Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 703: Confusion after the court
In the Qianqing Palace,

Luo Yunhou was going to make a fuss, and his question was quite reasonable, which made Li Chaosheng, the eldest son of the Li family, unable to bear it. A surge of anger rose to his head, and he first waved his sleeves, stood up with a sullen face, and rebuked him;

"Marquis Luo Yun, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want. When and who said that the court was going to increase taxes? It was you who just mentioned it. Don't throw these dirty water on others. If you don't know, you, Marquis Luo Yun, are the chief minister of the cabinet."

"Ahem, Lord Li, what you said is not right. How can you eat anything you want? If something goes wrong, vomiting and diarrhea are minor. What if some of the food is left overnight and becomes rotten? If you eat it and endanger your life, it will be too late to regret it!
In addition, you cannot speak carelessly. I am just reminding you, not really doing it. Besides, the Prime Minister is your father. These matters of government are not yours to decide. Everyone in the court can say something. As for whether to do it or not, that is decided by the cabinet. You asked the wrong person."

Zhang Jinyu scolded the eldest son of the Li family in a bad mood. The remarks made by the eldest son of the Li family just now could be regarded as a long-planned one. It seemed that he had been pretending in the past, but now his true colors were revealed. He was not an easy person to deal with. The father and son of the Li family were not simple people.

"My Lord, what you just said is correct. These are all decisions made by the cabinet. Whether to increase taxes, how to increase them, and how much to increase must be discussed by the cabinet ministers and reported to Your Majesty for the final decision. It is not something that I can just say casually.
However, the increase in taxes that the Marquis mentioned is not impossible. The court's taxes are mainly composed of the land tax and the commercial taxes of merchants. In the past, it was 10%, but later it was reduced to 20% for disaster relief in the south of Beijing. These are all insignificant. Therefore, I think that the commercial taxes should still be increased, and 40% is fine."

Prime Minister Li's old voice sounded, and he calmly doubled the commercial tax, which made Zhang Jinyu gasp. If the tax was higher, the price of the goods would go up, and those luxury items would be more expensive. Since the land area did not increase and the people's taxes remained unchanged, the ones who would reap the benefits would be the officials present. Even if the officials did not spend money, the children in their mansions would not be able to avoid spending money.

"This matter will be discussed in the cabinet later. Today, it will not be discussed. Apart from these, what other methods are there to make up for the deficit? Prime Minister Li, do you have any other methods? If yes, then let's talk about it."

It was time for Emperor Wu to interrupt. The issue of increasing taxes must not be discussed here. However, the commercial tax was indeed too low. Those wealthy merchants were extremely wealthy, and some of them even ate better than those in the palace. And those guilds of commerce were even more extravagant. All of these were recorded in the book when Zhao Si, the Imperial Stable Supervisor, confiscated their homes. That night, Emperor Wu did not sleep for half the night, and he read through the memorials all night. He already had an idea in his mind. Today, when Marquis Luo Yun and Prime Minister Li mentioned it, he had a solution.

"Your Majesty, if you want to increase the revenue of the court, you can only increase revenue by increasing income and reducing expenditure. Reducing expenditure is not easy, so the only way is to increase revenue. I think that since the policy of converting farmland to mulberry trees has been implemented in Jiangnan, why not add another policy and let local officials double the number of acres of farmland converted to mulberry trees? In this way, we can produce more silk and raise more than 10 million taels of silver, and produce 200,000 more pieces of silk and brocade. Add the original annual output of 200,000 pieces and double the original plan for this year, and the total will reach 600,000 pieces."

With an exclamation, it was obvious that Prime Minister Li had taken care of the people in the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Works, and His Majesty's Household Department, starting with the Weaving Bureau and using it as a point to lead the whole. With these foundations, it would be safe to expect large amounts of money to come into the account every year.

After hearing this, all the civil and military officials were moved, especially those who had property and land in Jiangnan. They were all thinking about whether they should convert their land into mulberry fields and make some profit. There was such a big gap in brocade every year, even if there was no brocade, they could make a lot of money by selling the raw silk directly to the weaving bureau.

Emperor Wu thought for a while, doubling the amount of land might not be enough, and he didn't know if Prime Minister Li had any good ideas.

"All the farmland has been turned into mulberry fields. What will the people in the south of the Yangtze River eat? And where will the food and grass for the northern border come from?"

