Getting Rich from Legend of Zhen Huan

Jiang Chen brought more than a dozen baskets of corn into the palace, along with the Fourth Prince, Honghui, Hongxi and Hongshi.

Kangxi carefully observed the corn. The green was wrapped in golden yellow, which was very festive. Kangxi picked up a corn and asked Jiang Chen, "How do you eat this?"

Jiang Chen replied, "The simplest way to cook this is to add water and cook it. It has a natural fragrance, is soft and sticky, and has an endless aftertaste."

Kangxi thought of the sweet potato banquet that year and joked, "I forgot that if this thing was not delicious, Wangxuan would not easily promote it."

Jiang Chen bowed his hands in embarrassment, "People's livelihood is difficult, there is not much I can do. I just hope that the people can eat enough and eat well."

Seeing Jiang Chen's embarrassed look, Kangxi said with a hint of complaint, "Over the years, you have become more and more respectful and polite, but you are not as good as when you were young."

Jiang Chen was somewhat sad and silent. Kangxi knew that he was thinking of Li Guangdi, and said with the same feeling, "If Jin Qing were still alive..."

After a moment of silence, Kangxi instructed Liang Jiugong, "As Wangxuan said, cook some corn and let us taste it."

While waiting, the three younger princes gathered around Kangxi and talked, telling him interesting stories about working in the fields. They listened to Hongshi saying naively that his hands hurt from cutting the land. Kangxi did not have strict requirements on his sons, nor did he scold Hongshi for not being able to endure hardship. Instead, he encouraged Hongshi with a smile.

Kangxi talked to his grandchildren, but he did not forget his fourth son and Jiang Chen, asking them about the secrets of corn cultivation from time to time. Everyone talked and laughed, and soon the cooked corn was served.

Kangxi picked up the corn first. In order to make it easier to eat, the corn had been cut into bite-sized pieces by the imperial kitchen. As soon as Kangxi took a bite, he felt his eyes light up. The corn was harvested at the right time and was tender and sweet, just right for Kangxi's current teeth.

After eating and wiping their hands, Kangxi highly praised Jiang Chen and asked them to leave.

After leaving the palace, the Fourth Prince and Jiang Chen were in one carriage, while Honghui and Hongshi were in another. Hongxi took a different route back home. Hongshi approached Honghui and whispered, "Uncle has made such a great contribution, why doesn't the Emperor say anything?"

Honghui was also puzzled, but he still reminded Hongshi, "Grandpa Huang is the emperor. How could he not know whether it is reward or punishment? Don't say this anymore."

The children didn't understand, but the adults were not surprised by the result. In another carriage, the Fourth Prince said to Jiang Chen, "I'm sorry, Wang Xuan."

Jiang Chen shook his head indifferently, "As long as the people of the world can enjoy the convenience of corn, the rest is trivial."

But the Fourth Prince had worked in the Ministry of Revenue for many years and was well aware of the emptiness of the national treasury. He could not help but feel angry, "The Emperor has been more tolerant in recent years, but the people below are ungrateful. The national treasury is so empty that even rats can escape!"

Jiang Chen knew that this was to win people's hearts. Kangxi allowed officials to write IOUs to borrow money from the national treasury. The ones who borrowed money were always the bosses. Over the past few decades, not only ministers but also princes borrowed a lot of money. The debts kept increasing. Who would be willing to pay it back?

The Fourth Prince had tried to recover the money owed to the treasury, but ultimately failed. This was because not only the Prince's party owed money, but also the Great Thousand Years Party. To be honest, all the civil and military officials in the court owed money to the treasury. Did the Fourth Prince want to recover the money just by talking?

Jiang Chen consoled the Fourth Prince, "As long as the Emperor does not want to investigate this matter, it is useless for His Majesty to worry."

The Fourth Prince clenched his fists and said sadly, "If the family is really in financial difficulty, I have nothing to say, but does Wang Xuan know what the important officials borrowed hundreds of thousands of silver to see?" Without waiting for Jiang Chen to answer, the Fourth Prince said to himself, "They put the silver directly into the private sector to borrow high-interest loans! For every 100,000 taels, they can get back more than 5,000 taels a month!"

Countless families have been ruined by usury, and the imperial court has always cracked down on it severely. However, important officials used the people's money from the national treasury to harm the people. It's really ridiculous!

Jiang Chen followed Li Guangdi and borrowed more than a thousand taels of silver in order to fit in. However, since his family had never been short of money and he did not work in the Ministry of Revenue, he had no idea what was going on.

"Has it become so corrupt? Has Your Majesty ever reported the truth to the Emperor?" Jiang Chen also gritted his teeth.

The Fourth Prince smiled bitterly. He didn't want Jiang Chen to be unaware of the situation. When he was collecting debts, the Crown Prince was still in power! Jiang Chen was still a student. How could he know the inside story?

"Why didn't I explain this to the Emperor when I was investigating? But the moment I went to ask for the money owed, the Emperor subsidized the court officials himself. It's really unbearable!"

So the matter was left unresolved. Even if the Fourth Prince had caught these people, what could the Fourth Prince do as long as Kangxi refused to admit it? In addition, after so much time had passed, who else would remember such a thing except the Fourth Prince?

Jiang Chen couldn't help but pound the table, hating his own powerlessness.

Seeing Jiang Chen so angry, the Fourth Prince was not so angry anymore. He had made great progress in these years, but his ability to endure had become more and more sophisticated. "Now I can only do my own thing and wait for the future."

Tomorrow? Jiang Chen regained his composure and said to the Fourth Prince, "Although the Emperor did not reward me this time, it might be a good thing."

In the fifty-seventh year, Jiang Chen was promoted to Shangshu, but he did not take over the Ministry of Personnel as everyone expected. Instead, he went to the Ministry of War, which made it easier for Jiang Chen to mobilize food and fodder in the rear and assist in the battle in Tibet.

When this appointment was announced, everyone felt it was reasonable. After all, Jiang Chen had never given up farming over the years and was indeed good at it. On the other hand, it also made people feel relieved. How old was he, and he was going to be the Minister of Personnel? It was really scary. Fortunately, the emperor had not lost his mind.

However, there is no room for promotion in official rank, and there is still room for rewards elsewhere. After transporting grain and grass, Jiang Chen was promoted to baron. If Kangxi is interested, he can certainly continue to be promoted, but Kangxi did not mention anything. It is both a bad thing and a good thing. Now that Jiang Chen's contribution is suppressed, there is only one possibility, waiting for the new emperor to ascend the throne in the future and win over Jiang Chen.

The Fourth Prince felt hot in his heart when he thought of this possibility. Kangxi was now sensitive and suspicious, and the Fourth Prince did not dare to risk angering Kangxi by probing Kangxi's physical condition. He could only confirm it through indirect means.

But thinking about it, the Fourth Prince hesitated again, "I just don't know which son the Emperor likes most." The Fourteenth Prince has also developed well in Tibet in recent years, and many people in the court have spoken up for him.

Jiang Chen smiled calmly and reminded the Fourth Prince, "When the Crown Prince was not deposed, there was also the danger of the Dzungar Khanate. Did the Emperor send the Crown Prince to fight?" No! The Crown Prince was responsible for supervising the country, and Kangxi was in charge of the government. This was also a preparation for Kangxi to succeed the Crown Prince directly and stabilize the situation in case of an accident.

The Fourth Prince understood clearly that Kangxi would never let his favorite heir go to the battlefield!