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

The rain was pouring down, and tiny drops of water were splashing on the green tiles of the clan palace.

Ouyang Lun had just blown out the candle when he suddenly saw a dark shadow flash past between the window frames.

He instinctively picked up the jade pillow beside him and smashed it against the corner of the wall. He heard a dull "ouch" sound, and a black shadow staggered and knocked over the antique shelf. The sound of porcelain breaking mixed with the sound of rain was particularly harsh in the quiet night.

“Who is it!” Ouyang Lun picked up the sword on the wall and just as he put the tip of the sword against the man’s throat, he heard the man groaning in a sobbing voice: “Brother-in-law… It’s me…”

When the candlelight was lit again, Ouyang Lun stood there in a daze, looking at Zhu Biao with a bruised face and nose.

His Majesty the Emperor's bright yellow uniform was stained with broken porcelain pieces, his left eye was swollen, and there was a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth - it was obvious that the jade pillow had been hit hard just now.

"Your Majesty, what are you doing..." Ouyang Lun suppressed his laughter, then moved a chair over and handed over a hot towel from a copper basin. "Sneaking into a minister's bedroom late at night, even if it's a secret visit, you can't be so scary, right?"

Zhu Biao glared at him unhappily, took the towel and pressed it against his swollen eye: "If I had come here openly, I would have been blocked by the censors from the Imperial Censorate before I even reached the gate of the Imperial Clan House. You know that those old guys have been keeping an eye on the railway recently, and they even wrote me a memorial to advise me if I drank an extra cup of tea at night."

Ouyang Lun raised his eyebrows and smiled, picking up half a piece of intact blue and white porcelain from the remains of the antique shelf: "So your majesty, your brother-in-law came up with the idea of ​​visiting you late at night? But to be honest, if that blow just now had hit your temple... I'm afraid I would have to go to the Meridian Gate to confess my crime tomorrow."

"Stop talking nonsense!" Zhu Biao couldn't help laughing, but the wound at the corner of his mouth was pulled, and he gasped in pain. "I want to ask you, what exactly is the rules for railway operation that you talked about in Taile Palace today? I went back and thought about it for half the night, and I just think this idea is new, but I can't figure it out. Please tell me in detail."

If someone else broke in in the middle of the night and asked him questions, he would definitely ask someone to come in and throw that guy out.

But the person in front of him was the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and he had just hit him hard, so he felt somewhat guilty.

Moreover, the fact that Zhu Biao came to see him late at night showed that he was indeed concerned about the Beijing-Pingcheng Railway.

Ouyang Lun restrained his smile, took a piece of rice paper from the desk, and drew a square on it with a charcoal pencil: "Your Majesty, brother-in-law, please look, this Beijing-Ping Railway stretches for thousands of miles. After it is fully opened to traffic, if the Ministry of Revenue is the only one in charge, I am afraid that even the daily ticket settlement will not be clear."

"If you want to realize what I said in the Palace of Music, you must establish a 'Railway Bureau', which is a government office that specializes in managing railway affairs. It will have multiple departments, just like the pieces on a chessboard, each with its own way of moving."

"Railway Bureau? An office that is in charge of railways?" Zhu Biao frowned. "If I set up a new office, I'm afraid I'll be impeached by the censors, saying that I have too many officials and disturb the people."

"No, no." Ouyang Lun shook his head and drew three vertical lines in the box. "This Railway Bureau is not a traditional government office, but a structure modeled after a business. You see, we can set up three main departments: the Transportation Department, the Maintenance Department, and the Finance Department."

"The Transportation Department is responsible for passenger and freight dispatching and station operations; the Locomotive Department is responsible for train inspection and track maintenance; the Finance Department is responsible for ticket revenue and cost accounting. Each department has specific positions. For example, the Transportation Department has 'train conductors', 'ticket sellers', and 'freight supervisors', and the Locomotive Department has 'train drivers', 'track patrollers', and 'mechanics'..."

"Wait a minute." Zhu Biao raised his hand to interrupt, "These official titles are quite new. Things like 'train conductor' and 'mechanic', they don't sound like officials appointed by the court, but more like managers in a business."

"Your Majesty, you are wise!" Ouyang Lun slapped his thigh, "This is exactly the key point. The people in the Railway Bureau do not receive salaries from the court, but 'salaries' - just like the shopkeepers and accountants hired by merchants. Their income is linked to the profits of the railway. The more profits, the higher the salary. In this way, there is no need to increase the court's establishment, and the censors will not seize the excuse of 'adding government offices'."

"Brother-in-law, I understand. You mean this railway bureau is a state-owned enterprise?!" Zhu Biao's eyes lit up, and then he stroked his chin and thought: "But the railway is the property of the court after all. If we use the merchant's method to manage it, how can we ensure that the government's orders are implemented smoothly?"

"Almost the same, but the Railway Bureau should be based on the relationship between the official government office and the state-owned enterprises. The middle and senior management of the Railway Bureau must be serious officials!" Ouyang Lun said slowly: "Now we can ensure that the government orders are smooth."

