Da Ming: Father, step aside, I'll be the prime minister!

Chapter 163 Mr. Yuanfu! He's bullying this old man!
Zhang Juzheng's heart skipped a beat, and he knew it wasn't that simple. He quickly asked.

"What did this kid do this time?"

Zhang Rong gritted his teeth and said, "The Grand Secretary doesn't know? It's a good thing the Grand Secretary doesn't know!"

He lowered his voice, speaking from deep within his throat, as if he hated Zhang Yunxiu to the extreme.

"This..." Zhang Juzheng's face broke out in a sweat. He suddenly realized a possibility and hurriedly asked, "He...he hit the Duke?"

"Make a move? I'd rather he make the move!"

Zhang Rong said irritably.

He then recounted all of Zhang Yunxiu's deeds, most of which Zhang Juzheng already knew.

Examples include crosstalk routines containing risqué jokes, and distributing erotic pictures to displaced people.

Zhang Juzheng frowned deeply, but still couldn't help saying something to his youngest son.

"My lord, I think this is indeed a solution. After all, the refugees in Xishan are all rural people. If we want to settle them down, we can use some depraved methods as an emergency measure."

Zhang Juzheng was a pragmatic person, and he dealt with matters objectively.

“Ugh~” Zhang Rong looked troubled, his expression as if he had swallowed a fly. “There’s nothing wrong with this method, it’s just that it’s too flamboyant.”

"What is that?" Zhang Juzheng was in a state of great anxiety.

"I will tell you the truth then."

Zhang Rong lowered his voice and said.

"Those erotic pictures came from the imperial palace."

"How could the palace be like this!"

Zhang Juzheng's eyes widened, and he blurted out instinctively.

However, in an instant, his face lost all color.

Zhang Rong exhaled and said, "Very few people know about this matter. I have already strictly ordered those three lads not to spread it outside, but I did not expect that even the Grand Secretary does not know."

"Is it really true?" Zhang Juzheng asked incredulously. "Could it be His Majesty?"

Zhang Rong nodded heavily without saying a word.

"That little beast! How dare he do this!"

Since being discharged from the hospital, Zhang Juzheng had been trying to cultivate his inner strength and avoid getting angry, but he still broke his composure today.

The veins on his hands were bulging, and his eyes were bloodshot.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Rong quickly said...

"Minister, keep your voice down. Don't make too much noise. This matter has been suppressed for now, and no one knows about it yet."

If this were to spread, and His Majesty were branded as 'debauched and immoral,' we would both become sinners for all time.

The more Zhang Rong spoke, the more uncontrollable Zhang Juzheng's anger became. His face turned a deep purplish-red, and he continued to mutter something.

"I'm not angry! How could I be angry! What a terrible thing this unfilial son has done! He dared to bewitch the Emperor! I must remain calm and composed!"

Knowing that the other person seemed to be in bad shape, Zhang Rong quickly used the health preservation techniques she had learned from Renmin Medical Hall to remind him.

"Prime Minister, don't be impatient. Take a deep breath—take a deep breath—calm down."

But Zhang Juzheng wouldn't listen. He stood up, cupped his hands, and said...

"I apologize for disturbing you today. If that unfilial son has offended you in any way, I will definitely come to apologize another day."

Ju Zheng has some matters to attend to, so he will take his leave now.

Zhang Rong said with a worried expression, "Uncle, don't be too hasty. Now that this has happened, we can only take it slowly. As for Zhang Shiyuan..."

After thinking about it, he became worried about Zhang Juzheng instead.

“Disciplining children is very dangerous; you must not get angry and ruin your health. Be extra careful.”

It's quite absurd for an outsider like him to warn Zhang Juzheng to be careful of his own son.

Zhang Juzheng didn't want to linger. After bidding farewell to Zhang Rong, he went out, got into his carriage, and sped off towards the Western Hills.

Xishan Thousand Household Office.

Although it was called the Thousand Household Office, it was actually more like Zhang Yunxiu's office. It could be said to be the central hub of the entire Xishan workshop, and many plans and disposal methods were sent from here to various workshops in Xishan.

Today, the Thousand Household Office was unusually lively, not because criminals had been arrested, but because a group of officials and nobles had come to visit Zhang Yunxiu in a great hurry.

“Zhang Tongzhi, we have heard rumors that the Xishan workshop is fraught with danger, especially since there is a water vein at the foot of Xishan, making mining no easy task!”

