Emperor Zhaoxing spent ten years emptying the treasury.
Eighty million silver and twenty million gold.
"This king...then the previous king, where did he move the money?"
Xu Zhiqiong wanted to call him a bastard, but after looking at Emperor Changle, he changed his tune.
Emperor Changle thought for a long time and said: "I guess a lot of money was given to the Nufu Sect. It would be better if he moved it all at once. But if he took it in pieces, it would be hard to find."
It's really hard to find.
If we investigate for a year and a half, we might be able to recover some money.
But Daxuan is now waiting for the money!
Emperor Changle picked up the account book and said: "It costs money to provide disaster relief, and it also costs money to build river embankments. It also costs money to raise food for states and counties that are short of food. The military salaries in the north should also be paid, as well as the salaries of officials of all sizes.
…”
Xu Zhiqiong does not yet have a clear understanding of how much money is needed to maintain the normal operation of Daxuan.
According to Emperor Changle's rough estimate, at least five million taels are needed.
Where did you get these five million taels?
"Zhiqiong, please return the twenty thousand taels to me first!"
"What's the use of those twenty thousand taels!"
"A little bit is a little bit!"
"You are the emperor, you have to take a longer view!"
"Longer term..." Emperor Changle thought for a moment and said, "You are quite handsome, how about I send you to Yinggeyuan?"
"Why don't you go yourself!"
Emperor Changle puffed up his chest and said: "If someone gives you two thousand taels of silver for sleeping with the emperor once, I will agree!"
"Let's not talk about Yinggeyuan for now!" Xu Zhiqiong took out a pen and paper, "First think about how to get money."
Emperor Changle said: "I want to sell my father's palace first. One palace can be purchased for three hundred thousand taels, which is not much. Seventeen palaces put together will definitely be sold for more than five million. If I can sell ten thousand taels,
All seven palaces were sold..."
Xu Zhiqiong waved his hand and said: "You can't sell them all and let others know. I thought the Daxuan court was going to build a yellow shop. Let's sell two of them first. Before selling, you'd better stay there for two days. Your father's reputation is not good."
Well, if you live there, you might be able to get a high price!"
Emperor Changle wrote down an account: two palaces, six hundred thousand.
Where can I find the remaining money?
Naturally, you have to look for it from the rich.
Who is the richest in Daxuan?
The richest person must be the minister!
Emperor Changle said: "With the river bank built like that, the Ministry of Industry will definitely not be able to escape."
Xu Zhiqiong nodded and said: "The Fuzhou magistrate can't escape. After sorting out these two, there will be almost 200,000."
Emperor Changle shook his head and said: "It's less. The number of Ministers of the Ministry of Industry alone is more than this. If we kill two more..."
If you kill a few more, you might be able to collect the five million taels of silver, but Emperor Changle is obviously worried.
He had just ascended the throne, so if he directly attacked the ministers, it was hard to say what the consequences would be.
Xu Zhiqiong saw what Emperor Changle was thinking: "First deal with the Minister of Industry and the Prefect of Fuzhou. With these two people showing off, I will knock out one million silver from other officials!"
Emperor Changle did the math: "This will make us two million. The remaining three million can be raised from the north."
"Isn't it better to wait for payment in the north?"
Emperor Changle said: "Ji Qi sent me a letter two days ago, saying that Mao Sha had forgotten his pain recently and dared to go to Baiyuan Province to plunder. He asked me if I wanted to fight.
I thought I didn't have any money and was afraid of something going wrong, so I didn't dare to agree. If I could scrape together two million silver first, I could give the sergeant a salary first, then a reward, and then fight Mao Sha.
, if we win, we can get a lot of silver from them!"
War reparations?
Xu Zhiqiong’s eyes lit up!
In the past, Daxuan had to compensate Tunu, but now it can finally make a profit. This deal must be done.
But collecting money from a war does not happen overnight, and the remaining money must be found somewhere to raise.
"Who else has money besides the minister?"
Emperor Changle thought for a moment and said: "There are still businessmen, but how do we get the businessmen's money? Increase taxes? If we increase taxes, and they increase prices, won't the money still go to the people?"
Xu Zhiqiong shook his head and said: "That's not appropriate, we have to start from Yinggeyuan!"
Emperor Changle sighed in admiration: "Brother, I know you are a bloody person. You go to Yinggeyuan tonight and we hang up the sign. Marquis Yun and the lantern holder of thousands of households can only get five hundred taels in one night. You
Remember to bring the lamp with you, what we care about is one identity! If no one else tells you, my sixth sister will definitely take care of your business!"
"After thinking about it, I have another idea. Let's take care of the affairs of the Ministry of Works first. I'll go find someone who knows the market and ask. I'll first think about what crime can be used to bring down the Minister of Works."
