It has to be said that this wonderful misunderstanding had a very positive and constructive impact. At least the work went quite smoothly on Yinzuo's first day at the Ministry of Works.
Kangxi's imperial edict stated that Yinzuo should supervise the Ministry of Works. Supervise means to supervise and be in charge. The imperial edict had already been issued to the Ministry of Works, so as soon as Yinreng and others left, the Minister of Works came with his men.
Today's six ministries have Manchu and Han ministers, left and right vice ministers. Needless to say, the Manchu and Han ministers work together to manage and supervise each other, while the left and right vice ministers have clear division of labor. Yinzuo doesn't know much about how the other ministries are arranged, but he has been cramming for time to learn about the Ministry of Works in recent days. According to his understanding, in the Ministry of Works, the left vice minister is mainly in charge of construction, while the right vice minister is mainly in charge of equipment and supervises the Baoyuan Bureau.
Although it is said that a new official will start with three fires, Yinzuo did not intend to start any of them. After all, the other party had their own rules of conduct for a long time. He knew nothing and there was no need for an outsider to command the insiders. Moreover, the purpose of his coming to the Ministry of Works was for Dai Zi. He did not want to worry too much about other things. After a few days, when the ninth and tenth brothers came, all these matters would be handed over to them. He would only hold an empty position, and he could go back to his carefree life. Therefore, facing the Minister of Works and the left and right vice ministers who came to meet him, his attitude was very casual.
"Everyone, please find a place to sit. I believe you have heard of this. Before coming to the Ministry of Works, I had no experience with court affairs, so I am not too familiar with you. Why don't you all introduce yourselves and get to know each other better?"
Although Yin Zuo said that they were familiar with each other, everyone still knew who he was. Didn't he mean that he wanted them to introduce themselves to him? Got it!
"Your servant, Marsai, currently serving as Minister of Works, greets the Prince of Zhao."
"Your Highness, Wang Hongxu, the current Minister of Works, greets the Prince of Zhao."
"Your Highness, Bai Shuose, currently serving as the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, would like to greet the Prince of Zhao."
…
Yinzuo listened patiently to the introductions of several people, raised his hand and asked them to find a seat, then called the servants at the door to come and serve them tea, and then cleared his throat and said.
"From now on, all matters concerning the Ministry of Works will be handled according to the previous procedures. Old Nine and Old Ten will be here in a few days. If you have any questions, you can discuss it with them then. Do you understand what I mean?"
I see. Aren't you telling us not to come to you unless it's something serious? Marsai, Wang Hongxu, and the others exchanged bewilderment. After all, this was the first time they'd encountered such a situation! This wasn't right. Shouldn't I have said some polite words first? Or perhaps even given them a few words of warning? Was it right to just tell them straight away not to come to me unless it was something serious?
But no matter whether this development was right or wrong, Yinzuo was still waiting for their answer. So several people stood up and bowed to Yinzuo!
"Your Highness understands."
Very good. Yinzuo was obviously very satisfied with their answers. He asked everyone to sit down and chat for a while before he asked to see Dai Zi. Dai Zi had been sent back to the capital more than a month ago. Now his family was arranged to stay in the Ministry of Works. It was easy for Yinzuo to see him. Almost not long after he gave the order, Dai Zi was brought here!
"I, Dai Zi, greet the Prince of Zhao."
Yinzuo had been observing Dai Zi since he came in. How should I put it? The first impression he gave people was just one word: thin. Although he was only a few years older than Kangxi, he looked more than twenty years older than his father. It seemed that the historical record of his poverty and destitution during his exile in Shengjing was true.
"Stand up and sit down, Hatu, Akshan, and all the other gentlemen, please go out first and close the door. I have something to say to Master Dai."
After Akshan and the others left, only Yinzuo and Dai Zi were left in the room. Dai Zi was obviously a little restrained in front of Yinzuo. Seeing that he was a little at a loss, Yinzuo did not ask him rashly. Instead, he motioned him to sit down first and chatted with him about what he had seen and heard in Shengjing before, giving him enough time to adapt. After he adapted, he told him his purpose.
"The person who went to pick up Master Dai should have told you that I went to find Khan Ama and asked him to give it to you. You must be very curious about what I want you to do. Let's be frank. What I value is your talent in firearms making. I hope you can use your talent to make weapons for the Qing Dynasty that are more powerful than those of Western countries. So now you have two paths. First, stay. This means that from now on you will be in hiding and lose your freedom. Your every word and action will be monitored and even recorded. But in return, I can assure you that your family will not only have no worries about food and clothing from now on, but as long as I am here, I will protect them. Second, if you don't want to stay, you can pretend that you didn't hear what I said. I will immediately send someone to send you back to Shengjing."
After Yinzuo finished speaking, he looked up at Dai Zi, who was frowning as if he was thinking. Yinzuo did not interrupt him, but took the teapot on the table and poured himself a cup of tea. Dai Zi thought for a long time, and Yinzuo drank several cups of tea before he spoke.
"Your Majesty, I can stay and serve you, but can you really do as you said and protect my family?"
Hearing Dai Zi's words, Yin Zuo couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Although he had appeared quite calm on the surface, his heart had been beating fast. He had previously gone to such great lengths with his father to get this person here. If he let him escape now, he would probably be sick to death. Fortunately, although this person was talented, he was not an inflexible and pedantic scholar.
"Of course, I can promise you that as long as I live, I will ensure the safety of your family. Even if you don't trust my abilities, you can always trust my father, right? With him around, I can roam freely in the capital. You may not know this, but I have a pretty good relationship with my brothers, and they will help me if anything really happens."
In fact, Dai Zi knew very well that although there seemed to be two paths before him, there was actually only one. The Prince of Zhao might really allow him to take his family away from the capital as he said, but their Emperor would definitely not allow it. If he chose the second path, his family would be beheaded as soon as they left the capital. So he had no choice at this time. No matter whether what Yinzuo said was true or false, he could only believe him.
"I, Dai Zi, a humble citizen, am willing to serve the Qing Dynasty with all my might."
Yinzuo may not be unaware of what Dai Zi is thinking, but the saying goes, no matter whether the cat is black or white, a cat that catches mice is a good cat. It doesn't matter whether Dai Zi trusts him or not. As long as he does what he should do, Yinzuo will keep his promise and ensure that his family has enough food and clothing and their lives are safe.
"Okay, go back and say goodbye to your family first. Someone will come to pick you up tomorrow, and you can just go with them. As for your family, don't worry, after you leave tomorrow, I will arrange for them to stay in my garden. It will be absolutely safe there."
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