Chapter 212: The Royal-Branded Firm (Ten Thousand Character Mark)

The ministers at court each had their own thoughts, and the officials below them were the same—everyone thought differently, all starting from their own personal interests or their own perspectives.

This was actually very difficult to change, but Zhu Youxiao had no intention of changing them either.

In later generations there was a term called "unifying thought," and even in that era it was hard to achieve—let alone in the Great Ming Dynasty?

So Zhu Youxiao didn't expect unified thought at all. As long as these officials could accomplish what he asked of them, he had no interest in their own personal affairs.

Glancing back at Chen Hong, who was still tidying up, Zhu Youxiao asked, "I told you to prepare long ago—why are you still so slow?"

"Your Majesty, there was no problem originally, but the clothes prepared earlier had some issues. Rest assured, Your Majesty—this servant has already sent someone to fetch new ones." Chen Hong hastily replied with deference.

As for what exactly was wrong, Zhu Youxiao didn't press the matter, because there wasn't much point.

After the clothes were sorted, Zhu Youxiao left the palace with Chen Hong.

This time, the one guarding Zhu Youxiao was Qi Yuanfu and his men.

This truly gave Qi Yuanfu a fright. He hadn't expected His Majesty to leave the palace. He wanted to say something to dissuade him, but before he could even speak, the man was already out.

Seeing how effortlessly His Majesty and Chen Hong moved, it was clearly not their first time leaving the palace. Though Qi Yuanfu wanted to say something in his heart, he never got the chance, and could only silently do his job of protecting them well.

After leaving the palace, Zhu Youxiao held a folding fan in his hand, dressed like a wealthy young master, wandering about the streets with apparent interest in everything.

Soon their group arrived at the street corner where the Imperial Household Department was located.

Qi Yuanfu had thought His Majesty was going somewhere to stroll about, but unexpectedly they had come to the Imperial Household Department—this made him breathe a sigh of relief.

At least this was a government office. If anything happened, the Imperial Household Department could be of considerable help.

However, today the Imperial Household Department seemed a bit too lively—many carriages were parked outside the street entrance.

After entering the street, even more carriages were parked one after another along the roadside, and more people were gathered in small clusters discussing something.

This puzzled Qi Yuanfu—why was it like this?

So Qi Yuanfu went directly to Chen Hong and said cautiously, "Eunuch Chen, there are many people here and eyes are everywhere—isn't it a bit dangerous? Perhaps we should ask His Majesty to return, or go somewhere else."

Giving Qi Yuanfu a half-smiling look, Chen Hong said, "His Majesty came specifically to attend this matter. You want to ask His Majesty to return? This servant doesn't have the nerve to say that—why don't you try?"

Hearing this, Qi Yuanfu knew there was no way around it.

"Alright, just do your own job well." Chen Hong patted Qi Yuanfu on the shoulder and said with a smile, "For the rest, His Majesty knows what he's doing. You just do your work properly."

"Yes, Eunuch Chen." Qi Yuanfu hastily bowed and said.

Qi Yuanfu had a fairly good impression of this Eunuch Chen Hong. He didn't put on much airs on ordinary days, and if one had matters to raise with him, he wouldn't be stingy—he would directly explain the situation. He could be considered an honest and kind elder.

But Qi Yuanfu also understood in his heart that this was probably out of respect for his father's face.

Many people said his father was the military official His Majesty currently trusted most. In Qi Yuanfu's view, that was exactly the case—but his father had once told him that the more such a time was, the more careful and cautious one had to be.

So Qi Yuanfu maintained a very respectful attitude toward everyone, especially after entering the palace.

Although Eunuch Chen had shown signs of closeness, Qi Yuanfu always kept his distance from Chen Hong, merely maintaining appearances.

Before entering the palace, his father had told him that inside the palace one must never form ties with anyone—just obey His Majesty's orders, and neither listen to nor ask about anything else.

Others might cultivate connections, and His Majesty would turn a blind eye, but for their Qi family, there was no such opportunity.

