Chapter 431: His Majesty Is Short on Silver

Though there was much to do, the capital remained largely peaceful. With winter setting in, the pace of life slowed, yet matters at court grew ever more intense.

The affair concerning Wuqing Marquis Li Gao was gradually reaching its conclusion.

After fermenting for a while, the ministers had reached a consensus on how to handle Li Gao—he must be dealt with severely. A man who put family before country had to be punished sternly. What was more, he had angered His Majesty and made him ill; such a man ought to be disposed of.

Looking at the routine memorials submitted, Zhu Youxiao let out a soft sigh.

All of Wuqing Marquis's lands found to violate the law were to be confiscated as fines, and as for Qinghua Garden west of the city, it was to be seized outright. Don't speak of what belonged to your family—it no longer exists. As for the title, it was to be demoted from marquis to earl.

Chen Hong and Wei Chao stood quietly by Zhu Youxiao's side, neither daring to speak, waiting for their master to break his silence.

Chen Hong and the other knew better than those outside—His Majesty's health was perfectly fine. The so-called illness from anger was merely a rumor, but His Majesty's anger was real.

His Majesty had been thoroughly enraged this time; no one dared provoke him now. Chen Hong and Wei Chao stood respectfully to the side, waiting for Zhu Youxiao to finish this matter, after which the storm would pass.

Zhu Youxiao handed the memorial to Chen Hong and said in a flat tone: "Earl is still too high. Demote him to baron."

Duke, marquis, earl, viscount, baron—these were the current ranks of nobility in the Great Ming. Previously there had been no viscounts or barons; the lowest rank was earl. The Grand Secretariat had taken this into account and demoted Li Gao only to earl, not lower.

But Zhu Youxiao was not satisfied. He wanted to tell everyone: your title is granted by the royal house, and the royal house can take it back at any time. Do not think earl is the floor; baron and viscount are not out of the question either. If you go too far, it will be stripped entirely, and you will be reduced directly to commoner.

Doing this might make many people tremble with fear, and it might also alienate many. But sometimes there are things that simply must be done; if one fears offending people, one can never accomplish anything. Especially as an emperor, one must have such resolve.

How does one safeguard the emperor's power?

Hold military authority in hand, elevate new nobles, send these people to fight and expand the frontiers, using the new to replace the old.

Though one day the new will also become old, the people one has personally promoted were cultivated differently from the old. Do one's best to avoid it—though it may not be entirely avoidable, it will still be somewhat better.

Hearing Zhu Youxiao's words, Chen Hong hurriedly said: "Yes, Your Majesty. This servant will go deliver the decree at once."

The imperial edict was issued very quickly indeed.

Everyone witnessed Zhu Youxiao's resolve and understood there was no room for negotiation in this matter. Silence fell at once.

Previously there had been many memorials impeaching Chen Sihai, expressing great dissatisfaction with their conduct. After this affair, such memorials seemed to vanish overnight.

One must always back up those who do one's bidding—this would never change. Zhu Youxiao thought this way, and he acted this way.

After the Wuqing Marquis was demoted to baron, everything proceeded smoothly.

Reclaiming the fields, leveling the land, preparing to begin construction once the weather warmed.

Everything was on track, enough for Zhu Youxiao to reap a tidy sum. But it was not enough—for Zhu Youxiao, it was still not enough.

Days passed one after another. After winter set in, aside from the demotion of the Wuqing Marquis, nothing else occurred at court.

For Zhu Youxiao, he had no desire to stir up more trouble before the new year.

As winter grew colder, matters grew fewer. Zhu Youxiao largely stopped attending the morning court sessions.

Fortunately, this winter was fairly peaceful, and nothing else happened at court. A period of calm and stability finally arrived, and Zhu Youxiao began preparing to celebrate the new year within the palace.

Soon, the twelfth month arrived, and the capital grew lively.

All the merchants were busy with their new year marketing, preparing to make a killing during the holiday; common households also began stocking up on new year goods.

For a time, the capital bustled with prosperity and excitement.

But there was one place far removed from this festivity—the Hundred Works Institute.

Compared to other government offices in the capital, the Hundred Works Institute had always been busy. Though the new year was approaching, there was little festive atmosphere within its walls; everyone was busy day and night.

