As soon as Chang returned to Huicui Pavilion, he wrote a letter to Zhao Qingyan, this time using the carbon pen that Zhao Qingyan had left for him.
This brush is so fine, it's very convenient for writing small characters. It's incomparable to a calligraphy brush.
Therefore, they recounted everything that happened that day, one by one. It was like a child who had been wronged outside seeking help from their parents to get justice.
After receiving the message, Zhao Qingyan's brows furrowed into a knot.
Xu Dongsheng couldn't bear to see his wife frowning, so he put down his pen and came over.
"Wife, is something troubling you?"
Zhao Qingyan handed Chang Yi's letter of complaint to Xu Dongsheng.
"The imperial court wanted to build roads, so the Ministry of Works approached Huicui Pavilion to take on the job."
As a result, the vice minister not only offered a very low price, but also hinted that he wanted more benefits.
So Chang Yi ignored him, worried about retaliation. That's why he asked me for a solution.
Xu Dongsheng read the letter quickly, skimming through it.
This guy didn't question the content; instead, he was concerned that the letter was written using very little paper.
Zhao Qingyan rolled her eyes at Xu Dongsheng, "Just say you want this kind of pen, and I'll give it to you."
Why bring it up so subtly?
I'm wondering, does your uncle know about that vice minister's character?
Xu Dongsheng was both amused and exasperated.
"How would I know? What are your plans? Are you going to let Huicui Pavilion take on this job, or not?"
Zhao Qingyan thought for a moment,
"I wanted Huicui Pavilion to take on this job, but we can't do a losing business."
Even if it doesn't make money, at least it shouldn't lose money.
The main reason we're taking on this job is that we can also hire local people and improve their lives.
It is estimated that if the funds were allocated to local governments,
Haha, back then, the money went into the hands of various officials, while the local people worked themselves to the bone.
I reckon I won't get a penny of wages, except for a bowl of thin porridge.
Zhao Qingyan's idea was indeed the same as that of officials in various places.
This is a great opportunity to make money.
While local officials were calculating how much silver their slush funds could increase,
The Emperor had thoroughly reprimanded the Minister of Revenue, turning him into a complete scoundrel.
The Minister of Revenue had been planning to replace the Vice Minister, so he made no attempt to hide it.
He showed the Emperor the previous contract of the Vice Minister of Revenue.
The result was something neither the Vice Minister of Revenue nor the Minister of Revenue had anticipated.
After sending the man away, Chang Yi was summoned to the palace.
Chang Yiben was nervous when he first met the Emperor, after all, he was the ruler of a country.
One wrong word can bring trouble upon yourself.
Upon meeting the Emperor in person, Chang Yi immediately felt no longer nervous.
He spoke with neither servility nor arrogance. His manner was remarkably natural and fluent.
The Emperor had a good impression of Chang Yi; he was quite bold.
Chang Yi: The most terrifying people in this world are my two masters, the old and the young.
Chang Yi provided a quote for the entire project, including labor costs, material costs, transportation costs, and so on, giving the Emperor a thorough breakdown of the expenses.
After reading it, the Emperor understood why Chang Yi hadn't signed a contract with the Ministry of Works before.
This shouldn't be a losing proposition either. According to Chang Yi's calculations, the more they do, the more Huicui Pavilion will lose.
Basically, the money lost by Huicui Pavilion will be 1/4 of the total cost of the road construction, no matter how far the road is repaired.
"What's the biggest difference between your cost calculation and the one from the Ministry of Works?" the Emperor asked.
Chang opened her mouth, unsure whether she should answer.
Finally, the emperor added that he wouldn't blame anyone for saying the wrong thing.
Chang Yicai then spoke his mind.
"The common people's calculation method includes all labor costs, including hiring local workers."
The Ministry of Works' cost calculations did not include labor costs at all.
In their minds, manual labor could be completely replaced by corvée labor for ordinary people.
Not to mention the workers' food and drink expenses.
There's no reason to expect a horse to run without feeding it.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Works was simply calculating costs based on past road construction methods. What did they rely on in the past? Bricks.
What do we use to build roads? Sand and gravel versus cement—the difference is huge.
Different things naturally have different costs.
The emperor felt that he needed to learn another course, namely, business.
Although road construction was under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Works, in the Emperor's mind, road construction was no different from doing business.
Everything has to be carefully calculated.
Ultimately, the Emperor signed the agreement directly with Chang Yi.
A sum of 100,000 taels of silver was allocated as a deposit to first repair the road south from the capital.
This season is perfect for building roads southwards first.
After all, it's not very warm in the north anymore.
When Chang Yi received Zhao Qingyan's letter, the contract was not yet signed, and he had already sent his men out.
Moreover, regarding road construction, Chang Yi and his team even commissioned a giant stone roller.
If Zhao Qingyan saw the size of that stone roller, she would definitely say that it was a simplified version of a road roller.
Chang Yi was both amused and exasperated when he saw Zhao Qingyan's letter.
You won't get any benefits.
We don't do business that loses money. Not making a profit is already a loss, so how can we do business that loses money?
Anyone who dares to cause trouble should go to Han Xuri. If Han Xuri is not home, then go to Princess Yan Yue.
In short, we're not afraid of trouble, we'll just get it over with.
That's so typical of our young lady!
However, no matter how he looked at the letter, something felt off. When did Miss start using someone else to clean up her mess?
He flipped the letter over and over, and finally wrote a few words lightly in pencil on the back of the paper.
At worst, we'll fight to the death. If anyone dares to cause trouble for us, we'll just put a sack over their head.
Remember not to hit the face or cause it to fall. As for other places, such as the fleshy buttocks and the area three inches below the navel, those areas are very vulnerable.
"Hehehe, that's what a young lady should be like, so domineering." Chang Yi muttered to herself.
Since getting married, the domineering Zhao Qingyan has discovered a very serious problem: Xu Dongsheng is just too clingy.
All day long, it's just hugging and hugging. It's so annoying.
If I keep going like this, I'll get pregnant at a young age sooner or later.
"My husband, I have a very serious question that I need to discuss with you."
We're still young, so we should use these things sparingly. Don't you think you're asking for them a bit too often?
Zhao Qingyan spoke so directly that a suspicious blush appeared on Xu Dongsheng's face.
"Wife, do you dislike your husband? Is it because I'm not vigorous enough that you're unhappy?"
Zhao Qingyan really wanted to kick this shameless guy away.
"Who gave you the audacity to say that?"
If this isn't bravery, what is? Think about it, since we got married, how many days have I been able to get up at a normal time?
I never wake up until the sun is high in the sky.
Whose fault is this? Have you ever thought about it? It's all your fault, all your fault, you know that?
Xu Dongsheng lowered his head, the little boy looking like he was admitting his mistake.
"Wife, I was wrong. I will definitely be more restrained in the future. It's all my fault for causing you trouble."
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