Upon hearing such words, Xu Shijie’s interest was piqued, and he boarded the carriage.
As the dark green curtains were drawn, the carriage interior darkened.
However, a finely crafted charcoal stove was placed in the center of the carriage.
This charcoal stove was different from the bucket-like stoves others used.
It was directly embedded into a round wooden table.
Iron plates surrounded it, preventing the charcoal fire from falling out regardless of how the carriage swayed.
This design was novel, and Xu Shijie couldn’t help but praise, “What exquisite craftsmanship.”
Shen Yun replied as a matter of course, “Your subordinate also feels so.”
Just as Xu Shijie thought he was too immodest, Shen Yun explained,
“This was personally drawn and designed by my wife, who then found craftsmen to build it.
Not only that, this carriage, though appearing ordinary, is equipped with many ingenious little mechanisms.”
As Shen Yun spoke, he lightly pressed a wooden circular pattern on the round table, and a small compartment on the carriage wall sprang open.
He took out a plate of fried dough twists from it.
Then he opened another leaf-shaped one, taking out tea leaves and a teapot.
He brewed a cup of roasted buckwheat tea for Xu Shijie.
Xu Shijie took a sip with pleasant surprise, “Hmm, this is the famous roasted buckwheat tea from the capital a while ago. My mother is quite fond of it.”
Shen Yun smiled and generously packed two catties of roasted buckwheat tea from another compartment and gifted it to him.
Xu Shijie’s expression turned grim. He had come to hear Shen Yun’s method for solving the issue of winter clothing for the Northern Frontier Army, not to be given tea.
“Your Excellency speaks too highly. This tea is grown on my wife’s estate, and it was she who personally roasted it.
It is not worth much money, nor is it as precious as Da Hong Pao or Mengding Mountain Sweet Dew. We dare to offer it only because we thought Old Madam Xu might enjoy drinking it.”
Shen Yun spoke very honestly.
Xu Shijie thought about it. Roasted buckwheat tea like this was indeed sold in the market, and it wasn’t expensive.
However, he had never tasted such a mellow and pure roasted buckwheat tea before. It left a lingering fragrance and full-bodied flavor in the mouth.
It was truly good tea.
After praising it, Xu Shijie remembered Shen Yun repeatedly mentioning his wife and felt a surge of curiosity.
Soon, Shen Yun did not disappoint Xu Shijie, and he began to discuss the solution for the Northern Frontier Army’s winter clothing.
“Your Excellency, please allow this subordinate to speak frankly. Duke Yu desires winter clothing, not silver.
Why has the Ministry of Revenue been fixated on allocating a certain amount of silver?
Would it not be better to directly procure the winter clothing and send it with a reliable person?”
The subsequent accounting did not need Shen Yun to elaborate.
Xu Shijie, who had managed the treasury of Daliang for over twenty years, understood this best.
The Ministry of War had asked for fifty thousand taels of silver, whereas procuring winter clothing for three hundred thousand soldiers to endure winter only required thirty thousand taels.
The difference of twenty thousand taels would definitely not reach the Northern Frontier Army. As for who it would fall into, that remained unknown.
Of course, this was the best-case scenario.
In fact, there was another possibility.
Once the silver was handed over to the Ministry of War for procuring winter clothing, they might not adhere to the standard of one hundred coins per garment.
They might just use a thick piece of coarse cloth, haphazardly stuff it with all sorts of miscellaneous willow floss, and call it a day to pass the responsibility.
The more Xu Shijie thought about it, the more he found Shen Yun’s suggestion to be excellent.
However, he now had a problem: “If my Ministry of Revenue undertakes this task, how should it be handled?”
As far as he knew, the fabric shops and cotton shops in the capital were all monopolized by Duke Huang’s estate and Marquis Yong’an’s estate.
If he took on this task, it would result in losses for those two families, and they were not people to be trifled with.
Therefore, he had never even considered this matter from the beginning.
Because even if he did, he wouldn’t be able to overcome them; it would simply be a waste of effort.
But this time was different.
Xu Shijie knew that Shen Yun was definitely not someone without a plan.
Since he specifically waited at the palace gate to discuss this matter with him, he must have had a solution.
Thus, he asked without reservation, directly inquiring how it should be done.
Shen Yun said, “This subordinate recommends worthy individuals without regard to kinship. If Your Excellency finds it questionable, you may choose not to adopt it.”
Upon hearing this, Xu Shijie’s eyes deepened.
Shen Yun slowly began to explain.
It turned out that he indeed had someone to recommend.
But that person was precisely his wife.
Xu Shijie then understood why Shen Yun had kept mentioning his wife from the beginning; it was a prelude to this.
He remained silent.
Shen Yun was not in a hurry.
Perhaps Xu Shijie did not understand at this moment, but he would eventually understand in the future.
His Shen Yun’s actions in this matter were truly without any ulterior motive.
He genuinely wished to resolve his worries.
Of course, it wasn’t solely for Xu Shijie, but for the Northern Frontier Army.
