Under the guidance of the deacon and eunuch, the group of people came out of the side hall and headed to the royal study. All the officials were silent along the way, with only the sound of hurried footsteps moving forward.
Xue Poye walked behind Tan Ziqing, even more silently. He just looked at Lao Tan's back and found that the old man's back was a lot more rickety, and he was much older than in Hangzhou.
Wang Dezhao was walking at the back of the crowd, looking extremely humble. To be honest, this guy had been serving Chen Shangting and Prince Yin in the Ministry of Household Affairs. Now he was promoted to the Secretary of the Ministry of Household Affairs. His official position was high, but his humility was still there for a while.
It's inevitable.
In the imperial study room, Emperor Deqing was sitting in front of the desk, looking at the courtiers who came in with a pair of sharp eyes.
When everyone was about to salute, Emperor Deqing waved his hand and said: "That's all, I won't do it this time. Come on, I'll give you a seat for all of you." The eunuchs hurriedly brought chairs. Everyone knew that something was urgent, so they thanked the emperor for his kindness.
Just sat down.
When Emperor Deqing saw all the ministers sitting down, he said coldly: "Do you know who presented the folded book to me?"
Several ministers looked at each other in confusion.
"General!" Emperor Deqing said with a very ugly expression, "This is the book presented by the general."
Xue Poye didn't know the court situation, so he wasn't that surprised. However, several other courtiers were shocked.
The general is also the Tianwei general of the Great Chu Kingdom. He is the leader of the Chu military headquarters. The old general guards Beiguan. He is as stable as a rock. He has experienced hundreds of battles and is a respected and feared big man.
Everyone in the court knew that the general was born into a poor family and entered the army at the age of thirteen. Afterwards, he made great achievements in battle and was promoted step by step. When he led the army in battle, he was only over thirty years old.
His army is as ferocious as wolves, and the old general is proficient in the secrets of marching and formation. He is born with military genius and is a rare general in the great Chu Kingdom.
Because the old general did not rely on his family background and nepotism to achieve his fame, but fought his way out with swords and swords, he gained the respect and love of the soldiers. All the soldiers followed him as a role model, and the old general himself loved his soldiers like his own son and led by example.
, the entire Chu Kingdom, when mentioning Tianwei General Ren Tianxing, they all raise their thumbs up and sincerely praise him.
Although the general has sky-high prestige and huge military power, he never participates in government affairs. He only tries his best to guard the border and protect the peace of the people of the Chu Kingdom.
Now that the general has submitted a statement, this is naturally a huge event.
Tan Ziqing frowned, and finally said: "Your Majesty, the old general rushed the documents for eight hundred miles, and even submitted them to the court. Could it be... could there be a commotion in the border troops?"
Everyone had guessed this. The Treasury of the Ministry of Finance was stolen and the military pay was not paid out in time. This news may have been known to the border troops. If there were troublemakers among them, there would naturally be riots. Everyone just didn't expect that the chaos would happen.
So fast.
Emperor Deqing sneered and said: "What's the point of the chaos in the border army? How can it be that our emperor's power cannot frighten his own people?" After a pause, he said in a deep voice: "The old general wrote a letter that there is a situation in Beihu.
.”
The officials were surprised, including Xue Poye, who was also a little surprised.
Is Beihu going to war?
For many years, although Dachu and Beihu were very hostile officially, they moved around frequently among the people. Although they were not in harmony, they were extremely peaceful. No one expected that Beihu would start a war again.
"The old general received the news that the Khan King of Beihu Valley died suddenly. All the tribes were temporarily destitute, and the battle in the royal court became even more fierce." Emperor Deqing sneered at the corner of his mouth and said: "We should have continued like this, and Beihu was in internal strife, let alone me.
Da Chu is the capital of the enemy."
"This is a good thing." Wei Shantai said: "If the Northern Hu barbarians are in chaos, our army can even leave Yanmen and march in to pacify the barbaric barbarians."
Mo Yi also said: "That's right. The barbarians are fierce and stubborn and cannot be educated properly. I want to let them know the power of our country, the Great Chu Kingdom."
Emperor Deqing shook his head, with a hint of disappointment on his face, and sighed: "What you said is true. Even the general had the same idea. He waited for the situation in Beihu to become more chaotic, so he sent his troops northward.
Beat up the barbarians."
Tan Ziqing said cautiously: "Your Majesty, could it be... could there be another change in the Northern Hu Palace?"
Emperor Deqing nodded and said: "The princes and nobles of Beihu each have their own plans and support for each other. They are a mess. Among them, the four generals of Beihu, the Baotu Commander, are the most arrogant and powerful.
, I want to make the leader of the Kele tribe Khan."
