Fenghou

Chapter 1327 Looting Merchants
When Hu Qingfeng and Liu Zhen met people in the next few days, they mentioned that they had received funding from King Yong's Special Envoy. Speaking of the plan to help the poor and the poor implemented by King Yong's Mansion, some young officials kept appearing in front of King Yong's special envoy's office. They hesitated for a moment, sneaked into the office, and soon left with joy on their faces.

In just seven days, more than [-] officials resigned successively, almost all young and promising key officials.

This incident finally alarmed the Zhizheng Hall of the imperial court, and Qin Hui, the right minister, held a meeting under Zhongshu's door for this purpose.

Five prime ministers, including Qin Hui, Xu Xiantu, Zhu Shengfei, Zhang Jun, and Wan Qixie, discussed the matter of poaching the corners of the imperial court in Yongwangfu.

"The nature of this matter is very serious!"

Qin Hui said to everyone with a serious face: "To put it lightly, the Yongwang Mansion is overstepping its authority and interfering in court affairs. To put it seriously, the Yongwang Mansion is destroying the foundation of the court step by step. We must take firm measures to stop this behavior. Let this kind of thing spread without limit, if we don't stop it, sooner or later our court will become an empty shell."

Xu Xiantu said slowly: "Anyone can say big words and empty words, and anyone can express their attitudes. The key is the measures? Without specific measures, it doesn't make any sense to shout slogans a thousand times or ten thousand times."

This was obviously ridiculing Qin Hui for talking empty words. Qin Hui glared at Xu Xiantu and said: "Everything must be done first, and the rules must be finalized before discussion. If I have to tell you all the details, then what else needs to be discussed?"

Xu Xiantu said calmly: "Qin Xianggong misunderstood me, I mean, Qin Xianggong should let the following draft a plan first, and then we discuss this plan instead of asking us to consider the plan. There is an omission."

Qin Hui held back his breath and said, "Decide on some principled matters first, and then discuss specific plans."

Zhu Shengfei added from the side: "Qin Xiangguo is right. First determine the nature and make this matter illegal, and then the people below can do things. I support the prohibition of the so-called helping the poor in the Yong Palace. They are not being good people. It’s buying people’s hearts.”

Zhang Jun also said, "I think that instead of accusing Prince Yong's mansion of poaching us, it's better for us to do things well and solve the difficulties of low-level officials. I know that many low-level officials have difficulties in life. Their salaries are too low. Half of them are used for rent. The house, the rest is enough to support the family, barely enough to eat, but if the elderly in the family are sick, it will be embarrassing.

I know Hu Qingfeng who was in the newspaper last time, his mother was sick and lying in bed, half of the monthly salary was needed for medicine, he had to rent a house, he had to raise two children, he had to accompany the weddings and weddings of his colleagues, and life at home was extremely difficult. The imperial court did not pay salaries for several months, and finally the family was driven to the street by the landlord. We ignored it, and the Yongwang Mansion naturally had a chance to intervene.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is the root cause. To solve the housing problem of low-level officials, we must increase their salaries and solve their worries, otherwise the low-level officials will run away sooner or later. "

Zhang Jun's suggestion was supported by Xu Xiantu, "I support Zhang Xianggong's suggestion. We can't ban the poverty relief plan in Prince Yong's Mansion, but we can solve the difficulties of low-level officials. There is not enough official housing, but we can increase salaries and subsidize renting houses. The low-level officials are no longer in distress, and the poverty-relief plan of Prince Yong's Mansion has no way to start."

Wan Qixi coughed twice and said: "Let me also say a few words, Zhang Xianggong's suggestion is reasonable, but what! People are very greedy. No matter how much we raise our salary, the officials will never refuse to accept the offer from Yongwang Mansion." Take the money, so you have to grasp it with both hands, on the one hand to increase the salary, on the other hand, you must severely punish the officials who took the money from the Yongwang Mansion."

