Tang Dynasty: The poisonous scholar in the Eastern Palace, please abdicate and let the wise one take

Chapter 270 The Ministry of Industry will definitely become the head of the six ministries!

After seeing Duan Lun off, Su Chen returned to the study.

It is much easier for the Ministry of Works to make money than the Ministry of Revenue, and it can be completely legalized. Even if Li Shimin knew about it, he would have nothing to say.

But Duan Lun happened to come to the door...

Is it true that the Ministry of Industry has no money to make?

Thinking of the schools that the Ministry of Works had recently built in the city, Su Chen had a plan in mind.

"Aqiang, send someone to inquire about the three schools that the Ministry of Works has recently built."

"Ok."

Sun Qiang turned and left.

At sunset, the servant returned with news.

Sun Qiang: "Sir, the three schools built by the Ministry of Works are now ready for use, but the people in the Ministry of Works, from officials to craftsmen, have not received a penny of wages."

"You didn't take the money?"

Su Chen was a little surprised.

Sun Qiang nodded, "According to the rules of the Ministry of Works, all materials used to build the school must be clearly marked with prices and have personal marks."

"Firstly, it can ensure that when problems occur in the school, the responsible person can be found immediately based on these marks. Secondly, it can ensure that no one enriches themselves or cuts corners during the construction."

Su Chen knocked his head, no wonder.

As long as there is a problem, you will be held accountable immediately.

It is also possible to find with great accuracy the craftsmen and officials who used these woods at that time.

With such detailed division, who would dare to tamper with the house? Aren't they afraid of being beheaded?
"So, Duan Lun didn't lie to me..."

Su Chen smiled self-deprecatingly, "Okay, go down and rest first."

"it is good."

Sun Qiang nodded and left.

Su Chen picked up the teacup. In his impression, if the contractor of any construction team did not take any benefits or deduct a few points, what kind of contractor would he be?

Su Chen's sixth uncle does this. Every time he contracts a project, he will visit people with some gifts.

Otherwise, who will give you the project?
Duan Lun is still a good official who does his job conscientiously.

Su Chen smiled, picked up a pen and paper, and the image of a contractor quickly overlapped with Duan Lun's.

Soon, the prototype of an engineering team appeared in Su Chen's plan.

Of course, this is just Su Chen’s idea. Whether it can be realized depends on whether Duan Lun dares to do it.

With a strong infrastructure team in hand, it will naturally be of some help to his throne. I think Li Chengqian will not refuse.

Early the next morning.

Su Chen stood up at Du He's urging.

"Brother Su, you finally figured it out."

"You come looking for me so early in the morning, aren't you afraid that the princess will be angry?"

"How could that happen?"

Du He didn't understand what he meant, "I have something important to discuss with you."

Fine.

Su Chen sighed, "Go to the main hall and wait for me, so I can wash up."

"it is good."

Du He nodded and was taken away by Sun Qiang.

After a while.

Su Chen appeared in front of Du He with a radiant look.

Du He couldn't wait to say, "Brother Su, I have already arranged a banquet at Wankelai, you must come with me."

Su Chen looked strange, "You woke me up so early in the morning just to have a banquet and invite me to drink?"

Du He waved his hand, "No, Brother Su, you misunderstood. Why would I invite you?"

Su Chen: “…Thank you!”

Du He: "You're welcome. After all, it was me who invited Mr. Dai, so I hope you can go with me."

Okay, I'm an accessory.

Su Chen tapped his folding fan and said, "Give me a reason."

Du He said in an embarrassed voice: "After I heard your plan yesterday, I arranged for people to recruit female workers and find a suitable site and spinning wheel."

"Then I went to the Ministry of Revenue in person to visit Lord Dai Zhou and told him about our cotton-padded clothing plan, but Lord Dai Zhou didn't care."

"Don't care?"

Su Chen frowned.

This is a money-making project, how could he not care?

Du He paused and said, "To be precise, it's not that he doesn't care about this project, but that he doesn't care about me."

Su Chen: "..."

Thank you for being so forthright.

Du He: "Even though I told you that you came up with this deal, Lord Dai still doesn't believe me. He hopes that I can be a middleman and invite you over to have a face-to-face chat."

Su Chen nodded, "I understand."

It is true that Du He is Du Ruhui's son, but Du Ruhui is dead. Even for the sake of their former colleagues, it would not hurt to give him a little face. After all, they all started out together.

However, whether the Ministry of Revenue can be rich and powerful is a matter of concern to many officials in the Ministry of Revenue.

How could he trust Du He so easily?
Now he hopes that Du He can act as a middleman, just to make himself make a promise to him.

"When?"

"After the court meeting, Lord Dai will go to Wankelai for a banquet."

"it is good."

