Chapter 976
Marching Towards a Wise Ruler
Chen Xun was eager to make all the departments under the Ministry of Works wealthy.
Of course, he couldn't work for nothing, so he wrote a memorial overnight to formalize the cooperation between the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works.
The Ministry of Works provided the technology, and the Ministry of Revenue managed the operations. The Ministry of Revenue should take at least half the credit for this.
Hu Cheng was not particularly power-hungry, but the Ministry of Works had other officials besides Hu Cheng and the craftsmen.
The Right Vice Minister of Works was not a technical expert. After learning about this, he beat his chest in frustration: "Minister, if you are not good at management, then what about me?"
Hu Cheng: "Perfect, then you go and contact the Ministry of Revenue. I'll leave the cooperation to you."
The Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works said: "...Minister, what I mean is that the Ministry of Works can handle this matter entirely on its own. If we don't have enough manpower, we can recruit people. It's hard to find three-legged people in the world, but there are plenty of talented people who know how to manage."
Hu Cheng: "How much effort would it take to assemble these people? The Ministry of Revenue has experience in this kind of thing, and the people are readily available. Why not cooperate with them? After all, the money earned will go into the national treasury anyway."
“You’re so foolish,” said the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works. “Having money in your own hands is not the same as having money in the national treasury. If the money you earn is kept in the Ministry of Works, then you and those craftsmen can decide what research to do, what materials to buy, and what furnaces to build. You can write reports and approve documents yourself. But once the money goes into the national treasury, it’s difficult to get it out again!”
Hu Cheng blinked and asked doubtfully, "But isn't the purpose of all this to make money for the national treasury and to strengthen the country and enrich its people?"
The Right Vice Minister of Works choked for a moment before saying, "The money can still strengthen the country and enrich the people if it's kept in the Ministry of Works. After deducting the money spent by the Ministry of Works, how much of the remainder goes to the national treasury is just a matter of your word, isn't it?"
Hu Cheng smiled slightly and said, "You are right, but if all six ministries think like this and act independently, then the Ming Dynasty will not be far from its downfall."
The Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works knew that there was no point in continuing the discussion; on the contrary, it would make people think that he was eager for quick success and instant benefits, and that he was selfish and profit-seeking.
“However, you did give me a heads-up,” Hu Cheng said. “When the people from the Ministry of Revenue come, remember to talk to them and make sure that at least 20% of the annual profits are set aside for research. Whether it’s the steel mill or other workshops, they need to keep doing research, and research costs money.”
The Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works' eyes lit up, and he excitedly agreed.
Zhu Qiyu had also seen Pan Yun's plan, which they called the "Shuyao".
He was equally excited and couldn't help but ask, "These things have never existed in the world before. How did the Imperial Advisor know about them? And he even drew up blueprints for them?"
Pan Yun said, "I saw it in the future."
Zhu Qiyu's eyes lit up: "The future?"
Pan Yun coaxed him, saying, "Yes, although our Great Ming is currently the world's strongest nation, the defeat in the northern expedition last year caused me great heartache."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Qiyu lowered his head, equally saddened.
"In addition, I have traveled back and forth to Japan in the past two years and seen a lot at sea. I have come to realize that there is a vast world outside of the Ming Dynasty. In the west, there are two countries called Spain and Portugal. They have always wanted to come to the east and have vigorously developed maritime transport. Your Majesty, there is gold at sea. You can tell from our quarterly maritime trade tax revenue and the silver we bring back from Japan. I have a premonition that if the maritime ban continues, the pain of yesterday's Oirat will happen again in the future. Perhaps it was because I was thinking about it that one day my soul left my body and went to the future."
Zhu Qiyu was stunned. He believed it and pressed on, asking, "What's in the future?" Pan Yun sighed, "I only caught a fleeting glimpse before arriving at a place filled with books. I know very little. But even so, I can glimpse some clues."
Pan Yun said, "In the future, people's physical fitness will be much better, the average life expectancy will reach seventy, and the elderly can live to one hundred and forty."
Zhu Qiyu's eyes lit up as he listened, and he asked, "How did later generations manage to do that?"
Pan Yun: "With sufficient resources, enough to eat and wear, children receiving education, the elderly being cared for, and the sick receiving medical treatment, coupled with physical exercise to strengthen the body, one can achieve this."
Zhu Qiyu murmured, “The young are educated, the old are cared for, and the sick are treated. These three short sentences seem easy, but in reality, they are extremely difficult. Just the one thing of being able to eat one’s fill is as difficult as climbing to heaven.”
Zhu Qiyu was not an emperor who believed in the indifference of others. His decrees were difficult to implement in rural areas, and the Ming Dynasty was so vast that he wanted everyone to have enough to eat. His heart suddenly felt heavy, as if he were carrying a mountain on his back.
Pan Yun's eyes sparkled as she pressed down on his hand, applying slight pressure: "Does Your Majesty lack confidence in yourself?"
Zhu Qiyu looked up at her.
Pan Yun looked at him firmly and said, "I believe that Your Majesty can do it. A virtuous ruler can gather virtuous people, and a wise ruler can gather talented and ambitious ministers. Your Majesty is virtuous and wise, and I believe that you can do it!"
Zhu Qiyu clenched his fists, his eyes shining.
Unlike in another timeline, Zhu Qiyu is righteous and orthodox here.
Zhu Qizhen died before he ascended the throne. Zhu Qiyu's succession was a testament to his courage, forbearance, and filial piety.
In another timeline, Zhu Qiyu treated his elder brother harshly out of jealousy and fear, which led to questions about Zhu Qiyu's character from court officials and the public.
The power struggles among some individuals pushed things in an even worse direction, making it difficult to promote many of the things he wanted to do.
But here, as long as Zhu Qiyu can maintain his current ambition and clarity of mind, those who gather around him will surely be more virtuous and capable ministers than treacherous ones.
Hu Ying knew this, and Yu Qian understood it as well. Whether it was Pan Yun, the emperor's favorite, Yu Qian, the new favorite, or Hu Ying, the old minister, everyone was pushing the emperor in one direction. As long as he didn't change direction on his own, he would continue to move in that direction.
Zhu Qiyu made the final decision and agreed with what was stated in the memorial.
Like Yu Qian and others, he chose not to make it public, but to lock it away and take it out for a look from time to time.
The next day, Chen Xun submitted a memorial to the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works to discuss cooperation. Before the officials were even fully prepared, the emperor had already granted his request.
The Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works had no objections, and the cabinet did not object either. The remaining officials were confused, but they did not say a word. They just surrounded Hu Cheng and Chen Xun as soon as the court session ended, asking, "What are you doing?"
Hu Cheng and Chen Xun spoke in unison: "The national treasury is short of money, so we have no choice but to do this. Otherwise, the Ministry of War wants to develop the navy and even wants to separate a navy from it; the Ministry of Works not only wants to dredge the Yellow River, but also the Huai River and the Grand Canal; the Ministry of Rites wants to open more community schools so that all school-age children can attend school for free; and what about your Ministry of Personnel? How much does it cost to conduct external inspections every year? The cost of bestowing titles and honors alone is considerable; not to mention our Ministry of Revenue, do you know how many people and how much arable land the Ming Dynasty actually has?"
“The report goes through five levels: the village reports to the county, the county reports to the prefecture, and the prefecture reports to my Ministry of Revenue. In reality, it’s a system of exploitation at every level. Do you think only money gets exploited?” Chen Xun said, “Wrong! People and land are the first to be exploited!” (End of Chapter)