Chapter 107: A Good Man in Suzhou with a Heart for the World
Shi Elaborate Li walked out from the Bamboo Garden Pavilion, hush, wiped away the sweat beads on his forehead. Behind him this building is being renovated, there is still a period of time from the opening, hold the moon building to expand to the south of the business process is the beginning of the beginning of the process is smooth, just these two days in suzhou city to buy the girl’s things have some small problems, from the counterparts of the building to dig the girl, although relying on the might of the three princes, smooth and unparalleled, how to not have invited a few red herdsmen.
Every time I think about it, Shi Elan Li will have some headaches, Jiangnan women more beautiful, is notorious, how to find some decent girls? Could it be that they are hidden? Originally there are other ways, he also once went to the dental office to see, but the toothwives are enthusiastic about the introduction of the girl are from the north of the river to flee to the poor girl child, although the parents in the sale, but the body has not been drawn out, Shi Hanyan Li always a bit of hand, but also afraid of Fan Xian angry.
Speaking of the door division, Shi Yanli’s head is even bigger, I really do not know that the little master in the heart of some things, the day before yesterday from the inner library back, will be headlong into the salt merchants let out of the Huayuan, the whole day in between the closed door, and even immediately come to the inner library to open the bidding seems to have not done anything to prepare for it.
Shi Yanli today wearing a cotton robe, although now is the identity of the businessman, but still can not get off more than ten years of hard study raised by the style of the scholar, his hand touched in the carriage smooth compartment wall, but did not get on the car.
The guards beside the carriage looked at him curiously.
Countless pedestrians walk by the car, in this traffic on the streets of Suzhou City, Shi Yanli suddenly lost in thought, he looked at those happy faces of the people of Jiangnan, slightly frowned, thinking back to the past year, for their own choices suddenly more than a few feelings of trepidation.
After Yang Wanli’s talk in Hangzhou, although these people still take Fan Xian as their leader, and are firmly moving towards the unknown future, Shi Hanyanli, unlike the three fellow students, has already faded away from the idea of career, and has begun to take care of some secret things for Fan Xian, and has also learned some secret information, so he feels more and more that Fan Xian is a bit hard to catch…. -Those of his own people were trying to help the world and raise all the people, but what exactly did Master Munshi think?
He understood in his heart, the expansion of the moon building on the one hand is to facilitate Fan Xian in addition to the Supervisory Board, there is a second way to explore the world news, but the more important purpose is to facilitate Fan Xian later money laundering, the door division may be for a good purpose, but in the middle of the process to achieve this purpose, may have to sacrifice a lot of things, such as the lives of innocents, such as readers have always been endowed with the right way, for example, it seems that everyone should have the right way, for example. For example, it seems that everyone should have a …… conscience?
Today, Shi Yanli of course knows that Fan Xian is already a powerful minister, not the bright minister he expects, but he understands even more, if he wants to be a bright minister who can leave a name in history, seizing power is also an essential part of the process, the word “bright” will seem too stupid.
This is a philosophical dilemma proposition, Shi Yanli was caught up in it, but could not find any answer, so he could only get on the carriage in silence, placing his bet on his trust in the door master.
The carriage is driven to the Taiping money bank, recently Shi Hanyan Li has been there to transfer silver around to use, that full 50,000 taels of silver share, really makes him a little frightened, small Fan Lord’s silver, it is not too much, just hope that in the future he will take enough power and money resources, after enough, but also can remember the things that were thought of in the first place, for this world to do something.
“I know exactly what I’m doing myself.” Fan Xian looked at Yang Wanli in front of him with a calm face. After returning to Suzhou from the inner treasury, he had summoned Yang Wanli over, and although it was reasonable to say that Yang Wanli could not go AWOL, and that Fan Xian belonged to the chaos of orders, but with the status of an Imperial Magistrate, I thought that the officials of Fuchun County, including the adults of the upper state, would not dare to accuse Yang Wanli more than they had to.
Yang Wanli sighed and said: “Teacher, the student is just worried, this officialdom is sinister, and it is very capable of tempting people to luxury power desire ……” Although the words are not finished, the meaning is already very obvious.
Among the four sons of Fan, Fan Xian’s favorite is actually Yang Wanli, because this kid speaks directly enough, and has always kept in mind the childhood suffering, just and upright regardless of, clean and self-sustaining also belongs to a different kind. Although Fan Xian is not a clean official, but this does not hinder his appreciation of clean officials. Although Shi Yanli has his own clear mind, but he is only willing to keep things in his heart. As for the other two, Cheng Jialin is too mediocre to seek stability, only Hou Jichang, this year’s Kyoto and He Zongwei famous talent, the mind is harsh, is really a good candidate for doing things, but it is a pity that far away from his state, Fan Xian a moment and a half can not be used.
