When night fell and the entire capital was immersed in tranquility, Eunuch Li, with a team of people, slowly pulled a carriage full of silver to the gate of the Wen Mansion.
Wen Zhengqing had already fallen asleep peacefully. However, a rapid knock on the door startled him awake. He threw on his pajamas and hurried out of the room to see Eunuch Li standing in the courtyard, with rows of boxes filled with silver behind him.
Wen Zhengqing was stunned by the sudden wealth before him. He was filled with confusion, unsure of the origins of the silver. He respectfully bowed to Eunuch Li and cautiously asked, "Excuse me, Chief Eunuch Li, what's the deal with all this silver? Why did it end up in my Wen Mansion?"
Eunuch Li smiled slightly and replied calmly, "Your Majesty knows Censor Wen well, and he's well aware that his family doesn't have much wealth. Therefore, Your Majesty has specially taken out one million taels of silver from the inner treasury and given it to Censor Wen to open a factory to produce refined salt. Your Majesty hopes to use this opportunity to help Censor Wen improve his family's financial situation while also contributing to the development of the country's salt industry."
After hearing Eunuch Li's words, Wen Zhengqing felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He deeply felt the emperor's care and trust in him, and at the same time, he became more aware of the heavy responsibility he shouldered.
Wen Zhengqing knelt on his knees, kowtowed respectfully, and said with gratitude, "I sincerely thank Your Majesty for your kindness and grace. I will do my utmost to live up to Your Majesty's cultivation and expectations. I will go all out to complete this important task Your Majesty has entrusted to me and will never let Your Majesty down."
Eunuch Li witnessed Wen Zhengqing's reaction and felt very relieved.
He walked over and gently helped Wen Zhengqing to his feet, then said to him in a gentle voice, "Censor Wen, you only need to complete the tasks His Majesty has instructed. His Majesty will surely remember your contributions and will not let you down. I will take my leave now."
After saying this, Eunuch Li turned around and left with the eunuchs, leaving Wen Zhengqing alone, his heart filled with firm faith in the future and deep gratitude to His Majesty the Emperor.
Wen Zhengqing stood up and followed the figure of Eunuch Li who was gradually moving away. A deep sense of self-blame welled up in his heart.
When he received the imperial edict from His Majesty, which clearly stated that 90% of all profits from refined salt must be turned over to the imperial treasury, Wen Zhengqing was filled with dissatisfaction.
He knew that he and his family were not well off financially, and yet His Majesty had forbidden him from giving part of the profits from refined salt to the Ministry of Revenue. This naturally made it impossible for the Ministry of Revenue to provide financial support to help him open a refined salt factory.
As night fell, Wen Zhengqing, Changsun Dechong and others held a discussion in Cao Mengde's residence. They decided to adopt a bold strategy, which was to use the power of the city guards to ensure the safety of production and find some trustworthy disaster victims to participate in the production process of refined salt.
Their plan is to pay corresponding wages to these hard-working disaster victims after refined salt production becomes profitable to ensure that their labor is reasonably rewarded.
Although the city guards and the victims may not express dissatisfaction with the fact that their wages are not paid immediately on the surface, it is certain that they must be unhappy about it deep down in their hearts.
This dissatisfaction is likely to negatively impact their enthusiasm for production. After all, producing refined salt, while simple, is no easy task, requiring considerable effort and hard work. If workers lack sufficient motivation and enthusiasm, both production efficiency and product quality may suffer.
The production of refined salt also requires a large amount of firewood. However, how could they forcibly requisition the firewood that ordinary people had painstakingly cut from the mountains just to meet their own needs? This is obviously unreasonable and unfair.
However, just as Wen Zhengqing was caught in a dilemma, His Majesty once again demonstrated his extraordinary wisdom and generosity. He actually took out one million taels of silver from the inner treasury as his initial start-up capital. This gesture deeply touched Wen Zhengqing.
Wen Zhengqing knew that His Majesty's action not only resolved his own immediate needs but also demonstrated His Majesty's deep concern for the country and its people. In this way, His Majesty not only helped himself but also ensured that the interests of ordinary people would not be harmed. Such a move undoubtedly won the hearts of the people and demonstrated His Majesty's demeanor as a wise ruler.
Thanks to the one million taels of silver generously bestowed by His Majesty, Wen Zhengqing was able to completely resolve the issue of paying the workers who made refined salt. This way, the workers could receive the wages they deserved, thus ensuring their livelihoods.
The remaining money was also used to purchase sufficient firewood. With sufficient firewood, Wen Zhengqing could ensure the smooth progress of the refined salt production process, without interruptions due to fuel shortages. Therefore, Your Majesty's generous donation not only solved the workers' wage problem but also ensured the smooth operation of the entire production process, allowing Wen Zhengqing to continuously and stably produce high-quality refined salt.
In the following days, other ministers in the court learned a shocking news: His Majesty had actually handed over the refined salt business to Wen Zhengqing. This decision left many officials very confused and even difficult to accept.
However, despite being filled with doubts and confusion, these ministers still brought gifts and went to Wen Zhengqing's residence to express their respect and congratulations.
Wen Zhengqing's mansion had been deserted, but with the arrival of the ministers, it became bustling with activity. These ministers had initially shied away from Wen Zhengqing, as the officials of the Censorate were known for their sharp sense of smell and outspokenness. They were reluctant to have anything to do with these outspoken civil servants, especially Wen Zhengqing, who, as the head of the Censorate, drew even more respect from the officials.
In the past, whenever Your Majesty attended court, Wen Zhengqing would impeach an official in the court almost every day, making many ministers afraid of him. This situation has only eased since Your Majesty stopped attending court so frequently.
However, the situation has changed dramatically. A daughter of the Wen family has been recruited into the palace by His Majesty. Wen Zhengqing has been highly valued by His Majesty.
Think about the Mu family and the Changsun family who have been favored by His Majesty Chu Fan in the past few months. Which family has not developed rapidly during this period of time? Which of the rewards His Majesty has given them does not make them envious?
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