A special forces soldier traveled through time and space to become a genius of literature and martia

Hubu Yamen.

"Lord Luo, please compare it with previous years and calculate how much stone and wood are needed to build a levee of the same size, and how much they cost." Yuan Ying said thoughtfully as he flipped through the account books of the Ministry of Works.

Luo Huaian, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, was a third-rank official. He was like a clean stream in the Ministry of Revenue, honest and dedicated to his work. Hearing Yuan Ying's words, he immediately asked with concern: "Master Yuan, is there anything wrong with this?"

"As a general rule, if the Ministry of Works has a construction project, it should apply directly to the Ministry of Revenue for funds. Why did the construction of the Huaiyang dike this year require the emperor to be notified and the emperor to order before they could come to the Ministry of Revenue to ask for money?"

Luo Huaian explained: "At that time, the Ministry of Works claimed that the situation was urgent, so they reported it to the emperor first to seek a quick resolution."

Yuan Ying frowned and said in a deep voice: "This project is so huge, and the silver money required is 120 million taels. Shouldn't they plan carefully and budget in advance? They said that the situation was urgent... but they acted first and reported later. This move is quite strange and makes people think deeply."

"Moreover," Yuan Ying paused, "I looked at the past records. In recent years, the costs of all the large and small construction projects that passed through the Ministry of Works have far exceeded expectations."

Luo Huaian was surprised. "Based on this, there are indeed many problems in the Ministry of Industry."

"That's right," Yuan Ying nodded solemnly, "This matter must be thoroughly investigated. Otherwise, if this continues, the court's money will be pocketed by them."

"But Lord Yuan, Lord Li, the Minister of Works, is the maternal family of the current Imperial Concubine. His family background is prominent and his foundation in the court is deep. I'm afraid it will be difficult to shake him easily..." Luo Huaian looked embarrassed.

"Humph, I don't believe there is no law!" Yuan Ying's eyes were firm, "Even if he has great power, as long as we have solid evidence, we will be able to bring him to justice."

"Well, Lord Yuan is right. We scholars should establish our minds for the world and our lives for the people. I will definitely cooperate with you to get to the bottom of this case!" Luo Huaian said with a bow.

Luo Huaian has always been meticulous and careful. He quickly sorted out the specific details of this construction. The 120 million taels of construction cost included the wages of long-term workers, the purchase of stones and wood, and subsidies for the occupation of farmland and housing sites of surrounding residents.

Although it was difficult to calculate all these things, he soon listed them clearly. He looked up the accounts of all the dikes in Daxia in recent years, and after he had thoroughly calculated them, he compared them with those in previous years.

In the 28th year of Kang Ren, the Hengzhou water dike project purchased 18,000 catties of stone, costing 50,000 taels of silver, 6,300 catties of wood, costing 42,000 taels of silver, recruited 5,000 long-term workers, costing 101,000 taels of silver, and compensated the land for 203,200 taels of silver... A total of 627,140 taels...

Kang Ren’s twenty-second year Huzhou water dike project… a total of 409,723 taels… Kang Ren’s seventeenth year Hangzhou City water dike project… a total of 501,612 taels…

After listening to Luo Huaian's report, Yuan Ying remained silent for a long time.

River management was the largest and most expensive project in ancient times, and corruption in project procurement was also the most horrific.

As the saying goes, you can't get a tiger cub without going into the tiger's den. If he wants to know whether there is corruption in the construction this time, he has to go there in person. As the backbone of the Ministry of Revenue, Yuan Ying cannot leave Beijing for a day. The people in charge under him are either old and have poor eyesight, or have gone out for inspection and have not returned yet.

Yuan Ying looked at Luo Huaian and said, "Lord Luo, if I send you to Huaiyang City to check the details of the dike, would you dare?"

Luo Huaian said: "I promise to complete the task and live up to your expectations!"

"You can check it secretly without revealing your identity. And I will send someone to protect you secretly, so don't be afraid." Yuan Ying added.

If there really was something shady going on in the Ministry of Works, Luo Huaian would be in great danger if his identity as a minister of revenue was exposed.

This concerns the national treasury and there is no time to lose.

Yuan Ying arranged for him to set off for Huaiyang Prefecture that afternoon, and sent Zhang An and Yun Jiu to protect him secretly.

After everything was arranged, Yuan Ying wrote a secret letter in person to report the matter in detail to the emperor, hoping for his wise decision.

