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

Chapter 414 The Loyal Minister's Heart for Two Dynasties

Shen Ye strolled back to the Forbidden City from the Hot Spring Palace, and it was already four o'clock in the afternoon.

The sky was overcast, giving off an air of impending snowfall, as if to say, "Are you scared?"

In half an hour, the Forbidden City will distribute money and grain.

However, the first person Shen Ye met was not Tong Guowei or the other six ministers and nine officials, but Jin Fu, who had been waiting for a long time.

Besides reporting on the construction of the river embankment, Jin Fu had another matter to attend to: coordinating funds and grain with the Ministry of Revenue.

Originally, a river management governor of Jin Fu's rank should have met with Emperor Qianxi to report on his work upon his return, but unfortunately the emperor was in seclusion, focusing on being a filial son, so he had to come and see Crown Prince Shen Ye instead.

Upon meeting, Jin Fu bowed respectfully:
"Your subject Jin Fu greets Your Highness the Crown Prince!"

Jin Fu felt immense gratitude towards the Crown Prince.

If it weren't for the Crown Prince's brilliant "comparison method" earlier, Jin Fu would have been completely finished after the last Yellow River flood, and wouldn't have had the chance to stand here and speak.
When Shen Ye looked at Jin Fu, he realized how much older he had become from being exposed to the wind and sun!
He immediately smiled and said, "Lord Jin, please rise!"

"Zhou Bao, offer Lord Jin a seat."

After Jin Fu sat down, Shen Ye said with concern, "Lord Jin, river management is important, but your health is even more important!"

You look much more haggard than when we last met!

Seeing how much the Crown Prince cared for him, Jin Fu felt a warmth in his heart.

He quickly clasped his hands in a fist salute to Shen Ye and said, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I am in good health."

"It's just that it's freezing cold now, and being outside in the wind every day makes me a bit rough!"

At this point, he hesitated for a moment before speaking: "After arriving in the capital, I heard quite a few rumors... There are some things I'm not sure if I should say."

Shen Ye smiled and said, "Lord Jin, are you referring to the recent events in the court?"

"Go ahead and speak. As the saying goes, 'Listen to both sides and you will be enlightened.' You are an outsider, so I'd like to hear your opinion."

"There are no outsiders here, sit down and let's talk."

After expressing his gratitude, Jin Fu sat down not far from Shen Ye and said, "Your Highness, I have observed the recent situation in the capital and admire Your Highness's sweeping reforms!"

"I have traveled along both banks of the Yellow River for many years and know a bit about the situation of the people."

"Putting aside other things, take me for example. Although my family doesn't own much land, we live a very comfortable life because of my position."

"Taxes can be waived, corvée labor for the imperial court can be waived, and many other things can be shifted to ordinary people."

At this point, Jin Fu continued, "The Crown Prince's insistence that officials and gentry pay taxes together is for the sake of the dynasty's long-term stability."

"But, Your Highness, if you say there are no complaints about taking away what the gentry of the land have long enjoyed and become accustomed to, do you really believe it?"

Shen Ye laughed heartily and said, "If you say I have no complaints, I'd be the first to disagree."

"But Jin Fu, if things don't change, the court will follow in the footsteps of the previous dynasty."

"I know you think that by doing this, I'm offending all the gentry in the land!"

"But someone has to be the villain."

Shen Ye spoke with an air of righteousness, but inwardly he was furiously complaining. He didn't want to do this either, but he was forced into it by his father, Emperor Qianxi.

But what's the point of saying all this?

Now that things have been done, it's better to say some high-sounding words and cultivate a better image for yourself.

Sure enough, as soon as he said these words, Jin Fu's eyes lit up, and he was so moved that he almost burst into tears.

He clasped his hands in a fist salute to Shen Ye and said, "Your Highness has the world in your heart. This old minister has been overthinking things. This is a blessing for the world, a blessing for the nation, and a blessing for all the people."

"There is one thing I should not say, but it is stuck in my throat!"

"Your Highness, the strong are easily broken. Your Highness is the foundation of the nation. You must take care of yourself first before we talk about anything else."

Shen Ye looked at Jin Fu, who was about to stand up again as he spoke, and said with a smile, "I understand Lord Jin's intentions."

Seeing that the Crown Prince had written down his advice, Jin Fu felt much more relieved.

Then, he cautiously suggested, "Your Highness, regarding the matter of Yang Fenggu, perhaps you should take a step back."

"Although what he said was all nonsense, he was still the Director of the Imperial Observatory. Now, he's dead in the Dali Temple's prison!"

“A lot of people are going to Dali Temple to mourn now. If this resentment runs too deep and gets too big, it will be hard to handle…”

Shen Ye smiled calmly and said, "I just visited my father at the hot spring palace in Xiaotangshan. The next step is to deal with Yang Fenggu's matter."

"Lord Jin, how is the river embankment repair going?"

Upon hearing this, Jin Fu became animated: "Your Highness, because the Ministry of Revenue allocated the funds in a timely manner, the river works are progressing very quickly. In particular, the cement that Your Highness had sent is truly a miracle for river management."

"These cement and stones come together and are as hard as natural boulders."

"It is not only stronger than a stone embankment, but it also saves a lot of money!"

"I have come here today to request that the court produce more cement."

