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

At dawn the next day, a thin layer of frost formed on the stone pavement in front of the Ministry of Revenue, but merchants still lined up in a long queue early in the morning.

When Chen Wanguan walked out of the VIP room with a proud look on his face, the crowd suddenly became agitated.

The Hangzhou silk merchant clutched the heavy purse in his sleeve, his throat tightening: "Boss Chen, is there really a trick?"

Chen Wanguan patted his collar embroidered with gold thread and said with a proud smile: "Prince Consort Ouyang is very observant. As long as you sincerely contribute to the new city..." Before he finished speaking, there were gasps from the crowd.

A few brave merchants immediately turned around and rode their horses towards the bank.

At three quarters past the hour of Mao, silver ingots were piled up like a mountain on the red lacquer table in the side hall of the Ministry of Revenue.

Zhu Biao stared at the pile of silver that hurt his eyes, his Adam's apple rolling up and down. The teacup that was cold yesterday was now steaming hot from his grip. "Brother-in-law, this...it's only been half a day, and you've collected so much?"

Ouyang Lun slowly used a sandalwood comb to comb his temples. A few strands of silver were stuck between the ivory teeth. "Your Majesty, you know that human greed is like catkins in spring. Once it is blown up by the wind, it cannot be stopped."

He raised his hand to signal the servant to bring an abacus, and the sound of pearls and jade colliding was crisp and pleasant. "Look, Chen Wanguan's 1,000 taels of silver has now brought in ten times the income."

Zhu Biao looked at the jumping beads on the abacus, vaguely remembering yesterday in the Fengtian Hall, when he bit the tip of his pen to pieces while looking at the treasury revenue and expenditure statement, but still could not figure out a way to fill the gap.

At this moment, the white silver appeared out of thin air as if by magic. He stroked the hem of his dragon robe, and the gold thread on the silk made his palms hurt.

As silver continued to flow in, the efficiency of the Ministry of Revenue increased dramatically.

Documents that originally took half a day to be processed can now be stamped with the red seal in just a cup of tea.

The merchants held the documents with the seal of the Ministry of Revenue in their hands, and their faces were filled with smiles: "Prince Consort Ouyang is really an honest man. His efficiency is worthy of being a capable minister personally selected by His Majesty!"

Zhu Biao stood in front of the window in the back hall, watching the merchants leave in great joy, feeling mixed emotions. The cold wind blew up a few dead leaves, which slapped against the window frame, making a crackling sound.
I remember when I visited the disaster area in Henan last year, the hungry people were eating Guanyin soil, their stomachs were swollen and shiny but they couldn't stand up straight. If I had this silver at that time...

"Report..." A clerk rushed in breathlessly, the thick documents in his hand rustling in the wind, "Sir Ouyang, after checking the fifty new investment documents received today, seventeen of them did not comply with the regulations!"

Zhu Biao turned around suddenly, and the corner of his robe knocked over the inkstone on the table.

The ink was winding on the blue bricks like a twisted snake. "Brother-in-law, these people paid the money but were not given the qualification? Then..." He licked his dry lips, "Do you want to..."

"No." Ouyang Lun raised his hand to stop Zhu Biao from speaking, the jade ring on his fingertips emitting a faint cold light.

He walked to the bookshelf and took down a yellowed volume of "Salt and Iron Theory". The dry maple leaves between the pages fluttered down. "Your Majesty, do you remember why Guan Zhong valued business when he ruled Qi?"

Zhu Biao was startled. Having been familiar with classics and history since childhood, he naturally remembered the statement in Guanzi that "without markets, the people will be in poverty." But what does Ouyang Lun's mention of it have to do with the current situation?

"These merchants are like weeds and rice seedlings in a rice field." Ouyang Lun slammed the book on the table, stirring up a cloud of ink dust. "We need to use the weeds as fertilizer, but we can't let them steal the nutrients from the rice seedlings. If we allow these non-compliant merchants to move in, the new city will be in chaos in the future. Isn't that just shooting ourselves in the foot?"

Zhu Biao stared at the "Salt and Iron Theory" on the table, and vaguely saw the words "the art of lightness and heaviness" jumping out between the pages. Ouyang Lun's voice seemed to come from far away: "Your Majesty, we don't want a one-time deal. These rejected merchants will go back and spread the word that "the court has strict rules." The next time there is a business invitation, they will be more disciplined, and others will also weigh their own weight."

"But the silver..." Zhu Biao muttered, his eyes sweeping across the wooden boxes piled up in the corner. Each box was sealed, but it couldn't cover up the sound of the silver ingots colliding inside.

"Of course the money must be recorded, but it must be recorded under a different name." Ouyang Lun took out the mysterious "internal account book" and his pen rustled on the paper. "Record it as 'fines and confiscations from merchants who violated the rules.' When the new city is built, this money can not only enrich the national treasury, but also earn us a reputation for being impartial in enforcing the law."

Zhu Biao felt his temples throbbing.

