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Emperor Deqing sighed softly, his expression full of embarrassment, and said slowly: "Liang Fuchen, you have just returned to the capital, and you don't know the difficulties of the imperial court. The national treasury is indeed richer now, but it is only in the past two or three years." That's all. The national treasury has been in long-term deficit in the past. There are too many debts and they always need to be made up... Take the official salary as an example. In the past few years, we have owed some more or less. In order to reassure the officials , should we gradually make up for it? Each government office has not been repaired for many years, and most of them are dilapidated and incomplete. Do we also need to allocate money for renovation? In previous years, the Ministry of Accounts had no money, and many things were delayed. Now everything has to be made up gradually, although everything is It’s not particularly much, but when all of them are added up, there isn’t much leftover…
In addition, the money in the treasury is still barely enough, but the grain stores in various granaries are gradually running out. Seeing the continuous disasters in Shaanxi, Gansu, Shanxi, Henan and other places, the court still needs to keep food for emergencies, but it can't get it. There is more food. In the past few days, Zhao Junchen has been quarreling with the officials over the rectification of private farming. Apparently he is also anxious about the food issue..."
When Emperor Deqing explained, he still concealed many things. For example, the Ministry of Revenue originally had some money left, but Emperor Deqing had already focused on this part of the money in order to build his own royal garden. Naturally, he did not want this. Some of the silver was used elsewhere.
After all, Liang Fuchen didn't know the details of the treasury. After hearing Emperor Deqing's explanation, he nodded in agreement.
Then Liang Fuchen asked: "Your Majesty, as far as I know, after Huang Yourong went to Nanzhili, he confiscated the properties of many corrupt officials and smuggling businessmen, and gained a total of four to five million taels of silver. Can't this money be used? "
Emperor Deqing was also keeping an eye on this money, hoping that it would eventually go into his own funds. Naturally, he did not want to use it elsewhere, so he shook his head again and said: "This money is still in Nanzhili." , are still being sorted and registered, many belongings have to be sold continuously, and it will take at least two months to be transported to the capital, and all the major yamen are watching this money. Appropriated to the three sides of Shaanxi and Gansu."
Seeing Emperor Deqing shaking his head again, Liang Fuchen finally frowned slightly. After a moment of hesitation, he asked a very sensitive question: "So, does your Majesty still have any money left in his internal funds?"
Upon hearing this question, Emperor Deqing's eyes suddenly flashed with vigilance!
For hundreds of years in the Ming Dynasty, imperial power and ministerial power came and went and competed with each other, which was largely reflected in the internal funds and the money in the national treasury! Whenever the imperial power declined and the imperial power was strong, the ministers would keep an eye on the money from the internal funds and try every possible means to move the money from the internal funds to the treasury; whenever the ministerial power declined and the imperial power was strong, the emperors would also Keeping an eye on the money from the treasury, he also tried his best to move the money from the treasury into internal funds!
Therefore, seeing Liang Fuchen focus on internal funds, Emperor Deqing was naturally wary.
Because, once a precedent is set, officials will all focus on the money in the internal funds. At that time, no matter how much money the internal funds have, it will not be enough!
Naturally, there is money in the internal funds, and the amount is extremely large!
Even before Zhao Junchen took over the internal transportation warehouse, the internal funds were only enough to make ends meet, but the foundation was still there, and there were still more than two million taels of silver! After Zhao Junchen took over the internal transportation warehouse, the situation of making ends meet has been reversed, and the financial resources of the pancake monopoly have been increased, plus the annual share of the imperial tax revenue, the income of the imperial village, and the tributes of Wen Guanliang and Huang Yourong. Life savings... Now the money in the bank account is at least tens of millions!
Moreover, the silver in the internal accounts is only part of the emperor's private silver. There is no essential difference between the emperor of the Ming Dynasty and the wealthy folk. There are more than three million taels of gold and silver hidden behind the Yangxin Hall, and this silver is not included. On the account of the shipping warehouse.
This was the result of Emperor Deqing squandering the money he had! In the past two years, the palace's expenses have more than tripled. If Emperor Deqing were a little more frugal, the internal funds could be increased by at least several million taels!
However, it is okay for the money from the internal funds to be used for royal squandering and extravagance, but it is absolutely impossible to use it for court matters!
Regarding this kind of thing, the emperors of the Ming Dynasty always made a clear distinction, and the same was true for Emperor Deqing!
Therefore, after hearing Liang Fuchen's inquiry, Emperor Deqing immediately refused categorically: "The money from the internal funds is not enough! There is no money from the internal funds!"