Once anything improper was discovered, His Majesty would absolutely show no room for forgiveness.

So Qi Yuanfu was always very careful and cautious, and paid little heed to Chen Hong's attempts to win him over.

As for Chen Hong, he wasn't trying to get Qi Yuanfu to do anything detrimental to His Majesty. He was merely a eunuch in the palace; it was because of His Majesty's existence that he had his position today, so he wouldn't think of doing His Majesty harm.

But now the competition among the outer court was fierce, and the same was true within the palace. Chen Hong simply wanted more allies. But seeing Qi Yuanfu's attitude now, it was clear that Qi Jin probably didn't want to get entangled with this Companion of his.

Yet Chen Hong also understood in his heart that he himself didn't dare get entangled with Qi Jin either. Once he had any connection with Qi Jin, His Majesty would definitely choose one of them to eliminate.

From his understanding of His Majesty, the one eliminated would certainly not be Qi Jin—so it would have to be himself.

So Chen Hong wouldn't court death. His kindness toward Qi Yuanfu was merely an attempt to build a good connection with Qi Jin. Many times there was no need to get too close; having a favorable connection was enough.

Watching Qi Yuanfu's departing figure, Chen Hong also turned and walked to Zhu Youxiao's side.

Seeing his master looking at him with a smile, Chen Hong's cold sweat instantly poured down. He hastily bowed and said, "Qi Yuanfu was worried that with so many people and eyes here there might be danger, so he wished to ask Your Majesty to return to the palace."

Zhu Youxiao nodded lightly, waved his hand, and said, "Give him some rewards after returning to the palace."

"Yes, Your Majesty—this servant understands." Chen Hong hastily acknowledged, and couldn't help sighing inwardly—this father-and-son pair of the Qi family truly was favored, that even such a small matter earned them rewards from His Majesty.

What Zhu Youxiao focused on wasn't any of this—what he focused on was the matter inside the Imperial Household Department today.

Leading his people inside, Zhu Youxiao mingled among the crowd, wanting to strike up conversations with someone.

But soon, Zhu Youxiao discovered that the people here were all quite guarded, and wouldn't pay any attention to a stranger like him.

So Zhu Youxiao could only wander about with the crowd, seeing if he could pick up any tidbits.

In fact, Zhu Youxiao knew perfectly well in his heart what was going to happen here today.

Today's matter was presided over by Hu Fei—it was the first assignment of the Audit Bureau, and also a very important matter, which was why Zhu Youxiao had come to observe.

Soon, the crowd began moving inward, clearly indicating that things were just about ready.

Zhu Youxiao didn't hesitate either, directly following the crowd inside, then finding a remote corner to stand in, quietly waiting to watch.

He still couldn't show his face too much, or Hu Fei might recognize him. Though Hu Fei wouldn't necessarily expose his identity as Emperor, if he saw him present, he might not be as relaxed and natural as before.

Soon, after everyone had gathered, Hu Fei also walked out from inside, clasped his hands toward everyone present with a smile, and announced in a clear voice, "Among those present, some know me and some don't, so let Hu introduce himself first."

"My surname is Hu, my name is Hu Fei. I used to be a merchant making a living in the capital. Now, I've joined the Imperial Household Department and serve as Bureau Director of the Audit Bureau. Perhaps many of you don't know what our Audit Bureau does. Today, I'll explain it to everyone."

"First, the Audit Bureau's primary duty is to inspect everything sent into the palace. Anyone who dares to inflate prices falsely, anyone who dares to pass off inferior goods as quality ones—all of that falls under the Audit Bureau's jurisdiction. You all know that things sent into the palace are for the use of nobles. If we truly find problems, your head probably won't be your own anymore."

Hearing these words, the merchants present all turned pale, especially the few who supplied goods specifically to the palace.

Of course, these people wouldn't dare pass off inferior goods as quality ones—after all, if one did so with things sent to the palace and got caught, it would be a disaster of having one's family executed and property confiscated. That wasn't how they made their money.

