Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5252 The Way is One Foot Higher

Fang Jun said, "Have you all miscalculated? The imperial treasury cannot be used so easily."

Gao Xingli said, "The imperial treasury is His Majesty's private property. What's wrong with using it today to alleviate our difficulties?"

Fang Jun spoke slowly and deliberately: "Although the Imperial Treasury is nominally His Majesty's private property, the imperial family has no private affairs, so how can it truly possess private property? The Imperial Treasury was established to consolidate imperial power and, when necessary, to supplement the national treasury and fill any gaps in national expenditures. In the past two years, the establishment of private schools, the construction of water conservancy projects, and the rewarding of meritorious officials have all drawn considerable funds from the Imperial Treasury. The Imperial Treasury is not an inexhaustible treasure trove. If you were to squander the hard-earned wealth because of your actions, would you be worthy of His Majesty's trust? Would you be worthy of the country's trust? If, when the time comes to use the Imperial Treasury to save the country from dire straits and the people from suffering, you find it almost depleted, you will be sinners for all time!"

Li Chengqian sipped his tea, feeling extremely pleased. As the emperor, he couldn't say these things, and others wouldn't speak for him or get to the point, which made him very uncomfortable. But as soon as Fang Jun arrived, he seemed to read his mind and said everything he wanted to say all at once. It was as refreshing as drinking a bowl of chilled plum juice on a hot summer day, a feeling of comfort from the inside out.

He now understood why ancient emperors often had one or two "sycophantic ministers" by their side. It wasn't that the emperors were poor at judging character or couldn't see the true nature of these "sycophants," but rather that compared to "honorable ministers," "sycophants" were indeed much more useful...

Gao Xingli's face turned red, and he glared angrily: "You are the Grand Commandant of the court, how can you speak such nonsense and alarmist words? His Majesty's private treasury is full of gold and silver, and copper coins are as plentiful as the sea. He can issue millions of strings of cash at will. We have only borrowed a few hundred thousand strings of cash, which is like a drop in the ocean. How could it have caused the private treasury to be depleted?"

It was just borrowing money from His Majesty, how did it escalate to being called a sinner for all time?!

Who can bear this crime!

Fang Jun slowly calculated: "Now that the new policies are being implemented, money is needed everywhere. As the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, you must know the Ministry's budget for next year, right? It's roughly over ten million strings of cash... The national treasury certainly doesn't have that much money, and we can't increase taxes on the people. We rely entirely on commercial taxes, which is clearly insufficient. As long as you borrow money from the imperial treasury, once that door is opened, the Minister of Revenue will definitely kneel at the gate of the Taiji Palace and won't leave until His Majesty lends money to the national treasury... No matter how much money His Majesty's imperial treasury has, how can it supply the entire country's fiscal expenditures? In less than two years, it will be completely depleted."

High fulfillment: "..."

He was speechless, because what Fang Jun said was true.

While the Tang Dynasty appears prosperous and thriving, it actually invests a massive amount of money in infrastructure construction every year. The power struggles among the warlords at the end of the Sui Dynasty caused severe damage to roads, water conservancy, farmland, and other infrastructure. To restore them to their original state or even upgrade them further would require countless human and material resources.

The state could hardly afford such a huge expenditure. Every year at the beginning and end of the year, the Ministry of Revenue was filled with lamentations as it tried every means to raise money.

If His Majesty were to lend money and silk from the imperial treasury to the imperial sons-in-law, once this precedent is set, the Ministry of Revenue will surely take notice. It is impossible to lend money to the imperial sons-in-law but not to the Ministry of Revenue, is it?
Seeing that reasoning with him was futile, Zhou Daowu simply spread his hands and said, "But now Cheng Chuliang has raised the standard for gifting gifts to 300,000 strings of cash per family. We really can't afford that much money. Giving too little would not only be a loss of face for us, but also a huge loss of face for us. What should we do?"

The best way to solve the problem is to shift the blame. We really don't have that much money. Either Your Majesty lends us the money, or you give the princes less money and silk. That way, no one will blame them for not contributing enough, and the responsibility will fall on Your Majesty...

Li Chengqian frowned.

Fang Jun then said with a smile, "Who said you all have no money?"

Du He, who had been silent all along, smiled bitterly and said, "We are not trying to pretend to be poor, but our family really can't come up with that much cash. I've already planned to mortgage our land and house deeds to get a loan. We can't possibly sell part of the princess's dowry to make up for this shortfall, can we?"

Many people looked at Du He with approval, amazed at how eloquent she was.

Not only did they emphasize that the family was truly struggling to make ends meet, but they also stated that no matter how difficult the situation, they would not use the princess's dowry or private property, demonstrating their care for the princess and their respect for the royal family...

Fang Jun glanced at Du He, ignored him, and continued to smile, saying, "Have you all forgotten that we also have shares in 'Dongda Tang Trading Company'?"

Upon hearing this, all the princes present changed their expressions.

Since the rise of maritime trade, wealth has flowed into the Tang Dynasty like a river, attracting powerful families and clans. However, because the clans of Guanzhong and Hedong could not directly intervene in maritime trade, they could only watch helplessly as the immense wealth flowed in without being able to get a share. They complained to Emperor Taizong, who eventually allowed each family to hold a stake in the "Eastern Tang Dynasty Trading Company," prohibiting them from interfering in the company's operations but allowing them to enjoy dividends.

