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

Chapter 178 You don't want them? Sell them all to me!

But Zhang Juzheng looked suspicious, thinking that this kid was trying to trick him again.

"A dragon sucking water? What kind of absurd excuse is this?"

No wonder he didn't believe it.

Throughout history, even the most talented and extraordinary individuals have considered it remarkable if they could create one or two world-shaking masterpieces in their entire lives.

Examples include Cai Lun's improvements to papermaking and Bi Sheng's creation of movable type.

Even the greatest poets of all time can only have a handful of their works passed down through the ages.

Zhang Yunxiu's pioneering work in establishing the "Renmin Medical Clinic" and publishing newspapers is enough to secure his place in history.

If another "dragon sucking water" were to occur, wouldn't that truly be a demon descending to earth?

Zhang Juzheng continued without room for argument: "My mind is made up. This matter has already been reported to His Majesty. The matter of Xishan is of utmost urgency!"

"you!"

Zhang Yunxiu was furious. Explaining this kind of thing to people from ancient times was just too much of a waste of breath.

He simply stopped explaining and used "magic to defeat magic".

"You old geezer! This is a secret that will benefit future generations. If you insist on stopping it, the word 'unfilial' will be engraved on the family genealogy in the future! When we pay respects to our ancestors during the Qingming Festival, if they find out that you have ruined my hard work, they will probably rise from their coffins and make you kneel in front of the ancestral hall and explain yourself!"

Zhang Juzheng was completely dumbfounded.

What are unfilial descendants?

He never imagined that one day he would be called an unfilial descendant by his own son!

Zhang Juzheng slammed his fist on the table, finally reaching his breaking point.

"You brat! I have tolerated you time and time again, yet you have only grown more arrogant! Do you really think I am made of paper?"

I don’t know when it started, but the father and son could no longer communicate normally and would often get into arguments.

Zhang Yunxiu, however, seemed completely unconcerned, crossing his arms as he spoke.

"Father, please don't worry about these things. You wouldn't really understand even if I explained it to you. The art of commerce is profound and complex, and it's really hard to explain in a short time."

But one thing is clear: those greedy Shanxi merchants will not get a single penny from my hard work! The truth will be revealed when the workshop accounts are settled!

These principles were truly difficult for him to explain. In fact, Zhang Yunxiu had a premonition that even if he explained them, without concrete evidence, Zhang Juzheng would still find it hard to understand.

Even if I explained it to you, you wouldn't really understand.
These words echoed in Zhang Juzheng's ears, and he was so furious that he grabbed a memorial and threw it at him.

"You unfilial son! How can you be so stubborn? I must teach you a lesson!"

Zhang Yunxiu was agile and dodged the memorial with a sidestep. He chuckled and said.

"Father, just you wait and see. I will make my own decision on this matter."

After saying this, he fled the study as if his life depended on it.

After an unknown amount of time, the noise in the study gradually subsided, and Zhang Juzheng's expression also gradually calmed down.

But it seems like they were prepared all along?
Behind the study, You Qi slowly walked out, cupped his hands in greeting to Zhang Juzheng, and said...

"Master, young master, him? Eh!"

You Qi sighed heavily and said.

"There's a recipe for a stinky sesame soup circulating in the capital recently; perhaps it can knock the young master unconscious first."

If it weren't for his concern for the Zhang family's future, You Qi would never have come up with such an idea.

But now it seems that the young master in front of me is not someone who can listen to reason.

Zhang Juzheng said irritably, "That stinky hemp seed soup came from the clinic. If he could be knocked out by your stinky hemp seed soup, he wouldn't be Zhang Shiyuan."

"That"

Zhang Juzheng couldn't help but offer some guidance: "How are the people sent to Xishan doing? And shouldn't there be some progress on Yin Zhengmao in Southern Zhili by now?"

You Qi's eyes lit up as he spoke.

"I will make the contact right away!"

Looking at You Qi who was leaving in a hurry, Zhang Juzheng couldn't help but sigh and said leisurely.

"Could it really be possible to rely on that off-field tactic?"

two days later

The morning light was just beginning to break outside Huangji Gate Square.

As the court assembly drew to a close, all the officials turned their gazes toward the dragon throne.

Today, the Wanli Emperor, dressed in a moon-white robe embroidered with azure dragons and trimmed with emerald tassels, sat upright on a gilded dragon throne, resembling a large, exquisite green dumpling adorned with clusters of flowers.

The phrase "If you have something to report, do so now; if not, the court may adjourn" never appeared.

The Wanli Emperor seemed to have something to say, yet also seemed hesitant to speak.

He lowered his eyes and stared at Zhang Yunxiu in the ranks of military officers, his expression complex and hard to decipher, and he seemed somewhat guilty. After a long while, he finally spoke.

