Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 349 Questioning the Minister of Finance
"Stopgap measures shouldn't be used for long." Wang An ordered Wei Chao, "Since the master has asked Hui Jingao to be in charge of opening a branch bank, don't let him waste time in the city. Quickly select the person and report to me."

"Yes, I will. I'll do it today." Wei Chao nodded in agreement, and then continued, "Hui Jingao also told me that when he went to Shuntian Prefecture to do his work yesterday, he met the Jinyiwei there."

"What mission did he go to Shuntian Prefecture on?" Wang An tapped the inkstone twice again and added some ink to the tip of the pen.

"Grandfather, isn't our bank capable of doing business as a pawnbroker?" Wei Chao explained, "Minister Li was about to retire, and his son cashed in his banknotes at the Zhengyangmen branch to sell his house. After agreeing on the price and signing the deed, Hui Jingao took his men to Shuntian Prefecture to pay the deed tax."

"Oh. Did you pay it off?" Wang An became interested. "I heard that Shen Zanfu, who replaced Chen Yintai, is a tough guy."

"He's just a civil servant. How tough can he be?" Wei Chao replied with a smile. "Shen Zanfu was indeed reluctant to put the red carrot seal on the white contract, but after Hui Jingao took out the regulations approved by the emperor, he immediately relented."

Hearing that the Shuntian Prefecture Governor agreed, Wang An's interest immediately waned. "How much is the purchase price?"

Wei Chao thought for a moment and replied, "The mansion is three thousand taels. There's also a set of huanghuali furniture, eight hundred taels. Including the deed tax, the total outlay is three thousand nine hundred taels. All in cash."

After Shen Guangzuo gave in, Li Tingyuan's trust in this "comprehensive financial institution" increased sharply. He was originally willing to take silver notes, after all, they were convenient to carry and he didn't have to hire a cart to transport them. However, after inquiring, he learned that there were only four branches opened in the capital city nationwide, so he gave up this plan and asked for cash.

After receiving the silver, Li Tingyuan immediately went to a bank with a branch in Suizhou, Henan, and exchanged the silver for silver notes. Even though his family had received a special favor, allowing officials from the Ministry of Travel to accompany him and requesting ceremonial guards and protection from local officials along the way, he still didn't want to carry thousands of taels of silver home with him.

"Hui Jingao is good at doing business." Wang An hesitated for a moment, but still wrote down the news in the briefing.

A normal transaction totaling less than four thousand taels was a minor matter, unworthy of inclusion in a briefing. Even a small note in the monthly report was considered significant. However, the Sun and Moon Bank was, after all, a palace asset, and Wang An could also subtly praise the emperor's discerning judgement. However, to prevent further grief in the emperor's heart, Wang An omitted the seller's information, stating only that Hui Jingao had made a significant purchase for the palace.

After finishing writing, Wang Ancai asked again: "Which government office did the Jinyiwei that Hui Jingao met in Shuntian Prefecture belong to? What were they doing in Shuntian Prefecture?"

"I don't know. They're deliberately concealing something and haven't said anything." Upon hearing this question, Wei Chao immediately realized that Wang An hadn't received the Jinyiwei's report on the matter yet, so he asked, "Grandfather, how about sending someone to the Commandery to ask?"

Wang An thought for a moment and denied it, "There's no need to rush. It could just be an ordinary case. If it's something serious, the Imperial Guards will report it sooner or later. Besides, the bank doesn't really have the authority to question the Imperial Guards, so there's nothing wrong with not telling Hui Jingao."

"That's what our ancestors said." Wei Chao immediately agreed.

"Is there anything else?" Wang An asked.

"That's all." Wei Chao shook his head. "That's all for now."

"then you go."

"Yes." Wei Chao bowed again.

When Wei Chao returned to his seat, Wang An also put down his pen. He took out his pocket watch to check the time, then turned sideways to look at Liu Ruoyu. "Liu Ruoyu," Wang An called out.

"The servant is here."

"Before the first batch of memorials arrive today, tell Wei Chao what happened last night." Wang An said, "Don't be ignorant and speak carelessly, or you'll offend the master and make him unhappy."

"Yes." Liu Ruoyu stood up and walked to his desk under Wei Chao's puzzled gaze. He slowly said, "I went to Jingren Palace yesterday."

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After morning exercise, Zhu Changluo returned to the South Study.

"Your servant kowtows to the emperor, may he live long and long." As usual, as soon as the emperor entered the Southern Study, Wang An, along with Wei Chao, Liu Ruoyu and the eunuchs on duty, came before him and knelt down to pay their respects.

"Everyone get up." There was no emotion in Zhu Changluo's tone.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" the eunuchs responded in unison.