Su Chen nodded, looked at Sun Qiang and said, "Send someone to Lord Duan's house and tell him that I will be waiting for him at Wankelai after the court meeting."

"Send someone to inform Lord Yu and ask the Crown Prince to come to the Crown Prince's residence at 3:30 pm. There is something important to discuss."

Sun Qiang nodded and left.

Du He: "What's the big deal?"

Su Chen: "This matter has nothing to do with you. Just prepare your cotton clothes first. I have asked Roshan. Two hundred thousand kilograms of cotton will arrive in Chang'an City the day after tomorrow at the latest. You will take over then."

"Two hundred thousand catties?"

Du He widened his eyes, "Why are there so many?"

"There are still 300,000 kilograms to come."

Su Chen smiled and said, "Calm down. What we want to do is a big business that benefits the country and the people. We need to open up the market."

hiss.

Du He smacked his lips. "If that's the case, the location of this workshop should be bigger..."

"I'll introduce you to an adult later. He should be very interested in your project."

"Mr. Duan Lun, the Minister of Works?"

Thinking of Su Chen's arrangement just now, Du He tried to ask: "Are you also connected with Duan Lun?"

Su Chen: "He said he saw you visiting Lord Dai at the Ministry of Revenue."

Du He nodded. "When I went there, Lord Duan was arguing with Lord Dai, and their faces were red and their necks were thick."

Su Chen: "Argument?"

Du He: "The Ministry of Works has built three schools, but the wages have not been settled. It's almost the holidays, so Lord Duan wants to get some money from the Ministry of Revenue to reward the officials and craftsmen of the Ministry of Works."

"But Lord Dai had no money and could not come up with a hundred taels of silver, so they started arguing. It was only when Zhang Mingcheng took the initiative to intervene that they stopped fighting."

Su Chen: "..."

It is worthy of being the prosperous era of Zhenguan.

Even the civil officials are full of martial virtues.

"It doesn't matter. They will have money soon."

……

early morning.

Han Wei sent another urgent report regarding the situation in Songzhou.

As expected, the 50,000-strong Tibetan army began to attack the city. However, thanks to the previous battle, Han Wei already had experience in defending against the enemy. With the assistance of Su Dingfang's 10,000-strong army, there was naturally no problem in resisting the Tibetan offensive.

Regarding the attack by Tubo, there was no other voice in the entire court except to fight.

This was also due to the fact that Li Chengqian took out enough military pay, which made the court united. If Li Chengqian could not take out the military pay needed for this war, the situation would be very different.

In addition, it is worth mentioning that Duan Lun reported on Dai Zhou.

"Your Highness, our officials and craftsmen in the Ministry of Works have worked tirelessly to build three schools, but the Ministry of Revenue can't give us a penny! Isn't this leaving our craftsmen in the Ministry of Works with nothing?"

"Master Dai..."

"No money."

Dai Zhou was straightforward and spread his hands, "Prince, the Ministry of Revenue is really out of money. Now it's the Mid-Autumn Festival and the Ministry of Revenue really can't take out the money."

Li Chengqian rubbed his head and said, "Think of a solution!"

Dai Zhou: "I'm already thinking of a way, and it was His Royal Highness the Crown Prince who said that within two months, the Ministry of Revenue should be filled with gold and jade. How about Your Royal Highness think of a way?"

"...Okay, I'll find a way to deal with this matter!"

Li Chengqian took a deep breath and said in a deep voice: "After the court meeting, you will submit a memorial to the Ministry of Revenue. I want to see how much silver you need!"

"The prince is wise!"

"Retreat!"

After leaving the Taiji Hall, Dai Zhou couldn't help but ask, "Master Duan, isn't this too much?"

"Everyone knows that the construction of the Enlightenment School is about to start, and the Songzhou War is about to begin. Both will cost money. Can't you, the people from the Ministry of Works, be patient?"

"Tolerate?"

Duan Lun angrily said, "The soldiers on the front line don't have enough food to fight, but our people in the Ministry of Works have enough food to work?"

"If Zhang Mingcheng hadn't stopped me yesterday, I would have beaten you to a pulp!"

"Duan Lun, you are going too far!"

Seeing that Duan Lun and the other man were arguing again, the ministers around them tried to stop them.

"Hey, hey, hey, why did you two adults go to this extent?!"

"Almost got it."

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is still here."

"How dignified!"

Fang Xuanling shouted, and everyone fell silent.

Zhang Sun Wuji laughed and said, "Are the two ministers going to perform in front of everyone?" "Ahem... "

Gao Shilian coughed twice and said, "I am curious, who is more capable than the Minister of Works or who is more physically fit."

As soon as the three pillars spoke, Duan Lun and the other two stopped arguing, turned around and left with a look of disgust at each other.

