Ming Dynasty: I, Yan Maoqing, am truly radiating auspicious energy!

Chapter 87: Just a joke

This was actually Yan Maoqing's third backup plan after failing to find a suitable alternative.

Having witnessed Zhu Houcong's attitude, he had already made the worst-case scenario plan.

There's no way around it; in any era, a higher-ranking official can have absolute power, especially now that it's an era of imperial autocracy, where the one who's in control is Zhu Houcong, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

So if in the end one can only get 100,000 taels of silver, but is able to retire and return to his hometown smoothly.

Although Yan Maoqing felt a sharp pain in his heart, it wasn't entirely unacceptable; he could simply accept it as a way to avoid further trouble...

"presumptuous!"

Just as he was thinking this, an account book came whistling through the air and slammed down on Yan Maoqing's head with a "smack".

Zhu Houcong felt his blood pressure rise rapidly again.

It's just because Yan Maoqing's words were too vulgar.

What does it mean that "the ruler and father are aware of the situation, yet they do not think about how to reform the rampant corruption of officials, but instead treat their humble servants poorly because of three thousand small gains..."?

How dare this scoundrel utter such treasonous words in front of me? How is this any different from pointing his finger at me and cursing me? Who gave him such audacity?!

However, in his anger...

Zhu Houcong, however, had to admit that what this scoundrel had just said was indeed a fact he already knew.

He certainly didn't consider this matter carefully enough.

There are no private matters in the royal family. Countless eyes are watching in the palace and in the court. It is impossible for him to have a real treasury of his own.

Therefore, once this money is collected, it will either go into the imperial treasury or into the imperial granary.

Once the money is deposited into the imperial treasury or the imperial granary, regardless of whether the money truly belongs to him or not... it is indeed impossible to explain the reason when it is deposited.

At that time, someone will surely go around inquiring, which may undoubtedly expose many details of the "scheme".

There are many meticulous people in the court who may be able to deduce some things that must be kept strictly secret from these details, thus causing the "ingenious plan" that was in such a good position to fail at the last minute.

Also.

This scoundrel said that once the money entered the imperial treasury and the Taicang, "it would still be 300,000 taels if it wasn't weighed, but if it was, it probably wouldn't even be able to weigh down a 3,000 tael weight." Although he really didn't want to admit it, it was indeed an indisputable fact.

Taking a common egg as an example, he knew that the price of an egg in the market was only two coins, but he also knew that in the Guanglu Xun's accounts, the purchase price of an egg was as high as two taels of silver!

If all the imperial treasury funds are calculated at such a ratio, Yan Maoqing has already overestimated it. Three hundred thousand taels of silver probably wouldn't even be enough to weigh down a three hundred tael weight!
But from the highest officials like the Guanglu Xun to those specifically supplying merchants, everyone had plenty of reasons:
The eggs supplied to the imperial palace are from Qingyuan chickens in Guangdong; the transportation costs are extremely high; and there are significant losses along the way...

Although Zhu Houcong had his own opinion on this, he could only turn a blind eye.

After all, even the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty had issued a special edict reminding Prince Jin to treat his cook well, regarding this seemingly insignificant matter as a matter of life and death.

When he was young, Zhu Houcong didn't take it seriously, but after experiencing some things after ascending the throne, he now understands the admonitions of the founding emperor more and more deeply.

In fact, all the palace servants and eunuchs were no different from the "cooks" that Emperor Taizu mentioned.

After all, in order to promote the new policies in the early days, he had already become isolated. Now there are some things that he has to turn a blind eye to, which is a matter of life and death!
but……

Although Yan Maoqing's words were unpleasant to hear, they did indeed remind me!
Since I cannot have a private treasury of my own in the palace, even if I forcibly take it, I cannot account for it under a legitimate name, which would probably cause the "ingenious plan" to fail.

Even though I've gone to such great lengths, eight or nine tenths of it is just to fill the positions of those "cooks." What's the point?

