Fan Xian's gaze swept over the green trees beside the official road, the boundless fields behind the trees, the gurgling river not far away, further and further, as if trying to see through everything here. Finally, his gaze lightly landed on the large workshop where the river flowed, where faint smoke rose into the air, but it was not the faint blue smoke of a farmer's cooking fire, but black smoke with a familiar smell.

Could it be a blast furnace?

The people in this large area were conscripted by the imperial court to work in the Internal Treasury. The wages were much higher than farming, so their interest in managing the farmland diminished. In a large area of fertile land, weeds and early rice competed to grow, looking somewhat mixed and chaotic.

Fan Xian took a deep breath, smelling the fresh air, and felt relieved. It seemed that the environmental pollution here was not as serious as he had imagined. Of course, the copper mines further away must have a much harsher environment than here.

Looking at the scenery before him, he felt that something that had been separated from him for many years was gradually returning to his mind, but the momentum was still gentle, not surging, so that he was somewhat lost. Around September of last year, he always felt that something deep in his heart was extremely eager for something, but he had never found it.

Seeing him lost in thought, Haitang folded her hands like an old man, frowned, and looked at the handsome face by the window, also falling into contemplation—what exactly did this young and powerful official want to do?

"How do you feel?" She noticed that Fan Xian seemed uneasy today and asked with a smile.

Fan Xian said quietly, "I should be asking you that."

Haitang smiled, "It is indeed a rare sight. I never thought that the Qing Kingdom's Internal Treasury would be so large. I couldn't even name the things I saw earlier."

Fan Xian replied, "Just look. I don't think you can go back and make one."

A strange light flashed in Haitang's eyes, and she asked with a smile, "Are you so confident in the Internal Treasury?"

Fan Xian was slightly startled, then replied softly, "It's not that I have confidence in the Internal Treasury, but that you can learn to make something that shouldn't exist in this world just by looking at its appearance... that would be a miracle."

Not knowing what she was thinking, Haitang fell silent, and after a while, she said, "The people in the current Internal Treasury are all confidants of the Xinyang faction. How do you plan to take over?"

Fan Xian raised an eyebrow, and a faint smile appeared on his face, "No matter whose people they are, they are all my people now."

Haitang looked at him suspiciously, "Are you really planning to... fight to the death with them?"

Fan Xian fell silent, and after a while, he said in a deep voice, "Isn't it a bit late to ask that question?"

Haitang frowned, "I believe your mother-in-law is not a confused person. She can see the current situation clearly. Logically speaking, both you and she have the desire to renegotiate and live in harmony. Moreover, with interests at stake, it seems that neither of you wants to break up."

"If I don't break up with her, I guess you and the Emperor of Northern Qi would be unhappy," Fan Xian said with a sarcastic smile, "Don't worry, I won't join forces with my mother-in-law again to bully you orphans and widows in the north."

Haitang was silent, unsure if she believed him or not.

Fan Xian was not worried about the attitude of Northern Qi. Anyway, as long as the Internal Treasury existed, the people of Northern Qi would have to rely on him for one day. As for what Haitang had said earlier, it was not without reason. In the eyes of great political figures, any past grievances could be abandoned in the face of a large enough bargaining chip, especially with Fan Xian and Wan'er acting as lubricants. In the eyes of the world, as long as the Eldest Princess was willing to compromise, there was no reason for Fan Xian not to accept peace talks.

In fact, the Eldest Princess had already made concessions. After the assassination in Cang Mountain, the most beautiful noblewoman in Qing Kingdom truly felt Fan Xian's power and had written several letters to try in this regard, but Fan Xian had not accepted it.

"Just put your mind at ease," Fan Xian said softly without taking back his gaze from the outside of the carriage, "The Eldest Princess is willing to accept the fact that I am in charge of the Internal Treasury, but I... ignored it."

Haitang suddenly raised her head, her bright eyes staring at Fan Xian's back, wondering why he would reject the Xinyang faction's compromise.

Fan Xian explained softly, "She wants 30% of the shares and will cooperate with me to easily take over the Internal Treasury... this condition is not harsh."

Haitang frowned and remained silent for a long time before saying, "Not only is it not harsh, but it is already a very sincere condition. Originally... from the standpoint of my Great Qi, the more strained An Zhi's relationship with the Eldest Princess is, the more beneficial it is to us. But from a friend's standpoint, I want to advise you that your power is ultimately given to you by the Qing Kingdom's royal family, and she is, after all, your mother-in-law. There is no reason not to accept such good conditions."

Fan Xian laughed self-deprecatingly, "Is that so? I don't think so. Maybe deep down, I think that in the matter of the Internal Treasury, I won't allow anyone to compete with me."

