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

Zhang Wen said meaningfully: "The Duke should understand that the prince wants not only the salt profits, but also..." He paused deliberately, dipped his fingers in tea, and wrote the word "Cao" on the table.

Li Shanchang was shocked and said in a deep voice: "This matter is of great importance. Let me think about it again."

Zhang Wen did not force him, but bowed and said, "Then I will wait for good news from the Duke." After that, he quietly disappeared behind the screen.

Li Shanchang sat alone for a long time, and suddenly slammed the table and sneered: "What a great King of Yan, he is trying to drag me onto his pirate ship!" He looked towards the direction of the palace, a hint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes, "However, if your majesty really wants to kill us all, don't blame me for looking for another wise leader!"

Huang Zicheng waited outside the door for a long time. After seeing the man in gray robe leave, he tiptoed back into the study.

Li Shanchang was facing away from the door, staring at the painting "A Vast Landscape of Rivers and Mountains" hanging on the wall.

"Duke." Huang Zicheng spoke carefully, his voice very low, "Is that person from the Prince of Yan's Mansion?"

Li Shanchang did not look back, but just nodded slightly.

Huang Zicheng's forehead was covered with beads of sweat. He took out a handkerchief and wiped it, his Adam's apple rolling up and down: "I always feel that there is something fishy about this matter."

"Oh?" Li Shanchang turned around, his eyes as sharp as a knife, "Tell me about it."

Huang Zicheng swallowed his saliva and lowered his voice: "The relationship between Prince Yan Zhu Di and his son-in-law Ouyang Lun is well known to everyone in the court. If Prince Yan Zhu Di wants the benefits of the grain transport, he can go to Ouyang Lun. You should know that Ouyang Lun is now the chief minister and general of the cabinet. To put it bluntly, the power he holds is comparable to that of the emperor!"

"As long as Ouyang Lun nods, Prince of Yan Zhu Di will get everything. Even the current achievements of the Yan Clan are inseparable from Ouyang Lun's support."

"Yan Wang Zhu Di secretly sent people to the capital to look for you, teacher. I really can't understand it!"

Li Shanchang's pupils suddenly contracted and his fingers unconsciously clenched his cuffs.

Huang Zicheng continued, "What's even more strange is that the Prince of Yan's Mansion didn't make any moves in the competition for the railway bureau's candidate. Considering Prince Yan's enthusiasm for the new policy, this is unreasonable."

"What do you mean?" Li Shanchang slowly walked to the armchair and sat down, his face gloomy, "Prince of Yan and Ouyang Lun teamed up to lure me into the trap?"

Huang Zicheng did not answer directly, but whispered: "I just think that the timing of the King of Yan suddenly sending someone to discuss the salt tax is too coincidental."

"Moreover, our spy in the palace sent a message that he personally saw the consort Ouyang Lun go to see His Majesty, and he seemed to have heard Ouyang Lun and His Majesty talking about the grain transport. These things are put together, and I can't help but suspect!"

The study fell into deathly silence, with only the sound of the dripping copper kettle being clearly audible.

Li Shanchang suddenly sneered: "Good Ouyang Lun! If it is true as you said, he is going to kill three birds with one stone - control the Railway Bureau, use the hand of the King of Yan to contain me, or even get rid of me, and finally make a contribution in front of His Majesty!"

As he spoke, he slammed the table, causing the teacups to clink.

Huang Zicheng was frightened by the sudden noise and quickly advised: "Teacher, calm down! This is just a student's guess and may not be true."

Li Shanchang took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down: "No, your suspicion is reasonable. Ouyang Lun is best at using the opponent's force to counter the opponent's force."

"I also feel that Ouyang Lun's behavior has been a little strange recently. You know, he never takes the initiative to look for Your Majesty."

He stood up and paced back and forth in the study, his boots making a dull sound on the floor.

"If that's the case." Li Shanchang suddenly stopped, a hint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes, "Then we will take advantage of their trick!"

Huang Zicheng looked up in confusion: "What does the teacher mean?"

Li Shanchang walked back to the desk, picked up a pen and wrote a few words on the paper, then quickly burned it: "Tomorrow you go find Chen Ning and ask him to..."

His voice lowered until it was almost a whisper.

Huang Zicheng's face gradually turned pale as he listened: "Is he deliberately exposing his flaws? What if His Majesty really investigates?"

Li Shanchang smiled grimly: "I want His Majesty to investigate! But what he finds will be evidence of collusion between Prince Yan's Mansion and Ouyang Lun!"

After he finished speaking, he took out a secret letter from the secret compartment and handed it to Huang Zicheng: "Give this to Jingtai, he knows what to do."

Huang Zicheng took the secret letter, his hands trembling slightly: "Duke, this matter is too risky, what if..."

"No one can ever be in a hurry!" Li Shanchang interrupted sharply, "Either you sit and wait for death, or you fight back! Ouyang Lun wants to play with fire, so I will let him get burned!"

