YWTGU -Chapter 28 Prime Minister! Go Ahead and Be Greedy!

The fourth day.

Li An arrived at the Ministry of Revenue early in the morning.

After three days, a budget of 2.7 million taels had already been approved.

The remaining 300,000 taels—today he wanted to carefully consider how to spend it in the most “valuable” way.

“Jin Daya!”

“Yes!”

“Have the goods from yesterday’s approved orders all been delivered to the construction sites?”

“Replying to Your Excellency, most of them have been delivered, but…”

Jin Daya scratched his head, hesitating.

“But what?”

“It’s just that… the quality of some of the goods seems to… have a problem.”

Li An’s eyes lit up.

A problem?

Perfect!

This is exactly the effect he wanted!

“What kind of problem? Explain it to me in detail.”

“That golden-thread nanmu wood—it’s not genuine, it’s ordinary nanmu dyed to look like gold-thread nanmu.”

“And those Taihu rocks… many of them are fake, made from plaster.”

“As for the silk, it is real, but the quality… at best, it’s medium.”

Li An listened and felt utterly delighted.

That’s the way!

Buying fake goods at ten times the price—that’s what true extravagance looks like!

“Understood.”

He deliberately put on a stern expression. “Keep receiving the goods, but don’t ask too many questions.”

“But sir, aren’t these merchants being too unscrupulous?”

Jin Daya was indignant. “We spent real money, and they still sent us fake goods!”

“That’s enough!”

Li An shot him a glare. “These merchants were recommended by the Prime Minister’s and the Imperial Uncle’s offices. Do you dare call them unscrupulous?”

“…Yes…”

Jin Daya didn’t dare argue further.

Li An nodded in satisfaction.

Excellent. This is the effect he wanted.

The merchants are greedy, the court’s money is being wasted, the exposition is turning into shoddy work, and the national fortune of Great Qi is plummeting.

Perfect!

…

Just as Li An was smugly reveling in this, a notification came from outside the door.

“Mr. Zhou from the Prime Minister’s residence requests an audience!”

Mr. Zhou?

Isn’t that Prime Minister Wang Fu’s trusted aide?

What’s he here for?

“Please come in.”

Soon, a middle-aged scholar with a goatee entered.

It was indeed Mr. Zhou, aide to the Prime Minister.

“Lord Li, the Prime Minister requests your presence.”

Mr. Zhou cupped his hands. “The Prime Minister said he wishes to discuss the exposition in detail with you.”

Li An’s mind stirred.

That old fox—what does he want with him?

But just as well, Li An also wanted to talk with the Prime Minister.

After all, those merchants sent by the Prime Minister were already taking huge cuts.

He needed to make sure they continue being greedy—and become even greedier!

“Very well, I shall go immediately.”

…

At the Prime Minister’s residence, in the study.

Wang Fu was flipping through an account ledger behind his desk, a satisfied smile on his face.

“Prime Minister.”

Li An entered and bowed.

“Lord Li! Please sit, please sit!”

Wang Fu put down the ledger and warmly gestured for him to sit.

“Bring some fine tea!”

After some polite conversation, Wang Fu finally got to the point.

“Lord Li, I’ve heard quite a lot of good news regarding the exposition preparations these past few days.”

“You flatter me, Prime Minister,” Li An replied humbly. “All of this is for Great Qi.”

“For Great Qi, very good!”

Wang Fu stroked his beard. “I admire your grand vision, Lord Li.”

“However…”

He lowered his voice, looking meaningfully at Li An.

“When you approved the budgets, weren’t you a bit too generous? You didn’t even check which merchants they came from, yet you approved them all?”

Li An’s heart skipped a beat.

This old fox—he wants a cut for himself!

Still, he played dumb and asked, “What does the Prime Minister mean?”

“I’ve heard that those merchants quoted several times the actual value, and yet you accepted them all?”

Wang Fu looked at him. “Lord Li, that’s not exactly proper! I think the merchants I recommended are more reliable and run their businesses in good faith. You should be using their materials more…”

Li An thought: here it comes.

This old fox really wants a monopoly, upset that he’s approving other merchants too.

No matter, he had already thought of what to say.

“Prime Minister, you misunderstand.”

He feigned an open-hearted expression. “My actions have a purpose.”

“Oh? What purpose?”

“Think about it, Prime Minister. This exposition is a grand project personally approved by His Majesty.”

Li An lowered his voice. “With such a massive project and so much money flowing through it, some people must… get their share, otherwise it could lead to complaints, and eventually, His Majesty would hear about it…”

Wang Fu nodded knowingly.

“You mean…”

“I mean, Prime Minister, your merchant friends have already taken many contracts, right?”

Li An spoke earnestly. “Their higher quotes are justified. After all, merchants recommended by the Prime Minister surely won’t use substandard materials—they pick only the best! Naturally, it costs more… so you can let your merchants operate freely, quote boldly, and we will never let honest merchants feel cheated.”

