Chapter 1473: For His Majesty's Consideration

"Furthermore, in our humble view, the Forbidden City is not a place suited for dwelling. Since the capital was moved here, most of the former Ming emperors suffered short lifespans. We believe this is likely closely tied to the feng shui of the Forbidden City... Therefore, in summary, building a detached palace for His Majesty, to facilitate the imperial household's residence, would truly be an act of planning for posterity..."

"Planning for posterity..." The Emperor softly repeated the phrase, chewing over its meaning.

The Chancellor's meaning was actually quite clear. The Emperor was diligent and frugal, but future emperors might not necessarily be so. The Son of Heaven could not live in a military camp generation after generation; sooner or later, he would move into a palace. Since the move was inevitable, it was better to do it now. After all, with the current Emperor being frugal and the officials below still largely performing their duties conscientiously, the expenses could be kept within a certain range. If they waited a generation or two to build a detached palace, the costs would likely become incalculable.

"Your Majesty is sagacious and will naturally have your own judgment. We merely speak our thoughts aloud, solely for Your Majesty's inquiry." The Chancellor bowed again. "However, we also ask Your Majesty to rest assured. We have considered this matter and will absolutely not abuse the people's labor or waste their wealth. The Minister of Works is currently supervising the construction of bastion forts in various locations with great competence and has become thoroughly familiar with the geographical terrain around the capital. Next, we can have him personally take charge of the detached palace's construction. He will certainly not disappoint Your Majesty!"

It seemed this was a sentiment on which a consensus had already been reached within the cabinet.

"You really are..." The Emperor shook his head with a wry smile. "Other people's ministers bitterly urge their emperor not to spend money on grand construction projects. Yet you ministers, on the contrary, find ways to petition the emperor to build a palace. Aren't you afraid people will mock you behind your backs?"

"Your Majesty is diligent and frugal, accomplished in both civil and martial affairs, a sage ruler. What need is there for us to remonstrate?" The Chancellor replied with a thoroughly sincere expression. "We are Your Majesty's ministers and should share Your Majesty's burdens. If Your Majesty and the imperial household can enjoy the peace and joy of a proper imperial residence, what harm is there if we are mocked a little behind our backs? Your Majesty has delivered the people from dire suffering and restored peace to the realm. Is building a single detached palace something Your Majesty does not deserve? That would truly be a joke!"

Although it sounded like sycophantic flattery, the Chancellor's words came from the heart. Before the realm was settled, he had worried that once the Emperor ascended the dragon throne, he would shed his original simple and vigorous character and sink into imperial pleasures. But the Emperor's tireless and devoted governance ever since had dispelled that worry from his mind, and even made him feel sympathy for the Emperor. Though intelligent, he was by no means a cunning man, nor did he like to sell his rectitude and fame by contradicting the monarch. When the Emperor did well, he praised him sincerely, and he genuinely wished for the Emperor to enjoy treatment befitting the Son of Heaven.

"You..." The Emperor seemed about to say something more, but in the end, he just smiled and shook his head. "Fine, I can't out-argue you. Let's set this matter aside for now and discuss it later!"

"Yes!" The Chancellor did not press further. Since the Emperor had not directly refused, it meant the matter was essentially settled.

"Alright, is there anything else? If not, let's go to the meeting. They must be getting impatient from all the tea by now, right?" The Emperor rose to his feet.

"Your servant has one more matter to report to Your Majesty." The Chancellor's expression turned solemn. "This matter is of great importance. Your servant believes it is best to explain it to Your Majesty first."

"What matter can't wait until after the meeting?" The Emperor halted his steps, looking at the Chancellor with some puzzlement.

"This matter happens to be related to the upcoming meeting, and as the head of the cabinet, your servant feels it is best to reach some tacit understanding with Your Majesty beforehand, lest... lest those below think communication between Your Majesty and your servant is poor, leading to unnecessary misunderstandings." The Chancellor spoke with careful deliberation.

"Oh, you've put it in such serious terms!" The Emperor, increasingly surprised, sat back down. "Then speak. But make it quick; don't keep all the ministers waiting too long."

"In truth, your servant's concern is also for the detached palace." The Chancellor bowed slightly. "Your Majesty surely knows that our dynasty now governs with tireless dedication, broadening financial resources so that court revenues far exceed those of the previous dynasty. However, our dynasty is also deploying troops everywhere and must pacify the millions of common people. There are simply too many places requiring expenditure. Thus, under the immense pressure of these huge outlays... the court constantly feels it cannot make ends meet."

"I know, I know. Isn't this a commonplace refrain?" The Emperor waved his hand impatiently. "You people bring this up every few days. How could I possibly forget? Isn't this campaign against Japan precisely to let you catch your breath?"

