Chapter 177 Inside and Outside

Inside the imperial study, a round of discussions had just concluded.

The Yan Emperor didn't say much; the Crown Prince presided. Most of the ministers and high officials were present, and in the furthest corner was Ji Chengjue, nominally the Ministry of Revenue's Inspector.

There was no other way; the original Minister of Revenue had fallen, and the court appointed a new, highly respected one, but then an old case was exposed – killing a concubine while drunk.

This wouldn't normally be a big deal; for powerful officials in court, secretly killing a concubine or executing a servant who had made a mistake at home was quite normal, as long as it was handled properly.

But who would have thought that three years later, just as this official was about to be nominated as the acting Minister of Revenue, the concubine's family and relatives gathered dozens of people to beat the drums and appeal for justice at the capital's yamen.

For a time, the city was in an uproar, and the official fell ill, whether truly or feigned. In any case, he stopped attending court.

The Yan Emperor issued an edict, first dispatching imperial physicians to treat him, and also ordering the relevant authorities to follow up on the case.

As a result, the dignified Ministry of Revenue of Great Yan was left without a head, yet all kinds of work were proceeding in an orderly manner, and even better than before.

Those present were all seasoned veterans, cunning as foxes, so how could they not understand who was behind the misfortunes of the two Ministers of Revenue?

At the same time, everyone was secretly surprised that the Sixth Prince, who had always kept a low profile and lived as a carefree prince, had become so unusually tough after taking over the job of Inspecting the Ministry of Revenue.

Political struggles are still supposed to follow certain rules. Actions like exposing old secrets and overturning old accounts were like tearing up the rules and destroying the original political consensus.

The two methods of getting rid of people were indeed too radical and underhanded, making it easy to be isolated by the court.

After all, how many people truly have a spotless past?

But because the Yan Emperor had not said anything about it, and the Sixth Prince's status was special, being a prince, the Emperor's son, whom the Emperor could naturally scold as he pleased;

After all, he was both sovereign and father.

But the ministers were outsiders after all. Did they want to help the Emperor teach his son a lesson? Did they want to interfere in the Ji family's affairs?

In the past, there might have been ministers who dared to do these things, but now that the Yan Emperor's authority was at its peak, no one dared to stroke the tiger's whiskers.

Today's discussion was about the commercial tax.

From beginning to end, the Sixth Prince, who should have spoken, didn't say a word. Instead, the Crown Prince strongly advocated its implementation.

In the final analysis, behind almost every major merchant caravan stood the figure of a powerful person. Those capable of long-distance, large-scale trade were either raised by the powerful or had taken the initiative to seek backing from the powerful after developing to a certain extent.

The commercial tax law was essentially cutting their flesh.

But the Great Yan of today was no longer the era of powerful clans. Now, if the old Ji family wanted to do something, everyone could only grit their teeth and accept it.

To put it nicely, the old Ji family was calling everyone to discuss matters; to put it bluntly, the old Ji family was informing them.

Dissatisfied?

Hold it in.

Still dissatisfied?

Die!

Finally, the meeting ended.

The Yan Emperor picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said:

"The Crown Prince and Sixth are to stay."

The ministers immediately bowed and took their leave.

Soon,

The imperial study became quiet.

Wei Zhonghe personally stepped forward to refill the tea for the Yan Emperor, the Crown Prince, and the Sixth Prince, then walked out of the imperial study and stood at the door.

The Crown Prince picked up his teacup and slowly took a sip; it could be seen that he seemed to be imitating the Yan Emperor's tea-drinking movements.

Ji Chengjue placed his teacup on his lap, looking harmless.

"Sixth Brother, the money and supplies sent by the Ministry of Revenue to Xuehai Pass are a bit too generous. This Prince has heard that some generals below have a lot of opinions about it."

Many people knew about this matter, after all, a large amount of money and supplies were being transported over a long distance; it wasn't just one or two carts. It was impossible to hide it from those who were interested.

Therefore, the Crown Prince had to point this out.

He was the Crown Prince, the master of the Eastern Palace, the foundation of the country. If even his own brother was privately colluding with border generals and he pretended to be a coward and didn't say a word, then he was too useless to be the Crown Prince.

Even if he wanted to bide his time, this wasn't the way to do it.

A prince privately colluding with border generals was a great taboo.

