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

Chapter 228 He has to blow up this Xishan Glass Workshop!
Since its establishment, Xishan Glass Workshop has truly made a fortune.

The glass products produced there were not only several times more exquisite in craftsmanship than those of the former Royal Glass Factory, but also hundreds or thousands of times more in production volume.

After Zhang Yunxiu opened the Xishan Auction House, he continuously exported exquisite glass products.

Then, through informal channels, some of the simpler glasswork was sold.

In a short period of time, it did indeed make huge profits, and acquired a great deal of funds for the Jiangnan Textile Bureau and the Xishan Money Shop.

But everything in this world has its advantages and disadvantages.

As the scale of Xishan Liulichang grew larger and larger, a problem inevitably arose.

That means that with more and more glass on the market, even if the news is strictly controlled, the market price of glass will inevitably drop. This is almost an unavoidable situation.

However, those who participated in the auction to purchase the glass items were not merely gentry and merchants unrelated to the Zhang family.

Many of them, like Zhang Rong, are interest groups that originally supported Xishan.

How should their losses be compensated?
Zhang Yunxiu could not ignore the existence of these people; he knew that a tyrant could not push forward reforms.

He had just told Zhang Juzheng this principle, so how could he go against it?
The key is how to reunite these people and prevent the "little brothers" from feeling like they've been taken advantage of.

This will alleviate the pressure on the Xishan project to continue.

After much deliberation, Zhang Yunxiu came up with an idea—to create a "black swan" event for the glass industry.

An accident at Liulichang naturally means that the price of glass will rise!

As long as the price of glass rises, these "little brothers" will not only benefit from it.

Zhang Yunxiu could even use this operation to fleece the gentry and wealthy merchants of the Ming Dynasty once again!
This is a win-win strategy!
However, not everyone can understand this balance of "supply and demand".

"What do you mean? The Liulichang area in Xishan has been blown up? Magistrate Zhang, you can't be joking, this matter is of great importance!"

"Oh dear! I actually own a stake in it! How can we let it explode?"

Did Liulichang actually explode?

In the main hall, the nobles and officials began to chatter amongst themselves, some having grasped the point, while others remained indignant.

Yang Wei, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, looked disappointed and stamped his feet as he spoke.

"Foolish! Foolish! The Xishan Liulichang was bombed just a few days ago. Didn't some of you hear about it? How could Xishan fabricate such a thing?"

"Liulichang was blown up?"

"Yes, yes, yes! Liulichang was blown up!"

At this moment, someone finally figured it out and burst into hearty laughter.

And so, a very strange scene unfolded in the lobby.

Many nobles who had previously been clamoring for war were now shouting things like "Xishan Liulichang has been blown up" and "I saw it with my own eyes."

Some even patted their companions and said, "We saw it with our own eyes that day, but have you all forgotten?"

The nobles, who hadn't yet realized what was happening, stared at each other in disbelief, wondering why everyone had believed Zhang Yunxiu's casual remark.

Are these people all idiots? Or have they been bewitched by Zhang Yunxiu?

As the head of the nobility, Duke Zhang Rong of England was naturally the backbone of everyone.

His gaze gradually hardened. He looked at Yang Wei, then stared intently at Zhang Yunxiu, finally grasping some of the underlying principles.

"According to you, the Xishan Glass Workshop was indeed blown up?"

Zhang Yunxiu looked pained and said, "Why don't you believe me, Uncle? Have I ever lied? That Xishan Glass Workshop is our own business. Do you think I don't know whether it was blown up or not?"

When was it bombed?

"Just the day before yesterday."

What day was the day before yesterday?

"Three days ago."

Are there any witnesses present?

Zhang Yunxiu understood and said with a smile.

"Many craftsmen from Xishan, as well as the dukes and earls present, witnessed this with their own eyes. How could it be faked?"

"Words alone are insufficient proof; what evidence can be presented?"

Zhang Yunxiu smiled and said, "The Xishan Glass Workshop has suffered heavy losses and has temporarily suspended all external business. Unauthorized personnel are not allowed to enter."

There are still some broken glass fragments and ruins in the workshop that need to be dealt with.

To avoid the risk of further explosions at the glass workshop, entry is temporarily prohibited. After three days, once the boilers have cooled down, officials and gentry from the capital can witness the event.

Zhang Yunxiu's plan can be described as flawless.

Especially in places like the Ming Dynasty, where there were no cameras or video evidence, it was simply a matter of public opinion.

Everyone's saying the Xishan Glass Workshop exploded, so the Xishan Glass Workshop must have exploded.

Moreover, once Zhang Yunxiu completes the chain of evidence, the matter will be essentially confirmed.

"Boiler explosion at Xishan Glass Workshop" and "Glass production plummets, possibly even ceasing altogether."

No matter how you look at it, this kind of news aligns with the interests of the majority, so it has to be true even if it's not.

Seeing that some people still didn't quite understand, Zhang Yunxiu shook his head and said with a sigh.

"You all, you absolutely must not use the glass artifacts in your hands! You must not use them!"

When he said this, Zhang Yunxiu emphasized the word "take action".

At this point, even the slowest person would understand.

"Ah~ Yes, yes, yes! Liulichang exploded, I saw it!"

"I saw it too! Oh my god, it was terrifying! It was absolutely chilling!"

"I am truly sorry, Magistrate Zhang. We were unaware of the facts, otherwise we would not have come to Xishan to pressure you. Alas, we are truly ashamed."

These people said this, but smiles began to appear on their faces.

For a moment, the main hall of the Xishan Thousand Household Office was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

But Duke Zhang Rong of England was still having doubts.

