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

Zhu Yuanzhang sneered and poked at the opening date marked on the map with his bony fingers: "Safe? When will the test be completed? Are you waiting until I close my eyes before the railway is opened to traffic?"

He slammed the paperweight against the table, and the gilded patterns made a harsh sound on the blue bricks. "You said the road would be completed in three years, but now four years have passed and there's not even a date for it to be opened to traffic!"

Facing Zhu Yuanzhang's thundering wrath, Ouyang Lun was quite calm.

"Your Majesty, please don't wrongly accuse me!"

"When the Beijing-Pinggu Railway project was first launched, I made it clear that I have the final right of interpretation regarding the Beijing-Pinggu Railway!" Ouyang Lun said slowly.

"Is this how you use the final right of interpretation?" Zhu Yuanzhang was stunned and felt cheated.

Zhu Yuanzhang was not one to give up easily, and he immediately said in a deep voice: "Ouyang Lun, it was you who proposed this Beijing-Pingcheng railway. Now that it cannot be opened to traffic smoothly, we can definitely punish you!"

"Your Majesty, this is unreasonable. It was indeed me who proposed the Beijing-Pingcheng Railway, but it was also decided by you and Your Majesty. If you two do not agree, can I, Ouyang Lun, build it alone?" Ouyang Lun asked in return.

"This"

"Besides, we plan to open the road in March or April this year. It's not the time yet. Why are you so anxious to convict me? I'm fine, but how will the people of Ming Dynasty look at you? Will they say you are a traitor?" Ouyang Lun continued, "There's an old saying, 'When the birds are gone, the bows are put away; when the rabbits die, the running dogs are cooked!'"

"Nonsense! Absolutely!" Zhu Yuanzhang also saw the power of Ouyang Lun's tongue. "No matter what you say, if the road cannot be opened in March or April this year, we will definitely settle accounts with you! Settle accounts! Completely settle accounts!"

"Your Majesty, since you said so, I can only tell you the truth. It may not be possible to open to traffic in March or April. Why don't you just handle it for me now!" Ouyang Lun spread his hands.

"Liquidation! Thorough settlement!" Zhu Yuanzhang was so angry that he pointed at Ouyang Lun angrily.

Several guards around also noticed something was wrong. They had never seen the retired emperor Zhu Yuanzhang so angry. They guessed that the son-in-law Ouyang Lun would not be able to escape this time. The guards were also prepared. As long as Zhu Yuanzhang gave the order, they would immediately capture the son-in-law Ouyang Lun!

"Liquidation. Humph. I won't fall for your trick!" Zhu Yuanzhang changed the subject and said coldly: "If I deal with you now, wouldn't it really be like Zhu Yuanzhang who crosses the river and destroys the bridge? Then the people will scold us for hiding the good bows when the birds are gone and the running dogs are cooked when the rabbits die. Don't even think about your conspiracy and tricks succeeding!"

"And don't think that we don't know your little tricks. You just want us to take you down so that you won't do anything!"

"Hehe, I just don't do what you want. Even if I really want to deal with you, I'll wait until you really mess up the Beijing-Pingcheng Railway!" After saying that, Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Ouyang Lun with a proud look on his face.

Worthy!

After hearing what Zhu Yuanzhang said, Ouyang Lun was completely dumbfounded.

As expected, it’s Lao Zhu.

I didn’t fall for it!

What Zhu Yuanzhang said was indeed true. He did intend to irritate Zhu Yuanzhang. If he was really dismissed from his post, or even imprisoned, he would just get away with it. Anyway, he was already at the peak of his life, with fame and money. As for whether Zhu Yuanzhang would kill him directly?

Now this possibility is almost zero! The prerequisite is that Ouyang Lun is not rebelling!

Kill the entire clan. Haha, he was related to Zhu Yuanzhang. If he killed the entire clan, even the Zhu family would have to be wiped out. Kill the entire clan? Would he still want his daughter, Princess Anqing?

Even if Zhu Yuanzhang was so cruel, would Emperor Zhu Biao and Empress Ma agree?

So your life is safe.

There was heavy rain outside the palace. The sound of rain mixed with Zhu Yuanzhang's heavy breathing made the air even heavier.

Since plan A has failed, we can only start plan B.

"Your Majesty, please have a look." Ouyang Lun straightened his back and unfolded the yellowed map in his arms. "This is a distribution map of towns along the railway. In the past, transporting grain from Nanjing to Peking required shipping via the canal, which took more than a month and resulted in a 30% loss. If the train is available, it will take seven days to arrive, and the loss of goods will be less than half."

His fingertips passed over the red dots marked "Dezhou" and "Jinan". "These towns, which were originally in decline due to the canal transportation, will surely regain vitality because of the railway. Merchants will be able to travel more easily, and inns, warehouses, and horse-drawn carriages will emerge. People along the way will be able to make a living, and the commercial taxes of the court will naturally rise."

Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze moved along the map, and a hint of hesitation flashed in his turbid eyes.

