The middle-aged man, in his fifties, sat in a small room, a mere ten feet square, outside the storehouse, engrossed in reading by lamplight.
Despite being a civil official, he alertly called out upon hearing footsteps, "Who's there?"
His voice was vigilant and stern, as if he were ready to draw a blade and charge out at any moment.
Even Lu Qingwan, who inherently believed that one should fulfill their duties regardless of how well they performed them, felt impressed by Chen Jianzhang's actions.
Sensing the undisguised tension and wariness in Chen Jianzhang's tone, Lu Qingwan responded loudly, "It is I, Lord Chen."
Chen Jianzhang might have recognized Lu Qingwan's voice, or he might not have.
However, in such a state of high alert, anyone who could respond openly, rather than silently continuing to approach the storehouse, was enough for Chen Jianzhang to breathe a sigh of relief.
After a moment, Chen Jianzhang emerged from the ten-foot-square room.
Upon seeing that it was Lu Qingwan, a flicker of surprise crossed his face. He quickly composed himself and bowed to Lu Qingwan, offering his respects, "I was unaware of the Princess's arrival. This old minister has failed to welcome you properly. I beg the Princess's forgiveness."
What Lu Qingwan appreciated most about Chen Jianzhang was this very quality.
Even if he harbored reservations about a woman meddling in state affairs, he would never intentionally breach the rules that were meant to be upheld, nor would he neglect his duties.
At the very least, as long as they were not in court, he would not deliberately make anyone uncomfortable.
Lu Qingwan was acutely aware that her status had undergone a significant transformation since her return to the capital. She needed to learn to accept the deference of others, much like Yan Ruozhao, and maintain her position as the future Empress.
Therefore, this time, when Chen Jianzhang paid his respects, she did not evade it as she had in the past. Instead, she calmly accepted his bow.
She then got straight to the point, saying, "I heard that Lord Chen has been concerned about safety hazards in the Ministry of Revenue's storehouse, and I have come to see for myself.
The Prince is burdened with numerous state affairs and cannot attend to matters here. If there are indeed safety hazards, I will report back to the Prince and request that he make appropriate improvements."
Hearing this, Chen Jianzhang understood Lu Qingwan's purpose. What was curious was that he did not display the overt displeasure he had previously shown towards Lu Qingwan's involvement in governance.
After a brief pause, he replied to Lu Qingwan, "The keys to the storehouse are jointly held by myself, the Vice Minister of Revenue Qu Zhong, and the Principal Clerk of the Storehouse Zheng Jiashan.
If the Princess wishes to inspect the inner storehouse, it may take a little while. Please allow me to send for Vice Minister Qu and Principal Clerk Zheng so that we may open the doors together."
Lu Qingwan nodded with satisfaction, "Very well, I shall trouble Lord Chen."
This implied that she was determined to see the internal issues of the storehouse today.
Upon hearing this, Chen Jianzhang summoned a subordinate and, in front of Lu Qingwan, instructed him to fetch the Vice Minister of Revenue and the Principal Clerk of the Storehouse.
He then turned and said, "Vice Minister Qu and Principal Clerk Zheng reside some distance from the Ministry of Revenue. Perhaps the Princess would care to wait in the administrative office for a short while?"
"That would be acceptable."
Lu Qingwan nodded slightly, then without any hesitation, she said to Chen Jianzhang, "When the Prince was campaigning across the land, he had people organize the spoils of war, specially cataloged by the strategist.
By now, have those items been incorporated into the national treasury?"
Chen Jianzhang walked alongside her, his expression remarkably composed. "Replying to the Princess, the spoils of war cataloged by Strategist Lian Yu were divided into three batches.
Items such as grain and livestock were, after being tallied by the strategist and the principal officials of the Ministry of Revenue, directly used for disaster relief and reconstruction.
As for larger items, such as gifts, calligraphy and paintings, antiques, and real estate, they were all housed in the Imperial Household Department.
What remained in the national treasury were mostly silver coins, gold and silver jewelry, and furniture of good quality. Some of these are still in the storehouse, while others have been allocated to various government departments.
However, all receipts and expenditures are recorded. For income, there is a universal ledger shared by the local authorities, the national treasury, and the Imperial Household Department.
For expenditures, the Imperial Household Department, the national treasury, and local government offices also maintain records, all of which are reconcilable."
For the Minister of Revenue, who had presided over the court's finances for over a decade, this was basic procedure. Lu Qingwan was not surprised in the least.
She nodded approvingly and then shifted the topic, "Six months ago, the Prince granted the heads of various departments the utmost authority to construct their own offices, not even interfering excessively in personnel matters.
Logically, there should not be safety hazards in the construction of the Ministry of Revenue's storehouse.
Yet, to my knowledge, Lord Chen has suspected safety hazards in the storehouse since its completion. Is there any hidden information that I am unaware of?"
When the capital was established in Jincheng, apart from the imperial palace and a few luxurious residences, most government offices were built by the heads of the respective departments, and the Ministry of Revenue was no exception.
Logically, even if there were safety hazards, others should have raised them.
Chen Jianzhang, who had overseen the construction of the storehouse, was now actively raising concerns about safety hazards. This was something Lu Qingwan found difficult to comprehend.
Now that she had met Chen Jianzhang in person, Lu Qingwan was determined to get a clear answer.
Chen Jianzhang responded with equal frankness, "Your Highness, please forgive my negligence. This is indeed my oversight, and I am willing to bear responsibility.
If the Princess and the Prince permit the storehouse to be rebuilt, I am willing to bear a portion of the reconstruction costs myself, but the safety hazards must be resolved."
Lu Qingwan was now truly puzzled and directly asked, "What exactly is the issue? Could you please elaborate, Lord?"
It was unclear what had caused Chen Jianzhang's change of attitude towards Lu Qingwan, but this time, his demeanor towards her was surprisingly pleasant.
Upon hearing her question, he replied respectfully, "Does Your Highness know that the national treasury is comprised of the Gold and Silver Treasury, the Miscellaneous Goods Treasury, and the Grain Treasury?"
"Of course, I do. Isn't that common knowledge?"
Fearing she might provoke this rigid and pedantic old man, Lu Qingwan refrained from mentioning her past exploits of breaking into the national treasury and armory in Daqin.
She merely continued, "So, which part is having issues this time?"
Chen Jianzhang had asked the question as a lead-in, and seeing that Lu Qingwan had some understanding of the Ministry of Revenue's structure, he proceeded more concisely.
"Your Highness is wise. I shall not beat around the bush.
To be frank, Your Highness, the Gold and Silver Treasury has no issues. However, both the Miscellaneous Goods Treasury and the Grain Treasury have problems, especially the Grain Treasury. If it is not dismantled and rebuilt, I dare not allow the local governments to send their tax grain to the new capital."
This was a grave statement.
Lu Qingwan hurriedly inquired, "Such a serious issue, what is the problem?"
Chen Jianzhang beckoned a servant to bring tea for Lu Qingwan before leisurely explaining, "The Grain Treasury, from its interior to its exterior, is constructed entirely of wood."
At first hearing this, there seemed to be no problem.
Lu Qingwan almost instinctively replied, "What's wrong with that? Aren't ordinary family granaries made of wood?"