…………

When Yuan Ying was upset, she liked to ride alone in the suburbs, letting her thoughts drift away with the wind and seeking a moment of peace. She knew that the affairs of the Ministry of Industry were far from simple as they seemed. The forces in the court were intertwined and the relationships were complicated, like a tangled web.

However, faced with all this, she did not show the slightest fear, but instead faced the challenges head-on with a firm will.

Yuan Ying sat under the maple tree, gazing at the setting sun gently shining on the maple leaves, and slowly took out the bamboo flute he carried with him.

She gently placed the bamboo flute to her lips and took a deep breath of the fresh autumn air, as if she could draw endless inspiration and tranquility from it.

As the first note floats out, a melodious song travels through the corridor of time and echoes in the ears, as if telling of a thousand years of waiting and anticipation.

Her fingers danced flexibly between the flute holes, showing both power and tenderness. The air around her seemed to tremble gently with the melody, and even the mountains and forests in the distance seemed to be listening quietly.

When the song ended, the lingering sound lingered in the air, and Yuan Ying slowly put down the bamboo flute.

Suddenly, a clear and pleasant sound was heard, and the voice contained endless charm and loveliness: "Sir, I am polite. The song you just played is really the sound of nature, which is intoxicating. I wonder if you can tell me the name of this song?"

Yuan Ying looked in the direction of the voice and saw a woman in plain white clothes walking out of the woods.

She has a slim figure and a beautiful face, her eyebrows are as dark as distant mountains, her eyes are as clear as autumn water, her lips are like cherry blossoms with dew, and she looks like a fairy from heaven, untainted by the dust of the world.

Yuan Ying stood up, clasped his fists and said in return: "Miss, you are too kind. The name of this song is "A Thousand Years of Waiting"."

"This is the first time I have ever heard such heavenly music. Could it be your masterpiece?" Her eyes were sparkling with curiosity and admiration.

Yuan Ying smiled slightly and answered modestly: "Let's just call it that. I just felt something and used the song to express my feelings."

When she heard this, her eyes lit up even brighter, and she asked expectantly, "Sir, you are so talented, could you teach me so that I can also appreciate the beauty of this song?"

Yun Mengyao thought to herself that if she could master this song, it would definitely add a lot of brilliance to Yanchun Tower and attract more guests.

Yuan Ying readily agreed and blew the bamboo flute again. The melodious flute sound echoed in the forest.

Yun Mengyao listened to the melody, intoxicated by it, and couldn't help but hum along. The two people's voices blended together, like a match made in heaven.

After the song, Yun Mengyao sighed: "This song should only exist in heaven, how many times can it be heard in the world? The young master is really a hidden talent!"

Yuan Ying smiled and said, "Miss, you are too kind. However, I see that you are quite knowledgeable about music, so you must be an expert."

"I am not very talented, but I know a thing or two." Yun Mengyao lowered her head shyly.

"Why is the girl walking alone in the suburbs?" Yuan Ying asked casually.

"There is a farm near me. I came here today to inspect it. When I was about to return, I suddenly heard the melodious sound of the flute, and I couldn't help but follow the sound. My maid is waiting on the road below."

Yun Mengyao bowed slightly, "It's time for me to go back. It's fate that I met you today. I don't know if I can see you again in the future."

"We'll meet again if we're destined to." Yuan Ying said with a smile.

Yun Mengyao nodded, turned and left, her figure gradually disappearing into the woods.

……

In the following days, Yuan Ying continued to investigate the Ministry of Industry and found many new loopholes in the Ministry's accounts, which were likely related to corruption.

At the same time, Luo Huaian and others also arrived in Huaiyang City. After arriving, he did not rest and eagerly began to investigate the details of the embankment construction. He disguised himself as an ordinary citizen, went deep into the construction site, talked with the workers, and learned the truth.

The foreman told me that the quality of the stone and wood used in the dike construction was low, but the price was much higher than the market price. What was even more suspicious was that the promised wages had not yet been paid to the workers. The people’s land acquisition fees had not yet been fully compensated.

Luo Huaian knew that this matter was of great importance, so he decided to go to the warehouse where the Ministry of Industry stored materials at night. With the help of Zhang An and Yun Jiu, he successfully sneaked into the warehouse and found a large amount of low-quality stones and wood, which was completely inconsistent with the records in the account book.

Just as he was about to take a closer look, he suddenly heard footsteps outside...