"Your Majesty sees clearly across ten thousand li, immediately finding a solution to the problem that has long troubled us. We are deeply impressed by Your Majesty's vision. However..." The Chancellor's voice dropped even lower. "Though Japan has gold and silver, only when they reach the court's hands can they relieve the nation's difficulties. Otherwise, even if there are mountains of gold and silver, would they not merely fatten the private purses of a few individuals, useless to the nation and the dynasty?"

"You're speaking in riddles. Why so roundabout?" The Emperor frowned again. "Once we take Japan, is there any fear the gold and silver won't reach our hands?"

"The gold and silver stored in Japan's treasuries will, after all, flow into China as future indemnities, so your servant is not worried about that; it will certainly reach the court's hands... However, Japan's gold and silver lie in even greater quantities underground, to be slowly excavated in the future, providing a continuous stream. Since ancient times, a single windfall has never been as good as possessing an unending source of profit. A windfall is spent before long, but a stable source of wealth can nourish the court for many years. Therefore, what your servant values is not that single windfall, but whether the future source of wealth is stable... Your Majesty, your servant humbly implores that after Japan is conquered, the monopoly on trade with Japan and the outflow of gold and silver be entrusted to the cabinet's handling, so that the cabinet possesses a vast and continuous source of revenue. This can both set the realm's heart at ease and stabilize the court's expenditures, thereby also accelerating the construction of the detached palace..."

"Ha... haha..." The Emperor finally grasped the Chancellor's intent and couldn't help but laugh involuntarily. "So... so now the dagger is finally revealed, eh? I thought you had finally changed your ways today, actively helping me spend money. Turns out it's the same old tune at heart! What, you want to take Japan's gold and silver from me and give me a detached palace in return, is that it?"

"Your Majesty possesses all within the four seas. Whether it is Japan's gold and silver or the detached palace, all are Your Majesty's possessions. We dare not and cannot take them away." The Chancellor's demeanor grew even more respectful. "It is precisely to properly safeguard Your Majesty's wealth that we presumptuously make this request of Your Majesty."

"Are you worried that when the time comes, the military men will seize those gold mines for themselves?" The Emperor, not allowing himself to be misled by the flattery, asked directly. "So you want the cabinet to take personal charge?"

"Your servant bears no suspicion or ill will toward anyone," the Chancellor hastily denied, to avoid the charge of sowing discord between the Emperor and the military. "We merely wish to better utilize the wealth still hidden beneath Japan's soil. In all matters, preparedness leads to success; lack of it leads to failure. If we do not first consider this for Your Majesty and make appropriate preparations, once the die is cast later, trying to change things might be too late... We are seizing the gold and silver mines from the shogunate's hands, not to deliver them into someone else's. Whether they fall into the hands of Japanese magnates or anyone else, would not trying to extract them later yield half the result for twice the effort? For the tranquility of the imperial house and the Great Han, we believe it is best to make preparations in advance..."

Having said this, the Chancellor fell silent.

He had said enough. Any more explicit would be unbecoming of his status as a subject. Though his words were veiled, he knew the Emperor fully understood his meaning.

The iron rule that civil and military officials do not command each other was personally decreed by the Emperor and unlikely to change, at least during the Emperor's lifetime. So he had no desire to alter it, but he still had to contend for the cabinet's due interests — and were the cabinet's interests not the imperial house's interests? For the Great Han, was the future flow of Japan's gold and silver into certain private pockets better than flowing into the Great Han's banks?

Precisely because he knew he harbored no selfish motives, he spoke without much inhibition.

The Emperor did not answer for a moment, merely frowning in silence.

The Emperor had no doubt whatsoever about the Chancellor's loyalty and ability, and he used every opportunity in various settings to express his respect for him, solidifying his position as Prime Minister.

Yet the fact that the ministers below had already reached such a tacit understanding among themselves did surprise him slightly.

However, he was not angry.

The civil officials had their own considerations, and the military officials had theirs. Though they harbored the self-interest of fighting for their own branch's benefits and influence, fundamentally, they were all working for the Great Han court.

This kind of healthy competition was something he was pleased to see — with competition, everyone would work more diligently.

"I understand the Chancellor's meaning." After a moment, his expression finally relaxed, and he smiled slightly. "The Chancellor's words are not without reason; I will adopt them. Though the great army has yet to set out, since ancient times, planning before action has been the correct principle. We must consider in advance both how to wage the war and how to make the most advantageous arrangements for the Great Han after the war. When the time comes, the cabinet will naturally participate and jointly deliberate. The Chancellor may rest assured."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Seeing that each of his suggestions had been earnestly heeded by the Emperor, and that the Emperor trusted and relied on him so deeply, even with the dignity of a Chancellor, he was still deeply moved and bowed deeply once more.

"Nothing else? Then let us go together now. Come!"

The private gathering of the cabinet's civil officials in the tea room was not the only clandestine meeting among the ministers attending this conference, and the civil officials' private calculations were certainly not the ministers' only calculations.

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