What they sent to the palace were all good things; it was just that when quoting prices, they were higher than market rates. At the same time, when delivering goods, they had to share profits with the inner attendants, so the prices became even higher. This was how everyone made their money.

But now, judging by this Hu Fei's meaning, this aspect would also be investigated in the future—so how could they still make money?

"Since taking office, this official has thoroughly audited the palace's old accounts from the past few years, and indeed some things have been uncovered. The palace has already sent people to make arrests—those eunuchs in charge of purchasing probably won't have good endings. But for those present, if any of you have problems, I advise you to step forward now, rather than making me name you."

"If you step forward yourself, you'll at least show an attitude of voluntarily admitting your mistake, and perhaps you'll receive a lighter punishment. But if I have to name you, then you'll truly face severe punishment—at minimum, exile to Liaodong for military service. As for what Liaodong is like, I think no one present here doesn't know, right?"

No one had expected this Hu Fei to give them such a show of force right from the start.

But in Zhu Youxiao's view, this matter had been handled very well—Hu Fei had struck the perfect balance in transitioning from merchant to official.

His choice had indeed been correct; this was a very suitable man.

As a merchant, you could hobnob with these suppliers—wasn't it all about making money through harmony?

But as an official, you absolutely could not do that. You had to establish your own authority, at least make them respect you, make them dare not fool you—otherwise, your fate would be very grim.

As things stood now, Hu Fei had already realized this, so he had handled it very thoroughly.

Regarding the earlier accounts, Hu Fei had asked Zhu Youxiao how to deal with them. At the time, Zhu Youxiao had told him to handle it as he saw fit—after all, this matter was now under his jurisdiction, and it also served as a test for him.

As it appeared now, Hu Fei was preparing to make a big issue out of these matters.

The faces of those present grew even uglier. They hung their heads one by one with varied expressions, but no one stepped forward—clearly, before the facts were fully understood, none of them wanted to stick their necks out.

At this moment, Hu Fei smiled and said, "I know some of you are harboring thoughts of luck—what if it doesn't get traced back to you?"

Saying this, Hu Fei laughed even louder, then continued, "Your thinking actually has merit. Because I can't guarantee I'll catch everyone—there will certainly be fish that slip through the net. But you might gamble on one thing: gamble on whether the person I catch is you, gamble on whether you're the one who slips through."

"If you win the bet, then you can return home safely; if you lose the bet, your entire family gets conscripted to Liaodong. Think it over carefully—there's only this one chance. Miss it, and you truly won't have any choice left."

With Hu Fei's words, someone in the crowd finally moved.

This person directly stepped forward and said with a bitter smile, "I confess."

Zhu Youxiao glanced at this man—he suspected he was a shill arranged by Hu Fei.

If Hu Fei really had arranged a shill, Zhu Youxiao wouldn't find it strange—after all, one had to ensure absolute certainty.

After this man, several more people stepped out from the crowd.

Hu Fei looked at these people and said with a smile to one fat man among them, "Manager Liu, I truly didn't expect you to be among them—you're that fish that slipped through the net. But you stepped forward, and that's very good."

The expression on Manager Liu's face at this moment was extremely unpleasant—annoyance mixed with a trace of regret.

"But Manager Liu, don't be upset," Hu Fei continued with a smile. "Soon you'll see someone else fall into misfortune. Someone wanted to impersonate that fish that slipped through the net—but unfortunately for him, he isn't one."

As he spoke, Hu Fei waved his hand toward those behind him and coldly ordered, "Seize them."

The men who had been waiting behind him immediately rushed into the crowd and directly dragged several people out.

Those several people immediately began shouting loudly, "We'll talk, we'll talk, we'll talk!"

But it was already too late—everyone watched helplessly as they were dragged away.

Hu Fei waited until the crowd recovered their senses, then slowly continued, "That's how it is. You've all seen the process. Those caught afterward will be conscripted to Liaodong, and their household property will be confiscated to the state."