Gao Shilian shook his head and laughed, "It's all because of the money."

Zhang Sun Wuji: "Taxes from various places will soon be delivered, and things should be better by then."

Fang Xuanling shook his head. "That may not be the case. This year, various places have experienced problems. I am afraid that the tax silver sent may not be able to fill this hole."

"Ugh……"

Many ministers sighed and left.

Li Tai watched the scenes with a smile on his face, put his hands behind his back, and got into the carriage leisurely.

……

As soon as Duan Lun's carriage stopped in front of the mansion, the doorman hurried forward to greet him.

"Master, the Prince's Residence just sent a message, saying that you are requested to go to Wankelai after the court is over."

"really?"

Duan Lun had a look of joy on his face, and he retracted his right foot that had just landed on the ground, "Let's go to Wankelai."

Whether he can have a good Mid-Autumn Festival depends on Su Chen's ability.

When the carriage arrived at Wankelai, Duan Lun couldn't wait to get off, but when he saw Dai Zhou's carriage was also there, Duan Lun raised his eyebrows unconsciously.

It can't be such a coincidence, right?

As soon as I walked into Wankelai, Sun Qiang greeted me with a smile on his face.

"Where is Mr. Su?"

"Master Duan, the young master is upstairs. Please follow me, Master Duan."

"Um……"

Duan Lun nodded, "Is Master Su entertaining Master Dai?"

Sun Qiang paused and said with a smile: "Master Duan is very smart."

A trace of displeasure flashed across Duan Lun's face. It was agreed that he would be invited, so why was Dai Zhou here too?
"Master Duan?"

"Let's go."

After a brief hesitation, Duan Lun strode after him.

Su Chen was still waiting upstairs. If it wasn't for Su Chen's face, he would definitely not go up.

"Sir, Master Dai, Master Duan is here."

"Master Duan, I have finally waited for you to come."

Su Chen stood up to greet him with a smile, but Dai Zhou did not look happy.

after all.

Just now outside the Tai Chi Hall, they almost came to blows.

Duan Lun said indifferently, "Mr. Su, you didn't tell me that Mr. Dai was here."

Su Chen chuckled, pulled Duan Lun to sit down, and said, "Didn't I hear from Brother Du that you two almost had a fight over the money?"

"Hey, no!"

Dai Zhou sneered, "You want to compete with me outside the Taiji Hall!"

Du He looked gossipy: "Really?"

"Go! Go! Go."

Su Chen waved his hand and said cheerfully: "You two gentlemen are officials in the same court and old friends for many years. It's just a temporary political disagreement. Why do you have to do this?"

"Let's put it bluntly. Isn't it that Lord Duan wants to seek some benefits for the Ministry of Works so that they can do better for the court?"

"Master Dai also has his own difficulties. After all, Fanyang and Songzhou have been causing troubles one after another, and Suzhou and Henan have been in chaos recently. It is understandable that the Ministry of Revenue has no money."

Su Chen picked up the wine pot and poured a glass of wine for the two of them, and continued: "In my opinion, this is just a trouble caused by money, it's not a big deal!"

"If you two masters trust me, Su, how about we put aside our grudges and work together to solve this matter today?"

Seeing that Su Chen acted as a peacemaker, Dai Zhou naturally had nothing to say. After all, he still had to rely on Su Chen to get money for his Ministry of Revenue.

Duan Lun had a request to ask of Su Chen, so naturally he didn't want to offend Su Chen.

"Come, come, let's drink this cup together."

Everyone drank it all in one gulp, and Su Chen smiled and said, "So what happened before is just over?"

Dai Zhou nodded: "It's over."

Duan Lun: "What's past is past."

"it is good!"

Su Chen clapped his hands and said in a deep voice: "The reason why I took this opportunity to call both of you here today is because I have a big deal and I want to cooperate with you two."

"Oh?"

Dai Zhou and the other man became interested at the same time.

Duan Lun: "What business?"

Dai Zhou: "Are you talking about the cotton-padded clothing business?"

Su Chen smiled and said, "My two lords, please listen to me in detail."

"First of all, as the weather turns cooler, the cotton-padded clothing business will naturally attract many customers, which is undoubtedly the most cost-effective for the Ministry of Revenue."

"With Lord Dai's ability, it shouldn't be a problem to cooperate with Brother Du to recruit female workers and prepare the venue."

Dai Zhou: “It’s just a small matter!”

The Ministry of Revenue is in charge of population and land. Can this kind of thing be considered as work in front of the Shangshu of the Ministry of Revenue?

Su Chen nodded and looked at Duan Lun: "Master Duan, what is the most lacking thing in your Ministry of Industry?"

"A craftsman, of course."