He couldn’t bear to think of the Northern Frontier Army fighting against the Northern Di barbarians in the bitter cold of the northern frontier without even a proper set of winter clothing.
Any faction within the court represented internal conflicts of Daliang.
Unlike the Northern Di barbarians,
They were an external threat. If they were allowed to wreak havoc, all the people of the northern regions would suffer.
Xu Shijie couldn’t help but have some doubts.
But at this moment, he truly had no other good ideas.
Unwilling to hand over the silver to the Ministry of War to be squandered, he tentatively agreed to Shen Yun’s proposal, stating that the matter was settled.
Shen Yun was somewhat surprised by his swift agreement.
He said with a hint of awkwardness, “Actually, this is currently just my own idea.
I haven’t discussed it with my wife yet. I had intended to bring it up first, but I didn’t expect Your Excellency to be so forthright.”
Hearing this, Xu Shijie, realizing the situation could still change, quickly said,
“I will go and meet your wife and oversee your discussion with her.”
Uh, this matter…
Shen Yun hesitated for a moment, recalling that he had previously sent Zhang Lei to inform his wife.
Furthermore, she was different from ordinary people, so he agreed.
When Shen Yun arrived home, Su Xiaoqi was in the room, arranging her account books.
She was tallying how much cotton, fabric, and down she had on hand.
Upon hearing that Shen Yun had invited the Minister of Revenue, Xu Shijie, to their home, she quickly got up and went to the flower hall.
Before she even entered, she heard Shen Yun discussing the Northern Frontier Army with Xu Shijie.
Xu Shijie specifically mentioned Duke Yu, who was stationed in the Northern Frontier.
He said that he had admired Duke Yu’s family since he was a child, first the Old Duke and the Old Madam.
And now, Duke Yu and the heir apparent.
“They are the true pillars of the court. We officials eat the sovereign’s stipend, how can we not think of resolving the sovereign’s worries?
How can our Daliang soldiers not have a single piece of satisfactory winter clothing to wear.”
At the height of his emotion, Xu Shijie couldn’t help but show tears.
He wiped them with his sleeve.
He was not someone who easily showed his emotions, but seeing Shen Yun today and discussing these passionate matters with him, he felt exceptionally close.
They found themselves in great accord.
As the saying goes, those who have different paths cannot plan together. He and Shen Yun, however, felt like old friends who hadn’t seen each other for years, engaging in a heartfelt conversation, appreciating each other’s company.
They had forged a friendship despite the age difference.
Su Xiaoqi felt a warmth in her heart, finally understanding why Shen Yun had invited Xu Shijie over.
Normally, Shen Yun would occasionally invite colleagues over.
But if it wasn’t for that particular person, he would generally host them himself and not ask her to come out and meet them.
He always wanted to keep her hidden, not letting outsiders see her.
Su Xiaoqi gestured, and Guo’er lifted the heavy door curtain and walked in.
Upon hearing the movement, Shen Yun immediately got up and helped her forward:
“My wife, this is Minister Xu.”
Su Xiaoqi curtsied in greeting.
Xu Shijie quickly said that although he and Shen Yun had an age difference, they got along very well. He treated her as if she were his own niece or nephew and that she didn’t need to be so formal.
They all took their seats.
At Shen Yun’s subtle hint, Su Xiaoqi served the roasted buckwheat tea.
She also brought him a bowl of dumplings cooked in lamb broth.
To ward off the cold.
Eating the delicious dumplings, Xu Shijie suddenly sighed, “Alas, we in the capital enjoy this warm stove and these hearty lamb broth dumplings.
It is a pity that our Northern Frontier soldiers do not even have a decent set of winter clothes to wear.”
Zhang Lei had already reported this matter beforehand.
Su Xiaoqi had been in the process of tallying her current inventory.
At this moment, she was direct and did not play coy, stating plainly,
“Your Excellency exaggerates. Your loyalty to the country and concern for the soldiers are deeply appreciated by them, if they knew.”
After saying a few polite words, Su Xiaoqi took out her abacus and began to calculate her inventory in front of Xu Shijie.
Xu Shijie, on the side, also quickly took out his abacus and helped her with the calculations.
Seeing this scene, Shen Yun couldn’t help but shake his head and smile wryly. One was the person in charge of Daliang’s treasury,
And the other, though not lacking, managed her own industries, which were likely as wealthy as a nation.
With both abacuses in operation, Zhang Yu and Guo’er were mobilized to record the accounts.
After a quarter of an hour, Su Xiaoqi stated, “Based on all the materials I have, I can produce two hundred thousand padded jackets. The cotton in each jacket is freshly harvested this season, and it is very thick.”
Xu Shijie heard this, feeling both happy and worried.
“These two hundred thousand pieces are already very impressive, but, but this still leaves a deficit of one hundred thousand pieces.”
Su Xiaoqi, however, calmly turned to another page of her ledger.
Shen Yun quickly advised, “Your Excellency, do not worry. My wife surely has other methods.”
Xu Shijie immediately looked at Su Xiaoqi upon hearing this, waiting for her to speak.