The Ming Dynasty: Starting with the Carpenter Prince!

On the third day of the twelfth lunar month, in the side hall of the East Palace.

All six members of the training institute gathered. This was the first time since its opening that they had all arrived before dawn. On the long table lay a copy of an official document. The Ministry of Revenue's verification team was scheduled to leave Beijing the day after tomorrow, travel north through Tongzhou to Shanhaiguan, and then head to Liaodong. The team was led by Wang Chengen, a senior official of the Ministry of Revenue, and accompanied by an imperial censor from the Censorate. The Ministry of War had issued the necessary official documents according to regulations.

It should be noted that this is an official audit of the Liaodong military pay by the imperial court.

Unlike Sun Chengzong's previous underhanded investigations under the guise of "inspecting officials," this time it was a public affair, announced at the Imperial Academy, with the cabinet drafting regulations and the Emperor's personal approval. Its nature had thus shifted from a clandestine operation by the Crown Prince to a legitimate, overt operation by the court.

Zhu Youxiao sat upright behind the desk, his gaze slowly sweeping over the six people.

"Wang Tiezhu, Liu Danian."

The two "literate tenants" stood up at the same time. Although they were listed as tenants on the roster, they were actually retired soldiers who had just traveled to Puhe with Sun Chengzong last month. Liu Danian's face was two shades darker than before they set off; the harsh winds and frosts beyond the Great Wall had not been for nothing.

"You two will accompany the Ministry of Revenue's verification team to Liaodong again."

Wang Tiezhu responded quickly, clasping his hands and saying, "Your Highness, rest assured, I've been there before, so I know the way well."

"Knowing the way isn't enough." Zhu Youxiao put down his writing brush, his tone devoid of joy or sorrow. "Last time, you followed Mr. Sun, inspected a stronghold in Puhe, and brought back a stack of data signed and sealed by your own people. This time is different—you're following officials from the Ministry of Revenue, the verification team includes censors from the Donglin Academy, clerks from the Ministry of War, and local officials at various post stations along the way. The way these people look at you is vastly different."

A brief pause.

"The rules from last time remain unchanged: only count, no judgment, no discussion. However, one more rule must be added—do not take sides. When Magistrate Wang asks questions, answer truthfully; when the Donglin Censor asks questions, also answer truthfully. The same response applies to whoever asks."

There's no other reason than that the accounts and registers don't distinguish between the Donglin Party and the Zhejiang Party; the higher-ups only recognize right and wrong in the figures.

"Remember this: your actions are those of students at the training institute, tenants who share the burdens of the emperor and father and run errands for him in their spare time. You are neither officials of the court, nor members of the Donglin Party, nor disciples of Grand Secretary Fang. If anyone tries to get you to take sides, just use this identity as a shield—'I am merely someone who helps with the accounting at the training institute; I know nothing else.'"

The two men clasped their hands in unison to accept the order.

"There's one more thing," Zhu Youxiao said in a very low voice. "Mr. Sun is also traveling with the inspection team this time. The people from the Ministry of Revenue don't know the geography of Liaodong. Mr. Sun just went there last month and helped them find their way. However, the only reason given to outsiders is 'assistance from an official.' Mr. Sun's judgment is more accurate than yours. If you encounter anything you're unsure about on the road, ask him, but you must not whisper to him frequently in front of outsiders."

Wang Tiezhu frowned slightly: "Does Your Highness mean... Mr. Sun is operating in the open, while we observe from the shadows?"

"It's not in the shadows," Zhu Youxiao corrected, adding a single word. "It's that everyone goes their own way. Mr. Sun goes his own way, and you go yours. The two sides have no connection, so no matter who investigates whom in the future, it won't affect the other side."

These words were spoken in a very calm and understated manner.

However, at least three of the six people present understood the implied meaning.

The Crown Prince was not guarding against the enemy in Liaodong, but against the enemy in the capital.

……

After the matters concerning the dispatched personnel were settled, only four people remained in the side hall: two failed scholars, Chen Wenju, a mathematics student, and a retired scribe from the Ministry of War.

In addition, there was Zhu Youjian, who sat silently in the corner from beginning to end.

Zhu Youxiao opened the draft of the ten-day report from the training institute and began to explain item by item: which tasks were routine, which data needed to be continuously updated, and which documents were locked away and not to be touched.

