Fenghou

Chapter 1410: Court Discussion
Although the weather was scorching hot, the meeting hall of the Imperial Study Room felt a bit chilly. This chill was not the effect of placing ice cubes, but the chill brought about by discussing topics.

The imperial court's finances are exhausted, and they can't pay their salaries, nor can they pay their military salaries. It's hard for a smart woman to live without rice. It's rare for several prime ministers to have a unified opinion, and they put pressure on the emperor together, asking the emperor to take money from the internal treasury to solve the immediate financial crisis .

Of course, the emperor's internal treasury is rich. Last year, he forcibly issued 700 million guanzi to wealthy businessmen from all over the country. The imperial court got 1000 million guan, and the remaining 700 million went into the internal treasury.

Usually there is income from Huangzhuang, rental income from hundreds of houses in various places, and wine tax sharing, etc., there are at least one million yuan a year, and it has lasted for so many years. Imagine how much money is in the emperor's inner treasury?
Zhao Gou said hoarsely: "I remember that there are still a lot of light goods in Zuo Zang's warehouse, which can be sold for money."

Light goods refer to valuables such as cloth, silk, satin, colored silk, porcelain, jade, lacquerware, etc. Xu Xiantu sighed and said, "I have counted all the light goods in the Zuo Zang warehouse, and the total income of all the light goods can probably be one million guan, but We have owed three months of military salary and hundreds of official salaries, which add up to 180 million guan, and there is still a gap of 80 guan. The warehouses in various places are empty. We have thought of all the ways we can think of, unless we sell official land and real estate , but even selling land and houses will take time, and now the water is far away and the near thirst cannot be quenched."

Zhao Gou was silent for a moment and said to Qin Hui: "I remember Qin Xianggong said last year that 3000 million guan can be issued, but in the end there were only 700 million guan. The gap is so big. What is the reason?"

Qin Hui was speechless, no matter what he said, the wealthy family ran away, but Qin Hui reacted very quickly and found a reason.

"Your Majesty, the minister said that the issuance of 3000 million Guanzi actually included a lot of unowned real estate and land. Most of them became government property and were not sold. In addition, there was no time to issue clubs on Fujian Road."

"Is there no potential to tap?" Zhao Gou asked again.

"Your Majesty, either you are a local wealthy family, or an official and dignitary."

"They can't touch them, they will shake the foundation of the country. What I mean is, spread out and spread out. There are more than a few wealthy businessmen in the world."

What Zhao Gou meant was, don't just stare at the rich and powerful, issue clubs to ordinary businessmen, and gather together to form a tower. He also knows that local rich and powerful families cannot be touched, officials and dignitaries cannot be touched, and the people at the bottom can't squeeze out oil and water, so they can only submit to them. The entire merchant class was under the knife.

Everyone is silent. Once the scope is enlarged, it may cause a strong public opinion backlash. No one can afford the consequences.

Zhao Gou ignored them, knocked on the table and said, "You guys have to find a way! Use a suitable excuse and opportunity to promote the meeting, businessmen! The court has supported them enough, now it's time for them to repay the court."

The issue came back to the original point. Even if the merchants are forced to issue clubs, they will not be able to get the money in a day or two.

But everyone also knew that the emperor proposed to expand the scope of issuance of Huizi because he was unwilling to spend money. At this time, Zhang Jun said: "Your Majesty, maybe we can use a compromise method to borrow a sum of money from the inner treasury by the imperial court. Return it to His Majesty immediately!"

Xu Xiantu also said: "Your Majesty, the soldiers have not been paid for two months. I heard that the Wenzhou garrison has shown signs of mutiny. If the salary is not paid, the situation will be beyond control."

Qin Hui also said: "Your Majesty, more than half of the officials and craftsmen from Shaofu Temple and the Military Weapons Supervision have left, and their whereabouts are unknown. Especially the craftsmen have not been paid for five months. If the problem is not solved, all the craftsmen will run away. I'm afraid we won't even be able to make a single bow." come out."

Zhao Gou had no choice but to compromise due to the continuous pressure from the Prime Ministers. He pondered for a while and said, "Forget it, let's use Zhang Aiqing's plan! I will pay the imperial court in advance, how much do I need?"

Everyone glanced at each other with happy faces, Qin Hui hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, at least 300 million guan is needed!"

Zhao Gou was stunned, "You want so much?"

Xu Xiantu said: "Your Majesty, we not only need to make up for what we owe for a few months, but we also need to keep two months in reserve. If the salt tax situation has not improved, I am afraid that two months will not be enough."

There was silence in the meeting hall, and the salt tax was the key. Without the source of taxation, it would only become a stagnant pool in the end, and in the end even the political power could not be maintained.

Zhao Gou suddenly asked angrily, "Why hasn't Yan Dutong come yet?"

The eunuch hurriedly said at the door: "Yan Dutong has arrived, wait outside!"

"Show him in immediately!"

After a while, Yan Xin, the commander of the Plum Blossom Guard, walked in quickly, knelt down on one knee and gave a military salute, "Your Majesty, my humble minister!"

"Sit down flat!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Yan Xin sat down on a chair beside her.

Zhao Gou asked, "How's the progress of the inspection of private salt?"

Yan Xin secretly rejoiced that he had found Lu Gang in the morning, otherwise he really wouldn't be able to answer.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, there is a little clue."

Zhao Gou was refreshed, and quickly asked: "Tell me, what clue?"

"Your Majesty, I have found three salt lords, Li Zengping from Xuanzhou, Luo Zhi from Ningguo Mansion, and Lu Guang from Health Mansion. They are the ones who transport the private salt from all over the south of the Yangtze River. I have sent people to investigate secretly. Find out where they are, and arrest them immediately once the location is determined!"

"Does it mean that if you catch them, the private salt will disappear?"

Yan Hard laughed and said: "Private salt sales are composed of three links. One is the source, which is the salt farm, the other is the transportation and resale, mainly the salt lords, and the other is the sales in the state markets. The arrest of the salt lords is just to cut off the transportation The resale link, as well as source and state sales."

Qin Hui asked: "Is the source from Jingzhao secretly providing private salt?"

Yan Xin leaned forward and said: "The humble staff used to be so skeptical, so I went to visit Lu Gang, and he told me clearly that the flood of private salt in the south of the Yangtze River has nothing to do with them, and they don't need to do such lowly things to ruin their reputation."

Qin Hui sneered and said, "Of course he would say that. He would certainly not admit that he was selling private salt. Does Yan Dutong believe it?"

"At the beginning, Beizhi was a little dubious, but then something happened that made Beizhi realize that the proliferation of private salt may really have nothing to do with them."

Zhao Gou frowned and asked, "What happened?"

Yan Xin bowed and said: "Reporting to Your Majesty, I heard that many housekeepers of big families buy private salt, and then use the official salt price to repay their bills, filling their pockets, so I went back to interrogate my own housekeeper, and he did the same thing , embezzled several hundred guan, the minister was angry and forced him to buy the private salt from where he bought it, he was forced to confess that he bought the private salt from Feng Daji's dry goods store."

As soon as this remark came out, there was an uproar in the hall, and the majestic father-in-law actually sold private salt.

Qin Hui asked anxiously: "Do you have any evidence?"

Yan Xin took out a receipt and handed it over, "This is a delivery note I found from the housekeeper today. It is the delivery note from Fengji Dry Goods Store, and there is also the shopkeeper's seal. It is clearly written on it. One hundred catties of salt, seventy Wen per catty, reported to Qin Xiangguo, our official salt is three hundred Wen per catty, this is the evidence."

(End of this chapter)