In the end, Lu Chen did not sit next to the Empress. Instead, he asked the Empress to bring a table and planned to sit in an inconspicuous corner to work without crossing the threshold, leaving the Empress helpless.
The empress then handed some official documents from the Ministry of Revenue to Lu Chen.
"Lu Qing, these are the reports and expenditure applications from the Ministry of Household on the money and grain needed to support the royal family and nobles, repair palaces and mausoleums, salaries, military pay, disaster relief, and pacify mobs and bandits and Japanese pirates, as well as local taxation and changes in the world's land. In summary, I require the Ministry of Accounts to list out the specific details of each income and expenditure, so the amount that needs to be reviewed is extremely complicated. The cabinet has already reviewed it. Please work hard during this period and come over every day to help me review it. If there are no problems , just help me Zhu Pi."
Hearing this, Lu Chen couldn't help but roll his eyes inwardly.
Yes, after the engineering major and the civil service major, now I have to take on the most troublesome job of the household major.
He also conveniently did the work of eunuch Bingbi.
Why don't I do all the six subjects by myself?
Increase the quantity without increasing the price. Your Majesty, I really have you. I can’t tell that you, a beautiful girl with delicate features, are actually a black-hearted capitalist.
You really have the style of Emperor Taizu Hongwu.
Love it, love it.
Please increase your efforts, it's best to tire me out, brother.
"correct!"
Just when Lu Chen was complaining in his heart, the Empress suddenly remembered something and said to Lu Chen:
"Lu Qing is in charge of engineering affairs and has an overview of the affairs of the two departments. He also went to Yuzhou to take charge of the military affairs of the two states. Now he is also taking care of the affairs of the household department. It is a lot of hard work. I can't let you work in vain. This month you Receive ten times your salary. After processing these official documents from the Ministry of Household Affairs, you can rest for a while. When you have recovered your health and feel you are ready to come back, I will not let you collapse when you come back to court."
Lu Chen: "..."
Well, the thing about this girl that can gather people's hearts is that not only is she not black inside, but she is very white.
Simply spotless.
It would be nice if I could be more sinister...
Lu Chen didn't feel much about ten times his salary.
After all, the official salary in Daxia was the lowest in all dynasties. Ten times the salary was actually not much money.
The point is rest.
Take a break as long as you want, and come back whenever you want.
Is there any better benefit than this?
It's just that this kind of thing is not a good thing for Lu Chen.
Of course, as a gentleman with lofty ideals and dedication to the public good, he had to refuse, but the empress insisted and could not shirk it, so Lu Chen had no choice but to accept it with shame.
Anyway, you can come back whenever you want, it doesn't matter.
After receiving the official document handed over by the empress, Lu Chen placed it on the corner of the table, then picked up the first copy and read it.
Well, the style is expected.
"Your Majesty, please give me some papyrus."
"Give."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Lu Chen put the straw paper on the table and prepared to pick up the pen.
"Someone's coming."
The empress suddenly called softly.
"Bring some calculation chips over here. In addition, announce that some experienced calculation officials will come into the palace to assist Lu Qing."
In this world, the way of the sages is the absolute mainstream, and everything else, except martial arts, are minor ways.
Affected by this, there are very few practitioners who specialize in arithmetic.
After all, if you don’t practice the way of the saints, you won’t even have the chance to be an official. If you specialize in the way of the saints and fall into the shackles of citing scriptures and extracting chapters and sentences, it will be difficult to make progress in other ways.
Of course, it is impossible for people who can become officials in the court not to practice arithmetic, but most of them practice it concurrently and are not proficient in it, and there are few who are proficient in it and practice it deeply.
The calculation methods commonly circulated in Daxia were quite backward to Lu Chen. The development speed was similar to the ancient times in his impression. Calculating complex data was very time-consuming and laborious. Just to compile the statistics of local taxes or the details of court expenditures required a lot of data. Ten or hundreds of mathematicians worked for several days, and only after lengthy and repeated reviews could the data be presented.
Not necessarily accurate.
This also makes it easier for some people to get their hands on it.
A flash of light flashed quietly in Lu Chen's eyes, and then he suddenly raised his head and said to the empress: "Your Majesty, there is no need to bother. Wei Chen never needs calculations, and he does not need help from others. All he needs to do is give Wei Chen a charcoal pen."
Since the path of simply seeking death won't work, it's time to change your mind.
It just so happens that the figures in the official document in front of me that involve various long-term abuses of the Great Xia Empire are a good starting point.
