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

In the back hall of the Ministry of Revenue, Zhu Biao paced back and forth anxiously, and the hem of his dragon robe swept across the blue bricks, making a hurried sound.

He looked out the window at the yamen runners wrapped in mink coats patrolling back and forth, his brows knitted into knots: "Brother-in-law, today the merchants came to line up before dawn, but the Ministry of Revenue has not even let in ten people! What is the reason?"

Ouyang Lun leaned on the carved rosewood couch, picking his nails with an ivory pick, and said slowly: "Your Majesty, do you know the four words 'playing hard to get'? Yesterday, the merchants had already tasted the taste of waiting, and today they are like frightened birds, afraid of being left behind. The longer we delay, the more they will think that the quota for the new city's investment is invaluable."

"But aren't you afraid that delaying like this will backfire?" Zhu Biao grabbed the teacup on the table, but found that it was already cold, so he put it back on the table. "What if they think the court is deliberately making things difficult for them and turn to other places for help?"

Ouyang Lun chuckled, stood up and walked to the window, looking at the merchants huddled in the cold wind in the distance: "Where to go? In this vast world, is there any new city that can compare with your majesty's grand plan?" He turned around with a scorching gaze, "Besides, today's slowness is for tomorrow's speed. Look -" He unfolded a yellowed account book, "The Ministry of Revenue is checking the details of the merchants who entered yesterday overnight. Seven of them have been crossed out from this 'honesty book' alone."

Zhu Biao took a closer look and saw dense red pen annotations on the account book: "Wang Ermazi, a salt merchant from Yangzhou, secretly colluded with Japanese pirates; Wu Youde, a tea merchant from Huizhou, forged land deeds..." He took a breath and said, "How could there be so many people who took advantage of the situation?"

"This is just the tip of the iceberg." Ouyang Lun closed the account book. "The longer we delay today, the more anxious those merchants with ulterior motives will be. They will either go around looking for information or bribe the government officials with large sums of money. In this way, the fox's tail will naturally be exposed."

Before he finished speaking, a minor official hurried in and whispered something in Ouyang Lun's ear.

Ouyang Lun raised his lips to a cold smile, took out a silver note from his sleeve, and gently waved it over the candlelight: "Your Majesty, please look, this is a 'tribute' from Chen Wanguan, a rice merchant from Suzhou. He said he is willing to pay a thousand taels of silver and ask for priority processing."

Zhu Biao slammed the table angrily: "How dare you! How dare you openly bribe!"

"That's exactly what I want him to bribe." Ouyang Lun took the banknote.

Zhu Biao looked at the silver note in Ouyang Lun's hand, which was shining silvery in the candlelight, and his knuckles turned slightly white from tightly clenching his sleeves.

"Brother-in-law, you accepted bribes when others offered them. This is a serious crime!" Zhu Biao's voice was obviously trembling, and his fingertips almost poked the jumping flames on the banknotes. "If you accepted the money and helped this person, then the crime of bribery would be confirmed! The impeachment memorials from the Censorate can break down the threshold of our back hall!"

He thought of his father, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang's iron-fisted and drastic measures to fight corruption, and cold sweat instantly broke out on his back. Even the chill on the blue brick floor became hot.

Ouyang Lun gently folded the banknote and put it into the secret pocket in his sleeve, his movements as elegant as if he was arranging calligraphy and paintings.

He slowly smoothed the wrinkles on his cuffs, his ivory ring glowing warmly under the candlelight: "Your Majesty, do you know how much silver is needed to build this new city?" He suddenly took a few steps closer and lowered his voice, "The budget sent by the Ministry of Works shows that the city wall alone will cost three million taels. But the cash available in the Ministry of Revenue is not much. If all this money really goes to the Ministry of Revenue, then Your Majesty will have no money to spend elsewhere."

"The Ming Dynasty is indeed developing well now, and the treasury has a lot of money, but there are even more places to spend the money!"

Zhu Biao paused, recalling the treasury revenue and expenditure statement he had seen in Wenhua Hall the day before. The densely packed deficits seemed to gnaw at his heart like a poisonous snake.

"It's also unfair to the other merchants!" Zhu Biao suppressed his anger, grabbed the wolf-hair brush on the table and slammed it hard on the inkstone, and the ink splashed on the rice paper. "Chen Wanguan can give away a thousand taels of silver notes, but what about those small merchants who do business honestly? If they all rely on money to buy quotas, won't Xincheng become a den of corruption?"

Ouyang Lun chuckled, his laughter was three parts proud and seven parts cunning. He took a map from the bookshelf, unfolded it and spread it on the table. The candlelight dyed the outline of the new city on the map into blood: "Your Majesty, look, this new city is located on the railway route, and the dock tax alone can collect hundreds of thousands of taels every year. But if we let those merchants who have good intentions but no money in for the sake of so-called 'fairness', and the city cannot be built in three to five years, won't the court lose all its money?"