After he finished speaking, Emperor Deqing realized that his tone was a bit fierce, so he softened his tone slightly, put on a troubled look, and explained: "Minister, please don't think that I am a noble, but I There is no extra money. The expenses of the palace, the rewards from ministers, and the subsidies from the previous dynasty are not small amounts of money! In addition, there are many unexpected things that require money everywhere. Where is the remaining money left? Take this year as an example. Although most of the southern tour was done with money from the treasury, internal funds also consumed nearly two hundred thousand taels of silver! Then, Zhao Junchen wanted to rectify business taxes and founded the 'United Shipping Company'. In order to show my support, I also invested one million taels of silver. In addition, I plan to build a royal garden imitating the Jiangnan Garden. This will cost more than three million taels of silver... All in all, the internal funds Not only is there no surplus money, but it is actually a huge loss. Where can there be any extra money to subsidize Shaanxi and Gansu?"
Liang Fuchen did not know the actual status of the internal funds, so Emperor Deqing remained calm and composed when he cried about poverty.
But after Liang Fuchen heard Emperor Deqing's explanation, his heart felt a little cold.
Although Liang Fuchen did not understand the actual situation of internal funds, he was a practical and capable minister after all, so why couldn't he see something fishy?
For the southern tour, Emperor Deqing could use 200,000 taels of silver from his internal funds! In order to earn more money, Emperor Deqing was also very wealthy and directly invested a million taels of silver in the "United Shipping Company"! In order to build the royal garden, Emperor Deqing was even more generous, spending three million taels of silver in one breath, and this was only the initial investment!
Liang Fuchen still remembered that the Forbidden City ten years ago had some signs of dilapidation due to lack of money for maintenance, but now the Forbidden City has a completely new look, and many new palaces and attics have been added. This is obviously an expenditure of internal funds, and the same is true. It requires hundreds of thousands of taels of silver!
But seeing the great hidden dangers appearing on the three sides of Shaanxi and Gansu, not only the people have been unable to survive for a long time, but there may be civil unrest at any time, and there are also serious loopholes in the border defense, which is possible at any time. These things are all It was extremely critical and closely related to the safety of the people of the country. It was when the support of silver and grain was most needed, but Emperor Deqing suddenly announced that there was no money in the internal funds!
Such an attitude is naturally chilling!
As a result, Liang Fuchen couldn't help but remain silent for a long time.
Seeing Liang Fuchen's attitude, Emperor Deqing couldn't help but feel guilty.
In fact, Emperor Deqing did not want the situation in Shaanxi and Gansu to deteriorate. This was not conducive to the stability of the country. If it did not harm his own interests, Emperor Deqing was still willing to make efforts to reverse the situation.
Therefore, after Emperor Deqing pondered for a moment, he put forward a new suggestion: "Speaking of which, in a while, the autumn tax will be collected into the national treasury, and Zhao Junchen's commercial tax rectification will also begin to bear fruit. There will be more money and food, and the imperial court will have enough resources to support Shaanxi and Gansu, so minister, you don’t have to be too impatient, just delay it for a little while, and it will probably not cause any serious problems."
Liang Fuchen slowly shook his head and said with a serious expression: "Your Majesty, the treasury collects autumn taxes only after the autumn harvest, but the annual fire sifting of invaders is before the autumn harvest! As the saying goes, go ahead before the soldiers and horses move the food and grass. If you wait until After the imperial court collects the autumn tax, it will then support the Shaanxi-Gansu border. I am afraid that the imperial troops and horses will only support the Shaanxi-Gansu border next year, and the opportunity has already been delayed."
Seeing that Liang Fuchen directly rejected his suggestion, Emperor Deqing couldn't help but feel a little angry, but he also knew that what Liang Fuchen said was reasonable, so he had to find another way.
But Emperor Deqing himself was not good at business turnover, so he couldn't do without Zhao Junchen. How could he think of a solution now?
After thinking for a long time, Emperor Deqing still couldn't think of a way, so he simply gave up, shook his head and said: "It is true that the hidden dangers in Shaanxi and Gansu cannot be ignored, but the imperial court also has its own difficulties, and I can't think of a solution for a while... …Let’s do this, Assistant Minister, please go find Zhao Junchen, he has always been responsible for the money and food matters of the court, and he is also good at this, so he may be able to find a solution.”
When it comes to matters of money and food, Emperor Deqing's principle has always been "As long as I don't touch my internal money, everything will be easy. If there are any difficulties, let Zhao Junchen solve them"!
Today, Emperor Deqing also has the same attitude.
