The struggle for the throne among nine princes—I really don't want to be the crown prince.

Chapter 156 When it comes to making money, I am no match for the Crown Prince.

The three major textile manufacturing bureaus owed the Ministry of Revenue a total of approximately 1.5 million taels of silver.

Of this 1.5 million taels, almost half was owed by the Cao family.

The Cao family owed so much because they were the most loyal to Emperor Qianxi.

Every time Emperor Qianxi went to the south of the Yangtze River, the Cao family would make meticulous preparations. They would do everything they could, whether they had the means or not. They would provide the best of everything, no matter how small.

Under these circumstances, Emperor Qianxi naturally lived very comfortably and enjoyed himself to the fullest, while the Cao family spent the most money.

Emperor Qianxi was reluctant to part with the 1.5 million taels of silver offered to the three families.

Although he had a considerable amount of silver in his Imperial Household Department, 1.5 million taels was still a huge sum.

Even he couldn't bear to part with that number.

But if the Cao family and the other two families bear this debt, what will others think of them in the future?
There probably aren't many reckless men like Sun Jiacheng.

However, not many does not mean none.

If in the future, another guy like Sun Jiacheng spreads this kind of thing recklessly, where will Emperor Qianxi put his face?

Moreover, some people may not say anything, but they still don't know what they think of themselves!

After much deliberation, Emperor Qianxi turned to Liang Jiugong, who was standing to one side, and said, "Summon Cao Yin to see me."

Cao Yin was in the capital preparing for his daughter's marriage to Yuqing Palace, so he stayed in the capital.

During this period, he was frequently summoned to the palace by Emperor Qianxi and often interacted with Liang Jiugong.

Upon hearing Emperor Qianxi's arrangement, Liang Jiugong quickly summoned Cao Yin.

Compared to the past, Cao Yin was still tall and gave people a clean and neat feeling, but Emperor Qianxi felt that Cao Yin seemed to have a lot more white hair.

In terms of age, Cao Yin was actually a little younger than himself.

However, the current Cao Yin made Emperor Qianxi feel that he was at least ten years older than himself.

Thinking back to the days when the two were young and spirited, Emperor Qianxi felt a strange sadness rise in his heart.

He knew in his heart that at least half of these gray hairs were caused by doing errands for him.

But he couldn't show these sorrows.

After Cao Yin paid his respects, Emperor Qianxi asked him, "Cao Yin, how are the wedding preparations going?"

"Your Majesty, everything is almost ready, and we are just waiting for the auspicious time." Although Cao Yin was very familiar with Emperor Qianxi, he still dared not be disrespectful in front of the emperor and behaved with utmost respect.

The Qianxi Emperor could be approachable and share joy with the people if he didn't put on airs with him; but if he did the same to him, it would be arrogant and disrespectful!

Emperor Qianxi nodded and said, "That's good. When do you plan to return to Jiangnan?"

"I plan to return to Jiangnan after the auspicious time," Cao Yin said solemnly. "This time, I will be away for a rather long time."

Emperor Qianxi nodded and said, "Yes, these days, the reports from Jiangnan have been somewhat slow."

Upon hearing Emperor Qianxi's words, Cao Yin, though not in Jiangnan, as the head of the Office of Transmission in Jiangnan, hurriedly knelt down to beg for forgiveness.

Emperor Qianxi reached out and helped him up, saying, "Between the two of us, you don't need to give me these empty formalities."

"The delays in the affairs of Jiangnan are not your fault. After all, you have been in the capital for some time now."

At this point, Emperor Qianxi solemnly said, "I intend to entrust the salt administration of Lianghuai to you and Li Xu, and the two of you will take turns managing it for ten years."

Cao Yin served as the Imperial Textile Commissioner in Jiangning for many years and was well aware of the intricacies of the salt administration in Lianghuai.

No matter who it is, as long as they are in charge of the Lianghuai Salt Administration, even if they do nothing, they will definitely make at least 100,000 taels of silver in a year, if not a fortune.