Halfway through his speech, Zhu Youjian suddenly spoke up.

"Brother, Wang Tiezhu and Liu Danian are gone. Who's going to keep an eye on the daily operations at the training institute?"

Zhu Youxiao did not answer immediately. To be fair, all four men had their shortcomings. The two scholars were skilled in writing, excelling at writing ten-day reports, but were not good at running errands; Chen Wenju was good at mathematics but had a quiet personality and was not presentable when dealing with outsiders; the copyist was the fastest, but ultimately the least experienced.

None of them are capable of standing on their own.

"Brother, I can keep an eye on it."

When Zhu Youjian uttered these words, he stood ramrod straight. The sight of a nine-year-old child imitating an adult's posture was somewhat comical, yet his eyes were earnest.

Zhu Youxiao glanced at him but did not reply.

"I've checked the purchasing records, I set the rules for coal prices, and I've copied the format of the ten-day report three times." Zhu Youjian counted on his fingers, "I know how to open the hidden lock on the mailbox—I was watching when you changed the lock cylinder last time, brother."

That's the truth. On the day the lock cylinder was changed, Zhu Youjian squatted down and watched for the entire afternoon. Zhu Youxiao thought he was just playing around, but little did he know that he had memorized all the steps.

"You don't need to worry about the mailbox," Zhu Youxiao said decisively.

Zhu Youjian's face fell for a moment.

"You keep an eye on the ten-day report and the procurement accounts. Don't touch anything else."

Her face lit up again.

"Don't make decisions on your own if you're unsure about anything. Write it down on a slip of paper and put it in the mailbox for me to see." Zhu Youxiao's tone left no room for negotiation. "If anyone from the training institute comes to you with a question, you only need to do one thing—write it down. Once you've written it down, wait for me to come back and deal with it. Understand?"

"Understood!" Zhu Youjian practically jumped up in response.

The two scholars beside him exchanged bewildered glances. The nine-year-old second son of the emperor was to be their temporary head? Was this unprecedented in the Ming Dynasty?

Chen Wenju remained calm and quietly pushed the abacus towards Zhu Youjian—meaning that Your Highness should personally handle the accounting of future purchases.

Zhu Youjian grabbed the abacus and flicked it twice, the crisp sound of the beads echoing clearly in the side hall.

……

That evening, Zhu Youxiao sat alone at his desk in the Eastern Palace.

Liu Shun had already left, and the door to the side hall was closed. The charcoal brazier was burning weakly, and the cool night breeze of early December seeped in through the cracks in the window.

He was thinking about what happened during the day.

Having his younger brother oversee the training center wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision. From day one, he'd been pondering: if he weren't there, who could keep things running?

Sun Chengzong can manage, but his identity is too sensitive; he can't be too closely tied to the training institute. Wang An can help, but he's from the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs. If he gets involved in the training institute, it's tantamount to the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs interfering in the internal affairs of the Eastern Palace, and Fang Congzhe will use this against him.

My younger brother is the only safe option.

It is only natural for the second prince to help the crown prince with his studies, and no one can find fault with that.

But safety does not mean peace of mind.

Nine years old.

The drive he showed when investigating coal prices reminded him of his own early days in the government—wanting to manage everything, daring to ask anything, and full of courage.

Having drive is one thing, but knowing when to stop is another.

In my past life, the process of training newcomers in government offices was roughly the same. First, they were sent to guard the printer, then to watch the filing cabinet, and only after they had gained enough experience were they allowed to sit at the conference table. This wasn't because they were considered dull-witted, but because they were feared to be impetuous. Impatience would lead to overstepping authority, and overstepping authority would lead to mistakes. If mistakes were made, they would either have to bear the consequences themselves or implicate their superiors.

The younger brother's current position is "Guardian of the Seal Machine".

Ten-day reports and purchasing accounts—the numbers are static, right or wrong are immediately apparent, doing them well brings a sense of accomplishment, and doing them poorly doesn't create a huge financial hole. Once he's established himself in this position, he can move up one level.

Such a psychologically damaging situation cannot be rushed.

Zhu Youxiao picked up a carving knife and shaved the piece of elm wood beside him a couple of times. The blade cut into the wood, and fine wood shavings rolled up and fell onto the table.

Next, we need to figure out when Fang Congzhe's knife will fall.