He waved his hand to stop Yang Wanli’s somewhat excessive worries, and said with a smile: “My heart is firm, so why should you worry about it? Don’t always be afraid that I will slip into the abyss of evil; if you get used to the darkness, you won’t be able to see the light.”
Yang Wanli was slightly stunned, and then thought of what kind of person his door master was, how could he be that bad, his own worries might really be overdone.
“Money is just a tool.” Fan Xian said, “But all greedy people, always need to use money to exchange for some kind of physical or psychological pleasure, and for a person who is rich enough to be greedy for money …… if not to count silver, then it must be for some kind of purpose.”
Yang Wanli shook his head and said, “Lust is hard to fill, there are too many of these things in the world.” Although Fan Xian often popped out some somewhat strange words, Yang Wanli had gotten used to them and understood the general meaning anyway.
“I’m not a eunuch.” Fan Xian said with a smile, “There’s no special love for things like silver.”
Yang Wanli laughed bitterly, thinking, “If you don’t love silver, then why would you run a green house in the name of Shi Yanli? Especially with this action against the Ming family and the inner treasury, it’s obvious that the silver is going to be intercepted down the line, and how much of it will be handed back to the court when the time comes?
Fan Xian simply ignored his student’s bellyaching and said very directly, “This time, I called you over, there are some things I want to explain to you.”
Although Yang Wanli was extremely disapproving of some of Fan Xian’s maneuvers and had some resistance in his heart, he was extremely attentive and forceful in executing the things that Fan Xian had handed down, just not violating the law.
“Please command, my lord.” He looked at Fan Xian with a straight face and thought that it was a matter of political affairs, so he changed his address and responded with extreme seriousness.
Fan Xian glanced at him and said with deliberation, “An appointment will be coming from the capital soon, transferring you to the Ministry of Public Works. I’ll let you know in advance so that you won’t be a bit puzzled.”
Yang Wanli was shocked to hear this, and was really a bit puzzled. He is doing well in Fuchun County, according to the customary next year will be able to enter the state, career optimistic not to mention, and this is also the right way. Although he is a loyal generation, but not do not understand the entanglements in the officialdom, of course, clear when the spring exams, why the door division will let themselves and other three people down into the counties, rather than find ways to stay in Kyoto’s ministries and divisions.
Because the power of the Fan family in Kyoto is already strong enough, so the need for some help in the outer counties, which is Yang Wanli will be sent to Fuchun County’s reasons.
So at this time listening to his own to be transferred into the Ministry of Industry, Yang Wanli will be a little unclear, to their own rank, outside the capital can still help the door division to do some things, after returning to the capital, the official inferiority of the position is low, can not even speak …… door division master this arrangement do not know what the deep meaning.
Seeing his doubts, Fan Xian softly explained: ”From the local into the Ministry of Public Works, according to the customary practice will be upgraded by half a grade, you don’t think that this is again my tampering. As for why I let you into the Ministry of Works, you don’t need to speculate much.”
Yang Wanli nodded doubtfully.
“There are four divisions under the Ministry of Works.” Fan Xian stared into his eyes and said, “When the new government was implemented in the first year of the Qingli era, the Ministry of Water division was changed to the Department of Capital Water Cleaners……. This time, it’s the Department of Capital Water Cleaners that you’re going to enter.”
Yang Wanli opened his mouth slightly, thinking that he could guess what the door division was preparing to do, a tender face reddened and said, “My lord, although the river repair consumes countless amounts of silver, this silver …… cannot be touched.”
Fan Xian froze, and then laughed and scolded, “What kind of pig brain did you have? That scolding in Hangzhou city hasn’t woken you up yet?”
Only then did Yang Wanli come back to his senses, thinking that even if the Gate Master wanted to be greedy for silver, leaving the Jiangnan Ming family and the inner treasury under his buttocks unattended, how could he put his hand above the river works, he must have thought out of the box and sighed repeatedly in extreme shame.
Fan Xian glared at him in a bad mood, sighed and said: ”You this recklessness, also have to change. In front of me, it’s fine, but after joining the Ministry of Public Works, you’re still like this when it comes to those treacherous officials, so how can I be confident in letting you go?”