Ouyang Lun picked up his pen and drew a circle outside the box: "This circle is the court's 'supervision network'. The highest official of the Railway Bureau is appointed by His Majesty himself, and can be called the 'General Manager'. The heads of various departments under the General Manager must report to the court for record. In addition, the court can send 'Supervisory Censors' to stay in the Railway Bureau to investigate corruption and malfeasance. In this way, the independence of management rights is guaranteed while maintaining the control of the court."

"Great!" Zhu Biao's eyes lit up. "This divide and rule seems to combine the power of the court and the profit of the business. But..." He suddenly remembered something and his expression became serious. "You said that the people in the railway bureau don't get paid, so where does their salary come from? If we just pursue profit, I'm afraid we will have to impose heavy taxes and levies and exploit the people."

Ouyang Lun was prepared. He took out a stack of chips from the drawer and arranged them in three rows on the table. "Your Majesty, please see. I divide the railway revenue into three parts: 'ticket revenue', 'freight revenue' and 'derivative revenue'."

"Among the ticket revenue, the third-class ticket price is 20 wen, which is specially for the common people; the second-class ticket is 5 qian, which is for businessmen and travelers; the first-class ticket is 1 liang, which is for dignitaries. This can not only benefit the people's livelihood, but also profit from the high-spending groups. The freight revenue is even more considerable. As I said in the palace today, the loss of goods will be reduced by 30%, and merchants will naturally be willing to use trains to transport goods. As for the derived income..." He smiled slyly, "Your Majesty, do you remember the 'advertising space' mentioned today? The advertisements inside and outside the carriages alone can bring in hundreds of thousands of taels of silver every year."

Zhu Biao stared at the abacus and murmured, "If it is true as you said, this railway is more than just a 'way to make money', it is simply a 'treasure pot'. But I am still worried that with such a big business, if the people below pretend to obey but actually disobey..."

"So I want to implement 'performance appraisal' in the Railway Bureau." Ouyang Lun took out another form with densely drawn grids on it. "Every month, the heads of each department must report data according to the form: how many passengers were transported, how many tons of cargo were transported, how many times the tracks were inspected, how many complaints were received... The General Office will score based on these data, and those with high scores will be rewarded, and those with low scores will be punished. If they fail to meet the standards for three consecutive months, they will be replaced directly!"

"This method is novel." Zhu Biao stretched out his hand and pressed the form, "But I am worried that the people below will falsify the data to get points. For example, they will falsely report the amount of goods transported, but actually pocket the money."

"Your Majesty is indeed thoughtful." Ouyang Lun gave a thumbs up. "So I suggest that you set up an 'Auditing Section' in the Finance Department to check the accounts. Every income and every expenditure must be able to withstand verification. In addition, you can also set up a 'Common People's Suggestion Box' at the station so that the passengers can directly give feedback on problems. If there are clues of corruption, there will be a generous reward after verification."

The rain outside the window gradually subsided. Zhu Biao stood up and walked to the window, staring at the hazy palace wall in the distance in a daze.

After a long while, he suddenly turned around and asked, "Brother-in-law, tell me the truth, have you thought about the regulations of the Railway Bureau a long time ago? Why didn't you tell it all at once in Taile Palace today?"

Ouyang Lun smiled bitterly: "Your Majesty, do you know the principle of 'everything will turn into its opposite when it reaches its extreme'? The whole court has doubts about the railway. If so many 'unorthodox' methods are proposed at once, they will be attacked immediately. So I didn't mention the three words 'Railway Bureau', which was already a test. After the railway is opened to traffic, we can slowly plan it and it will come to fruition." Hearing this, Zhu Biao couldn't help but sigh: "I, as an emperor, am not as free as you, a prince consort. You have to consider the overall situation in everything, and be cautious in everything, for fear of making a mistake and being scolded as a 'tyrant' by the censors."

"And disappoint my father at the same time!"

Ouyang Lun put down his pen and said solemnly, "Your Majesty is a king who maintains the status quo, so you must be steady. I am just a troublemaker, and even if I make a mistake, the emperor and your majesty will cover it. But I always believe that if this railway is completed, it will be a great event that will benefit the present and future generations. Just like when Qin Shihuang built the Chidao, although he was criticized, it laid the foundation for the unification of China."

Zhu Biao turned and stared at Ouyang Lun, his eyes showing both praise and worry: "You are so broad-minded and courageous, it is a blessing for the Ming Dynasty. But you, my brother-in-law, must remember that a tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind. Today in the palace, Huang Zicheng, Li Shanchang and others were suspicious of you, and I saw it all. Be careful in your future actions."

Ouyang Lun nodded, and suddenly remembered something, and took out a cloth bag from the cabinet: "By the way, if your majesty is worried about the management details of the railway bureau, you can take a look at this. This is the "Beijing-Pingcheng Railway Management Regulations" written by your son-in-law based on the "Articles of Association" of Western trading companies. It contains detailed regulations on the dress code of train attendants and the error limit of departure time."