Emperor Changle said: "Brother, I know this is not easy, but you can't just raid his house. You have to find a way to earn your trust."
…
On the Wangan River, on the painting boat, Xu Zhiqiong and the imperial censor Zhang Zhuyang were drinking.
After a drink, Zhang Zhuyang smiled and said: "Marquis Yun is thinking of old friendship and is willing to invite Mr. Zhang to get together. It is really Mr. Zhang's good fortune."
Xu Zhiqiong smiled and said: "You're welcome, I didn't bring any money."
Renting this two-story boat for one night costs more than fifty taels of silver. How could Xu Zhiqiong be willing to spend this money?
Zhang Zhuyang laughed dryly and said: "As for Marquis Yun, if you can sit at the same table and drink with Zhang, you think highly of Zhang. A mere table of food and wine will not cost Marquis Yun."
Xu Zhiqiong nodded and said: "You are right, I really think highly of you. I called you here today because I have a business for you."
Zhang Zhuyang was startled: "Please, Marquis Yun, please elaborate."
"Back then I asked you to seduce Tian Jinping, and you gained fame and promotion. Today you have another good deal, which is much richer than that of the old county magistrate."
Zhang Zhuyang said calmly: "Who is Yunhou referring to?"
Xu Zhiqiong said: "Liao Shuming, Minister of the Ministry of Industry."
Zhang Zhuyang frowned when he heard this.
Xu Zhiqiong took a sip of wine: "Are you having trouble?"
Zhang Zhuyang nodded and said: "There are indeed difficulties."
"Afraid that we won't be able to catch evidence of crime?"
Zhang Zhuyang shook his head: "I've also heard about what happened in Fuzhou. The newly built river embankment last year collapsed after two spring rains. This incident alone can make him fired.
And it’s not just Fuzhou. River affairs in all states and counties across the country are managed by the Ministry of Industry. Liao Shuming has made huge profits from it. As long as the account books of river affairs are checked year by year, there are countless flaws."
Xu Zhiqiong said in surprise: "Then what worries do you have?"
Zhang Zhuyang sighed: "Liao Shuming is good at management and is very popular among his colleagues. Let me tell you this, more than half of the people in the Yushitai have received his benefits. Except for Wang Yanyang, Qiu Dongcai and those few true gentlemen, let me ask you
Has anyone confiscated his money?
If I submit a letter to him, not to mention that I can't pick it off myself, and my colleagues in the Yushitai group will attack him, I won't be able to withstand it."
Xu Zhiqiong whispered: "Is there any way to suppress the Yushitai?"
"There is indeed a way, let's see if Marquis Yun is willing to come forward!" Zhang Zhuyang poured a glass of wine for Xu Zhiqiong, "Tell Wang Yanyang about the matter first, and let him write the book first to impeach Shangshu Liao.
Wang Yanyang was upright and upright, and he had no contact with Liao Shangshu. With him reporting to him, no one else could find fault. The Yushitai was afraid of his reputation and did not dare to stir up trouble."
"Can Wang Yanyang defeat Liao Shuming with just one memorial?"
"It's impossible to participate!" Zhang Zhuyang shook his head and said, "If there is only one memorial written by Wang Yanyang, I'm afraid it won't even make a splash. But if Wang Yanyang submits the memorial, Qiu Dongcai and others will definitely follow suit. Then I will persuade a group of colleagues to do it.
If you play it together, you can gain some momentum!"
Xu Zhiqiong nodded and said, "I'll go find Wang Yanyang right away, and you should also prepare the memorial."
Zhang Zhuyang pulled Xu Zhiqiong and said: "Don't be impatient about this matter. Just the memorial is still not enough to beat Liao Shangshu. Think about it, Liao Shuming has managed the censor's desk so well, and the cabinet room can still lack etiquette."
?If the cabinet does not vote for it, it will be in vain if it participates."
Xu Zhiqiong frowned and said: "If the evidence is conclusive and there is a copy of the imperial censor's memorial, why doesn't the cabinet draft the votes?"
Zhang Zhuyang took a sip of wine and said: "It's not that I don't give it, I drag it, I spend it, I check it back and forth, and I find someone in the Ministry of Works to support it, I can always think of a way for Liao Shangshu to escape the crime."
Xu Zhiqiong was stunned for a moment, then laughed and said: "Is it possible that his family runs the cabinet?"
Zhang Zhuyang sighed: "Master Hou, the cabinet has a chief minister, a second minister and three ministers. The first minister speaks, but the second ministers usually dare not say anything. The remaining three ministers are just errands.
And this time the minister returns home, all matters in the cabinet are decided by the chief minister. If you are sure to persuade Yan Shoufu, it will be easy to talk about it. But Yan Shoufu and Liao Shangshu are close friends, and there is an unclear relationship between them.
