The First Gongsheng of Ming Dynasty

Chapter 84
The three cabinet ministers will not give the emperor a good idea.

Being an official emphasizes "stability".

with their thinking.

The broken materials of the Zhang family brothers are given away on the street for free, so there is no guarantee that someone will want them. It doesn't matter where they are repaired in the end, as long as they don't end up on their own yamen anyway.

Xiao Jing had no choice but to leave the cabinet to be on duty, and went straight to Zhang Zhou's house in a carriage.

When Zhang Zhou learned of Xiao Jing's visit, it was only over an hour since the fight between Zhu Houzhao and Zhang Jun had passed.

"Eunuch Xiao, you are..."

What Zhang Zhou meant, you didn't come to settle accounts on behalf of the emperor, did you?
As soon as Xiao Jing entered the courtyard, his eyes fell on the courtyard that Zhang Zhou was repairing, with a little hope in his eyes, if only the wood and stone materials of Zhang's family were used to repair Zhang Zhou's house.

Zhang Zhou instantly felt like he was being watched.

"Eunuch Xiao, if you have something serious to do, you might as well go in and let's talk in detail." Zhang Zhou said.

Xiao Jing said: "No need, Mr. Zhang, our family is just seeking advice from you on behalf of His Majesty. You can say whatever comes to your mind."

Zhang Zhou sighed: "I don't understand astrology and fortune-telling, and Liuren divination; I'm also a layman in alchemy and medicine; if it's an important matter in the court, I'm not an official, so it's a bit embarrassing for me."

Xiao Jing was embarrassed.

Listen to what you mean, you don't know anything?
You don't know anything and still make a lot of noise in the court. Now the emperor regards you as a half-immortal with great supernatural powers.

Xiao Jing sighed: "After your Majesty returned to the palace, for some reason, it was decided to buy the wood and stone materials in the hands of Marquis Shouning and Uncle Jianchang with money transferred from the inner government. Your Majesty would like to go into details. Repair the house...to use it."

"Ha ha."

Zhang Zhou said with a smile, "Eunuch Xiao, are you talking and laughing next to me? How can such good materials as Marquis Shouning and Uncle Jianchang be used? Can I still use them for further details?"

"How can Mr. Zhang see that this is a good material?"

Xiao Jing almost told Zhang Zhou.

That piece of shit really doesn't work anywhere.

Zhang Zhou analyzed seriously: "The purchase price of that batch of wood and stone materials must be very high, otherwise they wouldn't have offered such a high price, no matter how bad it is, it would be better than what Qingyunhou and Changningbo offered, right?"

"oops."

Xiao Jing really couldn't speak directly, so he could only beat around the bush and said, "Mr. Zhang, you are a person with supernatural powers, you should be able to calculate everything, so don't go around in circles, what do you think is suitable for you? Your Majesty doesn't mind giving money. , I just bought it back and didn’t know what to use.”

Zhang Zhou said: "Where did it come from, where should I send it back?"

"Ah?" Xiao Jing was taken aback and said, "Mr. Zhang doesn't mean to say that it is used to build Shouninghou Mansion and Jianchangbo Mansion?"

Zhang Zhou said with a smile: "Good material, I'm afraid they won't be willing to use it when they build their own house, right?"

"..."

Xiao Jing was speechless.

To be honest, it's quite convoluted...

Your Majesty wants them to use it, but the Zhang brothers probably aren't stupid. They want to replace their well-built house with such broken materials into a dilapidated one?
Is there any reason to demolish the masonry house and build it into an adobe thatched house?
Isn't that more and more broken?
"It's a pity that living people use this good material." Zhang Zhou said.

Xiao Jing quickly dissuaded Zhang Zhou's unrealistic idea: "Dead people can't use it, and the imperial tomb should be built more cautiously."

Zhang Zhoudao: "Then it can be used to repair Zhang's family temple, right? I heard that the queen has always thought that the Zhang's family temple in Xingji County has been in disrepair for a long time, and she wants His Majesty to repair it more. Isn't it a bit extravagant to use this batch of good materials?"

Xiao Jing stared at Zhang Zhou with wide eyes.