He drew a line across the map with his slender fingers. "Chen Wanguan's 1,000 taels of silver is just an introduction. When he enters the new city, he will have to pay ten times the construction tax according to the regulations. By then, not only can we get back the 1,000 taels of silver, but we can also multiply the principal and interest several times." At this point, Ouyang Lun's eyes flashed with a gleam. "What's even better is that other businessmen will see that he can succeed in bribery, and they will definitely follow suit. We can just sit back and reap the benefits, why not?"

Zhu Biao stared at his brother-in-law who was talking so eloquently, and after a while he managed to say, "But this is still a crime of corruption and bribery."

"Corruption?" Ouyang Lun suddenly laughed out loud. He grabbed the investment promotion regulations on the table and opened them. "Your Majesty, please read carefully. It is written in black and white that 'special contributors can be given priority to settle in'. Chen Wanguan donated 1,000 taels of silver. Doesn't that count as a 'special contribution'?"

"Besides, although this money goes into Ouyang Lun's pocket, it is used for the construction of the new city. It can't be considered corruption in both public and private terms, right?"

Zhu Biao stared at the clauses on the charter that were not yet dry, and felt his temples throbbing. These clauses were clearly drafted the day before, and at that time he praised his brother-in-law for his thoughtfulness, but now he thought that it was a plan that had been set up long ago.

"Besides," Ouyang Lun came closer, his warm breath blowing against Zhu Biao's ear, "we didn't say we would do the job if we received the money. Once these merchants hand over the silver, we will refuse them on the grounds of 'ineligibility'. By then, the money will be deposited into the national treasury, and the people will leave the capital. Who can do anything to us?"

"They use this money to speed up the queue and enjoy better services from the court. Is there any problem with this?"

There was a hint of bewitching in his voice, "Your Majesty, think carefully. Do you want a new city to rise from the ground, or do you want the innocence of a few merchants?"

Zhu Biao staggered back half a step, his lower back hitting the carved chair back.

This sentence was like a heavy hammer, knocking open the corner of his heart that he dared not touch. In order to realize his ambition to govern the country, his father had always used ruthless means. In the Yang Xian case and the Hu Weiyong case, how many meritorious officials and veterans lost their heads, wasn't it all for the stability of the country? But he had read the books of sages since he was young, and his heart was full of "ruling the country with benevolence and righteousness", so how could he accept such a fraudulent method?
"Can we still play like this?!" Zhu Biao muttered to himself, his eyes falling on the silver bills faintly visible in Ouyang Lun's sleeves.

He suddenly remembered the miserable scene of the people gnawing on tree bark to fill their stomachs when he was inspecting the disaster area, and the Ministry of Works officials reduced the size of the city wall bricks by two inches in order to save money.
But as soon as this thought came to his mind, he shook his head violently.

No! This is just a temporary solution! Once this precedent is set, the court's credibility will be gone! He was about to open his mouth to refute, but saw that Ouyang Lun had already rolled up the map and put it back on the bookshelf: "Your Majesty, there is no need to rush to make a decision. Chen Wanguan will come again tomorrow, then we will..."

"Wait a minute!" Zhu Biao suddenly spoke, digging his nails deep into his palms. "Even if this plan works, once it gets out, it will damage the reputation of the court! The censors in the Censorate will scold us, and the people of the world will also say that the court is corrupt!" He became more and more excited as he spoke, almost shouting, "Father hates corrupt officials the most in his life. If he knew..."

"Don't worry, Your Majesty." Ouyang Lun turned around with an unfathomable smile, and the candlelight cast a half shadow on his face. "I, Ouyang Lun, am responsible for this matter. What does it have to do with the court?" He took out a blank account book from his sleeve and waved it in front of Zhu Biao. "All income and expenditure are recorded in this 'internal account'. Even if the Censorate comes to check, they will only see the document of Chen Wanguan's 'voluntary donation'."

Zhu Biao stared at the dark account book and felt a chill on his back. He finally understood why his brother-in-law delayed the progress of the investment promotion - it was not to screen the merchants, but to wait for more people to take the bait! But seeing Ouyang Lun's confident look, he had to admit that this plan could indeed solve the urgent problem.

"Your Majesty, don't worry." Ouyang Lun took a step forward and his tone became gentle. "When the new city is built, the canal transportation will be smooth and the tax revenue will be continuous. At that time, we can use the money as a 'court reward' to properly use for people's livelihood." He raised his hand and gently patted Zhu Biao's shoulder. "The people will only remember the prosperity of the new city. Who will care about the tricks we used back then?"

