Chapter 671: The beginning

"What can I help Master Sixteen?" Cao Yong knew the reason why Prince Sixteen was looking for him today and asked.

The Sixteenth Prince was confused when he was concerned, and he was not as smart as usual. He said with some confusion: "I have no idea what to help me, but when I first met Brother 15, I saw him, and it made people both anxious and depressed. Besides looking for you, who else can I find?"

The Sixteenth Prince is open-minded and rarely looks so depressed. When Cao Yong saw it, he really couldn't bear it and thought hard, thinking hard for the Sixteenth Prince to crack the way he wanted.

After all, he was born from the same mother and was connected by blood. The Sixteenth Prince did not show up in front of others on weekdays, but he was still concerned about the Fifteenth Prince, so naturally he didn't want him to be punished.

However, in this way, the Sixteenth Prince is very likely to be dragged into the water by the fifteenth Prince and be burdened by the fish in the pond.

Cao Yong thought about it and asked, "Master Sixteen, if Master Sixteen comes forward to cover up this matter, even if he doesn't stand in a line, he will still stand. In the future, there may be countless troubles waiting for right and wrong."

The Sixteenth Prince couldn't help but caress his forehead and frowned, "Yes, it's a headache to think about it. But what can I do now? I'll just watch the fifteenth brother make a gun and watch him be blamed. If... if I do this with the eldest prince and the second prince, my mother wouldn't go crazy..."

Speaking of this, he couldn't help but be angry and said, "Who can trust those people? The third brother is a hypocrite, with a light face, and no longer has any secrets in private? The fourteenth brother said righteousness but was mean to others, otherwise he wouldn't be so impatient when his starling was in trouble. Hongxi was constantly changing and did not dare to hold the emperor's grandson's poems, but he kept making small moves behind his back. The envoy's worship was not a mess, but just a "reminder" that the old masters in the court were orthodox. Furuo, tell me, what is this? Even if the fifteenth brother really cares about the king and wants to earn a merit of support, he should keep his eyes open and do whatever he wants to do."

Cao Yong listened to the comments from the Sixteenth Prince to the Third Prince and others, felt relieved and said with a smile: "His Sixteenth Master's eyes lit up?"

When the sixteenth prince heard this, he glanced at Cao Yong and said angrily: "Look at me, are you gloating? Isn't it that Liang Liang is abducted by you? I originally thought that I would be a gambler in private, and winning is considered a bargain, and no one knows if I lose. The matter of catching up with the fifteenth brother is worrying. On one side, he is a real brother, and he must help; on the other side, he is very careful and not paying attention. One is not easy to get off, and ten are gone."

Because this kind of topic is really too sensitive, Cao Yong never mentioned it.

However, a long time ago, he suspected that the Sixteenth Prince and the Seventeenth Prince were both like him and bet on the Fourth Prince. The Sixteenth Prince said that it was abducted by Cao Yong, but this is true.

After Cao Yong went to Beijing, he made a bond. The sixteenth prince and the seventeenth prince walked around a lot.

Even the sixteenth prince said this, and Cao Yong said it directly: "Sixth master, I want to protect the fifteenth master, but I don't want the fourth master to be too careful. I'm afraid there is only one way, this method..." After saying this, hesitated for a moment and did not continue immediately.

When the sixteenth prince heard Cao Yong say that there was a way, he couldn't wait and said, "What method? Tell me quickly, tell me quickly!"

After hearing this, Cao Yong did not answer immediately. He pointed to the carp playing in the river and asked, "Sixteenth Master, when is a black fish the least eye-catching?"

"Why did you pull the fish again?" The Sixteenth Prince was a little impatient, but his eyes were still following Cao Yong's point, looking into the water, and complained: "This is all black. What's the point of being eye-catching or not... eye-catching..." At the end of his speech, his eyes were already lit.

He was originally a smart person, but he was a little panicked because he was worried about his brothers and feet. Now, after Cao Yong reminded him, he can save his taste.

"Yes, if you only mix in the fish, the black fish will not be conspicuous." The sixteenth prince smiled and patted Cao Yong on the shoulder and said, "It's hard for Furuo to come up with this good way. As long as you muddle the water, no one can think of it. Naturally, the noisy people should shut up. The emperor is seeking stability again, and cherishing the face of the court, and most of them will turn big things into small things and end up leaving it alone. In addition, the law does not blame the public, even if you know that there is the connection between the fifteenth brother, the punishment will not be too heavy."

"The Sixteenth Master is thinking well, but things in the world are unpredictable. If it is a big mess, it will not end well. The Fifteenth Master is fine, and the one who has something to do is Sixteenth Master." Cao Yong said: "The Sixteenth Master also said in the morning that the Ministry of Internal Affairs cannot check the bad debts. If you pull out the radish and bring out the mud, you know this, Brother Sixteenth Master will also check it?"

