nycdaug Chapter 588
Chapter 588
As Zhang Cong spoke, he subtly flattered Zhou Chu once again.
"Please sit down, Lord Zhang. Try my Longjing tea. This is the earliest batch of Lion Peak Longjing tea this year, made entirely from tender buds."
Zhou Chu smiled at Zhang Cong.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Cong breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that he had passed Lord Zhou's test.
After he sat down, a maidservant poured him tea.
Zhang Cong took a sip and immediately felt his mouth water.
"The Lion Peak Longjing tea that you drink is indeed quite different from the one I drink. Although I have some myself, it is far inferior to yours. It is probably not the first batch of Longjing tea after the rain this year."
Zhang Cong was very knowledgeable about tea. Not only Zhang Cong, but which official in the capital didn't know about tea and wine?
Whether it's Longjing from Lion Peak Mountain or Biluochun from Suzhou Prefecture, these are all top-quality green teas, but the best batches are always produced in extremely limited quantities.
Just like the first batch of Longjing tea after the rain on Lion Peak Mountain, the tea leaves are at their most tender and have the most wonderful flavor at that time. However, the yield of this first batch of Longjing tea is extremely limited, and most of it ends up in the hands of local officials.
Of course, local officials were also reluctant to drink it; they had to use this tea as gifts and to pull strings.
Although Zhou Chu has not been in the capital for the past two years, every year around Qingming Festival, when the first batch of Longjing tea leaves after the rains come out, the Shaoxing Prefect Dong Rui would have someone send the tea to Zhou's residence as soon as possible.
This was his way of showing respect to Zhou Chu. He wasn't thinking about getting promoted or making a fortune. He was perfectly content in Shaoxing, having long been accustomed to life there. Going through these connections was merely to protect his official position.
Many of the remaining first-harvest Longjing teas went into the imperial palace. As for the rest, for big shots like Xie Qian who had retired from officialdom and lived not too far from Lion Peak Mountain, a portion of the first-harvest Longjing teas would definitely be reserved for him.
Further down the list were officials like Grand Secretary Yang Yiqing. Of course, Yang Shen was also included, after all, Yang Shen was not only a Grand Secretary but also a leading figure in the literary world of the Ming Dynasty. Countless officials in Zhejiang admired Yang Shen, but he did not accept gifts from everyone. In fact, he would refuse most of them, only accepting gifts from those with whom he had a close relationship, such as tea sent by Yang Tinghe's students.
Zhou Chu just smiled at Zhang Cong's words and didn't say anything.
"My lord, even the Ministry of Revenue is unsure of the railway's cost. It's impossible to expect them to completely avoid any involvement. Please advise on a suitable cost estimate?"
Looking at Zhou Chu's smile, and seeing that the time was almost right, Zhang Cong revealed his purpose.
“I understand that you all want to get your hands on some oil. It’s not that I’m telling you, the Ministry of Revenue, to stay away from it completely, but the cost estimates you gave before were really outrageous. The cost of timber and steel was about 20% higher than the market price. If you’re going to buy timber in such large quantities, you can just get timber from Annam. Although Annam’s precious timber is expensive, there’s plenty of ordinary timber available.”
As Zhou Chu spoke, he glanced at Zhang Cong and, seeing that Zhang Cong was listening intently, nodded.
"In this way, the cost of purchasing timber in large quantities will only be about half the market price. His Majesty said that the railway construction will be carried out in sections..."
Zhou Chu explained to Zhang Cong in detail how the railway would be built in sections and who would be responsible for each section. Zhang Cong listened very carefully, afraid of missing anything.
"Your Majesty and the Minister have considered everything carefully. Only in this way can we ensure both the speed and quality of railway construction."
Zhang Cong said.
"Take railway sleepers as an example. The cost is about 50% of the market price. When you calculate the cost, you can increase it accordingly, to 70% or 80% of the market price. In this way, those princely families or other people who are building railways can also make a profit."
