Mr. Zhu nodded thoughtfully, "Why did the emperor suddenly come up with this idea? Did someone spread rumors?"
"He said that he has accomplished nothing. When someone says that, anyone with a bit of ability would want to change the situation. The emperor holds the power, so how could his thoughts be any worse than those of ordinary people?"
The old man nodded, and once again confirmed in his heart that Zhier's source of information was not simple, and ordinary people would not know the emperor's words.
Hua Zhi didn't know that she had inadvertently exposed something, and continued, "It's not that the Grand Canal cannot be built, but you know the current situation better than me. The lack of a crown prince is an internal problem, and the return of the Chaoli clan is an external problem. If we continue to build the Grand Canal under internal and external problems, the Daqing Dynasty will be dragged to death. We are in the capital and can die last, but my grandfather and his men are at the border. Once all the young and strong are pulled to build the Grand Canal, the front line will lose its source of troops to replenish Wu Yong's defeat, and my grandfather and his men will be the first to suffer. Let me tell you that the Qixiusi has persuaded the emperor to order early conscription. If you hold your purse tighter and don't give the emperor a chance, it will be difficult for him to openly say that he wants to build the Grand Canal under the current circumstances."
"Since you can't refuse him now, why not just give him no chance to speak?" The old man smiled and asked casually, "Did you come up with this idea?"
"There is someone else." On the way back from the north, Yan Xi would talk about these things during breaks. He was not like other men who could not tolerate women having their own thoughts. Instead, he would lead her to express her own ideas, and she would naturally not reject her feelings.
The old man nodded and said, "Has the Ministry of War already informed you? I haven't heard any news yet."
"It should be necessary to wait until the south is pacified before recruiting soldiers. I just heard it from one ear and don't know the inside story."
The old man pondered for a moment, then slowly told the Ministry of Revenue, "The treasury of the Daqing Dynasty is actually not abundant. Natural disasters have occurred frequently in recent years, and the court has been providing disaster relief every year. In addition, the emperor spent a lot of money on the Grand Cultivation Palace last year, so most of the treasury is already empty."
"Most of it is empty... How much is left? Before last year, I felt that the Daqing Dynasty was not prosperous but stable. How come the treasury is not full?" Hua Zhi was a little panicked. There were internal and external troubles, the treasury was empty, the old emperor wanted to dig the Grand Canal, and he was always thinking about the heads of officials... This was a sign of chaos no matter how you looked at it!
"Currently, we can mobilize about nine million taels. A portion of it needs to be used for disaster relief. This amount of money is only enough to support a war. Zhier, the Daqing Dynasty is short of money, and the grain warehouses are not as full as before." The old man smiled bitterly. It was indeed not a good time to take the throne, but after the imperial edict came down, he could only take on this hot potato. If possible, he really wanted to resign.
Hua Zhi didn't know how to describe her feelings at the moment. The national treasury only had 9 million taels of silver, which was the deposit of a country!
"Besides, the harvest is poor this year due to floods in the south and drought in the north. The emperor must exempt the people from taxes in order to survive. As a result, the granaries cannot be filled, and the Ministry of Revenue must sell old grain to buy new grain. There will be an expenditure after the conversion. Money is needed everywhere, but there is no place to make money."
"We won't buy the food, but we should find a way to get it from Yan Country." Hua Zhi suddenly had an idea. "Yan Country cheated Daqing before. If we use this as an excuse to get some food from them, they will do it. Or we can give them a relatively low price."
The old man also thought about Yan Country, thinking that if it didn't work out, he would send people to buy it. The grain production there is extremely high, and the corresponding grain price is very low. But if he can get it for free, who would not want to
But, "How did they trick Daqing? What evidence did they leave behind?"
Hua Zhi then remembered that the matter was under the jurisdiction of Qisusi, so she told him about the small iron mine. "I still need to ask for the details, and I'll tell you in a few days. Also, don't sell the old grain, just use it for disaster relief. Wouldn't that save you some money?"
"If it is really feasible that the Seven Stars Division is supervising this time as you said, I will discuss with others how to deal with it and then submit a memorial to the emperor for instructions."
The grandfather and grandson discussed the matter in detail for a while, and then Zhu Haocheng and Zhu Haodong came together. It seemed that the two of them got along very well.
Zhu Haodong smiled and joked, "As soon as I entered the door, I heard that the young lady had arrived. The reputation of this young lady has spread more and more widely."
Hua Zhi knelt down to greet him and replied, "What kind of title is that? Every family doesn't have a grown-up girl."
"It's different, it's different. No one except you can make a name for a ranking." Zhu Haodong did not sit below his eldest brother, but sat directly next to Zhier.
Zhu Haocheng, the eldest brother of the Zhu family, asked with a smile, "Is your father okay?"
"Being a teacher over there, I haven't suffered too much." Hua Zhi answered obediently. She liked this kind of care between relatives. No matter whether it was her grandparents, or her current uncle, they all cared about this first, which showed that they all cared about the Hua family.
Since the second uncle of the Zhu family is here, it is inevitable to talk about business matters. "You may not know since you just came back, but the soap has been made. I originally planned to sell it after you came back to see the goods, but it is okay to use it at home first. I didn't expect that everyone in the family said it was good and sent it to their relatives. In addition, the Zhou family is in the same situation. After all this, the reputation of the goods has risen before they are sold out. Now every household is scrambling to get it. I don't even have a few pieces left at home. I will bring it to you later. You can take a look and see if it is up to standard."
“Things that everyone agrees on won’t be bad.”
Zhu Haodong smiled so hard that his eyes narrowed. "No, I won't feel at ease if I don't show you."
"Okay, I'll take it back and try it out and then tell you." Hua Zhi looked at her second uncle who was in high spirits, and then at her eldest uncle who seemed to have no grudges. Suddenly, she understood why her eldest uncle was so concerned about this marriage, and her grandfather also strongly agreed.
Bolin is the eldest son and grandson of the Hua family. No matter what happens to the Hua family in the future, these things in her hands will be handed over to Bolin. With this relationship, what does it matter if the second uncle takes this business? She has 30% of the profit here. If this marriage can be completed, what is the difference between handing it over to Bolin and handing it over to her cousin
Of course, my second uncle also saw the pros and cons, so he did not become ambitious just because he had a big piece of cake in his hands.
Of course, this does not mean that the Zhu family is using her. If they had such an intention, she would not have given them this deal at all. To maintain a good relationship, it is far from enough to just accept it, and she needs to give something.
Just as she had this thought in her mind, she felt a little subtle when she saw Zhu Shan again. Zhu Shan was as close to her as ever, and even a little shy. It was obvious that she already knew what the Zhu family meant and did not object.
When Hua Zhi thought of Berlin’s attitude again, she felt a bit of a headache. Why did it seem like she was the only one who was worried about whether the two liked each other? Could it be that they really wanted to arrange a marriage when they were still so young