Capital City, Yan Mansion.
In recent days, after his mentality stabilized, Yan Shifan set questions much faster. In the blink of an eye, he had already answered most of the questions for this year's imperial examination.
"Huh~ Let's stop here today, and we'll talk about the rest tomorrow." Yan Shifan looked at the completed questions in his hands and couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief.
"Mr. Xiaoge, this is a letter sent to you from Zhejiang." At this moment, the housekeeper's voice came from outside the house.
"Well, come in."
As soon as Yan Shifan finished speaking, the housekeeper opened the door and handed the envelope in his hand to Yan Shifan.
"Mr. Xiaoge, I still have something to do, so I'll leave first."
After the letter was delivered, the butler spoke very discerningly.
"Well, you go down."
At this time, Yan Shifan's attention was completely focused on the letter in his hand. After the housekeeper left, Yan Shifan opened the letter in his hand. This was a letter written by Zheng Michang to Yan Shifan. In the letter, he He revealed all his plans and promised to hand over most of the Wen family's property to the Yan family after it was completed.
"This Zheng Michang will make trouble for me!" After reading the contents of the letter, Yan Shifan threw the letter aside and ignored it.
After a while, Yan Shifan picked up the letter again and read it again, perhaps because he was worried about the property Zheng Michang had promised.
"Well, looking at it this way, it should be easy to achieve the goal by then." Yan Shifan rubbed his chin, thinking about the feasibility.
"Oh, forget it, let's discuss it with my father." Yan Shifan thought, and immediately knocked on Yan Song's door with an envelope.
"Who is it?" Yan Song's voice came from the room.
"Father, it's me." Yan Shifan bowed slightly and responded.
"Oh, come in then."
After getting Yan Song's permission, Yan Shifan opened the door of his father Yan Song's room.
"What do you want from me? Is there another problem with the exam questions?" Yan Song saw Yan Shifan coming in, put down the book in his hand, and asked.
"Father, I want you to see this." Yan Shifan said and handed the letter written by Zheng Michang to Yan Song.
Yan Song took the letter from Yan Shifan's hand, and then looked at the content above. After a long time, Yan Song took off his reading glasses and asked Yan Shifan, "Who wrote this letter to you?"
Faced with his father's inquiry, Yan Shifan did not dare to hide anything and quickly replied: "Father, this letter was written by Zhejiang Chief Minister Zheng Michang, who is a subordinate of the child. He hopes that we can help him. After the matter is completed, Wen will be sent to the child. I will give you most of my family property!"
After Yan Song heard the name mentioned by Yan Shifan, he recalled it for a moment and said, "Humph, who do I think it is? It turns out to be your incompetent subordinate Zheng Mi Chang. Someone reported it to me last time." Got it!"
Hearing Yan Song mention this matter again, Yan Shifan's face flashed with embarrassment and explained: "Father, I think this plan is feasible!"
As Yan Shifan spoke, he secretly observed Yan Song's expression. Seeing that Yan Song did not interrupt him, he continued: "Right now, the youngest son of the Wen family is killing people in the street. If he can make a fuss about this matter, he will definitely be able to do so by then. Take all the property of the entire Wen family into your pocket! You must know that this Wen family started by selling private salt, and the wealth they have amassed exceeds tens of millions?"
"In addition, we can also attack those Qingliu officials, why not?"
"Are you done?" Yan Song said coldly after listening to Yan Shifan's words.
"Father...Father, the child has finished speaking." Seeing that Yan Song was a little unhappy, Yan Shifan immediately chose to give in and did not dare to say any more.
"Hmph, look at you, who are you using! How dare you use the scheme proposed by this idiot? I think you have been fooled by lard. Why do we need so much money? Just concentrate on serving. Your Majesty is the right path!"
After Yan Song finished speaking, he slammed the letter in his hand onto the table and yelled angrily.