"Your Majesty, all the grain output in Jiangnan should be kept. It is enough for food. The grain and fodder for the border troops can be transferred from other provinces, and the capital can be supplied by the fertile fields around Anhu Lake. In addition to the excellent paddy fields in Jiangnan, the south of the capital and the area around Anhu Lake are also the granaries of the world. The court can expand the cultivated land area and do not need to worry about food and fodder. Over the years, the capital's stock area, Tongzhou, has transferred 8 million dan of grain from other provinces, increasing the number of acres of land. This grain can be saved and can be used in Jiangnan and the north."

In the palace,

It was still the cabinet chief Li Chonghou who asked and answered questions with His Majesty. His ideas were all good, but Zhang Jinyu was a little confused. The grain in Tongzhou was not all produced in Jiangnan. There seemed to be very little grain from other places. After all, Jiangnan had the convenience of the canal, and there were many fertile fields in the capital, so there should be no problem.

There is only food and fodder at the border, how to transport it.

Emperor Wu obviously thought of this. The capital city is full of fertile fields and does not need to be supplied with food. If the food supply to the capital city and the border is exempted from the supply of food to the south of the Yangtze River, how can the border be mobilized? This is a big problem. He asked;

"The grain transferred from other provinces must be more expensive than the grain produced by ourselves. The cost of grain and fodder at the border is also not small. This will cost a lot of money. Are the Ministry of War and the border troops willing to do so?"

"Your Majesty, it's not that the north doesn't produce grain, it's just that the grain produced is too little to eat, so we need to transfer grain from other places. In the south of the Yangtze River, the raw silk produced by each acre of mulberry field is better than the grain produced by each acre of farmland. The silver sold is not comparable to the price of grain. The people should be willing to do so, and even the local government will not be under much pressure. After all, they are relieved of the task of transporting grain to the capital and the north, so I think they will be willing to do so."

Prime Minister Li thought about it and decided that this was the safest option. It not only solved the financial problem, but also the food problem. After all, the silver produced by raw silk was much more than that of grain. Even if the grain was more expensive, it would not cost much silver, and the surplus would be more than that!
Emperor Wu, who was sitting on a high throne, immediately did some calculations in his heart, and it was just as Prime Minister Li said, this account had great potential. As long as the supply of food and grass for the border troops was guaranteed, the wasteland in the south of the capital could be opened up for the people to cultivate, and it would not take long before it could be turned into fertile fields, and it would not take a few years to make up for the shortfall!
"Lord Lu, Lord Gu, what do you think?"

Down the hall,

Lu Wenshan's face tightened. Although he had known about this for a long time, the land in Jiangnan was in the hands of the gentry. They were willing to buy it, but they needed official silver to buy it, which would cost a lot.

As for the people of Jiangnan, I don't know if they are willing or not. Judging from the plan of the Prime Minister, the situation is not bad. After hesitating for a while, he replied;

"Your Majesty, I second the proposal. I think it is feasible, but it still requires the local government to handle it seriously. After all, it is not a trivial matter. The specific results will depend on the results."

Nothing is certain, just give it a try.

Gu Yichen frowned. It sounded nice, but how many people were willing to change their fields to mulberry trees? After all, mulberry trees are for silkworms, not for humans. And how would the taxes be determined? The most important thing was who could be trusted to supervise the officials and not embezzle money?
"Your Majesty, I think there are some things that need to be reconsidered. Although converting fields into mulberry trees is a good thing, how should the taxes be calculated? Although the raw silk harvest is high, the taxes are also high. In addition, if the government supervises the work and makes a mistake, it will be a big deal. Therefore, we need to ensure that the grain output must be sufficient, and we also need to ensure that the supervising officials are honest. Otherwise, I am afraid that the good things of the court will be turned into bad things by those corrupt officials."

Gu Yichen's worries are obvious!
"Well, what Minister Gu said makes sense. Let's add one more rule. All the people who convert their fields into mulberry trees will still pay taxes based on farmland. No tax increase is allowed. In addition, all the raw silk collected by the government will be purchased by the government treasury at the market price and sent to the weaving bureau to be woven into finished products. No one is allowed to misappropriate the raw silk. As for the weaving bureau, Dai Quan, you must send a capable person from the palace. This matter is settled. I also warn all officials that if anyone makes money from this, I will confiscate his property."

"Yes, Your Majesty, this old slave accepts the order."

Emperor Wu's words were the final word, finalizing the matter, leaving several cabinet ministers puzzled as to who benefited from this incident.

"Also, Li Chaosheng, you should quit your job as the left chancellor of the Political Affairs Department. Go to the cabinet and serve as a cabinet writer. Learn from your father and see what the cabinet is busy with every day. OK?"

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I understand."

