Reborn in the last years of Kangxi

Chapter 642
Rehe Palace, Xiyu, Songhe Qingyue.

Cao Yong, Yiduli and others stood in front of the ruins, all with heavy faces.

Songhe Qingyue is the summer resort for the empress dowager every year.Although it was only the side hall at the back that collapsed this time, no one can guarantee that the repair project of the front palace will be all right.

Even Cao Yong was shocked in a cold sweat.

If it wasn't the side hall that collapsed, but the main hall, then officials from the top and bottom of this project would not be able to escape and be convicted, and dismissal and exile would be considered light.If it is more serious, if the accident does not happen now, but after the empress dowager moves in, then everyone will talk about whether or not they can keep their heads, let alone Wusha.

What is this?
Emperor Kangxi claimed to govern the country with "benevolence and filial piety", but the officials below have demolished the Empress Dowager's Palace. It is strange that he can spare these talents.

Among the rubble at the scene, there are many broken pine logs, and there is a strange smell in the air.

Cao Yong stepped forward, squatted down, and pulled out a piece of wood from the rubble.It's half a foot in diameter, and looks like it's made of purlin wood.

It is obviously pine wood, but it is light in the hand, with cracks and knots on it.Even if Cao Yong is not a carpenter, he can tell that this is a piece of bad wood.

Holding the wood in his hand, Cao Yong looked back at Dong Changhai, a member of the construction department who followed him, and said, "Master Dong, is this wood used like this?"

Dong Changhai blushed, and replied, "My lord, put up the rafters, cover the tiles, and then paint."

Cao Yong was more fortunate to hear him say this.

Fortunately, the problem is now, there is still a month before Shengjia arrives in Rehe, at least there is time to remedy it.

In addition to rebuilding this side, the other places where construction is still underway must be stopped first.

Putting down his broken wood, Cao Yong picked up another tile and looked at it.At last, nothing could be discerned from this surface. He was a layman and he couldn't make up his mind. He raised the tile to Dong Changhai and asked, "Master Dong, is there anything wrong with this tile?"

Dong Changhai took the tile, looked it up and down, and said, "If you want to tell your lord, it's a tile fired in an official kiln. It's okay for me to look at it."

At that time, the buildings were all brick and wood buildings. The side hall that was renovated this time was said to be repaired, but it was actually equivalent to the roof being flipped over again.

Even if the tiles are flawed, it just doesn't look right from the outside; the wood used for the support is so bad that it can't support it and collapses when the bricklayers go to the roof to lay the tiles.

Do you want to be the commander in chief of the project?
Cao Yong glanced at everyone, and stood up to Yidu: "pass down the order, and all projects will be stopped..." When he said this, he pondered for a moment, and said: "ask the responsible leaders and other officials to divide the current engineering personnel into two groups. Class on standby."

All the accompanying officials originally looked anxious, especially Yi Duli.In addition to his own indispensable relationship, he is also worried about Cao Yong's side.

The collapse of the palace has always been the most taboo of the royal family.

If the officials below put all the cause of the accident on Cao Yong, saying that it was because the Ministry of Internal Affairs saved money that it came here, then Cao Yong would not be able to bear it and walk away.

However, seeing that Cao Yong was not flustered and spoke and acted in a very orderly manner, Yi Duli's original anxious mood gradually calmed down.

He responded, and led several officials to pass the order separately.

Cao Yong looked at Dong Changhai and said, "How many years has Mr. Dong been working in the construction department?"

Dong Changhai looked down at the wood in the rubble, wondering what he was thinking.After listening to Cao Yong's words, although he didn't understand what he meant, he still replied in a polite manner: "Returning to the adults, I entered the job with a pen post in 42 years of humble employment, and I have been working in the construction department for 13 years."

Cao Yong nodded, pointed to the main hall next to the guide, and asked, "How many places have been repaired over there? If this kind of wood is also used, what do you think will happen over there, Mr. Dong?"

Dong Changhai followed Cao Yong's gaze, his face turned pale, he hesitated for a moment, and said: "My lord, only the outer eaves of the main hall have been replaced with new wood... but the side hall, like this place, has a flipped roof..."

