As a matter of fact, the sudden attack on financial expenditures by these civil officials was expected by Zhu Youxiao.Zhu Youxiao also knew that Daming's financial system was indeed very bad.Because the magnates were exempt from taxes.And the development of the commodity economy has not yet reached the hands of the imperial court.Therefore, the income of the imperial court not only did not increase due to the development of the commodity economy, but also decreased due to the expansion of the tax-free class.Now, when the internal and external troubles are aggravated, the expenses of the court have increased, but the income of the court has decreased, so it can only be given to the people, and finally the court and the people are getting poorer and poorer.Therefore.Some civil officials who were loyal to the people would try to ask the court to save money so that the people would not be overburdened.And the selfish civil officials also hoped that the imperial court would try to save as much as possible, and never have to collect taxes from them in the end.In the end, the political views of the civil bureaucracy, whether loyal or not, tended to be the same, and they all hoped that the imperial court would save money and spend less money if it could.However, in Zhu Youxiao's view, governing the country is not something that can be done by saving money, because some things can not be done well by saving money, and even things will be made worse because they are too picky.Therefore, Zhu Youxiao did not intend to choose to back down and compromise because these four Shangshu asked for money.Because Zhu Youxiao already has a way to solve the financial problems of the Ming Dynasty.There are even the most straightforward, simple and effective methods.It's just that Zhu Youxiao didn't let the world be too turbulent, and didn't want to face too much risk as an emperor, so he chose to train soldiers and cultivate cronies first, and slowly change the financial predicament of the Ming Dynasty.But if Zhu Youxiao is really forced to be in a hurry, Zhu Youxiao will really behave like he threatened Sun Chengzong.Day 2.Li Ruhua, the secretary of the Ministry of Officials, Wang Yingjiao, the secretary of the Ministry of Households, Zhang Heming, the secretary of the Ministry of Works, Wang Zuo, and the ministers Fang Congzhe, Han Yi, and Wang Xiangqian, all came to Zhu Youxiao.Originally, the four Shangshu thought that after so many days of inscriptions, the emperor would stay in the middle like Wanli and ignore them.But the four Shangshu did not expect His Majesty the Emperor to suddenly summon them.The four Shangshu are naturally very happy because of this, and they all think that the emperor still cares about the life and death of the soldiers and civilians in the world, and also cares about his own country, and as long as he cares, he knows what to do about Liao.As soon as the four Shangshu arrived at the Qianqing Palace, they saluted Zhu Youxiao first, and Zhu Youxiao first looked at Zhang Heming: "The military department first said, how much silver does the imperial court owe to the world's military salary?"
”Zhang Heming was a little surprised, he thought that the emperor would teach him a lesson, trying to persuade him to support Xiong Tingbi's strategy or directly remove him, but he did not expect that the emperor would directly ask him how much silver he owed.Zhang Heming had to answer truthfully: "Since the temple dynasty, there are more than 5.64 million taels in arrears. ”Zhu Youxiao nodded and looked at the cabinet ministers and the eunuch Bingbi, the chief celebrant of ceremonies: "Immediately plan to approve the red, and allocate 5.8 million taels of silver from the internal treasury to the military department, so as to pay the arrears, and use more for road losses, and not to send short hair to the border army." ”Zhang Heming was stunned, he didn't expect His Majesty the Emperor to directly dial the internal funds, so he had to reply: "Your Majesty Shengming!"
”Then, Zhu Youxiao asked Wang Yingjiao, the head of the household department: "Wang Aiqing, how much silver does Liaodong need to transport grain next?"
”Wang Yingjiao replied: "To return to Your Majesty, it will take more than 3.12 million taels." ”Therefore, Zhu Youxiao asked: "How much silver does the household department have?"
”Wang Yingjiao replied: "There is still a deficit of more than 678,000 taels!"
