Gu Yelin turned around. "Does the Crown Prince know that the Seven Constellation Bureau has a longstanding rule - when its chief retires, they may go anywhere under heaven except return home."
Though inhumane, such a regulation was necessary. After all, as the chief of the Seven Constellation Bureau, one held too many secrets. Even after stepping down, they could still accomplish much if their loyalties shifted. For someone who had been away from home for many years, whether out of compensation or other reasons, they would inevitably exert full effort to assist their family.
The Crown Prince was well aware of this point, yet he merely smiled. "Duke Dingguo has already reached the pinnacle of official ranks. What more could the elder accomplish? Moreover, the elder has rendered great service to the nation. There's no reason he shouldn't be allowed to return home in his later years. Ultimately, it is our royal family who has failed the elder."
The Crown Prince stood up and bowed to Gu Yelin. Naturally, Gu Yelin wouldn't accept such courtesy. The helplessness of being separated from loved ones without hope of reunion, the pain of betraying a beloved, the sorrow of living as a faceless man - he had resented these for most of his life, yet he wouldn't vent these emotions on a youth barely grown. Especially since this youth, fully aware of the Bureau's regulations, had still permitted his return home - this already demonstrated remarkable courage.
"Your Highness surpasses the late Emperor," Gu Yelin spoke words bordering on disrespect, his lips curling slightly as he bowed in return. "I thank Your Highness for your grace, allowing this old minister the opportunity to burn incense at his parents' graves."
Hua Zhi lowered her gaze. She couldn't help but wonder - in the lifetime Haoyue knew about, had Yan Xi experienced similar helplessness and sorrow? The mere thought made her heart ache.
"This old minister has come to volunteer for assignment to Yanxi City."
Hua Zhi looked up sharply, exchanging glances with the Crown Prince. This...
"This humble prince recalls the elder was previously quite severely injured."
"Thank you for Your Highness's concern. With Miraculous Doctor Yu's careful treatment, I have largely recovered."
The Crown Prince felt tempted. In terms of age, the elder was younger than both Duke Anguo and General Lin. In terms of capability, the elder had overseen the Seven Constellation Bureau for many years, having even taught the Regent himself. Moreover, though retired for years, he still trained newcomers. Even if his skills had declined somewhat, the deterioration would be limited. Upon careful consideration, he appeared to be the most suitable candidate currently available.
The Crown Prince verified once more, "The elder's injuries are truly healed? This humble prince will need to consult Miraculous Doctor Yu."
Gu Yelin's heart, frozen for millennia in bitter frost, softened slightly at these words. "Though this old minister ages, years of martial training have granted greater physical recovery than most. Your Highness may rest assured, this old minister won't overestimate his capabilities."
The Crown Prince nodded slightly, then turned to Duke Dingguo. "What does the Grand Tutor think?"
Duke Dingguo sighed inwardly. What could he say? The Regent had already gone to battle, even Shaoyao had taken on heavy responsibilities by disguising herself as a man. How could he prevent his own family member from going? "Yelin has shouldered independent responsibilities for many years. If he makes this request, he must have confidence in his capabilities."
"In that case, we shall trouble the elder. Does the elder have any requirements?"
"There are forty barely serviceable men in Se Valley. This old minister wishes to take them. The remainder are all young - let them continue training there."
"Granted."
Gu Yelin clasped his hands in salute. "This old minister will now make preparations."
Duke Dingguo immediately requested leave and departed, while Hua Zhi went to the Ministry of Revenue.
Zhu Bowen waved aside her formal greetings and gestured for her to sit. "If you hadn't come soon, I would have sent for you. Has the western commander been decided?"