A huge surprise came out of nowhere. Li Chaosheng's face turned red and he immediately knelt on the ground to express his gratitude. This action made many cabinet ministers alert. Lu Wenshan and Gu Yichen, their old faces changed slightly, and they swallowed back the words that were about to come out of their lips. They looked up at the Prime Minister and sighed in their hearts.

Only Zhang Jinyu widened his eyes. What Your Majesty meant was that even if this eldest son of the Li family entered the cabinet and was in charge of writing, how come he had never heard of this position?

As for the ministers in the palace, they didn't hear anything wrong when they heard this, and their faces were full of excitement. The problem of financial difficulties for the court was solved at once. In the future, they should follow this example. The annual tax revenue in Jiangnan alone could double, which would surely boost the enthusiasm of the court.

Lou Xiaoruo, the Minister of Works, looked much better and stepped out to shout,

"Your Majesty, I have one more thing to say!"

"Lou Aiqing, speak!"

Seeing Minister Lou's excited face, Emperor Wu Zhou Shihong nodded, and with his fingers resting on the dragon throne, he calculated in his mind that the deficit of the Ministry of Works was the largest every year. As the saying goes, no matter how much silver there was, it would not be enough. It would be better to allocate the silver saved in the palace to the Ministry of Works for future use!

After receiving the promise, Minister Lou stepped out and bowed with a firm look. He glared at Minister Shen Zhongxin and said,

"Yes, Your Majesty. I just want to ask, since the Ministry of Revenue has the money, when will the money owed to the Ministry of Works be returned to the Ministry of Works? The money used to renovate the mansions in the capital is estimated to be 3 million taels. Because of the renovation plan of the Ministry of Works, the mansions were rented out in advance and the rent was 2 million taels. Therefore, the Ministry of Revenue withheld the money, so I want to ask why it was not returned to the Ministry of Works."

Shen Zhongxin's face turned pale. You said that we already have 2 million taels of rent before the renovation. Why do we need money from the Ministry of Revenue? Just as he was about to speak, he was stopped by Lord Gu.
"Then according to Minister Lou's opinion, what should we do?"

"Of course, we have to follow the budget. The money allocated to the Ministry of Works this year cannot be reduced by a penny. The rent will be returned to the Ministry of Revenue from next year," Lou Xiaoruo refused to give in.
"you you……"

Angered by Minister Lou's words, Shen Zhongxin's face was as gloomy as water, his eyes seemed to be spitting fire, his lips moved, but he didn't know how to refute.

Shen Zhongxin had no choice, after all, he was the one who had just used these to sue the Ministry of Personnel. All the ministers in the palace were just standing by and watching with a bit of amusement in their eyes.

"Okay, but the Ministry of Revenue is worried about where the money is going,"

Gu Yichen actually agreed, turned around to look at His Majesty on the high seat, and bowed;

"Your Majesty, I agree to pay the money, but I need someone to manage the money and not use it for other purposes. I also need a guarantor. Please appoint someone to hand over the money."

"Well, since Lord Gu has said so, I will nominate one person. The renovation plan for the mansion in the capital was set by Marquis Luo Yun, so he will be the guarantor. The money from the Ministry of Revenue will be transferred to him, and the rent collected from the mansion will also be given to him. He will be responsible for the cost of renovating the mansion, and the money will be deducted from the money he is in charge of. Do you think it's okay?"

Emperor Wu cut the Gordian knot quickly, and the general matter was settled. He didn't want to ask about the minor matters anymore. Gu Yichen smiled.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I accept your order."

The Minister of Works Lou Xiaoruo opened his mouth and could only thank the emperor and accept his order.

Zhang Jinyu curled her lips.
A grand court meeting turned out to be a meeting to divide the spoils. After the large pieces of pork were divided, there were still a few small pieces of meat left. Now, many court officials looked towards Zhang Jinyu. The Ministry of Works' reconstruction of the house was a lucrative business, and everyone wanted to get involved. Unfortunately, the Ministry of Works knew that it was a lucrative opportunity, so they kept it hidden from everyone. This commotion had thrown the lucrative opportunity out.
Fortunately, he fell into Zhang Jinyu's arms by chance. Now, he aroused jealousy. Needless to say, the Ministry of Industry originally belonged to them. If they had not taken it, they would have to pay the rent for the reconstruction of the yard. You can imagine how upset they felt.

The Ministry of Revenue, on the other hand, didn't say anything. The money was paid out as it should have been paid out anyway. If it weren't for the deficit of the Ministry of Works, the money would have been paid out long ago. Now that it was counted, there was no loss.