Duan Lun said proudly, "The most outstanding craftsmen in the entire Tang Dynasty are all employed by the Ministry of Works."

Snapped!
Su Chen snapped his fingers, "That's right, the Ministry of Revenue will provide the land, the Ministry of Works will build the houses, and we will pay for it!"

"It will take less than a month for the cotton-padded clothes workshop to be put into production. I believe it won't be long before these cotton-padded clothes can be converted into a large amount of silver."

"By then, will the Ministry of Revenue still be short of money?"

Dai Zhou pondered, "Master Su, do you mean to let our Ministry of Revenue take charge of this cotton-padded clothing sale?"

"Mr. Su clearly meant our Ministry of Industry..."

Seeing that Duan Lun and Dai Zhou were about to argue again, Su Chen hurriedly waved his hand to interrupt Duan Lun, "No, no, no, you two are both wrong!"

"That is?"

Dai Zhou and the other man looked confused.

Su Chen: "This business belongs to the prince!"

"Prince?"

"The prince is doing business. Isn't this a joke?"

Dai Zhou and the other man immediately shook their heads in rebuttal.

Su Chen said slowly, "You two are wrong again. Wen Xianglai's business sends 30,000 taels of silver to the treasury every month."

what?
Duan Lun and the other man both widened their eyes. How could such a thing actually happen?

How come they don't know?
Thinking that this might be a secret between Su Chen and His Majesty, Duan Lun and the others felt a little scared.

Su Chen smiled and said, "The reason why I told you two adults is that I hope you understand that cotton clothes benefit the people of the Tang Dynasty. They can make money, but more importantly, they allow the people to survive the cold winter!"

"Once the cotton clothing workshop is operational, 30% of the monthly profit will be sent to the Ministry of Revenue to benefit the national treasury."

Dai Zhou looked pleased, and Su Chen continued, "Master Dai, do you still think that there is no money in the treasury?"

Dai Zhou shook his head, but was still a little cautious: "If so, we have to wait at least a month..."

"No no no."

Su Chen waved his hand, "Brother Du is already preparing. We can recruit a group of people to work first. When the large workshop is built, we just need to move there immediately. At the earliest, we can start production the day after tomorrow. Brother Du, don't you agree?"

Du He said solemnly, "I have already recruited a group of female workers and purchased some spinning wheels. Once the cotton arrives, we can start making clothes."

Dai Zhou immediately clapped his hands and said, "Okay, my Ministry of Revenue fully supports this matter!"

"Master Duan, you won't refuse, will you?"

Duan Lun took a sip of wine and said, "Master Su, I only heard that the Ministry of Revenue has benefits. My Ministry of Works..."

Su Chen smiled and said, "I will withdraw the money for building the workshop to the Ministry of Industry in advance!"

Duan Lun looked pleased. Su Chen then took out the plan he had prepared and placed it in front of Duan Lun. "This is the plan I worked on last night. It may not be perfect, but it is feasible. Please take a look, Mr. Duan."

Duan Lun took it and examined it with surprise. Dai Zhou was about to move forward to take a look, but was stopped by Duan Lun with a look of contempt.

"Oh, who cares?"

Dai Zhou said with disdain, but he couldn't stop staring.

After a careful inspection, Duan Lun couldn't help but applaud, "Well, well, Master Su, you really helped me a lot this time."

Su Chen said with a smile: "Master Duan, do you think this is feasible?"

"That's great!"

Duan Lun carefully put away the plan and said in a deep voice: "What our Ministry of Industry lacks the least is craftsmen. Once the contents and regulations you wrote are arranged properly, I believe that the Ministry of Industry will become the leader among the six ministries."

"ridiculous!"

Dai Zhou sneered, "Your Ministry of Industry became the head of the six ministries? What can you do without money?"

Su Chen's mouth twitched. This...

I have lost my identity!

"Why? Your Ministry of Revenue is in charge of the tax silver. Without the tax silver, your Ministry of Revenue is nothing."

"you……"

"Calm down, you two! Calm down!"

Su Chen hurriedly stood up to dissuade him, "Our purpose this time is to cooperate and win together, not to cause trouble to each other."

Duan Lun laughed, "Mr. Su is right, Mr. Dai, we must cooperate well this time."

Dai Zhou: "Look at how beautiful you are! When the cotton-padded jacket is ready, I will be lying down and collecting money!"

Duan Lun: "That's also your majesty's."

Dai Zhou: "..."

"I'll go to your Ministry of Industry to collect the money!"

"I'm just afraid that you won't have the courage by then."

Duan Lun was not afraid at all, and happily poured a glass of wine for Su Chen, "Mr. Su, on behalf of all my colleagues in the Ministry of Industry, I toast you a glass."

"Master Duan, you're welcome."

(End of this chapter)