So... if I were to do the opposite and temporarily deposit this money outside the palace, and have a stingy person who dares to snatch it from my grasp and is quite capable guarding it for me in case of emergency, wouldn't that be killing two birds with one stone?
While thinking this way.

The anger on Zhu Houcong's face was gradually fading, replaced by a sly smile as if he had just woken up from a dream. Even his eyes, when looking at Yan Maoqing, became brighter and brighter, as if they had just been polished and waxed.

"What... is going on now?"

Yan Maoqing felt a chill run down his spine as Zhu Houcong stared at him, as if he were enveloped by a strong sense of malice.

Something is wrong!
Zhu Houcong is acting very strangely!
Logically speaking, shouldn't Zhu Houcong be furious right now, ordering Huang Jin to come in and beat him up, then throwing him out of the palace?

Why did he suddenly stop getting angry? What was he smirking about? And what was the meaning behind that piercing gaze?
"Hehehe, what you said makes some sense, but I was just joking."

Zhu Houcong suddenly turned his back to hide his expression, and with a flourish of his sleeve, said in a very generous manner,
"Now that you have achieved such a great feat, I have always rewarded you promptly and punished you without delay. How could I treat a meritorious official so poorly for a penny's worth?"

"How could I possibly care about a mere 400,000 taels of silver? Since you earned it through your own abilities, it is all yours. I will issue you a written edict later, and Lu Bing will allow your oxcart to pass and order the Embroidered Uniform Guard to escort it to your residence."

"But there's something you need to remember: although you've received a huge sum of money today, you still need to be diligent and frugal in the future, and not be extravagant or excessive. I will have someone keep an eye on you."

"If you bring criticism upon yourself and ruin this grand plan, do not blame me for punishing you severely without mercy."

"This matter ends here. I am weary. You may leave now."

Something is wrong!
Something's even more wrong now!
Upon hearing this, Yan Maoqing was not overjoyed. Instead, he felt as if his heart had been squeezed tightly, and he was so palpitations that he almost suffocated.

There's a saying: "Those who offer unsolicited kindness are either treacherous or thieves!"
Zhu Houcong was shameless just now in order to take away his silver, so why is he suddenly so generous now? This cannot be explained away by simply saying "we were just joking around".

Combined with Zhu Houcong's strange expression just now, and the words he just said...

not good!

Could it be that Zhu Houcong was swayed by his hurtful words and suddenly decided to treat him like a human piggy bank, just like Heshen?
Learning from history, the emperor's human piggy bank was undoubtedly the most dangerous profession in officialdom, bar none!

If things really develop in this direction, forget about retiring and returning to one's hometown in this life or the next; even being able to return to one's roots in old age might be a problem...

"Father, please wait!"

In a moment of desperation, Yan Maoqing suddenly lunged forward and grabbed Zhu Houcong's leg, tears and snot streaming down his face.

"My lord! My lord! Your humble servant knows his mistake. Your humble servant was only joking with me!"

"How about we divide the money as Your Majesty just suggested? I'll be perfectly content with just 100,000 taels of silver. The rest is all yours. I'll kowtow and thank you for your grace!"

This is why there are currently no guards in the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Otherwise, his action, which was so easily misunderstood, might have meant that he would have been a hero again eighteen years later.

"..."

This was the first time in his life that Zhu Houcong had encountered a minister who dared to rush up and cling to his leg, even wiping his tears and snot all over him. He was both amused and exasperated.

That scoundrel who's practically emitting smoke, he got the advantage and still dares to act all innocent, he's utterly shameless!
Pack!
Keep pretending, even Yan Song couldn't have done it as well!

If it weren't for the fact that this scoundrel is somewhat useful, how could I have tolerated him!

"Huang Jin! Huang Jin! Huang Jin!"

"Expel this man from the palace! I never want to see him again!"

(End of this chapter)