He remembered that when his father reviewed the memorials, his cinnabar pen was so strong that it penetrated the paper, as if he wanted to dig out every wrong word. If he knew that he had acquiesced to such a method... No, Ouyang Lun was right, those who achieve great things do not pay attention to trivial matters. Just like when his father wanted to rectify the administration of officials, he would rather kill hundreds of people by mistake than let a corrupt official go.

"Brother-in-law, that's a good idea!" Zhu Biao suddenly laughed, and his laughter made the dust on the beam fall down. "I have been reading the books of sages since I was young, but I am not as knowledgeable as you!" He grabbed the wolf hair brush on the table, dipped it in thick ink, and heavily signed his name on the account written by Ouyang Lun.

Ouyang Lun looked at Zhu Biao's flamboyant handwriting, and a barely perceptible smile flashed across his eyes. He walked to the window, looked at the dejected merchants outside the government office, and suddenly said, "Your Majesty, have you heard of 'fishing enforcement'? These rejected merchants are the bait we throw out."

Zhu Biao was stunned: "What do you mean?"

"Just wait and see." Ouyang Lun pointed at several businessmen who were whispering to each other in the crowd, "When they go back, they will definitely ask around to find out how to comply with the regulations. When that happens, we will release the news and hint at some 'key qualifications'..." His voice became lower and lower, but the corners of his mouth raised a meaningful arc.

Zhu Biao suddenly realized, but a layer of cold sweat oozed from his back. He suddenly remembered that when he was a child, he followed his father to fish in the imperial garden. His father said that fishing requires patience and the tricks of letting out and reeling in the line. It turns out that the way to govern a country is so similar to fishing.

No wonder my brother-in-law loves fishing so much! It turns out that he is not idle, but is very good at it!
As the night deepened, the candlelight in the back hall of the Ministry of Revenue was still bright. Zhu Biao stood in front of the window, watching Ouyang Lun direct the servants to carry boxes of silver into the warehouse. The moonlight sprinkled on the silver ingots, shining with a cold light.

He suddenly felt that his brother-in-law Ouyang Lun's method seemed very good!

"Your Majesty, it's time to rest." Ouyang Lun came to the back without knowing when, holding a cup of steaming ginseng tea in his hand, "Tomorrow, there will be bigger fish waiting to be caught."

Zhu Biao took the ginseng tea, the boiling hot tea slid down his throat, and his heart felt warm.

"Brother-in-law, is this matter... really foolproof?" Zhu Biao tightly grasped the teacup, a little nervous, like a good kid being led by someone to do something bad.

Ouyang Lun smiled lightly, his eyes full of confidence: "Your Majesty, don't worry. We have documents to check every step, and every sum of money has an account to rely on. When the new city is built and the people live and work in peace and contentment, who will care about the original means?" He paused, and then said, "Besides, in this world, the winner is the king."

Zhu Biao looked out the window at the night sky, which was dotted with stars, but could not illuminate the fog in his heart. He remembered what his father often said: "When doing great things, you cannot be afraid of getting your hands dirty." Perhaps this is the price of governing a country? The next morning, there was another bustling scene in front of the Ministry of Revenue.

The merchants held silver in their pockets, their eyes full of anticipation and anxiety.

The dusk was like ink, splashing between the flying eaves and brackets of the capital city.

Zhu Yuanzhang wrapped his black cloak tightly, staring at the closed red lacquer door of the Ministry of Revenue, his knuckles turning white.

This was the second evening he had queued here, but he couldn't even get through the door. The bluestone slabs under his feet were polished to a shine, and countless merchants were waiting impatiently.

"Boss Zhu, go back." Wang Hongru advised tremblingly, the white breath he exhaled condensed into frost in the cold air, "I will come to call you at 3:00 pm tomorrow."

Zhu Yuanzhang turned around abruptly, his eyes like torches, piercing Wang Hongru's eyes: "Shopkeeper Wang, I, Zhu Wusui, believe that I am not someone who cannot afford to lose. But in the past two days, I have seen businessmen who are not as good as me coming in and out. Tell me, what is the reason?" His voice was low, but it carried an unquestionable pressure, which frightened Wang Hongru so much that he took a half step back.

Wang Hongru swallowed his saliva, looked around, and lowered his voice and said, "Boss Zhu, you don't know that the Ministry of Revenue follows a set of 'rules' when doing things." He took out an oil-paper package from his sleeve, opened it to reveal half a cold and hard pancake, "You see, those who can get in either have money or have a backer. Those of us who don't have any connections..."

"Pah!" Zhu Yuanzhang slapped the stone wall with his palm, splashing fine stone chips. Wang Hongru was so scared that the pancake in his hand fell to the ground, and his face turned pale instantly. "What a 'rule'!" Zhu Yuanzhang sneered, "I want to see who is in charge of the Ming Dynasty!"

Wang Hongru knelt down with a thud, his knees hitting the stone slab with a dull sound: "Boss Zhu, calm down! You don't know that the investment promotion for the new city is ostensibly handled by the Ministry of Revenue, but in fact..." He suddenly fell silent and looked around vigilantly.

