allendalepharm Chapter 273 Mr. Jiang, what do you think?
Chapter 273 Mr. Jiang, what do you think?
In fact, the second prince only asked two questions about the imperial examination, which were not difficult at all. However, in the end, the second prince praised Jiang Youzhen again and again, making Jiang Youzhen feel embarrassed.
"Mr. Jiang is indeed the top scorer in the county. He has solid knowledge and unique insights. It seems that Mr. Jiang will be among the top in next year's provincial examination."
Uh...can she understand it as flattery?
The fourth prince looked at the two of them with a strange look in his eyes, "But Master Jiang said that he might not end up in the next year, but I also think it's better for Master Jiang to play it safe."
"No! She will suffer the consequences." The second prince said in a decisive tone. How could Jiang Youzhen, such a shrewd man, not know the benefits of becoming famous at a young age and the burden of fame?
Jiang Youzhen half opened his mouth and was speechless for a long time. In fact, what this guy said was right. Why should she waste another three years?
There is still a year and a half left. With her intelligence and the cheats given by the system, if she still fails to pass the imperial examination, it can only mean that she is unlucky. She is not the protagonist of this world, and it can't be her fault anyway.
"Royal brother seems to be very familiar with Young Master Jiang and understands her character very well." The Fourth Prince leaned back in his chair, a trace of anger flashed in his eyes. It was so shameless that he was the one who came to snatch someone away.
However, this also proves that Jiang Youzhen did not agree to the Second Prince, otherwise the Second Prince would not have come here to intercept.
"We have met several times and even done business together. Fourth brother, you are really a forgetful person. In last year's iron mine case, Young Master Jiang played a vital role!" The second prince brought the tea bowl to his mouth, hiding the scornful smile on his face.
Of course the Fourth Prince could not forget it. It was because of this incident that he felt that Jiang Youzhen was a promising talent.
He is tough-minded, bold but careful, strategic but a little greedy for money. He is capable but also has his own agenda and is easy to control.
The fourth prince smiled but changed the subject, "Royal brother, the Royal Grandmother sent us to Dongyuan Prefecture to pick up Princess Changsui. We have been delayed in Tongzhou Prefecture for several days. It is better to set off early and pick up the princess."
Princess Changsui? So noble? Why did the two princes have to go to pick her up in person, and it was the Queen Mother's order?
Jiang Youzhen was very curious, but the second prince said, "If we hurry up, we can arrive one or two days earlier than originally planned. But the waterway in Tongzhou Prefecture is getting narrower and narrower, and it has not rained in Tongzhou Prefecture for several months.
The water level of the Luhan River has dropped by seven or eight feet, and some shallow areas have exposed mud, sand and gravel. Those passing ships want to come to Tongzhou Prefecture to dock for supplies, which will inevitably cause congestion at the dock, and even cause ships to run aground, which is a problem. "
When the Second Prince said this, his brows slightly frowned. Compared to the sharpness just now, there was a bit more sadness in his expression. It can be seen that he is genuinely worried about this matter.
When it came to business, the Fourth Prince no longer confronted the Second Prince, but nodded in agreement.
"Your Majesty, what you said is absolutely right! When our ship docked at the pier, I had already discovered this problem. However, the Imperial Censor has already written to the court to request funds to maintain the river, so it is not convenient for us to intervene."
Jiang Youzhen's heart was moved. She had heard about the recent congestion at the dock. However, she had never been there before, so she didn't know if the situation was serious.
Seeing the worried looks of the two princes, could the situation be more serious than he imagined?
"The court allocated funds? That's easy to say! How much money is there in the national treasury now? The last time the court allocated military pay, I can still clearly remember the Minister of Revenue crying poor during the morning court session." The second prince sneered.
Jiang Youzhen glanced at Tong Huaian, who was standing beside him like an old monk in meditation. This guy hadn't said a word from the beginning until now, as if he didn't exist.
Tong Huai'an kept silent throughout the whole process. If he hadn't been standing next to him, Jiang Youzhen would have ignored his existence.
But these two big guys talked about court affairs in front of her like this. Aren’t they treating her as an outsider?
She wanted to avoid it, but neither of them spoke. Ren Tong Huaian was the confidant of the Fourth Prince, but wasn't she?
How about asking to go out for a walk? Jiang Youzhen hesitated to speak.
"How much money does the court spend every year to widen rivers and streams during the flood season? How can they agree to allocate funds so early when the flood season has not even arrived yet?"
The Second Prince shook his head as he spoke. The Minister of Revenue was like a sheep, saying "No! No! No!" all day long.
The Fourth Prince sighed deeply, and the two brothers no longer had the tense atmosphere. They both frowned and thought.
Jiang Youzhen looked at the expressions of the two and nodded. It must be said that although they were secretly scheming for the throne, they were able to worry about the country and the people, which was considered a good character.
"The most important thing is money." The Fourth Prince knew very well that nothing could be accomplished without money.
The second prince glanced at him and asked, “Isn’t this nonsense?”
"What? Fourth brother has a solution?"
The fourth prince shook his head repeatedly. He suddenly turned his gaze to Jiang Youzhen, "Master Jiang, what do you think?"
Hmm? Jiang Youzhen, who had originally decided to be an invisible person, seemed to be suddenly called by the teacher to answer a question.
"Yes! Mr. Jiang, where do you think this money comes from?"
The three of them all turned their gazes to Jiang Youzhen, and there was a strange light flashing in their eyes.
Jiang Youzhen's mind immediately turned numerous corners. He and Tong Huaian opened a restaurant together, and it must be with the support of the Fourth Prince. The Fourth Prince must know about it.
They wouldn't set their sights on me and ask me to pay for it, right? But what could I do with my few thousand taels?
Oh, right! The Second Prince gave me 50,000 taels last year. Could this be his plan?
Jiang Youzhen thought for a moment and said, "I wonder if Tongzhou Prefecture has a map of the river route? The more detailed the better."
Upon hearing this, the Second Prince said to the servant beside him, "Go get it!"
The Fourth Prince was speechless. After receiving the look from his servants, he nodded helplessly.
After waiting for a while, the map was delivered. After it was opened, several people gathered around it.
"This is the Tongzhou Prefecture Pier." The Fourth Prince pointed to a certain place on the map and said to Jiang Youzhen.
Jiang Youzhen didn't say anything, but carefully observed the distribution of the surrounding rivers and geographical locations. This map was very detailed and seemed to be used for water transport. It also marked the large and small supply points in the middle.
The other three didn't disturb her, but they looked at Jiang Youzhen with inquiry in their eyes.
Jiang Youzhen is just a small farmer's son. Could he know about water transport?
Jiang Youzhen looked at it for a long time and memorized the map. After a while, she suddenly said, "If you think the dock in Tongzhou Prefecture is crowded, why not change the dock?"
The second prince laughed when he heard this. After all, he was young and a little naive.
"Nowadays, the government has to think twice before allocating funds to widen the river. Do you know how much manpower, material resources and financial resources are needed to change the dock and open up the river again?"
The fourth prince nodded, agreeing deeply, but at the same time feeling somewhat disappointed. He had thought that Jiang Youzhen would be able to offer some useful insights, but he had not expected that this young man was still young and had limited horizons.