Chapter 56 of 100

Chapter 56

14 min read3,610 words

"From the looks of it, I underestimated the allure of silver to these people. What was meant to be a mere test has unexpectedly turned into a complete success..."

Zhao Junchen sat in his office at the Ministry of Revenue, looking at the secret letter in his hand, and muttered to himself with a hint of surprise.

Not long after the Ministry of Works changed its stance, Zuo Lanshan sent someone to inform Zhao Junchen of the news. Although the officials of the Ministry of Works wanted to meet Zhao Junchen in person, they were afraid that Wen Guanliang would get wind of it and delay the matter, so they ultimately sent a trusted clerk to deliver a secret letter to Zhao Junchen.

The letter contained a lot of information. Besides expressing their admiration for Zhao Junchen and their dissatisfaction with Wen Guanliang, it also revealed all of Wen Guanliang's upcoming plans to Zhao Junchen.

Wen Guanliang's plan to deal with Zhao Junchen was quite simple: he intended to have the censors of the Censorate impeach the Ministry of Revenue for unclear accounts, and the Ministry of Works would take the opportunity to echo this, claiming that the Ministry of Revenue had repeatedly cited insufficient funds in the national treasury to withhold various expenses for the Ministry of Works, causing delays in important matters such as river defense, materials, and city walls. They would then jointly demand that Emperor Deqing investigate and audit the Ministry of Revenue.

If the Ministry of Revenue is the treasury of the court, then the Ministry of Works is the largest spender of the court's funds. The two are closely related, and such an impeachment by the Ministry of Works would inevitably cause a stir in the court. If the Crown Prince's faction, Grand Secretary Huang Yourong, and Grand Secretary Shen Changmao also expressed their opinions, even if Emperor Deqing wanted to favor Zhao Junchen, he would have no choice but to order an investigation of the Ministry of Revenue.

Once the Ministry of Revenue was audited, Zhao Junchen, who had complete control over it, would no longer be able to fully control it.

This was only Wen Guanliang's initial plan, and what would happen next, even Zuo Lanshan and the others did not know.

But Zhao Junchen could imagine it: during the audit, some tricks would be played, or nitpicking would be done, and some problems would be found. First, some unimportant officials of the Ministry of Revenue would be implicated, and then, under threats and inducements, the situation would gradually escalate, ultimately pointing the finger at Zhao Junchen and dragging him down.

The method was simple but effective. Throughout history, in the political arena, this has always been the most effective means for politicians to deal with their enemies. As a saying from the future goes, "No official can withstand a thorough investigation; the key is whether there is a thorough investigation."

In the end, in political struggles, once a certain level is reached, the key is to unite allies, isolate opponents, and use strategies of alliance and division. As for the methods and means, they are often just a necessary process.

Wen Guanliang understood this very well, so he planned to use the Crown Prince's faction and ally with the other two grand secretaries. If he suddenly launched an attack, he might truly catch Zhao Junchen off guard.

Unfortunately, while Wen Guanliang was busy forming alliances, he did not expect his own backyard to catch fire. When the Minister of Works Zuo Lanshan, the Deputy Minister of Works Chen Dongxiang, and the Deputy Censor-in-Chief Gu Quan betrayed him one after another, his plan was doomed to fail.

"But Wen Guanliang has given me a reminder. The accounting methods of the Ministry of Revenue need to change."

Looking at the secret letter, Zhao Junchen thought to himself.

Currently, the accounting methods of the Ministry of Revenue are very primitive, only able to balance income and expenses, but not withstand scrutiny. A routine audit is not a problem, but if someone intentionally investigates in detail, it is inevitable that flaws will be exposed. In Zhao Junchen's view, the "advanced accounting methods" from the future could be useful for the Ministry of Revenue.

In fact, since Zhao Junchen returned to the capital, he has not misappropriated any funds from the Ministry of Revenue, maintaining a clean official image. Unfortunately, while he is upright, the officials below him are very corrupt. The Secretaries and Assistant Secretaries of the Ministry of Revenue are all greedy and money-loving, and Zhao Junchen needs their help to control the Ministry of Revenue, so he can only allow these parasites to continue to exist and, when necessary, help them cover their tracks.