If they manipulated things, the amount would only increase. While Emperor Qianxi appointed him to the lucrative position of Imperial Textile Commissioner of Jiangning, he also put him and Li Xu in charge of the salt administration of Lianghuai. The intention behind this was, of course, to subsidize these two men as much as possible so that they could pay off the Ministry of Revenue's debts as soon as possible.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Cao Yin was deeply moved and immediately knelt on the ground, sincerely saying, "Your Majesty has truly gone to great lengths for this servant."

"It's all my fault for being so useless, causing Your Majesty so much worry."

"It's all the lackeys' fault!"

Listening to Cao Yin's self-criticism, Emperor Qianxi knew very well that this matter was not Cao Yin's fault. No matter who it was, they would owe the Ministry of Revenue money after his repeated trips to the south.

In fact, Cao Yin and his team also spent a considerable amount of their own money.

However, Emperor Qianxi was very pleased that Cao Yin had such an attitude and expressed such gratitude.

He immediately said in a deep voice, "Although the Lianghuai Salt Administration has some silver, it is still difficult to pay off debts."

At this point, he paused for a moment and said, "There are countless people eyeing this installment payment issue, and even I cannot open this door casually."

Cao Yin understood Emperor Qianxi's meaning: if he waived the interest with him, perhaps more people would come to Emperor Qianxi.

Emperor Qianxi was known for his pride, and given his own precedent, it would be difficult for others to collect interest, making the Ministry of Revenue's collection efforts troublesome.

Considering the Ministry of Revenue's insistence on collecting the silver, Cao Yin knew that it had reached a point where they had no choice but to press for payment.

Without money in the Ministry of Revenue, the imperial court could not function properly.

"Your Majesty's kindness to this humble servant will never be forgotten," Cao Yin said solemnly. "The interest on the installment payments is related to the collection of taxes from the Ministry of Revenue's granary. How could I dare to ruin Your Majesty's grand plan for the country for my own selfish reasons!"

Emperor Qianxi found Cao Yin increasingly considerate.

He doesn't ask for favors from superiors, he has his own skills, he can do his best to complete his duties, and he can also take the initiative to share the burden. Only by placing such a minister in Jiangnan can he feel at ease.

He immediately patted Cao Yin on the shoulder and said, "Cao Yin, when it comes to making money, I am no match for your son-in-law."

"After you leave here in a little while, go find the Crown Prince and ask him for advice on whether you can find another way to make money."

"The sooner we pay back this money, the sooner we'll be free of debt."

At this point, Emperor Qianxi hesitated for a moment, and there were still some things he didn't say.

In Cao Yin's memory, Emperor Qianxi rarely said that he was inferior to others.

If Emperor Qianxi said someone was inferior to others, Cao Yin would do anything to flatter them.

However, Emperor Qianxi said that the Crown Prince was superior, which left him at a loss for how to defend Emperor Qianxi.

After taking a deep breath, he said, "The student surpasses the teacher. The Crown Prince's wisdom today is all thanks to Your Majesty's excellent teaching."

"Your Majesty is not only wise and powerful, but also teaches the Crown Prince to be equally intelligent. This is truly a blessing for the country and the nation!"

After saying these words, Cao Yin felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead.

These words are really hard to say; he would never have said them if he had any other choice.

Although Emperor Qianxi knew that Cao Yin was flattering him, he was quite pleased with himself.

Moreover, there was a subtle hint that his fear of the Crown Prince had lessened somewhat.

Although Cao Yin's words sounded a bit like flattery, he was right about one thing: that the emperor himself had raised a wise and capable son, which was something to be admired.

Although Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han were great, they didn't have suitable successors! From a long-term perspective like passing on knowledge and skills, they were definitely not as good as us.

After speaking with Emperor Qianxi for a while, Cao Yin left Qianqing Palace. As he walked towards Yuqing Palace, he pondered: Can the Crown Prince really help me?

Can he really help me make money?

　The second update for today is here! Please support me, everyone!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)