Originally, the Crown Prince thought that after saying this in front of the Emperor, his Sixth Brother would kneel down in fear and ask for forgiveness, and then say a lot of reasons to excuse himself.

But to the Crown Prince's surprise,

After hearing this, Ji Chengjue

simply raised his head slightly, looked at him, and

asked in confusion:

"Oh, which general is dissatisfied?"

"..." The Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince was caught off guard. Was the key to the problem which general had expressed his dissatisfaction?

The main point was that you were favoring Xuehai Pass and showing goodwill to the Earl of Pingye!

The so-called dissatisfaction of the generals was like many censor officials in the court, who would say "pleading for the people" or "popular grievances are boiling" as soon as they opened their mouths, as if they really lived among the people every day, listening to the voices of the people, which could not be investigated in detail.

Most importantly,

The dissatisfied general must be stationed in the Jin region.

And with the relationship between the Earl of Pingye and the Jingnan Marquis, who would dare to say that?

Even if someone dared,

Then they should dare to say it and dare to take responsibility, point it out, stand up, and

see how the Jingnan Marquis would deal with the dissatisfied general!

The Yan Emperor, sitting at the head, didn't say anything, just silently pursed the tea leaves left in his mouth.

"Sixth Brother, what do you mean by this?"

Ji Chengjue smiled and said:

"Second Brother, the Earl of Pingye once saved my life, just consider it me repaying a favor, okay?"

"How can affairs of state be used to repay personal favors!" the Crown Prince scolded.

Ji Chengjue nodded, stood up, and saluted the Crown Prince,

saying:

"Responding to Your Highness, the Crown Prince, the military supplies for the various garrisons in the Jin region are divided into three parts: one from the imperial court, one from Yingdu, and one self-raised.

In the first half of the year, the money and supplies escorted from Yingdu to Xuehai Pass were also fully delivered."

This was something that the Jingnan Marquis had originally promised Zheng Fan.

"Sixth Brother, what exactly are you trying to say?"

"What this brother is trying to say is that Your Highness, the Crown Prince, is right. The matter of military supplies is a matter of great importance to the country. The money and supplies issued by Yingdu are personally allocated by the Jingnan Marquis, the commander of the Eastern Expeditionary Army.

Military matters are not child's play, not opening warehouses to release grain to relieve disaster victims, so that everyone can benefit equally from the Emperor's grace.

The garrisons in various places have different areas of responsibility, different responsibilities, and face different enemies. How can they be treated the same?

Xuehai Pass resists the Wildmen to the north and the Chu to the south. With one pass, it stabilizes the situation in the east of Jin for our Great Yan. If the military supplies are insufficient and the money and grain are not enough, then if the Wildmen rise again and the Chu invade again, does our Great Yan have to fight another Eastern Expeditionary War!

Your Highness, the Crown Prince,

You do not know the military,

So do not interfere too much in military matters."

"You say this Prince does not know the military, then what about you, Sixth Brother? Are you saying that you know the military?"

"This subject does not know the military."

"Then you..."

"But this subject does not speak much."

"..." The Crown Prince.

I don't understand fighting, but I don't *beep* *beep*.

"The allocation made by this subject is basically in accordance with the military supply allocation issued by Yingdu. Since the Jingnan Marquis believes that Xuehai Pass should be issued in full, then this subject will do as the Jingnan Marquis says.

If Your Highness, the Crown Prince, feels that you know the situation in the Jin region better than the Jingnan Marquis, and know the military better,

Then please instruct this subject.

This subject,

Dares not disobey!"

"You..." The Crown Prince.

"Enough."

The Yan Emperor spoke.

The Crown Prince and Ji Chengjue knelt down together.

"I kept you here not to listen to you two bickering."

"This son knows his sins."

"This son knows his sins."

The Yan Emperor reached out and picked up a memorial. This was a memorial about the exchange shops, which Ji Chengjue had submitted a few days ago.

The Yan Emperor had read the memorial, and he originally intended to keep his two sons here to discuss the regulations on this memorial separately.

But in the end, the Yan Emperor picked up the memorial and put it down again,

saying:

"Leave."

"This son takes his leave."

"This son takes his leave."

The two brothers left the imperial study. When they passed the small pond in the imperial garden, the Crown Prince said:

"If you are still short of anything for the wedding, tell your brother."

"Thank you, Second Brother, I'm not short of anything."

Because,

There was basically nothing to begin with.