Zhu Biao took the cloth bag and opened the title page. He saw the following words written neatly on it: "Article 1: Railways are the lifeblood of the nation. All personnel of the Railway Bureau should take 'safety, punctuality and convenience' as their purpose..." He became more and more engrossed as he read, and before he knew it, it was already past midnight.

"Your Majesty, you should go back now." Ouyang Lun reminded softly, "In another hour, you will have to attend the morning court."

Zhu Biao rubbed his eyes and carefully put away the regulations. "After talking with you today, I feel relieved. I will handle the matter of the Railway Bureau according to your ideas. Tomorrow morning, I will ask the Ministry of Personnel to draft an edict to appoint you as the general manager of the railway and take charge of overall affairs."

Ouyang Lun was about to refuse, but Zhu Biao raised his hand to stop him: "Don't say more. If you don't take on this responsibility, who can control those old ministers? As for the impeachment of the censors and the emperor..." He smiled slightly, "I have my own way to deal with it."

When they reached the door, Zhu Biao suddenly turned around, looked at the tired look on Ouyang Lun's face, and sighed, "Brother-in-law, I see how much you've worked hard for this railway. When the railway opens, I will reward you handsomely."

"Besides, I haven't been here today."

"What about your injury, Your Majesty?" Ouyang Lun pointed at the big bump on Zhu Biao's body.

"Hehe, this was all caused by me accidentally bumping into something. It has nothing to do with you, brother-in-law!" Zhu Biao said hurriedly.

"Your Majesty, I have a request for mercy." Ouyang Lun said solemnly.

"What's the matter?" Zhu Biao asked.

"Regarding the idea of ​​the Railway Bureau, Your Majesty, please do not tell anyone that it was I who proposed it." Ouyang Lun said.

"Why? Such a brilliant method, it is a great achievement! If I don't mention it, wouldn't I be ignoring my brother-in-law's contribution? I can't do it." Zhu Biao shook his head.

"Your Majesty, I have been in the limelight today in Taile Palace. You just said that a tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind. My official position is getting higher and higher, and my power is getting greater and greater. Civil and military officials are afraid of me, but they also hate me to the core. Although the emperor has always supported me, given his temperament, I am afraid he is also very afraid of me!"

"So, your Majesty, you, your brother-in-law, know how to show off?" Ouyang Lun said, and spread his hands helplessly.

"Well, I understand!" Zhu Biao nodded sympathetically.

"Oh, by the way, Your Majesty, please don't appoint me as the general manager of the Railway Bureau. Let's discuss it in front of all the civil and military officials. I can be a consultant at most. Once the Railway Bureau is running smoothly, I can withdraw from it." Ouyang Lun continued.

"Okay, I agree to it!" Zhu Biao thought about it for a while and agreed.

At three quarters past the hour of Mao, the candlelight flickered red in the Golden Throne Hall.

Zhu Biao sat upright on the dragon throne, looking at the figures of the Huaixi Party gathering among the ministers below the steps, his fingertips lightly tapping the imperial desk - the secret conversation with Ouyang Lun last night was still ringing in his ears, but now he had to turn the blueprint into a court meeting with the attitude of "imperial power".

"My dear ministers," Zhu Biao cleared his throat and glanced at Li Shanchang's greasy face, "The topic of today's court meeting is the operation and management of the Beijing-Pingcheng Railway. When I was looking at the map last night, it suddenly occurred to me that such a complex project would be difficult to manage if the Ministry of Revenue alone was responsible for it. Therefore, I want to set up a 'Railway Bureau' to take charge of it."

Whispers suddenly broke out in the hall. Huang Zicheng was the first to step out, waving his sleeves and saying, "Your Majesty, please understand! If we set up another government office, it will definitely increase the problem of redundant officials—"

"It's not a government office, it's a 'bureau'." Zhu Biao raised his hand to interrupt, deliberately borrowing Ouyang Lun's wording, "It imitates the structure of a business bank, with three departments: transportation, mechanical maintenance, and finance, each with its own responsibilities. It is not included in the court system, and the salaries of officials are linked to the profits of the railway." He deliberately emphasized the word "profit", and sure enough, he saw the eyes of several nobles light up.

"Your Majesty, the position of General Manager of the Railway Bureau..." Li Shanchang stepped forward with the help of a cane, his robe with a python pattern making a rustling sound as it dragged on the blue bricks. "Who is Your Majesty's choice?" The Huaixi Party members behind him straightened their backs, as alert as dogs smelling a bone.

Zhu Biao sneered in his heart, but remained calm on the surface: "Who do you think can take on this task, Lord Han?"

Li Shanchang twisted his beard in a thoughtful manner, but his peripheral vision was glancing at the line of civil officials on the right - there stood his student, Huang Zicheng, the Minister of Rites. "I think the general manager needs to be someone who is familiar with finance and well versed in practical matters. Minister Huang was once in charge of the accounts of the grain transport. If he takes this position, he will be able to achieve twice the result with half the effort." (End of this chapter)