Yang Wanli clenched his teeth and said, “Listening to teacher’s words, I will definitely be more composed in the future and ask teacher to explain.”
Fan Xian was slightly silent, slowly raised his head, staring at Yang Wanli’s eyes, staring until his heart was a little hairy, before he calmly said, “The Dushui Qingliang Division …… is responsible for auditing and issuing the silver that the court allocates to the silver that is needed to rule the rivers along the rivers, and the number is very huge, especially last year when the river broke the dyke and killed and injured countless people, this year, as long as the state treasury is in a little bit of condition, the number of silver that is needed to rule the rivers along the rivers is very huge. This year, the court as long as the state treasury situation a little better, his majesty will certainly allocate enough real silver. And I, let you go to the Du Shui Qing Ling Si, is to ask you …… to watch this silver.”
Yang Wanli froze in his chair, half a day did not come back to God …… river workers? Dike? Flood? Flood general silver? The world knows that the river transportation one is the most money-consuming affairs in the country’s livelihood, especially in the Qing Dynasty for more than a decade, year after year to repair the river, year after year to break the embankment, the silver like a flood to pour inside, but did not hear half a ringing sound.
On the one hand is the master of the sky does not give face, the other side is naturally a man-made disaster, from the Ministry of Public Works in Kyoto, and then from the River Transportation Governor’s Office down the officials at all levels, do not know from this huge amount of silver in the benefits of how much, the scourge of corruption, even more than the flood.
Of course, His Majesty is also aware of this matter, four years ago, the river dike, the Supervisory Board after a detailed investigation, the dynasty killed the river governor, it is said that the river governor’s family accumulated assets, and behind the back of the backing is the Empress Dowager. Just the Qing Emperor so severe kill, still can not stop the river this road of corruption, and the river governor’s position has been empty for four years, no one to take over.
Coupled with the fact that the revenue of the internal treasury in the last few years has been less than a year, the two fronts of the war, the treasury is empty, and the water conservancy facilities on both sides of the river are in disrepair, which led to the terrible consequences of last year’s Great River Decision.
Even His Majesty the Emperor has no way to completely solve the matter …… for himself to do?
This fact by Yang Wanli is not stupid, he has self-awareness, his own governance of a county and a state of the ability may be there, but to rule the river, involving the life and death of the world’s millions of people, but do not dare to talk about this big talk.
So he worshiped in front of Fan Xian in fear and asked for his resignation.
Fan Xian looked at him, shook his head and said, “What are you panicking about? It’s just for you to look at the silver, not for you to go up the river and fill in the soil.”
“In order to protect the safety of the river, Wanli is to go up to the river to fill in the earth, so what is there to be afraid of?” Yang Wanli smiled bitterly and replied, “It’s just that since you’re thinking of river labor, you know that this is a very important matter, and if you make a slight mistake, you’ll be flooding thousands of people, so I really don’t dare to accept it.”
Fan Xian smiled coldly and said, “Don’t you want to be a clean official who will live in history? I’m asking you to go to the darkest den of corrupt officials in the Daqing Dynasty, but you don’t dare to go?”
Yang Wanli blushed and slowly lowered his head.
Fan Xian also stopped talking and just looked at him indifferently.
After a long time, Yang Wanli finally bravely raised his head and said through clenched teeth, “Then I will follow your honor.” In his heart, he thought that even if he was to be shamed to death at the River Transportation Yamen, he would still be able to contribute something, and just as the Gate Master had said, since he was going to work for the good of the world, why would he need to spare his life?
Fan Xian’s eyes flashed a flash of appreciation, and he said in a harmonious voice, “Shedding one’s body, dare to pull …… ahem, the Governor off the horse.”
Yang Wanli froze, thinking that this sentence was a bit odd.
Fan Xian hid his smile and said, “What’s more, nowadays the position of the river transport governor has been empty, there is my Fan family and the Supervisory Yuan to watch over you, the river transport Yamen, although as deep as a dragon pool, but those corrupt officials if they want to use shady means to deal with you …… also have to look at me, answer or not.”
Yang Wanli thought, right, he has the door division so a big backer, but also afraid of those people to do what? He is also a quick change of mind, immediately appeared on the face of the look of eagerness, seems to be ready to rush back to Kyoto to report, and then rushed to the banks of the Yangtze River, to stare at the court’s silver is not spent to the real place.
Fan Xian looked at this look on his face and couldn’t help but smile, then said with a straight face, “But there is one sentence that you must remember clearly.”
“Please instruct the teacher.”