"Yes, it will be announced at tomorrow's court assembly. Grandfather, all the pressure now falls on the Ministry of Revenue."Zhu Bowen let out a long sigh. "Last year, the south suffered from floods while the north endured droughts. Many regions were exempted from land tax, and on top of that, grain stores were plagued by rats. The Great Qing's grain reserves are as insufficient as a cup of water trying to put out a cartload of wood on fire. If we hadn’t followed your advice to stockpile some grain, we would truly be in the predicament of 'even the cleverest housewife cannot cook a meal without rice.' Yet even so, our reserves won’t last long. Now, I can only hope we can successfully conquer the Flame Country."
"We can’t place all our hopes on the Flame Country. Nothing is absolute. If things don’t go as I expect, and Chaoli also guards that granary, capturing it won’t be easy. We must prepare multiple contingency plans."
"Such as?"
"I suggest making Crisp Noodles. They are coated with oil, which makes them very filling. When soaked in boiling water, the broth makes them more satiating than eating flatbread. Moreover, the ingredients required are more economical than those for flatbread, saving grain from the source. However, it’s impractical to produce them in the capital and transport them to the four war zones. My idea is to send people to teach the army cooks how to make them, and we can also recruit locals to assist in production."
"Is it difficult to make?"
"Not difficult, but they don’t store for long."
Zhu Bowen nodded slightly. "If it can save grain as you say, it’s worth a try. This counts as reducing expenditure. What about increasing revenue?"
"Are you familiar with konjac?"
"I wasn’t before, but last year, a vegetarian restaurant dedicated a whole banquet to konjac dishes, so I learned about it then."
"Konjac can be processed into flour, and its yield is very high. It could also serve as military supplies." Hua Zhi spoke faster and faster. "It’s already a bit late now; otherwise, we could have planted more. At this point, we can only gather as much as possible. In some regions, it matures as early as July. When the time comes, I’ll ask my grandfather to assign someone specifically for this task."
"Can it replace grain?"
"Yes."
"Excellent." Zhu Bowen clapped his hands together, his expression finally easing a little. "I knew you’d have a solution. Even something like konjac can be put to such ingenious use. Are there any other things that can be utilized this way?"
Yes, there is the miraculous sweet potato. But the Great Qing doesn’t have it at present. If we had it, why would we be so troubled about grain?
Hua Zhi shook her head. "It’s already the end of May. This matter needs to be arranged as soon as possible. We must gather as much as we can."
"Zhi Er, the national treasury is empty."
"I’ll find a way to get the silver." If she couldn’t think of a way, she would resort to seizing—from officials, gentry, grain merchants, and powerful families. She would never let the frontline soldiers go without grain.
"You’ve taken on too much." Unaware of the schemes brewing in his granddaughter’s mind, Zhu Bowen sighed. He didn’t want to be so helpless, but the Ministry of Revenue he had inherited was already riddled with holes like a sieve. He had done his best to reorganize it, and now he had only just managed to expel the internal parasites and truly take control of the ministry.
How difficult it was to achieve anything in such a short time!
One task after another weighed heavily on her shoulders. Hua Zhi didn’t even have time to pause and process it all. After leaving the Ministry of Revenue, she went directly to the Ministry of Works, sought out the Minister of Works, and borrowed several skilled craftsmen to bring home.
She had Steward Xu entertain them first while she returned to her study, sketched for a while, and then came out with a stack of blueprints, handing them to the craftsmen. "Can these be made easily?"
There were about twenty drawings in total. Fifteen of them appeared simple and crude, while the other five were comparatively more intricate. The craftsmen exchanged glances and nodded. "Not difficult."
"Good. Steward Xu."
Steward Xu stepped forward in response.
"Find a spacious place and buy it. I want to build a large workshop to produce these toys."
"Yes."Hua Zhi then turned to the craftsmen. "This is only the beginning. More blueprints will follow. There's no need for you to rush back to the Ministry of Works. Stay at the workshop for now. Rest assured, I will report this to the Crown Prince. Your official salaries will continue, and I will provide an additional payment."
The craftsmen naturally had no objections to earning extra income and readily agreed.
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