The emperor's ideological work is still going on, and the inspection is in full swing.

For Ming merchants, seven or eight good years have passed.

Ever since His Majesty summoned representatives of commercial banks from all over the world on the Longevity Festival in the twelfth year of Jiajing, it has been a boon to businessmen.

A larger scale of border trade, a higher merchant status, and a more prosperous domestic market.

But who knew that this official inspection would actually involve businessmen?

The storm hit Shanxi first, and Shanxi merchants were on pins and needles.

"Could it be that the imperial court wants to default on the ten-year national debt?"

Wang Chonggu's uncle Wang Xian said this.

He looked the most anxious now, spreading his hands towards his younger brother and nephew: "Although only the Metropolitan Procuratorate can investigate the third-rank and above, but now, many fourth- and fifth-rank officers have been passed to the Ducha Division and the Criminal Division.

!Xuefu, what did Xu Shenzheng say?"

"Xu Shenzheng..." Wang Chonggu frowned now, "I'm afraid no one in the whole court expected that His Majesty would inspect all officials because of this matter, especially industrial and commercial matters. Pujin Bridge did not cause a big disaster after all.

.”

"...I regret it! I regret it!" Wang Xian clapped his legs, sat down and stood up again, "If I were still just doing business in salt, grain, sheep and horses, and didn't touch the iron, how could I be involved in this disaster?"

After saying that, he glanced at Wang Chonggu and his son: Didn't they, father and son, have long thought that there might be hidden worries in leaving this good business to their own team?

Wang Xian did not have a son as smart as Wang Chonggu.

Starting from the first imperial expedition to the north, when Tang Shunzhi was responsible for selling special treasury bonds, Shanxi merchants were the first batch of merchants to taste the benefits in the Ming Dynasty.

Later, the licensing of border trade and sea trade, and even the establishment of the Hetao and Xuanning border areas, relying on the rise of Huailai and Puzhou factory parks in Datong, gave Shanxi merchants full benefits.

One of them is the large and small iron works set up to rebuild the Pujin Bridge here in Puzhou.

There are both Baojin Bureau factories and small private ironworks with permission.

The Wang family naturally had this permission, but they placed it on the side of Wang Xian, the eldest family member. Wang Chonggu's father, Wang Yao, was still only doing the old business of the past.

With the help of the iron factory, the Ming Dynasty's policy of allowing iron pots and other products to be taken away, and the border trade and sea trade license, Wang Xian has made a lot of money in these years.

Now disaster has come.

Wang Xian stood still in front of Wang Chonggu again: "Xuefu! You still have to go to Puzhou! If someone comes to visit me, I said I won't tell you? What should I say? Over there with Xu Shenzheng..."

"Uncle!" Seeing that he did not continue speaking, Wang Chonggu spoke to reassure him, "The incident at Pujin Bridge was not a serious disaster, which shows that Xu Shenzhen's supervision was very strict. Now that the Polytechnic Research Institute has arrived in Puzhou for re-inspection, Xu Shenzheng's official duties

Busy. If things were critical, how could he not send someone back to Taiyuan to give some warnings? At this time, it is better to be quiet and not to move! Xu Shenzheng is an old disciple of Yan State. The court makes new money and trust is the most important thing. How can he make a living by it?

What kind of national debt is it all about?"

"Can……"

"Brother." Wang Yao also spoke, "As long as the iron supplied by your iron factory is fine, what are you afraid of?"

"Of course you don't dare to neglect iron!" Wang Xian said. "The iron needed for Pujin Bridge cannot be used to make iron tools for sale. It is smelted in separate furnaces. But this time it was the bridge piers that were in trouble.

The iron boat, this boat is covered with iron, some of it was made by the Zhang family of Fourth Sister, and the iron was also taken from our Wang family..."

Wang Chonggu's heart was covered with a shadow and he remained silent.

Xu Jie had stayed in the imperial study and had long known that the Polytechnic Research Institute had researched a variety of new things. Bridges that could span large rivers were one type of research direction. And the first bridge over the Yellow River in the world, since it could be built in the Tang Dynasty

Build it here and improve it based on it, which is a clear project that can be studied in detail.

It's just that the cost is not small, and it has never been actually implemented.

It wasn't until Xu Jie arrived in Shanxi and the construction of the Beijing-Guangzhou Straight Road was coming to an end, and Ming Dynasty's iron production was already worrying about a large surplus, that Xu Jie asked him to start this matter.

Although preliminary research has been carried out, the reconstruction project of the Pujin Bridge is really too fast.

Wang Chonggu is now deeply worried that because the project is progressing too fast, there are many inside stories involved.

If the Wang family is really implicated in this case, his future in the examination will be uncertain.

Now Wang Chonggu said in a low voice: "Everyone knows where a lot of the iron sold to foreign vassals is going. The Zhang family's business in Xining is not small. Will they..."

Wang Xian shivered, as if the shackles of "enemies" had been pressed on his shoulders.

"What I gave to the Zhang family is all good iron needed to build the bridge!"

