bookrandom Chapter 109 Shen Junru enters the palace to see the Emperor
Chapter 109 Shen Junru enters the palace to see the Emperor
Capital
Following Xiao Qinian's instructions, Li Bing first delivered the letter to the Grand Tutor's mansion.
“My lord, this is a letter from our master,” Li Bing handed the letter to Shen Junru.
Shen Junru thought it was about the alcohol incident, but when he opened it, he found that it wasn't.
"Give me the plan quickly." Shen Junru couldn't wait to see what Xiao Qinian was thinking.
After reading the plan, Shen Junru was too excited to speak. He had seen more than Shen Junru, and this was not just about making the Great Zhou rich.
But...
However, looking at the handwriting in the plan, Shen Junru realized it didn't seem to be written by Xiao Qinian, although they were very similar. But upon closer inspection, there were still slight differences.
Shen Junru indeed understood Xiao Qinian very well. Although Xiao Siyue had been practicing calligraphy with Xiao Qinian's calligraphy copybooks for the past few years and had achieved some success, her handwriting was now nine-tenths similar to Xiao Qinian's, which was why she dared to write it herself.
However, she probably didn't expect that Shen Junru would see through her.
Shen Junru himself was very knowledgeable about calligraphy, and having personally taught Xiao Qinian before, he was familiar with Xiao Qinian's handwriting; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to tell the difference.
However, none of that mattered. In Shen Junru's heart, the development of the Great Zhou Dynasty was the most important thing.
"Li Bing, take the memorial and we'll go to the palace immediately."
"Yes"
Shen Junru boarded a carriage and sped towards the palace.
"Your Majesty, Grand Tutor Shen requests an audience," reported Eunuch Wei, the emperor's personal eunuch.
"Let the Grand Tutor in."
"Your subject greets Your Majesty." Shen Junru bowed to the Emperor.
"Teacher, didn't I tell you that you don't need to bow?" the Emperor of Great Zhou said helplessly.
“Your Majesty, propriety cannot be disregarded.” Shen Junru knew that the current emperor was benevolent and had always been lenient with him out of consideration for his past teachings. However, they were still in a relationship of ruler and subject, and he could not truly accept this.
"What brings you here, Master?" The Emperor knew Shen Junru well, so he could only give up.
"Your Majesty, I have two things to report."
"First, Xiao Qinian has already sent over the formula for the alcohol." Shen Junru handed over the letter, which Eunuch Wei took and presented to the Emperor.
"Excellent! I will immediately order the Ministry of Works to build a workshop." The emperor was delighted after opening and reading it, and laughed heartily. With alcohol, their Great Zhou would have an extra layer of protection.
"And what was the second thing the teacher mentioned?" the emperor asked after laughing.
"Xiao Qinian presented a memorial to the throne,"
"Oh?" The emperor asked, puzzled. What else could he want by touching Xiao Qinian?
He gestured to Eunuch Wei with his eyes.
Eunuch Wei immediately handed the memorial and plan from Shen Junru to the emperor.
After reading it, the emperor pondered for a moment.
"Does the teacher think that what Minister Xiao said in his memorial can be realized?" The emperor stared intently at Shen Junru.
"I think it's feasible," Shen Junru said firmly, his eyes unwavering.
The emperor naturally understood that if Xiao Qinian's words could truly come true, it would be a great achievement that would benefit the country and its people.
However, this will require a significant amount of manpower and resources.
The national treasury is currently not sufficient, the alcohol workshop will also consume a significant amount, and potatoes will also be a major expense later.
The main problem is that our neighboring country has been very restless lately, constantly provoking us on the border.
The two countries are highly likely to go to war. If supplies run out, the Great Zhou will be in dire straits.
If it fails, the national treasury will be wasted.
But it would have been better if the emperor hadn't known before; now that he knew of such a wonderful thing, how could he possibly pass it up?
What if it succeeds? The emperor was momentarily at a loss for what to do.
"Is Your Majesty worried that the national treasury is not full?" Shen Junru knew what the emperor was thinking.
"Just as the teacher said, the national treasury is not abundant, and neighboring countries may start a war at any time. If this does not work out, then..." The emperor was somewhat worried.
The previous emperor was extravagant and corrupt, and when he ascended the throne, he inherited a broken and precarious Great Zhou.
After more than a decade of diligent and frugal governance, the Great Zhou Dynasty finally had a buffer period.
The Great Zhou Dynasty can no longer afford any losses.
"Your Majesty, I do have a plan." Upon seeing this, Shen Junru wanted to share Xiao Qinian's suggestion, but this matter could only come from his own mouth.
"Teacher speaks frankly." The emperor's eyes lit up.
"Your Majesty, since it was Xiao Qinian who proposed this, they must be very confident."
We can first build a small workshop in Qianyuan County as an experimental site, which won't cost too much.
If it's completed, then the Ministry of Works can take over, which will make the process smoother.
As Shen Junru finished speaking, the emperor's eyes grew brighter and brighter.
Yes, if that's the case, even if it fails, it won't affect the national treasury.
The Ministry of Revenue probably wouldn't keep coming to him to plead poverty over such a small amount of money.
Moreover, if he were to build workshops and roads on a large scale later, these ministers would probably not object.
"Good, good, teacher's method is excellent. We will discuss this matter with the ministers at tomorrow's court assembly," the emperor said happily.
"Yes, Your Majesty. Then I shall take my leave."
Shen Junru knew that the matter had been settled, and as for tomorrow's morning court session, it was merely a notification.
……
Hall of Supreme Harmony
The emperor sat high on the dragon throne.
"My esteemed ministers, Magistrate Xiao Qinian of Qianyuan County has presented the recipe for making alcohol. Minister of Works Yan Sheng, you are to arrange for the immediate establishment of a workshop to produce alcohol as soon as possible."
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Yan Sheng immediately stepped out of the ranks, bowed to the emperor, and accepted the order.
"Minister of Revenue Ren Xuan will fully cooperate."
"Yes"
"Minister Xiao has also presented a memorial; everyone, please take a look." The Emperor gestured for Eunuch Wei to take the memorial away.
After all the officials had finished reading the memorials, the entire court became as noisy as a marketplace.
Some officials thought it was feasible, while others felt it was a waste of resources and manpower.
The emperor at the head of the table frowned, and Eunuch Wei, who had served the emperor for many years, noticed it immediately.
"Your Majesty?" Eunuch Wei bowed his head to the side of the emperor.
The emperor glanced at the officials below him.
Eunuch Wei immediately understood, stood up and coughed lightly.
"Ahem...ahem...please be quiet, gentlemen." Eunuch Wei's voice wasn't loud, but it was enough for everyone present to hear.
The noisy noise stopped abruptly.
It wasn't that Eunuch Wei had immense power, but rather that he represented the emperor at a certain point in time.
Just as now, without the emperor's permission, Eunuch Wei dared not interrupt the officials' conversation.
"If any of you ministers have any opinions, please step forward and speak," the emperor said calmly.
The officials, who had just been arguing fiercely and expressing their own opinions, seemed to be mute, remaining silent and no one stepped forward.
"Weren't you all quite eloquent? Why are you silent now?" The emperor's voice suddenly grew louder.
The officials below looked at each other. They clearly sensed the emperor's anger, and none of them dared to provoke him.