Inside the main hall of the Thousand Household Office, Yang Wei, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, frowned deeply and asked with a bitter expression.

"Yeah yeah!"

Sitting next to him was Duke Cheng, Zhu Yingzhen; they were clearly both "victims" who had been fooled by Zhang Yunxiu.

He said with a look of urgency.

"Shiyuan! You absolutely mustn't lie to your brother. My Chengguo Duke's Mansion, including the Renmin Medical Clinic, has a total of sixty or seventy thousand taels of silver."

Also present was Xu Guo, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, who looked rather embarrassed as he spoke to Zhang Yunxiu.

“Zhang Tongzhi, it’s not that we don’t trust you, but everyone’s life and fortune are at stake. With the public outcry, no one is feeling any better.”

Xu Guo came on behalf of the Huizhou merchants.

Compared to others, Xu Guo, along with the Hui merchants, gambled his entire fortune, nearly 200,000 taels of silver.

However, during his exploration of Xishan, he discovered that Zhang Yunxiu was simply "extravagant and unrestrained".

They're just a bunch of refugees, yet they're being treated so well!

Even many ordinary people in Beijing are envious of the workers in Xishan and are now eager to come and work there.

The common people were happy, but the wealthy merchants and powerful were worried sick. All that hard-earned silver was being spent like this, as if it had been thrown into the water. How could they not be anxious?
Zhang Yunxiu sat upright in the hall, without even offering an explanation, and said rather strangely.

"What are you all talking about? The original contract clearly stated that Party B, as a shareholder, only enjoys the right to the profits stipulated in this contract and is not involved in the daily operation and management of the factory."

He took a small sip of tea and said without any politeness.

"The other party has no right to interfere in any matters within my workshop, including business decisions, personnel appointments and dismissals, production scheduling, and so on."

Have you completely forgotten the relevant terms and conditions?

If it were someone else, they would probably have been treated to a feast by these people who were "questioning" them.

But Zhang Yunxiu showed them no respect, acting as if to say, "What can you do to me?"

Yang Wei turned to look at his companion, at a loss for words.

Xu Guo was furious!
Unlike Yang Wei and Zhu Yingzhen, who had dealt with Zhang Yunxiu before, Xu Guo was experiencing Zhang Yunxiu's personality and tactics for the first time.

Even though he didn't dare to slam his fist on the table, he still said with dissatisfaction.

"How can Magistrate Zhang speak like this? Our lives and fortunes are tied to this, and we don't even have the right to intervene?"

Zhang Yunxiu retorted without hesitation, "This is a trade secret. If it were to be leaked, can you bear the responsibility?" "You!" Xu Guo slammed his fist on the table. "We've already paid!"

But Zhang Yunxiu was not to be outdone and presented a contract to the group.

"Ladies and gentlemen, everything is clearly written in black and white in this contract. If you have any dissatisfaction, you can refer to Article 3 of Chapter 6 of the contract, as well as the supplementary clauses in Appendix 3, to proceed with the withdrawal of your shares!"

Xu Guo was stunned for a moment. He took the contract and continued to argue.

"If Magistrate Zhang is like this, then I have no choice but to accept it."

But as he looked at it, he realized something was wrong. The terms and conditions looked like compensation?

Zhang Yunxiu crossed his arms and laughed, "If Vice Minister Xu wants to withdraw his investment, that's not impossible, but the three times the penalty for breach of contract must be paid in full. After all, this is royal property. Vice Minister, you don't want to owe His Majesty money, do you?"

In his previous life, he was always nitpicking over the wording of contracts. Now that he's in the Ming Dynasty, he finally gets to experience what it's like to be a "bad guy".

Xu Guo was furious. He pointed at Zhang Yunxiu and said...

"You shameless scoundrel! Is there any fairness in these rules?"

"But I didn't hold a knife to your throats and force you to sign!"

Zhang Yunxiu said confidently.

"You were all greedy in the past, so you can't blame others for it."

"This"

Yang Wei's eyes widened as he stepped forward to examine the contract, nearly dropping his grip.

At nearly seventy years old, he almost burst into tears.

In fact, it's not surprising that an official like Yang Wei didn't read the clause carefully.

They made their decision to invest money only after seeing the lotus root charcoal and considering the success of Zhang Yunxiu's previous clinic.

Most importantly, the Xishan Workshop also has royal involvement, so it should be a sure-fire way to make money.