"Yes, father, I know I was wrong!" Upon seeing this, Yan Shifan quickly knelt on the ground and admitted his mistake to Yan Song.
"Think more before doing things in the future. Don't just do whatever others say and just do it!"
"Thank you father for your teaching." Yan Shifan said with the respectful look on his face unchanged.
"Hey, get up, there will be a cabinet meeting later, so hurry up and pack up."
Yan Song sighed and said helplessly.
"Yes, father."
…
Forbidden City, Hall of Nourishing Heart.
"Is this the memorial that Hu Zongxian personally delivered to me?"
"Yes, Your Majesty! The Governor asked me to send this to you. He also said that the matter is serious and cannot pass through anyone else's hands. It can only be handed over to you personally."
"Well, Lu Fang, bring it to me."
Jiajing then turned his eyes to Lu Fang, who was waiting on the side, and said softly.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Lu Fang responded, took the memorial from the stranger, then came to Jiajing and respectfully presented the memorial to him.
Jiajing took the memorial from Lu Fang and said to the visitor: "Well, you did a good job, go down and rest!"
"Thank you for your grace!"
As soon as Jiajing finished speaking, a eunuch took the man down to rest.
Jiajing looked at the visitor's leaving figure, chuckled, and then opened the memorial, only to see it read: "Your Majesty, the current salt tax system is corrupt, and the court cannot collect enough money, causing the court's finances to be tight! "
"As far as Wei Chen knows, the salt merchants and officials behind it colluded with each other to traffic in illicit salt. They made more than tens of millions of dollars every year, but only paid eight or nine million in salt tax to the court. Therefore, Wei Chen I beg your Majesty to take action to remove these moths from my Ming Dynasty..."
Jiajing read line by line until he saw the last sentence in the memorial: "Your Majesty, Hu Zongxian, pays you my respects again!"
After Jiajing read it, he was silent for a long time and then put down the memorial.
"Lu Fang, is it almost time for the cabinet meeting?"
"Yes, Your Majesty, it will be time for the cabinet meeting in a little while."
Lu Fang saw the emperor asking and answered respectfully.
"Well, just in time, let's go now and walk with me." After Jiajing finished speaking, he put away Hu Zongxian's memorial and said to Lu Fang.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I obey." Lu Fang suppressed her curiosity about the content of the memorial and followed Jiajing step by step.
…
"Your Majesty is here!"
As usual, after a high-pitched voice sounded outside the cabinet, Jiajing took Lu Fang into the cabinet.
"I see your Majesty, long live my emperor!"
When all the ministers saw the emperor coming in, they saluted in unison.
"No courtesy, please get up." After Jiajing sat down in his seat, he waved his hand and said.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" After the ministers saluted, they all sat down in their own seats.
"Zhang Juzheng, how did you go about what I asked you to do?" Jiajing turned his eyes to Zhang Juzheng and asked.
"Your Majesty, I have submitted a report on the budget required for the construction of the second navy of the Ming Dynasty to the Ministry of Household Affairs." Zhang Juzheng stood up from his chair and responded.
"Well, Xu Jie, has your household department received Zhang Juzheng's report?" Jiajing asked in a lazy tone.
"Your Majesty, the Ministry of Revenue has received Mr. Zhang's budget report on the construction of the second navy, totaling 8.36 million taels of silver! The Ministry of Revenue has already allocated the money."
"Well, okay, you did a good job, sit down." After listening to the reports of Zhang Juzheng and Xu Jie, Jiajing nodded and ordered.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" After Jiajing spoke, Zhang Juzheng and Xu Jie breathed a sigh of relief and sat down immediately.
"Yan Shifan, how did you do on the imperial examination questions I asked you to answer?"
"Your Majesty, I have already published more than half of the questions for the imperial examination. I think it will be completed in two days!"
"Well, you have to hurry up and don't waste time. Do you understand?"
"Wei Chen understands!"
(End of chapter)
