign innocence in front of the younger generation, as it would be too embarrassing. So he said, "I know. It was precisely because of our past friendship that I came to find you—don't worry, I will definitely keep my head in check and won't reveal a single word."

Despite his inner grumbling, Judge Jiang was actually the one who knew best that what Han Li said was true.

Having served as an official for several years, he naturally had experience managing water affairs and knew that there were always two sets of accounts for the waterways: one for reporting to the imperial court, requesting silver from the Ministry of Revenue and the Three Departments, and finally submitting it to the Imperial Water Conservancy Bureau for archiving; and the other for the actual records.

When those below set exorbitant prices, those above naturally have to negotiate lower prices.

Judge Jiang's job is to repay debts.

He needed to calculate how much of the price was inflated, how much could be squeezed out, and squeeze it all dry. It was impossible to not let people eat a single penny, because then no one would work. But right now, the imperial court didn't have any surplus grain, so they couldn't afford to eat too much.

But how to apply the pressure is an art in itself.

This time, Vice Chancellor Li Zhai and Vice Minister of Revenue Fan You were arguing in court, almost digging up each other's ancestral graves. One said he wanted money for the Liuta River channel in Chanzhou, while the other said there was no money in the treasury and that the Liuta River channel demanded too much, far exceeding the original budget. Lü Zhongchang only cared about digging the pit and didn't care about filling it.

The two factions argued until the very end, but the matter was eventually dropped. However, not long after the court session, the petition from Liutahe demanding money arrived as scheduled.

Vice Minister Fan was unwilling to give it in the first place, and when he saw that they came to ask for money again, he felt that it was a provocation, so he naturally had to go down and investigate carefully.

Judge Jiang had barely slept for many days due to the investigations, and he slept in the Ministry of Revenue with his subordinates.

Lü Zhongchang had many flaws, but he did have unique insights into river management.

Everything else was easy to check and calculate, but this person also wanted to make new sweepers, stonemasons, wooden dragons, and other things. He was asking for an exorbitant amount, saying that many things inside needed to be changed. Regardless of materials or labor, everything would consume a lot of resources, but they were all extremely useful and indispensable, leaving Judge Jiang and the other officials somewhat at a loss.

He searched around but couldn't find anyone who could help.

Everyone has their own expertise, and most of those who know about it have already been sent abroad, or they don't want to offend Lü Zhongchang, who is currently gaining momentum. After all, only a group of wealthy young men went to Liutahe, and even Councilor Li and Minister Cao fought with Vice Minister Fan and others to help get money. Which lower-level official would be willing to step forward and get beaten up, causing trouble for themselves?

In fact, He Yi wanted to send someone to Liutahe to investigate thoroughly, but it was too late—in the end, after much deliberation, he still ended up asking Han Li.

In fact, Judge Jiang was just trying his luck at this point. He had once served as an official in another country and had taken care of Mr. Fu and his party. He had a deep memory of Han Li, the youngest disciple, because of his meticulousness despite his young age.

Later, after entering the capital, who knew that this person was already famous for cursing while still a student, and now he rushed to Huazhou to open the Wangjing River and clean up the aftermath of the Yellow River's diversion—the river affairs here are closest to Chanzhou in terms of both distance and time, and there is more to refer to.

After exchanging invitations twice and making a personal visit, Han Li finally relented.

Seeing so many manuscripts, Judge Jiang couldn't help but sigh.

It wasn't for nothing that he swallowed his pride.

is worth it.

As expected, one can see a person's future from the age of three. He was meticulous before, and now he is even more so—this person truly has everything at his disposal.

Among these many manuscripts are not only methods for improving broomwork, stonemasonry, and wooden dragons—which were originally researched and tested by Mr. Fu and Mrs. Kong with a group of disciples, and the costs, materials, and even working hours were clearly written down. This is a conjecture.

Then comes what Han Li recorded: the working hours and material prices in various places in recent years.

Although the times are different, the things are actually quite similar. With a basis for their actions, they naturally find it much easier to get things done.

Judge Jiang had just glanced through the document, and in front of Han Li, he didn't dare to be too obvious. In fact, he had already cursed his subordinate who went to fetch people a thousand times in his heart—he was only asked to find a few people, how come they couldn't find them for so long!