"Don't think about it anymore—this matter was decided by the Imperial Household Department, so don't go looking for anyone to intercede, because no one can do anything about it."

"You should know who's in charge of our Imperial Household Department—it's the current State Elder! No matter whom you beg, it won't help. After all, we're not wronging you—you yourselves failed to follow the rules."

Listening to Hu Fei's words, the expression on Zhu Youxiao's face was extremely strange, because Hu Fei had directly pinned the blame onto Zhang Guoji's head.

Was this the internal consensus of the Imperial Household Department?

If that were truly the case, Zhang Guoji, as Chief Minister of the Imperial Household Department, really wouldn't last long. What kind of hats were being placed on his head—what kind of black pots was he being made to carry!

As he spoke, Hu Fei looked toward the several people standing not far away—those who had voluntarily stepped forward.

"As for you all, deliver all the ill-gotten gains you've earned over these years, plus an additional fine of equal amount. Remember, I have account books here. If you dare short me, your fate will be the same as theirs."

Everyone was shocked by Hu Fei's words.

No one had expected that Hu Fei, who was usually so amiable, could be like this. This was practically lethal—such ruthless and merciless methods!

"Do you think I'm ruthless and merciless?" Hu Fei slowly swept his gaze across the crowd and said with a smile, "I know that's what you're thinking. That's fine—I just want to tell everyone that from today onward, the Imperial Household Department will conduct its affairs by rules. If anyone dares to break the rules, then don't blame me, Hu Fei, for being merciless."

Watching the merchants below stand silent as cicadas in winter, a smile appeared on Zhu Youxiao's face.

Indeed, only merchants understand merchants best. Now should come the beating with the stick—or rather, the intimidation—and after that, it should be time to offer the sweet date.

Hu Fei's methods were quite well played, though he wondered whether it would scare the merchants below into not daring to stick their necks out again.

Zhu Youxiao genuinely had this doubt, so he prepared to continue watching.

In his later life, Zhu Youxiao had heard a very famous saying—one from Marx's Das Kapital.

In Das Kapital, Marx made this argument:

If there is a 20 percent profit, capital becomes restless;

If there is a 50 percent profit, capital will take risks;

If there is a 100 percent profit, capital dares to risk the gallows;

If there is a 300 percent profit, capital dares to trample all human laws.

Although Zhu Youxiao felt this might be true, in reality it wasn't necessarily so, so he wanted to see what today's scene would show.

At the very least, Hu Fei had already demonstrated through action that doing business with the Imperial Household Department could cost you your life. So whether these people would still choose to work with the Imperial Household Department was a very big question.

But as if confirming Zhu Youxiao's thoughts, those people did not turn hostile on the spot.

This wasn't strange—after all, they were merchants, while Hu Fei was now an official. It was only natural they wouldn't dare turn hostile.

But one thing was abnormal: these people began smiling and flattering Hu Fei, clearly laying the groundwork for cooperation to come.

The merchants present were not fools or idiots—quite the contrary, those who could make it here were all clever people. They too could see that Hu Fei was giving them all a show of force.

Since he'd given the show of force, benefits would surely follow. So they were all waiting for those benefits. If the benefits were big enough, what happened before naturally wouldn't matter.

It wasn't them who got their homes confiscated or died—and in others' eyes, those people had simply been courting death. If it were themselves, they certainly wouldn't act that way. They weren't short of that bit of money—wasn't it better to do business steadily and safely?

So they'd first flatter Hu Fei a bit—after all, flattery cost nothing. If it worked out in the end, there would naturally be many benefits; even if it didn't, it was no great loss.

And so Zhu Youxiao witnessed this very lively scene. This time Hu Fei was no longer wearing a stern face, but smiling warmly and exchanging pleasantries with everyone, as if he were once again that merchant.

After the round of pleasantries was complete, Hu Fei said with a smile, "Now then, let's talk business."