Cao Yong listened, and continued to ask: "How many projects are there to replace the roof, and how many projects are there to use wood without changing the roof?"

Dong Changhai thought for a while, and replied: "In addition to this side, there are three places where the roof is replaced, 'Pear Blossoms with the Moon, Fengquan Qingting, and Qingfeng Green Island'. Those who do not change the roof and replace the pontoon bridge include Qushui Hexiang, Far and Near There are two places with the sound of the spring, and the Yunfan Yuefang is also being repaired, which is also made of bulk wood."

Cao Yong listened and counted the places in his heart. There are already seven places in total. How much wood does it cost?There is less than one month left in the construction period, which seems a bit chaotic.

"Where is the wood warehouse?" Cao Yong asked: "If Mr. Dong knows, please take me over there to have a look."

Before Dong Changhai could respond, he heard hurried footsteps. It was Qi Min, the palace chief who had just received the news, walking quickly in ordinary clothes.Behind him were Wailang Qufeng, a member of the Fengchen Academy who came to Rehe with Cao Yong, and several low-level palace officials.

Seeing the scene in front of him, Qi Min was also dumbfounded.

After a while, he came to his senses, pointed to the collapsed roof in front of him, and said, "Lord Cao, this is... this is... how could it be so? How can this be good?"

Although there was panic on his face, there was a strange look in his eyes after he finished speaking.

Cao Yong has also been an official for seven or eight years, and he can't hear the overtones.

This repairing of the palace was originally an errand of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and Qi Min, the chief of the palace, was just "cooperating".The nominal principal is still Cao Yong, the head of the House of Internal Affairs.

In Qi Min's words, he first said he didn't know, and then he said he had no idea.Three downs, five divisions and two divisions, pushed Tai Chi to Cao Yong.

Cao Yong sighed in his heart, he was hanging on the errand of the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, no matter how much he justified, he couldn't get rid of the relationship.However, Qi Min should not be too arrogant.

In this world, there is no shortage of people who "make progress with an inch".

He didn't answer Qi Min's question, but said: "My lord, let's go to the wood storehouse to have a look first, and then make a conclusion."

When Qi Min heard the mention of "lumber", his expression was a little unnatural, Cao Yong just pretended not to see it, and said to Dong Changhai: "I also ask Mr. Dong to lead the way."

The timber warehouse is not far from here, and it will be there after a quarter of an hour's walk.

The guard here is a pawn, in his 40s, and looks very rich.With a big belly and a big smile, he doesn't look like a petty official, but like a rich man in the country.

Seeing several adults approaching, the pawn hurriedly bowed and bowed.It is more like a lumber yard than a lumber warehouse, where a lot of lumber is piled up into a wooden mountain and placed in the open air.

Only part of the precious wood is stored in the warehouse.

The wood on the site is a column more than one foot thick, and there are many purlins.From the color, it is obvious which is new wood and which is old wood.

And some wood with remnants of red and green paint on it.There are several piles, Cao Yong picked it up and looked at it. He didn't know if it was good or not, but the wood was much denser than what he had seen in the ruins before.

Cao Yong asked someone to ask the pawn, and it was true that the wood was removed from several palaces that had been repaired.

Cao Yong looked at it, and then at the pile of old pine trees in primary colors.

Although pine is the main wood for building houses, pine is also extremely susceptible to insects.Under those old wood piles are fine white sawdust like powder.

It's really a waste of time to remove the good, still strong wood and flip the cover with these old "new wood" that have been eaten by moths.

Unlike the Tangquan Palace, there are still many side halls that have not been built yet; the Rehe Palace is being repaired in the repaired garden.

The booklet for repairing the garden was only available after he released the bidding. Cao Yong clearly remembered this.

When the money was being used, Cao Yong, the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Zhang Luo's bidding failed, which would only make him appear more incompetent.

This practice palace is just an excuse, it's just that some people are jealous of the money that the House of Internal Affairs has received, so they can't help but reach out.

Until now, Cao Yong didn't understand until he saw the side hall that had just collapsed and compared the wood in front of him.I just don't know, what role did Qi Min play in this?
Just because he is an outsider clan general, he should not have such a big appetite.