Ouyang Lun struck while the iron was hot and pulled out bills from his sleeve: "This is the certificate of Shanxi merchants' participation. They are willing to invest one million taels of silver because they see the business opportunities brought by the railway. Take Shanxi as an example. If the train is opened, Datong's coal and Fenyang's Fenjiu can be transported to Jiangnan at a lower cost, and Jiangnan's silk and porcelain can enter the northern market faster. With this increase, the court's tax revenue can increase by at least 20%."

"Hmph, it sounds better when spoken than when sung!" A cold snort suddenly came from the corner.

Huang Zicheng stepped out of the line of civil servants in a scarlet official robe. The jade belt hook on his waist shone coldly under the candlelight. "Did your Majesty forget? The Qin Dynasty built the Great Wall and forced millions of people to work. The people suffered terribly. Emperor Yang of Sui built the Grand Canal and exhausted the national treasury, which eventually led to the fall of the country and the ruin of the family! This railway may seem to benefit the people, but it is actually a bottomless pit that devours money!"

Ouyang Lun slowly stood up, brushed off the wrinkles on his clothes, and looked calm: "My Lord, you know that after the Lingqu Canal was built, Lingnan was incorporated into the territory of China; the opening of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal created the prosperity of the Tang and Song dynasties."

His voice was neither hurried nor slow, but it was full of unquestionable power. "Trains are not only a means of transporting goods and people, but also a blood vessel connecting the north and the south. In the past, it took months to mobilize troops in border wars, and the soldiers would starve before food and grass arrived. If there were trains, a 100,000-man army could reach Peking in ten days. What would this mean for stabilizing border defense?"

Huang Zicheng's face flushed, and his sleeves trembled violently: "It's just talk! How can ordinary people feel comfortable riding a train when they have never seen one? Merchants are always looking for profits, who can guarantee that they won't drive up the ticket prices?"

"If the people have doubts, we can first set up a free trial day." Ouyang Lun took out a booklet from his arms, which was filled with data. "I have already tried it in Tongzhou, transporting thousands of people every day, and the response is very good. As for the ticket price, the court can set an official standard, and merchants are not allowed to raise prices without authorization." He swept his eyes over the civil and military officials in the hall, "You gentlemen, think about it. If there is a famine in the south of the Yangtze River, food can be delivered in seven days; if there is an emergency at the border, military equipment can be delivered in ten days. Should we give up such a thing that benefits the country and the people because of a few doubts?"

Zhu Yuanzhang stroked his white beard and suddenly slapped the throne heavily: "Enough! I have made up my mind. The railway will continue to be built and the opening date will be extended by another three months. If there is still no progress by then..." His eyes swept over Ouyang Lun like a hawk, "My Lord, you should know the consequences."

Ouyang Lun bowed deeply to the ground, beads of sweat oozing from his forehead: "I will do my best to live up to the trust of the Supreme Emperor."

Just when he thought the matter was settled, Huang Zicheng suddenly stepped forward and knelt on the ground: "Your Majesty! I risked my life to give you advice! Ouyang Lun is just a smooth talker who deceives your Majesty! This railway cost a huge amount of money and has not yet produced any results. It is clearly a waste of money and manpower!"

He raised his head suddenly, his eyes bloodshot, "I heard that the Prince Consort's Mansion has been in frequent contact with merchants from the Western Regions recently. Could it be that they want to take advantage of the railway to enrich themselves?"

The air in the hall froze instantly. Ouyang Lun felt his temples throbbing, and the pain of his fingertips pinching into his palms kept him awake.

He slowly turned around and looked at Huang Zicheng's distorted face, and suddenly laughed out loud: "Mr. Shilang has a rich imagination, why don't you write a storybook." His voice was as cold as ice, "If you really have selfish motives, you can use inferior products when forging rails and deduct money from the project funding. But not only did I not do that, I also paid out of my own pocket to subsidize the craftsmen's pensions."

Ouyang Lun asked coldly, "Excuse me, my Lord, have you ever contributed anything to this railway?"

Zhu Yuanzhang narrowed his eyes and looked back and forth between the two of them.

Huang Zicheng's face turned from red to pale, and he stammered and was unable to speak.

The rain outside the palace stopped at some point, and a ray of sunlight penetrated the clouds and shone on Ouyang Lun's clothes, making him look particularly sacred.

The hall was as silent as death, with only the rustling sound of Li Shanchang's official robe with python pattern sweeping across the blue bricks.

The sixty-something-nearly-seventy-year-old Korean prince slowly stood up with the help of a dragon-headed cane, staring at Ouyang Lun with his cloudy eyes, and uttered a dry sneer from his throat: "Your Highness, the Prince Consort is really good at making big promises. Let me ask you, the construction of this railway has cost eight million taels of silver. In the future, every year, the maintenance, the purchase of carriages, and the hiring of manpower, which one doesn't cost money? Even if all merchants and common people take the train, can the money earned fill this bottomless pit?"

Zhu Yuanzhang paused twirling his beard, and all the civil and military officials in the court turned their gazes on Ouyang Lun.