Hearing Hu Fei say this, everyone's expressions turned serious. They knew they'd finally reached the meat of the matter, so they all listened quietly, waiting for Hu Fei to give them the details.

But Hu Fei didn't speak—instead, he nodded to the people behind him.

Several men walked up, each holding a stack of paper forms. They walked among the crowd, distributing the forms to everyone.

At this point Hu Fei spoke from above: "Listed on these are the items needed by the palace, divided into several major categories, each with several subcategories beneath it. Take a look at which of these items you can supply, then you can go over there to register."

"But before you register, let me make things clear, lest you say later that I deceived you." Hu Fei even chuckled at this point, looking quite amused with himself.

But no one around could laugh, which made things feel a bit awkward.

Hu Fei, however, didn't mind and said directly: "From now on, the palace will no longer pay for things used within the palace. Everything will be contributed by you and presented to the palace."

Everyone present was taken aback, but no one spoke up, because they knew there had to be more to this than met the eye — otherwise, such words wouldn't have been spoken.

His Majesty would never let people take things for nothing — that absolutely is not His Majesty's way of doing things. If the Imperial Household Department really did this, the ministers outside wouldn't let them off easy either.

Besides, among the people standing here now, who doesn't have someone backing them?

An ordinary merchant couldn't have made it to this place. Every single person standing here represents a faction behind them.

So they weren't particularly afraid, nor would they panic and rush to question Hu Fei.

Now everyone was waiting for him to continue, and Hu Fei didn't delay, continuing: "Whoever can obtain the qualification to present tribute to the palace may jointly establish a trading house with the Imperial Household Department, and this trading house will be dedicated to supplying goods to the palace."

"Of course, this trading house can also sell to the public. At the same time, the trading house's signboard can bear the imperial insignia, signifying that this trading house supplies the finest goods exclusively for the royal family."

"At the same time, this trading house can also market its goods throughout the realm. Let me put it plainly: wherever this trading house operates, the Imperial Household Department will lend a hand, and any problems can be brought to the Imperial Household Department for resolution."

"So you all know the benefits here. Not to mention anything else — just the imperial insignia alone, the value contained within it, you should all be very clear about that."

Zhu Youxiao watched Hu Fei speaking with eloquence, feeling somewhat anxious inside.

This idea was his own, naturally borrowed from things of later generations, but he didn't know how effective it would be. Now the time had come to test its results.

Because in the original course of history, the Great Ming's civilizational progress had been interrupted and suffered many hardships, so these things never took shape. But on the European continent they did take shape — and that was luxury goods.

So-called luxury goods were originally merely things supplied to the royal household; when they entered commoner households, they became luxury goods.

And on this land, such things naturally existed as well. For example, the imperial kitchen chefs often mentioned in later ages, or court secret recipes and the like.

It was only because they hadn't been passed down — many things were destroyed in the flames of war — that a large-scale luxury goods industry never formed.

But Zhu Youxiao had also gone to look at things like silk embroidery, and those prices were truly staggering.

What Zhu Youxiao wanted to do now was to establish such luxury brands, starting from within the imperial palace, then gradually expanding to various places, and finally reaching all of the Great Ming's tributary states and neighboring countries.

Once that goal was achieved, the Great Ming would have the ability to plunder even more wealth by manufacturing very cheap goods.

But whether it could succeed now was still unknown — it depended on the reaction of these merchants.

Because this was, after all, a feasibility plan conceived in speculation. Whether it would work when brought into reality, no one dared to guarantee — it mainly depended on whether these merchants would accept it.

If these merchants chose to accept it, then that would prove his policy had no problems, and he could boldly and confidently continue.

If these merchants chose not to accept it, then that would prove there were problems with his ideas and strategies. One could only say that this idea and strategy didn't suit the Great Ming, didn't suit this era. In that case, he would have to think of other methods.

You see, merchants are the most sensitive group of people in the world, especially when facing profit. They only step forward when they think there's gain to be had; when they think there's nothing to gain, they retreat.