Outside the window, a cold wind blew, rolling up a few fallen leaves, which hit the window frame, making a rustling sound.

Huang Zicheng hid the secret letter close to his body and bowed deeply: "I will do it right away."

He turned around and was about to leave, but was stopped by Li Shanchang.

"Zicheng," Li Shanchang's tone suddenly softened, even with a rare warmth, "You have followed me for so many years, you should understand that if you lose this time..."

Huang Zicheng trembled, then said firmly: "Teacher, don't worry, my life has long been yours."

Li Shanchang nodded, "Zicheng, don't worry, if our plan succeeds this time, the position of the general manager of the Railway Bureau will definitely be yours!"

Hearing this, Huang Zicheng was overjoyed, "Thank you, teacher, for your cultivation!"

Li Shanchang then waved his hand to signal him to leave.

After the study door was closed again, Li Shanchang stood alone in the dim candlelight, looking at his own shadow on the wall, and suddenly felt that the shadow became strange and distorted.

Li Shanchang walked slowly to the window, his fingers unconsciously stroking the carvings on the window frame.

The moonlight outside the window was bright, but it couldn't illuminate the gloom in his eyes.

"No." He suddenly stopped and frowned, "If Ouyang Lun really wanted to deal with me, why would he go through so much trouble?"

He clenched his fingers suddenly, not even noticing the sawdust piercing his palms.

"With Ouyang Lun's current power, all he needs to do is say a word in front of His Majesty, and I will be in big trouble."

Li Shanchang turned around and walked quickly back to the desk. His sleeve had knocked over the teacup and he didn't even bother to fix it.

"The relationship between Prince Yan and Ouyang Lun," he muttered to himself, his fingers dipping into the spilled tea and rubbing on the table, "On the surface, they are indeed very close."

His fingertips suddenly paused, and the tea left a stain on the table.

"Wait! The Prince of Yan has been expanding his power over the years. On the surface, he relied on Ouyang Lun's support, but in fact..."

Li Shanchang's pupils suddenly contracted and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

"Last year, the grain transport route was changed. Ouyang Lun proposed to transport it by sea, but the King of Yan insisted on building a canal."

"Three months ago, when purchasing weapons, Ouyang Lun recommended the Liaodong Arsenal, but in the end, the King of Yan used the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau to intercept it. It was clearly a case of seeking a distant destination instead of a near one." "Last time, when Lan Yu came back from the Northern Yuan Dynasty, he also told me that the King of Yan Zhu Di's army was quite powerful, but its weapons were much inferior to those of the imperial army. Moreover, Zhu Di showed a strong interest in new weapons and even privately hinted to Lan Yu that he could pay a high price to buy the advanced weapons of the imperial army!"

"Everyone knows that these advanced weapons of the Ming Dynasty were made by Ouyang Lun. Why did Zhu Di still choose to go far away?!"

"There is only one reason, that is, Prince of Yan Zhu Di cannot obtain these advanced weapons from Ouyang Lun"

"Haha, I understand! It's true that Prince of Yan Zhu Di and Ouyang Lun have a good relationship, but Prince of Yan Zhu Di concealed his ambitions in front of Ouyang Lun, just like Prince of Yan Zhu Di concealed his ambitions in front of the Emperor and His Majesty!"

Thinking of this, Li Shanchang was not angry, but excited instead.

His breathing gradually became rapid and his temples were throbbing.

"And the candidates for the Railway Bureau this time." Li Shanchang slammed the table and stood up. "Ouyang Lun nominated the Minister of Industry, and the officials of the Prince of Yan did not express their opinions from beginning to end!"

The candlelight in the study shook violently, stretching his shadow longer and shorter.

"So that's it!" Li Shanchang suddenly sneered, "It's not that Ouyang Lun and the King of Yan are teaming up to deal with me..."

He slowly sat back in the armchair and tapped the armrests with his fingers, making a dull "thump thump" sound.

"It was Prince Yan Zhu Di who was planning for his own ambitions! And Ouyang Lun knew nothing about it!! "A gleam of light flashed in his eyes, "And I have become the key to this!"

The shadows of the trees outside the window were cast on the wall, like ghosts with bared fangs and claws.

Li Shanchang suddenly felt a chill on his back, as if a pair of invisible eyes were watching him in the dark.

"Zhang Wen came to visit today." He whispered to himself, "On the surface, he is here to negotiate the salt tax for the King of Yan, but in fact, he wants to test my attitude towards Ouyang Lun."

His fingers twisted his beard unconsciously, twisting harder and harder.

"If I really follow Huang Zicheng's advice and fabricate false evidence of the collusion between the Prince of Yan and Ouyang Lun..."

Thinking of this, Li Shanchang suddenly took a breath and beads of sweat the size of beans oozed out of his forehead.

"That's exactly what the King of Yan wants!" He stood up suddenly, and the armchair fell to the ground with a clang. "The King of Yan is waiting for someone to sow discord between him and Ouyang Lun!"

The dripping sound of the copper kettle sounded particularly harsh at this moment, like a death drum.