Ever since His Majesty last inspected the institute, everyone there had been energized, working diligently on the things His Majesty wished to see.

Bi Maokang looked at the results before him, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. He let out a gentle breath—he knew it was time to enter the palace.

The imperial palace.

Zhu Youxiao was basking in the sun.

Since winter began, the weather had been bitterly cold, and the snow on the ground had never melted.

Even in the capital, snow had piled up to knee depth, showing just how heavy this year's snowfall had been. Warm winters like those of later ages were unimaginable in this era.

Today the weather was rare and fine—the sun had come out, which pleased Zhu Youxiao greatly.

Zhu Youxiao had a chair brought outside to soak up the sun. The warm sunlight falling on his body felt wonderful, so much so that he grew drowsy.

Zhu Youxiao savored this feeling—emptying his mind, thinking of nothing, doing nothing. This was his rare moment of rest.

At that moment, Wei Chao approached cautiously. Coming to Zhu Youxiao's side, he said: "Your Majesty, Bi Maokang, Lord Bi, requests an audience."

If it were a trivial matter, Wei Chao would not dare disturb Zhu Youxiao.

But in His Majesty's eyes, there were certain people who must always be received, and Bi Maokang was one of them. No matter when he came, no matter what His Majesty was doing, His Majesty would grant an audience without delay.

"Let him in." Zhu Youxiao opened his eyes and said slowly.

Before long, Bi Maokang walked in from outside.

Upon seeing Zhu Youxiao, Bi Maokang hurriedly performed the ritual salute and said: "Your servant Bi Maokang pays respects to Your Majesty."

Zhu Youxiao nodded and said: "Enough, rise."

After Bi Maokang straightened up, Zhu Youxiao stretched his limbs and also rose to his feet, saying: "My dear minister, why have you come to the palace in such haste? Is something the matter?"

"In reply to Your Majesty, the Hundred Works Institute has achieved results!" Bi Maokang said hurriedly, his face brimming with joy.

Hearing this, joy also appeared on Zhu Youxiao's face. He said: "Then let's hear it."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Bi Maokang nodded and quickly continued: "Ever since Your Majesty last visited the Hundred Works Institute, everyone there has dared not slacken, working with all their heart to complete the items before the new year."

"Thanks to Your Majesty's gracious blessing, the institute finally completed the items before the new year. The rocket cart has been built, with three grades total: fifteen catties, twenty-five catties, and forty-five catties. The rocket cart can be pulled by horses; before firing, the rockets can be loaded into the cart and then launched. Each rocket cart has nine launch tubes and can carry nine rockets. After lighting a single fuse, all nine rockets can be fired at once."

"In addition, the hand-cranked machine gun Your Majesty mentioned—we have also built it. However, due to the firing pin issue, the production cost is too high. Each unit costs eighty taels to produce; the rejection rate is simply too high."

"A flintlock costs no more than thirty taels to make. The hand-cranked machine gun's cost is far too high! Reducing the cost in a short time would likely be very difficult."

"Good that you've built it." Zhu Youxiao said with a smile, looking at Bi Maokang: "Now that you've produced the goods, I feel much more at ease. As for the eighty-tael cost, I accept it. I'll allocate eight hundred thousand taels from the imperial treasury—first build me ten thousand units."

Hearing this, Bi Maokang nearly wet himself.

Ten thousand units?

This was no longer a matter of money.

Bi Maokang hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, under current conditions, we can only produce about twenty units per month. Casting ten thousand is impossible. If we expand production, that will require even more money."

Zhu Youxiao understood this principle—it meant establishing a complete, unified production line from iron smelting to casting.

Building a production line cost money. After thinking it over, Zhu Youxiao said, "How much would it cost to build a production line capable of producing two hundred machine guns per month?"

"Your subject will need to go back and calculate that." Bi Maokang nearly lost his composure, speaking with some hesitation.

He truly had never considered this matter, since producing such firearms required a matching bullet production line. From gunpowder to bullets, there was a whole process in between.

The mining of raw materials was also a problem—it required resolving massive manpower and material resource issues, all of which demanded enormous sums of money.

What specific supporting facilities were needed and how much they would cost all required fresh calculations; the rocket projectile production line also needed to be built—all of it cost money.

Bi Maokang felt somewhat deflated inside. Setting everything else aside, this money alone probably couldn't be resolved anytime soon.

