CHAPTER 900: CHAPTER 898: FINDING SOME WORK FOR WONG QIAO

Jiang Yifan cast a disdainful glance at Jinrong, not responding to his remark, but urged, "The signs of drought are beginning to appear across various regions. The Ministry of Revenue has been very busy these days, and my superior has assigned me a task. If your Highness has any matters to discuss, please say them quickly so we can leave. I still need to return to my duties."

He didn’t take leave from his superior; it was Jinrong who forcefully dragged him here. He didn’t want to face his superior’s displeasure for no reason, so he needed to return promptly.

Jinrong probably thought of the court’s situation, which made him turn his gaze to Ye Xinyan sitting alongside Jiang Yifan: "Ye Zi, when will our business open? The sooner it opens, the sooner we can earn silver."

The Emperor has already inquired about the specific profits of Prince Yu’s Mansion over the past few years. Seeing that a crackdown on the wealthy might be imminent, he needed to earn more money to soothe his wounded spirit.

Ye Xinyan was also planning for the opening, thinking of seeking Jinrong’s help, but he had come to her himself.

"Well, aren’t we aiming to make more money, to make this garden the most high-end and exquisite one?"

Jinrong nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, Creekview Garden is already quite exquisite. Haven’t you heard the buzz in the capital? Recently, the capital has been talking about our garden the most. The reputation is overwhelmingly positive. Ye Zi, we should hurry and open while there is still fresh interest." Currently, making money is an urgent matter that cannot be overlooked.

Ye Xinyan paused and tentatively asked, "Your Highness, could we invite His Majesty to take a stroll in the garden? If Creekview Garden is graced with the imperial presence or receives a few words of praise from His Majesty, our business will be so successful that we can even raise the price a notch."

Jinrong stared at Ye Xinyan blankly, and then turned to Jiang Yifan and Qi Younian. Fortunately, they also wore expressions of astonishment, indicating that not everyone would be as thoughtless as Ye Xinyan.

"I say, Grandma Jiang, do you really dare to think that way? You’re running a small garden business, and you actually want to involve His Majesty? Didn’t Yuanfan tell you that there are severe droughts in many regions, and the court is in a tense situation lately? You have such audacity, wanting to stir things up at this crucial time." He couldn’t help but admire Ye Xinyan’s guts.

Ye Xinyan knew about this, but...

"His Majesty labors daily over national affairs, worrying about the welfare of the people, which is the blessing of the citizens and the nation. Precisely because of this, His Majesty should take care of his health, right? A stroll in our garden would be good for His Majesty’s well-being, wouldn’t it?"

Jiang Yifan lowered his head and remained silent, his shoulders shaking continuously.

Jinrong was also stunned, such reasonable words, yet why did they sound so strange to him?

"No way!" Jinrong instantly realized, "I don’t have the courage for that. Such a difficult task, you better find another way yourself."

Ye Xinyan frowned, "That kind of talk is pointless. If it weren’t challenging, what use would princes and lords like you have?"

Jinrong immediately felt dissatisfied. What’s wrong with being a prince or lord? That’s a high-risk job with one’s neck on the line, isn’t it? Already walking on a tightrope, and she wants him to try something reckless...

"Cough, cough, cough..." Qi Younian, seeing Jinrong’s unpleasant expression, hurriedly coughed lightly and said, "Don’t rush, don’t rush. We can discuss our own business."

Ye Xinyan reluctantly held her tongue, thinking it over. Indeed, the Emperor’s mood cannot be taken lightly. If the Son of Heaven gets angry, there could be corpses in the millions and rivers of blood. If they truly anger the Old Emperor at this critical point, he might even tear down Creekview Garden.

"I originally thought if His Majesty could visit Creekview Garden and perhaps give us some calligraphy or something, then our garden’s reputation would be massive, making it undoubtedly the best in the capital, making business easier. But since it’s difficult, we’ll just forget it."

"That’s right, so, when shall we open and start making silver?" Jinrong was quite pleased with Ye Xinyan’s willingness to correct her mistake.

Yet his question made Ye Xinyan sneer at him, and even Jiang Yifan covered his face. Only Qi Younian remained decent, nodding in agreement.

Ye Xinyan looked at Jinrong speechlessly. Your Highness, how poor are you? You even regard the rent from this little garden so highly?

Jinrong was angered by the couple’s attitude and said discontentedly, "Hey, what’s the meaning of this? I am Prince Yu, yet for earning a few pieces of silver, I have exerted great effort. The fact is His Majesty has already asked me twice about the assets and profits of Prince Yu’s Mansion. I’m soon to be robbed by His Majesty, how could I not be anxious to earn money?"

Ye Xinyan promptly agreed, "Since His Majesty definitely cannot come, I’ll prepare to open, and once the word is out, everyone knows, then we’ll open."

Then she changed the topic, "Your Highness, there’s another matter. Could you arrange for us to take a look inside the Ministry of Works’ Smeltery Workshop? If possible, I would like to go there with Wong Qiao."

Originally, Jiang Yifan planned that once the matter of Creekview Garden’s opening was settled, he would return to the Yamen with Jinrong to work. However, hearing Ye Xinyan mention this, he sat steadily again.

Jinrong truly didn’t understand this time. He asked, "What are you asking about iron smelting mines for? Also, why Wong Qiao, isn’t he already arranged to return to Clear Water Village’s Mechanical Workshop?"

Ye Xinyan had briefly discussed this idea with Jiang Yifan, but he was busy with official duties these days, so she only mentioned it briefly. Thus, Jiang Yifan sat beside Ye Xinyan, attentively watching her, ready to hear more.

Qi Younian also didn’t understand what was happening. Why did Ye Zi need to go to the Smeltery Workshop with Wong Qiao? They are in the Construction Industry and machinery tools, which doesn’t have much to do with iron smelting, right?

Ye Xinyan paused and said, "I think Wong Qiao is a perceptive craftsman; we shouldn’t let him waste his time in Clear Water Village. He should be given challenging tasks. If he can truly achieve something in iron smelting, in the future, Your Highness can employ Wong Qiao significantly and allow him to become an official in the Ministry of Works, giving him some foundation."

Jinrong became interested. Although he certainly recognized Wong Qiao’s skills, he preferred to trust Ye Xinyan’s competence. Iron smelting is crucial; if efficiency can be greatly improved, many court matters become easier to handle. In the aspect of defense against foreign enemies alone, it could give them a significant advantage.

He sat up straight, grasping the armrests of the chair and asked solemnly, "Ye Zi, do you have any ideas?"

"Not yet, I just heard the court has accumulated massive iron ore but hasn’t smelted them on time. I was thinking maybe we can find a way to deal with this. Wong Qiao and I can check the smelting furnace and process to contemplate where to start from. Wong Qiao previously visited the Smeltery Workshop but didn’t observe carefully."

Jinrong slightly frowned, pondering how to arrange this matter.

The Ministry of Works has always been under Prince Fu’s authority, especially now when the court is investigating iron mines and materials, with mining areas and smelting workshops under strict surveillance.

He devised a plan and asked, "You want to improve iron smelting efficiency, right? What is the approximate assurance percentage?"