"Why?" Haitang still couldn't figure out his thoughts.

"This is the legacy of my mother," Fan Xian said with a gentle smile, "I don't have her ability, so I can only be a second-generation rich, but... I can't ruin this family."

The carriage fell silent.

……

……

After a long time, Haitang said softly, "But the current Internal Treasury is still the Qing Kingdom's imperial court, after all."

"The imperial court is just a very illusory image," Fan Xian said, "What is the imperial court? The Emperor? The officials? The Empress Dowager? Or the people?"

He finally said, "The key is to see what role this Internal Treasury will play in my hands and what channels those silvers can be used on. If... if the imperial court can't use it well, then I will use it on behalf of the imperial court and turn this illusory image into the real word 'people'."

Haitang said with a smile, "You are habitually trying to play the saint again."

Fan Xian responded with a smile, "I told Yan Bingyun that occasionally being a saint is a very beneficial supplement to one's spiritual world."

After clarifying the secret negotiations with the Eldest Princess and giving Haitang peace of mind, Fan Xian fell silent again, staring blankly at the scenery outside the carriage. The waterwheels by the river, the sound of some kind of machinery in the workshop, and the black smoke rising from the furnace in the distance were all stimulating the unknown desire in his heart.

———————————————————————

"Lord, we're here."

The humble voice of the Internal Treasury Transport Division official woke Fan Xian from his thoughts again. He looked at the two women in the carriage in confusion, only then realizing that the Internal Treasury Transport Division had arrived. He quickly straightened his clothes, lifted the carriage curtain, and jumped down.

He jumped down instead of slowly and steadily walking down with the demeanor of an official. This one action showed Fan Xian's inexplicable tension and excitement, after all, he had finally arrived at the Internal Treasury, the place where his mother had made her fortune, where could he maintain his usual calm.

His feet stepped on the somewhat hard ground, and Fan Xian squinted slightly, looking around. He found that the street beside him was just an ordinary government office, and there was no bustling scene he had imagined at all. The street was a bit deserted, although the surrounding buildings were new and beautiful, but... it didn't look like a construction site.

The Transport Division official, who was responsible for picking him up from Suzhou, had probably seen this kind of expression on the faces of officials coming to take office in the capital many times and explained cautiously, "The three major workshops are still far from the Division Office. Lord, you should rest today and inspect them tomorrow."

Fan Xian was a little disappointed. He had originally planned to blow glass, weave cotton cloth, and shake hands with the worker comrades today, but he didn't want to have to wait another day.

The gate of the Division Office was fully opened, and the Internal Treasury Transport Division and the military Supervisory Council officials in charge of security were divided into two rows, welcoming the arrival of the Imperial Envoy.

Fan Xian walked in first, and Gao Da followed silently behind him with several Tiger Guards. A team of about a hundred people was settled down in a very short time, it seemed that the Internal Treasury still operated extremely quickly. Haitang and Si Si were naturally taken to the backyard, and with the addition of the few maids who had been newly bought on the road, the usually deserted residence of the Chief of the Transport Division suddenly became lively.

After the officials greeted Fan Xian, everyone sat down in the hall in turn, waiting for Fan Xian to give instructions.

Fan Xian was not very familiar with the situation of the Internal Treasury, and this was his first time opening a yamen and sitting in court, so he felt a bit strange. He motioned for Su Wenmao to say a few nonsense words on his behalf and then dismissed everyone, only waiting for the official opening of the yamen tomorrow.

After returning to the backyard, without even having time to familiarize himself with his official residence, he immediately summoned the Supervisory Council's resident commander in the Internal Treasury. This official was about forty years old, with gray hair, it seemed that the security work of the Internal Treasury was indeed very mentally exhausting.

He motioned for the other party to sit down and, without saying any nonsense, asked very directly, "Tell me about the situation."

This Supervisory Council official was under the jurisdiction of the Fourth Division and had received secret letters from the Yan family father and son since last autumn, so he had already made preparations. Today, when he saw Fan Xian asking questions, he quickly revealed everything he knew.

He naturally understood that Director Fan had just arrived at the Internal Treasury and had no confidants in the Internal Treasury. If he wanted to grasp the situation as soon as possible, he would need to find someone trustworthy in the treasury, and as a Supervisory Council official, being close to the water tower, he naturally had to climb up quickly, so as not to waste the opportunity given to him by God.

Fan Xian nodded repeatedly as he listened. This Supervisory Council official was extremely efficient in his words and actions. During the conversation, he clearly explained the current situation of the Internal Treasury, the duties of the three major workshops, and the factions of the various treasury officials, nothing was missed.

"Why has the Internal Treasury been losing so much money in recent years?" Fan Xian had a great courage, and he asked this kind of question openly and frankly, not caring at all that it was inconvenient for the Supervisory Council official opposite him to speak.

