Chapter 23

Tan Xiaopei stroked his chin with one hand and thought quietly for a while before saying, "Since that's the case, then let's settle on the matter of the barracks in the west of the city. How much money will it cost, which troops need to be mobilized, how many laborers need to be deployed? This… the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of War should work together to give me a plan. …Ye Tao, those ideas of yours about Danyang, you might as well plan them out as well and submit them to me directly."

As soon as Tan Xiaopei finished speaking, Ye Tao was stunned. He couldn't help but feel cold sweat trickling down his back. It was one thing to throw out some ideas that were far ahead of this era when he was speaking with enthusiasm, but to have him plan and organize such a large-scale urban planning and development project was a matter of life and death. All he was proficient in were technical matters. These things involving all aspects, involving large amounts of capital allocation and a large number of interpersonal relationships, were not his forte. But at this moment, it was not convenient to say "no." If he had been so forthright just now, and now he suddenly said, "Sorry, I can't do this," he would probably be dragged out and beheaded if he encountered a capricious monarch. Although he knew that Tan Xiaopei was not that kind of person, Ye Tao, with his pride, absolutely couldn't bring himself to say something that would make him lose face at this time.

Seeing the stunned expression on Ye Tao's face, Tan Weixin knew Ye Tao's inner suffering. She quickly interjected, "Father, you're in a hurry to demolish a large number of places and rebuild them. Shouldn't you wait until after the wedding with Princess Bailian next year? Otherwise, wouldn't it be a disgrace if half of Danyang was filled with half-built new houses?"

Tan Xiaopei smiled and said, "That's right, that's right, look at me, I'm getting anxious again."

Tan Weixin then said, "It's not like you can come up with a plan just by saying you need one. You have to think carefully about which places can be moved, which places can't be moved, and what the moved places will be used for in the future. Moreover, such a big thing requires the support of the big merchants in Danyang. After all, many places are in their hands, and it's not like you can do whatever you want. Ye Tao has only been in Danyang for such a short time, Father, how can you let him preside over this matter? Wouldn't you be watching him offend all the ways for him to do business in the future?"

Only Tan Weixin dared to say such words. Tan Xiaopei was a monarch from a military background, far more familiar with and proficient in military affairs than with officialdom and the economy. The officialdom of Dongping was not complicated, and there wasn't much intrigue. On the one hand, it was because the Dongping kingdom was not too big, and the various forces were entangled together, making it much more important to resist external pressure than to fight for internal power. On the other hand, it was also because General Zhuo Mang controlled an army completely loyal to the royal family, and Tan Weixin, though young, was shrewd and experienced enough to constantly give Tan Xiaopei ideas.

Others, especially those officials, sometimes gave Tan Xiaopei advice in a rather unkind tone, not to mention Tan Weixin, who had always been deeply favored. Tan Weixin had always been able to say whatever came to her mind. No one but Tan Weixin would dare to say that she didn't want Ye Tao to preside over such a matter because she was worried about ruining relations with the business community. This was a very obvious way to protect Ye Tao. When Tan Xiaopei heard this, he smiled and said, "That's true… but in any case, Ye Tao subdued Shang Bao Tang by winning three challenges, greatly boosting the reputation of my Dongping kingdom, and this time he has such a comprehensive idea for the barracks in the west of the city. There should always be some reward, right?"

Tan Xiaopei thought for a moment and said, "How about this… in the name of selecting outstanding talents, I will appoint Ye Tao as the Assistant Director (Changshi Tongzhi) of the Construction Department (Yingzao Si) of the Ministry of Works. How about that?"

Changshi Tongzhi meant that the rank was equivalent to Changshi, but due to various reasons, he had specific tasks but was not formally included in the official rank for assessment. These various reasons, when applied to Ye Tao, were naturally because of his age. The Construction Department of the Ministry of Works had always been one of the most important departments of the Ministry of Works. Changshi was a fourth-rank official, and even Tongzhi was half a rank lower than a formal official, but he could be considered a mid- to high-ranking civil official in the Dongping court. According to the normal promotion procedure, one would need to work in the Ministry of Works for at least ten to fifteen years. Such an appointment could be considered a meteoric rise. Judging from Ye Tao's age, he was probably not even twenty years old, yet he would have the qualification to enter the palace to discuss politics. This favor was unparalleled under Tan Xiaopei, a monarch who had always valued qualifications and achievements. The officials present, with emotions of surprise, envy, and jealousy intertwined, looked at Ye Tao in unison.

