Chapter 348: Setting the Board

Fortunately, Zhu Youjian had long been prepared for such a massive expenditure.

He had already planned that the initial investment for the Court of Agriculture's operations would be borne by the privy purse, and only after everything was properly established would the Taicang treasury take over.

The silver in the privy purse was now too abundant—salt profits alone reached over two million taels annually, and the indirect benefits generated by investing this silver would be incalculable.

The profits that the Four Seas Trading Company brought him each year far exceeded the previous tax revenues of the Taicang treasury. Moreover, this income was not a case of draining the pond to catch the fish; rather, it accompanied the continuous expansion of the Four Seas Trading Company, growing at an astonishing rate every year.

The Four Seas Trading Company's operations had already spread to every prosperous prefecture and county in the Great Ming, covering a complete range of industries and commodities. Individually, the profits of the large and small shops in these prefectural and county cities did not seem very great, but the accumulation of numbers made these figures terrifying.

Under Zhu Youjian's instructions, Gong Fanwu had already rushed to the coastal regions of Fujian and Guangdong, preparing to expand from a single cargo vessel for maritime trade into a medium-sized fleet of around ten ships.

To this end, the Embroidered Uniform Guard had specially established chiliarch offices in Quanzhou and Guangzhou, serving as a powerful backing for the Four Seas Trading Company, used to suppress any improper competition that might arise against it.

To put it plainly, if anyone posed a major threat to the development of the Four Seas Trading Company, the Embroidered Uniform Guard would divide and strike against them, until the Four Seas Trading Company became a behemoth in maritime trade.

Zheng Zhilong, who knew the inside story of the Four Seas Trading Company perfectly well, would certainly make the wisest choice. As long as the Zheng family made the right gesture, the other wealthy merchants and gentry dealing in maritime trade would surely trim their sails accordingly.

If everything went smoothly, a few years later the maritime trade of the Four Seas Trading Company would bring Zhu Youjian even greater profits.

What worried Zhu Youjian now was no longer how to earn money, but how to spend the money in his hands—this would benefit the myriad people while also subtly transforming every aspect of the Great Ming.

Governing a great state is like cooking a small fish—if the fire is too strong and too urgent, it is easy to burn the dish in the pot.

This saying of the sages remained a universally applicable truth even in later generations.

For such a vast empire, any reform that rushed for quick results was a path to self-destruction.

The idea of bringing significant changes to every aspect of the Great Ming within three to five years was a fool's dream. Even the reform of official governance alone required a long process, and clean officialdom was the greatest weapon for driving social progress.

Establishing the Court of Agriculture would not arouse opposition from court officials. In a society where everyone understood the importance of grain, agriculture always occupied the most important position, and the Emperor's act of emphasizing agriculture would win the admiration of all under heaven.

Zhu Youjian had originally wanted Song Yingxing to take the post of Grand Minister of Agriculture, but after considering his juren status, Zhu Youjian gave up on this plan.

Although Song Yingxing was indeed talented, before the overall environment had been thoroughly improved, abruptly pushing him to a high position would not be a good thing for him either.

Song Yingxing was currently holding the title of Director of Studies at the Imperial Academy, a rank of the sixth grade, while engaging in various research.

Zhu Youjian had Liu Chao select twenty youths of varying ages from eleven or twelve to fifteen or sixteen from the orphans of the imperial estates, to serve as Song Yingxing's students and attendants. First, they could learn some knowledge; second, they could broaden their horizons and thinking, stimulating their creativity and imagination—this could also be considered planting a batch of seeds for the Great Ming's technological progress.

According to information Zhu Youjian had received, last year, under his direction and guidance, Song Yingxing led people in repeated experiments over several months in the brick and stone kilns on the outskirts of the capital, and the most basic form of cement had been successfully trial-produced, already possessing the fundamental properties of cement.

But everything was still only in its infancy. The stability of the finished products was still insufficient, and the firmness and adhesion could not meet the requirements Zhu Youjian had set. More testing was needed before the results would be known, and there was still a considerable gap before large-scale manufacturing and application.

Zhu Youjian was not anxious. He was not yet thirty this year, and he still had plenty of time to guide the Great Ming's level of technology toward a higher stage. What he needed to do now was to strive to lead and cultivate more people to turn their energy toward creation and innovation, laying a good foundation for future technological progress.

"His Majesty's re-establishment of the Court of Agriculture is indeed a far-sighted move. This act proclaims to the world the court's will to emphasize and revitalize agriculture, and officials in the prefectures and counties will consequently place greater importance on encouraging farming and sericulture and undertaking water conservancy projects. In this way, within a few years, the people of our Great Ming will no longer have worries of grain shortages, and the restoration of our August Ming can be anticipated!"

The first to step forward and warmly welcome Zhu Youjian's re-establishment of the Court of Agriculture was Wen Tiren.

Upon hearing Zhu Youjian propose the new establishment of the Court of Agriculture, he already knew that his second son had a new place to go. The Emperor was clearly ensuring that after he retired, the Wen family would not be cut off from the official-gentry class and lose their standing.

