National color raw owl

Chu Huan knew that the head of the warehouse department was surnamed Ouyang, and his single name was Zhizi. He had met a few times in the household department, but he had never spoken to him. But he found that this person was really talented, and what he said was clear and reasonable.

This Ouyang Zhi is really a member of An Guogong's party, but An Guogong's party is naturally not full of wine bags and rice bags, Ouyang Zhi himself is still quite talented.

After Ouyang Zhi finished speaking, some people nodded their heads slightly, but the head of the Ministry of Finance said indifferently: "What you said is easy, if everything is as you said, if you put down some money and you can put down the Tianmen rioters, then that would be considered a big deal." It’s a good idea. But you’re in short supply for your granary, but you don’t want to think about whether the gold department and silver are in short supply?”

Ouyang Zhi frowned.

The head of the Ministry of Finance bowed his hand to Hu Bufan, "My lord, it is absolutely impossible to spend a lot of money to buy grain. Now the silver in the Ministry of Gold's warehouse is already very tight, and the two wars in Northwest and Hebei have cost a lot of money. It is necessary to allocate 50 taels of herbal silver to Sitiantai. On the side of Tongtian Temple, some places have already prepared to use gold leaf murals, which is another large expenditure. If the silver taels are allocated to buy food, how should Sitiantai and Tongtian Temple respond? ?”

"50 taels?" Ouyang Zhi frowned and said, "Isn't Si Tiantai 30 taels of medicinal herb silver every season?"

The head of the Ministry of Finance glanced at Ouyang Zhi, and said: "It seems that you really don't pay attention to the important matters of the Holy Majesty. Si Tiantai needs to refine new alchemy, and the silver taels required will increase significantly, adding 20 taels of herbal silver every season." .”

Ouyang Zhi frowned even more, and opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but he didn't say anything in the end.

Hu Bufan said: "Tongtian Hall and Sitiantai are related to the important matters of the Holy Master's cultivation, nothing can be compared with this." Asked Ouyang Zhi: "Aside from buying grain, is there no other way?"

Lang Wuxu smiled and said: "Gathering food and grass is the best policy. What Master Ouyang said is right. First, you can meet your needs on the spot without having to mobilize the Jinling warehouse. Second, you can indeed cut off the logistics of the Tianmen gangsters." , there is no food, even their stomachs are not full, how can they have the strength to make trouble? But there is no need to spend a lot of money to buy food."

Hu Bufan looked at Lang Wuxu and asked, "Do you have a solution?"

Lang Wuxu got up and said respectfully: "My lord, there are too many places that need to spend money now. If we allocate another batch of money to buy grain, such expenses will undoubtedly increase the burden on our household department. But the strategy of gathering grain and grass No need to use the Jinling Warehouse, which is of great benefit to our household department. The lower officials think that it is still feasible to buy grain, but they don’t need to use cash to buy grain, and the government can issue IOUs to buy grain with IOUs!”

Hu Bufan's eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands and said, "Good strategy. There are many gentry and rich merchants in the five states of Jianghuai, and each family has grain storage, and as my Daqin granary, there are also many grain merchants there. As far as I know, Jianghuai is known as the Eighteen Grain Merchants. There are eighteen large grain merchants. They all have huge grain depots... Local government warehouses, gentry store grain, and merchant grain depots. If these grains are collected, it will be a huge amount ...!" He seemed to have really found a good plan for the world, showing joy, "You can send people to Jianghuai, order the Jianghuai household department department to come forward, and directly show my household department's IOU to borrow food from them. If you want money, we will give him an IOU for money, and if you want food, wait until the Tianmen rebellion is suppressed and after the autumn harvest, we will repay them double the amount of food owed."

Then several officials laughed and said: "It really is a good idea."

Lang Wuxu showed a look of complacency, obviously complacent about his magnificence.

However, Ouyang Zhi showed surprise, and immediately said: "My lord, Mr. Minister, this... this is absolutely impossible!"