Wang Fu’s smile widened.

“Lord Li, you truly are clever.”

He nodded in satisfaction. “I was right about you.”

“You flatter me, Prime Minister.”

Li An cupped his hands. “However, I have one more request.”

“Speak.”

“Some of the Prime Minister’s merchant friends are too cautious.”

Li An deliberately showed a disappointed expression. “Although their quotes are high, they’re still holding back.”

“Holding back?”

Wang Fu was momentarily stunned. “Explain?”

“Prime Minister, the budget for this exposition is three million taels!”

Li An lowered his voice. “Three million taels—even if it’s all spent, what harm is there?”

“What I mean is, these merchant friends could… quote even higher.”

Wang Fu’s eyes lit up instantly.

“You mean…”

“I mean, even if something costs ten taels, quoting two hundred taels wouldn’t be wrong.”

Li An spoke earnestly. “After all, this money isn’t mine—it’s the treasury’s.”

“Moreover, if the money runs out, I can request additional funds from the Ministry of Revenue. There’s still two million taels lying in the treasury, untouched, isn’t there?”

“His Majesty values this exposition greatly, he will definitely approve it.”

Ding!

【Li An actively encourages the Prime Minister to be corrupt!】

【Prime Minister overjoyed!】

【Corruption in Great Qi’s officialdom intensifies!】

【Great Qi National Fortune -1000】

【Current National Fortune: 38,379】

Wang Fu almost laughed out loud after hearing this.

This Li An perfectly suits his taste!

Previously he worried Li An was a naive fool who didn’t understand officialdom.

Now it seems this kid is clever!

The advantage is already in his hands, and without any push, Li An actively delivers the benefits himself.

“Lord Li, I was right about you!”

He grasped Li An’s hand. “With me covering for you, you can act boldly and fear nothing!”

“Thank you, Prime Minister!”

Li An pretended to be deeply grateful, but inside he was silently laughing.

Greed as much as you want—the greedier you are, the faster Great Qi will collapse!

…

After leaving the Prime Minister’s residence, Li An was in high spirits.

This secret meeting with the Prime Minister was a double win.

He solidified his position as “the Prime Minister’s man” while encouraging the Prime Minister to increase corruption.

Now, he just had to sit back and watch.

Back at the Ministry of Revenue, Jin Daya was already waiting.

“Sir, there are more budget approvals requiring your signature.”

“Hand them over.”

Li An took the budget sheets and immediately grinned.

These new budgets were indeed quoted even higher than before!

It seems the Prime Minister had already passed the word.

“Approve them! Approve all! If there isn’t enough money, have the Ministry of Revenue quickly provide more. His Majesty approved this personally in the hall—if the Ministry refuses, tell them they’re defying the Emperor’s decree!”

Ding!

【The Prime Minister’s faction of merchants has increased their level of embezzlement!】

【Budget increased by another 500,000 taels!】

【Great Qi National Fortune -500】

【Current National Fortune: 37,879】

After approving the budget, Li An sent Jin Daya to get some rare and exotic materials.

“Thousand-year-old vines, ten-thousand-year-old deadwood, hundred-year-old Taihu stones—if it’s expensive, buy it all back for me!”

“Sir, what use are these things?” Jin Daya asked, puzzled.

“You wouldn’t understand even if I told you,” Li An said with an air of profundity. “This is called artistic decoration. It reflects Great Qi’s cultural heritage.”

“Then… how much will it cost?”

“Whatever it takes!” Li An waved his hand grandly. “Use the rest of the budget to buy these things!”

Ding!

【Li An purchases a large quantity of useless decorations!】

【Remaining budget is about to be depleted!】

【Great Qi National Fortune -300】

【Current National Fortune: 37,579】

And so, the fourth day passed.

Li An had spent nearly 600,000 taels that day.

The total expenditure had already surpassed 3.2 million taels!

Not only had he completed the Heishuitai mission, he had overspent by more than 200,000 taels!

……

Day Five

Li An was preparing to visit the construction site.

Although he didn’t care about the progress at all, he had to at least put on a show.

“Jin Daya, prepare the sedan chair. I want to check the construction site.”

“Yes, sir!”

Upon arriving, Li An was stunned by the scene before him.

The site was utter chaos.

So-called golden-threaded nanmu wood was thrown carelessly on the ground.

Those Taihu stones were arranged crookedly and unevenly.

The workers were chatting idly in little clusters, doing absolutely nothing.

“This…”

Li An watched this scene with delight.

This was exactly the effect he wanted!

Construction delays, material waste, labor squandered—perfect squandering!

“Master Li!”

At that moment, a familiar voice called out.

Li An turned and saw Liu Wanqing walking over, holding up her skirt.

Behind her were several attendants who looked like officials from the Imperial Uncle’s Mansion.

“Wanqing? What are you doing here?”

“Wanqing heard that you were coming to inspect, so she thought she’d come help,” Liu Wanqing said with a smile. “Master, you can’t handle everything on your own. Even though I’m a woman, I want to lighten your burden.”

