Chapter 28 The Prince Who Failed to Revolt
Zhang Xiaojia watched as box after box was loaded onto the carriage. The imperial farm was only 20 miles (10 kilometers) away from the capital, and the road was easy to travel on. What were they going to do with so many things?
Moving?
She also planned to stay in the imperial farm during the day and return to the capital at night.
More than ten horse-drawn carriages set off in a mighty procession.
He Fei looked at the military token in his hand and listened to the emperor's oral instructions from the Deputy Privy Councilor.
"So the emperor divided the deputy envoys of the Privy Council into left and right deputy envoys, I am the left deputy envoy, and you are the right deputy envoy?" His eyes clearly showed that the emperor was ill.
He Anping looked at him, she had no objection, she was originally the second in command, now she became the third in command, she didn't curse, huh~
Zhang Xiaojia finally sent Aunt Qiao away. She came over and put her arm around He Anping's arm. "Anping, I remember you have a farm in the northern suburbs, a peach orchard. I want to make wine from the peaches."
"I'll ask Rong Mama to bring the deed to you." He Anping said generously
Zhang Xiaojia's mouth twitched and his eyes widened. "Anping, I don't believe you don't know what I mean? Your property..."
He Anping interrupted her and said, "What? Lin'an, you want my property? Fine, I'll go back now and ask Rong Mama to send it to you."
After saying this, she pulled her arm free, mounted her horse, and rode away at a rapid gallop.
"He Anping..." Zhang Xiaojia growled through gritted teeth.
Who said He Anping is a brainless warrior?
Who is He Anping?
The daughter of the eldest princess's first husband, the late emperor gave her the surname He Anping.
According to seniority, she should call Zhang Xiaojia "aunt".
But she is older than Zhang Xiaojia. They studied together since childhood and grew up with a group of children of royal ministers. She has always protected Zhang Xiaojia. Zhang Xiaojia was stupid when he was a child and could not tell the difference in generations. He thought she was older than him, so he called her sister.
Zhang Xiaojia just reminded her that her property was taken over by her half-sister, but this guy actually diverted the blame onto her.
Using her as a signing stick, He Anping said that the property was given to her. He Anping's half-sister did not dare to compete with Zhang Xiaojia, but would Zhang Xiaojia take He Ping'an's property?
Of course Zhang Xiaojia won’t take He Ping’an’s property!!!
He Ping'an saved his own property.
My cousin is a bad guy~
He deliberately called He Anping here. He knew full well that Anping had protected her since she was a child, and she couldn't bear to see Anping's property being taken away. He did this simply to get her to help, so that Anping's half-sister wouldn't dare to talk about taking it away again.
When they were about to set off for the imperial farm, Aunt Rong arrived.
"Prince Jing, Princess Jing, hello! The princess has asked me to hand over all my property to the Princess of Lin'an. She has said that all this property will be given to the Princess of Lin'an."
After saying this, Aunt Rong smiled and handed a wooden box to Zhang Xiaojia.
Zhang Xiaojia took it and said, "Madam Rong, tell Anping that I will help her manage these industries first. I will give her an account book every year, and the county will take 30% of the profits."
Rong Mama whispered, "Princess Lin'an, my princess said that she would give you 10% of the silver notes and return it to the princess after she goes to see the late queen. She will always support your medical school. Please excuse me, Princess Lin'an."
Zhang Xiaojia nodded.
He Fei looked at the box. What did this mean?
This means that he will go to the royal manor alone, and Jiajia will handle the matter in the capital.
There is no way.
Upon returning to the imperial estate, He Fei immediately began experimenting with making earthen cement. He placed ceramic pieces, clay, quicklime, and other raw materials in a kiln, dried them, ground them into a fine powder, and added gypsum to create the simplest earthen cement. He planned to use this earthen cement for civilian road construction. Because it was simple and easy to prepare, he quickly successfully paved the road between the capital and the imperial estate.
When the emperor learned of this and that He Fei had already begun selling mud cement among the people, he summoned him to the Chuigong Hall. The prime minister, the ministers of industry and finance, and the third prince were all present. Puzzled, He Fei asked, "Your Majesty, why have you summoned me?"
The emperor asked, "What's the difference between your earthen cement and the cement used by the court?"