The sunlight outside the hall was obscured by dark clouds, and the carved window lattices cast spider-web-like shadows on the blue brick floor, making it hard to breathe.

Ouyang Lun straightened his clothes and pulled out a yellowed bamboo slip from his sleeve: "Please read this, Lord Han Guo. This is the detailed account of the railway revenue and expenditure that I calculated."

He unfolded the bamboo slips, and the figures on the wet ink glowed in the candlelight. "Take a round trip from Nanjing to Beijing as an example. Each carriage can carry a hundred people. The hard seat ticket price is five cents, and the soft seat ticket price is one ounce. One trip can earn a thousand ounces of silver. If we include cargo transportation, the daily net profit can reach three thousand ounces."

"That's easy to say!" Li Shanchang slammed his cane into the ground, making the floor tiles buzz. "Why should the common people spend this money? Walking is free, and a carriage is only a few coins. Who would pay a tael of silver to ride on your iron lump?"

Ouyang Lun took out a few crumpled pieces of paper from his bosom without any hurry. "These are messages from the people in Tongzhou who tried to take the train. Some people said that it would take two days to go to Tianjin, but the train only takes half a day. Some merchants have calculated that using trains to transport goods reduces losses by 30%, which is more cost-effective than horse carriages." He handed the paper to the eunuch and presented it to Zhu Yuanzhang. "Furthermore, the court can set up 'third-class seats' with a ticket price of only 20 coins, so ordinary people can afford it."

Minister of Finance Guo Zi suddenly stroked his beard and said, "Sir, even if passenger transport can make money, how can we solve the maintenance and depreciation costs?"

"This is the key." Ouyang Lun picked up a model of a railway track from the table and slowly turned it in front of everyone. "The profit of a train is far more than just tickets. Please look at the inside and outside of this carriage - the roof, windows, and seat backs are all excellent advertising spots. Jiangnan silk shops want to enter the northern market, and Western spice merchants want to expand sales in the Central Plains. These merchants will compete to bid for exposure." He took out a stack of contracts from his sleeve, "More than 30 companies are willing to prepay three years of advertising fees, with a total amount of up to 500,000 taels."

There were gasps coming from the hall.

Zhu Yuanzhang's fingers tapped unconsciously on the armrests of the dragon throne, and a hint of interest flashed in his eyes.

Li Shanchang snorted coldly: "Advertisement? It's just a side job! Let me ask you, if there is a natural disaster or man-made disaster and the railway stops running, won't the court lose all its money?"

"What the Duke of Korea said is exactly what I am going to say next." Ouyang Lun unfolded a huge map with densely marked red dots on it. "These red dots are planned railway stations. The stations can not only be used for trains to stop for maintenance, but also for shops, inns, and stables. Passing merchants and travelers can stop here to rest, and the court will take a cut of the profits. In addition, the land along the railway can be purchased at a low price. After the railway is opened, the land price will inevitably skyrocket. Selling or leasing it at that time will be another major source of income."

Wang Huidi, the Minister of Justice, frowned and interrupted: "Prince consort, all you said will take time. But now the court has spent hundreds of millions of dollars, and I heard that it will have to subsidize the railway with one million taels every year in the future. When can it get back its investment?"

"Three years." Ouyang Lun held up three fingers, his eyes as firm as iron. "In just three years, the railway will be self-sufficient. After five years, it will bring at least 10 million taels of revenue to the court every year. And I'm only talking about the Beijing-Pingcheng Railway. If there are more..."

He turned to Zhu Yuanzhang and raised his voice slightly, "Your Majesty, do you know why the Roman Empire was able to dominate Europe? It was because of its extensive road network. Our trains are the Ming Dynasty's 'Iron Road', which can not only transport goods and people, but also closely connect government orders, culture, and people's hearts!"

Li Shanchang was about to refute, but saw Zhu Yuanzhang raising his hand to stop him.

The old emperor narrowed his eyes, staring at the winding railway line on the map, and laughed deeply: "Ouyang Lun, you are really bold. But..." His eyes suddenly sharpened, "If you can't make back your investment in three years, what will you use to compensate?"

Ouyang Lun took off the jade belt from his waist without hesitation and placed it heavily on the table: "I am willing to use all the property of the Prince Consort's Mansion as a guarantee. If the railway is not profitable in three years, I will retire and never set foot in the court again!"

Thunder exploded outside the hall, and raindrops as big as beans hit the glazed tiles.

Li Shanchang looked at Ouyang Lun's determined expression, his hands holding the cane trembled slightly, and finally he just sighed heavily and slowly sat down.

Zhu Yuanzhang stared at the jade belt on the table in silence for a long time, then suddenly burst into laughter: "Great! Great Ouyang Lun! I'll trust you again!" He grabbed the paperweight and slammed it hard on the map, "Pass the order down, the railway affairs will be fully handed over to the supervisor of the son-in-law, and anyone who dares to obstruct will be punished for resisting the order!"

When Ouyang Lun walked out of Taile Palace, the heavy rain had already made the stone pavement in front of the palace shiny. (End of this chapter)