"Lord Qi, how much money did you spend on the bidding for the timber of this project?" Cao Yong asked with a frown, "If I remember correctly, out of the 80 taels of silver, the expenditure on timber cost a lot."

Qi Min looked at the wood in front of him, and secretly complained in his heart, knowing that the wood was broken.

If it wasn't for the previous "bounty" and the sixteenth elder brother's personal visit, Qi Min would not have taken Cao Yong too seriously.With the previous understanding, he also knew that the Cao family was getting the favor.

He laughed twice, and said: "These days, under the order of the Sixteenth Master, I am busy day and night to clean up the law and order, and I don't know the details of the project here." Speaking of this, he asked Qu Feng: "This time Which merchant supplied the wood? What a profiteer, it’s disgusting.”

Qu Feng was taken aback when he heard the words, then he understood, bowed and replied: "It's an old merchant historian from the Ministry of Internal Affairs."

Qi Min was furious when he heard the words, stared at Qu Feng, and said: "You...you...you are right, that guy is really a treacherous villain, and he used such inferior wood to fool the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It's really hateful."

Qu Feng's face turned red "shua", silently stepped aside, and kept silent.

The atmosphere was a bit weird, Cao Yong looked at the two people in front of him, and always felt that something was wrong.

Regarding the so-called timber supply, Cao Yong knew that it was lying with his eyes open. Timber was no different than others. Ordinary merchants could intervene by relying on their connections and financial resources.

Most of the wood like pine comes from the Northeast.After the Manchus entered the customs, the Northeast became private land, reserved for the retreat of the Eight Banners.Most of the mountains, forests and swamps are in the hands of the imperial court, how can merchants interfere?
Even if there are timber merchants supplying the Ministry of Internal Affairs, some valuable timber is produced in the south.Sometimes, there is no wood at all, just empty bills, and then use the wood from the Ministry of Internal Affairs to top it.

Cao Yong has listened to Yi Duli's talk about the trickiness of this for several times.

Although these few "dragons crossing the river" can't beat the "local snakes" and can't get involved in the repair project, they are all crystal hearts, and their eyes and ears are not decorations.

Thirteen lives, and this historian who was thrown out by Qi Min to cover the vat.

Cao Yong clenched his fist, feeling really depressed and panicked.It's just that he is not a fool, even he can't pick it clean now, let alone rush to hold others accountable.

Timber matter, Cao Yong came to an abrupt end.

Tongue can kill, this principle is the same in ancient and modern times.If he said a few more words, Qi Min would be frightened, and that hapless historian might not escape ransacking his home.

Now, Cao Yong can only comfort himself with the phrase "It's not too late for a gentleman to take revenge."If the construction period cannot be completed in late April, Kangxi will punish him, and he will take the lead.

Time is tight, so we can only start the project first, and then talk about it later.

"Several places to repair the palace, check them one by one, if the wood is worm-eaten, rework." Cao Yong turned around and told Dong Changhai and Qu Feng: "Dong Daren, Qu Daren, you two will have to work hard. Mr. Dong went from east to west, and Mr. Qu went from west to east, and each took people to inspect it."

Having said that, he took out his pocket watch, looked at the time, and said: "It is the second quarter of the day (02:30 p.m.). An hour later, the two adults will come here to meet the officer again."

Dong Changhai and Qu Feng agreed, and each brought a few small officials down.

Qi Min hesitated for a moment, and asked: "My lord... If you have to go back to work, there is less than a month left, how can you finish it? The other places are fine. Songhe Qingyue is the empress dowager's palace, so it has a lot to do with it..."

Cao Yong looked at Qi Min and said, "Then, what is the meaning of the Chief Manager?"

Qi Min swallowed and spit, was he afraid of taking responsibility, did not agree, said: "My official duty is to take care of the trivial matters of the palace on behalf of the emperor, since this repair is an errand of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, it is natural for the adults to decide."

Up to now, Cao Yong still has many things on his mind, and he is too lazy to talk nonsense with him, so he said: "Now, there is still one thing that needs to be taken care of by adults, so that we can be more comprehensive."

Qi Min listened, the corners of his mouth twitched, he squeezed out a little smile, and said: "Your Excellency is really joking, I'm just a false name, and I'm an idler, and I really don't have much ability. On the Sir side, there are a lot of talents."