He understood Zhang Yunxiu's intention.

Whether Liulichang was actually bombed or not, once the news gets out, those glass statues that everyone used to buy will once again become unique and precious items. If rumors are fueled by these rumors, saying things like such exquisite glass will never be made again, then...

That's hard to say. Statues like those of Confucian sages or Guan Yu might not only fail to see their prices drop, but could actually rise in value.

A lie told enough times becomes the truth.

Most importantly, he can help everyone earn back their money!

As for which suckers will take the fall, who cares? Anyway, it's not ordinary people who are suffering losses!
Zhang Rong blushed slightly, still harboring some concerns.

"Isn't that a bit shameless?"

Having lived a life of following the rules and regulations, he had done relatively little of these kinds of scheming, deception, and fraudulent activities.

Seeing that the other party was still ungrateful, Zhang Yunxiu said with considerable dissatisfaction.

"If Uncle thinks that Liulichang should not be bombed, then I can only do my best to see if I can restore Liulichang's production capacity within a few days."

For Zhang Yunxiu, it doesn't matter how he earns money.

"No!"

Zhang Rong was startled, and immediately put on a serious expression.

"Liulichang is of great importance, a vital treasure of our Great Ming Dynasty. How can it be restored so easily?"
The masterpieces produced in Liulichang have long been renowned.

If we were to restart abruptly and lose the previous quality, it would be a huge problem for Xishan.
And those telescopes and telescopes are all precision instruments; how can we be careless in the slightest?

Slow down, slow down, slow down! Good work takes time and patience!

Zhang Rong stroked his beard as he began to spout nonsense with a straight face.

Even more logically sound than what Zhang Yunxiu said.

"My West Mountain"?
Zhang Yunxiu noticed that the other party had begun to change their wording.

He feigned hesitation as he spoke.

"Uncle, is it...?"

“Nephew! Don’t mention this again!” Zhang Rong suddenly put on a stern face. “This matter is of great importance and cannot be rushed. You are also confused. How can the glass workshop be restored so easily?”
This time, it must be repaired thoroughly to prevent any further mishaps!

He sighed heavily.

"But it's not your fault. You're still young, so it's understandable that you might make a mistake. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, just tell your uncle, and we'll help you if we can."

We're all in this together!

"Yes, yes! Magistrate Zhang, please rest assured. Everyone sympathizes with Xishan for suffering such a great calamity. If you have any difficulties, please feel free to speak up."

"Zhang Tongzhi is truly pitiful~"

"What a pity about the glass workshop! How could such a beautiful glass workshop have to be destroyed?"

Zhang Yunxiu couldn't help but chuckle; these people's acting seemed a bit over the top.
These words by Duke Zhang Rong of England further...
Zhang Yunxiu sighed inwardly, thinking, "He truly deserves to be called a 'veteran artist'; his acting skills are far superior to mine."

While I was still giving myself various hints, the other person had already officially entered the zone, which was simply incomparable.

A deeply moved expression appeared on his face. He wiped away non-existent tears from the corners of his eyes, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to the crowd, and said...

"Uncle and all of you, I, Yunxiu, will always remember your kindness and generosity."

"What are you saying, Shiyuan?"

"Shiyuan is such a pitiful child~"

For a time, in the main hall of the Thousand Households Office, brothers were friendly and respectful, and a deep sense of affection filled the air.

After exchanging pleasantries with his uncles and elders, Zhang Yunxiu adopted a serious expression and bowed to everyone.

"Speaking of which, there is one more thing I must mention."

His expression was meaningful.

"Please keep today's events a secret, and absolutely do not spread the word about what happened at Liulichang in Xishan."
After leaving West Mountain, please refrain from discussing this matter carelessly, lest someone overhear.

Zhang Yunxiu emphasized the word "heard" and gave examples to illustrate it to everyone.

"For example, you can't say things while on duty, because if your colleagues hear it, that would be very bad."

And you can't mention it casually when you're going out!
If a small gathering of three or five close friends becomes the subject of conversation, it can easily spread.
Please remember this well!

After his "reminder," almost everyone understood.

Yang Wei, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, chuckled and said.

"Oh dear, Magistrate Zhang, please rest assured, how could we possibly spread such rumors? We are the most discreet of all!"

"Yes, yes!"

Zhang Rong smiled and said, "I will not tell my old friends about these words, nor will I mention them in the army."

"Me too~"

"Hahahaha~"

In an instant, the main hall of the Thousand Households Office was filled with a cheerful atmosphere again.

Two days later.

Zhang Yunxiu was still busy arranging all the matters related to the "boiler explosion at Xishan Liulichang".

This "cleanup" work must be done well!
But just when they were busy, an uninvited guest arrived at Xishan.

With a loud "thump!", the door to the study of the commander was kicked open.

"Who dares to act recklessly in the Western Hills Thousand-Household Garrison?"

Zhang Yunxiu was writing a proposal at his desk when he was startled. He quickly grabbed the embroidered spring knife beside him and shouted at him.

But upon closer inspection, a round, yellowish object charged in like a wild boar.

Who else could it be but the Wanli Emperor?
Emperor Wanli, accompanied by a group of eunuchs, looked menacing, his hair disheveled and his eyes reddening.

He rushed to the front of the hall and shouted loudly.

"Zhang Shiyuan! Zhang Shiyuan! What happened to my Xishan Glass Workshop? How could it have exploded out of nowhere?"

My Western Hills Glass Workshop!

My treasure trove!
If anything happens to it, then I won't live either!

(End of this chapter)