They had already made up their minds not to give Sheng Mingyu any face.
After all, they received instructions when they left Kyoto.
"Alright! Since the adults have praised me so much, I feel embarrassed to refuse. You should just do your job obediently. As long as His Royal Highness is not angry, I will naturally not say anything."
The Imperial Master was amused, raised his eyebrows, and looked at Sheng Mingyu.
Sheng Mingyu snorted and raised his chin, not wanting to argue with the imperial teacher.
"Since everyone has made up their minds, let's get started quickly. Don't waste time. If we can finish it soon, we can also return to Beijing sooner."
Sheng Mingyu and Gu Yunni never changed their expressions from beginning to end. This person was not their own, so it was not worth getting angry with them.
If he was really angry, he would probably piss them off to death during this time in Jiangnan.
Several ministers rolled their eyes and without saying anything else, they repeated the theoretical knowledge.
Since he has already promised to teach Sheng Mingyu, he will naturally offer all his family property to her.
But whether Sheng Mingyu could understand it or not was another matter.
Sheng Mingyu frowned and his face turned pale when he heard this.
These people are looking for trouble. They really find all kinds of ways to cause trouble.
"Wait a minute, please speak slowly. This prince has never learned about water conservancy before."
These people seized the opportunity and started to squeeze the money.
"What's wrong with you, His Royal Highness? Can't you just study hard? Don't delay our return to the capital. We still have a lot to do in Kyoto."
"Yes! Your Highness, do you really think that everyone is as bored as you, and that you are willing to take control of even a trivial matter like Jiangnan?"
Sheng Mingyu's expression remained unchanged, as cold as ever.
"I am the Crown Prince, and you are my subjects. It is your duty to teach me. If you continue to talk nonsense, go back and explain to the Emperor!"
Sheng Mingyu's harsh words frightened these people.
How dare they speak like that when they know exactly what kind of person he is?
"Sir, you misunderstood. We are just anxious. This concerns the lives of ordinary people. How can we not be afraid? Okay, then please listen carefully and we will explain it in detail."
"Yes, take your time."
After Sheng Mingyu's threat, the tone of these people did become much better.
He understood the key point, but still frowned.
"My Lords, I feel that something is illogical. The current dam isn't flawed. We just need to find some materials to plug it. This will save time and money, and it will also spare the people from suffering."
Sheng Mingyu really wanted to discuss with this group of people. He came to Jiangnan to solve problems, not to exploit the people.
"Every year, when dams are built in Jiangnan, civilians are conscripted for labor. Rich families can pay with silver, but in the end, the farmers are the ones who suffer. They have to farm twice a year, and their bodies are already weak. If they are forced to work on the dam every year, I'm afraid they must be very tired."
This is what Sheng Mingyu asked the emperor before coming, and he also read many scrolls.
When he was watching, he had already discovered the unreasonableness, but His Majesty was unable to solve it.
The imperial court really needed money, and the money those wealthy families offered was enough to support the imperial court for a while, so no one could refuse.
Sheng Mingyu's words made all the ministers look unhappy.
"Your Highness, you're really overthinking this. This isn't something we should be considering. Shouldn't we just do what His Majesty has ordered?"
"Yes, we only do what we are supposed to do every year, but we are not as willing to meddle in other people's affairs as His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
When they heard such a topic, several people got furious.
If Your Majesty wants to intervene, they will lose a source of income.
"Of course we should! The court pays a lot of money every year, and you all live a relatively affluent life. So shouldn't we consider the court and the people more?"
Sheng Mingyu raised his voice, startling them all.
"Although the imperial court isn't at war right now and doesn't need that much silver, who knows when outsiders might invade our territory! Several surrounding countries are eyeing us covetously, so we should have been prepared long ago. But why does Jiangnan spend so much silver every year, yet still not be able to pay the military?"
Sheng Mingyu didn't want to play around with them anymore.
In the past, he only knew that Jiangnan spent money, but he didn't know how much it would cost.
I only found out after watching it this time.
How many years of military pay would that be for the soldiers? His heart ached.
"this……"
They were speechless and didn't know how to respond.
"Your Highness, we are discussing two different topics now. Why not go and talk to His Majesty about this matter and see how He will resolve it?"
"Yes, why are you trying to embarrass me here? We are only here to solve the dam problem, not to discuss national affairs with you."
They spoke in a calm tone, trying to comfort Sheng Mingyu.
Gu Yunni quietly tugged at Sheng Mingyu's sleeve, and he gradually calmed down.
"This is indeed not something you gentlemen should consider, but what I just said is also the truth. The Jiangnan Dam does not need to be built with such difficulty."
"well!"
Several people shook their heads and sighed, looking at each other.
There was really no way to talk about this matter any further. As long as Sheng Mingyu didn't change his mind, whatever they said would be useless.
"Master Imperial Preceptor, please tell us what we should do about this matter. His Highness the Crown Prince won't listen to us at all. If this comes before His Majesty, you must make the decision for us."
"Yes, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince won't listen to advice. What can we do?"
They were helpless, so they dragged the imperial teacher out and left.
Since there's no way to do anything anyway, why not let him calm down first?
"Hey! Do you have any sense of responsibility? Do you think I can build a dam? Do you think I can convince him? Can't you think of a solution?"
These people are good at being hands-off managers, but they give the imperial master a lot of headaches.
The Imperial Master was so angry that he had no place to vent his anger, so he could only yell at Sheng Mingyu.
"Tell me what you're thinking. His Majesty has already handed this matter over to you. Why do you insist on discussing it with these people? Do you think you'll be satisfied after getting rejected?"
Sheng Mingyu sneered and refused to back down. "Of course this prince knows, but from what they said, it's clear that they don't treat the people as human beings."
"Gu Yunni, you persuade him, I don't care anymore."
The Imperial Master looked at Sheng Mingyu, and was so angry that he just stood aside and left Gu Yunni and Sheng Mingyu standing there.
Gu Yunni didn't say a word from beginning to end, and only asked questions after everyone left.
"Didn't we agree before that you would learn the skills first? We can talk about the rest later. Why did you suddenly change your mind? Isn't it just because you're angry about what they said?"
"We should postpone this matter for as long as possible. Once the flood is over, we won't have to waste money."
Sheng Mingyu shook his head and looked into the distance, where fog had already risen.
It is estimated that floods will occur soon. The dam can still hold up, but when the time comes, they will no longer be able to make money.
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