Daming: I can’t kill such a greedy prince-in-law?

Zhu Yuanzhang snorted coldly: "This guy is as slippery as a loach! We asked him to check and balance the Huaixi Party, but he turned the tables on us!" After a pause, he sighed, "However, the solution he proposed is indeed the best solution at present."

Zhu Biao asked cautiously: "Does the emperor really want to order him to cooperate with the Huaixi Party?"

Zhu Yuanzhang turned around, his eyes flashing with complex light: "Cooperation? Humph, it's just a stopgap measure. Biao'er, remember, the art of emperorship lies in balance. Ouyang Lun and Li Shanchang, neither of them can dominate alone!"

Another court meeting.

The Huaixi Party officials who used to be arrogant and conceited were all humble today. Although Li Shanchang pretended to be calm, his pale face revealed his weakness.

Zhu Yuanzhang sat high on the dragon throne and glanced at his ministers coldly: "My dear ministers, do you have anything else to say?"

The entire court was silent.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded with satisfaction, and suddenly changed the subject: "Ouyang Lun."

"I am here." Ouyang Lun stepped out and bowed.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded slightly, his eyes sharp, "Lord Ouyang, how is the construction progress of the Beijing-Pingcheng Railway?"

Ouyang Lun stepped forward and reported, "Your Majesty, the project is progressing smoothly. More than 90% of the track has been laid from the capital to Beiping, and the sleepers are being reinforced and ballast is being laid. There are a total of 28 bridges along the line, 25 of which have been completed, and the remaining three are expected to be completed within this month."

He paused, took out a roll of drawings from his sleeve and presented it: "This is the latest survey route map. In order to avoid the risk of flood season in Yongding River, we will move the original riverside route three miles east and use a new type of gravel roadbed, which can be guaranteed not to collapse for a hundred years."

Zhu Yuanzhang took the drawing and looked at it carefully. He saw that it was densely marked with contour lines, soil analysis and bridge load-bearing data.

Minister of Industry Shan Anren couldn't help but come closer and exclaim: "This measurement accuracy is 30% higher than the Ministry of Industry standard!"

"How is the testing phase going?" Zhu Yuanzhang continued to ask, tapping the armrest of the dragon throne with his fingertips.

Ouyang Lun answered confidently: "We have completed ten load tests with the test locomotive. It can transport 800 dan of grain at a time, and it takes only one-seventh of the time of traditional grain transport. This is the test record." He presented another booklet, "Each test recorded in detail the track settlement data, locomotive fuel consumption and load ratio. At present, all indicators are exceeding expectations."

There were faint exclamations in the court.

Li Shanchang squinted at the record book and found that even the thermal expansion and contraction coefficients of the rails under different weather conditions were marked on it.

"Good!" Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly slammed the table, startling several old ministers, "Your Excellency is indeed professional. However..." He changed the subject, "I heard that there was a derailment accident during the test the day before yesterday?"

Ouyang Lun said calmly, "Your Majesty, please understand. That was a destructive test I specially arranged to test safety redundancy. Three improvements have been made based on the accident data: first, guard rails are installed on the curved section; second, the sleeper spacing is reduced from three feet to two feet and eight; third,..." He pulled out a delicate copper component from his sleeve, "This is a newly designed spring fastener that can prevent the track from shifting."

Someone in the Huaixi Party whispered: "The preparations are thorough."

Zhu Yuanzhang was playing with the copper fasteners and suddenly asked, "If I want to open the road three months earlier, how will you respond?"

Ouyang Lun immediately responded: "It can be divided into three sections for simultaneous construction. The soil from Beiping to Baoding is hard, so we can rush the work day and night; two thousand more craftsmen will be dispatched from Baoding to Zhending; and for the section from Zhending to Beijing." He suddenly lowered his voice, "We can recruit the engineers from the Fifth Army Battalion, who are good at blasting and opening mountains."

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes flashed, and he suddenly laughed: "Okay! I'll do as you said. Pass the decree, all the craftsmen on the Beijing-Pingcheng Railway will be rewarded double salary!" He looked at Li Shanchang meaningfully, "For such a project that benefits the country and the people, I hope you will work together."

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes swept over Ouyang Lun and Li Shanchang, and he said in a deep voice: "The Beijing-Ping Railway is related to the national economy and people's livelihood. I order you two to cooperate sincerely and ensure that it will be opened to traffic three months ahead of schedule. If there is any mistake, you will be held responsible!"

Ouyang Lun cupped his hands lazily, and said in a casual tone: "I obey your command." He didn't even bend his waist completely, as if he didn't care about the emperor's strict order at all, and there was even a faint smile on the corner of his mouth.

Li Shanchang, who was standing by, suddenly changed his expression, with beads of sweat on his forehead. He bowed deeply, and said in a slightly tense voice: "This old minister... obeys your order."

Li Shanchang bowed deeply, his forehead almost touching the cold brick floor. His eyes were fixed on the small space in front of him, his pupils slightly contracted, and his heart was already in turmoil.

"What is Zhu Yuanzhang going to do?"