The sixteenth prince hesitated for a moment, and finally nodded, raised his eyebrows and said, "Check, even if you can't hurt your muscles, you will scare them! Besides, if you put on this posture, you can explain it there." As he spoke, he pointed to the direction of the capital.

"After a slash of sixteenth prince, he can even get some money out," Cao Yong said.

The main industry of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is real estate. The imperial villages that were encircled by land in Gyeonggi and most of the northeastern areas. In addition to farms and mountains, it also includes aquatic products, minerals, salt flats, etc. in the three eastern provinces.

When Cao Yong arrived at the Office of the Interior at the beginning of last year, he saw the Office of the Interior. He thought it was a pity. The three resources-rich eastern provinces have become the emperor's private backyard, but most of the gains were entered into the hands of managers at all levels.

If the Sixteenth Prince really gained something this time, the treasury's money would be richer, and Kangxi would not be staring at him.

"Furuo, don't wait for the ready-made one. Although I came forward to expose this matter, you are the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and you will definitely take care of it at that time." The Sixteenth Prince saw what Cao Yong was thinking and said with a smile: "I know you are afraid of trouble, but this time I will drag you down. When the matter is over, I will thank you very much?"

"Haha, since that's the case, I'll wait for the Sixteenth Master's generous gift." Cao Yong said without hesitation, feeling much more happy.

Speaking of which, this time, I can use the light of the Sixteenth Prince to vomit the bird's anger he had suffered in the past few months and avenge my revenge.

It’s not that you don’t repay me. The time is not coming. You must be kind enough to be a good person...

Seeing Cao Yong laughing strangely, the sixteenth prince glanced at him and said, "Why are you laughing so thrifty? It looks like you are going to be bad. Is this time of vacation that will cause you to hold back and start thinking about ruining people?"

Cao Yong smiled and said, "Sixteenth Master seems to be a little forgetful?"

The Sixteenth Prince was said inexplicably and said, "Forgetful? Where can I start with this?"

"How do you settle the Sixteenth Master if you are the father-in-law in the garden? It is difficult for the concubine to ask the Sixteenth Master directly. I mentioned the embarrassment to Chu Yu a few days ago. I was afraid that the Sixteenth Master would know the responsibility, and I was afraid that the Sixteenth Master would be too slow to treat the Sixteenth Master's beloved." Cao Yong looked at the Sixteenth Prince and said with a smile.

When the sixteenth prince heard this, he laughed twice and said, "I have to be busy with errands here, so I don't care about those things. I'm afraid I'll have to bother Brother Qi and Sister Qi for a while."

All are excuses. The Sixteenth Prince is pregnant, and the Sixteenth Prince just feels distressed...

The Sixteenth Prince was teased by Cao Yong, looked at him and said, "Don't worry, your Sixteenth Aunt is virtuous, I can't bear the name of fearing the inner person. If it's someone, whether it's a person who is afraid of the inner person or who is sick, I still have to think about it carefully."

Cao Yong was so choked that he couldn't speak. Thinking about the previous diagnosis by the imperial physician, he felt so awkward.

It was just a private matter, just a joke. He waved his hand to the Sixteenth Prince and said, "Sixteenth Master, let's not be bothered by you, me, and learn to be a good official. How about caring about people's livelihood?"

"Yes, you came out just now for this? You care about people's livelihood?" The sixteenth prince asked back.

"Sixteenth Master, go with me, just treat it as a way to eliminate food. If you eat this sticky thing, you won't like to cure it." Cao Yong said.

It was rare that Cao Yong took the initiative to do something. The Sixteenth Prince was curious and followed him to the street market.

I walked a few rice shops at will. As Cao Yong expected, ordinary white rice had risen to one liang and seven cents of silver, and better ones had exceeded two liang and one liang. The prices of other millet and sorghum also increased by 50% compared to those in spring.

Surprisingly, the one that has increased the most is the grain.

I heard from the shop that many officials bought large quantities of grains in their palaces. I heard that it was because of the rain prayer, the emperor had a meal a day. Although the ministers outside did not dare to imitate, they did not dare to eat well again.

Many people in the house have removed the rice and white flour and replaced it with coarse grains as staple food.

After hearing this, the Sixteenth Prince couldn't help laughing. After leaving the shop, he said to Cao Yong: "Furuo, look, wherever you are going, you have a lot of money."

Cao Yong looked at the 16th Prince's slightly fat figure and said, "Sixteenth Master, grains and grains are treasures. Eat early and get better soon."

The sixteenth prince opened the folding fan, slap the fan, and said, "Don't tell me this, when you change your picky food problem, let's talk about this." Speaking of this, he glanced at Cao Yong and said, "In fact, it would be a pity to put you in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. You are so mentally conscious that the Ministry of Revenue can't catch up with you. If you put you in the position of Minister of Revenue, you will be another Mishan in the Qing Dynasty."