Li An glanced at the few attendants behind her, intrigued.

The Imperial Uncle’s Mansion people? What were they here for?

Then it clicked.

The Imperial Uncle was trying to get a piece of the pie!

The Prime Minister’s merchants had pocketed so much already, and the In-Law’s Mansion was surely envious.

Now sending his daughter over was clearly a move to grab some projects and skim some benefits!

Li An grinned inwardly.

Perfect timing!

The Prime Minister is greedy, the Imperial Uncle is greedy—competition between the two would only intensify the corruption.

Wouldn’t Great Qi’s national fortune plummet even faster?

“If Miss Liu is willing to help, I couldn’t ask for more!”

Li An said warmly, “How does Miss Liu intend to help?”

“I thought Master was overwhelmed, so I’d like to keep an eye on the materials procurement and construction progress here,” Liu Wanqing said, blinking. “Would Master grant me this opportunity?”

Li An thought: Absolutely! More than happy!

If the Imperial Uncle’s Mansion took over materials procurement, they would surely overstate prices and cut corners too!

Then half of the corruption would go to the Prime Minister’s faction, half to the Imperial Uncle’s, and the remaining 2 million taels would be spent lavishly in no time!

Perfect!

“Since Miss Liu is willing, I naturally won’t refuse,” he said.

Turning to Jin Daya and the site officials, he loudly announced:

“From today on, Miss Liu will have full authority over materials procurement and quality control here!”

“Whatever she decides—what to do, what materials to order, what price—follow her instructions!”

“Don’t ask why. Miss Liu has her reasons! What Miss Liu wants is what I want.”

The people looked at each other but dared not question, replying in unison, “Yes, sir!”

Ding!

【Li An appoints the Imperial Uncle’s daughter to fully oversee the exhibition!】

【This will inevitably lead to favoritism and profiteering!】

【Great Qi National Fortune -100】

【Current National Fortune: 37,479】

Hearing the system notification, Li An felt even happier.

As expected!

The system recognized that Liu Wanqing was here to embezzle too!

Everything was set!

Liu Wanqing was stunned by Li An’s trust.

She had originally wanted to point out issues with the materials.

But at the last moment, she swallowed her words.

Master Li trusted her so completely…

He must have seen the underlying problems.

That’s why he gave her full authority to reform the process!

No need to say anything—actions speak louder than words.

Her eyes lit up with determination.

Master Li is truly a man of integrity!

He knows the merchants are cutting corners but cannot offend the Prime Minister and other factions directly.

So he used her status as the Imperial Uncle’s daughter to handle the mess!

Thinking this, Liu Wanqing felt a warm surge in her heart.

Master Li trusts her completely.

She must not disappoint him.

……

After inspecting the site, Li An returned satisfied.

But Liu Wanqing stayed behind.

“People!”

She beckoned, and the attendants from the Imperial Uncle’s Mansion immediately gathered around.

“Miss, your orders?”

“Reinspect all the materials here!”

Her eyes sharpened. “Golden-threaded nanmu, Taihu stones, silk, glazed tiles… not a single item overlooked!”

“Any substandard goods, return them!”

“Yes, Miss!”

The attendants immediately sprang into action.

Liu Wanqing personally crouched in front of the pile of nanmu wood to examine it.

Having grown up with her uncle in business, she could tell real from fake at a glance.

“This batch of nanmu is not golden-threaded; it’s ordinary nanmu dyed. Return it! Have the supplier deliver the real thing!”

“And these Taihu stones…”

She tapped them with her finger. “Plaster fakes—all returned!”

“What about the prices? Have them report market prices again!”

“Anyone who dares to overcharge will be removed from the supplier list immediately!”

The attendants were dumbfounded.

They had never seen the young lady act so decisively.

“Miss, these suppliers all come from the Prime Minister’s faction…”

“I don’t care if they’re from the Prime Minister or the Grand Commandant!”

Liu Wanqing interrupted. “Master Li trusts me with this responsibility; I must not betray that trust!”

“Anyone who delivers fake goods, I’ll kick them out!”

“Anyone who overcharges, I’ll make sure they don’t get a single order!”

The attendants exchanged glances, saying nothing further.

Over the next few hours, Liu Wanqing worked like a savvy merchant, inspecting all materials on the site.

Fakes were returned, high bids were corrected, and suppliers replaced if necessary.

She even used her family’s business connections to bring in the best materials at the fairest prices, replacing the substandard goods.

“Miss Liu…”

Jin Daya stood by, astonished. “You are…”

“I’m helping Master Li get things done right,” Liu Wanqing said earnestly, wiping sweat from her brow. “Master Li is a loyal and patriotic official; I cannot let these unscrupulous merchants ruin his reputation!”

Jin Daya had no words, only the thought: This young lady from the Imperial Uncle’s Mansion is not quite what the legends said…