The Supervisory Council official's surname was Dan, and his given name was Da. In front of Fan Xian, he didn't dare to be bold. How could a lower-level official explain the affairs of the Internal Treasury in a few words? But he still said cautiously, "Actually, it can't be called a loss, it's just that the taxes going to the capital have indeed been several percentage points lower in recent years."

Fan Xian smiled helplessly and bitterly, "Such a gold-laying hen makes less money every year than the year before. What's the difference between that and a loss? I don't know how the previous director managed it?"

The previous Chief of the Internal Treasury Transport Division was Huang Wanshu, the cousin of Huang Yi, the Eldest Princess of Xinyang's chief advisor. Fan Xian took over the Internal Treasury without meeting this Lord Huang. The two sides were at odds with each other, so they were too lazy to go through the handover procedures, they were all tough guys.

Dan Da didn't dare to take his words to demean the Eldest Princess and said sincerely, "The reason why the profits have been declining year by year is that the expenses of the three major workshops have been increasing, including the workshop owners, those treasury officials are taking too much. Secondly, there have been some problems with the sales channels in recent years. The pirates at sea are too rampant. I can't say too much, but at least one or two out of ten are lost at sea. Thirdly, there is the issue of supplying Northern Qi. The accounts were too chaotic in the past few years, and I don't know how much private goods the Cui family took. However, no one has dared to investigate this matter... Fortunately, Director Fan took action and verified the Cui family before the year, just this one item can save a lot of losses for the imperial court."

Fan Xian listened with great interest, but he was very clear in his heart that what pirates were all tricks of the Ming family looting and selling their own goods. He looked at Dan Da hesitant to speak and asked curiously, "What other reasons are there?"

Dan Da glanced at him and said with a wry smile, "There is also... the expenses of the Council have been increasing too quickly in recent years. As you know, most of the Council's expenses are directly paid by the Internal Treasury. The expenses of the palace haven't increased much in recent years, but the Council has spent too much. With the addition of the previous points, after so much reduction, no matter how much money the Internal Treasury can make for the imperial court, it has long since fallen from its former glory after making up for it everywhere."

Fan Xian gasped, he didn't expect that his own Supervisory Council was also one of the leeches of the Internal Treasury. On second thought, the brothers and sisters of the Third Division were researching weapons of mass destruction every day, and the crows of the Second Division were searching for information all over the world. No matter how they disguised themselves, they always needed financial support, not to mention the Fifth and Sixth Divisions, these two black hole yamen with no construction, only destruction and sucking money... Of course, even if these Council affairs didn't count, he had played in Chen Garden many times, and that old cripple raised so many peerless beauties, living a luxurious life comparable to an emperor. This money was all paid by the Internal Treasury.

He shook his head and said with a bitter smile, "Let's not mention the affairs of the Council for now, it's embarrassing to spread it out. Just investigate those few routes."

Dan Da and Su Wenmao behind Fan Xian couldn't help laughing. They thought that Director Fan spoke very directly.

……

……

"I will solve the problems with the sales channels and the pirates," Fan Xian stared at Dan Da's eyes, "Eliminating two of the four evils, I just don't understand how the treasury officials of the three major workshops can also be mentioned in the same breath as these malpractices? Those officials stay in Jiangnan all year round and are not allowed to leave without authorization. It is indeed hard work, and the imperial court should give them a generous salary."

Dan Da didn't dare to look him directly in the eyes and replied with his head lowered, "The three major workshops are responsible for all the production of the Internal Treasury. They are the ones who make all the goods, so... so..."

"So what?" Fan Xian sneered, "Are they daring to use this to coerce?"

"Of course they wouldn't dare to coerce," Dan Da replied with a wry smile, "But the imperial court's management of the Internal Treasury is strict. Only the upper, middle, and lower-level treasury officials know all the processes, ingredients, and formulas. The things in their heads are equivalent to the imperial court's money-making machine. As long as they use a little bit of trickery, they can reduce the output of the Internal Treasury, so their status in the Internal Treasury has always been somewhat special. The imperial court also treats them differently, and even... they are a bit arrogant."

"Oh?" Fan Xian narrowed his eyes with amusement, thinking that those small helpers who came out of the Ye family have now become technology bureaucrats who monopolize wealth?

"What is this if not coercion?" Fan Xian felt even more ridiculous and amusing and laughed, "Then how did the Eldest Princess deal with these treasury officials?"

Dan Da thought for a while and replied with a frown, "The Eldest Princess only asked for the output not to decrease, and she basically satisfied the treasury officials' requests, and raised their status extremely high... Of course, if there were any treasury officials who didn't know their place, the Eldest Princess would also have her means. Six years ago, she killed seven treasury officials who were making trouble in one go. Since then, the treasury officials have learned to make a fortune in silence. They don't have good faces for us equal-level officials, but they still don't dare to disrespect the imperial court."