Thinking about this, Zhao Junchen sighed inwardly. In the current Ming Dynasty, there are few clean officials, and they are not useful to him. If Zhao Junchen wants to achieve something, he can only rely on the power of the corrupt officials.

The only advantage is that the power of these corrupt officials is enormous, far surpassing that of the clean officials.

"Bring Jiang Qian to see me."

After making his decision, Zhao Junchen called out, and a clerk from the Ministry of Revenue responded and went to fetch Jiang Qian.

...

Since Zhao Junchen returned to the capital, he has not interfered much with the affairs of the Ministry of Revenue. He has been familiarizing himself with the operations and rules of the Ministry of Revenue and does not intend to meddle without a thorough understanding.

During this period, the affairs of the Ministry of Revenue, big and small, have been handled by Assistant Secretary Jiang Qian.

This Jiang Qian, as his name suggests, is humble and low-key. Although he is young, just over thirty, he is familiar with the operations of the Ministry of Revenue and has considerable cunning and skill. When Zhao Junchen first came to the Ministry of Revenue, Jiang Qian deliberately flattered him, and during Zhao Junchen's control of the Ministry of Revenue, he made significant contributions. Therefore, both the former and the current Zhao Junchen have always valued him and deliberately tried to win him over.

Zhao Junchen does not believe that Jiang Qian is particularly loyal to him. His initial approach to Zhao Junchen may have been opportunistic, but Zhao Junchen also believes that Jiang Qian will not betray him unless absolutely necessary. Since joining Zhao Junchen, Jiang Qian has risen from a lowly seventh-rank official to a fifth-rank Assistant Secretary, and with Zhao Junchen's support, he has more influence in the Ministry of Revenue than the Secretaries. Compared to Zhao Junchen, others find it difficult to offer him more benefits.

Upon Zhao Junchen's summons, Jiang Qian did not dare to delay and quickly came to Zhao Junchen's office.

"Pay respects to Lord Zhao."

Upon seeing Zhao Junchen, Jiang Qian showed the utmost respect, kneeling and greeting him.

Zhao Junchen raised his hand and said, "Rise."

After Jiang Qian stood up, Zhao Junchen looked up and saw that his face was even paler. He couldn't help but shake his head and smile.

Jiang Qian's greatest flaw, if he has one, is his fondness for women. In recent days, due to the popularity of fragrant soap, the brothels in the capital have been doing well, and Jiang Qian is one of the frequent visitors.

"You should be more careful in your daily life. Lust is like a knife that cuts to the bone. If you only seek temporary pleasure without restraint, you will drain your body at a young age, and it won't be worth it."

Hearing Zhao Junchen say this, Jiang Qian cautiously looked up and saw that Zhao Junchen was only joking and not scolding him, so he quickly smiled and said, "Lord, you are right. I will certainly follow your teachings in the future... I know my flaws, and sometimes I can't control myself, but I will never neglect my duties."

Zhao Junchen nodded and did not say more. In an era where brothels are legal, Jiang Qian's behavior is a private matter and not worth making a fuss over.

Therefore, after giving a reminder, Zhao Junchen got straight to the point and asked, "How is the preparation for the auction of the soap supplies this afternoon?"

Jiang Qian quickly replied, "Lord, everything is ready. As you instructed, the officials of the Ministry of Revenue are familiar with the auction process, and the venue, personnel, and procedures are all in place."

Zhao Junchen nodded and said, "That's good."

After a pause, Zhao Junchen continued, "I called you here to prepare for the next few days. I plan to redo all the accounts of the Ministry of Revenue to ensure there are no flaws."

Jiang Qian was surprised and seemed to realize something, asking, "Is Wen Guanliang planning to target our accounts?"

Zhao Junchen smiled and said, "You are quite perceptive."

Jiang Qian, with a respectful expression, said, "Since you and Wen Guanliang have had a falling out, I have been secretly on guard. I suspect that if Wen Guanliang wants to deal with you, he can only target the Ministry of Revenue. I have been cautious, so please rest assured that our accounts are clear and will not reveal any problems."

