[Qing] If you don't work hard, you will be forced to inherit the throne

Why did things develop to the point of "Prince Meiyu"?

With an unbelievable mood, Yinreng sent someone to call Cao Zhen, who was in charge of marketing jade wares, to inquire in detail.

Cao Zhen felt guilty for a moment, and said guiltily: "It's all my fault. I can't help but want to praise His Highness every time, which has caused the current situation."

Others praised Cao Zhen as a hero born in a young age, with long-term insights at a young age, and with an unlimited future. He is another talented person in the capital after Nalan Xingde.

Cao Zhen was naturally very proud of being praised, and he said modestly, "Where is that?" Then he couldn't help but praise His Highness the Crown Prince.

"Compared to His Royal Highness, I am far behind. His Royal Highness is the real genius. Compared with His Highness's wisdom and foresight, I am less than one-tenth of it. You say I am a genius, but you don't know that if I don't study hard day and night, I will not even be able to use it." Can't keep up with His Highness's studies."

When others praised Cao Zhen for being handsome and graceful, Cao Zhen was happy but couldn't help saying: "Compared to His Highness's brilliance, I am less than one-tenth of it. Your Highness is like a bright moon, but I am just a star beside His Highness."

When he boasted, his eyes were full of little stars, and he never left His Highness in three words. Even when his own father praised him, he said, "Your Highness is amazing!"

Cao Zhen was responsible for the marketing. The capital jade wares that Yinreng bought were also set up by Cao Zhen in Zhangluo, and they set up a jade shop specially for foreigners. Cao Zhen bought it for His Royal Highness just like his father Cao Yin bought property for the emperor. industry.

The principal belongs to the prince, and the profits naturally belong to the prince. All transactions do not involve the slightest privilege of the court. Do business in a serious manner, and do marketing honestly. Praise the beauty of jade.

More and more foreigners came to ask him to buy jade. It is human nature to appreciate beauty, and Cao Zhen knows how to use her face. Is it not glamorous to be paired with beautiful jade?

He also has a problem, if others praise him, he has to bring His Royal Highness the Crown Prince with him, otherwise he will feel uncomfortable all over.

People say that even a face like Cao Zhen calls herself a star, and praises the crown prince as a moon. Wouldn't it make people more curious about the crown prince by such a comparison?

The reputation of Prince Meiyu was also spread at this time.

After hearing this, Yinfeng murmured: "No wonder when Gu walks in various ministries, he always feels that someone is staring at Gu and peeking at him. It's because of this encounter."

Cao Zhen felt even more guilty, and whispered: "Is this reputation bad? Did I cause trouble for His Highness?"

He wished that such an excellent His Royal Highness the Crown Prince would be known by more people and be loved by more people, but in the end, he still didn't have a good sense of proportion.

Yinfeng said indifferently: "That's not true. Knowing how the title came about, I have a bottom in my heart."

Seeing that Cao Zhen was still hesitating in place, he smiled and said, "Ah Zhen is not like this outside. You seem to be shining with confidence. Why do you lose confidence when you come back? I don't blame you, in the name of beautiful jade." , It sounds much better than a pig-raising prince. Foreigners call Khan Ama the 'Apollo of the East' and 'Emperor of Sending Children'. Compared with these, Gu would rather accept praises like Meiyu."

Someone praised Yinreng, and Yinreng was quite happy, his tail was going up to the sky.

Just when Ah Zhen praised him, he would not have such a sense of accomplishment. Ah Zhen has been with him since childhood, and the two have a close relationship. When Ah Zhen praises him, it is good everywhere.

Cao Zhen went on to talk about the recent profit.

"Since your reputation spread, His Royal Highness, in just one month, you have already made an imaginary profit of 1000 million taels." These imaginary numbers include barters from foreigners, not pure silver taels. Cao Zhen roughly estimated that, If they were all converted into silver taels, 1000 million taels would be fine.

Yinfeng spurted out a sip of tea instantly, he couldn't believe it: "What did you say, how many taels!?"

"1000 million taels," Cao Zhen counted in detail: "Foreigners have a great demand for jade wares, because most of the jade wares in the capital were purchased in a centralized manner before, and they had no way to shop around, so whatever I launched, the bidding price was very high."

"Jade is priceless. Good jade can be sold for sky-high prices. They exchange things with us and gems, and those gems can be sold to domestic merchants.

Yinfeng: "..."