Hearing Emperor Deqing's excuse, Liang Fuchen felt a little disappointed. He felt that Emperor Deqing, as the common master of the world, was too clear-cut between public and private matters. He only wanted to protect the internal funds and was too obsessed with the emperor's mind. , his eyes were only focused on the center of the imperial court, but he ignored the overall situation of the country.
Ever since Liang Fuchen met with Emperor Deqing, Emperor Deqing has been emphasizing the threat of Zhou Shangjing, the hidden dangers of Zhao Junchen, the cabinet's overt and covert violations, etc. However, he seems to attach great importance to the hidden dangers and crises in Shaanxi and Gansu. In fact, it was perfunctory and completely unaware of the seriousness of the matter.
Liang Fuchen has been guarding the three sides of Shaanxi and Gansu for many years. He has already seen clearly the hidden dangers and shortcomings of the imperial court. He knows that the imperial court must make changes, otherwise it will inevitably lead to catastrophe. He is willing to return to Beijing to serve in the cabinet because he wants to Something must be done, but Emperor Deqing's attitude made Liang Fuchen feel a little chilled.
However, Liang Fuchen was indeed a "loyal minister". No matter how much support Emperor Deqing gave him, he would do his best and never complain.
Therefore, after a moment of silence, Liang Fuchen did not show his dissatisfaction after all. He just replied: "In this case, I will find Mr. Zhao as soon as possible to discuss countermeasures. If a solution is finally found, I hope your Majesty will support it."
Seeing that Liang Fuchen was no longer staring at the internal funds, Emperor Deqing's expression became warm again. He nodded repeatedly and said: "I have already said that I will fully support you in the future. Since you are worried about Shaanxi and Gansu, Fuchen I will not sit idly by and watch anything happen. As long as it is something I can do, I will do my best to support it. You don’t have to have any scruples.”
Then, Emperor Deqing once again emphasized his importance to Liang Fuchen and the importance he attached to the people of the country, but Liang Fuchen was already somewhat disapproving of it.
After staying in the palace to have lunch with Emperor Deqing, Liang Fuchen saw that Emperor Deqing was getting tired, so Liang Fuchen said goodbye and left the palace in time.
After leaving the Meridian Gate, a handsome man wearing Qianhu costumes quickly came to Liang Fuchen.
This man is about thirty years old, tall and strong, with bright eyes. He is very capable when raising his hands, but there is also a hint of elegance and Confucianism in his temperament, giving people the feeling of a Confucian general in charge of the army.
After seeing Liang Fuchen's serious face, he seemed to be in a depressed mood. The man asked with concern: "Mr. Ge, could it be that the meeting with His Majesty is not going well?"
This man's name was Qi Bin, and he was Liang Fuchen's right-hand man. He was good at commanding troops. Originally, Liang Fuchen planned to keep him in Shaanxi and Gansu, but for some reason, he temporarily brought him to the capital.
Liang Fuchen glanced at Qi Bin, but he was unwilling to express his dissatisfaction with Emperor Deqing. He slowly shook his head and said: "No, it went smoothly to meet with His Majesty. Your Majesty values me very much, and I will do my best to handle matters on the three sides of Shaanxi and Gansu." I support it, but the specific arrangements are a bit troublesome and require some thought.”
Seeing Liang Fuchen's appearance, Qi Bin looked thoughtful.
However, before he could think about it any longer, Liang Fuchen already asked: "Qi Bin, what's the matter?"
After Qi Bin heard Liang Fuchen's inquiry, he also came to his senses. He took out two famous invitations from his sleeve and handed them to Liang Fuchen. He said: "In regard to the matter of Mr. Ge's meeting with His Majesty, people from Zhou Shangjing and Zhao Junchen sent famous invitations successively. I want to make an appointment to talk to Mr. Ge. Zhou Shangjing wants to make an appointment to meet Mr. Ge tonight, but Zhao Junchen plans to make an appointment to meet and talk to Mr. Ge after the morning session tomorrow."
After reaching out to take the two name cards, Liang Fuchen pondered for a moment, and then ordered: "It is just after noon, and Zhao Junchen should not have gone to the office of the Ministry of Household Affairs yet... Come, follow me to the Zhao Mansion, there is no need to wait until tomorrow. I want to see Zhao Junchen now!"
Qi Bin was obviously used to Liang Fuchen's vigorous and resolute way of doing things. He was not surprised at all. He just nodded in agreement and turned around to make arrangements.
Liang Fuchen turned his head and glanced at the Forbidden City, his eyes slightly fluctuating, then shook his head slightly, turned around and walked towards his sedan chair.
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