Wind rises time and space gate

Chapter 484 The storm is coming
The prince was discussing matters with a group of staff, and was a little surprised to see that Yan Jingzheng did not speak as actively as before.

"Why doesn't Yan Qing say anything?"

Yan Jingzheng seemed to have just come back to his senses. He was quite embarrassed and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I am distracted."

The prince looked at him, "Didn't you sleep enough last night?"

Everyone laughed and laughed.

"I heard from people in Hongxiu Pavilion that Mr. Yan hasn't been there for a long time. Isn't his wife paying close attention to him?" Everyone laughed again.

"Mr. Yan, you can't be used to women."

Even the prince laughed now.

Yan Jingzheng's face turned red. Ever since the King of Yue asked his secret guards to follow his wife and children, he had become softer even in bed at night. He had to speak close to his wife's ear, which made his wife think that he really raised his children outside. .

"It's because I've missed studying at night by candlelight during this period, and I'm a little nervous." He bowed his hand to the prince and asked for his forgiveness.

"Oh?" The prince was a little surprised, "Is Yan Qing planning to take the imperial examination?"

Most of the staff in the East Palace were people who failed in the imperial examinations or failed in their official careers. The prince felt that he had not treated these people badly. When he ascends the throne in the future, regardless of whether he has fame or not, he will certainly have a share of the wealth and honor of these people.

Moreover, Yan Jingzheng came from Yunjing Mountain and was very talented. He had previously persuaded him to take the imperial examination, but Yan Jingzheng said that this was not his ambition.

The prince didn't take it to heart.

Have you changed your mind now? "What is this, Yan Qing? Why did you suddenly change your mind?"

"The prince has many capable people around him. Yan feels that he still has a lot to learn. He is afraid that he will not be able to serve the prince better in the future, so he wants to read more."

The prince was relieved after hearing this and praised him, "Yan Qing has great ambitions."

Quite proudly, "Since Yan Qing has this ambition, I will give my full support to Guzi. Just study hard and no matter whether you succeed or not, you should still do what I promised you."

Yan Jingzheng stood up and thanked her, feeling a little guilty in her heart.

I felt that I had become a two-faced person and had betrayed my original intention. Thinking of the past years of listening to my master’s teachings, I always wanted to choose a wise master so that I could do great things for the country and the people in the future, but now I...

What is this doing.

My heart felt a little blocked.

He sat there with his head bowed in silence. Suddenly, I listened to the staff talk about the dam construction and dike construction in Linzhao Luocheng and other places...

"Every year we build a dam, we encounter floods every year. Don't worry, Prince, the local people have already learned how to deal with floods. Damage to food in the fields is unavoidable. Fewer casualties would be a great good."

Listening to a group of staff talk about floods that flooded fields and destroyed houses, it was as simple as eating and drinking, and Yan was shocked and suddenly felt uncomfortable.

How can those who are so high and above realize how difficult it is to lead the lives of ordinary people? In their eyes, there is only profit.

I am also glad that there has been no civil strife in Daqi these years, and there has been no external war. The national treasury is still abundant. Otherwise, with the stinginess of the Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, how would he have allocated eight million taels of silver. Now the prince has deducted half of it, and the officials at all levels below are deducting it layer by layer. If it is implemented, I don't know how the dam and embankment will be built.

Thinking of this, Yan Jingzheng's heart hardened again.

He has not forgotten his original intention of going down the mountain. He thinks he has chosen the Ming Dynasty, but if not, he changes his mind. Master, I think he can understand him.

After returning home, Yan Jingzheng wrote a secret letter and handed it to the secret guard guarding his wife and children.

Seeing the secret guard suddenly appear and then leave suddenly, Yan was shocked and couldn't explain how he felt. It was easy to send a message to the King of Yue, but it was uncomfortable to be stared at all the time. I want to tell the King of Yue that he will not do anything that the King of Yue cannot do, and that he and his family will not run away. Thinking that the King of Yue has not trusted me yet, my heart can't help but feel melancholy.

Zhao Guangyuan, who was in Zhutou County, had not yet experienced these changes in Yan Jingzheng's heart.

The evidence collection has been almost completed these days. It is true that the 8 million taels of water conservancy project funds have not been allocated. There is abundant evidence that states and counties are deducting money from each other, covering up each other, making false accounts, and cutting corners.

If we want to pursue it, I'm afraid a bunch of officials will be involved.

It's just that although the prince sponsored this matter, whether the prince knew about it or not, and the money fell into the prince's pocket, it was not enough.

It can be said that the prince is being handled by his subordinates. He didn't know anything about it and just pushed it away. He would also say that he was just deceived by the people below, or was framed by others, dragging others into the trap as a victim.

When the time comes, they will argue with each other, and the prince will eliminate the dissenters, fearing that it will be to his advantage. He allowed himself to help him out.

"Master, we still have to send someone to find out the whereabouts of the four million taels of silver."

"How can we check this? I'm afraid it has been wiped out long ago."

"Why can't we check? The Ministry of Accounts put a note and allocated eight million taels of silver. That is obvious to all. Who allocated the money, who handled it, who escorted it, and where it was sent. There are many checkpoints in between. No matter how clean it is, there won’t be any traces.”

"The current situation is that the Ministry of Accounts has allocated the money, and the state government has received the money and allocated it to the counties. The accounts are also clear. Five hundred thousand taels have been allocated, and the account has also recorded that the five hundred thousand taels have been spent!"

"Shit! Five hundred thousand taels were allocated, but five hundred thousand taels were spent! Zhutou County said it had allocated 750,000 taels, but the bricks of three cents were recorded with 25 cents! Did Zhutou County collect them? It’s like 30% to 40% silver.”

If one mile of river embankment requires 500 bricks, according to the current account books, the number will either be false or inferior.

If there is no flood, it will naturally be good for you and me. If there is a flood, I am afraid that I will be vulnerable.

The problem is now evident but impossible to verify and most of the work is complete or mostly complete. You can't pry it open to see what's going on inside.

"Master, what should we do now? Should we take the secret order and examine it layer by layer, or should we first secretly investigate the whereabouts of the money?"

Zhao Guangyuan knocked on the table and said nothing.

The construction of the dam not only requires bricks and stones, but also wood, grass, earth, lime, glutinous rice, hemp rope and other materials. According to the information they have obtained, the bricks, stones and wood are relatively small, and mostly grass, earth and other materials are used. .

It has been proven that dams built in various places are shoddy. Winning officials at all levels in the state capital is a trivial matter. There are countless officials waiting for office in Beijing after the imperial examination every year, so replacing some officials is not a big deal.

That's not his purpose.

The prince, he wanted to take this opportunity to get rid of the prince, which was the biggest purpose of his trip.

At that time, his imperial brother was imprisoned for allowing his subordinates to be greedy, failing to provide disaster relief, and was unworthy of being a king, so he was imprisoned. He also wanted Zhao Guanghuan to taste this taste.

"Send a message asking them to investigate the whereabouts of the money that the prince has withheld."

"Yes."

After all the staff responded, they asked again, "Should we ask Xu Huan, the magistrate of Zhutou County, first? After all, no matter how secretive the movements are these days, I'm afraid Xu Hua will also notice something."

Xu Hua did feel a little unusual.

Not only that the Liu family who were imprisoned in the county government office were rescued, but the several government officials he met when he sent out to chase Liu have not been seen yet. Xu Huan, who was used to being cautious, knew that something might have happened.

He hurriedly wrote a secret letter and had it sent to the prefect of Linzhao.