The Ming Dynasty: Starting with the Carpenter Prince!

Zhu Youjian only took three days.

On the morning of the fourth day, he rushed into the side hall, carrying the purchase ledger and crumpled pieces of yellow hemp paper in his chest, panting as if he had been chased for half a street.

"Big brother!"

Zhu Youzheng was reviewing the submitted documents without even lifting his eyelids.

This fifth brother is ultimately too impetuous.

"Brother, the best silver-bone charcoal at Baoyuan Charcoal Shop in the capital is eight copper coins per catty! Yixing Shop outside Chaoyang Gate is seven and a half! The Ma Family Old Shop inside Chongwen Gate is eight and a half!" Zhu Youjian slammed a piece of yellow hemp paper on the table, his eyes wide with anger. He flipped open the ledger and pointed to a heavily drawn red line in vermilion ink. "It's clearly written in black and white in the Crown Prince's purchasing ledger: silver-bone charcoal is fifteen copper coins per catty!"

The difference was almost double.

Zhu Youxiao stopped writing with his vermilion brush.

He picked up the yellow hemp paper and turned it over. On the back, there was a line of small characters: "The inspector went to the three shops to inquire about the price, accompanied by student Chen Wenju as witness. September 17, 1549."

The dates, witnesses, and sources are all clearly documented.

This kid has been out running around for a few days and has figured out some of the tricks of the trade.

"The holes in the accounts aren't just these silver and charcoal!" Zhu Youjian pointed to the densely packed yellow slips of paper in the ledger and rattled off the truth like a machine gun, "The price of rice is 20% inflated! The price of lamp oil is 30% inflated! Even the salt for rinsing your mouth is five copper coins more expensive than outside!"

"All the daily expenses of the Crown Prince's palace are handled by the eunuch Wu An, and the price increases every time he passes through his hands!"

"A thorough investigation." Zhu Youxiao asked calmly, his expression as still as a deep well, "How do you plan to deal with this scoundrel?"

"Of course, we should go and ask him directly!"

Zhu Youjian was like a lit firecracker. His elder brother had instructed him not to take anything without reporting it first. Now that the evidence was conclusive, he wished he could rush to the purchasing room and overturn that guy's table immediately.

Should we let him go or not?

A hundred thoughts raced through Zhu Youxiao's mind in an instant.

What is Wu An? Just a eunuch in charge of procurement, a castrated dog. But when beating a dog, you have to consider its owner. Who is really behind the procurement chain of the Eastern Palace? It's Madam Ke.

At this point, what use would interrogate Wu An be, other than forcing Madam Ke to wail before the Emperor and accusing the Crown Prince of mistreating his servants?

It only serves to alert the enemy.

But if we don't let him go, the sharpness that this child has worked so hard to develop will be completely wasted, and he will only be timid and hesitant when faced with difficulties in the future.

I have to go.

How one goes is a matter of political maneuvering for those in power.

"Go." Zhu Youxiao uttered a single word and then raised three fingers.

"However, there are three rules to remember."

"Firstly, you must not curse or lay a hand on anyone, and you must not reveal your title as the Crown Prince. As the second son of the Emperor, you are rightfully entitled to inquire about the expenses of the Eastern Palace."

"Secondly, just state the facts and talk about the amount on that piece of paper in your hand."

"Thirdly, and most importantly, after you finish asking him questions, no matter how much he cries or denies it, you should not say a word and just turn around and leave."

The authority of those in power is never built on words; silence is the greatest form of authority.

Zhu Youjian pursed his lips, memorized the three ironclad rules, nodded emphatically, and then, with Chen Wenju, sped away like a gust of wind.

…………

Inside the purchasing room.

Wu An was a seasoned official who, under the protection of Madam Ke, had managed to squeeze every last drop of profit out of the Eastern Palace over the past seven or eight years, and had long since smoothed out all the connections at the top and bottom.

Upon seeing the arrival of the second prince, he immediately put on a fawning smile: "Your Highness, why have you come in person? If you have any orders, just send someone to summon you..."

Snapped!

The crumpled hemp paper was slapped heavily onto the table.

"Wu An, I only have one question for you." Zhu Youjian's voice was clear and bright. "The three shops have a maximum price of eight and a half coins and a minimum price of seven and a half coins, but the Crown Prince's account shows fifteen coins."