Fan Xian sneered, "Arrogant? Extremely high status... Then the first thing this official has to do is to knock them down from the altar."

He was a little annoyed in his heart. His mother-in-law was indeed not a management material and had managed such a super-large enterprise into this shape. No wonder His Majesty the Emperor was complaining every day and his father was also headache over the empty treasury.

Dan Da was taken aback, thinking that Director Fan was still young after all. If the new official took office with three fires and anger came down like thunder, if he really offended those treasury officials, not to mention the sales channels of the Internal Treasury, the output and quality of the goods would probably be difficult to guarantee.

He bowed with both hands and said in a deep voice, "Lord, please think twice. It is better to respond with a gentle heart first and then slowly plan for it."

Fan Xian shook his head with a smile, "It is impossible to plan slowly. Ten thousand years is too long, seize the day, ten days later, this official will return to Suzhou to preside over the opening of the Internal Treasury for bidding. If I don't subdue the people in the Internal Treasury who are not convinced in these ten days, how will you manage things in the future? I don't have the interest to run to this place every day."

Dan Da said with a bitter face, "This matter is not easy to handle. Even if the treasury officials are superficially convinced, they can secretly do some tricks in the workshops, or even not do anything at all, and can reduce the output of the Internal Treasury. It's impossible to investigate clearly, and in the end, this responsibility will probably have to be borne by the lord."

Fan Xian admired this person's attitude of saying one thing at a time. The atmosphere of the Supervisory Council officials was indeed much stronger than that of the Jiangnan Road officials. He waved his hand to stop the other party's advice and said with a smile, "Don't be afraid, if you kill Zhang the butcher, do you have to eat hairy pigs?"

Dan Da and Su Wenmao were stunned, wondering where Director Fan's confidence came from. The treasury officials were in charge of production, and the Supervisory Council was not good at this... Suddenly, Su Wenmao's mind moved, thinking that this Internal Treasury was originally the Ye family's property, and his lord was... the descendant of the Ye family. Could it be that Director Fan had his own way?

Fan Xian didn't explain anything, just asked them to prepare for the official opening of the yamen tomorrow, while he himself went to the backyard, drank two bowls of porridge with some discomfort, and then sincerely invited Haitang to go to the three major workshops with him tonight.

His subordinates had already prepared the permits for him, so it shouldn't be a big problem even if he didn't reveal his identity at night. The reason why he wanted to call Haitang with him was not out of kindness to extend the glory of the Internal Treasury to Northern Qi, but purely because he needed Haitang as a strong bodyguard.

The rooster crowed, and the sky turned white.

At the back wall of the Internal Treasury Transport Division Chief's residence, a figure flickered. Fan Xian and Haitang ended their night of exploration and returned to the study.

Fan Xian said with a frown on his face, "Extravagant nightlife, ruined management... are those the two words?"

Haitang was still immersed in shock. She had toured the three major workshops with Fan Xian tonight. Although she had not been exposed to the workshops such as military industry, she was still shocked by what she saw and heard. It turned out that cotton cloth was woven by that kind of spinning machine, and it didn't even need manpower, it used that kind of water power... but how could the power of the river be so tamed? Thinking back on what she had seen tonight, she was even more amazed at the Ye family's mistress who had long since disappeared in the long river of history, and the gaze she cast on Fan Xian was also a little hotter.

Wasn't Fan Xian the son of that Ye family mistress?

Fan Xian was not as shocked as she was. After the initial freshness faded, although he still felt a sense of pleasure in appreciating his mother's legacy, the Qing Kingdom's Internal Treasury was probably not even as good as his previous life's township enterprises. It was just some very elementary things. If the Qing Kingdom's Emperor was not extremely clever and kept all the industries tightly under control, it would probably have long since been less valuable than it was in the past.

However, it was just a Shunde Town, and it couldn't produce refrigerators, so where would Fan Xian be surprised? What surprised him was another matter. The treasury officials of the Internal Treasury were indeed living extremely luxurious lives. His heart couldn't help but itch. If he swallowed the silver that these people ate into his stomach, how big of an income would it be?

And he wasn't too worried about the things that the Eldest Princess was worried about. What dogshit technology monopoly, it wasn't anything particularly difficult. Although he didn't come from a science background in the past, it wouldn't be a big problem to blow a few glasses. The most important thing was, who told him that he had someone behind him.

Knowledge is power, knowledge is confidence, knowledge is silver - this was the strong understanding that Fan Xian had on the first day in the Internal Treasury.