Wang Xian's words are conclusive, but Wang Chonggu has no choice but to say: "We can only wait and see. If we rush and panic at this time, it will only arouse suspicion."

At this moment, Wang Chonggu especially felt the fragility of the wealthy merchant family.

Whenever a situation arises, he becomes passive.

He further strengthened his belief: No matter what, someone from the Wang family must enter the officialdom and take the position of important minister!

…

At this time, Xu Jie knew that it was the calm before the storm.

When the doctors from the Polytechnic Institute arrive in Puzhou, they will not be involved in accountability, but the results of their investigation will determine how this matter will develop next.

For Xu Jie, he had already conducted a thorough internal investigation.

But he knew that no matter how concerned he was about the quality of the project, there were still officials responsible for it.

As for the Construction Bureau that undertook the construction of the Pujin New Bridge, Xu Jie cannot directly manage it.

It is even more impossible for him to have been squatting here during the previous construction period and later during the traffic period.

Therefore, Xu Jie was unsure whether there was any problem.

But what is certain is: as long as there is a problem, he is responsible.

Now Xu Jie can't come up with a good solution, so he can only cooperate fully and greet the people who come to inspect.

At the same time, he naturally wanted to write a letter to Yan Song.

It's not just Yan Song. During the years when he was the chief of the imperial study, with this special position, Xu Jie didn't have other important ministers in the court who could rely on him.

Between the lines, they express euphemistically that the supervisor has put all their efforts into it, and they euphemistically ask what the Industrial and Commercial Sword of the Grand Inspector refers to.

Like Shanxi, another gathering place for the Chaoshan turmoil is the Prime Minister Hedao Yamen.

Tang Shu felt very heavy, and he thought that this was because someone in the court was dissatisfied with Liu Tianhe. There were several major events that wasted people and money. The amount of work was huge, and it was easy to find loopholes.

But doesn't His Majesty know how difficult it is to do these things?

During the imperial tour to the south, Gong Hong, the former chief of the river, bluntly stated in front of the emperor the difficulties of river control. The difficulty was never the river control project itself, but the people's hearts during the duration of the river control project. The selfish motives of the upper and lower officials for profit, the court

Colleagues use this to fight for power for their own selfish reasons...

Since Your Majesty already understood it back then, why do you have to inspect the industry and commerce now?

If someone wants to touch Liu Tianhe, doesn't His Majesty want to protect him?

The British minister said he was helping, will he still do it?

Tang Shu thought about it, and finally mustered up the courage to appeal to the emperor.

This big police officer, at least in the Prime Minister Hedao Yamen, cannot do anything he wants!

Compared to Xu Jie and Tang Shu, the one who feels the greatest pressure from the police now is the Huangming Assets Bureau.

When it comes to the chaos between government and business, where are there more enterprises than those under the Huangming Assets Bureau?

They themselves are both officials and businessmen.

The undercurrent in this direction eventually formed a public case and was presented to Zhu Houcong.

It was the incident where the pastoral supervisor said that the Ministry of Culture and Education had been in arrears with its accounts for nearly two years.

"Your Majesty, according to the holy decree, a group of pastoral supervisors have set up pastoral stations in various counties to raise cattle and sheep with fresh grass and hay."

The president of Qun Mu Supervisor is Zhang Wei, the Marquis of Longping. He has ascended the throne since the 13th year of Zhengde and is now very old.

Kneeling in front of the emperor, Zhang Wei said aggrievedly: "Now it is found that in Jiangxi, fresh milk and meat are actually collected and deducted greatly, and they are sent to ten middle schools and two or three schools. Instead, they are sold to restaurants and wealthy families.

. Even so, not only did he default on the payment, but he also tainted the fresh milk and meat sent to the prison by filthy uncleans, which harmed the students. I am unjustly accused!"

Fang Xianfu, the minister of the Ministry of Culture and Education and Yan Song's successor, kowtowed to the side and apologized: "I failed to control you well, please forgive me."

Zhu Houcong only looked at them coldly.

Although this matter is a unified procurement under the Ministry of Culture and Education, and the accounts are with the Ministry of Culture and Education. However, at the local level, the yamen responsible for culture and education are still under the control of local officials.

Fang Xianfu is not directly responsible.

On the contrary, this time the bad debt was finally turned over to the emperor: It has just been reported now that over the years, many children in local schools have become ill after drinking fresh milk or eating meat sent by the group of pastoral supervisors, and some have become ill due to

Those who failed to receive timely treatment eventually lost their lives.

Therefore, first of all, some places are more difficult for the group pastoral supervisors. They default on their accounts and wait until nothing happens before paying them. These are all small tricks. They ask for more to be sent, and they have people check the food and drinks of each batch and file them for future reference to avoid

Responsibility, this is the beginning of things gradually going wrong.

On the one hand, they have reduced the number of meat and milk supplies out of fear of further problems in schools. On the other hand, there will inevitably be an additional channel for meat and milk to flow to the commercial market, or as a "welfare" for wealthy local officials and gentry: food inspection

It's a drinking test, it's just right.

After a lot of back and forth, the longest payment arrears now reaches nearly two years.
To be continued...