Wu An's expression changed slightly, but he quickly put on a wry smile and began to speak in official jargon: "Your Highness, the rules for purchasing are quite different from those in the marketplace. This purchasing must go through the imperial estates and supply households, and there are losses incurred along the way in terms of the labor involved in transporting and inspecting the goods before they are put into storage..."

They came up with one excuse after another, making it sound impeccable.

Zhu Youjian did not follow the usual official procedures.

He stared intently at Wu An's face and suddenly uttered a piercing remark: "Even a street vendor knows to compare prices at different markets, yet the rules of our Eastern Palace are even worse than those of a village woman?!"

A single word struck at the heart.

Chen Wenju, who was waiting by the door, suddenly turned his head to the side. The young prince's words really left no way out for anyone.

The supposed palace regulations and the lack of losses were rendered meaningless by the blunt statement that she was not even as good as a village woman, turning it all into a pale joke.

How can a high-ranking eunuch be compared to a village woman? He's not even as good as a village woman.

Wu An's knees buckled and he collapsed to his knees.

"Your Highness...please calm your anger...this servant will check the accounts immediately upon arrival..."

He lay prostrate on the ground, waiting for the prince's thunderous rage, waiting to be scolded or even flogged in court.

However, nothing unexpected happened.

Zhu Youjian swallowed the rest of his words and left without uttering a word.

Wu An was left alone in the duty room, kneeling on the spot, looking at the yellow hemp paper on the table as if he had lost his parents.

It's not the master's direct scolding that's scary, but the master's complete silence. The most crucial thing is not being able to understand the mind of the person in charge.

…………

That night.

Wu An sought help from Madam Ke.

She slipped a note with loose silver coins, pleading for help, but all she received in return was the head maid's cold reply: "The master has given the order; she knows nothing about this mess."

Wu An stood motionless against the wall, his face ashen.

The master is denying it.

This demonstrates the tacit understanding within the inner palace to sacrifice the pawn to save the king. With no definitive answer yet on how the Crown Prince should be dealt with, Madam Ke naturally assessed the situation first.

If the Crown Prince severely punishes the servant with a cane, she will go to the Emperor to make a scene; if the Crown Prince lets her off lightly, Wu An will stay and continue to be greedy.

The only one who could advance or retreat freely, and who was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, was Wu An, the abandoned pawn.

…………

The next day.

After listening to Zhu Youjian's report in detail, Zhu Youxiao simply asked, "Did Wu An cry?"

"He didn't cry or make a fuss; he looked like he was terrified," Zhu Youjian replied. "But this morning he went out to do house-buying work again, acting like nothing had happened."

Zhu Youxiao nodded, understanding everything in his heart.

Wu An's failure to request leave indicates that he has already sought a powerful patron, while Madam Ke's inaction suggests that she is waiting for the Crown Prince's next move.

This is a straightforward test in officialdom.

"Excuse me, could you lend me some hemp paper?"

Zhu Youxiao instructed the red brush to neatly write a handwritten edict on white Xuan paper.

"According to the Crown Prince's regulations on purchasing materials, for any purchase of materials, three shops in the city's market must be selected to report the market price, and the price of the three shops shall be used as the standard. The shop name and signature must be left on the account as proof. Any price increase without justification will not be reimbursed."

They neither punished the servants nor confiscated their silver, nor appealed to the emperor.

The only thing that matters is setting rules.

He handed the Xuan paper to his attendant Wang An: "Go and stick it on the wall of the purchasing room, and make sure it's glued shut."

Wang An took the edict, glanced at it, and raised an eyebrow slightly: "Your Highness, are you not going to punish this scoundrel?"

Zhu Youjian was also completely taken aback.

Zhu Youxiao put down his cinnabar pen and smiled slyly: "If we punish him, Madam Ke will have an excuse to wail before the Emperor. If we don't punish him but only establish rules and post them on the wall in black and white, he will have to follow the rules if he wants to keep his position. If he does, he will get less money."

"Of course, this fellow will definitely not comply completely."