He quickly pondered the emperor's intentions in his mind. On the surface, this was to ask him and Ouyang Lun to "cooperate sincerely", but what was the reality?
This is to use him to promote the railway, but let Ouyang Lun reap the benefits!
Once the railway was built, the grain transport would inevitably decline, and the interests of many people in the Huaixi Party depended on the grain transport. If he cooperated, he would destroy the foundation of the Huaixi Party with his own hands; if he did not cooperate, he would be disobeying the emperor's order, which would give Zhu Yuanzhang an excuse to punish him.

Previously, because Qi Tai was in charge of the railway, once the railway was completed, their Huaixi Party would be able to take at least half of the credit. But now Qi Tai has been transferred back and demoted to be the railway stationmaster.

Not only Qi Tai, several officials from the Huaixi Party were transferred back early.

At this time, the railway was completed and officially put into operation, but the credit had nothing to do with the Huaixi Party!
At this moment, Li Shanchang suddenly felt like a dumb person eating bitter herbs. If he had known the current situation would happen, he should not have transferred Qi Tai and others back from the railway project.

"What a conspiracy!"

Li Shanchang sneered in his heart. Zhu Yuanzhang's move not only forced him to bow his head, but also made Ouyang Lun more powerful. If it were in the past, he might still be able to maneuver, but now... the emperor has clearly told him - you have no choice!
Before, Li Shanchang had also confronted Zhu Yuanzhang head-on. If he confronted Zhu Yuanzhang again, it would completely infuriate Zhu Yuanzhang, and his end would definitely be miserable.

Ouyang Lun...!
He glanced at Ouyang Lun who was standing lazily aside, and hatred surged in his heart.

This kid relied on the emperor's favor and didn't take him, a founding father, seriously at all. His nonchalant look was simply mocking him - what can you do to me?

hateful! Hateful!

Li Shanchang's fingers trembled slightly in his sleeves, his nails almost digging into his palms. He had been in the court for decades, when had he ever been manipulated like this? But now, Zhu Yuanzhang had spoken, if he dared to disobey, he would probably be waiting for thunderous means.

Do I really have to bow my head?

He struggled in his heart. If he cooperated, the Huaixi Party would be demoralized, and some people might even turn to Ouyang Lun; but if he didn't cooperate, Zhu Yuanzhang would never let him go...

Nothing more...

Li Shanchang slowly straightened up, his complexion had returned to normal, but there was still a hint of gloom in the depths of his eyes.

Since there is no way to avoid it, let's just follow the emperor's wishes. Li Shanchang slowly straightened up, his face returned to normal, but there was still a hint of gloom in the depths of his eyes. He clasped his hands and said in a deep voice: "I, this old minister, will do my best to cooperate with Lord Ouyang to ensure that the Beijing-Ping Railway is completed on schedule."

"Don't force yourself, Lord Li! If you can't do it, I can do it alone." Ouyang Lun suddenly interrupted.

"Uh" Li Shanchang almost fainted from anger.

"Okay, since you two agree, it's settled!"

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded with satisfaction and turned his gaze to the other court officials: "My dear ministers, do you have anything else to report?"

Minister of Revenue Guo Zi immediately stepped forward and said: "Reporting to the Emperor, the tax collection in Jiangnan this year has been completed, totaling..."

"Leave this matter to the Crown Prince." Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand, interrupting Guo Zi's report, and then turned to Zhu Biao who was sitting next to him: "Biao'er, you handle it."

Zhu Biao stood up calmly, bowed to Zhu Yuanzhang, and then turned to Guo Zi: "Minister Yu, please explain in detail."

Guo Zi quickly unfolded the memorial: "Your Majesty, this year, the taxes collected by seven prefectures in Jiangnan, including Yingtian Prefecture and Suzhou Prefecture, totaled 2.3 million taels of silver, an increase of more than 10% over last year. However, due to the flood in Songjiang Prefecture, the tax revenue decreased."

Zhu Biao listened attentively, nodding from time to time. After Guo Zi finished speaking, he thought for a moment and said, "The flood in Songjiang Prefecture is indeed justifiable. The Ministry of Revenue will send personnel to verify the disaster. If it is true, the tax can be reduced by 30%. In addition, the additional part will be allocated 200,000 taels for water conservancy repairs in Jiangnan to prevent floods next year."

Upon hearing this, Guo Zi showed admiration and said, "Your Highness has considered it carefully. I will do it right away."

Then the Minister of Justice stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, Henan Province reported a murder case. The murderer has been captured, but the local people are still in a state of panic."

Zhu Biao frowned slightly. "This major case must be investigated strictly. The Ministry of Justice will send a capable officer to review the case and ensure that the evidence is conclusive. In addition, the Henan Provincial Governor will be ordered to properly comfort the families of the victims and strengthen local patrols to reassure the people."

Kaiji bowed and accepted the order: "I obey your order."

Minister of Rites Ren Ang stepped forward and said: "Your Highness, the Korean envoys will arrive in Beijing next month to pay tribute. How about the reception?"