"As long as there is enough cement, I can pledge that all the dikes will be completed before next year's flood season!"

Shen Ye looked at Jin Fu, whose face was full of solemnity, and smiled, saying, "I am very pleased that Lord Jin has such a magnanimous spirit."

"However, I can't give you too much cement."

“Cement is needed to repair river embankments, cement is needed to repair city walls in border towns, and cement is needed for expressways as well.”

Upon hearing Shen Ye's words, Jin Fu felt a chill run down his spine.

Unexpectedly, Shen Ye changed the subject, saying, "However, I can give you a group of craftsmen who know how to make cement." "You can make it yourselves and use it!"

"This way, you not only avoid transportation costs, but you can also burn more cement to sell to wealthy people to build houses."

"In this way, the river management department can also make money on its own!"

To be allowed to burn cement and even sell it to wealthy households was completely beyond Jin Fu's expectations.

Overwhelmed with emotion, he knelt down before Shen Ye with a thud: "Your Highness's great kindness will be forever unforgettable for the River Conservancy!"

Shen Ye quickly helped him up: "Lord Jin, there's no need for such formalities. We're all heading towards the same goal, for the sake of the court."

At this point, Shen Ye offered another suggestion: "You're an expert on river management, so I won't say anything. But besides river management, your river management department should also think about how to increase revenue."

Increase revenue!

Although selling cement can be profitable, most of the cement is still used in river channels.

Where does the river management department get its revenue?

Seeing Jin Fu's puzzled expression, Shen Ye said, "Although the Yellow River is inconvenient for large-scale transportation, it is still possible for small-scale transportation of supplies."

"Also, Lord Jin could try to build a batch of large ships at the estuary."

"Although the river workers make a living on the Yellow River, with some training, they can also navigate the sea."

"If we can train a group of people to transport goods from Jiangnan to the capital by sea and goods from the peninsula to Jiangnan, then the Canal Commissioner's Office will not be constantly strapped for cash."

Jin Fu's eyes lit up as he listened, and he repeatedly agreed.

The Crown Prince's actions were not merely about providing assistance, but also about teaching people how to fish, providing the River Conservancy Office with a brilliant plan!

Jin Fu didn't have much knowledge about business management.

However, he had many men under his command, and thinking that the Crown Prince's guidance wouldn't require many people, he immediately said, "After I return, I will train some people."

"Also, let's see if we can build a batch of large ships."

The two chatted for half an hour before Jin Fu reluctantly took his leave.

However, before leaving, he repeatedly reminded him: "Your Highness, you are of noble birth, you must take good care of yourself!"

Besides telling Shen Ye to take care of his health, this sentence also had another meaning: Shen Ye is in a high position and should not do everything personally.

Shen Ye understood Jin Fu's meaning, and he smiled and said, "Don't worry, Lord Jin, I will definitely take good care of myself."

"Lord Jin, you must also take care of your health while you are on the river."

No sooner had Jin Fu left than Zhou Bao came in to report: "Your Highness, two Grand Secretaries and several Ministers from the Six Ministries request an audience."

With the two Grand Secretaries Tong Guowei and Zhang Ying, plus the six Ministers, they formed an incredibly powerful force.

Because they practically represented most of the court officials.

The fact that these two, leading a group of cunning old foxes, came together definitely indicates they have ill intentions.

Shen Ye knew in his heart that they were most likely there because of Yang Fenggu's matter.

When he met Emperor Qianxi, he was thinking about Yang Fenggu's matter.

This is a difficult problem to solve because Yang Fenggu is already dead.

However, Shen Ye came up with a way to bypass Yang Fenggu and resolve the matter.

When he returned, he already wanted to push forward his plan, but Jin Fu's arrival delayed things.

He then said to Zhou Bao, "Please come over, gentlemen."

In just a few minutes, Tong Guowei and his entourage arrived at Yuqing Palace. After bowing, Tong Guowei did not speak, but glanced at Zhang Ying.

The meaning was clear: to get Zhang Ying to speak.

The Grand Secretary and the heads of the Six Ministries came together. If the Grand Secretary did not speak at this moment, it would damage their reputation as the heads of all officials.

Although Zhang Ying was unwilling to speak at this moment, he could not ignore Tong Guowei's gaze.

Otherwise, he would have offended not only Tong Guowei, but also the officials who had come with him.

After clearing his throat, Zhang Ying forced himself to speak: "Your Highness, although Yang Fenggu's death in the Dali Temple prison was an accident, he is still gone."

"Now, many people in the court feel that he died somewhat unjustly."

"Many people also went to Dali Temple to pay their respects."

"After discussing it, we believe that regardless of whether Yang Fenggu had ulterior motives or was loyal to the court, a life has been lost."

"Therefore, we request Your Highness's permission to allow Yang Fenggu's family to return home temporarily to hold a funeral for Yang Fenggu."

"Let him be laid to rest as soon as possible."

At this point, Zhang Ying said in a deep voice, "In this way, the officials will have a better understanding of this matter and can all calm down!"

As soon as Zhang Ying finished speaking, Chen Tingjing, Zhang Yushu, and others came out and said, "Please be merciful, Your Highness, and let Yang Fenggu rest in peace."

The dozen or so courtiers spoke in unison that it was a request, but their demeanor... it was practically a collective pressure.

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(End of this chapter)