CHAPTER 808: CHAPTER 806: ARENA OF POWER STRUGGLES

Ye Xinyan looked at Zhang Chang and tentatively asked, "Is this a setup to make some extra silver in the process?"

Zhang Chang nodded, "It seems so."

The materials supplied to the construction site are all top-notch. Selling these high-quality iron pieces at a high price and then purchasing substandard goods could yield a significant profit. Moreover, the choice of this location holds deep meaning; Qu Youjiang must have conducted these transactions under the name of Guangsha Construction.

If Guangsha Construction is embezzling, even if it’s not on behalf of His Highness Prince Yu, the prince would still bear the blame of failing to recognize the true character of people.

Failing to see through people—isn’t this a major taboo for a ruler?

The Guard Captain Wu Qiang, responsible for site security, appeared quite relaxed as he said, "This way, it shows our months of guarding weren’t for nothing. I almost thought we were overly suspicious, scaring ourselves when actually nothing was happening."

Ye Xinyan shared a similar sentiment with Wu Qiang, except her feelings were the opposite.

For these past two months, she had been on edge, unsure of which direction things might take. She even suspected that their opponents might have done something without their notice. This feeling was unsettling, like having an invisible sword hanging over her head, uncertain of when it might descend.

The rail transport project is crucial to the court’s grand plans, an official undertaking.

If Guangsha Construction messes it up, not only would it tarnish Jinrong and Guangsha Construction’s reputation, but her image with the emperor would also take a serious hit. This isn’t vanity; it’s about how her standing with the emperor affects many things.

Just like the implementation of the patent law application, without a competent image with the emperor, even if she knelt outside the Wu Gate, she might not even get to see the emperor, and it might even lead to Duke An being reprimanded by the emperor.

"Sigh, anyway, as long as we can control the direction and progress of events, at least we’ll have a sense of assurance," Ye Xinyan sighed, a tinge of relief in her voice.

Zhang Chang said, "Since they’ve already made a move, the next steps will be easier. Wu Qiang, keep a close eye on those people. Miss, we’ll need to pay more attention to the project. I will frequently check on the material usage to gauge the extent of the damage. When we left, Mr. Hu advised, although we’re letting them act, we must try to control the scope of the faults, which will help reduce costs and manpower later when fixing things."

Ye Xinyan was well aware of this; she had learned that some craftsmen recruited by Guangsha Construction had questionable backgrounds, and while Jiang Yifan planned to turn a blind eye and let things happen, Ye Xinyan had already strengthened management over material use and labor responsibilities.

Even if losses are inevitable, at least she could address it through materials and labor, managing the areas of damage on the project sections led by craftsmen and the batches of materials used to keep it under control.

The project involved six lead craftsmen, among whom were Liu She and Tan Jingui. These two were in cahoots with Qu Youjiang, who worked under Liu She.

The records show their daily material batches and respective sections worked on, so once the rail is in use and faults arise, these records can point to specific sections for rework. It’s much better than having to dismantle and redo the entire rail system.

Ye Xinyan stood at one end of the bustling construction site, watching the busy workers and the transportation vehicles, along with the utilities like gantry cranes and hoisting machines, her heart heavy.

These busy people, especially the commoners serving the court as laborers, are unaware that their hard work contributes to an intentionally flawed project by those in power, which is bound to become a shoddy construction, a "tofu-dreg" project. Not only is it a waste of their toil and money, but they will also be called back as laborers for rework later.

Ordinary people’s contributions are so undervalued, used as pawns and tools in the power struggles of those vying for imperial power, wasted and squandered recklessly.

Fortunately, this project employed many machines, saving more than half of the needed manpower; otherwise, Ye Xinyan’s guilt would have been greater.

Though these simple machines in Ye Xinyan’s eyes could significantly reduce labor in this era.

Even so, ancient projects still relied on manpower. The site had craftsmen and laborers employed by Guangsha Construction, but a majority were labor recruits for the court.

Now the materials supplied by the Ministry of Works are timely, pushing the rail towards South Zhejiang Prefecture at an unprecedented speed.

However, besides the contenders, who could think that these seemingly efficient and grand, never-ending four rails hide such hidden dangers?

Ye Xinyan did not want to see such things happen, but in the game of imperial power, this is the arena of contention between two forces, a means to accelerate the duel. All she could do is minimize the losses within.

Zhang Chang was one of the earliest project clerks working with Ye Xinyan and Wong Qiao at Prince Yu’s Mansion and was familiar with Ye Xinyan.

He saw Ye Xinyan standing there after coming out, lost in thought, and walked over, standing beside her, likewise filled with emotion. "Those skilled with their hands always care more about the craft and whether their work endures. But thinking about it, a tiny flaw in a small job could be worth it if it contributes to a major machine’s success."

Ye Xinyan turned and smiled slightly. Was Zhang Chang offering her comfort?

Zheng Pengfei, also standing there, although aware of Jiang Yifan’s plans, refused to involve himself much, opting out of daily discussions. That didn’t mean he was unaware of the complexities within.

Hearing Zhang Chang’s words, Zheng Pengfei chuckled self-deprecatingly, "It’s just seeing things differently from another standpoint. Even knowing the reasons, I still pity the hard work of these people. Seeing these four excellent rails, it’s really a pity." Being from Jianghu, he preferred the superficial view, unburdened. Even the eyes of those hiding bad intentions and their behaviors are mere appearances, all visible.

...

As the project gradually moved away from the capital, instances of inferior materials getting mixed in became frequent. Moreover, during Zhang Chang’s inspections, he discovered that in many places, the spikes were merely for show, not even made of substandard materials. If he weren’t concerned about alarming Liu She and others, he would believe that the spikes could be broken barehanded.

Fortunately, in this era, for major projects, the recording of construction personnel and material batches is a common practice for court control. Though this recording process is extremely tedious, it proves effective.

The rail project under Ye Xinyan, albeit reluctantly, counts as a major project, and from the start, such records were kept, thereby avoiding suspicion.

In this manner, Ye Xinyan and Zhang Chang led this mixed composition of a construction team, proceeding with a project doomed to be a mess, gradually entering South Zhejiang Prefecture. The season transitioned from midsummer to late autumn.