Qin Hui nodded, "The imperial court's finances are also very tight. I agree with a little housing subsidy, but more importantly, if it is a punishment plan, I suggest that all officials who take money from the Yong Palace should be dismissed."

After some discussion, the five people finally reached a consensus. According to the current market rent situation, a certain amount of housing subsidies will be given to officials who do not have official residences. Secondly, officials are strictly prohibited from accepting funding from Prince Yong's Mansion. Once they are found out, they will be dismissed immediately.

...........
The emperor Zhao Gou was also very concerned about what the prime ministers discussed, but what he cared about was not the help of low-level officials, but how much it would cost to provide housing subsidies.

"30 per year is too much!"

Zhao Gou knocked on the table and said very dissatisfied: "The imperial court's finances are already tight, and I cry for poverty every day. Now I have to increase the extra expenditure of 30 guan. Who will pay for this money?"

Xu Xiantu explained: "Your Majesty, 30 guan is not much. A small courtyard costs 30 to [-] guan a month, and [-] to [-] guan in a year. Officials of eighth rank and ninth rank can live in such a courtyard." , but it is not suitable for middle-ranking officials to live in such a small courtyard with one or two lands. They must be bigger. If they are bigger, they will cost more than ten guan and twenty guan. Well, there are hundreds of officials in the imperial court who are renting houses, and the false officials and alternate officials have to be considered, Your Majesty, [-] guan a year, only [-] guan a month, really not much."

"You guys don't have the ability to make money, and your spending skills are better than the other, and the court has to spend hundreds of dollars to rent a house. How big is this house? Do you want me to let them live in the palace?"

Zhao Gou was furious and said: "The imperial court's finances are so difficult, and they still want to take advantage of the imperial court's oil. Can the rent of several hundred guan be called helping the poor?"

The several prime ministers looked at each other in blank dismay, no one thought that the emperor would get mad on this issue, but it was right to think about it, the rent of a few hundred guan was really not enough to help the poor, but if it was only given to low-level officials and not to middle- and high-level officials, then it would be too much. It's not fair, not to mention the different levels, the houses they live in must also be different, this is inevitable.

It was Xu Xiantu who got to know the Son of Heaven. He knew that the Son of Heaven didn’t care about the so-called helping the poor, but felt sorry for spending too much money. He hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, we can build some public rental houses with low rent, and we can rent them to middle and high-level officials. The rent subsidy we gave to officials came back in the form of rent.

Zhao Gou pondered for a moment, then said coldly: "There is no need to build any new houses. Those businessmen who moved their families to Jingzhao, aren't they all selling their houses at a low price? The "Beijing News" published a lot of news about selling houses. Confiscate their real estate in Lin'an for treason, and take in a batch of houses, and the housing of high-ranking officials will be settled."

Zhao Gou had this idea in mind for a long time, he had been waiting for an opportunity, and now he just had this opportunity.

"Wei Chen agrees!"

Qin Hui expressed his support without hesitation, "Since they betrayed the imperial court, the imperial court will no longer protect them, and they deserve their crimes by confiscating their properties."

The other four people also expressed their support. Although this was obviously plundering and completely violated morality, everyone did not object. Who would let the other party be a businessman?Throughout the dynasties, the lowest status, the merchants were the ones who could be slaughtered at will.

"Qin Xiangguo needs to quickly find out how many houses like this exist, and then make a list to Meihuawei, who will execute it. I hope to complete this within ten days."

"The minister obeys the order!"

Zhao Gou said to Zhang Jun and Wan Qixi: "The negotiation with Prince Yong's Mansion will continue. I can only accept 20 taels of silver per year at most. This is the upper limit. If the other party is unwilling to accept it, then let them take other money." The two sides can have differences, but the negotiation cannot stop, and we must find a solution acceptable to both parties.”

"Of course!" The two agreed together.

Zhong Xiangguo retreated, at this moment, an eunuch stepped forward and whispered: "Your Majesty, Wuji is back!"

(End of this chapter)