Cao Yong's face was a bit solemn, and he said: "My lord, what happened today is the Empress Dowager's Hall. The Empress Dowager is always ignorant of foreign affairs, she is the most kind, and she is very devout to the Buddha. If you know that in the back hall of her bedroom With such an accident, more than a dozen people have passed away, and I am afraid that my heart will not be at ease. At that time, my lord will be with me, and I will not be able to get rid of it."

Thinking of this, Qi Min felt troubled, thought for a while, and said in a low voice: "My lord, how can this be good? Otherwise, try to hide it?"

"When will the paper be able to cover the fire? The position is high and the wind is strong. There are gangsters 'rewarding' here, so the position of the general manager of the adults will not be jealous of the villains?" Cao Yong asked casually.

Qi Min immediately stopped talking, with an unpredictable expression on his face, looked at Cao Yong and said: "Whatever your lord said, if I am capable of it, I should accept it."

Cao Yong nodded and said: "I asked Mr. Dong just now. The compensation for casualties like this is four to 12 taels of silver. Four taels for minor injuries, eight taels for serious injuries, and 12 taels for dead ones. This time, the side hall over there It collapsed, 13 people were killed and 22 people were injured. Please ask your lord to come forward to pay for the silver. Since it happened on the side of the Empress Dowager’s Palace, her old man has always been merciful, so I will double the amount. It can also make the rest of the craftsmen feel at ease Work, so you don't get distracted, and the later construction period will be delayed."

Seeing that Cao Yong was serious, Qi Min was still on guard, for fear of suffering a disadvantage.Seeing that it was about pensions, he breathed a sigh of relief, and said with a smile, "It's Mr. Cao's thoughtfulness, so let's do it this way. Even if we spend a few more money, the common people can feel the compassion of the empress dowager, which is exactly what it should be."

After saying these words, he was afraid that Cao Yong would pull him to do something else, so he happily took people to "busy".

As he walked, he was still calculating in his mind, 13 people died, each 24 taels, which is more than 300 taels.The 22 people who were injured were counted as serious injuries, but only more than 300 taels.

Inside and outside, for the matter of 600 taels of silver, he, the big manager, is actually an errand.

However, after a second thought, he ran errands and ran errands. He wanted to stretch his days and go to two or three houses every day.In this way, the matter of the palace can not be pushed to him, and the delay of the project can be avoided.

Thinking of this, Qi Min felt much more relaxed.Even the thoughts of wanting to profit from before were extinguished, but he represented the imperial court and the empress dowager's mercy.

In the future, even if the matter is exposed, I will be considered a crime...

However, the historians had to think of a way to keep their mouths shut.

*
On Cao Yong's side, he had asked the treasury official to take the account books of the timber warehouse to inquire about the remaining new timber; then, he ordered Jiang Jian to go back to the main hall of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to get the budget for this project.

He clearly remembered that in the project budget book, there was a record of the geometry of the wood required for a certain place.

Yiduli has already returned, and the seven repairing places have all stopped working.Dong Changhai and Qu Feng had already brought someone to inspect it, and Yi Duli had seen it with them.

"My lord, what should I do next?" Seeing Cao Yong's confident appearance, Yi Duli asked, "If you have any orders from your lord, I will stand on your side."

Cao Yong nodded and said: "I won't trust others until my lord comes back. Mr. Dong and Mr. Qu have inspected the project. Please check it again. The key is the wood. It’s not good if it’s light and fluffy; at least it has to be like the original wood, and it’s stable if it looks solid and won’t cause any accidents.”

After hearing this, Yi Duli couldn't help but brighten his eyes, and said: "Your Excellency, don't worry, I will keep your eyes open and check carefully." Speaking of this, he hesitated a little, looked at Zhao Tong who was standing behind Cao Yong, and looked at Cao Yong. Yong said: "I'm afraid there is a shortage of manpower, how about borrowing Guanshi Zhao for half a day?"

Cao Yong waved his hands in embarrassment, and said: "There are other things to send him over, or else the adults will go to work first, and he will have time to find the adults in a while."