Mi Sihan was a famous minister in the early years of the Kangxi Dynasty and made great achievements in the Minister of Revenue. In the early years, the finances and taxes of various provinces were all in the local vassal treasury, and the governors allowed the remaining ones to be controlled by the government departments, and the rest were returned to the national treasury.

Mishan discovered the disadvantages and submitted a memorandum of the money and funds of each province were escorted to Beijing, and the national treasury, and the right to cross-block the cashier to the Ministry of Revenue.

It is precisely because of this that it is worthy of the treasury, which gives the court the financial resources to quell the subsequent "Three Feudal Rebellion".

You should know that during the "Three Feudal Rebellion", the entire Nanchenla was in chaos. If the money was not in the central and local areas, even if the outcome of the war could not be changed, it would have an impact and the war would continue.

In addition to preventing the court from lacking money and food, Mishan also made great contributions to quelling the Three Feudal Rebellion.

Before the Three Feudal Rebellion, he firmly withdrew the vassal faction; during the Three Feudal Rebellion, many court officials took into account military expenditures and suggested not to move the Eight Banners Cavalry, but to transfer the Green Camp nearby to resist the guards. Mishan proposed: "The thief is rampant and cannot be controlled by the Green Banners soldiers. The Eight Banners should be defeated by the powerful troops. Military supplies should be coordinated with internal and external assistance, and they will be supported for ten years, so there is no other concern."

With the assurance of him as the Minister of Revenue, the main force of the Eight Banners Cavalry went south. When the Ministry of Revenue went down to transport military supplies to various provinces, he submitted a memorandum, asking for an order to prohibit local officials from sending extra taxes to bury the people due to war.

As the Three Feudal Army advanced northward and the Southern China was in chaos, the court finally survived, and Mishan made great contributions.

For this reason, Mishan always had a place among the many famous ministers of the Kangxi Dynasty.

But he died of illness after living forty-three years. Otherwise, he would have to be appointed as the prime minister and would not have let Soetu and Mingzhu be beautiful in the past.

However, although Mishan did not become prime minister, his son was in his early forties and was awarded the title of Grand Secretary of Wuying Hall, which was Ma Qi, who is now acting Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior.

It was precisely because he was a famous minister that he had made great achievements that Kangxi favored Ma Qi. Even though he was involved in the battle for the throne at that time, Kangxi was very generous to him.

On the eighth day of the fifth month, Ma Qi, the head of the Office of the Internal Affairs Office, was re-appointed as a Grand Secretary and went to Rehe to thank him.

On the same day, Kangxi issued an edict, and Ma Qi went to Liurehe to do business; Song Zhu, the Grand Secretary who returned to Beijing a few days ago, wrote to do business in Beijing.

What surprised the Sixteenth Prince was that the General Manager of the Interior Affairs Office, Ma Qi was vacant, and Kangxi did not mean to ask anyone to make up for it.

Now the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, there are three other officials, namely, the son-in-law Cao Yong, the minister of the scattered minister Guan Bao, and the minister of the Ministry of Works, He Yi.

Among them, there were a series of personnel changes. Fu Erhuna, the right assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue, was transferred to the left assistant minister, Guo Bai, the cabinet scholar, was the right assistant minister, A Xinai, the right deputy censor, was the left assistant minister, and Liu Xiang, the left deputy chief minister, was the right assistant minister.

I don’t know if this change brings new momentum or if the Sixteenth Prince has experienced some wind, finally some officials remembered the price of rice in Rehe and submitted a note, asking to adjust the position to close the rice and put the rice in the stock.

On May 13th, when Cao Yong was on vacation and returned to the yamen to work, he had already put rice in the stock market. Ordinary white rice was sold by the official price of five cents per stone, and was collected by household.

In recent years, the price of grain and food in the north has always been expensive, even if the price of rice per stone is usually around one tael of silver.

This time, the price of the sacrificial treasure was so high because the sacred carriage was in Rehe.

Under the impact of official grain, the market's grain prices have fallen sharply every few days and gradually recover to their old prices.

Because there was a memorandum mentioning the rice from Rehe, and the price of grain in the capital had risen before, Kangxi issued an order that all the rice that officials and citizens of the Eight Banners should receive in August of the second half of the year will be distributed now.

The reason for this is to be afraid of raining after the rain. If there is too much rain, the road is muddy, and transportation is inconvenient, the rice and grain will become moldy and will not be used.

Although the princes and nobles on the Rehe side are leisurely escaping the summer heat, the northwest border has begun to prepare for military supplies in autumn and winter.

The temperature in the northwest is lower than that in the capital. August is late autumn and September is the first cold.
Chapter completed!