"The Kelie tribe is a large family in Beihu. Although it is not as luxurious as the Naluo royal family, it has a large number of people and is likely to replace the royal family." Wei Shantai said slowly: "More than thirty years ago, the Kelie tribe was planning to take over.
The royal family replaced them, but they were suppressed. I didn't expect that the same tactics would be repeated today."
"That Leopard Tushuai is extremely vicious. He is a villain from Beihu. It is said that he has a hobby of eating the flesh and blood of virgins. He is a devil-like figure. Now there are many generals from the Keli tribe acting as backers. I am afraid he will really be killed."
He succeeded." Tan Ziqing stroked his beard and said calmly.
Xue Poye sat next to him, and he was also frightened when he heard that Beihu was in chaos, but he didn't know how Wu Lachi was doing now.
Xue Poye and Ulachi fell in love with each other and had a deep relationship. They were brothers and master-disciple. Now that they heard about the big changes in Beihu, they naturally couldn't help but worry about Ulachi's safety.
Emperor Deqing seemed disappointed and shook his head: "It's a pity that he lost!"
"Failed?" Several ministers said in unison.
These ministers are in charge of the country, especially Wei Shantai and Tan Ziqing, who are the heads of intelligence. Not only are they extremely proficient in the information of the Chu Kingdom, but they also know a lot about Beihu outside the customs.
There are more than thirty tribes in Beihu, large and small, and they are nomadic peoples in an alliance.
The Beihu people enveloped the Changsheng Heaven, and everyone knew that the Yinaluo people were the envoys of the Changsheng Heaven. They had wizards who could talk to the Changsheng Heaven, and they could pray to the Changsheng Heaven to grant the Beihu people good weather, good health, and good fortune.
People live peacefully on the prairie. It is for this reason that the Khan King of Beihu has always been from the Inaro tribe, and the Inaro tribe has gradually become the royal family of Beihu.
Among the many tribes, in terms of strength and strength due to their large numbers, the Kelie tribe is naturally the tribe with an extremely large territory and beautiful water and long grass. The chief of the Kelie tribe is also the most powerful and ambitious among the chiefs of the Beihu tribes.
, has always had the intention of replacing the Inara royal family.
As the traditional four commanders of Beihu, the position of Commander Baotu is different from the other three commanders. It has always been inherited by the Kelie tribe and only needs to be elected within the Kelie tribe.
The other three commanders are the Tiger Tu Commander, the Wolf Tu Commander, and the Eagle Tu Commander. These three commander positions are not elected internally by any clan, but by the gathering of warriors from more than 30 other tribes in addition to the Kele tribe.
In the royal court, after various tests and competitions, three commanders were finally selected. Warriors from any tribe could win the position of commander, regardless of the strength of the tribe.
Emperor Deqing nodded slightly and said slowly: "The general's statement made it clear that Commander Leopard Tu wanted to launch a coup, but in the end he failed. This ferocious Commander Leopard Tu was also killed."
Several ministers were shocked.
The most powerful Leopard Tu Shuai was actually killed. This is really big news.
Emperor Deqing did not wait for his courtiers to ask, and said directly: "The one who killed him was Commander Beihu Yingtu. During this turmoil, Commander Yingtu tried his best to unite with the other two commanders and balance the situation.
In order to achieve their own interests, they joined forces and set up a trap to defeat the Kelei tribe. The Yingtu Commander was even more powerful than the Leopard Commander. After that, Temujin, the second son of King Guli Khan, was made Khan and called Genghis Khan!"
Xue Poye almost jumped up in shock.
Genghis Khan?
That grassland hero with great talent and extremely murderous nature!
"This is a coincidence!" Xue Poye said secretly, his heart pounding.
This Genghis Khan is not the "Genghis Khan" I once learned about in history. Although the two have the same name and title, their backgrounds and paths are completely different.
The Genghis Khan Temujin I know well is from the Mongolian Qiyan tribe, not the Inara tribe. His father should be a Khan, but he is not a Guli Khan. The most important thing is that Genghis Khan conquered his country.
, it was not passed down from generation to generation.
This is a historical joke, nothing more.
Same name, same number, different roads!
Emperor Deqing said coldly: "My dear friends, do you know what 'Genghis Khan' means?"
The ministers looked at each other, and Tan Ziqing finally said: "If Wei Chen is right, the word 'Genghis Khan' translated into Wenchou Chu language means 'Heavenly Khan'."
"Huh!" Emperor Deqing snorted coldly: "I am the emperor, but he calls himself 'Khan of Heaven'. Does he want to climb on my head?"
Emperor Deqing was furious, and several of his ministers hurriedly stood up and knelt down. Xue Poye had no choice but to kneel down with them.