”Zhu Youxiao nodded, he didn't blame Wang Yingjiao for the deficit of the household department.Because Zhu Youxiao knew that Wang Yingjiao had only been transferred to the head of the household department in Nanjing, this deficit was not caused by him.And before Wang Yingjiao, the head of the household was Li Ruhua.Li Ruhua replaced Zhou Jiamo, the secretary of the ministry who had been found to be greedy for ink because of his resignation, and became the new secretary of the ministry.However, Zhu Youxiao also knew that Li Ruhua had solved the affairs of the embezzlement of military funds by officials and the reclamation of Gansu in the past, and he was a minister who was somewhat capable, and the deficit of the household department used to start with one million taels, and it was also a contribution to Li Ruhua's ability to reduce the deficit to hundreds of thousands of taels during his tenure as the secretary of the household department.Therefore, Zhu Youxiao did not intend to blame Li Ruhua.Of course, Zhu Youxiao did not plan to reward Li Ruhua for this.Because as far as Zhu Youxiao knows, Li Ruhua's method of solving the shortage of silver in the household department is only to blindly give it to the people.In Zhu Youxiao's view, although Li Ruhua is capable, in the end he is just a civil official who does not dare to betray his own class, and the only way he can think of to solve the financial problem is to cut the flesh of the people, rather than attacking the powerful gentry.Therefore, Zhu Youxiao still only ordered the cabinet and the celebrant to "allocate 4 million taels of internal funds to the household department!"
”"Your Majesty Shengming!"
Wang Yingjiao hurriedly replied, relieved in his heart, and secretly thought that His Majesty was really generous.Zhu Youxiao just sneered, and said in his heart: "When I give you silver, I will naturally be a saint!"
When I asked you for money, I didn't know what to scold me for!
”Then, Zhu Youxiao asked Wang Zuo, the secretary of the Ministry of Industry: "Wang Aiqing, how much silver is needed for these projects of the imperial tomb and the three major halls?"
”"Back to Your Majesty, the imperial tomb still needs more than 3 million taels, and the three major halls still need 3.4 million taels of wood and manual handling!"
Wang Zuo, the secretary of the Ministry of Industry, replied."
Dial the money!"
Zhu Youxiao replied."
Yes!"
Fang Congzhe and the others immediately replied.And Zhu Youxiao continued to ask Li Ruhua, the secretary of the ministry: "How many taels do the hundred officials owe?"
”Li Ruhua replied: "Back to Your Majesty, I already owe one hundred and sixty thousand taels. ”"I still plan to use my inner money to make my hair, and I will make a lot of color!
You will not stop emptying my money!
”Zhu Youxiao said."
Your Majesty is like the benevolence of the sky, and the ministers thank Your Majesty for the ministers of the world!"
Li Ruhua replied a little embarrassed.At this time, Wang Yingjiao saw that His Majesty the Emperor was so generous, so he boldly stood up: "Your Majesty!
The minister still has something to do. ”Zhu Youxiao waved his hand and said, "Speak." ”"The Guangyuan earthquake and the great drought in Henan a few years ago required no less than two million taels of relief silver, but His Majesty has just allocated only four million taels of domestic funds to the Ministry of Ministers, which is still a little insufficient."
Wang Yingjiao replied tremblingly.Seeing this, Wei Zhongxian couldn't help but stand up.He really wants to say that you civil officials still want to let the emperor live?
Now if the emperor wants to raise a new army and increase the strength of the factory guards, he needs to spend silver, and if he wants to go on like this, the emperor will not have much silver!
But Wei Zhongxian finally stood back and decided to see the emperor's reaction before acting.Seeing this, Zhang Heming raised his eyebrows, gloated and laughed secretly, and said in his heart: "Your Majesty the Emperor, you don't really think that you can copy a few houses to spend the court flowers, Wang Gong is really a loyal minister who dares to ask for the people's life!"
”And Fang Congzhe felt that Wang Yingjiao was indeed too much, thinking that you can't only have the people in your heart without Your Majesty.In order to avoid Wang Yingjiao being blamed by the emperor, and also to avoid too much contradiction between civil officials and the emperor.Fang Congzhe stood up and said, "Your Majesty!
In the opinion of the ministers, the internal funds have been allocated enough, and if they are allocated again, it will be bitter to the king, and it will also appear that our ministers are incompetent!
It's better to suffer the people first, let the household department use the remaining 200,000 taels first, and then find a way to move it from elsewhere. ”When Wang Yingjiao saw Fang Congzhe say this, he couldn't help but look embarrassed, and looked at Zhu Youxiao with a blank eye.