, he may not give you this face."
Xu Zhiqiong has always regarded Yan Anqing, the chief assistant of the cabinet, as one of his own.
In most cases, Yan Anqing is indeed one of our own, but there are some exceptions.
Judging from the matter of Minister of Industry, the cabinet is likely to become a threshold that cannot be crossed.
Xu Zhiqiong picked up the wine glass and said, "Let me help you find a backer. Can you find a way to suppress the cabinet?"
"Which backer?"
"The biggest one."
Zhang Zhuyang's eyes trembled, and he understood what Xu Zhiqiong meant: "If there is such a backer, the matter will be different. It's just that the backer's foundation is not stable. It is not appropriate to start a fight with the cabinet at this time. If you want to handle the matter properly,
, two more people are needed to help.”
"Which two people?"
Zhang Zhuyang lowered his voice and said: "Pingzhang has important military affairs and internal orders. After the imperial censor stage, two important ministers were asked to give advice. Yan Shoufu was forced by the situation, but he could no longer protect Liao Shangshu."
Xu Zhiqiong rubbed his forehead and said: "After all this trouble, it's better to take the lamp to the Yamen and raid the house directly."
"Absolutely not!" Zhang Zhuyang shook his head repeatedly, "The new king has just ascended the throne, how can he put himself in danger? Before the charges were proven, he ransacked the homes of the second-rank officials and exterminated them. Although it was a temporary success, there will be endless troubles in the future!"
"But this will delay the time. The magistrate of Fuzhou will not care about the life and death of the people," Xu Zhiqiong thought for a moment and said, "If I go to the magistrate of Fuzhou first to find out the evidence of Liao Shuming's crime, what do you think
how?"
Zhang Zhuyang thought for a long time and said: "From a legal point of view, this move is smoother, but if Fuzhou is investigated first, Minister Liao must be prepared. If the cabinet is first cleared to respond, things will be difficult to handle."
Xu Zhiqiong let out a long sigh, asked no more questions, and immersed himself in eating and drinking. After eating and drinking, he left immediately.
Zhang Zhuyang admired the night scenery in the river and couldn't help but feel sad.
This guy really didn't give me any money.
Yan Shoufu is a smart person, so he might guess some things.
If he guessed it, he wouldn't blame me for leaking the secret, right?
…
Xu Zhiqiong arrived at the palace and told Emperor Changle what had happened.
Emperor Changle weighed the matter and said again and again: "It's easy to talk about Sixth Sister's matter, but Princess Fanghua doesn't know what she means. It is a good thing to move Liao Shuming, a bird boy, after all, and I think she can agree to it."
Xu Zhiqiong felt that this was not a long-term solution: "Even if she agrees this time, what about next time? Have you been using the power of the two princesses to put pressure on the cabinet?"
Emperor Changle said: "Most of the time, the cabinet handles government affairs properly. To be honest, there are many government affairs that I don't understand. I really have to rely on the cabinet to help me make decisions. Blindly suppressing them is not appropriate after all."
Emperor Changle was not arbitrary, which Xu Zhiqiong was very optimistic about.
However, Yan Anqing has absolute say in the cabinet, and this matter must be restricted: "Of course the cabinet should not suppress, but the chief minister should not use the cabinet to protect his shortcomings."
Emperor Changle thought for a while and said: "I have an idea. Instead of confronting the cabinet tit for tat, it is better to be considerate of Yan Shoufu and help him."
Xu Zhiqiong smiled: "I thought of it together, but helping is not enough!"
Emperor Changle nodded and said, "Then give me some more help, and we'll deal with Liao Shuming again."
Xu Zhiqiong shook his head and said: "I have to leave the affairs of the capital to you. I am going to Fuzhou, where people die every day. I have to earn food for the victims first."
…
Yan Anqing, Grand Master of Yan Mansion and Chief Assistant of the Cabinet, made two cups of tea and handed one to Liao Shuming.
Liao Shuming picked up the tea cup and drank it in one gulp: "Master, I bid farewell to you today. I have received news that the emperor sent Xu Zhiqiong to Fuzhou to investigate the river affairs. Who is Xu Zhiqiong? I
I know this, and I am willing to shoulder this responsibility."
Yan Anqing took a sip of tea and said: "The world does not know the suffering of the Ministry of Industry, but I know this suffering, but you cannot swallow this suffering alone. At the court meeting in two days, the Holy One will join forces with Pingzhang Military Affairs and the Internal History Order to put pressure
As for me, I cannot dismiss this matter, nor can I delay it. Liao Shangshu, someone from the Ministry of Industry must take charge of this matter."
When Liao Shuming heard this, he clasped his fists and cried: "Thank you, Grand Master, for the rescue!"