Chapter 93: The issue of Two Hands

Unjust, he was driven out.

Outside the gate of Kunning Palace, Zhu Yunwen helplessly said to Shuangxi, “Go to Chengqian Palace.”

Ma Enhui’s actions carried profound implications.

Zhu Yunwen, as the Emperor of Ming Dynasty, currently only has one son, Zhu Wenkui, the bloodline is too thin.

For the imperial family, this is not a favorable situation.

Furthermore, Zhu Yunwen excessively favors Ma Enhui and often stays at Kunning Palace. Neither Consort Ning, consort Xian, nor Lady Luo has ever been hosted overnight. If this continue, When will Zhu Yunwen’s lineage be able to grow and thrive if this continues?

Zhu Yunwen is well aware of Ma Enhui’s subtle intentions.

However, the moral constraints etched into his soul prevent him from taking that step.

Moreover, he is not familiar with Consort Ning, consort Xian, and Lady Luo. If he rashly indulges in a relationship, wouldn’t that be acting like a rogue?

The sound of weaving in the Chengqian Palace was light and rhythmic.

Luo Yan’er was inspecting new medical gauze and recording the details when she saw Zhu Yunwen approaching. She quickly bowed in greeting.

Seeing that the room was a bit stuffy, Zhu Yunwen said, “Let’s take a stroll.”

Luo Yan’er handed her tasks to her maidservant and followed Zhu Yunwen out of the Chengqian Palace.

As the night grew deeper, the stars became brighter.

The gentle spring breeze brushed against Luo Yan’er’s hair, bringing a soft smile to her lips. She stole a glance at Zhu Yunwen beside her, who seemed lost in thought.

Despite the silence, there was no awkwardness, but a hint of unexplainable nervousness.

“Why is Lady Luo smiling?” Zhu Yunwen suddenly asked.

Luo Yan’er looked surprised. He hadn’t seen her smiling, yet he knew she was?

“Your Majesty seems to be in a good mood, and naturally, your humble concubine is happy too,” Luo Yan’er replied, looking towards the distant palace.

Zhu Yunwen stopped and turned to face the starry sky. “If I were to get angry, wouldn’t Lady Luo burst into tears?”

Luo Yan’er pouted slightly and said, “I wouldn’t. I’d probably just tremble with fear and forget how to cry.”

Zhu Yunwen burst into laughter, looking at Luo Yan’er and saying with satisfaction, “You’re quite something, truly talented.”

Luo Yan’er took a step forward with a coy smile. “Your Majesty is the truly learned one. I’m just displaying a bit of superficial knowledge.”

Zhu Yunwen gestured towards a pavilion not far away and said, “Let’s sit for a while.”

The peonies outside the pavilion were in full bloom, filling the air with a delicate fragrance.

“On behalf of all the palace maids from the Laundry service, I thank Your Majesty,” Luo Yan’er said with a respectful bow.

Zhu Yunwen waved his hand. “If you want to thank someone, thank the Empress. This matter has nothing to do with me.”

Luo Yan’er smiled lightly and said, “But I’ve heard that outsourcing was Your Majesty’s idea. I come from the Laundry service and know that it’s a place of hardship. The Laundry service’s escape from adversity relies entirely on the grace of Your Majesty and the Empress. They will certainly work diligently in gratitude, not letting down such heavenly favor.”

Zhu Yunwen also sighed. He had only mentioned the idea of outsourcing, yet Ma Enhui had actually brought it to fruition.

However, considering the security of the royal clothing, Ma Enhui had kept a small-scale laundry within the Laundry service, responsible for washing the clothes of the Emperor, Empress, and consorts. Other royal garments were all handed over to the external Laundry service, under stricter supervision.

The location of the external Laundry Bureau had been chosen in the abandoned music office. Its workforce consisted of widows and spinsters from the capital.

Many soldiers died during the early Ming wars, resulting in numerous widowed women. Among them, many had lost both their husbands and sons, left without support. They could only barely get by through textile work and clothing repairs.

In the name of the imperial harem, Empress Ma Enhui recruited widows and spinsters into the inner palace for lighter tasks, providing them with a monthly stipend. This move not only cared for the disadvantaged group but also gained popularity among the common people. Even the usually critical Censorate sent several memorials praising the Empress for her motherly image and thoughtful care.

