Ming Dynasty 1627

Chapter 122 The Energetic Management Trainees of the Ming Dynasty
At dawn, the first rays of sunlight pierced through the window lattices, casting a hazy, clear glow over the Qianqing Palace.

Zhu Youjian had just returned from inspecting the Yongwei Battalion, and the blush on his face still lingered from the north wind.

Before the imperial desk, Ma Wenke stood bowing, his eyes bloodshot, yet his expression held an uncontrollable excitement.

"So...they talked about the hour of Mao (5-7 AM)?"

Zhu Youjian's voice broke the morning's tranquility, carrying a hint of knowing the answer with a smile.

Ma Wenke bowed even lower and replied, "Your Majesty, that's right. The officials stayed up all night discussing this matter."

"At the beginning, we really hit a roadblock when discussing how to investigate the number of births."

"Everyone came up with many ideas, but some felt that they would disturb the people and go against His Majesty's original intentions."

"Or it's biased and can't be used as a reference."

Marvin paused, a hint of admiration in his voice.

"Lord Luo Yangxing is the most resourceful. He suggested that we start with the midwife."

Zhu Youjian raised his eyebrows. How could it be Luo Yangxing?
Given his personality and background, it shouldn't be like that.

Wang Tiqian, who was standing by with his hands at his sides, stepped forward and cupped his hands, saying, "Your Majesty, I heard that Luo Yangxing just had his third son last month, named Zuochang."

Zhu Youjian's gaze lingered on Wang Tiqian's face for a moment, then he nodded, a meaningful smile curving his lips.

"Wang Banban has done well; you must continue to maintain this. I need to know about any slight movement or disturbance in the entire court, from the highest to the lowest."

Upon hearing this, Wang Tiqian trembled almost imperceptibly, followed by a surge of immense joy.

Wang Banban!
This title has finally been regained!

This means that he has been temporarily pulled back from the brink of death and can... consider more things now.

Wang Tiqian suppressed the turmoil in her heart, respectfully replied "This servant obeys," and slowly retreated to her original position, her fingertips secretly clenching in her sleeve.

He glanced at Gao Shiming almost imperceptibly, only to find that Gao was just smiling faintly, seemingly unconcerned.

Ha, what are you pretending for? You're probably furious inside, aren't you?
Zhu Youjian watched this scene without any emotion. He believed that knowing others was wisdom, and knowing oneself was enlightenment.

He knew very well what people like Wang Tiqian needed, what he could give them, and what he needed them to do.

As long as they get things done, that's fine. If they don't get things done, it's not difficult to replace them with Sun Tiqian or Liu Tiqian.

Zhu Youjian turned his gaze back to Ma Wenke, signaling him to continue.

Ma Wenke continued, "The officials discussed and decided that since they could not make a big fuss, they would use the pretext of the Shuntian Prefecture's investigation of midwives to gather people in batches."

“We will borrow several dozen people from the Directorate of Ceremonial to copy and compile all the recent birth records of midwives in the capital within three to five days.”

"In this way, it will only take a few days. Even if the news leaks out afterward and the midwives spread the word, others will only think it is a routine investigation by the prefectural government and will hardly guess the deeper meaning behind it."

At this point, a slight, barely suppressed smile appeared on Ma Wenke's face.

"Young Master Zhang from the Duke of England's mansion even suggested that we could use the excuse that his wife was about to give birth and that we needed to select the best midwife in the capital to carry out the matter, which would make it seem even more seamless. However, the other officials felt that it was unnecessary to go to such lengths."

"Haha." Zhu Youjian was amused by Zhang Zhiji's ingenious idea. "This Zhang Zhiji, although his methods are crude, his heart is good."

He waved his hand and said, "Do it the way they've agreed. This matter requires the cooperation of Shuntian Prefecture and the Directorate of Ceremonial. You will personally coordinate it. Talk to Prefect Xue Guoguan and Wang Zhaodui, who is in charge of Shuntian's administration, and ask them to cooperate fully."

"The slaves obey the order."

Ma Wenke acknowledged and then continued his report: "Now that the method for counting births has been established, Lord Ni Yuanlu is leading everyone in discussing how to investigate the age of death. This is truly troublesome, far more difficult than the former, and we still haven't found a perfect solution."

"They finally decided to consult multiple sources, such as the account books of coffin shops, the records of charitable institutions, and even the genealogies of various clans, to make several different estimation plans. For example, they prepared several reports based on an average age of forty or fifty, and presented them together during the daily lecture for His Majesty's consideration."

Zhu Youjian nodded; this was the best solution at the moment.

What he was truly concerned with was another matter. "So, have they considered the answer I was referring to?"

Ma Wenke's expression instantly became incredibly excited, even showing a hint of admiration.

"Your Majesty, the officials were stuck on this very issue, which is why they pondered it deeply and argued endlessly until dawn."

"In the end, it was the Duke of England who woke up and found that we were still awake. He personally took a rattan cane and drove us away."

He raised his head and looked at Zhu Youjian with shining eyes.

"Your Majesty, please forgive my boldness in speaking. What you have thought is truly unprecedented and earth-shattering! I believe that even though Lord Ni and the others are already outstanding individuals, they would find it extremely difficult to conceive of such a thing out of thin air!"

Zhu Youjian pondered for a moment.

This wasn't him trying to be mysterious; he simply wanted to use this opportunity to force them to broaden their thinking.

After all, the answer that comes from deep thought, unsuccessful attempts, and then verified by one's own hands is all the more unforgettable.

In the first batch of the secretariat, he did more than just balance identities.

They were truly being trained as interns for future generations.

"If they still can't figure it out today, give them the second brocade pouch. Don't let it delay our important business."

As he spoke, his gaze fell on Ma Wenke's face, which betrayed his weariness.

"They all went home to sleep, but you alone have to come to the palace to report to me."

Zhu Youjian's tone suddenly softened.

"You've worked hard, liberal arts major. You did a great job. Go and get some sleep. Look at your eyes, you're practically a rabbit from staying up all night."

Ma Wenke felt a surge of warmth in his heart, and a warm current instantly flowed through his body, seemingly sweeping away all the fatigue he had just felt.

He bowed deeply, his voice trembling with emotion: "To share Your Majesty's burdens, this servant would gladly die! This servant is not weary! This servant will go to Shuntian Prefecture to deliver the imperial decree immediately!"

After saying this, he bowed respectfully and took his leave, his steps fluttering with energy.

Zhu Youjian stared blankly at his departing figure.

Once upon a time, in his previous life, the management trainees he had mentored after graduation seemed to look just like this.

They're easily swayed by a little sunshine; they can stay up for days and nights on a single project, their eyes sparkling with boundless anticipation for the future.

I just... I wonder how they are doing now?

Are you still working tirelessly in the office all night long, striving for KPIs and OKRs?

You probably wouldn't believe it, but your boss... is now embroiled in the ancient world as far back as 1627.

Zhu Youjian slowly shook his head, banishing this fleeting thought from his mind.

He instructed Gao Shiming, who was standing beside him, "Gao, have the needlework bureau take their measurements and make a brocade robe for each of them. It's getting colder these days, so don't let my trusted ministers catch a cold."

Zhu Youjian paused and then added, "Ma Wenke also needs one; don't forget to include him."

"I understand, I'll make the arrangements later." Gao Shiming replied with a slight smile.

On a crisp autumn morning, the cool air seeped in through the window cracks. Zhu Youjian took a deep breath, and the icy air made his mind even clearer.

He stood up, stretched his limbs, and his eyes were filled with the clarity and decisiveness of an emperor.

"Come, present all the memorials submitted today!"

(End of this chapter)