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

Chapter 170: They're not even in the same league.
Tuoheqi left Qianqing Palace feeling a little dizzy.

The more triumphant he was when he entered the Qianqing Palace to see Emperor Qianxi, the more distressed he felt at this moment!

The stone-paved road is gone just like that!
The delicious meat that was almost in my mouth just flew away!

This made him feel extremely uncomfortable.

However, what bothered him even more was that he had been given an additional Minister of the Imperial Household Department for no apparent reason.

Although the number of chief ministers in the Emperor's Imperial Household Department was not fixed, there could even be four or five chief ministers when the Emperor was in a good mood.

Even when I'm unhappy, it can still function without any problems.

But now, with two ministers of the Imperial Household Department already in place, why has the fourth prince been made the chief minister of the Imperial Household Department?
Although he served as chief steward for a long enough period of time, what merit or ability does he possess that allows him to be compared to a prince?
Moreover, the fourth prince was not an easy person to serve.

His Majesty's sudden dispatch of the Fourth Prince to the Imperial Household Department likely indicates ulterior motives.

A series of thoughts buzzed in his mind, and for a moment, Tuoheqi didn't know what to do.

However, his reason told him that the Crown Prince was definitely involved in this incident.

After all, the stone-paved road and the new Minister of the Imperial Household Department are inextricably linked.

The Crown Prince is...

Just as Tuoheqi was vowing to find out the reason why Emperor Qianxi made these two decisions, several Grand Secretaries, including Tong Guowei and Zhang Ying, were summoned to Emperor Qianxi's study.

They were all very familiar with Emperor Qianxi, who consulted with them almost every day, so they were all very composed when they heard Emperor Qianxi's summons.

Upon entering the study and paying their respects, they saw a painting hanging on the screen beside Emperor Qianxi.

A map of the world that looks simple, but which they recognized at a glance.

The group of people were stunned for a moment when they saw the simple lines drawn on a white silk cloth that was only a meter in size, yet the location of the drawing was immediately recognizable.

Although there are only three long lines on this map, two of them are clearly the Yellow River and the Yangtze River at a glance.

They didn't understand what the other red line was.

However, this picture stirred in them a strong desire to possess it.

If you hang such a diagram in your duty room, you can understand a lot by looking at the diagram if there is a problem in the future.

"Your Majesty, this design is exquisite. Looking at it, this old minister has gained a sudden sense of clarity regarding certain matters," Tong Guowei said, bowing to Emperor Qianxi with a mix of admiration and praise.

Half of his words were meant to flatter the emperor, but three-tenths were genuinely his true feelings.

Emperor Qianxi was always quite lenient with this uncle.

Hearing his words, he smiled and said, "Since you agree, Uncle, I'll have the Crown Prince make another one for you later."

"It looks really nice hanging in the duty room."

As soon as Emperor Qianxi said this, everyone present realized that the map was actually made by the Crown Prince!

Tong Guowei already had someone to support him and wanted to do everything he could to bring down the Crown Prince, so he kept his distance from the Crown Prince.

Clearly, he hadn't expected that his flattery would end up hitting the crown prince.

This annoyed him greatly, but on the surface, he still smiled and said, "In that case, I'll have to trouble the Crown Prince!"

Emperor Qianxi waved his hand dismissively and said, "These are all minor matters, Uncle, you don't need to worry about them."

"If any of you like this painting, I'll have the Crown Prince make more of it."

Although Zhang Ying and the others didn't want to join in the fun, seeing Emperor Qianxi's high spirits and their genuine fondness for the map, they quickly exchanged glances and then respectfully thanked the emperor. "Your Majesty, these two horizontal lines are the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, but what is this red line? It seems unfamiliar to me!" Zhang Ying, who had served as Emperor Qianxi's Grand Secretary for many years, spoke casually.

Emperor Qianxi smiled and said, "The red line hasn't been built yet, so Scholar Zhang naturally wouldn't know."

"No, it should be said that this red line has only been built a little bit, it is the stone-paved road from Chaoyangmen to Tongzhou."

After hearing Emperor Qianxi's explanation, everyone present immediately understood.

They stared wide-eyed at the stone-paved road connecting Shuntian Prefecture and Yingtian Prefecture, their thoughts racing.

To become a Grand Scholar, they were already among the most intelligent people.

In addition, their frequent handling of various memorials from the two capitals and thirteen provinces made them very clear about the shortcomings of the current court.

They were well aware that Emperor Qianxi's repeated trips to the south of the Yangtze River were not only for the beautiful scenery, but also, and most importantly, to suppress the gentry of the region.

This will strengthen the connection between Jiangnan and the capital.

However, this approach was not very effective, mainly because the distance from Jiangnan to the capital was simply too far.

As a result, it became necessary to establish the position of Governor-General of Liangjiang to manage the Jiangnan region on behalf of the emperor.

The completion of this stone-paved road undoubtedly makes it a vital thoroughfare comparable to, or even surpassing, the Grand Canal.

However, the cost of building this stone-paved road was simply too high.

Tong Guowei was the first to stand up and say, "Your Majesty, the benefits of this road are self-evident, but Your Majesty must not build it blindly."

"The Grand Canal built by Emperor Yang of Sui serves as a cautionary tale."

"We beseech Your Majesty for your wise judgment!"

Tong Guowei, the chief Grand Secretary, spoke up, and Zhang Ying echoed, "Your Majesty, such a project would consume a huge amount of financial resources if it were to be built."

"The imperial granary simply cannot produce that much money."

Emperor Qianxi looked at the Grand Secretaries who were trying to stop him, but he was not angry. Instead, he said calmly, "I know that building this road is not easy."

"Moreover, the consumption is too great, which is likely to cause hardship and waste of resources."

“The common people would even complain bitterly because of the forced labor.”

"However, the person who presented this picture to me told me that the court could actually build this road without spending a single penny."

"We can adopt an overall plan from the imperial court, dividing the area into sections based on the regions of each prefecture, and allowing wealthy individuals to invest and participate in the project, following the principle that whoever builds the road benefits from it..."

"It's just like the stone-paved road from Chaoyangmen to Tongzhou."

After Emperor Qianxi's explanation, everyone present gradually understood.

They carefully considered Emperor Qianxi's words and discovered that this model was not a dream, but rather highly feasible.

If handled properly, it's only a matter of time before this road is completed.

Moreover, if roads are built in this way, there is a high probability that it will provide a way for landless migrants to earn money.

Of course, most importantly, although this road may not seem to bring any benefits to the court in the short term, the very existence of this road can bring the court benefits in many ways.

However, now that His Majesty is preparing to hand over the operation of that stone-paved road in Tongzhou to the Imperial Household Department, will anyone be willing to invest in this stone-paved road that connects Jiangnan and the capital?
While Tong Guowei and the others remained silent, Emperor Qianxi said in a deep voice, "I have decided to establish the Expressway Governor's Office, which will be specifically responsible for road construction. As for the operation of this section of stone-paved road that has already been completed, it will be the responsibility of the Expressway Governor's Office."

"We want to ensure that the shareholders who invest can actually make money!"

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(End of this chapter)