Alien King

Chapter 756

So far, the Tiangong Empire has formed a situation where the military, government, and law stand on top of each other.Since the Royal Household Office was originally one level lower than the Military and Political Councils, it was far inferior to the Military and Political Councils in terms of power distribution.Therefore, the Royal Household Office automatically withdrew from the scope of the power struggle among the three powers.It is enough to manage several royal industries well.

On the fourteenth day of the first lunar month, the day before the Lantern Festival, Ye Tian held a joint meeting of various ministries in the Imperial Council.The topic of the meeting was to start construction of the Beijing-Jinjin Expressway as soon as possible.

Although the original official road can also be used by trucks and buses, the speed has dropped a lot. This is really not in line with Ye Tian's intention of connecting Beijing and Jinan with high speed.

At the joint meeting, Ji Yanwen, who was the Minister of Taxation, first said: "This project is very expensive. According to my estimate, it needs at least [-] million taels of silver, but the current state treasury can take up half of it at most."

Duan Muli went on to say: "Not only does it require a huge amount of money, but it will also take at least half a year."

Ye Tian glanced at Ji Yanwen and Duan Muli, and then said: "It will definitely not work for more than half a year, and the longest construction period is one month. After one month, I want to see the official opening of the Beijing-Jinjin Expressway."

Ji Yanwen and Duan Muli were stunned for a moment, then looked at each other, and Duan Muli said, "My lord, this is not a joke. There is a thousand miles between Beijing and Jinan. According to the engineering drawing plan you provided, that Two-way six-lane, the amount of work is too large. What's more, bridges need to be built when encountering rivers, and tunnels need to be drilled when encountering mountains. These engineering technologies, with our current level, may be extremely difficult."

Ye Tian raised his head, looked at Duan Muli, and said, "If it's just one engineering team, it will naturally take a long time, but if it's ten engineering teams, one hundred engineering teams starting work from all over the line at the same time, I'm afraid one month is more than enough."

"But?" Duan Muli was about to speak, but Ji Yanwen quietly pulled him away.

Turning his head and taking a look at Ji Yanwen, Duan Muli immediately understood what Ji Yanwen meant.

Originally, what Duan Muli wanted to say was that no matter how big the project was, as long as the number of the engineering team increased, the construction period would naturally be shortened.But the problem is that a project is built by an engineering team, and naturally it is a price.If ten engineering teams come to build, the labor cost will increase ten times, and if one hundred engineering teams come, naturally it will increase one hundred times.

The increase in the number of engineering teams requires a corresponding increase in investment.

But Ji Yanwen stopped Duan Muli in private, naturally because, since Ye Tian said that he wanted to increase the engineering team, he should increase the silver taels accordingly, that's all.There is no need to keep explaining to the Minister of State.

At this time, Ji Yanwen said: "If the construction period is to be completed within one month, as the adults said, at least one hundred projects are needed, and construction along the line is started at the same time. Each project team only needs to build ten miles, and then one Once connected. In this way, the required construction period will be greatly shortened."

Speaking of this, Ji Yanwen paused for a while, looked at Ye Tian, ​​and continued: "But with a hundred engineering teams piled up, the cost of the project is not just [-] million taels of silver."

Knowing that Ji Yanwen finally got to the point, Ye Tian deliberately said casually: "How much more investment will be needed?"

Ji Yanwen stretched out two fingers and said, "At least [-] million taels of silver need to be added."

Once this number was said, even Duan Muli who was beside him couldn't bear to hear it any longer.But Duan Muli snorted, but didn't speak.

In fairness, this kind of project consumes the most silver taels, but it is actually stone, wood and equipment.Although the salary of the engineering team is not a small figure, it definitely does not reach half of the entire investment.

Ye Tian sneered in his heart, and thought to himself: This Ji Yanwen really had the guts to dare to speak so loudly.Even if the engineering team doubled by a hundred times, it would definitely not be able to increase the amount of investment by so much.Did he really think that the new Minister of State would only play with technology?

Thinking of this, Ye Tian took a breath, and said: "In this way, if the Beijing-Jinjin Expressway is to be completed within a month, the total investment amount must reach [-] million taels of silver, is that so? Mr. Ji? "

Ji Yanwen nodded seriously, and said, "That's true."

Ye Tian said: "Okay, since the treasury can only get [-] million taels of silver, the remaining [-] million taels will be transferred by the Royal Household Office. On the account of the Ministry of Political Affairs, Mr. Duan, if I don’t see the official opening of the Beijing-Jinjin Expressway in a month’s time, I’ll ask you.”

Duan Muli was stunned for a moment, wondering why Ye Tian suddenly targeted him again.But after a short moment of astonishment, Duan Muli also thought quickly in his heart.

In fairness, [-] million taels of silver, based on the engineering design drawings provided by Ye Tian, ​​is enough to build three such highways.

Besides, as long as a hundred engineering teams are piled up, judging from Duan Muli's experience, it may take less than 20 days to complete the project.

Thinking of this, Duan Muli also nodded seriously, and said: "I will definitely finish the work as scheduled."

Seeing that Duan Muli agreed, Ye Tian turned his head again, looked at Ji Yanwen, and said, "The total amount of investment and the construction period were proposed by you, so please express your opinion."

Knowing that Ye Tian wanted to take joint and several responsibilities for himself, Ji Yanwen said in a low voice: "If the work is not completed on time, I and Mr. Duan will bear joint and several responsibilities together."