“You …… can only manage silver. You cannot manage river labor.” Fan Xian looked at him very seriously.
Yang Wanli froze slightly, thinking that the matter of repairing the river was beneficial to the country and the people, so why couldn’t he do it himself?
Fan Xian stared into his eyes and said with great seriousness, “Repairing the river, naturally, there are professional Ministry of Public Works staff to do. You only need to ensure that the silver to the right way, the river workers can not manage …… this world, the most afraid of is the layman tube line, you think that repairing the river is to fill the embankment high this simple?”
Yang Wanli’s face showed a natural look.
Fan Xian sighed in his heart and instructed, “I let you go to the Ministry of Public Works, but only with your clear and sincere, eyes can not tolerate the sand, but not rely on you even half-assed river management skills.”
He looked at Yang Wanli although should be down, but still does not seem to listen to it, then cold voice sneer said: “Do not think that I am joking …… Yang Wanli, you give me to listen clearly!”
Yang Wanli subconsciously stood up.
Fan Xian stared at him and said word for word, “If you let me know that you dare to dictate the specific affairs of the river labor repair and dare to rely on my reputation for ideas …… I’ll immediately send someone to chop you into thirty-six pieces.”
Yang Wanli was forced by Fan Xian’s cold gaze and his body trembled, knowing that the door master was being extremely serious in his delivery, so he hurriedly corrected his attitude and sincerely responded.
The two of them exchanged some more specific details about what would happen after they went to their posts, as well as what they could trust in the River Transportation Governor’s Yamen, and it was at this point that Fan Xian truly believed that Yang Wanli was not as foolish as he had remembered in the past, and that he should be able to solve the things he had handed down to him in a more rounded manner, and then he began to state the focus of today’s conversation.
“I let you go to the water cleaner department, in fact, do not expect you can eliminate the river workers all the way to the old corruption hidden wind.” Fan Xian said thoughtfully, “The Supervisory Yuan also has quite a few nails in the coffin over there, but the number of officials is too high, and their involvement with the dynasty is too deep, so it’s always hard to deal with them.”
Although Yang Wanli was a bit surprised, but at this time also finally learned to be smart, did not ask questions, but quietly listened.
“So, the silver that the court allocates to the big river …… will always be insufficient in the end.” Fan Xian said mockingly, “Whether you believe it or not, but all in all, in the end it will be a situation where even if His Majesty allocates two million taels of silver, the Ministry of Public Works will still cry out that it’s not enough.”
“Originally, if the plan was drawn up slowly, it wasn’t completely impossible to reverse this situation.”
Fan Xian narrowed his eyes and said, “It’s just that the time is a little too late …… Last year, the Yangtze River broke its dike and destroyed a lot of dykes, making the long years of disrepair on both sides of the dike and water conservancy facilities more and more unbearable, and when the water dried up in the winter of last year, it was the right time to repair the river, and it was just that time when there wasn’t much silver in the national treasury. …… Then what about this year?”
“If we don’t have a big flood this year, it’s our Daqing Dynasty’s good luck.” He said with a cold smile, “In case of another flood, that can not be blocked, and river engineering, but also rely on those officials, so it is not suitable for the Supervisory Yuan to have any great action.”
Yang Wanli at this time only vaguely aware of the door master person in suzhou, the heart but in the world above the people, heart slightly warm, said tentatively: “the treasury transfer silver is not enough, and has come to the spring, even if you can survive the spring flood, but the back still need silver.”
“This is the real purpose of me letting you go to the Ministry of Public Works.” Fan Xian said calmly, “I will raise a large amount of silver, most of which will be put into the national treasury through the Ministry of Revenue, and then transferred to the River Transportation Yamen. But as I said earlier, I don’t know how much will be left over due to the harsh deductions along the way, and most critically, I’m afraid that I won’t be able to make it in time, so I’ll transfer the other portion of the silver directly to the river transportation office, and you’ll take it over.”
Yang Wanli was shocked, Fan Xian said in his mouth a large amount of silver, that the number must be extremely horrible, think must be from the inner treasury claim, just this silver should be in the inner treasury, and then according to his majesty’s will to allocate to the national treasury, like Fan Xian said directly transfer silver …… this is small to say that is also a private move of the national treasury, to the big, and conspiracy also There’s not much difference.
“Time is too tight.” Fan Xian said hopelessly, “In previous years, the mobilization of silver money to be consumed for half a year, to that time …… mother, the river early dike, bureaucracy kills people ah.”