In this way, the Laundry service was essentially reorganized through outsourcing. Although the Laundry service wasn’t officially disbanded, most of its rooms had been transformed into weaving workshops and storage areas.

Due to its location outside the palace, the transportation of goods to and from the Laundry service became more convenient, saving a considerable amount of manpower.

The current production of medical gauze, jointly produced by Chengqian Palace, Jingyang Palace, Yonghe Palace, Yanxi Palace, the Laundry service, and the Two King’s Residence, amounted to nearly 600 boxes per day. Over 1,600 palace maids participated in the production daily.

If it weren’t for the fact that some civilian merchants still have petroleum, the supply of Vaseline would likely have been cut off.

Additionally, the merchant caravans, upon learning that the price of petroleum was high in the capital, saw profit potential. They purchased it at a low price from other provinces and counties and then sold it at a higher price in the capital, which ensured a stable petroleum supply.

Profiteering and the distribution of goods was, in essence, a simple market resource allocation.

Zhu Yunwen didn’t need to conscript labor or military force to transport petroleum from the border or areas like Shanxi. The merchants helped him complete all of this, and he only needed to pay a certain amount of silver.

A gentle night breeze stirred, dispersing Zhu Yunwen’s thoughts.

He looked at Luo Yan’er beside him and softly said, “Actually, they should be most grateful to you. It was your hands that moved me, your wisdom that gave them an opportunity.”

Luo Yan’er looked at Zhu Yunwen, and her smile bloomed on her face like a spring flower—graceful and captivating.

The next day, after having her morning meal, Ma Enhui asked Shuangxi, “Where did the Emperor spend the night yesterday?”

Shuangxi looked at Ma Enhui with a bitter expression and replied, “Answering Your Majesty, the Emperor spent the night at the Jinsen Hall.”

“The Jinsen Hall?”

Ma Enhui furrowed her brows and sighed softly, not saying anything further.

Zhu Yunwen looked at the memorial from the Suzhou Prefect, Yao Shan, with surprise. He hadn’t expected that there would be someone daring to pioneer changes for the entire nation within Ming Dynasty.

The Beiping Administration Commissioner, Zhang Bing, had lifted the ban on merchants, and despite the opposition of the court officials, who were somewhat alarmed by the news, he hinted that he intended to implement new commercial policies in the Beiping Prefecture. This included adopting a tax rate of 1/15 on commercial activities. To everyone’s surprise, Zhang Bing did not oppose it, and even the merchants themselves didn’t raise any objections. As a result, the court began to stir once again.

Zhu Yunwen was wondering how to introduce reforms to the commercial tax and convince the court officials, now Yao Shan’s memorial arrived just in time, like a timely rain.

“Summon Xie Jin, Huang Zicheng, and Xia Yuanji.”

Zhu Yunwen felt delighted.

Xie Jin and Huang Zicheng had read the copied content of Yao Shan’s memorial and had guessed that Zhu Yunwen would summon them. However, they didn’t expect it to happen so quickly.

Zhu Yunwen straightforwardly asked, “What are your opinions on the Suzhou Prefecture’s intention to trial new commercial policies?”

Huang Zicheng, being the Minister of Revenue, was the first to respond, “Your Majesty, the new commercial policies alter the low tax rate of 1/30 that was set during the Taizu period. Could implementing a 1/15 tax on commercial activities in Suzhou Prefecture harm the merchants’ profits? Moreover, if Suzhou Prefecture enacts a 1/15 tax rate while Songjiang Prefecture, Jiaxing Prefecture, Huzhou Prefecture, and Changzhou Prefecture remain at 1/30, would it not cause Suzhou Prefecture to become a high-tax area, driving away its merchants?”

Zhu Yunwen nodded slightly. Huang Zicheng had indeed put in effort in the Ministry of Revenue; raising these two points indicated that he had studied the matter in depth.

The operation of commerce followed an invisible hand with its own rules.

On the other hand, government control was like a tangible hand. If this hand was extended, policies would be the thumb, and taxation the index finger.

Whether the merchants stayed or left depended on how well the thumb and index finger could control them.

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