Emperor Yongchang never expected his son to choose the Ministry of Works.
Among the many government offices in the imperial court, the Central Secretariat served the emperor above and governed the Six Ministries below. Any official serving in the Central Secretariat was a close minister to the Son of Heaven.
As for the Six Ministries, the Ministry of Personnel managed officials, the Ministry of Revenue managed finances, the Ministry of War managed the empire's military forces, the Ministry of Rites managed etiquette, sacrifices, and imperial examinations, and the Ministry of Justice managed laws, cases, and penal matters. These five ministries all held real power. Only the Ministry of Works, which managed civil construction, the manufacturing of implements, agricultural colonies, and water conservancy, lacked such authority. Although they had many duties, they were all carried out under orders. The officials had little real power. Sometimes they could scrape together some extra profit, but they would also get into disputes with the Ministry of Revenue over various funds and had to act according to the latter's moods.
In the eyes of both officials and commoners, the Ministry of Works ranked at the very bottom of the Six Ministries. Especially when natural disasters or floods occurred, the Ministry of Works was often the first to bear the blame and infamy. It was a thankless place where hard work went unappreciated, and a lack of effort resulted in even harsher scolding.
Emperor Yongchang naturally knew that his second son hadn't chosen the Ministry of Works to line his pockets. This child was too sensible and too distant with his imperial father. He must have been afraid that choosing any of the other ministries would leave an impression of being power-hungry in his father's eyes, or perhaps he feared arousing the suspicion and wariness of his brothers.
The more honest his son was, the more Emperor Yongchang's heart ached for him. He objected, "The Ministry of Works deals with civil engineering and implements all day long. What do you know about such things? You had better go to the Ministry of War. You have been leading troops since you were eighteen; the affairs of the Ministry of War will be the easiest for you to grasp. If not that, then the Ministry of Personnel, Justice, Rites, or Revenue would also do. Your imperial father knows you are deeply learned and have extensively read the files of all the ministries. You would be able to handle things with ease no matter which of these four ministries you go to."
Zhao Sui replied, "The Ministries of Personnel, Justice, Rites, Revenue, and War each manage only one area. In the Ministry of Works, taking the construction of an imperial garden as an example, calculating the costs of materials and labor requires the talents of officials from the Ministry of Revenue. Selecting the site for the garden and determining the regulations for the palaces requires the talents of officials from the Ministry of Rites. Selecting supervising officials, artisans, and laborers requires the talents of officials from the Ministry of Personnel. If there are casualties among the laborers or brawls during the process, it requires the talents of officials from the Ministry of Justice. Furthermore, the weapons workshops fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Works, and I am confident that I know better than anyone what kind of weapons the army needs. Imperial Father praises me for knowing a lot, so I believe the Ministry of Works is the most suitable place for me."
Emperor Yongchang: "..."
It turned out his son just didn't like to talk, but when it was time to speak, he was actually so eloquent!
The points his son listed would indeed utilize his talents to the extreme, but if his son only exhausted his mind and energy, what benefits would he get for himself?
No matter how well a garden was built, no one other than the royal family living in it would praise his son. No matter how sharp the weapons were forged, when a battle was won, everyone would praise the soldiers. It wasn't like his eldest son in the Ministry of Revenue, who had plenty of officials flattering him, or his third son in the Ministry of Rites, who could take the opportunity to curry favor with the newly minted scholars and build a network of connections—all while doing less work than his second son!
Emperor Yongchang was just about to advise him again when Zhao Sui suddenly looked over and asked, "Does Imperial Father not want me to go to the Ministry of Works because you are worried that sitting in a wheelchair will leave me lacking in energy?"
Emperor Yongchang's expression changed, and he immediately said, "You even went to Mount Ling to escape the summer heat and rode a horse. I am not at all worried about you lacking energy."
Zhao Sui: "Then please grant my request, Imperial Father. I only wish to go to the Ministry of Works."
Emperor Yongchang: "...The Ministry of Works it is, then. Let me think. Ah, Yan Lun just complained to me that the roof of one of their rooms used for storing files is leaking, and a large section of the floorboards inside has rotted due to improper maintenance. He wanted me to have the Ministry of Revenue allocate a sum of silver to them. Since you want to go to the Ministry of Works, you can provide the silver and manpower yourself to repair that room. Fix it up however is most convenient for your wheelchair to pass through. Once it's repaired, you can use it as your private office. Since you're paying for it out of your own pocket anyway, your eldest brother and third brother won't be jealous that you have a private office to use and complain that I'm showing favoritism."
Zhao Sui: "...Yes, thank you, Imperial Father."
Seeing his son with lowered eyes, seemingly understanding his painstaking efforts in giving him a private office, Emperor Yongchang hurriedly covered it up by saying, "What is there to thank me for? You have no idea, the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue argue in front of me every day over silver. I'm annoyed to death by them. When you get to the Ministry of Works, you must be vigilant. If Yan Lun asks you to step forward and demand funds from the Ministry of Revenue, don't be foolish and let him use you as a spearhead. He is the Minister of Works; these are all his responsibilities."