Zhu Biao was silent for a long time, his eyes passing through the carved window lattice and falling on the caravan tents huddled in the cold wind in the distance. The lanterns swayed in the night wind like will-o'-the-wisp. He suddenly remembered what his father often said: "Those who achieve great things do not care about trivial matters." Could it be that for the sake of the country, one can really do whatever it takes?
"In that case, I'll leave everything to my brother-in-law!" Zhu Biao rubbed his swollen temples, turned and walked towards the screen in the back hall.

Ouyang Lun looked at Zhu Biao's receding back, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised.

He knocked twice on the rosewood table, and the personal servant guarding the door immediately rushed in. "Go, invite Suzhou rice merchant Chen Wanguan to the VIP room." He slowly straightened his clothes, with a faint smile on his lips, "Remember, let everyone see it."

The servant took the order and left. The noise outside the back hall could be heard faintly.

Zhu Biao stood behind the screen, listening to the noise outside, feeling mixed emotions.

He knew that he had acquiesced to Ouyang Lun's plan, but every word and every action seemed to be trampling on the moral standards he had adhered to for many years.

But at the same time, he had some expectations for Ouyang Lun's method.

Soon, a burst of hurried footsteps came closer. "Master Chen, please come in." The servant's flattering voice was particularly clear in the quiet back hall.

Zhu Biao looked through the gap in the screen and saw a middle-aged man with a big belly, dressed in brocade clothes, smiling and following the servant. This man was Chen Wanguan, a rice merchant from Suzhou. His eyes were full of anxiety and expectation, and he held a heavy purse tightly in his hand.

"Lord Ouyang, my name is Chen Wanguan. I have long heard of your great reputation." As soon as Chen Wanguan entered the room, he knelt down with a plop. "The day before yesterday, I took the liberty to send you a small gift. I hope that you will be so kind as to allow me to go through the procedures for settling in the new city with priority." As he spoke, he pushed the purse forward, and the sound of gold and silver colliding inside made a crisp sound.

Ouyang Lun sat upright on the armchair, his eyes swept over Chen Wanguan coldly, and after a while he spoke: "Boss Chen, the rules for attracting investment in this new city are very strict. If your behavior gets out..." He deliberately dragged out his voice, with a hint of intimidation in his eyes.

Upon hearing this, Chen Wanguan's forehead immediately broke out in cold sweat and he kowtowed repeatedly: "Your Excellency, please understand! I really can't wait any longer. My family's business urgently needs the convenience of the new city. I hope you will show me mercy! I will repay you with gratitude!"

Ouyang Lun's mouth corners slightly raised, but his face was still stern: "Forget it, since Boss Chen is so sincere, I will make an exception. But this will not happen again." He waved his hand, signaling the servant to take Chen Wanguan to go through the formalities.

Chen Wanguan thanked the servant profusely and left with a look of relief on his face. Zhu Biao watched this scene with mixed feelings. He knew that this was just the beginning and that a bigger storm was about to come.

Outside the back hall, the merchants waiting were already talking about it. When they saw Chen Wanguan coming out of the VIP room with a smug look on his face, they were immediately moved. "How did Chen Wanguan get in so quickly?" "Yes, we lined up before dawn, but he got it done easily." "Did he pay money?" The merchants whispered, jealousy and resentment intertwined.

At this time, another of Ouyang Lun's men quietly mixed into the crowd. He deliberately raised his voice and said to the businessman next to him: "Alas, these days, money makes the world go round. Boss Chen is willing to spend money, so he can naturally take shortcuts." As soon as he said this, the surrounding merchants gathered around him, their eyes full of anxiety: "Young man, what do you mean by this? Can I get it done in advance just by spending money?"

The subordinate looked around and said in a low voice: "I didn't say anything. However, we are all smart people, and there are some things that we see through but don't say out loud." After saying that, he smiled meaningfully, turned around and left.

The merchants looked at his back, their greed was completely ignited. Some began to calculate their own assets, and some were already asking around about Ouyang Lun's preferences. For a moment, the atmosphere outside the back hall became restless.

At this time, Ouyang Lun was leisurely sipping tea. He looked at the restless businessmen outside the window, with a sly look in his eyes. "The fish have been hooked, and now we just have to wait for them to fall into the trap." He muttered to himself.

Zhu Biao came out from behind the screen, his face solemn, "Brother-in-law, if this continues, I'm afraid there will be a big mess."

Ouyang Lun put down his teacup and said calmly: "Your Majesty, don't worry, everything is under control. The more anxious these merchants are, the more likely they are to reveal their flaws. By then, we can raise money and catch the criminals at the same time. Isn't it killing two birds with one stone?" (End of this chapter)