"He will definitely come up with ten or eight ways to circumvent the rules, find his confidants to make false reports and change the designated shops to create false accounts, but as long as he starts to have crooked ideas to circumvent the rules, he will definitely leave clues and evidence. When he has enough, he will be irrefutable evidence when questioned in the future."

This method may not prevent the most secretive corruption, but it can stop the most foolish blatant robbery.

Zhu Youxiao did not reveal the deeper layers of his plan.

This was also a signal to Madam Ke: I will set the rules for the Crown Prince. I will not touch the people you are protecting for the time being, but I must block your ways of making money. If you know what's good for you, you should stop now. If you don't, there is a guillotine hanging over your head that could fall at any time.

…………

On the same day, inside the British government residence.

Zhang Weixian leaned against the armchair in the flower hall, with secret letters lying beside him.

The letter was secretly sent by a former subordinate from Liaodong. It clearly stated that the Crown Prince's Palace had recently established a training institute and was recruiting impoverished scholars who had failed the imperial examinations, as well as a literate tenant farmer who knew about military affairs.

This group of people were actually teaching accounting.

Who are you trying to calculate for, and what kind of muddled accounts are you trying to settle?

Zhang Weixian was in no hurry to figure out the key points. The two bolts of silk bestowed by the emperor at the investiture ceremony were still a warm gesture, and the crown prince would refrain from taking any action against the Duke of Ying's mansion.

He simply observed coldly, and upon thinking of this, casually tossed the secret letter into the charcoal brazier.

With a soft hiss, the flames flickered and the letter turned to ashes in an instant.

Surely the prestigious British Duke's mansion doesn't lack this kind of external intelligence? Of course not.

The Crown Prince secretly amassed his own faction. No matter what political schemes he plotted, as long as he didn't harm the core base of military officials and nobles, Zhang Weixian would never get involved in such a mess.

Civil officials with patience have a maximum of five years to complete their evaluations. If they fail to advance, they will become anxious. However, meritorious officials with patience have their positions inherited and remain so for the benefit of the nation.

What's the rush? Let the treacherous winds of the court blow for a while longer.

…………

Cabinet Office.

Grand Secretary Fang Congzhe is absent today due to being on leave.

Second Grand Secretary Liu Yiju stared intently at the copy in front of him, which was the very document that Emperor Taichang had ordered the Directorate of Ceremonial to send to the Grand Secretariat as part of the ten-day report of the training institute.

The five-column layout is clear and well-organized, making it a shrewd and efficient official document.

Yang Lian strolled in under the pretext of requesting the fire starter, and his face lit up with joy as he glanced at the copy: "The Crown Prince is actually going to investigate the Liaodong military expenditure? This is fantastic news! Fang Congzhe has been mediating disputes in the cabinet for seven years, and now there's finally a chance for a breakthrough!"

Is this really a good thing?

Liu Yijing glanced coldly at Yang Lian, his eyes filled with icy intent.

"Wenru, it's certainly a good thing that the Crown Prince went to investigate the Liaodong military expenditure, but he secretly gathered a group of people, bypassing the cabinet's approval process, the Six Ministries' review, and even the Hanlin Academy's supervision..." Liu Yiju lowered his voice, enunciating each word clearly, "Tell me, is this a good thing or a bad thing!?"

This is clearly the emperor's private tool. The civil officials of the outer court are most afraid that the imperial power will break out of the inner cabinet's encirclement and audit the accounts on its own, ignoring the ministers.

Yang Lian's smile froze instantly, and she couldn't utter a rebuttal.

Liu Yiju's gaze passed over the half-open window and looked at the tightly closed door of Fang Congzhe's duty room across the street.

"Fang Congzhe knew what the Crown Prince was looking at every day, and now we also know what the Crown Prince's training institute does every ten days. The Emperor openly sends copies of these ten-day reports to the Six Ministries of the Cabinet..."

"Consider this carefully: is this a blessing from His Majesty or a warning?"

It's nothing more than a royal tactic of intimidation.

Liu Yiju folded the ten-day report exactly as it was and carefully locked it in the hidden drawer of the imperial desk.

Click.

The copper lock was tightly fastened, and the north wind outside the courtyard whipped up withered leaves that pounded against the threshold. The murky waters of the Ming Dynasty court were finally about to be stirred up into a storm.