Zhou Chu looked at Zhang Cong and said.
Zhou Chu had one more thing he didn't say: "With this offer, your Ministry of Revenue officials shouldn't be left with absolutely nothing."
In fact, Zhou Chu's estimate of 50% of the cost price was a bit high. He believed that with the methods of the Ministry of Revenue officials, they could get an even lower price, such as 40%.
These are no longer things that Zhou Chu needs to worry about.
"As for steel, His Majesty plans to build steel mills in various places. In this way, steel will be smelted collectively, and the price will be greatly reduced. In addition, a large steel mill will be built in Japan to provide steel for those regions without iron ore. As for the cost of steel, you should also be aware of it."
Regarding the price, Zhou Chu only needed to provide a quote for the timber. Once Zhang Cong and the Ministry of Revenue had this template, they would naturally know how to quote for the other items.
If Zhou Chu had to explain everything in detail, what would be the point of having Zhang Cong as the Minister of Revenue? What would be the point of having those other officials in the Ministry of Revenue?
"I understand, thank you for your guidance, sir."
Zhang Cong stood up and bowed respectfully.
After leaving the Zhou residence, Zhang Cong felt refreshed. The pricing issue that had been troubling him and the officials of the Ministry of Revenue was now easily resolved. With this, which of the officials in the Ministry of Revenue would dare to disobey him?
When Zhang Cong returned to the Ministry of Revenue, the officials wanted to surround him, but remembering Zhang Cong's outburst earlier, they were hesitant and afraid of incurring the wrath of this high-ranking official.
"Today I went to the Zhou residence."
Zhang Cong looked at everyone and said.
Upon hearing this, the others immediately perked up.
"My lord, what instructions does Lord Zhou have regarding the pricing issue?"
The Vice Minister of Revenue spoke up at the opportune moment.
"The master only mentioned the price of the sleepers, but the rest are roughly the same. You should keep that in mind."
Zhang Cong then recounted the parts of Zhou Chu's previous statement that he could.
Upon hearing these words, the officials of the Ministry of Revenue immediately understood the situation.
Although they wouldn't make much money from this offer, it was still profitable. Moreover, they felt that if they sourced timber in large quantities from Annam or Southeast Asia, the cost of timber could be further reduced.
"Who's in charge of liaison with Annam?"
The Vice Minister of Revenue looked at the crowd and said.
"Your Excellency, the Ministry of Revenue is under my jurisdiction."
A fifth-rank official stepped forward.
Whether it was the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Works, or the Ministry of Rites, there were corresponding officials who liaised with Annam and even the entire Southeast Asia.
However, the specific matters handled by officials in different departments were also different. The Ministry of Revenue mainly dealt with financial and tax issues with Annam, while the Ministry of Rites dealt with diplomacy and the imperial examination. Now that Annam had been completely recovered by the Ming Dynasty, there were no longer any diplomatic issues between them.
However, there are still some with other Southeast Asian countries.
As for the Ministry of Works, it's even simpler. The officials who handed over the work to Annam were basically after the materials coming from there.
The Ministry of Works was responsible for the construction, and many materials and raw materials had to be sourced from South Asia.
Logically, the Ministry of Works should be responsible for handling the cost issues of Southeast Asian timber, while the Ministry of Revenue should simply exert pressure on the Ministry of Works.
"Go to the Ministry of Revenue and have them have a good talk with the person in charge of liaison with Annam about the cost price of timber. Do everything you can to reduce the cost of timber, but of course, the quality of the timber must be guaranteed."
The Vice Minister of Revenue looked at the official and gave instructions.
Upon hearing this, the officials of the Ministry of Revenue immediately perked up.
The more they can reduce costs, the more profit they can make.
The money they embezzled was not of concern to Zhou Chu and the emperor. If you want the horse to run, you have to feed it. To ensure the rapid construction of the railway, it was important for these officials in the Ministry of Revenue to make money.