1000 million taels, which is too eye-catching, no wonder the people who stared at him in the court kept making things difficult for him, and even impeached Khan Ama for his behavior of buying jade in the capital.

"Does anyone know how much money you make?"

Cao Zhen shook her head: "The bidding price is known to everyone, but only I know the total sales amount."

Yinfeng sighed, "That's eye-catching enough."

Cao Zhen stared at the stars, and said seriously: "Your Highness needs money to do great things, so I will try to make more money for you, for your dream, and for my dream!"

Yinfeng said helplessly: "This 1000 million taels of silver is really hot."

Cao Zhen blushed, and apologized in a low voice: "I have always been open and aboveboard in my business. A gentleman loves money and gets it in a proper way. Being a Confucian businessman can win people's hearts better than being a pure businessman. But because of this, I have offended many people. They are jealous, for this reason, they have to borrow His Highness's power to protect the results they have earned. I am alone, and I am still alone in the end. It is my poor ability to handle affairs, which makes His Highness suffer from this anger."

"It's just that this matter can't be solved." Cao Zhen changed her style of painting and analyzed for Yinfeng: "Seeing that foreigners' demand for Qing Dynasty shops is increasing, and the huge profits from the jade business can be imagined. This profit cannot be imagined. It is owned by His Highness alone, otherwise it may cause fire, so it is better to use it to share some benefits of the household department, so that His Highness can use the power of the national treasury to protect himself in the future."

As a person who has followed His Highness the Crown Prince since childhood, Cao Zhen used his clever little head and rich experience to speculate on His Highness' needs and ideas.

Yinfeng took a deep look at him: "It's still Ah Zhen who understands me."

The inscrutable appearance, the self-confidence revealed in the pride, and the phrase "you know me" will leave you alone, which is the greatest affirmation and praise for Cao Zhen's hard work these days.

His cheeks were flushed, and he said excitedly: "I know Your Highness won't take these all by himself. You make money for Qing Dynasty." This is what Cao Zhen admires Yinfeng.

"It's also you who told me that money in the warehouse is always dead money, and it can only be active when it is circulated into the market. Silver taels are just a kind of currency. Your Highness has a higher vision than ordinary people. I will follow you Only when you see the farther places around you, can you understand one-tenth of your mind."

Yinfeng shook his head: "If Gu said he didn't plan to ask for a penny?"

Cao Zhen was taken aback, then smiled and said, "Your Highness, just do whatever you want, and I will do my best to help you. The money is yours, and you can do whatever you want."

Yinreng was dazzled by his smile, and praised sincerely: "Ah Zhen is so pretty when she smiles, you are pretty, but you are not feminine at all, instead you are full of vitality, like the brightest sunflower in spring !"

As soon as Cao Zhen heard it, she knew that His Highness the Crown Prince had read too many famous poems from the West, and couldn't help being shy by his aboveboard praise.

Cao Zhen imitated the boldness and straightforwardness of Western poetry, and turned her words back to Yinfeng: "You praised me as a sunflower, and sunflowers chase the sun, and His Royal Highness is the dazzling sun hanging in the sky."

Yinrong twitched the corner of his mouth.

The phrase "The Emperor of the Qing Dynasty is the Apollo of the East!" floated in his mind again!

"Don't compare Gu to the sun, it's enough to compare Gu to the moon," Yinfeng protested softly.

Although Cao Zhen didn't know why, seeing Yinfeng's serious expression, she nodded immediately.

After the two discussed, they planned to find someone to take over the hot 1000 million taels.

No one is more suitable to accept this sum of money than the Ministry of household affairs.

Whatever Yinfeng wants to do, as long as it is in the interests of the Qing Dynasty, the courtiers will check and fill in the gaps for him after discussion, and finally the Ministry of Households will allocate funds.

Chen Tingjing insisted on depositing silver at the household department, but his mind was very clear, knowing that he was stuck at the bottom line to give money.

"I trust Mr. Chen. After all, Ama Khan asked Mr. Chen to borrow money when he was young. Mr. Chen didn't give face and refused to open the treasury! Instead, he lent his salary to Ama Khan..."

Yinfeng knows that only when money is confiscated can the interests be maximized, and with this income from the national treasury, infrastructure construction can be started!

"Go and remove Gu's principal from the money, as well as the salaries of his subordinates, and your share of the rewards. Gu will not let you work hard without getting paid."