In addition, there was a long and complicated contract, and Zhang Yunxiu urged them repeatedly when it was time to sign it.

Even to get a share, you need to have some influence in the capital. Who would have thought that this contract would contain such a hidden secret?

It was too late to say anything now; Yang Wei almost knelt down and begged Zhang Yunxiu.

Xu Guo was an impatient man, and he couldn't stand it any longer. He wanted to rush up and confront Zhang Yunxiu to demand an explanation.

"Zhang Shiyuan! Don't push your luck!"

But after taking two steps, he was stopped by the tall and strong Zhu Yingzhen.

The latter gave a simple, honest smile and comforted the other person.

"Minister Xu, please don't be hasty. Shi Yuan has always been direct in his speech—"

"Does the Duke also want to speak to him?" Xu Guo looked furious.

Zhu Yingzhen was clearly still somewhat unsure, so he looked at Zhang Yunxiu and asked.

"Is Shiyuan confident about this matter?"

Zhang Yunxiu nodded and said, "I will not do anything I am not sure of. Solving a mere water vein is very simple."

Having received Zhang Yunxiu's response, Zhu Yingzhen seemed reassured and nodded, speaking to Xu Guo.

"Then I believed Shiyuan."

"You believe that?"

Xu Guo couldn't believe his ears and thought that this Duke Cheng must be a complete idiot!
He then looked at Yang Wei, seeking his support.

"And you, Vice Minister Yang?"

But Yang Wei's trembling appearance suggested that he was also very afraid of Zhang Yunxiu, and he managed to squeeze out a sentence after a long time.

"Zhang Tongzhi, if I may be so bold as to ask, if this workshop can mine normally, how much briquettes can it produce in a month?"

Zhang Yunxiu liked these constructive questions, and he grinned, showing off his white teeth.

"The first month was the preparation stage, and the output was not quite enough. Next month, it will probably be around four or five million catties."

Four to five million catties!
Upon hearing this number, Yang Wei felt as if he were suffocating. He knew that when Xishan Coal Mine was still able to produce coal, it only produced about 100,000 jin a month.

Even in the mines of Beizhili, the maximum amount of coal that could be extracted in a month was one million catties.

But Zhang Yunxiu, that brat, actually spouted nonsense, saying something about four or five million catties.

Duke Zhu Yingzhen of Chengguo couldn't help but feel excited, and he did a quick calculation.

"This workshop will cost about 30,000 taels of silver to operate for a month. Just from a single briquette, it can earn more than 100,000 taels! Not to mention glass and other items!"
If that's true, then Xishan isn't some abandoned coalfield, but a veritable gold mine!

Seeing the other party's excitement, Xu Guo found it ridiculous. Was a monthly output of four or five hundred catties possible?

It’s simply a fantasy!

Throughout history, there has never been a mine that could produce four or five million catties per month!

When Xu Guo saw the ingenious "lotus root coal" and Zhang Yunxiu's many "small inventions" in the mine, the expected output was only one million catties per month.

Now, seeing that many mines on West Mountain are severely waterlogged, he realizes that he has made a huge mistake!

Why has no one been willing to open a mine in Xishan all these years?

It's because the mine is constantly leaking water, so the mine shafts can't be dug very deep, and the exploitable parts have almost all been mined out.

All that's left is some low-grade coal, which doesn't make any money at all!

However, no matter how bitter he felt inside, Xu Guo had to swallow his pride and bear it.

It wasn't that Xu Guotai was incompetent; it was just that Zhang Shiyuan was far too cunning!

As they argued, Yang Wei and Zhu Yingzhen were almost tricked into investing money by Zhang Yunxiu again.

He couldn't understand why these two people could trust Zhang Yunxiu so much and take his words as gospel.

Xu Guo walked ahead alone, unwilling to join them.

Just as they were about to get into the sedan chair, a horse-drawn carriage came speeding towards them and stopped directly at the entrance of the Xishan Workshop.

He frowned, trying to see who it was, but the figure coming down was very familiar, and he recognized the person at a glance.

With a "thump".

Xu Guo immediately knelt down, his mouth twisted, and he burst into tears.

"Your Excellency! You must save me! My heart is filled with bitterness!"

Zhang Juzheng frowned as he scrutinized the official who had suddenly knelt down, and it took him a long time to recognize him.

"Are you Xu Guo?"

(End of this chapter)