The Ming Dynasty’s Prodigal Son - Chapter 87

[87.Chapter 87 is accurate]

It seems that the Chinese New Year is coming, and tomorrow is the first day of the Lunar New Year, but the exact number has not been released yet. After today, even the household department must take a rest. When the New Year is over, it will be half a month later. How much time will this delay?

He paced anxiously back and forth in the duty room of the household department. The tea cup on the coffee table was already cold, but he seemed not to notice it.

In the north and south stalls, there was the sound of abacus beads crackling everywhere. Clerks hurriedly shuttled in front of each case, handing each book back and forth to the hands of the court official, while sitting in the hall. The court official will check again.

In the distance, the sound of firecrackers can be faintly heard, and the New Year’s Eve dinner is about to begin.

Wang Wen’an, the chief clerk of the Ministry of Revenue, had a livid face and kept apologizing: “Mr. Li, it’s the fault of the lower official. It’s the lower official’s fault. The lower official never thought of it. He failed to check it several times. The deviation in the number was too big. There was no preparation beforehand.” Li Dongyang pressed his hand and said, “It’s not too late to make amends. I hope there won’t be any more mistakes today. It’s the end of the year,

so

thank you for your hard work.”

As time passes, it is getting dark. Next, it is time to have New Year’s Eve dinner.

Li Dongyang looked tired, but finally the official sitting in the hall hurried over, holding a book with still wet ink in his hand, and said in surprise: “Mr. Li, Mr. Li, we have calculated the number of stalls in the north and south. They match, and the difference is negligible…”

“Oh…” Li Dongyang raised his eyebrows, took the book, and saw that it recorded “2,754,600 silver in storage” Twenty-seven taels, with the words “790,540 kilograms of silk…”, he glanced through it roughly, and then took the book of the south stall and compared it with each other. That’s right, the numbers of the two stalls were the same. Almost, which means that this time it is accurate.

He breathed a sigh of relief: “His Majesty asked several times about the balance at the end of the year, which is related to many government orders after the new year. Just at noon, the palace came to ask once…” He raised his eyes and looked outside. Tian Se, frowning: “Isn’t it inappropriate to report the number to the palace at this time? But…”

Li Dongyang knows this emperor too well. If he doesn’t report to the palace today, he will have to wait until after the new year. According to His Majesty’s temperament, I guarantee that It is difficult to sleep and eat well.

He pondered for a moment: “Prepare the sedan chair and enter the palace now. It’s better to take this last opportunity to ask Your Majesty to take a look.”

…

The palace was already filled with joy.

The eunuchs were already busy, scrambling for the feast in the palace.

Empress Zhang and the princess have already gone to the Longevity Palace. They will sit with the Empress Dowager for a while. When the auspicious time comes, the three generations of the royal family will gather together and have a happy reunion.

Zhu Houzhao had already entered the palace and was called by Emperor Hongzhi.

Emperor Hongzhi naturally would not give him a good look. Zhu Houzhao was especially nervous today. After all, being impulsive was one thing. But after the impulse passed and he calmed down, he felt that he might be doomed, so he stayed with the smiling face and carefully looked at his own face. Father.

Emperor Hongzhi is now in no mood to pay attention to Zhu Houzhao. This year’s household expenditure has not been delivered yet. If this is the case, it means that many of his ideas will not be realized in the next half month, and he feels unsure.

The officials could take a rest, and the various ministries and yamen could relax, but Emperor Hongzhi did not dare to stop. He always felt that he had too many things to do.

He seemed a little anxious. In the past, the account books from the Ministry of Accounts should have been delivered a few days earlier, but this year, something should have gone wrong.

When I think about it, I feel depressed.

Emperor Hongzhi raised his head in an instant and suddenly met Zhu Houzhao’s eyes. When their eyes met, Emperor Hongzhi noticed the fear and uneasiness in his son’s eyes, as well as the deliberate expression of flattery. Emperor Hongzhi said calmly with a sullen face: “I’m sorry. Are you done?”

“I’m aware of my mistake,” Zhu Houzhao said honestly.