Zhu Yuanzhang narrowed his eyes, bent down and pulled Wang Hongru up. The force under the silk sleeves made Wang Hongru unable to move: "Speak!"

Wang Hongru's lips trembled, and his voice was almost inaudible: "It was the consort Ouyang Lun... He set up a trap and deliberately delayed the process, just to make the merchants anxious and willing to pay. Those who paid the money will be given priority even if they don't meet the qualifications; those who didn't pay will have to wait for ten days or half a month..."

"Enough!" Zhu Yuanzhang pushed Wang Hongru away, and the corner of his robe brushed his cheek. Memories came flooding back like a tide. He remembered that yesterday in the crowd, he saw a businessman stuff a silver ingot into the yamen runner, and was invited into the VIP room in a blink of an eye; he remembered that the arrogant son of the richest man in Jiangnan entered through the side door the day before. At that time, he thought it was just an isolated incident, but now he thought it was a carefully planned scam!

"Boss Zhu, please don't be impulsive!" Wang Hongru hurriedly picked up the pancake on the ground. "This Prince Consort Ouyang is the Prime Minister of the Cabinet and the General of the Military Cabinet. He is definitely the most powerful minister in the Ming Dynasty. The Censorate is full of his people. He is also favored by the Emperor and the Retired Emperor. We...we can only endure it!"

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the candlelight coming from the back hall of the Ministry of Revenue in the distance, his nails digging deep into his palms.

How dare Ouyang Lun do such evil things under my nose!

"Endure?" Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly laughed, his laughter was filled with endless irony and anger, "I, Zhu Wusi, have endured for half my life, from a beggar to where I am today. Which step was not taken with blood and fire? Now, you want me to endure these parasites?"

Wang Hongru was so frightened that his face turned pale and he kowtowed repeatedly: "Boss Zhu, you are of noble status. If anything happens... I deserve to die!" He suddenly remembered the jade pendant with coiled dragon pattern on Zhu Yuanzhang's waist and the amazing pomp at the banquet last night, and an ominous premonition surged in his heart.

Zhu Yuanzhang took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. He knew that being impulsive at this moment would only ruin things. His eyes swept across Wang Hongru's frightened face, and he slowly said: "Manager Wang, tomorrow you will go with me to meet this Ouyang Lun. I want to see how brave he is!"

Wang Hongru slumped on the ground, his face pale. "Boss Zhu, this is not possible! I heard that Prince Consort Ouyang is ruthless and cruel. We..."

"If I say yes, then yes!" Zhu Yuanzhang interrupted him and took out a ten thousand tael silver note from his sleeve. "Tomorrow, you will take this silver note and say that Zhu Wusi wants to see Lord Ouyang for a big business to discuss."

Wang Hongru took the banknote with his fingers trembling slightly. He looked at the cold light flashing in Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes and suddenly realized that the mysterious Boss Zhu in front of him was not as simple as he seemed.

The next morning, the wind was biting cold.

Zhu Yuanzhang, wearing a golden robe and a jade pendant on his waist that sparkled in the sun, stood side by side with Wang Hongru in front of the Ministry of Revenue. His appearance immediately attracted everyone's attention. The merchants whispered and speculated about who this extraordinary person was.

"Boss Zhu, let's go back..." Wang Hongru said tremblingly, his legs almost unable to stand.

Zhu Yuanzhang ignored him and walked straight to the yamen runner: "Please inform Lord Ouyang that Zhu Wusi wishes to see you and has important matters to discuss." As he said that, he handed over a heavy silver note.

The yamen runner took the banknote, looked Zhu Yuanzhang up and down, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes: "Wait a moment."

After a while, the bailiff returned: "Prince Consort Ouyang wants to see you."

Zhu Yuanzhang sneered and stepped into the Ministry of Revenue. Passing through the deep corridors, his thoughts went back to many years ago, when he was still an unknown soldier, fighting bloody battles on the battlefield, just for the dream of "all under heaven are one". But now, his kingdom has been eroded by termites!

And this parasite is Ouyang Lun!

It seems that I trusted Ouyang Lun too much, which led to this guy becoming more and more excessive!

Fortunately, I went on a secret visit, otherwise I would not have known that Ouyang Lun dared to amass wealth so blatantly! !

Zhu Yuanzhang thought angrily, but at the same time he was looking forward to it. Ouyang Lun would be very shocked when he saw him. This guy always looked calm, but this time he would be panicked and even kneel down to beg for mercy!

Zhu Yuanzhang stepped into the inner hall of the Ministry of Revenue. The hem of his golden robe swept across the threshold, raising a cloud of fine dust. The room was filled with the scent of old ink and incense. Light shone through the carved window lattices, cutting out light and dark patterns on the blue brick floor.

A clerk in gray cloth official uniform was sorting documents at his desk. Hearing footsteps, he asked without looking up, "Have you brought all the documents? Does the wooden box containing the silver have the seal of the Ministry of Revenue?"

Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at the empty furnishings in the room and said in a deep voice: "Where is Ouyang Lun? Ask him to come out and see me." (End of this chapter)