Zhu Biao said without hesitation: "Just prepare according to the old rules. However." He paused for a moment, "I heard that Goryeo has had some dealings with the Northern Yuan Dynasty recently? Ask the Honglu Temple to pay more attention to the movements of the delegation, and report immediately if there is anything unusual."

Ren Ang was surprised. He obviously didn't expect the prince to know so much about border affairs. "Your Highness, I will act with caution."

Zhu Yuanzhang sat on the dragon throne, watching Zhu Biao calmly handle government affairs, with a look of satisfaction in his eyes. The prince knew the situation in various places very well, handled it properly, and was both majestic and benevolent. He really had the talent of an emperor.

Minister of Works Shan Anren stepped out again: "Your Highness, the Yellow River embankment repair project"

Zhu Biao took over the conversation: "But do you need additional funding? I remember that 500,000 taels were allocated last month."

Shan Anren quickly explained: "Because there has been a lot of rain this summer, some sections of the river need to be reinforced."

Zhu Biao nodded and said, "In this case, I will allocate another 200,000 taels. But you must send someone to strictly check the use of the funds and make sure that the funds are used for their intended purposes."

In the court, Zhu Biao handled government affairs smoothly and got to the point in all the six ministries. The ministers were tentative at first, but gradually they were convinced and became more respectful when reporting.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at this scene, and the corners of his mouth slightly raised. He suddenly said: "Biao'er, how do you think Ouyang Aiqing and Li Aiqing should coordinate the cooperation in supervising the railway?"

Zhu Biao paused for a moment and said, "I think we can set up a railway supervision office, which will be jointly managed by the two adults. Lord Ouyang is proficient in engineering and will be responsible for the specific construction; Prime Minister Li is highly respected and can coordinate the relations between all parties. Another official from the Imperial Censorate will be sent to supervise and report the progress to the emperor regularly."

This arrangement not only gave Ouyang Lun real power, but also preserved Li Shanchang's dignity and set up a supervision mechanism. Zhu Yuanzhang stroked his beard with satisfaction and laughed: "Good! Let's do as the prince said."

Li Shanchang and Ouyang Lun bowed at the same time: "We obey your orders."

The court meeting lasted until noon. When Zhu Biao stood up, beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, but his expression remained calm. Zhu Yuanzhang asked with concern: "Biao, are you tired?"

Zhu Biao smiled and shook his head: "I don't feel tired to share the worries of my father."

Zhu Yuanzhang patted his shoulder, his eyes full of pride: "Good boy, the Ming Dynasty has a successor!"

As soon as Ouyang Lun stepped out of the Taiji Hall, a purple-robed eunuch stepped forward and whispered, "Lord Ouyang, the Emperor wants to see you."

Ouyang Lun raised his eyebrows slightly, with a lazy smile still on his lips: "Lead the way."

When he just went to court, he felt that Zhu Yuanzhang seemed to have something to say, and sure enough, he came to call him again. This guy Zhu was really sinister.

In the Fengtian Hall, Zhu Yuanzhang stood with his hands behind his back, while Zhu Biao stood to one side. Seeing Ouyang Lun coming in, Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand and exempted him from the formalities: "Ouyang boy, I won't beat around the bush with you."

Ouyang Lun stood up straight, not bothering to salute, but the distracted look in his eyes instantly subsided: "Please let the emperor know clearly."

Zhu Yuanzhang walked to the huge hanging map and tapped his fingers heavily on the Mobei grassland: "The remnants of the Northern Yuan Dynasty have frequently harassed the border recently. We plan to..." He turned around suddenly, his eyes were sharp, "take advantage of the railway and use the grassland to attack!"

"Last time, Lan Yu lost 30,000 troops and failed to completely destroy the Northern Yuan Dynasty. This time, with the convenience of the railway, it will be a brand new opportunity!"

Zhu Biao added at the right time: "Lord Ouyang, if the Beijing-Pingcheng Railway can be opened to traffic ahead of schedule, the transportation of military supplies will be much easier. This is why the emperor is eager for you to cooperate with Li Shanchang."

Ouyang Lun rolled his eyes in his heart. How could he not understand what Zhu Yuanzhang was thinking!
In order to build the railway, he painted a big pie for Zhu Yuanzhang. Now Zhu just wants to eat this pie. Zhu Yuanzhang himself probably didn't expect that he could still live to ride a train. Seeing that the railway is about to be completed, Zhu Yuanzhang must be anxious!

He paused for a moment and said, "If we are preparing for war, in addition to the railways, we also need to reorganize our military. Although the new firearms have been equipped in five military camps, the progress of the frontier troops' replacement is less than 30%."

Zhu Yuanzhang snorted coldly: "I was just about to ask you about this! The military equipment memorial reported by the Ministry of War is very exaggerated!"

Ouyang Lun pulled out a secret book from his sleeve: "I have secretly investigated, this is the actual equipment situation of each garrison." He pointed to one of the pages, "For example, Datong Garrison reported 3,000 fire guns, but less than 800 were actually usable." (End of this chapter)