Zhu Changluo sat down at the imperial desk and the first thing he did was to prepare a light salt water solution to replenish electrolytes. As he prepared the solution and drank it, he silently scanned the briefing on his desk.

In addition to some of the things Wei Chao had just told Wang An, the briefing also included some daily summaries of the inner court, the factory guards and the imperial guards.

The contents were extensive and varied. There were reports from the Imperial Household Department on the silk, cloth, dyes, and other items consumed by the weaving and dyeing bureaus on recently completed tasks, as well as the materials and silver budget for the production of new summer clothing. There were also reports from the Imperial Household Department, which reviewed the food and cash used in various ceremonies, and reports from the Imperial Transport Department on various silver expenditures, along with brief explanations. The largest item was the actual severance pay paid out during layoffs. In short, since it wasn't the month of income yet, most of the entries were about expenses and the reasons for them.

Almost every entry had a corresponding sheet or book of detailed accounts. If Zhu Changluo wanted to see them, he only had to give a command and someone would send them to him for his perusal.

Moreover, this wasn't the end of the story. In a few days, the Western Factory would submit another audit summary report. If the accounts didn't match, the Western Factory would append a list of arrestees to the summary report.

Zhu Changluo would occasionally scrutinize one or two reports, and if he had time, he would call the person in charge to ask questions. But most of the time, he would just glance at them, acknowledging that something had happened.

What concerned him most in today's briefing were the reports from two yamen in the Jinyiwei system on the same matter.

The Jinyiwei's East Office reported that Ye Xianggao, a regular target of investigation and Deputy Prime Minister, met with a sixth-rank civil servant and an attendant shortly after returning to his residence. Five quarters of an hour later, the two left Ye's residence and arrived at a residence near Paozi River in Mingshifang. Their identities are pending verification.

The Jinyiwei's Northern Pacification Division reported that the suspect in the case, a high-ranking official, the Imperial Observatory's Spring Official, and a member of the Jesuit Order, Johann Adam Schall von Bell, had gone to Zhaomingfang with his host, Sun Yuanhua, after the court was dismissed, to visit the Deputy Minister, Ye Xianggao. They left Ye's residence five quarters of an hour later, and the content of their conversation is unknown.

While the emperor was reading the brief, the three eunuchs who were working on the documents on the desk were also carefully observing the emperor's expression in their own ways.

Liu Ruoyu still remembered the emperor's expression when he turned his head yesterday evening, but now it seemed that the emperor did not bring that emotion to the Southern Study. The emperor was as calm as if the incident had never happened.

Zhu Changluo closed the briefing and put it aside, and the three eunuchs immediately turned their gaze away.

"Liu Ruoyu." Zhu Changluo looked up at Liu Ruoyu.

"I'm here." Liu Ruoyu gathered his energy and adjusted his tone to match the emperor's mood. "Is there any news from the Censorate?" Zhu Changluo asked.

Liu Ruoyu replied: "My Lord, not yet."

"If there is no news after this morning, send someone to ask." Zhu Changluoshu said.

"Yes." Liu Ruoyu responded and then took the initiative to say, "Master, the official of the Imperial Observatory named Tang Ruowang has also submitted a memorial. It is placed on the top."

Following Ye Xianggao's advice, Johann Adam Schall von Bell that evening asked Sun Yuanhua to draft an article in response to the impeachment of Zhou Shipu, a clerk in the Ministry of Rites. The article, richly quoting from classics and beautifully written, was so well-written that even Schall von Bell himself struggled to read it. But its core message was an admission of his own imprudence and a plea to the Emperor to allow him to resign his office and pursue further studies in the laws and regulations of the state.

"I see." Zhu Changluo picked up the leaflet on the pile of memorials. He glanced at it twice before jumping to the draft.

The draft was also written by Ye Xianggao: "Although this official may be competent in his duties as a prisoner, how can one who is unfamiliar with the laws and regulations serve the emperor? According to the rules, his request should be granted. However, he has traveled thousands of miles, through hardships and dangers, to come to the court solely to seek the teachings of China's sages. His memorial is also sincere and heartfelt, and his unwavering loyalty to the emperor is evident. Moreover, his actions have not caused actual rebellion. Perhaps he should be demoted but remain in office, to demonstrate the magnanimity of our great country and the virtue of our emperor."

Zhu Changluo took the red pen and wrote only one word: OK.

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Li Changgeng, the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, was a Juren in the 20th year of Wanli's reign and a Jinshi in the 23rd year of Wanli's reign. He ranked fifth in the second class of the palace examination that year, hundreds of places higher than Liu Yirong, who was ranked last in the third class in the same subject.

However, despite Liu Yirong's poor performance in the palace examination, he was able to pass the "selection hall" and become a Hanlin Academy student, thus becoming a candidate for prime minister. Meanwhile, Li Changgeng could only start as a director of the Ministry of Revenue, then move on to a political advisor, then to the provincial governor, before navigating a series of local positions. Over twenty years later, Liu Yirong had become a cabinet minister, frequently enjoying the emperor's presence, while Li Changgeng had only just received an audience with the emperor.