The muscles on his face twitched a few times, and his expression was mixed with fear and avoidance of "that is, if you dare to think, it's ruthless or you are ruthless".

"Is it possible to build Zhang's family temple?" Xiao Jing asked.

Zhang Zhoudao: "Xingji County is located in Hejian Mansion. It depends on Shuntian Mansion. It was transported along the canal in a few days. Materials plus manpower... By the way, Eunuch Xiao, how much money is Your Majesty going to spend on this matter? "

"Uh……"

Xiao Jing couldn't answer.

He couldn't answer for the emperor what the emperor hadn't said.

Zhang Zhoudao: "I think it's only 5000 taels of silver, and they are treated equally. Will this make Marquis Shouning and Uncle Jianchang feel that they are at a disadvantage?"

Xiao Jingxin said, if the Zhou family's wood and stone are worth 5000 taels, the Zhang brothers' batch may not even be worth 3 taels, so if you give them 5000 taels, it will still be a loss?Can kill them!

"A rough calculation...it should be about the same." Xiao Jing said ambiguously.

Zhang Zhou nodded, and calculated seriously: "If labor and other things are added, it is estimated that it will cost 8 to [-] taels of silver to repair the Zhang Family Temple. Good materials can repair the Zhang Family Temple in style, so that everyone will know what the Zhang Family is all about. Talented people come forth.”

Xiao Jingxin said, are you sure the queen knows and doesn't want to kill you?

But thinking about it again, the queen is probably going to kill the two younger brothers, right?
so……

Whether you are ruthless or you are ruthless!

"Mr. Zhang, our family is leaving."

Xiao Jing turned around and wanted to leave.

Zhang Zhou asked curiously, "Eunuch Xiao won't go in and have a sit? Seeing that you are bringing these people, they are all from the factory guards. I plan to hold a banquet here."

Zhang Zhou also said loudly on purpose to let the craftsmen around him know that this house is not easy to mess with, and even the factory guards have to be polite when they enter the door.

Xiao Jing said: "No, no, our family has to report back, don't bother me, you are busy! Hiss..."

Finally he couldn't help sucking in a breath between his teeth.

When I went out, I was still chanting: "Ruthless!"

……

……

Qianqing Palace.

Xiao Jing reported the cabinet and Zhang Zhou's suggestions to Zhu Youtang.

"What? Bingkuan asked me to use this batch of materials to build Duke Chang's family temple? He... doesn't he know what it is?"

When Zhu Youtang first heard this proposal, of course he felt that Zhang Zhou was fooling ghosts and gods.

But if you think about it, it's not easy to fool people with that crap, but if you fool ghosts... even if ghosts are dissatisfied, they probably won't be able to express it, right?
At this time, Xiao Jing could only pretend to be confused with his understanding, and speak for Zhang Zhou: "Returning to Your Majesty, Mr. Zhang has never been to the Zhang family's mansion, so naturally he doesn't know what the condition of that batch of wood and stone is. , Marquis of Shouning and Bo Jianchang have higher bid prices, which will make people feel that they are good materials."

"Good food, really..."

Zhu Youtang didn't even bother to criticize.

Dai Yi next to him tentatively said, "Your Majesty, perhaps Mr. Zhang's proposal is feasible."

"It's feasible? Dai Yi, do you know what kind of family temple the Empress wants to build? If that material is used, the Empress will know..." Zhu Youtang didn't finish his sentence, but his anger was palpable.

You guys want to pour some tung oil on the Queen's anger, right?

Dai Yi hurriedly said: "But Your Majesty, who will tell the queen?"

Zhu Youtang was really speechless for a while when asked.

Think about it.

As long as the few people in front of me don't talk about it, Zhang Zhou doesn't talk about it... Maybe Zhang Zhou doesn't know yet, will the Zhang family brothers be stupid enough to go and talk about it by themselves?
The two brothers of the Zhang family got a pile of broken materials and couldn't sell them, so they begged their sister to find the imperial court to buy them, and finally built a family temple, just like what the steward of the mansion said, who can tell if it is painted?
Anyway, it's the gold and jade that have ruined it, how can the brothers of the Zhang family expose their scandals to their sister?