Emperor Deqing said calmly: "Pingshen, barbarians and barbarians, I always want them to know who is the real emperor." After several ministers stood up and sat down, he continued: "The general said in the book, Temujin
After ascending to the throne of Khan, he worshiped Commander Langtu as the commander-in-chief of the Northern Hu Army, gathered the tribes, reorganized the army, and even a small group of cavalry appeared in the Qilin Mountain area, and it seems that they are ready to take action."
The new Hubu Shang: "Your Majesty, if there is a war, it will require a large number of weapons and armor, as well as food, grass and horses. This must be done immediately."
Emperor Deqing nodded with satisfaction and said: "What Wang Aiqing said is absolutely true. The general's intention is for me to prepare for war at any time." His expression sank and he said coldly: "But now that the bank has been stolen,
Where can I get the money to prepare for the war? The military pay is still being raised."
Several ministers also looked very unhappy. They were preparing for war and all they had prepared was money.
Wang Dezhao pondered for a moment, then stood up and said: "Your Majesty, I have a way for you to try. I would like to ask Your Majesty to make a decision."
Emperor Deqing smiled faintly and said, "What Wang Aiqing means is that he is planning to use the money from Nan Treasury?"
"Exactly." Although Wang Dezhao didn't have much power in the household department, he had been handling various matters and was shrewd and capable. He said: "For the current plan, the only way is to use the official silver from the South Treasury to use it for the Beizhen Army.
Military pay, the war is imminent, military morale is the top priority, if the military pay is not enough, I am afraid it will affect the military morale, and I am afraid that the war will be unfavorable. In addition, in addition to military pay, the South Treasury also needs to allocate a large amount of money to purchase weapons, armor, and food and grass, so that we can go to the north.
The town army has no worries, only then can we fight to the death to defend it."
Deqing said coldly: "Is it possible that the Beizhen Army cannot be loyal to the imperial court before the military pay arrives?"
Wang Dezhao was so shocked that he quickly knelt down.
Emperor Deqing understood in his heart that what Wang Dezhao said was the best way at the moment. He pondered for a moment and said: "Get up. Wang Aiqing, the silver in the south treasury is used for military pay, the disaster relief funds in the south, and the recent construction of the Yellow River."
How to deal with the dam project? Now that the Beizhen Army has military pay, what about Da Chu's internal army? Don't forget that Da Chu's thirty-sixth camp also requires a large amount of military pay, and there are also three garrison troops in Kyoto to guard
Camp, Yulin Camp, Sansi Yamen, royal expenses, and differentials at all levels, which one of these does not require money? There are still two months left for the tax payment this year, which is hard to count on." As soon as he finished speaking, there was a violent burst of laughter.
cough.
Several ministers looked ashamed, and Xue Poye also felt that the emperor had done a really hard job.
Emperor Deqing wiped the corners of his mouth, took a break, and then said slowly: "Wang Aiqing, take some of the silver from the South Treasury and transport it to the south as soon as possible. The people have been severely affected, so this cannot be delayed. In addition, the military pay of the Beizhen Army must be paid first.
Allocate half and wait for the other half for a while, step up the purchase of food, grass and weapons, and leave some in the South Treasury for emergencies." He ordered the deacons and eunuchs around him to say: "Preach my decree to all palaces, except the Queen Mother's.
Everything in Cining Palace is as usual. Each palace is reducing expenses and keeping everything simple. We will talk about it after a while." He then ordered Wang Dezhao: "Send officials from the Ministry of Household Affairs to various states to collect money and collect this year's taxes in advance."
Wang Dezhao said with some embarrassment: "Your Majesty, before the time comes, the state governments may not be able to get much money. Even if they do, I'm afraid they will delay it."
"They dare!" Emperor Deqing slapped the table, but he understood the national conditions of Dachu. These rules were set by himself. Sometimes he couldn't blame the officials from various places. He waved his hands feebly and said: "We can charge as much as we can. This
The world... must not be in chaos." He coughed again, more violently than before.
"I am guilty!" The ministers knelt down again, and Tan Ziqing said one by one: "I am willing to donate my savings to meet our urgent needs." As soon as he said this, several other ministers also said: "I am willing to donate my savings to meet our urgent needs.
"
Emperor Deqing looked at the courtiers in front of the case and sighed: "As the emperor of Chu, I ask you to give up your savings. How embarrassing is it?" He waved his hand and said: "I love you, I am very touched by your loyalty.
Stand up and talk."
Xue Poye thought in his mind: "If we talk about money, I probably have hundreds of thousands in Hangzhou. How much do I need to donate? Compared with tens of millions of taels of silver, I'm afraid it's not even a drop in the bucket."