At 2:45 in the morning, Li Changgeng, who had been sitting in the corridor of the Six Departments waiting for more than two hours, finally saw the eunuch delivering the decree.

Although Li Changgeng was the only person in the corridor wearing official uniform, Fang Da, the Imperial Censor of the Qianqing Palace, still asked, "Are you Minister Li?"

"Yes. I am Li Changgeng." Li Changgeng stood up and responded.

"Come with me, the emperor wants to see you." Shi Fangda said.

"Okay." Li Changgeng's mood, which had calmed down a little due to the long wait, began to get nervous again.

Shi Fangda did not take Li Changgeng through Guiji Gate, across the Jinshui Bridge, and through the main road to the three main halls. Instead, he took him along the small road from Wuying Hall to Yangxin Hall, and finally turned to Qianqing Gate.

Shi Fuming was standing at the foot of the white marble Sumeru throne in front of the Qianqing Gate, along with two eunuchs. Li Changgeng had a good impression of both of them: one was the eunuch who had delivered the message he had met at the entrance to the Ministry of Revenue, and the other was the eunuch who had come to inform him to enter the palace.

Li Changgeng smiled at them from a distance, but received no response.

"Godfather." Shi Fangda walked up to Shi Fuming and bowed respectfully.

"Yeah." Shi Fuming nodded, and Shi Fangda came and stood beside his two junior brothers.

"May I ask your name, sir?" Li Changgeng approached and asked with a bow.

"The chief steward of the Qianqing Palace, Shi Fuming." Shi Fuming looked at him indifferently, his tone very flat. "Minister Li, please come in. The Emperor has been waiting for you in the side room for a while."

"Okay!" Shi Fangda and Li Changgeng both gasped. But only Li Changgeng responded.

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After a while, Shi Fuming brought Li Changgeng into the western room of Qianqing Gate.

In the western side room, the emperor sat lazily, reclining on the room's only chair. Wang An, as usual, accompanied him, standing slightly behind the emperor. After bringing Li Changgeng in, Shi Fuming retreated and waited by the open door. Now, the emperor, Wang An, and Li Changgeng were the only three remaining in the not-so-large side room.

"Your Majesty, I, Li Changgeng, the Minister of Food and Pay for Liaodong, kowtow to the Emperor and wish Him long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor, long live the Emperor!" After receiving the summons yesterday, Li Changgeng took the time to review the kowtow ceremony several times.

"Li Changgeng." Zhu Changluo didn't let him get up and spoke directly.

"I'm here." Li Changgeng responded as calmly as he could.

"You went to the Ministry of Revenue yesterday, so you must have known why you were summoned to Beijing this time," said Zhu Changluo.

"Your Majesty, I have indeed read Zhang Bingxian's memorial." Li Changgeng replied while lying on the ground.

"How do you think you have done in the past two years as the supervisor of military pay?" Zhu Changluo continued to ask.

Li Changgeng shuddered. "I am a mediocre and useless person, but I was trusted by the late Emperor and served as his minister. My tenure has been strained, and I dare not claim to be a good person."

"Hmph." Zhu Changluo chuckled dryly. "I actually think you've done a pretty good job. You've proposed building Huai River boats, opening a road to Tianjin, exploring a sea route, and intercepting the enemy's transport. All of these things have been reported to the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of Revenue has filed them. Haven't they all been accomplished? How can you be so stretched?"

Li Changgeng was about to respond with a few humble words when he heard the emperor say:
"From the northwest entrance of Wangtie Mountain in Dengzhou to Yangtouao, passing Zhongdao and Changxingdao to Beixinkou, then passing Tuerdao to Shenjing, reaching Gaizhou, it's 120 li to the Niangniang Palace. By land, it's 180 li to Guangning, and 160 li to Liaoyang." Zhu Changluo picked up a memorial from the small coffee table beside him, opened it, and read a passage. Then he said, "This is what you wrote in the memorial to change sea transport. Do you remember it?" Zhu Changluo handed the memorial to Wang An. "Show it to Minister Li."

"In reply to the emperor's words, I still remember them." Li Changgeng's already tense nerves became even more tense.

"Minister Li, please." Even though Li Changgeng had already responded, Wang An still insisted on handing the memorial to Li Changgeng.

Li Changgeng extended his hand, and as the memorial touched his palm, Zhu Changluo continued, "Since you still remember, why didn't you supervise the transportation of the grain and supplies to Gaizhou, the destination you clearly listed in your memorial, instead of insisting on sending them to Lushun and Jinzhou?"

(End of this chapter)