Chapter 55 Two Choices
"Your Majesty, all the money deposited into the treasury has been counted. The total is 300,000 taels of silver and 50,000 taels of gold."
Xiao Chenglan stood in front of the dragon throne with his hands behind his back, his back to the officials from the Ministry of Revenue who were kneeling in the hall.
"My dear ministers, please get up. Now that the inventory is complete, prepare the silver as before and set off to Tongzhou and Bozhou by the 20th at the latest."
The Minister of Revenue, Su Wenyue, and the Assistant Minister of Revenue, Shen Xi, stood up together.
Su Wenyue glanced at Shen Xi, and Shen Xi understood and stepped forward to speak.
"Your Majesty, the treasury was previously empty, so the budget for building the dike was repeatedly cut. Now that there is money, why not allocate more money?"
Xiao Chenglan turned abruptly and said unhappily, "Why, didn't you say fifty thousand was more than enough? Why are you asking me for more money now? The national treasury has finally received funds, do you think you have to use it all on this matter before you'll stop?"
Shen Xi quickly bowed and apologized, "Your Majesty, please calm down. I dare not do that."
Su Wenyue glanced at Xiao Chenglan, who refused to give in, and her face fell, but she didn't dare to say anything more.
After leaving the palace, Shen Xi consoled him, "Master Su, you've heard it too. His Majesty finally has money, so why would he let go? I heard that His Majesty had the idea of building a cultivation palace when he first ascended the throne. Now that he has the money, he must hold on to it tightly. I'll wait and look for opportunities in the future."
Su Wenyue felt more and more upset.
That was originally the Su family’s money!
I thought of asking His Majesty to allocate more funds to Tongzhou and Bozhou, so that I could take the opportunity to make some moves and get back as much as possible. However, His Majesty refused to give in.
It really makes him angry!
Su Wenyue flicked her sleeves and strode away.
Shen Xi saw him leave and hurried back to Changqing Palace.
Xiao Chenglan was writing a memorial quickly. "After deducting the money spent on the dike construction, how many war horses can I buy with the remaining money, based on the current market price at the border horse market?"
Shen Xi had already made plans for the warhorse, and at this moment he immediately stretched out five fingers and shook them.
Xiao Chenglan had an idea in mind.
That's enough.
Once you have money, you should first recruit soldiers and horses. To get rid of the seven surnames, bloodshed is necessary.
"Lord Wei has already seen the place where His Majesty mentioned the training palace. It is a good place to train new soldiers."
Xiao Chenglan hummed, "You don't have to worry about the account book for this dam repair."
Shen Xi was stunned for a moment, "Then who will your majesty hand over the account book?"
Xiao Chenglan didn't say anything, just smiled.
At night, news came from the Changqing Palace that His Majesty had turned over the name card of Concubine Shen in the Jiangxuexuan of the Jinxiu Palace.
When it comes to Concubine Shen, most of the concubines only have a vague impression of her.
Because she has always been low-key, her appearance is not the kind that is gorgeous and outstanding, she is rather plain, has a cold personality, and does not like to chat with others.
The concubines all wondered if His Majesty had changed his taste.
In Jiangxuexuan, Chen Zhuxin reminded herself again and again to stay calm.
However, although she was always calm, she was inevitably very nervous when she received the emperor for the first time.
Especially when she saw the dragon robe representing the emperor's status appear in her field of vision, she secretly clenched her hands in her sleeves.
"Get up." Xiao Chenglan said as he walked into the hall, without lingering his gaze on her.
Chen Zhuxin quickly got up and followed.
When they arrived at the inner hall, Chen Zhuxin saw Xiao Chenglan standing next to the emperor's regular clothes and pajamas that had been delivered in advance by the Jingshifang, so she stepped forward to help him change his clothes.
Xiao Chenglan opened his arms and watched her approach.
The moment she extended her hand, Xiao Chenglan said, "If I remember correctly, my beloved concubine's father is the Minister of Revenue, Chen Xi."
Chen Zhuxin's hands froze in mid-air, but upon hearing this, she quickly retracted them, folding them over her belly and respectfully replying, "Yes, I am the daughter of the Minister of Revenue."