Instead of shouting a formulaic "This subject receives the decree and thanks the Emperor," Ye Tao's mind turned, and he knelt down and said, "Since Your Majesty is only seeking opinions, this humble citizen dares to ask Your Majesty not to do this. This subject dares not lag behind others in serving the country, but this subject absolutely dare not enter the court as an official."

Tan Weixin wanted to say something, but she opened her mouth and then shrank back. She was also a little nervous. Such a thing was not too offensive to the ruler's taboo, but it was difficult to deal with.

Tan Xiaopei curled his lips and said, "Get up and speak. …Your statement is very interesting. You dare not? Tell me, why do you dare not? Can the officialdom eat you up?"

"There is a way to be an official, and there is a way to be a commoner. First of all, if I, at my young age, were to enter the Ministry of Works, it would cause a great deal of public discussion. Whether Your Majesty dismisses me to quell the discussion, or continues to let me work under pressure, it would not be a good thing for the entire Dongping. And under the uproar of public opinion, I would inevitably have difficulty moving forward, and it would be difficult to say what I could do. And in the officialdom, where can my best ideas be brought into play? It would be better to continue being a commoner, a merchant who can always come up with new gadgets. Furniture, military chess, and military equipment can all be managed, and occasionally I can build a garden and build a bridge and collect some writing fees. If I do well, it is thanks to Your Majesty's blessing. If I mess around too much, then Your Majesty's scolding will actually be an honor. And I can use the excuse of 'being young and ignorant' to muddle through for two or three years anyway, and I can do whatever I want. The ease and rigor of these days are really different. Please, Your Majesty, grant me a reprieve…"

Everyone looked at each other. They had never heard of the idiom "grant a reprieve" being used in this way. It was as if Tan Xiaopei was not appointing Ye Tao to be an official but was about to put him in jail. Tan Xiaopei himself was amused and laughed, saying, "Alright, I'll do as you say. I was thinking that there should be a young cabinet member in the Hall of Political Affairs in a few years. Since you don't want to be an official, then forget it."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your great kindness." Ye Tao bowed deeply. Everyone could see that Ye Tao's thanks were sincere.

Having never seen this kind of person before, everyone was a little at a loss in the face of such Ye Tao. Even Tan Xiaopei didn't know what to say. He waved his hand and said, "However, the matter of the barracks in the west of the city, the things that you should be in charge of, are still entrusted to you. You won't refuse this, will you?"

Ye Tao quickly replied, "It is my duty."

Only Tan Weixin, at this time, in addition to understanding, thought with some malice, "Is this guy Ye Tao not taking this official position because he is preparing to get a share of the pie in the urban reconstruction plan?" Once it starts, the silver invested before and after will be at least several million taels, and even more would probably not be surprising. Ye Tao will inevitably enter the planning work, and some construction projects, probably no one but his "father-in-law" Dai Yuege's team, which is obviously being trained into the most advanced and technologically advanced construction team of this era, can build them. Everyone must like this kind of business without competition.

Tan Weixin thought about it, but secretly admired Ye Tao. Dai Yuege's construction team was not only using convenient construction equipment, but more importantly, their processes were completely different from the construction teams of this era. The shortcomings of traditional Chinese-style wooden buildings in wasting wood and labor had been greatly improved in their hands. In terms of wooden buildings, they had almost played them to the extreme. If they wanted to build more magnificent and powerful buildings, Ye Tao would probably have to come up with things like cement. At least, in the design of the barracks in the west of the city, the very familiar central fortress building was mainly built with stone.

The imperial meeting continued until the evening, and finally the series of matters concerning the barracks in the west of the city were finalized and could be implemented. At Ye Tao's suggestion, the barracks in the west of the city were officially named "Iron City (Tie Cheng)" by Tan Xiaopei. Ye Tao, who was in the limelight at this imperial meeting, refused to take office, but was granted the power to submit memorials at any time to report various matters. As a member of the Princess's residence, he became one of the responsible officials for the "Iron City" construction plan, which was very irregular. There were so many things to discuss that if Tan Weixin hadn't been so hungry that she had asked to leave and go back for dinner, Tan Xiaopei would have liked to solve all the problems he could think of at once. But after all, he doted on his daughter, and finally ended this long but efficient meeting.