When the border was in danger, Xue Poye really felt patriotic. After all, the people of Da Chu had the same roots as himself, so he naturally did not want them to die under the iron hoof of Bei Hu.
"Your Majesty!" Xue Poye suddenly said: "I have something to say."
Emperor Deqing looked at Xue Poye quite unexpectedly, and several other ministers also looked at Xue Poye, only to hear Emperor Deqing say warmly: "Xue Aiqing, what do you want to say?"
Xue Poye calmed down his beating heart. This was Viscount Xue's first remonstrance, so he should be cautious. He said calmly: "Your Majesty, Da Chu is in trouble. Only if the whole country is united is the right way. Now the court is short of money, and Da Chu is in trouble.
Those who have the most money in the Chu State are the merchants, and Wei Chen believes that today, it is time for those merchants who have received the grace of the Holy One to make some contributions."
Everyone didn't hear what Xue Poye meant for a moment, and they all looked at him with confusion on their faces.
Emperor Deqing seemed to understand something, showed a rare smile, and said: "Xue Aiqing, please speak slowly."
Xue Poye raised his fists to everyone and said slowly: "My lords want to donate their savings. I admire you very much. However, you are all honest and law-abiding officials. I'm afraid you don't have much money. Even if the courtiers are involved, I'm afraid
I can’t donate much, and it’s definitely a drop in the bucket for the money needed to do things.”
Several ministers felt quite comfortable when they heard Xue Poye calling him an "incorruptible official" in public. Even Tan Ziqing smiled and nodded to Xue Poye.
Xue Poye continued: "But in this world, businessmen all have huge wealth, and many of them are from wealthy families. At this time, the country is in trouble, how can they just sit idly by and ignore it? The minister thinks that the Holy One can send
Officials, go to various places to collect donations. This kind of donation does not need to be open and honest. You only need to identify the wealthy businessmen in each state and ask them to donate money. This can be regarded as contributing to the country. We can even promise that the future clothing tax can be
Appropriate reductions and exemptions, for them, this is a great gift from the Holy God. There are so many prefectures in Chuzhou, and there are so many wealthy merchants. If they use this method of fundraising to raise money, I think it will be much better than donating your savings.
It will also be of fundamental help to the current situation of the imperial court."
When Xue Poye said this, everyone understood what he meant.
Wang Dezhao immediately said: "Mr.
,This...I'm afraid there's something wrong with this?"
"Forcing?"
In other words, when the court calms down, we will repay part of the donation. After all, this is our country's state affairs. Businessmen can make money, which is because the country is peaceful and the saints are wise. They have the protection of the country, so they will be so proud.
.In times of peace, it is enough to pay taxes and money. Now is an emergency, so we need to raise more donations."
Tan Ziqing nodded and said, "Master Xue is right, it's time for those businessmen to come up with some money."
Wang Dezhao obviously still lacked confidence and asked: "What if they don't donate?"
"Don't donate?"
In an emergency, if you go down to the state capital and you can't persuade the merchants to take money, then you can't be considered loyal to the country."
This is very clear, and the word "persuasion" is even more meaningful. There is no other way to "persuad" merchants to take money as a court.
Including Emperor Deqing, everyone seemed to be a little relaxed. Although Xue Poye's method was a bit special and even a little unethical, it was the best way to raise money.
Da Chu was a prosperous country, and its merchants had a lot of money.
What the imperial court is short of now is money. Silver is the foundation for stabilizing the country. It is of course a very cost-effective thing to offend some businessmen and stabilize the foundation of the country.
Xue Poye knew that once this suggestion was adopted, he had business in Hangzhou and would have to donate it. However, Xue Poye was willing to donate the money. After all, it was to protect the country and the people. As a time traveler, he had progressive ideas.
of.
If the Xue family wants to donate, then big merchants like the Fang family and the Lu family may have to donate more.
"Okay!" Emperor Deqing pondered for a moment and finally said: "According to Xue Aiqing's words, the Ministry of Household Affairs sent officials to the various states and asked the big businessmen to donate some money."
Wang Dezhao could only say respectfully: "Weak ministers accept the order."
Emperor Deqing said again: "Tan Aiqing, please arrange the manpower to thoroughly investigate the demon Qinglianzhao. I understand that the demon Qinglian is probably inevitable in the capital."
Xue Poye's heart skipped a beat, and Tan Ziqing had already said: "I obey the order."
"Wei Aiqing, Mo Aiqing, you two continue to trace the whereabouts of Guan Yin, and send people to the northwest to inquire about what's going on in Gongsun City." Emperor Deqing's eyes flashed: "If it is really related to Gongsun City, even if there are many agencies