He Fei explained in detail: "The main differences lie in frost resistance, hardness, and maintenance. The maintenance cycle of the imperial court's cement is only 14 days, while my earthen cement takes 70 days. In addition, the earthen cement used by ordinary people has a lifespan of about 20 years, while the imperial court's cement can reach hundreds of years. However, this earthen cement is mainly designed for paving roads among the people. It is affordable and good quality, so that ordinary people can afford it. In contrast, the imperial court's cement is expensive and the use process is cumbersome."
After hearing this, the emperor was speechless.
Seeing this, the Minister of Revenue tentatively asked, "Your Highness, can you handle this alone? Do you need the Ministry of Revenue to invest in the business?"
The Minister of Industry also echoed, "Massive production does require manpower. Prince, do you have enough? Our Ministry of Industry can also provide assistance."
He Fei waved his hand and refused, "No need, I have enough manpower. I have already discussed with the Second Uncle that his army guarding the imperial mausoleum will be transferred to assist me. Earth cement has excellent performance in underground engineering and water performance. I have already negotiated with private businesses. When they build the dam, I can provide earth cement and sell it to them."
The Prime Minister looked at the Emperor and asked, "Your Majesty, how should this tax be calculated?"
The Minister of Revenue stated directly: "Your Majesty, this absolutely cannot be considered royal property. Taxes must be paid!"
He Fei chuckled twice and said, "Brother, 30% of this property belongs to the Queen Mother and the Concubine, and 20% is yours. You can handle the taxation as you wish."
The emperor's eyes flickered upon hearing this, clearly surprised by He Fei's suggestion of property distribution, but he remained calm. After a moment's hesitation, he slowly spoke, "Since there is a royal share of the property, the taxation issue will naturally be discussed separately. However, this matter concerns the national economy and the people's livelihood. I hope you can manage it properly, benefiting the people while maintaining the dignity of the royal family."
He Fei respectfully agreed: "I understand, and I will definitely live up to your high expectations."
————
Zhang Xiaojia sat in Prince Jing's mansion, waiting for the arrival of the managers of various businesses under He Anping's name.
After everyone entered one by one and respectfully presented their account books, she slowly picked up one and examined it carefully.
After flipping through the books for a moment, she gently placed them on the table and said solemnly, "Bosses, if these books need to be reorganized, please bring them back for redoing. If they are correct, please leave them for me to review. When I review the accounts, if I find any errors or omissions exceeding 5% of the total amount, I will punish you severely and send you to prison."
After saying that, Zhang Xiaojia's eyes swept over everyone present one by one. There was both majesty and scrutiny in his eyes, which made the shopkeepers present feel awe, and no one dared to slack off.
For a moment, the hall was so quiet that only the soft rustle of pages turning could be heard. The shopkeepers looked at each other, secretly calculating the accuracy of their own accounts, fearing that the slightest mistake would lead to disaster.
Seeing this, Zhang Xiaojia slowly spoke again, "I know it's not easy for you to run a business, but accounts are the foundation of a business, and there's no room for carelessness. I'm checking the accounts today, not to make things difficult for you, but because I'm accepting the princess's estate. With clear accounts, you and I can both rest assured."
As soon as Zhang Xiaojia finished speaking, several shopkeepers stood up tremblingly, holding their account books tightly in their hands. Their faces were pale and they said, "Your Highness, there are indeed some errors in this account book. I need to take it back and redo it. I hope Your Highness will forgive me."
Zhang Xiaojia nodded slightly and said, "If that's the case, you should take it back and redo it. Be sure to check it carefully and don't make any more mistakes."
The shopkeepers were as if pardoned. They bowed and went back to redo the account books.
At this moment, a jewelry store owner mustered up the courage to step forward and, bowing, said, "Princess, I have something to tell you. Lately, the princess's half-sister has been frequenting our store, purchasing large quantities of jewelry without paying. She claims the princess has given her permission, but she hasn't responded in kind. I'm truly troubled."
Zhang Xiaojia frowned slightly when he heard this and asked, "Do you have any evidence for this?"
The jewelry store owner quickly pulled out a stack of bills from his pocket, presented them with both hands, and said, "This is the list of jewelry that the princess's sister selected in our store. Please review it, Your Majesty."
Zhang Xiaojia took the bill, examined it carefully, and frowned more and more.
At this moment, a shopkeeper from a clothing store came forward and complained, "Princess, I've had a similar experience. The princess's sister chose several sets of expensive clothes from my shop and hasn't paid for them either, saying it was the princess's intention. I simply can't afford such a loss. Please, Princess, help me."
