On September 21st, the autumn tax revenue in various places has basically ended, and there has been a basic feedback in the court. The emperor held a court meeting to discuss next year's major fiscal expenditures, so as to have a prototype.
After five days of rest in Beijing, Zhou Man and Bai Shan, who had recharged their batteries, changed into official uniforms early in the morning. They went out together. When they arrived at the side door, Daji prepared the carriage and horses.
Bai Shan looked at Zhou Man and asked, "Are you taking a car or riding a horse?"
Zhou Man said: "Let's ride a horse. It's boring to ride in a car so early in the morning..."
Bai Shan took Chi Ji to her, and then went to pick up Robber Li. The two of them led the horse out, and Daji also led a horse behind him.
The three of them got on their horses and strolled towards the imperial city.
There was no one on the street, so Bai Shan and Zhou Man rode together, with Daji following behind. When they entered the main street of the Imperial City, there were more cars and horses on the street, and they were all on one side.
A military general passed two people from behind. As he passed, he turned around and greeted Zhou Man in a loud voice, "Master Zhou, have you returned to the capital?"
Glancing at Bai Shan, he said "yo" and said, "Master Bai, come to court!"
Bai Shan always felt that their tone was not very kind, but why?
When it comes to friendship, he has also been on the battlefield and had some minor military exploits.
Before he could think about it, the general had already passed him and ran away. Neither the couple had time to say hello.
There was the sound of a carriage chasing behind them. Bai Shan and Zhou Man looked at each other, then kicked the horse in the belly to speed up, refusing to allow anyone to overtake them.
Yang Heshu chasing after him:...
When they arrived at the palace gate, Bai Shan and Zhou Man dismounted their horses, handed the horses to the guards at the palace gate who took care of the horses, took off the wats from their waists, and entered the palace gate.
By the time Yang Heshu got off the bus, only the backs of the couple were left.
Yang Heshu was no longer in a hurry now and walked slowly into the palace as usual. When they arrived in front of the Tai Chi Hall, they saw Bai Shan and Zhou Man surrounded by people.
Especially for Zhou Man, many ministers expressed their longing for her and asked her with concern whether her journey was smooth.
Yang Heshu stood aside and watched them. Zhou Man and Bai Shan noticed his gaze, smiled and said hello to their colleagues around them, and then walked towards Yang Heshu.
Yang Heshu was famously aloof in the court. Although he was good-looking and gentle, there were not many people who would get close to him.
So everything around him is empty.
Bai Shan and Zhou Man walked over and lowered their voices and asked curiously, "Senior Brother Yang, did something happen in the court?"
I haven't heard Mr. Zhuang mention it either.
Mr. Zhuang is getting older, and he is only a lecturer at the Chongwen Hall. He will no longer attend the court meeting if it is not necessary.
This is also the preferential treatment given by the emperor to his senior ministers. In the court, ministers who are over sixty and whose positions are not important and have no important matters are not allowed to attend court meetings.
But Mr. Zhuang does not go to court. He is in the court and he still understands the affairs of the court. I have not heard him mention it in the past few days.
Yang He wrote: "Two days ago, you made another offer to build rivers and open water transport?"
Bai Shan nodded with a blank look on his face, "Yes, sir, the DPRK has been discussing this matter, but it has been decided for a long time. I thought that I would also leave the country and join the DPRK, so I wanted to mention it again."
"After your brochure was published, Yi Ziyang contacted Feng Zongping and wrote a corresponding brochure. He suggested that the Ministry of Industry should take charge of the matter, with the assistance of garrisons from various places, and then recruit migrant workers to sort out the river. It is believed that the river can be opened in three years.
.”
Zhou Man: "You are so determined? I'm afraid it will cost you a lot, right?"
However, Bai Shan recalled the scene of being scolded by the military general when he entered the palace in the morning. He said: "...the Ministry of War and the leading generals from various places want to take charge of this matter, but they can't defeat the Ministry of Industry for the time being. Do you think it was me who brought up the idea?"
"Not only the leading generals from various places, but also many idle generals in the court are also interested in this job. After all, the main personnel are soldiers."
Bai Shan frowned, "But do they know how to dredge rivers and build embankments and dams?"
Yang Heshu smiled slightly and said, "No one from the Ministry of Industry understands."
He said: "I just want to remind you, be careful when you go to court in the morning."
Bai Shan decided to wait and see what happens and say nothing for the time being.
No one knows how much it will cost to dredge a river, or one of the main water networks in the country. Where to start dredging? There may also be docks built along the road, etc. The scope of the area involved and the depth of interests make everyone in the DPRK and China concerned.
My mind wanders.
Of course, except for a few people, most people see the achievements behind it.
Let’s not talk about distant places, let’s talk about the Ministry of Industry. Han Shangshu is famous for his stability, but he can’t help but become impetuous at this time. If water transportation can be opened up and connect the rivers across the country, then his name as Minister of the Ministry of Industry can be regarded as eternal.
So not only is there a fight between the DPRK and China, there is also a fight within the Ministry of Industry over this person in charge.
There are also local officials who are proficient in water conservancy and geography who have written requests, and there are also people who are recruiting talents to send to the court. For example, a certain person among the people, who has a good reputation, is very knowledgeable in water conservancy projects, and has written several books, requests the emperor to serve as a wise order.
Bai Shan and Zhou Man had basically lived a life separated from the court for fifty days. Although there was news, it was like a leaky hole, and they could only get a little bit of it.
Now they were standing in the court hall. The air leakage hole was suddenly opened, and the whole cave was filled with wind. So the two of them were almost stunned by the news that came in. Neither of them expected this.
Such a big fuss.
The emperor himself did not expect that the hall would be in chaos anyway. After one person said what the other person said, the emperor simply raised his hand to stop everyone and said: "We will postpone the discussion of the river water transportation for the time being. Let's talk about other things first.
"
Only then did Liu Shangshu find a chance to speak. Juhu stepped forward and bowed: "Your Majesty, the autumn harvest has ended in many places, and winter wheat is being planted in many places. This year, except Guizhou in the south, Liuzhou in the south, Bingzhou in the north, and Daizhou, the drought is more serious.
Except, the harvests in other places are pretty good.”
The emperor asked: "Didn't the sea breeze land in Taizhou in June and July?"
"Yes, but there is sufficient food in Yuezhou and Hangzhou, and they have already provided aid nearby, so there is no need for further support from the capital. Moreover, this year's Jiangnan area is generally considered to have a good harvest. The price of rice has dropped to seven cents per dou, and the price of grain has dropped to five cents per dou.
"
The emperor asked: "Put the Cao Canal Road aside in advance, and then order all prefectures and counties to build granaries, purchase grain to replenish the granaries, and stabilize prices."
This edict had been issued as early as more than a month ago when Bai Shanzhezi returned to the capital, but it obviously had little effect. Except for a few places working hard to implement this regulation, most areas have not done much to stabilize prices.
So good, that now the price of food in some places has dropped just like the steps they took down the Tai Chi Hall.
The emperor pondered for a moment and then said: "Yang Heshu."
Yang Heshu, who was beside Zhou Man, stood up and came out of the queue, bowed and said, "I'm here."