Chapter 3200 Bargaining
The emperor summoned Zhou Man back to the capital, firstly because of Lord Wei's illness, and secondly because of the new rice seeds.
He also knew that Zhou Man was the head of the Zhou family. If it was just a reward, it would be the same as issuing an imperial decree to send her to Qingzhou. The reason why she was called back was to discuss rice seed cultivation and rice seed purchase with the Ministry of Revenue and the Sino-Agricultural Temple.
The grand court meeting had just ended, and Zhou Man was thinking of leaving the palace to go home and rest, but he was stopped by Gu Zhong as soon as he walked out of the palace gate.
He bent down and said with a smile, "Master Zhou, His Majesty wishes to see you."
But he didn't leave. Instead, he waited for a while. When Yang Heshu came out, he said to him, "Sir Yang, His Majesty summoned you."
The two looked at each other, nodded to Tang He who came out with them, and went to the back hall with Gu Zhong.
The emperor had been sitting for almost a whole day. Although he had rested and used the toilet, he was still very tired. He was walking around with his neck twisted. When he turned around and saw the prince sitting steadily in the chair, he pointed at him and said, "You move too."
The Crown Prince: "...Father, I am not tired."
The emperor didn't believe it and was about to criticize him when Yang Heshu and Zhou Man arrived.
The emperor asked someone to come in and asked them to sit down. "I didn't have a good lunch. I asked someone to prepare some food and snacks. Let's talk while we eat."
Zhou Man and Yang Heshu bowed and accepted the request, then sat down opposite the prince.
Both Zhou Man and Yang Heshu had experience of dining at the same table with the emperor, so they were not nervous, just a little restrained.
The emperor was tired today and didn't feel like exchanging pleasantries, so he said directly, "I've seen the recorded data. The two usable rice seeds are only in your families. I will ask the Ministry of Revenue to purchase the seeds from you. Changbo will be responsible for this matter. Ziqian, you are aware that the national treasury has been heavily expended this year, and there is not much money left in the treasury..."
Zhou Man was stunned for a moment before she realized that the words were directed at her. The emperor rarely called her by her given name, so she was a little unaccustomed to it. She shuddered and said hurriedly, "Your Majesty, please don't say that. I can offer a lower price than usual to help your Majesty."
Yang Heshu, who was sitting nearby, cleared his throat, attracted Zhou Man's attention, and asked, "Is this the normal price for seeds or grain?"
The emperor also narrowed his eyes and looked at Zhou Man with a smile.
Zhou Man: "...What do you think, Your Majesty?"
The emperor turned to look at the prince, "What do you think?"
Prince: ...
Yang Heshu moved his foot slightly, stepped on Zhou Man's toes and applied a little force. Zhou Man smiled and said, "Of course, it's based on the normal price of grain. Your Majesty, your grace is so great that my family cannot repay you..."
The emperor smiled and said, "We can't let you suffer too much. Let's buy it according to the normal price. There's no need to be cheap, otherwise the Ministry of Revenue will bully you in the future."
Yang Heshu: ...Isn’t the Ministry of Revenue still your Ministry of Revenue?
Since she had given up the big part, Zhou Man didn't care about the small part anymore, so she declined, insisting that this was what she should do and she did it voluntarily.
The emperor was delighted, so he pointed to a fish soup and asked Gu Zhong to give her two spoonfuls, saying with a smile, "This fish soup is delicious."
Zhou Man took a bite, secretly exhaled, raised his head and smiled at the emperor, "It's delicious, Your Majesty, I also have something to report."
"What's up?"
Zhou Man put down his spoon and said, "Qingzhou now has three medical offices, but the people of Qingzhou still can't enjoy the benefits of the medical offices, let alone the medical offices in other places."
"Medical offices across the country need many doctors. Furthermore, there are also administrative and miscellaneous staff needed for these offices, all of which are in short supply," Zhou Man said. "I would like to ask Your Majesty to expand the Imperial Medical Office's enrollment scope, or to add an additional item to the Imperial College's examination. Then, the Imperial College and the Imperial Medical Office can cooperate to train some talents for the Imperial Medical Office."
This matter was no small matter. Although trivial, it had far-reaching implications. The emperor put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth with the handkerchief, and asked, "Anything else?"
Zhou Man chuckled and said, "There's also the matter of restructuring the county and prefecture medical offices. I've previously submitted a memorial detailing this."
The emperor looked at the prince and said, "I remember you endorsed this earlier. Do you all agree?"
The prince said calmly, "Many people agree with this."
The emperor narrowed his eyes at the prince, "What about those who disagree?"
The Crown Prince said, "Father, the Imperial Medical Bureau's students are now of great use to the army. Furthermore, the Imperial Medical Bureau's patented medicines, while not yet profitable, can offset a significant portion of expenses. I think this is a viable option."
Zhou Man nodded repeatedly and persuaded the emperor, "Your Majesty, don't think that the Medical Bureau is operating at a loss now. In the long run, it will definitely make money. Even if it doesn't make a profit, it won't be as big as it is now."
"And think about it, how many ordinary people could the medical department save? All the money lost was used to support your people. They are all your children..."
The emperor was drinking soup when he choked.
The prince glared at Zhou Man secretly, and together with Gu Zhong, he helped his father wipe his clothes.
The emperor nodded at Zhou Man from a distance, amused. After a brief pause, he said, "I heard that the Bai family has also planted a lot of new rice seeds in Longzhou, and the harvest is no less than that of Qingzhou and Mianzhou."
Zhou Man was silent for a long time, and finally gritted his teeth and said, "Okay, I'll give it to you at the regular price."
The emperor emphasized: "It is the regular price given to the Ministry of Revenue."
Zhou Man nodded perfunctorily. Aren’t they all the same?
The meal was a great success for both the host and the guests, at least on the surface.
The emperor waited until Yang Heshu and Zhou Man were far away before sighing to the crown prince, "If only those old foxes in the court were as straightforward as Zhou Man."
The prince complained in his heart, "When there is something to do, be Ziqian; when there is nothing to do, be Zhouman."
But he still nodded and praised her, "After all, she is young and doesn't take personal gain too seriously."
Zhou Man, who was walking out of the palace with Yang Heshu, was doing mental arithmetic on his fingers.
Yang Heshu looked at her several times and couldn't help asking, "Who are you?"
Zhou Man: "Let me calculate how many years it will take me to cultivate the newly acquired land to earn back the money I gave away today."
Yang Heshu couldn't help but smile when he heard this. "Then you definitely earned it. If you don't count the honors, and only count the value of the fiefdom, you'll earn it back in a few years. And that fiefdom is for a lifetime. If you work hard and live to be eighty, you still have nearly sixty years left. If the emperor is so kind, your title can be inherited by someone, and you can even leave some for your descendants. That would be even more profitable."
When Zhou Man heard this, his heart ached immediately and he nodded repeatedly, saying, "Good idea."
Yang Heshu laughed out loud and asked, "Doesn't it make you happier now that you think about it this way?"
Zhou Man nodded. Seeing him laughing like this, he couldn't help but say, "Xiaoxue Brother Yang, you just followed His Majesty to trick me."
Yang Heshu said: "Do your job according to your position. I am now a member of the Ministry of Revenue. I am the buyer and you are the seller. Naturally, I want to maximize the interests of the Ministry of Revenue."
Zhou Man thought about it and passed over the matter. "Brother, my price is already very low. You can't hold me back when the time comes."
Yang Heshu smiled and said, "Don't worry, I will give it to you in full and on time."
Zhou Man felt relieved.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