Zhang Xiaojia put down the bill in his hand, looked at the two shopkeepers with sharp eyes, and said in a deep voice, "I am aware of this matter. Don't worry, I will seek justice for you. Since the princess has entrusted the property to me for management, I will protect the rights and interests of the shopkeepers."
The two shopkeepers felt relieved upon hearing this and quickly bowed and said gratefully, "Thank you, Princess. We are deeply grateful."
Zhang Xiaojia nodded slightly and said, "But before that, the two shopkeepers, please send one person to the Princess's residence to give her the bill. If she pays within three days, it's fine. If she doesn't, there's no need to argue. I have my own arrangements. You may leave now."
After the two shopkeepers left, the atmosphere in the hall became a little subtle, but the other shopkeepers felt more confident when they saw that Zhang Xiaojia handled things decisively.
At this time, a rather steady-looking silk shop owner stepped forward. With a calm expression, he cupped his hands and said, "Princess, I guarantee with my life that there are absolutely no errors in our shop's account books. Every income and expenditure is clearly traceable. You are welcome to send someone to check at any time."
"Oh~ Didn't the princess's sister come to pick it up?" Zhang Xiaojia asked tentatively.
The silk shop owner said frankly, "She came before, but my wife is a bit of a shrew. Plus, I later changed the silk from the silk shop to be used by farmers, so she stopped coming. The profit only decreased by half."
Immediately afterwards, another herbal medicine shop owner stepped forward and said firmly, "Princess, I can also guarantee that our accounts are accurate and every transaction is documented. I am willing to cooperate with your investigation at any time. We have always sold to the general public and do not carry high-end herbs like ginseng."
Seeing this, the other shopkeepers echoed this sentiment, stating that their own books were equally sound and willing to accept any form of scrutiny. Their voices were filled with confidence, clearly indicating a firm grasp of their own accounting management.
Zhang Xiaojia listened to the shopkeepers' statements, a hint of approval on her face. She slowly said, "The palace is fortunate to have you shopkeepers so frank and confident. I naturally believe in your abilities and integrity, but the accounts concern this county mistress's reputation, and I cannot afford to be careless. I will certainly arrange for the verification, but until then, I hope you will continue to maintain this rigor and honesty. As long as the accounts are sound, this county mistress will award you 20% of the profits as a reward."
Upon hearing this, all the shopkeepers bowed and responded in unison, "Thank you, Princess."
After everyone left, Zhang Xiaojia handed the account books to Bai Zhi: "Bai Zhi, you have to work hard and check these account books carefully in the next two days."
Bai Zhi took the account book, a hint of doubt flashed in her eyes, and she couldn't help asking, "County Lady, why are you meddling in this matter?"
Zhang Xiaojia smiled slightly, his eyes revealing profound consideration. "Who do you think held the highest rank among the female officials of the previous dynasty? It was Princess Anping. As the Deputy Privy Councilor, she was a high-ranking official of the second rank.
The county lord's hospital needs her support. If we can get her full support, it will flourish and prosper.
This county lady and she have known each other since childhood. How can we easily forget the deep friendship we formed in childhood? We should cherish it doubly.
This is something my eldest cousin specifically entrusted to me. Since he has high expectations of me, I will definitely give it my all and never let him down.
Finally, this county lady cannot bear to see the eldest princess. She has gone mad for the man she is now, completely devoid of any royal dignity. As the most noble lady in the capital, she actually shares a husband with another woman. This dynasty's eldest princess has no status and follows a man, bringing disgrace to the women of the royal family. She even gave birth to a daughter of this prince consort, degrading Anping. Although Princess Anping is filled with resentment, she can only swallow her anger out of filial piety and cannot openly confront the eldest princess. However, this county lady is not afraid of the eldest princess.
The Great Zhou Dynasty had gone through more than a hundred years of ups and downs, but who could have imagined that the first princess of the royal family would willingly become a man's concubine? This was truly a joke, becoming the laughing stock of people in the streets and alleys.
This eldest princess should have been of noble status, a daughter of a wealthy family, but for some reason, she had become obsessed with giving herself to another man. Not only that, she even attempted to enter the palace to beg the emperor to grant the title of princess to her daughter born to her and her concubine.
The emperor ignored her, and the queen mother directly ordered that the eldest princess was not allowed to enter the harem.
The third princess's husband was unfaithful to her, and the strong-willed third princess did not hesitate to divorce him and kept a concubine from then on. Even so, the emperor still loved the daughter she gave birth to and bestowed upon her the title of princess.
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