"Do any of my beloved ministers have anything to report?"

After speaking, his gaze shifted between Zhang Juzheng and his son Zhang Yunxiu, his heart filled with anxiety.

The Grand Secretary had already made it clear to Zhang Shiyuan that if things dragged on like this, the money I had invested in the Xishan workshops would really be wasted!
Of course, Emperor Wanli was anxious about this, but he couldn't mention it to Zhang Yunxiu in public.

Doesn't that mean that he, as emperor, is always talking about profit?

Shout out – “Hey, give me back my hard-earned money!”
How would his ministers view him? This is clearly not in line with the mindset of an emperor.

More importantly, Emperor Wanli clearly felt guilty when the matter of the Jingji Daily was mentioned.

At that time, the Prince of Lu, his own brother, offered his advice, and was also influenced by his mother, Empress Dowager Li. In addition, the promotion of the Jingji Daily was indeed a brilliant move to check and balance the court.

Emperor Wanli tacitly approved of this matter.

"Didn't my grandfather also skillfully use the art of balance back then?"

Emperor Wanli comforted himself in this way.

After waiting for a long time, Zhang Yunxiu still did not make any move.

Just as the emperor was filled with trepidation, a figure suddenly stepped forward.

The man was agitated; he was Xu Guo, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. His face was flushed, and he spoke loudly.

"Your Majesty! Your humble servant, Xu Guo, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, respectfully submits a report."

"Minister Xu?" Emperor Wanli was somewhat surprised. He shifted his body and spoke in his deepest voice.

What do you want?

Xu Guo considered his words carefully, glanced at Zhang Yunxiu with a lack of confidence, and gritted his teeth before speaking.

"I impeach Zhang Shiyuan, the Deputy Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, for abusing his power and arrogance, and for exploiting the people with harsh and domineering terms."

However, after the incident, Zhang Shiyuan not only showed no remorse, but also used clever words and sophistry to deny his crimes in an attempt to escape punishment!
We humbly beseech Your Majesty to render a divine judgment and restore justice to the people of the land!

After saying that, he suddenly knelt down and burst into tears.

For a moment, the court fell silent.

Many people were wondering why Vice Minister Xu's impeachment seemed a bit like that of a "resentful woman."
But the Wanli Emperor on his throne was somewhat speechless.

Why is it Zhang Shiyuan again?
Is it impossible to discuss state affairs in court without mentioning Zhang Shiyuan?

He sighed helplessly and looked at Zhang Yunxiu.

"What does Minister Zhang think?" Zhang Yunxiu stepped forward slowly, looked at Xu Guo, and retorted without giving him any face.

"When you, Vice Minister Xu, speak of the common people and subjects, are you referring to yourself and the Huizhou merchants under your command?"

Xu Guo jumped up like an old dog whose tail had been grabbed, and said angrily.

"Zhang Shiyuan! In front of His Majesty, do you still dare to use your flattering words? Give me back my money!"

"Your Majesty, this old minister is wronged! Zhang Shiyuan is truly wicked!"

As he spoke, he suddenly knelt on the ground again, tears streaming down his face.

Who would have thought that this person used to be Zhang Yunxiu's ally against Xu and Zhang?
"What exactly happened?" Emperor Wanli asked, his face frosty and somewhat angry.

"Your Majesty, please investigate thoroughly."

Xu Guo then recounted in detail how he had signed a contract with Zhang Yunxiu to become a shareholder in Xishan Workshop, and how he was ultimately deceived by the contract and trapped by Xishan Workshop.

As he listened, the Wanli Emperor, sitting upright on his throne, felt a sense of mutual respect and camaraderie.

This Xu Kingdom, like me, is a person burdened by money.

But Zhang Yunxiu spread his hands and said, "Minister Xu is being unreasonable. It's written in black and white in the contract. I didn't force you to sign the contract."

"How could Magistrate Zhang speak like that!"

These words immediately stirred up a hornet's nest.

To be honest, this matter has nothing to do with court politics, and it would be quite undignified to discuss it in court.

Surprisingly, not a single official raised any objections during the court session.

Many officials even came out together to ask the emperor to intervene on their behalf.

Even Yang Wei, who was also a vice minister of the Ministry of Personnel, was getting a little anxious.

He used to trust Zhang Yunxiu, but he was anxious to see the merchants manipulating market prices.

Over the past month, the price of briquettes has been gradually inflated, and even with the reduction in the number of coal miners in Xishan, it still seems like there's some profit to be made.

However, the price of briquettes has been getting lower and lower recently. In Yang Wei’s view, this is not because the Xishan workshop is getting better and better, but because those merchants want to make a big profit!