Not only should you copy down the contents related to broomwork, stonework, and wooden dragons, but it would be best to copy down everything that involves accounts—such an opportunity is rare!
Hearing Judge Jiang pat his chest in confidence, Han Li shook his head and said, "Since I dare to do it, I'm not afraid of being found out."

He added, “Back then, I repeatedly submitted memorials listing the drawbacks of opening up the Six Towers River. Although it was to no avail, I have always done things openly and honestly. Besides, this time the Water Conservancy Bureau received a letter from the Ministry of Revenue, requesting assistance in investigating the archives. What is there to hide?”

Judge Jiang chuckled inwardly.

young people.

Just moments ago, it was something that "offended people," but now it's something that "can't be shown to anyone." He didn't say anything to persuade him, but seeing that Han Li was about to leave, he quickly grabbed him and said, "The tea has already been prepared, it will be ready in no time, please have some tea before you go!"

They desperately tried to stop them.

Taking advantage of the fact that no one was around, Judge Jiang simply took Han Li to the inner room.

He pulled out a document and handed it over, saying, "Zhengyan, this is the amount they previously set for Liutahe this time. In your opinion, is it enough?"

Han Li took the money, examined it carefully, and finally shook his head, saying, "This little bit of money is only enough to build two dikes for Minister Lü. It's really too unsightly. Putting aside other matters, the Liuta River is a matter of national importance. Once a complaint is submitted to the Secretariat and presented to the Emperor..."

Judge Jiang felt a slight chill run down his spine.

He sighed, rubbed his temples, and said, "I know it's inappropriate, but... if I don't investigate more closely and let it go easily, I won't be able to explain myself properly."

Judge Jiang's words were vague, but Han Li understood the meaning without him having to spell it out.

We just had a huge argument. If we don't make things difficult for the other side, won't they think the Ministry of Revenue has backed down and can be bullied at will in the future?
He shook his head and said, "Why make such a scene? The imperial court said it wanted to repair the Liuta River, and Lord Fan should have just handled it impartially. Now it's turned into such a tense situation..."

Judge Jiang said, “I won’t say such perfunctory things in front of you, not only do you not think highly of Liutahe, but Vice Minister Fan does not think highly of it either. I even think that Chanzhou will definitely be a waste, and no matter how much money is allocated, it will be a waste.”

He continued, "I'm not afraid to tell the truth. Originally, Vice Minister Fan wanted to make trouble a long time ago, but this place is really hard to manage. But then you went to Huazhou and opened up the Wangjing River, and you cleaned up the aftermath of the Yellow River's course change so well that we had to scrape together money from all sides to pay for another round of funding..."

Han Li said, "Even if we can't afford it, it doesn't necessarily have to be such a mess..."

He stopped talking abruptly at this point.

Judge Jiang casually replied, "Then, according to you, what other solutions are there?"

"I have some ideas, but they may not be useful..."

Judge Jiang casually replied, "Just say it!"

Just then, the servant knocked on the door and came in to serve tea to the two of them.

Han Li nodded in thanks, then picked up a teacup and slowly sipped his tea. Taking advantage of his height, he glanced down at Judge Jiang and said with a smile, "Brother Jiang, I'm not an official from the Ministry of Revenue. Do you think I'm asking you for free?"

Judge Jiang hadn't taken it seriously at first, but upon hearing one sentence, he couldn't help but burst out laughing.
He asked, "What benefits do you want?"

Han Li thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Never mind, there's nothing I want right now."

His reaction piqued Judge Jiang's curiosity, and he laughed, "Well then, Zheng Yan, just tell me. If it's truly useful, I'll consider it an obligation to you, how about that?"

Han Li said, "Even if I don't say anything, given Brother Jiang's character, how could he not help if something happens in the future?"

This young man!

Judge Jiang cursed him under his breath for being cunning, but he was also quite pleased and offered a few more words of advice.

Han Li then said, "My idea is divided into three categories: superior, middle, and inferior."

What is the best strategy?

"Issuing wine and tea monopolies, and issuing ordination certificates."

"What kind of clever scheme is this?" Judge Jiang chuckled through his nose. "Isn't this how it's always been done? The money they receive has more important uses to spare, so why would they bother with Chanzhou?"

"If you can't afford to worry about it, then don't worry about it. Just let Chanzhou raise the funds themselves. The wine and tea monopolies are so important, just leave them to Chanzhou. Set a quota and let them raise the funds themselves. If anything is done improperly, the Provincial Judicial Commissioner will take charge and urge them on. What does it have to do with the Ministry of Revenue? Doesn't Master Fan want to just turn a blind eye?"

