EFB Chapter 189 Not Eating Alone
Chapter 189 Not Eating Alone
The Mid-Autumn Festival passed just like that. After a good night's sleep, Wen Zongji made a brief appearance at the Beijing News Office the next day before going to the palace to see the Crown Prince.
"Your Highness, I have suddenly realized something."
The prince asked, "What?"
"It's not good to eat alone."
The crown prince paused, then asked, "So?"
"Therefore, I believe that the selection of bookstores in the counties surrounding the capital can be appropriately delegated this time."
Since its establishment, the Beijing Gazette Bureau has made a lot of money as the Beijing Gazette has become famous. Although most of the money went to the Crown Prince's Palace, it was hard for outsiders not to be envious.
Wen Zongji suddenly thought of this last night when he was falling asleep.
The crown prince asked, "How do you think we should yield?"
"Although the Imperial Gazette Office is directly under the Crown Prince, it is still an imperial institution. Therefore, it would be better to entrust the Ministry of Revenue with the selection of bookstores in the surrounding counties. The quota will still be determined by the Imperial Gazette Office, but the Ministry of Revenue will decide which bookstore to select."
The Crown Prince gave Wen Zongji a deep look: "It's not that handing it over to the Ministry of Revenue is impossible, but if we open that door, I'm afraid there will be trouble."
Wen Zongji calmly replied, "The Great Chu is vast and very large."
The crown prince laughed: "You are indeed cunning. But you really shouldn't have tried to eat alone."
Wen Zongji said, "The profits can be distributed; after all, once the Imperial Gazette is distributed throughout the entire Great Chu, the profits from selling just the Imperial Gazette will be astonishing. However, the heads of the Imperial Gazette branches must be decided by the Imperial Gazette Office itself."
To put it bluntly, it's about giving others the opportunity to make money, but the bottom line is that they won't interfere in the affairs of the Beijing Gazette Bureau.
The Crown Prince nodded: "That's how it should be. You don't need to worry about this; I will handle it."
Distributing profits naturally requires discussions with various government departments, but Wen Zongji's current status is too low for him to receive equal respect; only the Crown Prince can handle the negotiations.
......
Tobe
The crown prince acted swiftly, leaving the palace for the Ministry of Revenue the very next day.
Minister of Revenue Zhou Shiyue personally escorted the Crown Prince to his office, waved for the others to leave, and asked, "Your Highness, have you come here to offer your instructions?"
The Crown Prince nodded: "Recently, the Beijing Gazette Bureau has been planning to open up the quotas for selling the Beijing Gazette in the surrounding counties, but the Beijing Gazette Bureau is newly established and does not know much about the surrounding counties. I intend to give the Ministry of Revenue the right to select the bookstores. You can submit the list to the Beijing Gazette Bureau after you have finalized it."
Zhou Shiyue thought the Crown Prince was going to give some kind of order, but it turned out he was there to deliver money to them: "Does Lord Wen of the Capital Gazette Office agree to this?"
This is clearly a way to divide the profits of the Beijing Daily.
The Crown Prince said calmly, "I have already made my decision, and the Capital Gazette Bureau will comply."
Zhou Shiyue thought to himself, "I will obey Your Highness's order and the Ministry of Revenue will deliver the list to the Capital Gazette Office as soon as possible."
The Crown Prince nodded and said, "Although you are in charge of setting up the bookstores, the number of places must be strictly in accordance with the requirements of the Capital Gazette Office. There can be neither too few nor too many. Anyone who dares to disobey will not be let off lightly."
Zhou Shiyue immediately nodded: "Your Highness, I obey... Has Lord Wen's future been decided?"
Everyone assumed that Wen Zongji would not stay at the Beijing Gazette Office for long.
The Crown Prince looked at him: "What? Minister Zhou has also taken a liking to Wen Zongji?"
The character "也" is very spiritual.