An entry point that perfectly circumvents system limitations.
When he heard what he said, the empress suddenly asked curiously: "No need to calculate? Then how to calculate?"
"Your Majesty will know later."
Although she was confused, the empress still asked people to do as Lu Chen said.
Not long after, the eunuch Xiao Lizi, whom he had met once before, walked in with a charcoal pencil.
"Master Lu, give it."
Lu Chen took the charcoal and said casually: "Thank you."
Xiao Lizi was immediately flattered and felt respected.
However, the huge status gap still made him wave his hands quickly and said respectfully: "No thank you, no thank you. Mr. Lu, you are too polite. I am just following His Majesty's instructions."
"Any contribution should be valued."
Lu Chen said calmly: "I will naturally thank Your Majesty, but in the end, you are the one who does the work, and I am the one who benefits. It's a very simple logic of cause and effect, isn't it?"
Hearing this, the empress looked at Lu Chen with a hint of softness in her eyes.
He can be so kind to an insignificant little eunuch. He will not look down upon him because of his humble status, nor will he shrink from his strength and power. He sticks to his heart and remains consistent.
Only a true gentleman who is so sincere and trustworthy is worthy of her trust.
Unconditional trust.
Xiao Lizi's shoulders trembled slightly, and then he bowed respectfully to Lu Chen, then slowly backed away and left the Zichen Palace.
There were only two people in the huge Zichen Palace, Lu Chen and the Empress.
A lonely man and a widow.
It's a pity that Lu Chen never knew what amorous feelings were, and he couldn't feel the slightest bit of charm. Instead, he wholeheartedly compared the income and expenditure details attached to the document and wrote down Arabic numerals one by one on the papyrus paper with charcoal.
Not long after, the other side of the piece of paper with table lines drawn in advance was gradually filled with dense numbers.
Although the empress sitting on the dragon chair seemed to be handling official documents, the corner of her eye would occasionally drift to Lu Chen, who was immersed in his work.
Thinking about it carefully, this was the first time she had been alone with Lu Chen for so long.
Realizing this, she felt a strange feeling inexplicably.
As the most powerful person in the world, he is a generation of heroes who can come back from desperate situations even when faced with the ruthless and scheming Empress Dowager Zhao.
No matter what she faced, she could take everything calmly and remain as still as a mountain. However, her usually calm breathing suddenly became chaotic for a moment.
Time passed by minute by minute.
Unknowingly, the night outside has become extremely thick, and the bright moonlight pours down, covering the earth with a layer of melancholy silver makeup.
The empress put down the last official document in her hand, then gently exhaled a breath, stood up, and walked behind Lu Chen.
When she saw the ghostly drawings in the tables with unknown meanings on Lu Chen's desk, she couldn't help but be slightly startled.
What's this? Some kind of ancient Dao pattern?
It doesn't look like it.
After coming back to her senses, her eyes were full of curiosity.
But she didn't ask immediately, and even her breathing slowed down a lot.
She walked to the palace door, then waved outside, asking the palace maid to prepare some tonics, then slowly walked back behind Lu Chen, quietly watching him immersed in official duties.
Even though she couldn't understand what the dense symbols written by Lu Chen were, and didn't know what their functions and meanings were, she never made a sound to disturb them.
Time seemed to have completely stopped at this moment.
White snow is flying outside the window, and from time to time a few strands of snowflakes float into the house in the strong wind, bringing extra decoration to the magnificent Zichen Palace, giving this majestic palace that symbolizes the supreme imperial power a touch of mundane air.
Click
Lu Chen's right hand suddenly trembled slightly, and the strength revealed caused the charcoal pen in his hand to crack instantly.
The clear voice made the empress react instantly.
Seeing the charcoal pen broken into several pieces, the empress thought that he was tired and could not control his strength, so she prepared to let him rest.
However, before she could speak, Lu Chen suddenly frowned, then suddenly raised his hand and patted the table hard.
Bang!
The dull sound instantly resounded throughout the entire Zichen Palace.
"That's unreasonable!"
There was an indescribable anger in the powerful voice.
"Why is Lu Qing angry?"
The empress asked softly.
"But what's wrong with these official documents?"
Lu Chen turned around and immediately saw the empress standing not far away, looking at him with confusion.
"Sorry, Your Majesty."
He stood up slowly, bowed slightly to the empress and bowed, and said apologetically: "I was so angry just now that I forgot that this is the Zichen Palace and disturbed Your Majesty. Please punish me for my misconduct."