Zhao Sui nodded.
Emperor Yongchang: "Then you wait. Tomorrow I will have someone tidy up that broken-down room first. The day after tomorrow, then. The day after tomorrow I will summon you into the palace, and you can go over there to take a look yourself. Once you've figured out how you want to repair it, just send the artisans from your manor over. When the office is repaired, I will officially transfer you there. Just like your eldest brother and third brother, you will hold an assisting position and receive a monthly salary of twenty taels."
"Assisting" was not a formal official position, but rather a nominal title given by the royal family to imperial princes and commandery princes. The salary was also arbitrarily set by the emperor. Those with the ability to truly get things done were given more, while those who just wanted to coast along were given less. However, under Emperor Yongchang, princes who purely wanted to coast along didn't even have the chance to beg for a nominal assisting position.
A monthly salary of twenty taels was comparable to that of a fourth-rank official. Prince Kang had been in the Ministry of Revenue for many years, and because of his diligence, his salary had long since been raised to this amount. Prince Qing had just entered the Ministry of Rites and hadn't yet achieved any results, so Emperor Yongchang temporarily set Prince Qing's salary at five taels a month. Prince Hui had military merits and his talents were plain to see; Emperor Yongchang only setting it at twenty taels was still taking his eldest son's face into consideration.
Zhao Sui: "Yes."
Once the official business was concluded, Prince Hui once again treated his words like gold.
At this time, Yao Huang, who had been awakened by Aji, finally hurried over. She had deliberately applied a layer of whitening powder on her face to conceal the rosy flush of having just woken from a good sleep.
Hiding by the door, Yao Huang quietly poked her head in, only for the royal father and son to both look over at the same time.
Yao Huang blinked her eyes and looked at Emperor Yongchang pitifully, "Imperial Father, did His Second Highness tell you why your daughter-in-law didn't come to welcome you just now?"
Emperor Yongchang shook his head. He hadn't even thought about his daughter-in-law just now, his mind entirely focused on discussing official duties with his son.
"Why?"
Yao Huang cast a resentful glance at Prince Hui and said, "His Second Highness blamed me for running in front of Imperial Father and speaking nonsense. Ever since I returned, he has been punishing me by making me kneel. I felt so uncomfortable, so I sneaked over to take a look. If His Second Highness has accepted Imperial Father's assignment, then I am a person of merit, and His Second Highness shouldn't punish me anymore."
Zhao Sui: "..."
Emperor Yongchang: "..."
Shocked that his usually lenient son would actually punish such a good daughter-in-law by making her kneel, Emperor Yongchang was stunned for a moment. He then coughed and said to his son, "The Princess Consort also couldn't bear to see your talents go to waste. I will not blame her, and you shouldn't be angry with her over this anymore."
Zhao Sui: "...Yes."
Yao Huang smiled, still half-hiding outside the door as she asked, "Does that mean His Second Highness has agreed to take up the post?"
Emperor Yongchang: "He has agreed. Once he finishes repairing his office, he will take up the post."
Yao Huang said, rejoicing, "Imperial Father's words are the most effective after all. If I had known earlier, I should have just dragged you over directly when I left the palace, saving myself from suffering a kneeling punishment for nothing."
Even though his daughter-in-law had suffered a grievance, Emperor Yongchang felt a surge of comfort in his heart upon hearing this, pleased that his son respected him so much.
"Alright, you two live your days well. I should return to the palace."
Yao Huang glanced at the color of the sky, walked in, and said, "Imperial Father, why don't you stay and have a meal with us before going back? We troubled you to make a trip today; let His Second Highness and me fulfill our filial piety."
Emperor Yongchang smiled and said, "No need. Your Imperial Father still has a pile of memorials unread in the palace. I will come again another day when I have time."
Yao Huang had no choice but to push Prince Hui to see him out.
From Ming'an Hall to the main gate of the prince's estate, Yao Huang kept expressing her admiration for Emperor Yongchang's favor towards Prince Hui. She went on to tell Emperor Yongchang that Prince Hui was simply not good with words, but was definitely deeply moved in his heart. This made the father and son avoid looking at each other, both terrified that the other might actually believe her words. Emperor Yongchang felt that he was by no means a good father to his second son, while whether Prince Hui was actually moved or not was something only he himself knew.
Finally, under the respectful gaze of his son and the radiant smile of his daughter-in-law, Emperor Yongchang boarded his carriage. He had arrived with an anxious and uncertain heart, but he left feeling completely comforted and at peace.
Yao Huang pushed Prince Hui back to Ming'an Hall.
Seeing Prince Hui staring at her face, Yao Huang sat to the side. As she took out a handkerchief to carefully wipe away the snow-white powder on her face, she asked expectantly, "What official duty did the Emperor arrange for Your Highness?"