Let Xishan Workshop eat its fill!

All of their money was in there!

Yang Wei reported to the emperor in a trembling voice.

"Your Majesty, what Minister Xu said about this matter is biased. However, the mismanagement of the Xishan workshops does not affect the gains or losses of a single family or clan, but the livelihoods of tens of thousands of displaced people in Xishan!"

This must be taken seriously!

I urge Magistrate Zhang not to remain so stubbornly ignorant.

Unlike previous impeachments which came with great force, today's impeachment of Zhang Yunxiu was surprisingly accompanied by a pleading tone among the ministers.

The Wanli Emperor's complex expression and his use of words that implied negotiation with Zhang Yunxiu were both indicative of a discussion.

“Shiyuan, what do you think? This concerns the livelihoods of the refugees, you should…”

The entire court was pleading with Zhang Yunxiu to make the decision to abandon the Xishan Workshop, a truly unprecedented phenomenon.

Zhang Yunxiu glanced at his father, who even gave him an encouraging look, and he sighed helplessly.

"Your Majesty, it's not that I don't value it. It's just that..."

Emperor Wanli had obviously seen Zhang Juzheng's memorial long ago and immediately spoke up.

"Shiyuan, there is no need to worry! I will certainly support you. Renmin Medical Clinic and the newspaper are both good policies."

Unfortunately, even horses can stumble, and people are bound to make mistakes. But it is never too late to learn from them!
"I have made up my mind. As you said before, we will establish a Great Ming Medical Academy and a Great Ming Mechanical Academy. Both will be on par with the Hanlin Academy. One will be dedicated to developing modern medical techniques, and the other to developing all kinds of ingenious mechanical technologies."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yunxiu's eyes immediately lit up.

He had mentioned this matter before, but it was of great importance and would surely provoke opposition from the court officials.

Emperor Wanli has indeed made some progress; by bringing this up now, the resistance should be much less.

With dedicated research institutions, the development and proposal of various technologies will naturally become faster and more convenient in the future.

But Zhang Yunxiu still sighed helplessly and reported to the emperor.

"Your Majesty, it's not that I'm unwilling to shut down the Xishan Workshop, but the workshop is thriving and all processes are on track. It's about time to start making money."

Your humble servant has no interest in silver; the mere sight of it makes me feel disgusted.

But all of this is for the refugees in the Western Hills, and for the common people of the entire capital!

He emphasized the phrase "common people" and turned to scan the assembled court officials.

Many court officials dared not meet Zhang Yunxiu's gaze and lowered their heads.

The "common people" they speak of, aren't they referring to themselves?

Seeing that Zhang Yunxiu was still unmoved, Emperor Wanli put on a stern face and said.

"Shiyuan, you can't speak nonsense in the imperial court. The Xishan workshop has clearly been experiencing continuous production reductions due to the water seepage issue. How come you're describing it as thriving?"

He originally intended to keep it under wraps for a few more days, but seeing the state of the emperor and his ministers, Zhang Yunxiu decided to lay his cards on the table.

He spread his hands and said.

"Your Majesty, I have never spoken carelessly. The Xishan workshops have been increasing production and are becoming more and more prosperous. It is definitely not the time to abolish them."

In my humble opinion, not only should it not be abolished, but investment should be increased.

After saying this, he stepped forward, bowed, and reported.

"Your Majesty, I request that the Ministry of Revenue allocate another 100,000 taels of silver to the Xishan workshops!"

Zhang Yunxiu flashed a gleam of white teeth as he spoke.

"Couldn't we also give the imperial court a share of the profits then?"

But as soon as he finished speaking, someone jumped out and shouted at him.

"Nonsense!"

Xu Guo was so angry his hair almost stood on end, and he pointed at Zhang Yunxiu.

“Zhang Shiyuan, you’ve even managed to deceive the imperial court. The Xishan workshop has been reducing production for days on end, and I’ve seen it all myself.”

And yet you're still spouting nonsense here!

Zhang Yunxiu didn't want to argue with him anymore, and shook his head helplessly.

"I've said all I need to say. If you're still going to be so aggressive, then you can withdraw your investment."

"You might as well rob someone if you're willing to pay three times the penalty!" Xu Guo said, his eyes wide.

Zhang Yunxiu sighed, seemingly feeling quite helpless.

"There is still a way. You can sell those shares to someone else and then you won't have to pay the penalty for breach of contract."

Xu Guo said irritably, "Your shares are practically worthless now, who would want to buy them?"

Zhang Yunxiu pointed to himself and gave a harmless smile.

"You guys can sell them to me!"

He looked at the ministers and nobles around him.

"I, Zhang Yunxiu, will buy them all at half price!"

(End of this chapter)