The empress waved her hand: "Lu Qing didn't mean to do it. There is no way to talk about the crime of misconduct, so there is no need to worry about it."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
The empress said in confusion: "Lu Qing was so angry just now. Did he find anything inappropriate in these official documents?"
"Reply to His Majesty."
Lu Chen said in a deep voice: "The reason why Wei Chen lost his composure is not because of the official document itself, but because of the various problems reflected in the data inside."
"what is the problem?"
The empress frowned slightly.
These official documents were all submitted after approval from the cabinet. If there were any problems, the cabinet ministers should have made it clear to her.
but none.
But Lu Chen, an engineering major who had only been working as an official for a few months, noticed a problem.
Is it the only remaining cabinet that is incompetent, or has Lu Chen misunderstood something?
Lu Chen took a deep breath, and then said seriously as if he was striking a big bell with all his strength: "If this problem is not solved as soon as possible, it may lead to the destruction of Daxia!"
Hearing this, the empress suddenly turned pale.
The country will be destroyed one day. This is not something you say casually.
If it were anyone else, the Empress might wonder if the other person was using such alarmist methods to gain her attention.
But the person who said this was Lu Chen.
That sincere gentleman who never believed what he said and who repeatedly performed extraordinary feats for the court!
His words are credible!
Even if his words and suggestions sound a bit shocking or even fantasy.
After all, he has proven with facts several times that his seemingly unreasonable advice is actually right!
Therefore, his opinions are very important, so you must listen carefully and consider them seriously!
He said that it would endanger the survival of Daxia, and it was very likely to be a major issue that would shake the country.
"How to say?"
The empress asked in a solemn voice.
"Your Majesty, please take a look."
Lu Chen picked up the brush from the side, dipped it in ink twice, and then started to write the amount of Daxia words on another blank draft based on the calculated results on the scratch paper.
The Empress followed her words and came over, leaned next to Lu Chen, and looked down at what Lu Chen had written.
I saw Lu Chen writing on the manuscript paper:
Daxia's tax revenue last year was: 38,722,317 yuan.
Expenditure to support the royal family: more than 13.17 million
Disaster relief expenditure: more than 2.12 million yuan.
Expenditure for repairing the imperial tomb: 3.13 million yuan
Immediately afterwards, Lu Chen pointed to the item on the royal family's support, which was the largest expenditure, and said to the empress in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, the expenditure on royal family support actually accounts for more than 30% of the annual fiscal expenditure. However, such a huge expenditure, in Daxia, It has almost no effect on long-term peace and stability.”
"Those royals like King Yu took the money from the court. Not only did they not consider the future of Daxia, but they continued to ruin the country's fortunes, acted domineering, oppressed the people, and used their titles to unscrupulously amass wealth and power, with no regard for the lives of the local people!"
As he spoke, his voice gradually revealed a hint of anger.
"The people are the foundation of the country. All the tax revenue of the imperial court comes from tens of millions of people. If we want to have long-term peace and stability in Daxia, we must take it from the people and use it for the people. The country's fiscal revenue and expenditure must not be too divorced from the people's livelihood. , otherwise it would be shameless robbery!”
"If this expenditure is not adjusted quickly and those moths are allowed to continue to eat away at the national destiny, if this continues, our country of Daxia will be completely destroyed by them. By then, how can Daxia survive?"
Hearing this, the empress couldn't help but feel nervous when she saw that he looked cynical and obviously angry.
However, she remembered that when Lu Chen was the governor of the two states, he had a fierce conflict with King Yu who was covering the sky with one hand in Yuzhou. Later, he directly killed King Yu, which greatly affected the hearts of the people of Yuzhou. To the court, Yuzhou was completely at peace.
After such an experience, Lu Chen probably wouldn't have any good impressions of the royal family except her.
In fact, to be honest, she doesn't really have a good impression of the royal family.
These so-called relatives, while enjoying the support of the imperial court, caused trouble to the imperial court everywhere, making people everywhere more and more disappointed with the imperial court.
Even hateful, so that riots continue.
But some things don't just work out the way you want them to.
Even if she is the emperor.
For example, the royal family support system has lasted for nearly a thousand years
Thinking of this, the empress couldn't help but sigh.
"But. This is the ancestral system established by Emperor Taizu Hongwu."
Hearing this, Lu Chen suddenly turned cold.
"Your Majesty, do you think the ancestral system is more important, or the survival of Daxia?"
Hearing this, the empress couldn't help but be startled.
(End of chapter)