Ye Tian looked at Hu Fuzhen, Minister of Commerce and Politics again, and continued: "After the project is completed, you will be responsible for the collection and accounting of tolls for freight trucks and buses, and you are also the person closely related to this project. Please express your opinion too. .”

Hu Fuzhen didn't expect that Ye Tian would also implicate him, but from the very beginning, the three of them took the task from Ye Tian together, so it is not false to say that it is related.

Nodding his head, Hu Fuzhen also stated his position and said: "If the construction period cannot be completed, I will also be jointly and severally responsible."

Seeing that all three people expressed their views, Ye Tian glanced at the eight major books of the Shangshu, and then said: "Other people, do you have any different opinions?"

Everyone shook their heads.

Ye Tian patted the table and said, "The meeting is over."

Several ministers and ministers came out of the meeting hall of the Government Affairs Council.Chen Zhongxiu, Minister of Civil Affairs, frowned, came to Ji Yanwen's side, gently tugged Ji Yanwen's sleeve with his hand, and then said in a low voice, "I'm afraid it's not that simple today."

In all honesty, Ji Yanwen always had a feeling in his heart that what happened today was like Ye Tian dug a hole for him and asked him to jump into it.

But after thinking about it, Ji Yanwen felt nothing.

No matter how you look at it, it doesn't look like a trap.If Ye Tian asked him to handle some difficult financial cases, or to check someone's account, it might be a trap.But what happened today was just that the Royal Household Office had an extra [-] million taels of silver. It was just that Ye Tian was in pain, and it had nothing to do with him, Ji Yanwen.He, Ji Yanwen, was only responsible for how to spend the money, and then finished the project within a month. Naturally, there was nothing wrong with the whole court.

Thinking of this, Ji Yanwen looked at Chen Zhongxiu, frowned and said, "Why is it so complicated? Why don't you tell me?"

In fact, Chen Zhongxiu couldn't say anything, it was just an instinctive feeling.Looking at Ji Yanwen, Chen Zhongxiu asked, "Can you guarantee the completion of the project within one month?"

Ji Yanwen said: "This matter must be determined by an adult, but according to past experience, a hundred engineering teams are piled up, and each engineering team is only responsible for the length of ten miles. It will not take a month at all. Up to 20 days."

Chen Zhongxiu suddenly said meaningfully: "Will no one obstruct the construction?"

Hearing these words, Ji Yanwen's complexion changed, and only then did he really smell the conspiracy.At the joint meeting just now, he, Duan Muli and Hu Fuzhen had issued a military order.If it is really impossible to complete the work, the penalty for salary is a trivial matter, and I am afraid that I will face the punishment of dismissal.

If Ye Tian really dug such a hole, and then secretly arranged manpower to obstruct the construction in every possible way, then it is really possible that the construction cannot be completed within a month.

Thinking of this, Ji Yanwen said with a panicked expression: "No, no, I have to find Mr. Duan and Mr. Hu to settle this matter again."

While speaking, Ji Yanwen raised his feet and walked forward quickly.

Chen Zhongxiu said behind him: "This project can only be completed as soon as possible, and must not be delayed. Let alone a hundred engineering teams, even a thousand engineering teams, Mr. Ji can still make money."

Ji Yanwen was stunned again, and his heart suddenly opened.Then he turned around, saluted Chen Zhongxiu, and said, "Thank you, Mr. Chen, for reminding me."

That afternoon, 1000 million taels of silver was transferred from the Royal Central Bank to the account of the Ministry of Taxation under the arrangement of Dai Ni.According to the advance payment of the first phase of the project, the Ministry of Taxation and Administration transferred [-] taels of silver to the account of the Ministry of Industry and Administration.

After Duan Muli got the money, the first thing he did was to withhold 100 million taels of silver in private with Ji Yanwen, and the other 900 million taels began to enter into the substantive project payment process one after another.

As for the 100 million taels of silver that was deducted privately, after further discussions with Hu Fuzhen, the three talents had to figure out how to divide it up.

But at the same moment when the project officially started, the Dark Temple, which became the investigation agency directly under the Imperial Court of Justice, also dispatched corresponding personnel to secretly monitor Ji Yanwen, Duan Muli and Hu Fuzhen.

After the establishment of the Court of Justice, Chu Yu hardly recruited anyone from the Council of Government Affairs and the Academy of Military Affairs. In the entire Imperial Court of Justice, Chu Yu was the only person in name.In secret, Chu Yu only mobilized part of Ye Xing's power, and at the same time, Ye Xing also served as the real executor of the Imperial Court of Justice in secret.

For this reason, Chu Yu simply gave Ye Xing a nickname, Executioner.Non-action is punishment.Executing a sentence means enforcing the law.

As long as the evidence is solid, Ye Xing can arrest any official below the second rank of the empire at any time.As for the first-rank ministers of the imperial court, after Chu Yu reported to the eldest princess Chu Yue, Chu Yue could issue an order to arrest them.

From the second day onwards, well-known engineering teams around Shangjing and Jinling began to station in these two largest cities and states of the Tiangong Empire.

After a brief project coordination meeting, the construction of the Beijing-Jinjin Expressway officially started.

More than 150 engineering teams started working simultaneously in major cities and states along the route according to the route marked on the drawings.

(End of this chapter)