Li Shanchang staggered to the antique display cabinet and took down a brocade box with trembling hands.

"What a close call." He opened the brocade box and looked at the secret letter inside that had not yet been sent. "It almost became a knife in the hands of the King of Yan!"

The moonlight filtered through the window screen, casting mottled shadows on his face.

"But if we stop here," Li Shanchang narrowed his eyes, "wouldn't it be a waste of this opportunity to fight for our own interests?"

His fingers gently stroked the gilded patterns on the brocade box, and suddenly he revealed a strange smile.

"Perhaps." He murmured softly, "I should let Huang Zicheng deliver the letter to Chen Ning."

The candle flame popped and created a spark, illuminating half of his face.

"But the content has to be changed." Li Shanchang quickly returned to the desk, picked up the pen and dipped it in ink, "It's not about framing the Prince of Yan and Ouyang Lun in collusion."

The tip of the pen draws sharp lines on the rice paper.

"It's to let His Majesty see..." His mouth curled higher and higher, "Ouyang Lun is secretly dealing with the King of Yan!"

Suddenly, there was a cry of a night owl outside the window, so shrill and creepy.

After Li Shanchang wrote the last word, he held the letter paper in front of the candlelight and looked at it carefully.

"In this way," he chuckled sinisterly, "no matter who wins or loses in the end, I can still reap the benefits!"

"Quick! Ask Huang Zicheng to come back!"

After officially appointing Wang Tiechui as the general manager of the Railway Bureau, Zhu Biao summoned the cabinet's chief minister, the son-in-law Ouyang Lun, the temporary general manager of the Railway Bureau Wang Tiezhu, the Minister of Works Shan Anren, the Minister of Revenue Guo Zi and other railway-related officials to the Taiji Hall.

Inside the Taiji Hall, candles were lit brightly. Zhu Biao sat behind the dragon table, his eyes slowly sweeping over the ministers in the hall, and he was the first to speak: "Brother-in-law, all those here today are officials related to the railway. Father has already issued an order that all matters related to the railway should be handled by you, brother-in-law. Now it is up to you to arrange the specific tasks!"

Ouyang Lun stood at the front with a calm expression, but there was a hint of depth in his eyes.

He bowed slightly, his voice steady and powerful: "Since your majesty has issued an order, I will do my best."

Minister of Industry Shan Anren lowered his head, but secretly looked at Ouyang Lun from the corner of his eyes, thinking to himself: "The Prince Consort has always been swift and resolute, and I'm afraid he will make a big move today."

Minister of Revenue Guo Zizhe rubbed his fingers gently, frowning slightly: "The railway costs a lot of money, and the money in the account of the Ministry of Revenue can't afford it. We have to find a way to push it back later. But if the prince consort asks, our Ministry of Revenue will sell everything it has!"

Wang Tiechui stood at the end, his hands clenched into fists, beads of sweat oozing from his palms.

Although he was appointed as the general manager of the Railway Bureau, he still felt a lot of pressure facing these important officials in the court. You have to know that he was just an unknown minor official in the Ministry of Industry.

Ouyang Lun nodded slightly, took a step forward, and said in a steady and clear voice: "The Beijing-Pinggu Railway runs through the north and south. It is the lifeblood of the country. Its operation and management must be rigorous and orderly."

He glanced at everyone and continued, "First of all, the Railway Bureau has three departments: the Transportation Department, the Engineering Department, and the Dispatching Department, each with its own responsibilities."

Minister of Industry Shan Anren frowned slightly: "Sir, how are the powers of the three departments divided?"

Ouyang Lun was well prepared: "The Transport Department is responsible for passenger and freight transportation, including fare setting and freight dispatch; the Works Department is responsible for track and locomotive maintenance and repair; the Dispatching Department coordinates train running times and route arrangements."

Minister of Finance Guo Zi couldn't help but interrupt: "Son-in-law, how should the railway revenue be distributed?"

Ouyang Lun smiled faintly: "The railway revenue is divided into three parts - 50% for the imperial court to be used for railway expansion; 30% for local governments to subsidize people's livelihood along the line; the remaining 20% ​​is used by the railway bureau for daily maintenance."

Zhu Biao nodded slightly: "This allocation is reasonable."

Wang Tiechui stood aside, looking quite nervous.

Ouyang Lun seemed to sense his nervousness and turned his gaze to him: "General Manager Wang, after the railway is opened to traffic, we need to ensure three passenger trips and two freight trips every day. Are you sure?"

Wang Tiechui took a deep breath and said, "Your Highness, I have mobilized fifty skilled craftsmen and trained more than a hundred drivers and passengers to ensure that the railway is unimpeded."

Ouyang Lun nodded: "In addition, twelve post stations need to be set up along the route, and each station should be equipped with garrison officers and soldiers to prevent banditry."

Upon hearing this, the Minister of War immediately responded: "The Ministry of War can dispatch elite troops to ensure the safety of the railway." (End of this chapter)