"Your Highness, what are you doing?!" Yang Wei's big face was pressed to the ground, and he screamed desperately: "This official has made great contributions to the Ming Dynasty, and has shed blood for the emperor! Is this official a meritorious service or not?"
"Is there merit or demerit?" As soon as Zhu Zhen stretched out his hand, Teacher Luo immediately took out the accounts of the Shipping Company from his briefcase.
Zhu Zhen took it, stood in front of Yang Wei, and asked in a cold voice: "There are clearly two ships with four thousand materials and eighteen ships with two thousand materials in the inventory account. Why do I keep counting and there are only ten built ships in total?"
?!"
As he spoke, he grabbed Yang Wei's head and yelled at his big face that turned into a sesame cake: "Is it because I don't know how to count, or because you don't have enough ships here?!"
"This..." Yang Wei suddenly sweated on his forehead, the sesame cake turned into bubble cake, and he trembled: "I'm going to the official, I'm going to the official..."
At this time, the rapid sound of horse hooves sounded behind everyone, and then the guards of the King of Chu shouted: "Who is it? Stop!"
"If you take another step forward, we will kill you!" The guards raised their crossbows one after another and put their fingers on the triggers.
"Don't get me wrong, I am Wu Liang, the Governor-General of Jiang Defense. I heard that His Highness was here for inspection, so I came to see you immediately!" The leading knight was dressed in a fiery red python robe, with gray beard and hair, a beard all over his face, his eyes were like lightning, and his voice was like a bell.
The famous Wu Liang, Marquis of Jiangyin!
As he spoke, he turned over and dismounted, without even looking at the guards holding crossbows, he strode towards His Highness the King of Chu.
The other party has announced his family name, so the guards cannot really kill him without mercy. This marquis is one of the twenty-one heroes who enjoy incense in the Ming Dynasty Heroes Temple. Who dares to touch him?
Zhu Zhen waved his hand and asked the guards to let him come over.
"Hahaha..." Wu Liang put a proud smile on his face, walked up to Zhu Zhen, cupped his fists and said gruffly: "Greetings to His Highness. I haven't seen you for half a year, and Your Highness has grown a lot taller. Very good, very good!"
"Haha..." Zhu Zhen's nose was almost crooked with anger, but he still wanted to maintain the appearance of a prince, and said calmly: "Young Master Hou is also well."
"Your Highness, I'm thinking of you. I'm very kind." Wu Liang clapped his beard and laughed harshly: "Your Highness came to my territory, why didn't you say hello in advance? When the emperor found out, he thought I was neglecting your highness.
Woolen cloth."
"The sun is so poisonous, what are you doing here?" Then he couldn't help but stretched out his hand to pull Lao Liu's arm and said, "Come on, I'll treat you to a drink."
In fact, Wu Liang only looks rough and arrogant, but in fact he is very careful, otherwise he would not be where he is today. He puts on a vulgar look of relying on his old age, just like Lao Liu looked at Yang Wei with his belly button before, it is just a deliberate gesture.
"I am not yet of age and cannot drink." Although Zhu Zhen is fat, he is very flexible and is especially good at fighting. He easily avoided the pull of Marquis Jiangyin and kept a distance from him and said: "And I have been ordered by the prince to come forward.
How can you neglect your duties when you come to inspect?"
Wu Liang didn't hold it back, so naturally he couldn't grab it any more. He was very embarrassed with his hand hanging in the air, so he had to take it back and scratch his head, and said with an awkward smile: "Hahaha, your highness has really grown up, and can share the worries of the emperor and the prince."
He was secretly wary of the fact that at such a young age, this sixth man was able to bring down a big family in Suzhou. It was really not easy for him.
"Hey, what's wrong with this guy?" Wu Liang asked with a surprised look like he had just seen Fatty Yang on the ground: "Why is he pinned to the ground?"
Zhu Zhen glanced at his tool man, and Luo Guanzhong pushed up his glasses helplessly and briefly explained the situation. "...In short, there are twenty built ships on the account, but only half of them are seen in the shipyard. His Highness is interrogating Yang.
Liji, where did the other half go?"
"Oh, is this happening?!" Wu Liang glanced coldly at Fatty Yang on the ground.
"This, this..." Yang Wei swallowed.
"I advise you to think clearly before you speak!" Before he could speak, Wu Liang said insidiously: "Every word you say will be recorded and presented to His Highness the Crown Prince. It affects the life and death of your whole family.
…”
"..." Zhu Zhen was amused. He dared to threaten his subordinates so blatantly in front of him. The Marquis of Jiangyin really didn't take the prince seriously.
So he stopped urging him and just watched Yang Wei quietly. I wanted to hear what excuse this guy could come up with.
After a while, Yang Wei's eyes suddenly lit up, he raised his hand and whispered: "I thought of it."
"Say." Zhu Zhen said calmly.
"It's like this. Your Highness doesn't know. This ship has a lifespan." Yang Wei said plausibly:
"We have built a warship, but it cannot be delivered to the army. It can only be exposed to wind and sun in the pond, and it will rot in a few years. The strength of the wooden joints will gradually decrease, and the frame and wood of the ship will loosen, and eventually it will be flooded and sink.
"
"So?" Zhu Zhen nodded.
"So, in order to avoid losses, we can only dismantle these unused warships no matter how they were built. Then store the dismantled wood, iron nails, and iron curiums in storage. When the court needs them, we can reassemble them.
Get up, it's still as good as new!" After Yang Wei finished speaking, he glanced at Wu Liang and felt relieved when he saw Master Hou nodding slightly.
"Oh, you are really diligent and thrifty." Zhu Zhen was dumbfounded. These guys were so bold, they thought they were two hundred and fifty!
The built warship can be dismantled and rebuilt after disassembly. Your sister, do you think this is building Lego?!
"Ah, this is also in response to the emperor's call." Jiangyin Hou laughed and said: "There is no way, who made Ming Dynasty have no money, this is how we have to live in poverty!"
In fact, Wu Liang also knew that this statement might not be able to deceive Lao Liu. However, he was sure that Lao Liu could not overturn this statement either.
Even if this little fat man is really serious, the shipyard is full of parts, and it is not difficult to save a boat for him on site, as long as His Highness the King of Chu has the patience and can wait a few months.
What does it mean to be confident? This is called having confidence!
~~
"Then why are there still ten ships that have not been dismantled?" His Highness King Chu was not angry and continued to ask like a curious child.
"This is because..." Yang Wei had completely let go of himself and immediately replied: "We have to keep half of the ship for emergencies, right? If they are all dismantled, if the court wants to use the ship someday, where can we assemble it now?
Is there enough time? So, let’s keep half of them and dismantle the other half. After a few years, we can do it again, dismantle these ten pieces, and then put the dismantled ones back together.”
"Haha." Zhu Zhen was finally amused. He leaned down and patted Yang Wei's fat face and asked, "Do you believe these words?"
"Whether His Highness believes it or not, I believe it anyway." Yang Wei said the strongest words in the most cowardly tone: "Because the fact is such a fact."
"Do you think that I can't expose you?" Zhu Zhen said with a smile: "Do you know what I am doing in Suzhou? Those big families transfer their property, break it into pieces, and send deceitful mails... than you
I spent a lot of time playing, but none of them escaped the palm of my hand!"
"Do you think you can outsmart them?" He clapped his hands, stood up, and said in a deep voice: "Come here, mobilize the troops, take inventory, and check the accounts!"
