The Yan Family Manor.
Late into the night, the lanterns were still brightly lit.
"Father! Say something, won't you! That Hai Rui, he's not distributing relief according to the law... that porridge, forget about chopsticks, it's just a bowl of clear water! Our men went to investigate him, but they were captured by that Zhu Mo instead! This, this is there any justice left? Where is the law? Where is any law at all?!"
Yan Shifan paced back and forth, his eyes bloodshot, having not slept well for two days.
"And that Zhu Mo! What kind of person is he?! What's this Thousand Families Ten Thousand Surnames Weaving project?! Those common people are all simpletons, how can they weave well? If everyone goes to weave, who will work in the fields?... Hmph! And that Shen Cong! What kind of so-called talented scholar of Jiangnan?! I swear, I think he's a cowardly bastard! You all say he's good?! Old Luo! Shen Cong seems to be the one you recommended?!"
Luo Longwen shivered and stammered, "Young, Young Grand Secretary, it wasn't me..."
"Hmph! You say it wasn't you?! It was you who told me he was a talent! You said his mind was sharp?! How much money did you take from him?! Tell me!"
Yan Shifan was practically ready to kick him.
Luo Longwen dared not reply again, quickly lowering his head and bowing repeatedly.
Old Yan Song had been lying on his recliner. Now, unable to stand it any longer, he suddenly shouted:
"Yan Shifan! Shut up! I, I need some quiet... You, and all of you, get out! Get far away! Cough cough cough..."
The blood rushed to his head, and another bout of coughing ensued.
Yan Shifan didn't move at all, instead shouting loudly, "Father! Are you confused? They've bullied us to our doorstep! No! Your son will uphold your honor this time..."
"Out... cough cough cough..."
Old Yan Song suddenly had a mouthful of phlegm stuck in his throat.
Several people rushed forward.
And at that very moment,
The palace attendant called out, "An imperial decree has arrived! Yan Song, Yan Shifan, receive it!"
Ah?!!
Yan Song's eyes flashed with sharp light, but it was tinged with a hint of fear.
The father and son quickly knelt, with Luo Longwen, Gao Hanwen, and others behind them.
Two eunuchs proclaimed:
"By imperial decree: Censor Shen Cong falsely accused an upright official, causing distress to the disaster victims. His Majesty is deeply pained. Shen Cong is hereby ordered to be imprisoned in the Imperial Prison immediately for investigation and judgment according to law. Assistant Minister Luo Longwen, for recommending an unworthy person, is to be demoted by two ranks and reassigned. By order."
Ah?!!
Luo Longwen's face instantly turned ashen.
Although Yan Song had anticipated trouble, he hadn't expected the Emperor to be so serious this time... Yan Shifan also wore a look of indignant fury.
This defeat was too bitter.
A living third-rank censor, escorted back to the capital within a month, and thrown into the Imperial Prison...
For a moment,
Everyone was somewhat stunned, completely unprepared for the Emperor's sudden thunderous strike!
...
At the same time.
The Yu Prince's manor was filled with joyous celebration.
Even Xu Jie, who usually wore a worried frown, had laughed out loud several times just now.
Prince Yu had always disliked Zhu Mo, feeling there was something problematic about him, but upon remembering Zhu Mo and Hai Rui's brilliant counterattack, he too had let out hearty laughter several times tonight. However, after laughing, he immediately sobered up—
His Father, the Emperor, was truly too unusual towards this Zhu Mo...!
Although his Father only had him, his only son, this person's favor was so great that it would surely lead to endless trouble in the future...
Moreover,
He always harbored doubts about Zhu Mo's "Thousand Families Ten Thousand Surnames Weaving" initiative. He then asked, "Master Zhang, will Zhu Mo's method work? If the project fails, and the money has already been lent to the common people, what then? The court cannot possibly demand repayment from the people, wouldn't that make it even harder to repay?"
He did not realize that,
Zhang Juzheng had completely changed his attitude since Zhu Mo's successful bond issuance last time! He knew that the Emperor must have intended to heavily employ Zhu Mo, allowing him to rectify the situation from Jiangnan. If he couldn't keep up this time, he would be finished...
And as he thought more about Zhu Mo's strategy, he became increasingly awestruck—
If even a third of these methods succeeded, the Great Ming could truly be said to be revitalized! At the very least, the financial crisis would be gone forever... And once the court had sufficient funds, the days of Yan Song and his son being imprisoned would be at hand...
For this reason,
He thought all night and decided to firmly grasp onto Zhu Mo, ideally serving him personally, so that the Emperor would see him as a vanguard on this path. Only then might he surpass Gao Gong, and perhaps even surpass Xu Jie, to become the Grand Secretary after Zhu Mo...
