"If this is the case, I am afraid that Liaodong's military expenditure will be more than 4 million guan, and it will reach 5 million guan. After all, follow-up supplies must be constantly replenished, and pensions, armaments, and city building expenses will have to flow out. The city may be destroyed by gold thieves, and then built again...

"

Mei Zhili began to read casually.

He seemed to be in a daze. Being Zhao Ning's finance minister was really a very challenging task.

"I will have an extra 20 million yuan next year. Is there anything you can do?"

"We can only strictly check the taxes in the south! There is also land reform in the south. As long as it goes smoothly, we can make a lot of money!"

"But people from all walks of life in the south are talking to me about how difficult the people's livelihood is and how they want the imperial court to be exempted from taxes."

"This..." Mei Zhili was speechless for a moment, "Since it involves people's sentiments, I would like to ask Your Majesty to slow down military operations and take more care of people's livelihood."

"You think so too?"

"The people are more important than the king, this is a saying that His Majesty often talks about."

"What if, as you say, we implement new agricultural policies in various areas in the south to generate income?"

"Then there will inevitably be civil strife again. Your Majesty still won't be able to destroy Xia next year!"

Zhao Ning walked back and forth in front of the huge map. He looked calm inside, but he fell into a deep anxiety inside.

What worried him was not the destruction of Xia, but the various roads in the south.

He was not sure about the current situation in the south. Even the news brought back by Gao Qiu said that people's livelihood was very difficult.

Restructuring in the South is more difficult than in the North because it is too far away and its control is too weak.

"You just said that Huaidong owes 2 million yuan in taxes. Why?"

"It also means how difficult people's livelihood is."

Zhao Ning sighed: "You go down first."

"I excuse myself."

Early in the morning on April 29th, just after dawn, Zhao Ning led the imperial guards all the way out of the palace, announcing that they were going to Nancheng for hunting.

But in fact, he went to the Imperial Guard camp in the north of the city.

He took two thousand Janissary cavalry with him to hunt, and as he hunted, he went further and further south.

No one knew that Zhao Guan's family had already moved south at a rapid pace. Today, the political hall was still discussing with the emperor the tax reduction and exemption for various industries in the south.

For the next few days, the Ministry of Internal Affairs announced to the outside world that Zhao Guan's family was tired after returning from hunting and did not see anyone.

Xiangyang Prefecture is 800 miles away from Kaifeng.

It was not until the eighth day of May that Zhao Ning arrived at the boundary of Xiangyang Prefecture.

Since you doubt that there is water in the memorial, don’t hesitate any longer. Why not come and investigate it yourself?

If you find out that you are lying to me, do you think the knife in my hand is sharp?

Traveling back to the Song Dynasty, Zhao Ning came to the south for the first time.

He was considered a southerner in his previous life and was quite familiar with the water and soil of the south.

However, the natural environment of the ancient South is indeed very different from the South of the 21st century.

In the Song Dynasty, there was no industrial pollution, the river water was clear, and there were large areas of original vegetation wherever it passed.

In the Nanyang Basin before entering Xiangyang, he saw endless wheat and villages with lingering smoke.

I saw farmers working hard in the fields and streets, and children playing happily.

I also saw merchants pulling goods on mules on the road, which were packed with silk and rice.

During these hundreds of miles, there were no trains, no cars, no motorcycles, not even bicycles.

The morning breeze in early summer lifts the long clothes, and the morning light breaks through the clouds, spreading the sunshine to the earth and nourishing all things.

This land has given so much to the people living here, and the most precious thing among them is probably peace.

Zhao Ning suddenly remembered that his name also meant peace.

With such beautiful mountains and rivers, it’s no wonder that countless heroes have sacrificed their lives to protect her since ancient times.

He also remembered that at the end of the Southern Song Dynasty, the Mongols gathered the most powerful army in the world and arrived here to capture the city in front of them, right?

"Officials, the city of Xiangyang is twenty miles ahead. We must have alarmed a lot of people if we come with such a force." Jing Chao handed Zhao Ning a kettle, "I'm afraid the officials of Xiangyang City will send someone before dark.

Come and investigate the situation."

"It doesn't matter." Zhao Ning took a sip of water.

His eyes fell on the village in front of him.

I saw a lot of people gathering at the entrance of the village in the distance.

"Go to the front and ask, what happened?"

"Yes!" Jing Chao responded, "I'll make arrangements right away."

It was Pan Hanli and others who arranged the trip, and they came back soon.

"Officer, I'm borrowing money from you."

"Borrow money?"

"Now is the lean season. The crops have not grown yet and the remaining grain has been used up. Many farmers have no money to eat, so they can only borrow money."

Zhao Ning became interested immediately.

He led dozens of people towards the village.

Sure enough, under the big tree at the entrance of the village, a group of people lined up to receive money.

A thin man under the tree couldn't help but be curious when he saw Zhao Ning and others.

Where did so many horses come from in Xiangyang?

Could it be someone from the Dengzhou Economic and Strategy Department?

"My lord, what do you want me to do?" The thin man walked over and said with a smile on his face.

"Oh, it's okay, we were just passing by." Zhao Ning said.

"May I ask the officer where you are going?"

"Go to Xiangyang City."

"Are you looking for someone?"

"Go do some business."

"Judging from the accent, the official is from the north, right?"

"Coming from Luoyang."

"It turns out he's from Luo Jing. I'm disrespectful. I'm Guo Jun. Do you know your name?"

Zhao Ning cupped his fists and said, "My surname is Zhao."

"What kind of business does Mr. Zhao do?"

"Do a little bit of everything." Zhao Ning smiled, "What are you doing?"

Guo Jun said: "They are borrowing money."

"Borrow money?"

"Now is the lean season, and many people are out of food. Our Guo Daguan from Xiangyang City is a benevolent person who is willing to give charity. Isn't this helping the people?"

"oh……"

Zhao Ning turned around and asked a teenager who was waiting in line: "How many acres of land does your family have?"

The young man said timidly: "My family has no land, and we are tenants of Guo Daguan."

"Then how much food can your family have in a year?"

The young man thought for a while and said, "It seems to be five hundred catties."

"How many people are there?"

"Five people."

One person eats almost 100 kilograms a year.

This is indeed too little for farmers who do not have meat and so many vegetables.

"How many acres of land do you plant?"

When the young man was about to say something, Guo Jun on the side coughed twice. The young man quickly stopped talking and bowed his head in line.

Everyone who received the money nodded repeatedly, showing great gratitude.

Zhao Ning asked Guo Jun: "How much is the interest?"

"According to normal interest rates."
To be continued...