Chapter 900: Benefiting the People
Hua Shunming thought for a moment before saying, “I do recall that when the late Emperor was conquering the world, he gathered a great deal of wealth…”
Gu Wenheng just felt a throbbing headache coming on. He already knew everything the Supreme Emperor was talking about.
When the storehouse was opened, Eunuch Le had also shown it to him in passing. The gold, silver, and treasures confiscated back then had long since been moved to the National Treasury. Now, the storehouse contained nothing but useless scrap metal—items that previous ministers of the Ministry of Revenue had despised. He had specifically rummaged through it and couldn’t even pick out a few valuable pieces. Now that the Supreme Emperor actually wanted to use these worthless things to fool the commoners, Gu Wenheng couldn’t help but think how rotten to the core the Imperial Family truly was.
Hua Shunming also felt a bit awkward after saying that. When he had first ascended the throne, the Ministry of Revenue’s storehouses were completely bare. He had thought of checking the late Emperor’s private storehouse to see if he could find anything to tide them over for a while. In the end, he returned disappointed, having wasted the better part of a day.
After so many years, the items inside were even more worthless. “How about you clear all those things out and use them as free throw-ins later? By clearing out an empty room, if the Emperor accumulates more wealth in the future, he’ll have a place to store it instead of having to pack several storehouses to the brim like I did.”
Gu Wenheng was left speechless.
“Is that a no?” Sensing Gu Wenheng’s silent protest, Hua Shunming said resentfully, “Forget it then.”
“I thank the Supreme Emperor for your consideration,” Gu Wenheng replied. “However, there is one matter I must ask the Supreme Emperor and the Holy Emperor to decide on.”
“From now on, just go directly to the Emperor if you have any issues,” Hua Shunming said. “I am old and can no longer manage these affairs.”
Hua Zhang immediately said respectfully, “May Imperial Father live ten thousand years. I still need your abundant guidance.”
It wasn’t until the father and son finished exchanging pleasantries that they remembered Gu Wenheng hadn’t actually stated his business yet.
Gu Wenheng pulled out a stack of papers from his robes. “…These are the expenditure requests submitted by the various ministries. I am at a loss on how to handle them, so I ask the Supreme Emperor and the Holy Emperor to make a decision.”
These officials, terrified of losing out if they asked for too little silver, submitted requests to the Ministry of Revenue every single day under various pretexts. Gu Wenheng simply compiled them all and handed them over to the father and son of the Huajia to decide.
Hua Zhang flipped through the papers before respectfully passing them to Hua Shunming.
Hua Shunming laughed out of pure anger when he saw the total sum calculated at the end. “It seems my private storehouse isn’t even enough for them to divvy up.”
Looking at the items listed one by one, if all of them were approved, even the National Treasury would likely be emptied out.
Hua Zhang was still thinking about the exhibition revenue from the treasure showcase. “Why don’t they just completely renovate the entire Rong Dynasty while they’re at it? They even want to repave the roads in Shangjing! How did they come to court in the past? Did they have to scale mountains and ford rivers? Imperial Father, the treasures in your storehouse didn’t just blow in on the wind. They were accumulated bit by bit. These people certainly have audacity.”
Hua Shunming was also displeased. He had wanted to do a bit more for the Rong Dynasty in his final moments, but being treated like an easy mark still infuriated him. “Gu Aiqing, what do you think?”
Seeing them so flustered finally brought some balance to Gu Wenheng’s heart. “To reply to the Supreme Emperor, I am also unable to make up my mind at the moment. Each of these reasons is quite sufficient, and they are fair and reasonable.”
“Fair and reasonable, my foot!” Hua Shunming swore bluntly. Since the Historian wasn’t around to record his words, he felt entitled to a little indulgence. “They really treat the Royal Family like an easy mark! If I didn’t use this private storehouse for the people, would they be incapable of getting anything done? This is simply giving them an inch and them taking a mile! It’s preposterous. Gu Aiqing, do you really think all these things should be purchased and replaced?”
With this needing repairs and that needing mending, how did they even manage their official duties before?
Hua Zhang took this moment to remind him, “Imperial Father, you said you wanted to sell the treasures in your private storehouse to benefit the people, but you never mentioned the revenue from the treasure exhibition itself. How about we leave this silver in your private storehouse, just in case?”
“Is the Emperor planning to split a share among your other brothers after I pass away?” Hua Shunming asked.
Hua Zhang was struck speechless.
Gu Wenheng turned a deaf ear to this scene, lowering his head to stare at the dust on his court boots, resisting the urge to reach down and brush it off.
Seeing the Emperor stay silent, Hua Shunming knew his son definitely hadn’t thought that far ahead. Or perhaps he had, and assumed his father would just go with the flow and transfer the funds to his private storehouse.
None of that mattered. For now, he still held the decision-making power over this sum of silver.
He turned to look at Gu Wenheng. “Since I previously declared that we would take from the people and use it for the people, they are all my subjects, and naturally, I must spread the grace evenly. I will have to trouble you, Gu Aiqing, to help me calculate how long this silver can cover the miscellaneous taxes. Let the commoners of the world experience the Imperial grace.”
Gu Wenheng looked up at Hua Shunming in astonishment, his voice laced with excitement. “On behalf of the commoners of the world, I thank Your Majesty for your profound grace!”
Having been an official for so many years, Gu Wenheng knew how the various bottom-level taxes left the people gasping for breath. Hua Shunming’s move would grant the struggling masses a moment of respite. At the same time, he made a decision in his heart: the treasure exhibition could be extended a bit longer, or the ticket prices could be raised slightly, so that even more people could benefit from it.
Hua Zhang looked at the stack of papers that had been casually tossed onto the table. He thought, “The courtiers’ expressions tomorrow will surely be spectacular. It seems I need to rest up today so I can properly enjoy the show tomorrow.”
After speaking, Hua Shunming also felt that his idea was brilliant. Smacking his lips, he added, “I am old now, and many things no longer matter to me. Later, I’ll clear out some more items so the treasure exhibition can be held for a few extra days.”
Some of the weird and wonderful objects he had collected in the past—items that had struck his fancy—were still displayed in his bedchamber, intended to be used as his burial goods. Looking at it now, he ought to find a good new home for them, which would do justice to the many years they had accompanied him.
Hua Zhang wanted to stop him but ultimately swallowed his words. He figured that, at worst, he could just move some things from his own bedchamber over when the time came. He couldn’t let the Supreme Emperor’s burial be too shabby, after all.
Gu Wenheng was highly satisfied with this trip to the palace. Now, the various ministries wouldn’t be swarming around him all day long. The commoners of the world would also benefit from this. He needed to calculate the totals as soon as possible to see how long the taxes could be waived. People would be able to enjoy a good New Year this year.
Once Gu Wenheng left, Hua Shunming finally spoke. “Emperor, did you notice how extraordinarily bright Gu Wenheng’s eyes were when I made that decision just now?”
Hua Zhang nodded. “Mr. Gu is a good official who holds the commoners in his heart.”
“As long as you keep a firm grasp on this man and entrust him with your confidence, he will bring you endless surprises,” Hua Shunming said. “I recall that his eldest son has reached the age to take the imperial examinations, but is currently observing the mourning period at home!”
“Imperial Father’s meaning is…” Hua Zhang trailed off.
“I heard that his two sons, aside from being taught by their tutors, were also personally instructed by Gu Wenheng and his wife. However, those two have reservations in their hearts. They clearly possess great talent, yet they still hide it away.” Hua Shunming tapped the table and concluded, “Since they are talented, they should serve the Imperial Family with absolute loyalty. Hiding their abilities simply won’t do.”