Cao Zhen nodded like a chick pecking at rice: "Your Highness is always right, I'll do it now."

Today's little follower of the prince is still sparing no effort to brag to Yinrong!

In the early morning of the next day, the courtiers did not need to go to court early, and went directly to their respective posts to do some work when the time came. Chen Tingjing also came to the household department as usual.

After Yakesa started the war, Eldest Brother stayed in Longxingjiang City with the army, while the Emperor set out to return, and he would be able to return to the capital in a short time.

On the way back, the emperor would deliberately take a long way and ask to build roads for the emperor along the way.

When Yujia returns to the capital, the road that has been built can be used by the common people.

With all these things, the Ministry of Households spent a lot of money on road repairs. In addition to the money spent on the front-line war, the emperor made a big determination to attach great importance to this battle. While sending people to keep an eye on the trend in the Western Regions, he continued to support the war in the north with money and food. .

Chen Tingjing was exhausted from the war of burning money, and suddenly he heard that His Royal Highness sent someone to announce that he would come over in a while, and suddenly one head and two big.

"This time, I can't let His Highness mess around anymore. I won't agree to continue appropriating funds no matter what. The emperor also said that the treasury should focus on the frontline war first."

The imperial envoy Guo Xiu came here on the grounds of supervising all the officials, and frowned upon hearing this.

Although he has a good impression of the prince for studying abroad, but now that there is corruption around the prince, Guo Xiu will not sit idly by.

Guo Xiu asked: "Does the prince often borrow money from the state treasury? Isn't his private wealth taken from the emperor's private treasury?"

The emperor will open the private treasury to His Royal Highness, this is something that anyone with a discerning eye knows.

Chen Tingjing has a good impression of Guo Xiu. Both of them have a common language on anti-corruption. They have also worked as spokespersons. Chen Tingjing understands what Guo Xiu wants to say.

"That's not the case. The crown prince clearly separates his private talent from the state treasury's wealth. The emperor also asked His Royal Highness not to use private wealth to fill the state treasury. Similarly, the treasury's money is only used for the court. If the prince wants to use it, he must follow the right path. Cabinet, approved."

Guo Xiu said: "The clues indicate that the prince used overseas trade to compete with the people for profit, and I am afraid he made a lot of money on top of this."

This is exactly the purpose of Guo Qin coming to Chen Tingjing.

Guo Xiu said: "I am the supervisor of the imperial court. If there is corruption, I will not let it go easily. Now there are rumors that someone is leading me to investigate the prince thoroughly and expose the prince's pursuit of personal gain."

If it was in the past, Guo Qin would have been fooled a long time ago.

But in front of Guo Xiu, who had seen the grand occasion of the Qing Research Institute, he didn't think the prince was selfish, nor did he seem to have a character that would try his best to covet money.

Guo Qin told Chen Tingjing his concerns.

Chen Tingjing was silent for a moment, and said firmly: "What you said is not wrong, the prince is not a person with selfish desires."

"Although he..." always finds a way to spend money from the treasury.

"But as the crown prince, he is absolutely excellent and qualified."

"His heart is like a mirror, and he will not do such things that harm others and benefit himself."

Chen Tingjing did not hesitate to support the prince, which made Guo Xiu hesitate.

At this moment, someone outside reported: "Master Chen, the crown prince has come down, and he said he will send you money!"

Chen Tingjing and Guo Qian looked at each other, both were at a loss.

Chen Tingjing got up hurriedly, opened the door and asked, "Send money, what kind of money?"

He saw that the prince was accompanied by Cao Zhen who was reading with him, and Cao Zhen was still holding several books in his hand.

"Not much, not much, just over 900 million taels of silver, maybe it will exceed 1000 million taels by next month. It is nothing compared to the annual tax revenue of the national treasury of 6000 million taels, but this is the profit of the jade shop in recent months. "

As Yinfeng said, Cao Zhen had already handed the ledger to Chen Tingjing, and explained with a smile: "These are the profit ledgers of the jade shop, and they are the remaining amount after deducting the principal from your highness. A large number of transactions with foreigners can be used as treasury revenue, and it is more appropriate for the government to manage it."

Not to mention Guo Xiu, even Chen Tingjing, an old acquaintance who had seen the prince's various operations a lot, was stunned.

Chen Tingjing couldn't believe it: More than 900 million taels of silver, free of charge? !