As the Tang Dynasty's royal navy became invincible on the high seas, and the Tang Dynasty's domestic goods were of excellent quality and sold far and wide overseas, the "Eastern Tang Dynasty Trading Company" grew larger and larger, and its annual dividends increased. It was regarded by the vast majority of nobles and powerful families as the foundation of their family fortune.

Wang Jingzhi thought for a moment and shook his head, saying, "Even the profits from the business are far from enough to fill this hole."

Even if the business is profitable, with so many families enjoying shares, each family receiving tens of thousands of strings of cash is already a lot. The advantage is that there is no need for investment, effort, or risk, and there is a steady income every year. However, it is impossible to make up for a deficit of hundreds of thousands of strings of cash.

Fang Jun revealed his true intentions: "Dividends certainly cannot cover the deficit, but if we sell the shares, the proceeds will be more than enough."

These words immediately caused an uproar in the imperial study.

"What, sell the shares? Absolutely not!"

"The shares of this business were bestowed upon us by Emperor Taizong back then; how dare we sell them?"

"This is the foundation upon which my Du family has passed down its legacy. If it is lost from my hands, how can I face my deceased father in the afterlife?"

"Absolutely not!"

"Fang Er, you are treacherous and ruthless, we will never fall for your tricks!"

"The country is filled with treacherous officials, and the emperor's inner circle is filled with unworthy ministers. Your Majesty should see through this person's true colors!"

The princes-in-law, their brows furrowed and eyes blazing with righteous indignation, argued and shouted, all pointing their ire at Fang Jun. At this moment, they put aside their past grievances and united to angrily rebuke Fang Jun.

Li Chengqian maintained a composed expression, inwardly sighing: When it comes to the ability to stir up hatred, Erlang (Li Chengqian's courtesy name) certainly doesn't disappoint. In just a short while, he shifted the conflict between him, the emperor, and his consorts over a loan to a conflict between him and the consorts over shares in a business...

Talent.

Faced with widespread condemnation and harsh words, Fang Jun remained unperturbed, still smiling as he proposed, "The shares are yours. If you don't want to sell them, who can force you? Let's try a different approach: you can pledge your shares to me, and I will cover the costs. The share returns will remain unchanged. Once you are financially secure, you can redeem them from me... What do you all think?"

The princes-in-law exchanged glances for a moment, then Zhou Daowu asked, "Is it a redemption at the original price?"

Fang Jun scoffed, looking at him as if he were an idiot: "I'll take out millions of strings of cash, and you won't suffer any loss, your dividends will remain the same, and besides, who knows when you'll get your money back... What are you dreaming about?"

Zhou Daowu's face flushed red, and he turned his head away, regretting in his heart why he had talked to this guy.

He's brought shame upon himself!
Wang Jingzhi coughed lightly and said in a gentle voice, "Second Brother, why don't you tell me how to mortgage the money and how to repay it?"

Fang Jun was slightly more respectful to him, nodding and saying, "It's very simple. Interest is 3% per year, and it will be settled at the end of the year. If the interest is not repaid by then, it will be converted into principal the following year."

"They've actually started lending money to us?"

"We're brothers-in-law, even if we're broken, our bones are still connected. How can you have the nerve to say that?"

"You heartless bastard, why don't you just rob me?"

The commotion in the Imperial Study started again.

If each borrower borrows 100,000 guan, they will have to pay 30,000 guan in interest by the end of the year. The most outrageous thing is that the interest keeps compounding!

They have always been the ones lending money to others; when have they ever been exploited by others?

That heartless landlord!
There was a lot of noise and everyone was against it.

The original plan of the prince consorts was to contribute a little themselves and borrow a little from His Majesty—this part would be more or less, but they had no intention of repaying it at all. Surely His Majesty wouldn't chase after them for the debt?

His Majesty cannot lend any money now. In desperation, it is not impossible to use Fang Jun's money as collateral. However, the interest is so heavy that it is like cutting off one's bones and flesh. Who can bear it?

Fang Jun smiled and drank his tea, ignoring everything.

Dugu Mou, who had been mostly silent, stepped forward, bowed, and said with a wry smile, "Your Majesty, you are wise. My family truly cannot afford that much cash... We know that the imperial treasury's funds cannot be used lightly, but the gifts for the princes are absolutely essential; this is our heartfelt wish. However, Erlang's interest rate is truly too high, after all, none of us can repay it in a year or two... Perhaps you could put in a good word for us?"

Only then did everyone realize what was happening, and they quickly began pleading with His Majesty to intercede on their behalf.

Li Chengqian put down his teacup, feeling quite pleased. From the incessant nagging that forced him to borrow money, and the idea that not lending it would be unethical and unfair, to the current situation where the woman was pleading with him to intercede on her behalf... it really was Fang Er. He could turn the tables so easily, and the situation could be reversed in an instant.

However, he would not easily let Fang Jun concede. He looked troubled and said, "Erlang is indeed wealthy, but he is not a minter. Several million strings of cash is a lot of trouble for him. He may have to raise and maneuver from all sides. It is already difficult enough to help everyone in their time of need. It would be inappropriate to ask him to concede any more."

"Your Majesty's words make sense, but what can we do when we're brothers-in-law?"

"Yes, we're all family, so let's help each other out right now that we're having a tough time!"

Li Chengqian was finally satisfied and turned to Fang Jun: "Second Brother, look... we're all family, what should we say?"