Zhao Sui answered, "An assistant position in the Ministry of Works."
Yao Huang didn't understand. "What kind of official is that?"
Zhao Sui explained it to her. Simply put, if the prince wanted to work, he could wait for the Emperor's temporary assignments, or he could proactively take on a task from the Minister of Works. If he didn't want to work, he could just find some light, trivial tasks to muddle through, though he would bear the risk of the Emperor seeing through his pretense and scolding him severely for making up the numbers.
Yao Huang asked, "What exactly does the Ministry of Works do?"
Zhao Sui continued to explain.
Yao Huang understood now. The Ministry of Works was responsible for building imperial gardens, crafting various exquisite utensils, and distributing charcoal and ice for the royal family. It also oversaw agricultural colonies, water conservancy, and the construction of bridges and roads throughout the Great Qi Dynasty.
"If Lingshan County wants to open up wastelands to plant polygonatum, does that also have to go through the Ministry of Works?"
Zhao Sui replied, "Yes, the Ministry of Works has to send someone to verify whether this plan is feasible."
Yao Huang smiled. "That's great! Once Your Highness goes to the Ministry of Works, you can take on many tasks like this. Approving feasible ones will benefit the local people, and rejecting unfeasible ones will prevent local officials from wasting manpower and money just to show off."
Zhao Sui looked at his princess's face, which was now patched in red and white. He took the handkerchief from her hand and helped her wipe it.
The princess, with her face still smeared, continued to smile at him. "Tomorrow, I will take Your Highness out of the city again, while you still have this kind of free time."
.
Back in the palace, by the time Emperor Yongchang returned, the officials of the Secretariat and the Six Ministries had mostly left. Only a few exceptionally diligent officials remained, along with those who usually slacked off and were now rushing to finish their official duties before a deadline.
Emperor Yongchang strode with majestic steps straight toward the Ministry of Works. Outside the main gate of the ministry, he ran into Yan Lun, the Minister of Works, who was just about to head home.
Yan Lun was in his sixties, a thin, wiry little old man with greying temples. Just as Emperor Yongchang had thought before, the Ministry of Works was filled with thankless tasks. If a riverbank burst somewhere, the Ministry of Works would be scolded. If forging weapons cost too much silver and they had to ask the Ministry of Revenue for money, the Ministry of Revenue would blame them for being extravagant. All this hardship was evident on Yan Lun's face. He had several deep vertical creases between his eyebrows, making him look as if he were constantly worrying about something even when nothing was wrong.
"Your Majesty?" Yan Lun said in surprise.
Emperor Yongchang waived his formalities, grabbed Yan Lun's arm, and walked straight inside. "Are there any vacant rooms here?"
Yan Lun did not like hearing this at all. "What does Your Majesty mean? The major and minor ledgers of our Ministry of Works, along with the renovation files accumulated over the years, pile up to be no less than those of the Ministry of Revenue. On top of that, the fabric samples, wood samples, ore samples, and equipment samples sent by various manufacturing departments all need a place to be stored. Our officials, great and small, barely have any space left to work. How could there possibly be any vacant rooms?"
He was a veteran minister who had accompanied Emperor Yongchang all the way to the throne, so he dared to speak his mind.
Emperor Yongchang asked, "Which room is relatively empty?"
Yan Lun thought for a moment, then led Emperor Yongchang to a storeroom that had just been cleared out and was somewhat empty.
The location here was too secluded. Emperor Yongchang took a stroll around the Ministry of Works and pointed to a storeroom that received sunlight in both the morning and afternoon. "Move the files from here to that room. Clear this one out to serve as Prince Hui's private office."
Yan Lun exclaimed in shock, "Prince Hui?"
Emperor Yongchang replied, "Yes. I will announce the matter once the office is renovated. Do not spread the word for now."
Yan Lun's mind raced through several thoughts before he smiled and said, "I will have people move things tomorrow."
Emperor Yongchang ordered, "Move them tonight. Remember to poke a few holes in the roof to make it look like it leaks, and ruin a few floorboards as well. The day after tomorrow, I will bring Prince Hui over to inspect it. He will decide how to renovate it and arrange for the artisans himself. You don't need to worry about anything."
Yan Lun hesitated. "...Damaging it is easy, but where will the silver for the renovations come from?"
Emperor Yongchang paused. "...Prince Hui will pay for it himself." He would figure out a way to subsidize his son later.
Yan Lun let out a long sigh of relief. "It is not that I do not want to pay. Your Majesty knows that the people over at the Ministry of Revenue look at me as if they are looking at an enemy. At my age, I have had enough of their cold faces. Unless absolutely necessary, I truly do not want to waste my breath on them anymore."
Emperor Yongchang stared at the vertical creases between Yan Lun's eyebrows, which seemed to have relaxed a bit, and warned, "Do not get any ideas about using Prince Hui."
Yan Lun smiled. "I would not dare."