Their senses are the sharpest, so Zhu Youxiao wanted to see what their reaction would be.

"I'm willing." Suddenly, a man in front stood up. After saying these words, he cupped his hands toward all directions, then said loudly: "To be able to serve His Majesty with loyalty is a blessing cultivated over several lifetimes. This matter, I am willing to do."

"Let's not even talk about making money — even if we lose money, even if we go bankrupt, I'm still willing to do it. Lord Hu, count me Li Wanjin in. You know what our family does. From now on, the fabrics for the palace — whether used by His Majesty and Her Majesty the Empress, or by the eunuchs and palace maids within the palace — I, Li Wanjin, will handle all of it."

After saying this, Li Wanjin also patted his chest and said: "I, Li Wanjin, mean what I say. I ask all of you to bear witness together."

Zhu Youxiao looked at this Li Wanjin.

He was a man in his fifties, somewhat stout in build. With a fair face and regular, dignified features, he appeared quite imposing.

He carried an air of scholarly refinement, seemingly not much like a merchant. But his name and his manner of doing things — that was a proper merchant through and through.

Under these circumstances, Zhu Youxiao felt this was an interesting man. As for what Li Wanjin said, Zhu Youxiao didn't believe a single word of it.

Willing to offer all his family assets to the palace?

He'd just take those words as something to listen to and let pass.

Looking at Li Wanjin and listening to his words, a smile spread across Hu Fei's face.

He had actually been worried about this matter too — this was something His Majesty had tasked him with. If things went well, there would naturally be benefits; but if things were botched, could you possibly say His Majesty's idea wasn't good?

You could only say you had handled things poorly, and then you'd certainly be dealt with.

Now that Li Wanjin had stepped forward, that was already gratifying. Moreover, he had directly taken on the clothing and fabric sector — there was something interesting in that.

But Hu Fei also knew this Li Wanjin, knowing a fair bit about his family background.

This Li Wanjin was from Zhejiang, a fairly famous figure among the Zhejiang merchants in the capital. If he could secure this business, it would mean the entire Zhejiang merchant group had taken the deal — not only beneficial for consolidating his own business, but also advantageous for raising his own status.

As for how to proceed afterward, that would need further discussion.

But no sooner had his words fallen than someone nearby objected, and a man stood up, saying: "Li Wanjin, what you said isn't right. When it comes to showing loyalty to His Majesty, we people are equally unyielding in our duty."

"Besides, you, Li Wanjin, only have silk — but the noble ladies of the palace can't wear silk all day every day, can they? There are plenty of fine fabrics under heaven. You can't just look after yourself; you should also think more for the noble ladies of the palace, shouldn't you?"

The man who stood up to speak this time was lean and thin, with a hint of provocation in his expression.

Zhu Youxiao also looked at him, but his face was full of smiles.

The reason was very simple — because Zhu Youxiao discovered that his idea was indeed effective. You could tell from the way they were fighting over it. If there weren't enough benefits in it, how could they possibly be scrambling like this?

After these two men, the others all stood up as well, expressing their willingness — they merely requested different categories.

For a moment, the room was filled with clamor, the atmosphere extremely lively.

At this time, Hu Fei, standing on the platform, moved. He pressed his hands down and smiled: "Everyone, everyone, please hear me out."

Seeing Hu Fei speak, everyone quieted down.

Hu Fei's face beamed with smiles — he knew that this time, his task had been accomplished.

With this achievement, the first step had been a success for him, and he could now give His Majesty an account.

So Hu Fei said with great enthusiasm: "Since everyone is willing, then please go register first — leave your names and addresses, and also leave the list of items you wish to present. We'll discuss the rest later."

"The Imperial Household Department will give everyone time to prepare, letting you have samples ready. Then we'll choose the best from among them."

"Well said, well said." Everyone expressed their agreement one after another.

Hu Fei led this noisy crowd to register.

