However, after the initial shock, Zhang Tingyu immediately realized that as long as the national treasury didn't have to pay for it, it didn't matter who paid for it.
However, the profits from Honeysuckle...
And that perfume... his spendthrift wife spent several thousand taels of silver to get just a small bottle.
He said the scent was better than the hair oil and sachet he usually used, but it wasn't worth that much money.
One or two of them don't know how to be frugal; they just know how to spend money recklessly!
For every event, there is a second. If all the money can be used where it is needed, then it will be easier for him to manage the Ministry of Revenue and allocate the funds.
Thinking of these things, Zhang Tingyu felt a little excited and blurted out, "Consort Cheng is wise and compassionate towards the people, which is a blessing for them."
"I have heard about the business of Honey Candy Shop. To be honest, Your Majesty, my grandchildren all love to eat it and they quarrel about it endlessly."
"And then there's Hengzhiju's business. Although it hasn't opened yet, their perfumes have already spread throughout the capital. A small bottle is worth a thousand gold pieces. When they officially open for business, they'll probably be making a fortune every day."
The others echoed in agreement...
Minister A: Lord Zhang is right. My mother is quite old, but she still likes to fight with her children and grandchildren for candy.
A few days ago, I chewed my last tooth until it was gone, but I still wouldn't stop.
Minister B: Only the children in my family like it; other people don't touch it much.
But those boys and girls had huge appetites and many servants, plus the personal attendants and the servants for guests, which cost them hundreds of taels of silver a month.
Minister C: My family has prepared some supplies for entertaining guests, and it doesn't cost much money each month.
These past few days, my wife has been nagging me to get her a bottle of perfume. I didn't think much of it at first, but I readily agreed.
Who knew it would be so ridiculously expensive, and even more so, unavailable? Even if I had the money, I'd still need to find someone to pull strings, so after thinking about it, I couldn't bring myself to spend it.
As a result, for many days in a row, they didn't give me a kind look, and even their words were sharp.
......
What was supposed to be a pleasant discussion about state affairs suddenly turned into a grievance session among the ministers. At first, the chubby orange cat listened with interest, but then it became rather dull.
He gestured for a pause, then looked at Zhang Tingyu and said, "Alright, just say what you mean. You don't need to put on this act in front of me."
Having his thoughts exposed, Zhang Tingyu wasn't embarrassed and simply said...
"Your Majesty is wise. I just feel that Consort Cheng is secluded in the inner palace and busy serving Your Majesty. How can she have the time to manage business matters?"
"Besides, since ancient times, the social order has been scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, with merchants being ranked last. Your Highness, the Imperial Concubine, is of noble status; how could you possibly lower yourself to concern yourself with such a lowly profession?"
"In my opinion, Your Majesty would be better off assigning someone to help Consort Cheng with these matters. In this way, Consort Cheng can serve Your Majesty with peace of mind."
Big Fat Orange almost couldn't sit still when he heard this; he knew those words very well!
He actually sent people to take over Sun Miaoqing's dowry business; how could he even bring himself to say that?
Big Fat Orange thought that Zhang Tingyu's usual appearance—thick eyebrows, big eyes, and upright demeanor—was probably just an act.
Although he secretly gained a lot of benefits from Sun Miaoqing, it was all for the sake of the people.
It's nothing to just give him some cash, especially since he compensated him with other things; it can't be considered extortion.
But Zhang Tingyu's words were about seizing someone's dowry. If he actually did that, would he still have any reputation left?
What a terrible idea!
The fat orange said, "Are you asking me to seize the private property of my concubines? If the people find out, they will all think that I have no ambition and am trying to seize the dowries of my concubines."
Zhang Tingyu added, "His Majesty is kind and benevolent; how could there be any talk of him plotting to seize power?"
"You couldn't bear to see the Imperial Concubine working so hard, so you found a few people to help her share the burden."
"This is the Emperor's favor and affection for the Imperial Concubine. The Imperial Concubine is kind, gentle, beautiful and intelligent, and she will surely be able to feel the Emperor's love and care."
The other ministers echoed this sentiment. Although it was somewhat underhanded, what did face matter as long as the benefits were sufficient?
Besides, there's still a fig leaf to cover up the truth!
The fat orange's mouth was twitching so badly that even an AK couldn't stop it.
Gentle and serene, beautiful inside and out? The ministers' misunderstandings about Consort Cheng came from who knows where.
But he couldn't refute it, otherwise wouldn't he be telling the world that he had bad taste?
Let it be a misunderstanding, it's not a big deal. But if word gets out and the fairies find out about today's incident, they'll definitely cause a huge uproar.
Even Zhang Tingyu and his ilk won't have an easy time. They might not be tripped up in court, but it would be easy for them to make things difficult in other areas.
The word "share the burden" sounded rather grating to Da Pangju. Although he knew that Zhang Tingyu and the others probably didn't mean it that way, he couldn't help but have something on his mind.
The fat orange cat's face darkened, and he said directly, "Don't say such things again. I can't afford to lose face like that."
"Have you also sent people to share the burden of your wives' and concubines' dowry businesses?"
Zhang Tingyu and the others were speechless. How could that be? They were shameless!
It's one thing for wives and concubines to take out their dowries for use if needed, but it's another thing for them to beg for them.
To put it bluntly, they're just envious of the honey shop and perfume business. Once the goods reach the emperor's hands, they'll always find a way to get them out and use them.
As for healthcare reform, everyone can see the benefits. The reputation alone is enough to make anyone tempted.
If it doesn't work today, there's always tomorrow; if this plan doesn't work, there's always another. He just doesn't believe that the emperor will still be tempted later on.
When Su Peisheng and Xiao Xiazi, who served the emperor, heard these words, they felt that these high-ranking officials were all talk and no action, but in reality, they were full of evil intentions.
If someone could come up with such a terrible idea, and the emperor actually believed it, the harem would be in chaos.
The emperor may not see it, but he understands it perfectly well. While the harem appears to be divided into factions, they are actually all of one mind.
If things really get out of hand, even the masters will have a hard time, let alone the servants.
Su Peisheng's threatening gaze swept sharply over the crowd. If anyone dared to utter a single word, he, a mere eunuch, was no soft-hearted bodhisattva.
The eunuchs lowered their heads even further, standing there like wooden statues, as if they were deaf and mute.
Su Peisheng withdrew his gaze with satisfaction, unaware that in the corner to the side, a passerby-looking eunuch had a glint in his eye, clearly having his own ideas.
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