Zhang Jinyu wanted to refuse it, but then he thought, it would be a waste if he didn't take it. Even if he wasn't greedy, it would be like handling pork, his hands would be covered in grease. These people still need to beg him, so he could have a good time anyway.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I will definitely keep a close eye on this money and make sure not a single cent is wasted. I will spend it wisely."

After Zhang Jinyu figured it out, he took advantage of the situation in the court and immediately took over the matter. He also thought that after the court meeting, he would go to the Ministry of Works and get the silver back.

Without him,

This is because Your Majesty has been working diligently to increase revenue and reduce expenditure to prevent the court from being extravagant. The officials in the capital have been trying to save as much as possible, so naturally there is less oil and water. In addition, with the recovery of debts owed by the court, the salaries of the officials in the capital are not enough to make ends meet.

We are not afraid of corrupt officials, but there are some people with good moral character. Not only do they have trouble making ends meet, their lives seem poor.

Zhang Jinyu was stared at by many people. The burning gazes were a bit scalding, and he felt a little strange in his heart. The power of money is indeed the golden key from ancient times to the present.

"Okay, after this matter is settled, the next step will be the special examination. Preparations will begin tomorrow, and the examination will begin the day after tomorrow. All the officials should be aware of what is going on."

Emperor Wu nodded. Today's affairs were finally sorted out. The next thing was the special examination, which was the most important thing, so he still mentioned it.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

All the civil and military officials agreed and were also shocked. After all, this imperial examination was unprecedentedly grand, with the number of participants being the largest in history. A new examination hall was also set up, and many children of officials' families were participating. Whether they would be a dragon or a tiger depended on this time.

Seeing this, it's over.
Dai Quan immediately seized the opportunity and shouted:

"Retreat!"

A long sound fell, and the ministers bowed again.
"Farewell to Your Majesty."

After a great cheer, Emperor Wu left without asking anyone to stay, leaving all the officials waiting in the hall. After Emperor Wu left, the officials suddenly became excited, and wanted to talk to Marquis Luo Yun to see if they could withdraw money or borrow money.

There was no way Zhang Jinyu would talk to them, so she ran to Shen Zhongxin first.
"Brother Shen, you must keep the money safe. No one can touch it without my signature."

He then looked at Lou Xiaoruo, the Minister of Works, who was beside him, and gave him a reminder;
"Lord Lou, do not embezzle the rent from the Ministry of Works except for the money needed to build the house. Keep the account books ready, I am keeping an eye on them."

"Yes, sir, I will keep a record for you."

Minister Lou was also helpless, as he had wasted his breath and talk in vain and ended up making things worse.

Just finished speaking,

Before the civil officials came over, several dukes of military honors came over here. Their slight smiles made Zhang Jinyu's heart tremble. He thought that someone who wanted to do something bad had come, so he slipped away. The Duke of Zhenguo was still shouting,

"Why are you running away, kid? I'm not asking you for money, look how scared you are."

"Old Duke, I have something to do at home and I am not feeling well. We will talk next time."

Left a word,

The man ran out first.

Many officials were stunned by what they saw. Is this even possible?

When the Marquis of Xiangyang saw the Duke of Zhenguo fuming with anger, he advised him,
"Old Duke, please don't be angry. Marquis Luo Yun also has his own difficulties. Tomorrow is the day when the examiners will enter the examination room, and he still needs to prepare some things. So, if there is anything, we can talk about it when we are free."

"You, now you are also slick and slippery. You don't learn from that brat Luo Yunhou. You only learn these bad things. Humph, let's go."

The Duke of Zhenguo finally calmed down, and reluctantly criticized the Marquis of Xiangyang. Then he walked out of the gate of Qianqing Palace. Behind him, only the Marquis of Xiangyang, Bai Guangju, smiled bitterly and shook his head. Then he followed him. He had to prepare some spare clothes, food and a coat when he returned home. Seven days was not easy to endure. He didn't know how the Marquis had prepared it, and it seemed that he hadn't told the Marquis about this. Should he tell him?
After the meeting was over,

The court officials gathered in twos and threes to talk, they were all speaking cautiously and no one knew what they were talking about, while other idle officials in the capital, after the court session, walked towards the palace gates in groups of three or five.

Outside the palace gate, a group of officials got on official sedan chairs and horse-drawn carriages and left in a hurry.

Only Lu Wenshan and Gu Yichen looked at each other at the palace gate, then boarded the carriage and looked at Prime Minister Li's official sedan chair not far away. A large number of officials surrounded it. They were all the backbones of the Li Party. Prime Minister, he still left a way out. Will the young cabinet minister come out next? His Majesty's mind is unpredictable!
(End of this chapter)