Zhou Shiyue's brow twitched, and he said, "Your Highness, I am confident in my judgment. Minister Wen is well-suited for the Ministry of Revenue. In the past two years, due to successive disaster relief efforts, the national treasury has not been abundant. Minister Wen has managed the Capital Gazette Office to such an extent, which shows that he has great talent in the field of finance. He should belong to the Ministry of Revenue."
Zhou Shiyue spoke very seriously.
The crown prince put away his teasing thoughts: "I will consider it."
The Crown Prince had not yet decided on Wen Zongji's specific destination, as the Capital Gazette Bureau had not yet found anyone capable of taking over Wen Zongji's duties.
As the branches of the Imperial Gazette Bureau are established throughout the Great Chu, the power and influence of the Imperial Gazette Bureau will become increasingly significant, and the position of the chief editor will naturally become extremely important.
The Crown Prince is considering whether to continue using newcomers or choose a trusted veteran minister.
He had been hesitant about it.
Wen Zongji could not leave the Beijing Gazette Office until the Crown Prince made a final decision.
……
After discussing with the Ministry of Revenue, the Crown Prince went to Linhua Palace and told Emperor Shun'an about the plan to establish branch offices of the Capital Reporting Bureau in various prefectures of the Great Chu.
Emperor Shun'an asked, "Is it time for the Capital Gazette Bureau to be divided into separate bureaus?"
The Crown Prince said, "The influence of the Beijing Gazette in the capital is already significant enough. Even if it lasts another month or two, the change won't be substantial. The Beijing Gazette Bureau has already opened up the quotas for bookstores in surrounding counties to sell the Beijing Gazette, which will further expand its influence."
"Moreover, after a few months, the reputation of the Beijing Daily should have spread, and many places should know of its existence. At this time, it would be just right to set up a branch of the Beijing Daily."
Emperor Shun'an nodded: "That makes sense. Since you have made your decision, let's discuss it in the Wenyuan Pavilion tomorrow. If it passes, then let's get on with it."
The Crown Prince nodded: "Yes, Your Majesty understands."
Emperor Shun'an brought up Wen Zongji: "I have received a memorial requesting Wen Zongji to be rewarded and recommended for promotion. How long do you intend to keep him in the Capital Gazette Office?"
From beginning to end, neither Emperor Shun'an nor the Crown Prince intended for Wen Zongji to stay at the Capital Reporting Office for long.
The Beijing News is indeed a highly sought-after position in the eyes of many, despite its humble status.
However, no matter what, the Beijing Gazette Office was still just an office subordinate to the Crown Prince's Palace, and its highest-ranking official was the Drafts Manager, whose official rank was seventh grade.
This situation dictated that the Beijing Gazette Bureau could only serve as a transitional institution, similar to the Hanlin Academy, and could not remain there for long.
Even every ambitious official would use the Beijing Gazette Office as a stepping stone, and no matter how lowly or powerful the position of the official in charge of the manuscript was, they would not want to stay in the Beijing Gazette Office forever.
The Crown Prince frankly admitted, "Your Majesty, I haven't decided yet who should succeed me."
Emperor Shun'an said, "Have you asked Wen Zongji about this matter? As the chief editor, he should know what kind of person is suitable to take over."
The Crown Prince said, "I asked, but he said there was no one to choose from."
Emperor Shun'an smiled: "This person is steady, mature, and cautious in his actions. His statement that there is no such thing may not necessarily mean that there is no such thing. He may simply be trying to avoid causing trouble."
"And regardless of whether he has a candidate or not, Wen Zongji must be involved in choosing the next chief editor, so as not to make the wrong choice."
The crown prince showed no sign of disappointment at being distrusted, and bowed, saying, "Your subject will remember."
As the ruler, Emperor Shun'an taught his crown prince that recognizing talent was more important than ability.
The crown prince cannot do everything himself; he has to delegate most things to others.
Therefore, the ability of the person he selects to handle the matter determines whether the task can be accomplished successfully.
The fact that the Beijing Gazette Office was able to operate so well not only highlighted Wen Zongji's abilities but also proved the Crown Prince's keen eye for talent.
This is the most important!