Judge Jiang hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Those two gentlemen won't agree; it's such a troublesome matter..."

"Forgive my frankness, but Brother Jiang finds it troublesome because the Ministry of Revenue is managing the tea and wine monopolies in the thirty-four circuits. There are many things to consider. If it were only Chanzhou, I'm afraid the two gentlemen would prefer to raise the money themselves. But now we're stuck here, unable to move forward or backward. It's better to make things clear: we'll raise the money from both sides. The Ministry of Revenue will allocate more funds and materials as needed. We'll give them what we have, and make up for any shortfall..."

Judge Jiang seemed to be deep in thought, and finally said, "Let me think about it, but it's not really suitable after all—what does 'falling into a trap' mean?"

"The plan was to discuss with the Sixth Route Canal Transport Office to dispatch grain, timber, and other supplies from the Jiangnan canal directly to Chanzhou..."

Judge Jiang barely managed to interrupt, patiently listening until the end before saying, "You've fallen into a trap, but it's probably the worst kind of trap, isn't it? If you give them everything, what will happen to the capital? The canal's transport capacity is already limited..."

Han Li said, “What to do about the capital is a matter for the Sixth Route Transportation Office and the two ministries. Why are you always worrying about them? It’s precisely because only the Ministry of Revenue is currently suffering losses that everyone is standing aside and may not actually want to transport the goods. What’s important is to discuss it.”

"After the discussion, draft a memorial and see what each department needs. For example, the main gate of the Water Conservancy Bureau and several old houses are either dilapidated or damaged and are under repair. The materials for these repairs cannot be allocated for the time being because they need to be shipped to Chanzhou. In addition, the Hanlin Academy needs to buy paper, pens and ink, and the capital prefectural government also needs to buy them. Coincidentally, Chanzhou is also in great need. I advise all departments to wait a while."

He listed them one by one, speaking at a moderate pace, but Judge Jiang's heartbeat gradually quickened.

It must be said that although it is simple, it may not be without effect—you will never know the pain until you are slapped yourself.

He couldn't help but ask, "Then what's the next plan?"

"Since everyone has contributed, shouldn't we also mobilize the wealthy and powerful to help by contributing money and effort?"

Judge Jiang said helplessly, "As expected, you've resorted to a scheme—did you think it was so easy to extract oil from a stone?"

"They might not be willing to donate it for free, but they might be willing to buy it, right?"

Judge Jiang was taken aback.

Han Li continued, “The Ministry of Revenue manages the monopoly on tea and wine, the production of various crafts, and the reserves of military and official uniforms. There is also the Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Affairs, which contains many farmlands and properties. See which ones you can move, put them up for auction, and the highest bidder wins.”

"It doesn't necessarily have to be a lot of money raised. As long as the task is carried out on a large scale, everyone inside and outside the city will know that the Ministry of Revenue is working hard to raise money for Chanzhou. It would be best to involve all government offices and ministries, including the lowest-ranking officials and the lowest-ranking officials. We have put in so much effort and done so much. It is not that we are deliberately shirking our responsibilities. We have no other choice. How can you gentlemen blame us?"

Judge Jiang couldn't help but swallow.

What a despicable tactic!
This last plan was clearly the best one!

　Thank you to Xiaobaibaihe from the bookstore for the light of inspiration, to Yanhuoyuziyou for the writing aid and two small tokens, to my cat Dandan for the writing aid and three small tokens, and to Wangxing for the writing aid. Thank you everyone!
　　Many thanks to the bookstore user "坐看云起" for the six small gifts, to the user "偶偶尔轻松" for the three small gifts, to the user "胖胖赛高" for the two small gifts, and to the users "歪歪猫咪", "阿白", "奥特曼小姐", "疯妈", "书友20240913560_ae", "a'旺仔颜", and "Love囡囡" for the one small gift each. ^_^
　　Thank you to Xiaoxiang Caterpillar MT for the peach blossom fan and sachet, to reader 897660 for the sachet and two amulets, and to Xiaoxiang Nier for the amulet =3=
　　Thank you to all the foodies! Since this was compiled by hand, please let me know if there are any mistakes or omissions :)
　　(End of this chapter)