Zhu Youxiao didn't follow along this time. His purpose in coming here had actually already been achieved — he already knew how things were progressing, so there was no need to follow any further.

For Zhu Youxiao, this was already enough.

He left with his attendants, revealing a smile as he walked. In fact, before this matter, Zhu Youxiao had also thought about how this matter should be done.

【181】 (Note: line 181 missing from source)

His first thought had been to simply sell the quota and collect a sum of money each year. That was the simplest and most convenient method, and the money would come in relatively quickly as well, but the control it afforded was comparatively weak, and it would be nearly impossible for the Imperial Household Department to extend its reach outward.

So Zhu Youxiao abandoned that approach and chose instead to take a direct equity stake—a kind of public-private joint venture arrangement.

When the time came, they would make money together, and the profits would naturally be split according to the agreed proportions. This way, over the long run, the returns would be more stable, and they would also be able to earn more.

After weighing the pros and cons, Zhu Youxiao chose this approach.

The only problem was that if things didn't go smoothly, his subsequent plans would be impossible to realize, and there would be no chance of any new results. But judging from the current situation, the results were actually quite good.

After leaving the gates of the Imperial Household Department, Zhu Youxiao wandered about with Chen Hong and Qi Yuanfu, and even had people buy quite a few gifts, saying they were for Empress Zhang—putting on the proper appearance of a good husband.

By the time Zhu Youxiao returned to the palace, the sun was already setting. After returning, he bathed with the help of the palace maids, then took the gifts and went to Empress Zhang's quarters.

Hearing that Zhu Youxiao had arrived, Empress Zhang hurried forward to greet him.

Walking up to Empress Zhang's side, he reached out and pulled her up, saying with a smile: "Baozhu, there's no need for this. Let's both be a bit more relaxed from now on."

As he spoke, he led Empress Zhang inside.

Looking at the dishes laid out on the table, Zhu Youxiao smiled and said: "It seems I've arrived at just the right time."

Empress Zhang smiled on the side without saying anything—it was obvious that His Majesty had come over at this hour precisely to eat.

That His Majesty was willing to come to her place to eat was a happy thing. So Empress Zhang attended to Zhu Youxiao as he began his meal.

After the meal was finished, the leftover scraps were cleared away, and warm tea was brought up.

The husband and wife sat drinking tea and chatting. Zhu Youxiao told Empress Zhang about his trip outside the palace that day, and also praised Zhang Guoji.

"His Excellency the Imperial Father-in-Law has done very well in the Imperial Household Department—this has saved the palace a good deal of money. Once this matter is accomplished, the palace won't need to spend anything on purchasing supplies; everything will be presented by those merchants. Then that large sum of money can be used for other things."

"You must know, the imperial palace is so vast, and the number of people it supports each year is so great—that's also a very large expense."

Empress Zhang thought for a moment, then said with a clever smile: "Those merchants are willing to do this—is it because they think they'll earn more outside than the palace spends? But what if it were the reverse? If the palace spent more and they earned less, then what would they do?"

"Then they'd go bankrupt." Zhu Youxiao said with a laugh.

He had naturally considered this matter. He had long since thought it through—the tributes could only satisfy the palace's daily needs; the rest would still have to be purchased. Alternatively, a fixed quantity could be set for each year's tribute, and if there were a shortfall, they would go out and buy more.

This ensured that a frugal emperor might even manage to save a bit, while if the extravagance exceeded the dividends, he would have to pay for it himself.

In this way, the normal operation of the system could be guaranteed, so that it wouldn't collapse in the end.

But for now, this money seemed to be quite a lot; in the future, there might not be a need to be so careful.

"Your Majesty, what is bankruptcy?" Empress Zhang looked at Zhu Youxiao, tilting her head as she asked.

"Bankruptcy is when one's assets can no longer cover one's debts," Zhu Youxiao said, thinking for a moment before explaining the general meaning to Empress Zhang, then adding with a smile: "Don't worry, I won't let such a thing happen. I'm not the kind of emperor who only knows how to spend money. If there isn't enough money, then we'll just spend less."