"What Minister Wen says is precisely the purpose for which I established the Court of Agriculture. If my people are to be freed from the suffering of famine, the Court of Agriculture must bear heavy responsibility therein! In view of the importance of the Grand Minister of Agriculture, and to make local officials place greater weight on the decrees it issues, I intend to have Minister Wen concurrently serve as Grand Minister of Agriculture! In view of the heavy affairs of the Grand Secretariat, Minister Wen may go to the Court of Agriculture's offices to inspect and guide when he has leisure, while the daily affairs of the Court shall be handled by the Left and Right Vice Ministers!"

Zhu Youjian's words astonished the assembled ministers, while Wen Tiren, amid his surprise and delight, rose to thank the Emperor for his grace.

Since the Grand Secretariat had first been established in the Great Ming, there had never been a case of the Chief Grand Secretary concurrently serving as the head of another ministry or bureau. Who would have thought that the Emperor, who loved to do things differently, would suddenly pull such a stunt again.

Not long ago, the newly established Bureau of Health had been placed under the Grand Secretariat's authority, and now there was a Chief Grand Secretary concurrently serving as Grand Minister of Agriculture—was the Grand Secretariat going to ride directly on top of the ministries and bureaus?

"May I ask Your Majesty, who will fill the positions of Left and Right Vice Ministers of the Court of Agriculture and the officials below them? Where will the offices be sited? The Chief Grand Secretary is busy with official business and may not have time to attend to the Court of Agriculture, so the handling of daily affairs requires capable ministers who both understand agricultural policy and are skilled at calculating the various outputs and expenditures of the fields. May I ask whom Your Majesty has in mind for this important post?"

Apart from Wang Yingxiong and Zhang Zhifa, who sat like clay idols and wooden statues, the one most concerned with official promotions and transfers was naturally Minister of Personnel Zhou Yun.

By convention, officials of the fourth grade and above were personally appointed by the Emperor, but the most numerous officials below the fifth grade fell under the Ministry of Personnel's arrangement. Now that the Emperor had confirmed the Left and Right Vice Ministers of the Court of Agriculture, the remaining vacant positions would naturally be filled by him and the two Vice Ministers—this was where the Ministry of Personnel's power lay.

Zhou Yun's words made Wen Tiren's heart suddenly leap up.

He knew that his second son's rank of Seventh-Grade Secretariat Drafter could not possibly jump several grades to reach the position of Vice Minister, but the position of Fifth-Grade Court of Agriculture Administrator was most suitable. If the Emperor only selected two Vice Ministers and did not interfere with the rest, then going to Zhou Yun to request an official post would be beneath his dignity.

"For Left Vice Minister of the Court of Agriculture, I intend to have one selected from among the Bureau Directors of the Ministry of Revenue's various clearing departments. The offices shall be built adjacent to the Imperial Academy. Minister Hou, when you return, you may deliberate on suitable candidates among your ministry's staff, and the Ministry of Works shall immediately send people to survey the terrain and select an auspicious day to begin construction! The Right Vice Minister shall be filled by Song Yingxing, Director of Studies at the Imperial Academy. The remaining officials below the fifth grade may be decided by the Ministry of Personnel in consultation with Minister Wen! Since Minister Wen is after all the principal official in charge of the Court's affairs, personnel appointments naturally require Minister Wen's consent!"

Zhu Youjian's instructions put Wen Tiren's mind completely at ease, but stirred some dissatisfaction in Zhou Yun's heart.

Zhou Yun feared that Wen Tiren would stretch his hand too far, using the authority of Chief Grand Secretary and Grand Minister of Agriculture to suppress the Ministry of Personnel and directly interfere with the appointment of all remaining officials—in which case, wouldn't he, the Minister of Personnel, be reduced to a mere figurehead? If word got out, his prestige as the head of the Ministry of Personnel would be greatly diminished.

"I report to Your Majesty, this old minister does have a favored candidate for the post of Court of Agriculture Administrator. As for the selection of other officials, it should naturally be led by the Ministry of Personnel! This minister is unworthily occupying the position of Chief Grand Secretary and naturally cannot break the court's regulations!"

Wen Tiren could certainly sense the dissatisfaction in Zhou Yun's heart, so he directly declared his stance in front of Zhu Youjian: I only want the position of Court of Agriculture Administrator; I will not interfere with the rest.

"Excellent! Minister Wen truly lives up to the position of Chief Grand Secretary, understanding propriety in handling affairs! Let it be as you say!"

Zhu Youjian and Wen Tiren's declarations made Zhou Yun secretly breathe a sigh of relief. He bowed to Zhu Youjian and Wen Tiren before returning to his seat.

Good—the Chief Grand Secretary had maintained a high posture this time, only taking one position without coveting the remaining posts. This was entirely within reason and not excessive at all. From now on, no matter whom the Chief Grand Secretary wanted to use, the Ministry of Personnel would naturally give full support and approval—even if it were the Chief Grand Secretary's own father taking the post of Court of Agriculture Administrator, there would be no problem.