Zhao Junchen shook his head and said, "Grand Secretary Wen does not have the power to interfere with our affairs. I am having you redo the accounts just to be prepared for any eventuality. The current accounting methods of the Ministry of Revenue are too crude and can only balance income and expenses. If someone investigates in detail, it will not be hidden."

Hearing this, Jiang Qian looked puzzled.

According to Jiang Qian's understanding, accounting methods are limited to inflating expenses, increasing losses, and fabricating expenses. Are there other methods?

Seeing Jiang Qian's expression, Zhao Junchen smiled lightly and became more serious, explaining some modern accounting methods to Jiang Qian in detail.

Zhao Junchen only knew the basics of modern accounting, so he could only give a general explanation. Even so, these clever and hidden methods left Jiang Qian speechless. For example, "early and delayed recognition of income," "conversion of income and expense categories," "selective allocation," "conversion of deficits," and so on, were all new to Jiang Qian.

Although many of these methods may not be suitable for the Ministry of Revenue, they still amazed Jiang Qian, who found them ingenious.

If the Ministry of Revenue follows Zhao Junchen's methods, it can be imagined that in the future, it can not only spend money in advance with a clear conscience but also make various deficits reasonable. If one does not know Zhao Junchen's methods, it would be difficult to find any flaws in the accounts.

It must be said that Jiang Qian is indeed a talent in some aspects. While Zhao Junchen was explaining, at first, he could only listen, but soon he could apply the principles and discuss with Zhao Junchen.

Even some of the methods Zhao Junchen proposed, which could not be implemented in the Ministry of Revenue due to various reasons, Jiang Qian could find practical solutions based on the actual situation.

After discussing for half an hour, seeing that Jiang Qian had mastered these methods, Zhao Junchen nodded in satisfaction and said, "Since that's the case, go and select some trustworthy officials from the Ministry of Revenue to refine these methods and quickly produce the new accounts."

After this discussion, Jiang Qian was extremely impressed by Zhao Junchen's methods, his face full of joy and excitement, and he nodded repeatedly, saying, "Please rest assured, with these methods, the Ministry of Revenue will have nothing to fear in the future."

Zhao Junchen smiled and said, "Since that's the case, go and prepare. Also, I won't participate in the soap auction this afternoon. I'll leave it to you to oversee it. This matter is related to my bet with the Crown Prince, so be careful."

Jiang Qian nodded repeatedly and said, "Please rest assured, I understand the importance and will not let you down."

With that, Jiang Qian bowed and left.

Seeing Jiang Qian's excitement as he left, Zhao Junchen frowned slightly.

He knew why Jiang Qian was so excited. After using the methods Zhao Junchen taught him, the officials of the Ministry of Revenue would no longer fear being discovered when misusing funds.

For corrupt officials, is there anything more delightful than being able to embezzle public funds without restraint?

"Am I encouraging corruption by doing this?" Zhao Junchen frowned and thought, "I need to find an opportunity to warn them, or the Ministry of Revenue will become a mess."

...

Zhao Junchen did not personally participate in the soap auction in the afternoon. In fact, in the past two days, he has been avoiding merchants from various regions who wanted to secretly deal with him.

Although he did not participate personally, Zhao Junchen closely monitored the auction from behind the scenes, and the results were very satisfying.

In fact, not only was Zhao Junchen satisfied, but all the officials of the Ministry of Revenue who participated in the auction were shocked by the intense bidding and the astonishing results.

The results were as follows: ordinary soap, sold in batches of 50,000 pieces, with a starting price of 1,500 taels, had an average selling price of 2,500 taels!

Fragrant soap, sold in batches of 5,000 pieces, with a starting price of 1,800 taels, had an average selling price of 3,200 taels.

Medicated soap, sold in batches of 500 pieces, with a starting price of 1,100 taels, had an average selling price of 2,100 taels.

In other words, the soaps produced by the inner treasury over the next year sold for a total of 1,446,000 taels of silver!

If the manufacturing costs of the soaps are not considered, the pure profit from these soaps is no less than 800,000 taels!

For anyone today, this amount of silver is astronomical!

Including Emperor Deqing!

Therefore, when Zhao Junchen learned of the results and brought a thick stack of silver bills to meet Emperor Deqing, it is easy to imagine how delighted Emperor Deqing was.

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