Dai Yi continued: "At that time, the Queen will be satisfied, and the materials for Marquis Shouning and Uncle Jianchang will be sold, but His Majesty spent money..."

"It's okay, the flowers still need to be spent, otherwise it will still cost money to build the Changguo Gong Family Temple."

Zhu Youtang can think about it.

Now it is his wife who suspects that he stole property worth several 10 taels of silver from Li Guang and did not distribute it to the Zhang family.

If Zhu Youtang had followed Zhang Zhou's proposal, not only would they have split up, but they would have also solved the backlog of wood and stone on hand by the Zhang family brothers. The Qingning Palace was still well repaired. This reconciliation, even Empress Zhang will still be grateful for Ende...

Zhu Youtang thought for a while, and said with emotion: "Bingkuan is really resourceful, and he gave me a clever plan to satisfy everyone."

The eunuchs on the side felt ashamed.

Yes, the living are satisfied, but the dead are dissatisfied. If the ancestors of the Zhang family knew that the descendants of the Zhang family had fooled them like this, they would probably be ghosts and not let the Zhang family brothers go.
"Then who should I entrust with the construction of Chang's Duke's family temple?"

Zhu Youtang looked around the scene.

Everyone quickly averted their eyes...

No one is willing to do this kind of fooling around. If the empress and Mrs. Jin of Changguo found out about the trouble, they would think that someone filled their own pockets and exchanged the Zhang brothers' good stuff.

Chen Kuan said: "Your Majesty, do you want Mr. Zhang to go?"

Zhu Youtang stared at Chen Kuan and said, "Are you trying to bring Bing Kuan into disrepute?"

Chen Kuan quickly lowered his head and admitted his mistake.

Xin said, Your Majesty, fortunately, you still know that this matter is detrimental to yin and morality, so you won't let Zhang Bingkuan, whom you have renewed, do it.

"Whoever caused the trouble will clean up the mess by himself!"

Zhu Youtang said coldly, "Recently, I have also found that Heling and Yanling are becoming more and more disrespectful. They entered the palace to bully the maids, beat and scold the palace people at will, and now they still want to use inferior goods to contract the work of repairing the palace!? Let Yan Go!"

Those who were too listening were beating drums in their hearts.

Xiao Jingdao leaned forward and asked for instructions: "Your Majesty, let the slaves inform Uncle Jianchang?"

Zhu Youtang said: "Don't worry, this matter needs to be considered again, how much money should I allocate?"

Xiao Jingdao: "Mr. Zhang also said that if the Zhou family gave 5000 taels, the Zhang family should treat them equally."

"Hmm." Zhu Youtang had a knowing smile on his face, "It's better for Bingkuan to understand me, and also understand the thoughts of the Empress Dowager and the Empress, so I will treat everyone equally without favoritism. It seems that if I have anything to do in the future, I still have to ask more questions. ask him."

Xiao Jing thought to himself, Your Majesty, compared to Zhang Bingkuan's ruthlessness, you are not too ruthless, if you want to make bad moves like Zhang Bingkuan in everything, then the court must mess up.

If this kid becomes an official in the future, he probably won't be a good stubble.

"By the way, there is one more thing, but it's inappropriate for you to say it, and it's not appropriate for me to go!"

Several eunuchs couldn't figure out what the emperor was thinking.

Zhu Youtang said: "Bingkuan must go there! It is to let the prince understand the whole story, know what to say and what not to say! This is also to teach others how to understand the world. Do you understand?"

Xiao Jing and the others are not fools.

After thinking about it for a while, my heart clears up.

Now the insider will not leak it to the queen and Mrs. Jin, but I am afraid that Zhu Houzhao, who is also an insider, will leak it.

If the eunuchs were sent to inform, it would be strange if Zhu Houzhao could listen... But if Zhu Youtang went in person, it might work, but if the queen knew that her husband had partnered with his son to hide the truth from her, maybe the next time he cried and quarreled, he would have to add another There are three ways.

And for this matter, the "instigator" Zhang Zhou had to go by himself.

If something happened like this, Zhu Youtang would be able to stay out of it and not be blamed by his wife.

(End of this chapter)