At this moment,
Hearing Prince Yu's question, he couldn't help but smile and replied:
"Your Highness, please rest assured! Weaving cloth and silk is not a difficult matter... What ordinary small workshops weave is not much different from what the Imperial Weaving Bureau produces, and sometimes it's even better... A loom costs less than twenty taels. Three to five households can share a workshop, with each household borrowing no more than five to six taels, which is not too much. The only issue is: the output of silk may increase several dozen times. By then, merchants from Nanyang and Xiayang might not be able to take so much, and even if they could, more people would be needed to negotiate..."
Mm, mm,
Everyone listened to Zhang Juzheng's words and nodded in agreement.
Prince Yu pondered for a while, feeling that it made sense, but thinking of the magnitude of the undertaking, he seemed to see piles of silk accumulating before his eyes, and he became flustered. He couldn't help but sigh, saying:
"I always feel that governing the country should not be too hasty. If so much money is invested and it fails, the national treasury will lose several years of revenue. What then when it is urgently needed?"
Zhang Juzheng was momentarily taken aback, but remembering that he was, after all, a prince, he could only advise:
"Your Highness, great undertakings bring great returns. Most people dare not take risks, hence there are only a few great merchants in the world... The way of governing and managing finances is also like this. Your Highness, think about it, if it succeeds, the national treasury will not have to worry for decades!"
But Prince Yu was always timid and cowardly. The more he thought about it, the more worried he became, looking as if disaster was imminent.
Xu Jie and Zhang Juzheng both shook their heads. As Zhang Juzheng sighed inwardly, a peculiar thought emerged in his mind—what if Zhu Mo were a prince? Then the Great Ming would surely be revitalized... This Prince before him was truly... alas...
And as the few of them were lost in their own thoughts, and a brief silence fell, the palace attendant announced—
"An imperial decree has arrived! Prince Yu, receive it!"
Two eunuchs proclaimed:
"By imperial decree: The Directorate of Ceremonial has investigated and found that Hai Rui, the Magistrate of Chun'an, endured hardships with the disaster victims and managed relief effectively. His Majesty is greatly pleased; Tan Lun, the Grand Tutor of Prince Yu's Manor, for recommending a worthy person, is to be promoted by two ranks. By order."
...
Side Hall of the Yuxi Palace.
Jiajing knelt before the portraits of past emperors, his emotions churning. Although this disturbance was minor, it was like a storm within his heart—
After all, it was his youngest son! How could he not be worried sick when he encountered such a significant matter?
During this period, where could he find the mind for meditation? He sat in stillness every day, his heart filled with a thousand emotions... Today, upon receiving a secret report from Zhu Qi, the stone in his heart finally settled. Amidst a flood of emotions, he couldn't help but think of the protection of his ancestors, which led him to this side hall.
Others might not understand, but he knew it all too well!
The Great Ming was almost finished!
Where was the money left in the national treasury?
These past ten years, they had barely managed to hold on, relying on Yan Song and Yan Shifan to procure funds... And every time the Yan family procured funds, there was always widespread resentment? If things continued like this, his Zhu family would be cursed to death by all the common people just to survive! How could they possibly deal with the Yan family?
That fellow Yan Maoqing had already procured three million taels. If that brat hadn't had some skills, and had been able to shut Yan Shifan up, it would have been truly difficult... At that time, Yan Song would have again mocked His Majesty for relying on the Yan family to live...
Ten million taels of silver! Since his ascension to the throne, the national treasury had never seen so much money! Even Yan Song and Yan Shifan must have been terrified! And that brat managed to achieve this in just a few months?
The anti-Japanese war supplies of 300 [million] had already been allocated, so Qi Jiguang should have no problem...
The remaining several million taels, a portion could be lent to the people of Jiangnan to buy looms, and the rest could be used to purchase some weapons, armor, and horses, and repair the city walls of the nine garrisons...
Although it could only be used for three years, there would be no immediate issues for three years. As for repayment, it would be after three years... And looking at that brat's "Thousand Families Ten Thousand Surnames Weaving" strategy, it seemed bound to succeed...
In this way, the annual interest of over two million taels should be able to be repaid, and as for the principal, it could be managed by shifting funds after three years, and it would always be possible to scrape it together... The most crucial thing was the present. Damn it, if that brat hadn't managed to get this money, Yan Shifan would have completely overshadowed His Majesty...
Fortunately,
Fortunately, Zhu Mo, no, Zhu Zai Mo, had appeared!
My son, he truly brought honor to me.
However,
I, his father, am powerless...
For so many years, I haven't given him anything. The moment I recognized him, I had to send him into the fiery waters of Jiangnan... He's only a teenager...
What can I do to help him?
This child is like me, his life is truly hard...
As he was thinking, tears of mixed joy and sorrow welled up in his eyes again.
And at this moment,
The footsteps of Lü Fang could also be heard from behind.