The wedding of a prince was a major event. According to past practice, it would be headed by a minister.

For example, when the Crown Prince got married last time, the Yan Emperor ordered the Prime Minister Zhao Jiulang to be responsible for the preparation; and although the wedding of the First Prince and the barbarian princess was low-key, in name, it was also headed by the Minister of Rites.

As a result, when it came to him, it was prepared by a clerk under the Ministry of Rites. The clerk of the Ministry of Rites was named Chen, and because his background was stained with the relationship of a powerful family, although he was not purged, he had long been sent to sit on the bench.

For the wedding of a prince, the national treasury and the imperial private treasury would jointly contribute a sum of money for use.

Compared with the silver fee discussed for the Crown Prince's wedding last time, the funds used for his wedding this time were less than 10%, or even less than half.

At the same time, the prince's residence was equivalent to the collective dormitory for the princes before they got married.

The First Prince had already been granted another residence in Yanjing City, close to the imperial palace, and the Crown Prince had already entered the Eastern Palace.

But he,

Although the date of the wedding had been set, there was still no mention of the residence.

Regardless of the size, location, or quality, there was no news at all.

If Zheng Boye were here and knew about this, he would definitely laugh at Little Sixth and say that he was getting married and still taking his wife and children to live in the factory dormitory.

Therefore, when the Crown Prince asked what he was short of as an elder brother, Ji Chengjue answered that he was not short of anything.

Sometimes,

When you have nothing, you are not short of anything.

"My brother has grown up, and has started a family, so he should be more stable."

"This subject understands."

After saying a few lukewarm words, the Crown Prince returned to his Eastern Palace, while Ji Chengjue went all the way out of the South Gate and got into the carriage driven by Eunuch Zhang himself.

The carriage swayed, and the figures shook.

Ji Chengjue, who got into the carriage, picked up the towel prepared inside and wiped his face carefully.

"The Crown Prince mentioned the money and supplies for Xuehai Pass in front of the Emperor today," Ji Chengjue said as he threw the towel into the basin.

"Master, the Crown Prince is anxious. It's a bit too much for him to pick this topic himself."

As the Crown Prince, the master of the Eastern Palace, if you have to do everything yourself, what's the use of those ministers and lackeys who have joined your door?

Coming out to fight in the front seems straightforward and direct, but in reality, it loses the dignity of the Crown Prince.

Ji Chengjue shook his head and said:

"He did it on purpose. He is reminding the Emperor that I am on good terms with Zheng Fan, and that I am getting married, and that his interrupted wedding with the Princess should also be put back on the agenda."

"This servant is dull."

Eunuch Zhang quickly admitted his mistake. He was only busy mocking the Crown Prince in front of his master, and failed to taste the deeper meaning behind the Crown Prince's move.

"Has everything been arranged?" Ji Chengjue asked.

"It's been arranged, Master, but..."

"But what?"

"Master, is this going to directly reveal all our cards? Is it..."

"Eunuch Zhang."

"This servant is here."

"Since I came to the capital this time, I have said that I have no way out. In the past, the Emperor could weaken and beat the people around me, because there was no one around me who couldn't be abandoned.

Now,

I'm a father."

"Master, the one in Madam's belly is also His Majesty's grandchild after all."

"The imperial family is ruthless."

"Yes, Master."

"Let's gamble. Let's gamble that the Emperor of Qian and the Regent Prince of Chu are not easy characters to deal with, so we'll take advantage of this wedding to show it to him.

It's something the old man wants to see, so let him see it."

"By the way, Master, someone from the Earl of Pingye's mansion is here, called Fan Li."

"Fan Li? Haha, I've always heard that Zheng Fan has a man named Fan Li under his command, who is both literate and martial and is good at calculation, and has a great reputation in the martial world.

Where is he?"

"In the mansion."

"Okay, let's go back to the mansion. I have to personally meet the person Zheng Fan sent."

In the martial world, the story of Zheng Boye's general Fan Li has long been rumored, and there are many versions.

"It's been a long time since Your Highness and the Earl of Pingye have been able to meet, right?"

Last time, Eunuch Zhang was ordered to go to Litian City. Because something happened to the Jingnan Marquis's wife, Zheng Fan arrived in Litian City a day later with Tian Wujing, so he was considered to have met him.

