Chapter 530: Who made me value the Minister of Revenue, when he

It was said that Dai Zhou was letting Chen Yan handle official business, but in fact, Dai Zhou did not have him handle anything today.

All day long, Dai Zhou kept having Chen Yan become familiar with the basic situation of the Ministry of Revenue, of course, not about which officials are present.

Rather, it was about how much money the Ministry of Revenue currently has left, how many registered households there are, how much land, and other such data.

Perhaps preparations had been made early; all the ledgers and documents were organized clearly and neatly, orderly, as if waiting specifically for him to peruse.

Of course, the Ministry of Revenue was not only Chen Yan busy; people outside such as Du Gou and Ma Zhou were much busier than he.

At minimum, Chen Yan only needed to flip through the various documents and ledgers and remember the general information.

But Du Gou and the others had to compile an entire year's inflow and outflow accounts, vouchers, ledgers, documents, etc., then examine them piece by piece, summarize and record.

Putting aside other matters, the Ministry of Revenue's whole year's transaction records alone could pile up into a small mountain.

And Han Zhongliang and Kang Chong were not idle either; they chased after the people whose names were reported this morning like mad, trying to find evidence of their corruption.

Later, Fang Yizhi looked up from the desk piled with documents and ledgers, watching the sky darken outside, silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed.

Du Gou asked puzzled, "Brother Fang, why are you laughing?"

"Don't you think Brother Zi Anxiong has a certain special… hmm, charisma?" Fang Yizhi hesitated slightly, thought for a while, and uttered a word that was not quite fitting but rather apt.

"Charisma?"

On the other side, Ma Zhou raised an eyebrow, surveyed the bustling Ministry of Revenue, seeming to grasp Fang Yizhi's meaning.

"How should I put it?"

Du Gou didn't quite understand.

Chen Yan, a grown man, talking about charisma?

"Perhaps my wording was wrong…" Fang Yizhi paused, then said bluntly, "Brother Du, haven't you noticed? Since Brother Zi Anxiong arrived, the Ministry of Revenue immediately became different."

"It's not just the Ministry of Revenue; the former Weinan County and all other places are the same."

"Look!" he pointed at the constantly passing hurried officials around, almost all clutching accounts and other items, some even stumbling due to their haste.

Even so, they would immediately get up, fearing they might delay matters.

"The original Ministry of Revenue could not be described as a stagnant pool, but it could be called completely placid; the daily disputes, verbal battles, and constant busyness were mostly among high-ranking officials."

"The lower-level officials seemed to be just passing the days, getting by."

"However, once Brother Zi Anxiong arrived, the Ministry of Revenue instantly entered a tense atmosphere, and everyone dared not be lazy any longer."

After hearing Fang Yizhi's speech, Du Gou stared around steadily, nodding in deep agreement.

Ma Zhou murmured, "Minister Chen seems carefree and unrestrained, but every word and action hides deep meaning, just as when we didn't return today… haha, I can only say, these people now also dare not be lazy."

"......"

Imperial Palace, Ganlu Hall.

Li Shimin, uncharacteristically, did not go to the harem today but sat upright, one hand supporting his chin, and said lightly, "Brother Zi An was appointed today; by now there should be news back, right?"

Wushe bowed and said, "Your Majesty, it should be soon; it's already night, and today's news is expected to be transmitted back immediately."

"Hmm." Li Shimin closed his eyes, "Do you think Brother Zi An will cause a big incident today, giving me a great surprise tomorrow, or raise a slaughter knife and give me a headache tomorrow?"

"Uh…" Wushe hesitated for a moment, thought, and tentatively said, "According to the Duke of Wei's temperament, just after taking office, he shouldn't make the situation a mess; he is likely to suppress a group of people and then win over another group."

"Who would he suppress?" Li Shimin, eyes half‑closed, "The current Ministry of Revenue is almost being turned by me into his One‑Word Hall; who could he suppress?"

"Han Zhongliang? He's someone who knows the times; without saying a word, he would bow, and I guess that's about it."

"There are a few dispensable ones as well, all unimportant."

Wushe dared not speak further; some issues are not for someone like him to interject.

"Ah~"

Li Shimin opened his eyes, "If he were more ordinary, I wouldn't be so eager to promote him, giving him great assistance while also imposing huge pressure."

"In the Ministry of Revenue it's fine; what I worry about is that when the Minister of Revenue position is fixed at the start of the year, then he will face a lot of questioning and covert attacks."

Wushe remained silent for a long time, and the hall quieted down.

After a while, he suddenly spoke, "Your Majesty, I must say something I perhaps shouldn't, but in all my years I've never encountered a person like the Duke of Wei. His thoughts, his way of handling things are so different; each time they give me a tremendous shock."

"Honestly, when the Duke of Wei first proposed erecting a merit monument, forcibly demanding civil and military officials, Meritorious Nobles, and wealthy merchants to donate money, I truly realized the gap between myself and a genius."

"Such a person cannot be judged by ordinary reasoning!"

"In the past, if Emperor Han Wudi had not valued that young man and not looked down on him because of his age, would history still have produced a champion marquis who won a battle and led the armies with bravery?"

"Hehe..."

Li Shimin chuckled lightly, his mood inexplicably improved, and he gently tapped his finger, "Your words, old dog, actually have some sense."

"Indeed, some people simply cannot be judged by ordinary reasoning!"

At this moment, a eunuch lightly jogged over, holding a letter in his hands.

"Your Majesty, the news from the Ministry of Revenue has arrived."

"Present it!"

Li Shimin's eyes lit up, and he waved his hand, standing up.

Wushe, aware that Li Shimin was waiting for this news today, did not dare to delay, and hurriedly took the letter from the eunuch's hand and presented it.

Li Shimin immediately opened it and read it word for word.

When he finished reading, his expression became slightly strange, then he was both amused and bewildered.

"This kid is indeed interesting; it's the first time I've heard of gathering the subordinate officials, plainly telling them that he wants to establish authority, and even bringing out an honest man to point at… hmm, should say it's an honest man who has been suppressed for over a decade."

"Tsk, why am I suddenly a bit disappointed? This kid doesn't give me any trouble, and for a moment I actually…"

Saying that, he walked down, hands behind his back, pacing back and forth.

After a moment of thought, Li Shimin turned his head and asked, "You say, when the start of the year comes and I announce Zi An as Minister of Revenue, who will jump out to oppose?"

"This… I don't know…"

Wushe chose his words carefully and continued, "However, the Duke of Wei is ultimately too young, and his brilliance is too strong; there will inevitably be opponents."

"Can't be helped, then can't be helped!" Li Shimin casually set the letter alight on the candle, tossed it into the brazier, and walked out with his hands behind his back.

Only a domineering voice echoed back.

"What if they oppose? What if their edge is too sharp? What can a twenty‑year‑old Minister of Revenue do?"

"Who let the Minister of Revenue I value be only twenty years old?!"

"......"