Xiao Chenglan smiled and said, "Your father has mastered the He family's accounting method from the arithmetic master to perfection. I wonder how much he has taught you?"
Chen Zhuxin paused and said, "I am dull and stupid. My father wants to teach me, but I just can't get the hang of it."
"Since I'm asking you, there's no need to hide your incompetence. You're Mr. Shen's only daughter. I'm afraid he'd feel a pity if he didn't pass on his unique skills. I'm sure he's taught you a lot in his free time."
Chen Zhu paused and subconsciously looked up at Xiao Chenglan, but the emperor's serious expression made her feel too oppressive, so she lowered her head again in an instant.
"Your Majesty, I, like my father, am familiar with the He family's accounting method."
Xiao Chenglan smiled and said, "It just so happens that I have a job that I need help with right now. It's about settling accounts. I wonder if you would be interested?"
Chen Zhuxin was stunned.
Errand?
However, her current status is that of a concubine. If she were to interfere in government affairs, which also involve money, she would probably...
Seeing her hesitation, Xiao Chenglan added, "Of course, you don't have to accept this job. You are only my concubine, and I won't blame you."
Xiao Chenglan walked past her, stood in the hall with his hands behind his back, and said, "However, you should also understand that I am giving you the opportunity to choose."
"Beauty Shen, I will only ask you once: do you want to be my woman or my subject?"
Chen Zhuxin was suddenly overwhelmed with thoughts.
Your Majesty's ministers and Your Majesty's women...
In this harem, only two types of women will have a good ending as your majesty's women.
One is the one who has the emperor's true love, and the other is the one who has a good family background.
She has none of them.
Therefore, it is better to use your skills to fight for a chance to row the boat for yourself, rather than falling into the water and becoming a fallen flower drifting with the current.
Chen Zhuxin immediately turned around and kowtowed to Xiao Chenglan.
"I am willing to serve Your Majesty."
Xiao Chenglan was not surprised by her answer. From Shen Xi's behavior, it could be seen that her daughter would definitely be a smart person.
"Sit down, I want to talk to you."
Xiao Chenglan asked Fu Wanquan to bring in a stack of old account books. He picked one up at random and pushed it to Chen Zhuxin who was sitting opposite him.
"This is your father's account book. You can imitate the format. However, you have to calculate the accounts yourself."
Xiao Chenglan told her about the plans of Tongzhou and Bozhou to widen the river, divert its course, and build dams on both sides of the Fen River.
Chen Zhu's heart paused, "Why doesn't my father have this account book..."
Xiao Chenglan smiled casually, "I've made some ill-gotten gains recently, and I can't keep them openly. I need a hidden ledger. Your father is in the court, with so many eyes watching, and so many constraints, I can't do anything. You're the most suitable person to do it."
Chen Zhuxin understood immediately.
However, even though she had mastered the He family's arithmetic and bookkeeping methods under her father, this was her first time actually applying them, and she couldn't help but feel a little worried.
If she fails to do her job well and misses out on important matters, it will be considered dereliction of duty, and Daddy will also be implicated by her...
Xiao Chenglan saw through her concerns and said, "I heard that your father did accounting for the first time and he kept all seventeen books without any mistakes. I think you are as meticulous as your father."
Concubine Shen picked up the account book and asked, "When will Your Majesty need me to hand it in?"
If the time is long enough, she will have enough time to polish it and will not be afraid of making mistakes.
"You only have three days." Xiao Chenglan said.
Chen Zhu was shocked and stunned.
Three days...
"Chen Zhuxin, to be my subject, you must not only be smart, but also courageous. Of course, having said this, you still have room for regret."
Chen Zhuxin bit her lip and nodded: "I accept it. I have no regrets. I will definitely be able to hand it in on time within three days."
Xiao Chenglan chuckled, "Then I won't bother you anymore. As long as you do your job well, I will treat you with respect in front of others."
Xiao Chenglan stood up and added, "It's not just your dignity, but also the dignity of the Shen family. I don't joke."
Chen Zhu calmed herself down, and a voice in her heart kept expressing her gratitude.
Fortunately, she made the right choice.
She is neither Jiang Yingli nor Song Wanyan.
There will never be a second Jiang Yingli in the world, but if she works hard, she can become the second Song Wanyan.
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