"I envy him. Don't talk about the Wildmen on the side or the Chu eyeing him covetously. His place is really far away from the Emperor, free and unrestrained.

Now, he is free, but I still have to stay in this capital. Sometimes I think about it, and I really feel like I'm at a disadvantage."

"Does Master want to go to Xuehai Pass?"

Ji Chengjue shook his head and said:

"What am I going to do in Xuehai Pass? Create a situation where brothers join forces?

Hehehe.

Then who will be Emperor?"

...

Inside the imperial study, the Yan Emperor continued to hold the memorial about the exchange shops in his hand.

Wei Zhonghe was grinding ink beside him, and pretended not to see it.

"The Min family once told the late Emperor about establishing a Great Yan Exchange Shop, but the late Emperor refused. I didn't expect my son to bring it up again.

Wei Zhonghe,

Tell me,

Do these businessmen in the world always think they are much smarter than others, and think that everyone else around them is stupid?"

"Your Majesty, the Sixth Prince should not have this intention."

"He doesn't dare? Hehe, he didn't dare before, but now, he is tougher than anyone else."

"Your Majesty, this servant heard that some places in Qian also use this kind of thing, which the locals call Jiaozi. It saves people a lot of trouble when doing business there."

The Yan Emperor shook his head and said: "I can't use this thing, at least not yet. I just flattened the powerful families, and I don't want Great Yan to fall into the hands of a group of wealthy merchants in a few decades."

After saying that,

The Yan Emperor leaned back slightly.

Wei Zhonghe's hand grinding ink paused, and said:

"Your Majesty, people below reported that many merchants have recently entered the capital, and some old people who had retired have also entered the capital.

Among them, there are..."

"Are they from the Min family?"

The Yan Emperor once ordered the Jingnan Marquis to lead his troops to flatten the Min family. At the same time, Consort Min, the birth mother of the Sixth Prince, was thrown into the cold palace and given a white silk belt a month later.

The Min family had long been destroyed for treason, and precisely because it was the Yan Emperor who personally issued the order, the Min family could not be overturned, because the Emperor was never wrong.

"Returning to Your Majesty, they are remnants of the Min family."

The Min family was destroyed, but how terrible the Min family's wealth was, outsiders may never know.

Because the Min family looked like an ordinary powerful family on the surface, but wealth could communicate with the gods, and the relationship established with wealth as a link had actually formed an extremely terrifying network.

If the powerful families that were once rooted in Great Yan controlled most of the land and population of the Yan Kingdom, then the Min family once almost controlled most of the circulation of Great Yan.

Yan Chu, Yan Jin, Yan Qian, Yan Man, and even as far as the West,

On the long road,

There were huge merchant teams flying the Min family's banner.

Therefore,

When Consort Min entered the palace back then,

The head of the Min family dared to send such an exaggerated dowry.

Wealth should not be revealed, the head of the Min family couldn't possibly not know this principle, but he was fearless.

However, he misjudged the Yan Emperor.

Not only him,

In fact, those powerful families that had been rooted in Great Yan for hundreds of years also misjudged the Yan Emperor.

"Your Majesty, these remnants of the Min family do not know the great grace of Heaven, this servant asks for instructions to use the Secret Intelligence Division..."

The Secret Intelligence Division was dispatched to clear out the remnants of the Min family.

The Yan Emperor raised his hand and interrupted Wei Zhonghe's request,

saying:

"Wei Zhonghe."

"This servant is here."

"Do you know why I only ordered Wujing to destroy the Min family, but did not clear out the remnants of the Min family?"

A large family that was based on merchants, you only destroyed his family, just like stepping on a spider, but ignoring the huge spider web that he had already woven.

That web, and the knots tied on that web, were the real foundation.

"This servant is dull, please give me instructions, Your Majesty."

"Because before, they were named Min."

As he said that,

The Yan Emperor picked up his teacup,

Took a sip of tea,

Chewing on the little tea residue he had just drunk,

And continued:

"Now, they are named Ji."

——————

The next chapter will be a climax, I want to write it all in one go and send it out, it will probably be one or two thousand words, so everyone should not wait tonight.

I saw a reader's complaint the other day, which was very interesting, saying that xiao long has said good night to us for so many days, but his schedule has collapsed, hahaha.

It's true that my schedule has collapsed,囧.

The next chapter will probably be written tomorrow morning or noon, don't panic, hold on to the Dragon!