His Majesty's support for the Hundred Crafts Institute over this long period had hardly been insignificant, and the funds invested had hardly been small—but if they kept burning through money like this, even His Majesty would probably find it hard to accept.

Zhu Youxiao looked at Bi Maokang and nodded.

Bi Maokang's caution was justified. Before the Emperor, one naturally couldn't blow hot air—saying what one knew and didn't know was important. If he hadn't calculated it, then he hadn't calculated it.

No boasting, only doing real work—Zhu Youxiao appreciated this attitude toward handling matters.

Zhu Youxiao said, "Then go back and calculate it. I need a production line that can produce five hundred flintlock muskets per month, with matching bullets; I also need a production line for one hundred hand-cranked machine guns per month. In addition, one hundred carts' worth of rocket projectiles must be produced each month. Calculate how much money is needed yourself, and report the requirements back to me when you're done."

"You must be careful to keep this matter confidential—outsiders must not learn of it, understand?"

Hearing Zhu Youxiao's words, Bi Maokang quickly agreed, "Yes, Your Majesty."

Although he hadn't calculated it, Bi Maokang still had a rough idea in his heart. Based on His Majesty's requirements, even the steel and gunpowder production would likely need to be expanded. The funds required would be enormous—when it came to that point, things would probably become quite difficult to manage.

Bi Maokang also understood why this matter needed to be kept secret. If word got out, it would be even more troublesome—people outside would certainly oppose it.

In fact, people had already begun opposing His Majesty's investment of so much money into the Hundred Crafts Institute. This was not a good omen.

Bi Maokang could do nothing about this, and his heart was complicated. He knew the court had no money, but some money truly needed to be spent.

Zhu Youxiao didn't look at Bi Maokang—he also understood Bi Maokang's concerns. Waving his hand, he said, "Alright, you may withdraw. Go back and do your work well. Some matters are not for you to worry about. As long as you manage the Hundred Crafts Institute well and do what needs to be done, that's enough. Understand?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." Bi Maokang quickly agreed, "Your subject understands."

After Bi Maokang left, Zhu Youxiao let out a sigh. His mood instantly sank, and he no longer had any heart for basking in the sun.

Turning to look at Chen Hong, Zhu Youxiao asked, "How much money is left in my inner treasury?"

All along, Zhu Youxiao had spent money like water, yet the silver in the inner treasury still had a surplus—this was kept in reserve for dealing with emergencies.

If something happened and no money could be produced, that would be disastrous. So a sum of money was always kept in the inner treasury.

This time, Zhu Youxiao planned to take out this emergency fund.

As for the problem of insufficient funds, Zhu Youxiao had already thought of a solution.

"In reply to Your Majesty, there are still seven million eight hundred sixty-three thousand two hundred taels of silver, and one million one hundred twenty-six thousand eight hundred taels of gold." Chen Hong said hurriedly.

Chen Hong had long since memorized these gold and silver sums, having calculated the total accounts.

The gold couldn't be touched for now, but the silver could be spent. Still, whether those seven-plus million taels would be enough for Bi Maokang's use was uncertain.

To be honest, it really might not be enough. Under the current technical conditions, construction costs were too high. Zhu Youxiao, coming from a later era, understood very well that only when technology was widely deployed and the supply chain matured could costs be pressed down.

When breaking new ground, costs were never low, and yield rates weren't high either, resulting in especially high scrap rates. All of that required cost. Moreover, producing weapons required guaranteed quality, which drove the price up.

Even if Zhu Youxiao took out all these emergency funds, it probably still wouldn't be enough. It seemed the plan needed to be moved up the schedule.

Zhu Youxiao nodded and said, "Alright, I understand. Transfer one million taels to Bi Maokang first."

Although the production line hadn't been expanded yet and the cost budget report hadn't arrived, the Hundred Crafts Institute would certainly need money to produce these new items. Even based on current production capacity, additional costs would be required, so this money had to be spent.

Give him one million taels first and let him burn through it for a while—scientific research really was too expensive!

Zhu Youxiao understood in his heart that this money had to be spent, but he still felt some pain over it.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Chen Hong respectfully agreed.

Gazing at the sun in the sky, Zhu Youxiao murmured, "This money can't be spent by me alone—someone needs to pick up the bill!"