Emperor Hongzhi said with a cold face: “Let’s talk about it.”

“You shouldn’t contradict your father.” Zhu Houzhao smiled as if he was harmless: “My son… even if he knows that his father is wrong, he should never do it. , It shouldn’t be…”

“Huh?” A cold light flashed across Emperor Hongzhi’s eyes. He still refused to admit his mistake. What does it mean to know that his father was wrong…

Emperor Hongzhi’s hands were a little itchy. , if it were not New Year’s Eve, and he would go to Wanshou Palace for a family reunion later, Emperor Hongzhi would really like to beat this stupid son to death. He shook his head in his heart and said seriously: “Fang Jifan is just coaxing you, don’t you understand?”

“Old man” Fang…uh…Fang Jifan will not lie to his ministers.” Zhu Houzhao smiled like a turtle receiving a guest, but his words were insistent.

Emperor Hongzhi felt that his patience had reached the limit: “Hmph, can Fang Jifan calculate such a large amount in one day? Is he a god in the sky, or is he a Wenqu star from the sky? You, even if you trust a person, you can’t You must also understand their true intentions. I only have a son like you. In the future, you will succeed to the throne. Of course, you must trust your ministers, but you must not…”

At this point, a eunuch crept in: “Your Majesty, University Scholar Li Dongyang asked to see him. “

Emperor Hongzhi was shocked.

Master Li knew that I had already calculated the money and food from the Ministry of Revenue, so at this critical juncture, he entered the palace without hesitation.

Emperor Hongzhi frowned: “Please come in.”

After a while, Li Dongyang came to see him, and he saluted Emperor Hongzhi: “I am guilty of ten thousand deaths, Hubu…”

Emperor Hongzhi pressed his hands: “It’s already very difficult to do this. You are still in the household department today. Why, the calculation has been done?”

Li Dongyang held up the book he had prepared in his hands and said, “Your Majesty, please take a look.”

The eunuch took it and put it on the imperial desk. Emperor Hongzhi sat down. OK, pick up the book and open it.

Zhu Houzhao’s eyes were shining: “Father…Father…you are correcting logarithms, correcting logarithms…”

Emperor Hongzhi seemed impatient. This stupid son was still unwilling to give up. He had been talking to him all over the place. After talking so many reasons, he was still the same. He couldn’t help but get angry and blurted out: “Stop…”

He wanted to stop.

But immediately, Emperor Hongzhi’s expression changed.

This number actually looks familiar.

‘Two million seven hundred and fifty-four thousand six hundred and twenty-five taels of silver entered into the treasury, 790,000 and 540 catties of silk…’

The amount in the first line… Emperor Hongzhi was somewhat impressed, because…

he His eyes flashed and he couldn’t help but said: “Here comes…”

The eunuch bowed and said: “My servant is here.”

Emperor Hongzhi said calmly: “Where is Fang Jifan’s book?”

“My servant will go and get it now.”

In the Nuan Pavilion, all of a sudden Becoming weird.

Even Li Dongyang felt strange.

Emperor Hongzhi was even more solemn and silent.

Zhu Houzhao kept looking here, but Emperor Hongzhi just had a straight face and seemed to have stopped breathing.

Not long after, the eunuch brought the book, and Emperor Hongzhi opened it. The two books were spread out in front of the imperial desk. In Fang Jifan’s book, it was clearly written: “Two, seven hundred and fifty-four thousand yuan of silver entered into the treasury.” One thousand six hundred and twenty-two taels. ‘

It’s actually almost the same as the deposited silver calculated by the household department, except for the slight change in the last digit.

Emperor Hongzhi took a breath of cold air.

This guy…really did the math?

You must know that those accounts are as of the seventh day of December. It is impossible for Fang Jifan to get the accounts from the Ministry of Accounts in advance. Zhu Houzhao did go to the Ministry of Accounts to copy a copy, but he sent Fang Jifan’s accounts to Fang Jifan within a few days. In front of the emperor.

In other words, this guy really only spent a few days calculating the money and food for the Ministry of Household Affairs, and… it was accurate!

(End of chapter)