Both Hu Bufan and Lang Wuxu immediately became gloomy. The head of the Ministry of Finance seemed to have a bad relationship with Ouyang Zhi. Hearing this, he immediately shouted: "Ouyang Zhi, you are so bold. The Minister and the Minister came up with such a good idea." , it can be regarded as solving a big problem for your warehouse department, do you still have an opinion?"

Ouyang Zhi said: "My lord, my lord, I didn't intend to contradict you, it's just that... I just borrowed money to buy food, and there are endless disasters!"

"Ouyang Zhi, where did you start with this?" Lang Wuxu finally came up with a solution and was complacent, but Ouyang Zhi poured a plate of cold water and said that there would be endless disasters, which made Lang Wuxu suddenly annoyed Although he is a person who hides a knife in his smile, even though he is resentful in his heart, he still has a smile on his face.

In Chu Huan's heart, he looked at Ouyang Zhi with admiration.

He has been in the household department for half a month, and he doesn't know many people, and he doesn't know many people. He thought that the household department was all Anguo Gong's party, and it was monolithic, but today, it seems that there are still some insiders. The problem, and this Ouyang Zhi seems to be a bit special. If he said in public that it was improper to buy grain with a loan, it would undoubtedly slap Lang Wuxu. Ouyang Zhi is not a mediocre person if he has such courage.

Ouyang Zhi obviously also knew that his actions might offend Lang Wuxu, so he said cautiously: "Everyone, my subordinates dare to say that buying grain on loan will definitely have serious consequences." Gathering on himself, he said bravely: "Tianmen Dao's rebellion, the victims are of course the court and innocent people, but the most direct victims are the gentry and merchants in the Jianghuai area. Tianmen Dao uses the banner of robbing the rich and helping the poor Looting the gentry and merchants wantonly, those gentry and merchants are now firmly supporting the imperial court, they have contacts all over the place, and there is also Zhuang Ding Nuyuan below, these are now said to have been organized to assist the imperial court to encircle and suppress Tianmen Dao."

"They all received favors from the imperial court. If there is a riot in the gate today, they will naturally have to contribute." Lang Wuxu said.

Ouyang Zhi said: "Of course it makes sense to be loyal to the court, but... But the lower officials think that their purpose of assisting the court to suppress bandits is to preserve their own wealth."

Everyone didn't speak, but they also knew in their hearts that what Ouyang Zhi said was true, but what he said was too straightforward.

"If the imperial court uses IOUs to buy grain and take back the grain that they regard as gold at the moment, the lower officials will be worried...!" Ouyang Zhi looked serious, but did not continue.

Hu Bufan sneered, "Do you think those gentry and merchants would not accept it if they borrowed money to buy grain?"

Ouyang Zhi nodded.

"It's a gift from the imperial court that they have today." Hu Bufan said coldly: "Now that the imperial court has something to do, if they borrow food from them, don't they dare to rebel?"

Ouyang Zhi sighed: "That being said, those people value their own wealth more than their lives, so they may not understand the good intentions of the court. If they borrowed money to buy grain, they might think that the court wanted to take them by force." Food, those people... there is a high probability that those people will feel resentment in their hearts."

Lang Wuxu frowned and said: "The IOU issued by our household department is not a forced requisition, but a temporary loan."

"For them, the result of temporary borrowing and forced requisition is to take away the food in their hands." Ouyang Zhi said cautiously: "Even if some people can understand the truth, the officials think that most people still won't understand."

Hu Bufan slapped the table and snorted coldly: "The court is in trouble, and they are trying their best to suppress the bandits. It's not up to them whether they are convinced or not. I don't believe it. Could it be that they turned against each other because of this?"

Ouyang Zhi said: "Even if they don't rebel, as long as their hearts are not with the imperial court, they will definitely cause trouble for our major event of suppressing bandits. The demons of Tianmen are all-pervasive. If those gentry and merchants have resentment, they are afraid that the demons of Tianmen will take advantage of it. Entering in vain, wantonly wooing, the local clans are already deeply entrenched and powerful in the local area, once they get mixed up with the Heavenly Clan...!"