"With Your Majesty like this, you will surely become a wise and mighty emperor." Empress Zhang quietly flattered Zhu Youxiao.

Zhu Youxiao was quite pleased by this, and the most direct manifestation was that he led Empress Zhang off to bed.

The news from the Imperial Household Department naturally couldn't be kept secret—the matter that the Audit Bureau had cooked up instantly shocked the entire capital of Beijing.

Countless people had never imagined that the Imperial Household Department would pull such a maneuver, especially the officials in the bureaucracy.

One had to know that many officials had business interests in their own households. If this were really done, what would happen to their own businesses?

That was from the perspective of personal interest. There was another point that was extremely critical—that was on the level of ideology.

This amounted to competing with the people for profit. How could the Emperor make money off the common people?

This was extremely, extremely improper. In the minds of these officials, this was absolutely something that could not be done—how could the Imperial House engage in commerce?

It was a disgrace to decency! What kind of decorum was this?

Thus the news spread throughout the entire officialdom in an instant. Quite a few people began submitting routine memorials, their intent obvious—they believed this was not a good thing, did not wish His Majesty to do it, believed His Majesty must not do it, and hoped His Majesty would rescind the order.

To this, Zhu Youxiao made no comment. He didn't go out either, spending his days by Empress Zhang's side. He wanted to see how these people outside would make a fuss.

He waited for someone to jump out, wanting to see if anyone would go threaten those merchants.

But the reality was not like that. Those people made a lot of noise, yet took no actual action.

As for threatening those merchants, no one dared to do it at all. Because after the Embroidered Uniform Guard had done their reconnaissance, they had been able to roughly ascertain the backgrounds of these merchants.

A large portion of them came from the households of hereditary nobles and imperial relatives by marriage, while the rest came from various regions. Although their capital in those regions couldn't yet be fully investigated, according to what people from the capital said, these individuals were all great clans in their respective localities, with deeply entrenched connections throughout the officialdom.

Whether in this era or in later generations, anyone who could expand their business beyond a single province was entirely a person of ability.

Later ages had local protectionism; in this era, such thinking was even more stringent, and also far more extreme.

So those who could take their business beyond one province were all people with both ability and background. If they could bring their business all the way to the capital, that was even more remarkable.

These were not people that ordinary officials could touch. At the very least, only the top few in the court could move against them. But those people also showed no reaction.

In fact, it wasn't that they had no reaction—it was that they didn't know how to react.

Within the Grand Secretariat, the four Grand Secretaries were discussing this very matter.

Because of the matter of compiling the imperial examination curriculum, the atmosphere in the Grand Secretariat was somewhat strained—or rather, somewhat delicate. But no one dared to neglect official business, so this time the four of them sat down together again to consult.

"I think there's nothing to this matter. Since they're willing to send money to the palace, let them send it." Xu Guangqi said nonchalantly.

"As long as it's done according to the rules, there's no problem." Huang Kezuan added on the side.

No one found it strange that Xu Guangqi spoke this way, but that Huang Kezuan spoke this way was rather odd. Because he hadn't been like this before.

In the past few days, Huang Kezuan had begun emphasizing rules.

Everyone knew he was laying the groundwork for his Xunzi doctrine. Especially doing so without regard for occasion or position, directly choosing to act this way—it was a very inappropriate behavior. At the same time, the others' wariness of him deepened.

But no matter what, Huang Kezuan had now stated his position—he had sided with Xu Guangqi.

With these two holding such attitudes, only Sun Chengzong and Han Kuang remained, and it was up to them to decide what they wanted to do.

At this moment, Sun Chengzong spoke up. With an expressionless face, he said: "It's just that letting merchants use the imperial insignia seems a bit inappropriate, doesn't it?"

As soon as these words came out, everyone grew serious—including Xu Guangqi and Huang Kezuan.