Yang Wanli at this time of course clear, Fan Xian so risky and no gain of life-fighting practice, certainly not for their own interests, but really want to let the repair of the river to hurry on the right path. Although he was touched in his heart, he was still more worried about the Gate Master, and anxiously advised, “Your honor, this matter must be done carefully, in case it is known …… how can it be done?”
Fan Xian smiled and said, “What are you afraid of? Does His Majesty still want to kill me?”
When Yang Wanli thought about it, it was indeed the case. Although the source of this silver could not be accounted for, as long as it was used for river labor, and not for private storage of dead soldiers, how could His Majesty have trouble with his own son?
“The source of that silver?” He asked cautiously, in fact, it is also clear that the source of this silver must be unseen, just do not ask clearly, always a little uncomfortable.
“Pit stealing, I’m a man who likes to eat big.” Fan Xian said with a smile, “Immediately the inner treasury will start bidding, you don’t need to worry about the silver, the key is to operate this silver well, the Supervisory Yuan will go around to help you deal with the specific affairs, and there are people inside the Ministry of Public Works who will cover for you, you don’t need to worry too much.”
Yang Wanli understood as soon as he heard this, such a large amount of money to be used in unconventional channels to pour into the matter of river engineering, of course, must be the imperial court high level to turn a blind eye, maybe the master plan after the fact, it is the father of the door division of the Lord, that has always appeared to be a little silent Ministry of Revenue Secretary.
“My silver will grow.” Fan Xian sighed and said, “It will be more and more every year, so what I’m worried about now is not how to earn silver, but how to spend it, and how to spend it pleasantly.”
This was somewhat arrogant, it was just that the Ming family’s silver hadn’t been cheated yet, yet he was already thinking ahead about how to spend it, something that was a bit absurd.
“The Governor of River Transportation is vacant for four years.” Fan Xian smiled at his most screwed up protégé and said, “I hope that in the near future, you will be the River Transportation Governor of my Daqing Dynasty, and the …… first one ever, who is not greedy.”
Yang Wanli stood tall, with the first red sun in his chest and a great deal of pride.
The reason why the transfer of Suzhou’s silver into the river workers, in order to is to seize the time, grab in the autumn flood before the minimum repair of the river bank of a thousand holes, Yang Wanli naturally refused to stay, hastily excused himself, he has to go back to Fuchun County to account for the report, but also into the Beijing report, and then folded back to the river Yamen, which is 10,000 miles, it is true that it is necessary to 10,000 miles of running around, and hard work to go.
Fan Xian sat comfortably in his chair and waited for the person who was about to arrive.
Without waiting long, Haitang pushed the door and walked in, looking at Fan Xian as if he were a god, and only after a long time did he say softly, “The question is, where did you get so much silver?”
“The Inner Treasury opens the bidding tomorrow.” Fan Xian said with a smile, “If Xia Qufei isn’t a fool, he’ll definitely be able to raise the price to a suitable level, forty percent of the fixed silver is not a small amount, and since the Ming family is so honest as to give their hands to the silver pressed into the Transit Division, I’ll have to spend it in order to be worthy of the Ming family.”
Haitang shook her head and said, “The capital has already come to monitor the imperial inspectors, and the Jiangnan Governor’s Office will also send members to observe, this silver, you can’t move much at all.”
She continued, “Even if Xia Qufei’s side is able to take over the Cui family’s lines, it will take at least seven months for the goods to turn into cash silver.”
Fan Xian looked at the girl with a smile and said, “Anyway, it’s a shipment to the north, anyway, you emperors will have to pay for the silver, and I have enough silver pressed into this Transit Division Yamen, after the matter is settled, I will transfer some silver from the Taiping Money Bank and use it first, so I don’t think you’ll have too much to say about it.”
Haitang was slightly stunned, then smiled bitterly and said, “This is not bad. It’s only seven months, you can always afford to pay back …… it’s just that His Majesty doesn’t know about your arrangement, and …… use the silver that my Daqi’s inner court has worked so hard to save for so many years …… to give your Southern Qing to repair the river …… How can this not be said to be right?”
This matter is not only unreasonable, if that clever little emperor of Northern Qi knows that Fan Xian plays like this, he is afraid that he will be angry and spit out blood.
Fan Xian spread out his hands, looked at Haitang and said compassionately, “Duo Duo, you once said that all the people of the world are the favor of the heavens, and that we should treat them equally, so if the river breaks the dyke, and the people who are drowned are the people of my Southern Qing, are they not human beings? You can’t bear to see this happen? The silver of the inner court of Beiqi, the silver of the Ming family, and the silver of the imperial court …… are not all the silver of the people of the world? I’m only taking a great risk and using it on the people of the world, what’s wrong with that?”