The head of the Jin Department immediately said: "Master Ouyang, you are just scaremongering. I don't believe it, because with a little food, they will mix with the Tianmen monsters and become enemies of the court? Tianmen Dao will be wiped out sooner or later. Are they I don’t want to think about what will happen to them if the Tianmen Dao is wiped out?”

"Yes, alarmist talk!"

"It's just a bunch of gentry merchants, why worry?"

"Lord Ouyang, the plan of Lord Minister and Lord Minister is very clever. It is an excellent strategy to deal with the grain and grass in the Jianghuai area. If you look forward and backward like this, if you follow your words, you will miss a good opportunity."

All the officials were chattering, obviously not paying attention to Ouyang Zhi's concerns.

Ouyang Zhi opened his mouth, but finally shook his head and backed away without speaking.

Hu Bufan glanced at the crowd, then suddenly turned his gaze on Chu Huan, and asked, "Master Chu, what do you think of the idea of ​​buying grain on loan?"

Chu Huan got up, cupped his hands and said: "The lower officials are in charge of the branch, and now they only know about the statistical affairs. They really don't know about the grain and grass matters. I am ashamed." Seeing that many officials cast contempt for him se, smiled indifferently and continued: "However, I think that Master Ouyang's concerns are not unreasonable. If the local elites and the imperial court are united, although the Tianmen Dao has a large number of people, they are just mobs. With careful planning and proper handling, it should be able to calm down , but once the powerful gentry and the heavenly sect are mixed together, the situation will be very different, one will ebb and flow, and it will not be too easy to put down the bandit chaos easily."

Hu Bufan said "Oh", with a look of disapproval, and then said: "This matter is of great importance, I need to think about it carefully." He raised his hand and said: "You all step back first, and I have to be quiet Quiet!"

When everyone left, Hu Bufan stopped Lang Wuxu, closed the door, and said in a low voice: "The Jianghuai matter is not trivial, and we need to discuss it with the old man. But Jinling warehouse is our last granary. The land, unless it is absolutely necessary, do not move it lightly, otherwise there will be troubles in other places and there will be no food to adjust, I am afraid that you and I will lose our heads!"

Lang Wuxu hurriedly said, "Your Excellency is right."

"As far as buying grain, your method is good. I don't believe that those gentry merchants really dare to fight against the court because of a little grain." Hu Bufan approached and whispered: "There is not much money in the treasury. It is absolutely impossible to meet all kinds of expenses and spend a lot of money to buy food."

Lang Wuxu frowned and said: "Ouyang Zhi is always disobedient, Mr. Butang, do you...!"

Before he could finish speaking, Hu Bufan shook his head and said: "Ouyang Zhi is a person handpicked by the old Duke. Although this person is sometimes disobedient, he is one of his own after all, and he still has some skills, so don't worry about him. "Paused, with a cold look in his eyes, he said: "It's Chu Huan, there will be a lot of things to do in the household department, and we will inevitably have some omissions. This kid stares at us every day, which makes me feel a little uncomfortable Zi Zi, I'm afraid that he will take some advantage... No, this person is in the household department, and the official is on his back, so we must quickly find a way to get him out."

Lang Wuxu said: "Chu Huan is very cautious in his actions. The subordinate officials have been staring at him, but they have not been able to find out the reason."

Hu Bufan said in a low voice: "I must have a lot of things to do these days, and I don't have the energy to take care of him for a while. But if you don't get rid of this person, the threat to us is too great. In this way, how long have you been doing for a while?" Walk around with him and see if you can find an opportunity, this person must be removed. You are the most capable person around me, with your intelligence, it should not be difficult to get rid of this person."

Lang Wuxu forced a smile and said: "Your Excellency ordered, I will do my best to do it!"

Hu Bufan seemed to think of something, and even lowered his voice: "The old man may have to reconcile the accounts recently, and there must be no troubles in the near future."

"I understand!" Lang Wuxu lowered his head, but there was a strange look in his eyes.