Today, Jiang Jian, Zhao Tong, Li Wei and Xiaoman are the only ones working with Cao Yongjin Yamen.Jiang Jian is Cao Yong's master, and he has a vacancy for a scribe; Zhao Tong is Cao Yong's confidant family;

Yi Duli heard this, smiled and said: "Since Manager Zhao has other errands, then forget it. I'll go and see first. If there is anything wrong with your lord, just send someone to order the next official."

When Cao Yong heard the words, he bowed his hands and thanked him.

It was late, and Yi Duli didn't delay, so he hurried away with his people.

Cao Yong turned around and told Zhao Tongdao: "Take my warrant and go to several storehouses to check. Mainly look at oil lamps and other lighting items, as well as fire extinguishers."

Zhao Tong agreed, and went back to the main hall of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to get Cao Yong's warrant.

When Cao Yong saw Xiao Man, he remembered that he was going to have a banquet in the garden with Su Hebalu and his wife today, so he hurriedly sent him back to report that the yamen will not leave today, so Chu Yu asked Chu Yu to watch and explain.

At this time, the clerk of the timber warehouse has checked the amount of new timber stored here.Jiang Jian also arrived, holding in his hand the budget sheet made by the palace yamen and the construction department.

Comparing the two, Cao Yong put a big stone in his heart.

Fortunately, the total amount of new lumber remaining is almost the same as the amount of lumber required on the budget.From this point of view, the rest depends on whether the project can be completed before the end of April.

It has already caused people to divide the engineering personnel in various places into two groups. If the two groups take turns and do not rest, the construction speed can be accelerated.The original planned construction period was two months, but now it is compressed into one month. In addition to grouping, I am afraid that some more manpower will be called up to be sufficient.

However, based on his status, it shouldn't be difficult to employ people.

Seeing Cao Yong's smile, the pawn had changed his expression and said tremblingly, "My lord...my lord...these are the accounts, but...but...there are no those. ah……"

Cao Yong stopped laughing, looked at the pawn, his face sank like water: "Speak!"

The pawn bent his knees and knelt on the ground, his teeth were chattering, and he was speechless.

Cao Yong took the account in his hand, looked at the bright big characters on it, and couldn't tell what it was like in his heart.

Wood is the foundation of this project, if there is no wood, wouldn't everyone stare blankly?

"How much is the difference?" Cao Yong restrained his anger and asked, "Thirty percent, fifty percent, or how much?"

"Your Majesty, you have clearly learned that you don't do the business of the villain. The villain is just a low-level official, just like that watchdog. He really doesn't do the business of the villain." The pawn kowtowed while Cry up.

If he looks more ordinary, Cao Yong can still be considerate and considerate when he says these words.But his fat head and big ears, coupled with his troublesome kung fu, made Cao Yong very upset. Looking at the pawn, he patted the table vigorously.

The pawn was so shocked that he raised his head, looked at Cao Yong timidly with a pair of small eyes, and then said tremblingly: "Bad...bad...[-]%..."

When Cao Yong heard the words, his eyes turned black.

There are several projects that need to be repaired, and the wood required is not as simple as ten or a hundred.

He supported the desk, stared at the pawn, and asked, "Where did all the wood go?"

The pawn was afraid that he wanted to die, so he leaned on the ground and refused to make a sound.

Li Wei was at the side, seeing Cao Yong like this, he was also anxious. He stepped forward and kicked the pawn, and said: "Your Excellency asked me, how dare you not answer? Do you want to die?"

The pawn was kicked and flew out, fell down, wrinkled his face and uttered "Ouch", Li Wei glared at him, closed his mouth again, and sobbed.

In Cao Yong's mind, he thought of the historian of timber merchants in the Ministry of Internal Affairs that Qu Feng had just mentioned, and asked the official, "Does it have anything to do with the historian?"

The pawn's lips moved, but in the end he didn't make a sound, but slowly lowered his head.

Only then did Cao Yong understand why Qu Feng and Qi Min were so awkward when they mentioned "historians" just now.Presumably it was Qu Feng who said the wrong person to top the tank, and Qi Min was anxious, which almost gave him away...

*
After the update is complete, wave a small flag to ask for a monthly pass. . . .

(End of this chapter)