Haitang smiled slightly, nodded and said, “The silver of the world’s people used on the world’s people, of course it’s good, just that in the future, if there are any disaster years in my Daqi territory, I still hope that Lord Fan will not begrudge me support.”
Fan Xian didn’t even think about it and said with a smile, “This is natural.”
Haitang seemed to not expect him to answer so quickly, could not help but freeze on the spot, not knowing whether the other party is really think so, or in the casual jokes, after all, this world really does not have the concept of the national race of people …… is really too little.
Haitang shook his head and said, ”First, regardless of the matter of silver, but you really surprised me a little today. I’ve seen a lot of silver-coveting officials and power ministers, but I really didn’t think that your silver-coveting would actually be used for these things.”
Fan Xian slowly raised his head and said with a smile, “Hard to understand? In fact, it is very good to understand …… As I said earlier with Wanli, silver is just a tool, just a means used to seek physiological and psychological pleasure, it is difficult to earn silver, it is even more difficult to spend silver, how can you spend comfortably? Some people like to buy horses, some people like to buy beauty, some people like to buy manor landlord, some people like to buy official position.”
“And all of these, for me, are too simple.” Fan Xian continued, “Since I’m going to spend silver to buy joy, I’m going to spend a sum of the biggest silver to buy one of the biggest joys in the world.”
“What is the joy of a single person, the joy of all? …… “Fan Xian began to educate Haitang with Old Master Meng.
Haitang smiled and sat down, saying, “It turns out that in the final analysis, you still just want to make your own life a little more enjoyable, just like what you mentioned in your letter before, you want this world to be a little more beautiful, and you’ll be a little more comfortable living in it.”
“Not bad.” Fan Xian said with a smile, “Even if you have brocade clothes and jade food, and power and wealth all rolled into one, how can you enjoy it once your country is broken? Even if one sings a song and has a beautiful companion, and travels the world without carrying half a cloud, how can one be happy when one is surrounded by starving corpses and black crows pecking at one’s food? Raising a dog to bite people and laugh, this is very no quality of dude life, but I am not happy out.”
He finally concluded, “One person is good, ten thousand people are not good, this is not good …… everyone is good, is really good.”
Haitang stared into his eyes and suddenly shook her head somewhat helplessly, “I really don’t know which of your words is true and which is false, what kind of person are you in the end?”
After Fan Xian thought about it, he said sincerely, “Why has no one ever believed that, in fact …… I am a good person.”
Haitang lowered his head, hiding his own eyes as clear as a lake, and said softly, “Good man …… Tomorrow the inner library opens its doors for bidding, and you intend to continue to be a good man?”
Fan Xian’s face calmed down and said, “At some point, not only am I not a good person, but I am also an evil person, a butcher, however, the two are not in conflict.”
Haitang did not continue with this topic, and seemed to ask casually, “In the past two mornings, you have resumed practicing again, has the condition of your true qi gotten better?”
In fact, since the beginning of the West Lake in Hangzhou City, Fan Xian’s daily routine of meditating in the morning and evening had begun to resume, but for some unknown reason, he subconsciously avoided Haitang, as if he had some things to hide from the other party.
At this time, Haitang asked him to his face, Fan Xian did not answer, but only shook his head with a smile.
Haitang smiled lightly and asked again, “The theory of spending silver that you said earlier is really fresh, but there are many unfair things in the world, and there are many people who are cold and suffering to be assisted, why did you choose the river laborer for the first item?”
“Goodwill halls will gradually be opened everywhere, and the court will find a way to resettle the stragglers along the northern part of the river, as His Majesty and I have discussed before.” Fan Xian said calmly, “At least a portion of the inner treasury’s silver, I must clutch it in my own hands and then use it for something appropriate.”
“Is this the last wish of a certain senior?” Haitang asked curiously.
Fan Xian smiled and said nothing.
“You still haven’t answered why you chose river engineering for the first item.”
Fan Xian still didn’t answer, only that a picture appeared out of thin air in his mind of a clear, beautiful yellow-shirted woman standing on top of a rocky hill on the riverbank, looking with a worried face at the ferocious flooding dragons in the river, and at the folk laboring hard on the riverbank on the opposite bank.
“Rest first.” He said softly, “Tomorrow the inner treasury opens and there is still a battle to be fought.”