Rebirth of the best emperor

Chapter 80 Financial Meetings

Li Hong didn't know when the Ministry of Accounting decided to give Yu Wenkai another 10 taels of silver to build roads, but now that the right servant of the Ministry of Accounting said it, he could only recognize it as the Minister of the Ministry of Accounting.

What's more, Li Hong also noticed Yu Wenkai's movement, and the one who was about to stand up and start the performance turned into retreating. Li Hong was not a fool, and knew that something must have happened that he didn't know.

Seeing Yu Wenkai's actions, Fan Li secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that Yu Wenkai was a bit lazy and usually wouldn't stand up to speak out. If the Ministry himself is willing to give him money, Yu Wenkai will definitely not stand up and offend the Ministry of Households again.

Today's incident, Fan Li saw very clearly that all the ministries of the imperial court stepped forward to make things difficult for the Ministry of Household Affairs.

Sitting on the dragon chair, Wang Mang fully revealed everything in the court hall. Wang Mang didn't even say a word about Fan Li's wisdom.

Facing the request from the Ministry of Households to allocate funds to the Ministry of Industry, which was promoted by Wang Mang alone, Wang Mang could only nod his head and said, "I agree with the request from the Ministry of Households."

Hearing that Wang Mang agreed to allocate another 10 taels to the Ministry of Industry, Yu Wenkai completely lost the idea of ​​standing up to embarrass the Ministry of Household Affairs.

Yu Wenkai didn't stand up again, but Zhang Jian did. As soon as the Minister of the Ministry of Officials stood up, he said: "Your Majesty Qizuo, I think that 20 taels is too little for the Ministry of Officials to pay the officials. The finances are abundant, so should the imperial court consider the salaries owed by the imperial court to the officials?"

"What Mr. Zhang said is that the imperial court should consider some things about wage arrears."

"That's right, Weichen also feels that this is a key issue that needs to be resolved at present."

"The money from the household department is also kept there. It is better to pay the officials back wages, so that the officials can better serve the court."

"You can't let the big guys work hungry."

When it came to paying wages, the hall suddenly became lively, and a large number of officials stood up to support Zhang Jian's proposal to pay back wages.

Wang Mang's eyes flickered, he looked at Zhang Jian and said, "Zhang Shangshu, I don't know how much salary the court still owes all the officials?"

Zhang Jian had been prepared for a long time, and when he heard Wang Mang's question, he opened his mouth and said: "The year before last, the imperial court had liquidated a batch of arrears of wages owed by hundreds of officials. , Tens of thousands of officials across the country should be paid 88 million taels of salary, 230 million taels of actual salary, and 160 taels still owed. As of the beginning of this year, a total of 70 million taels of silver was owed to all officials."

Zhang Jian looked around at the ministers, and said again: "Since this year, the imperial court has allocated a total of 30 taels of silver in two batches to repay the salaries of the officials. As of the end, the imperial court still owes the officials 1208 million taels of silver."

"How can you owe so much?" an official shouted at that time, and Wang Mang was also taken aback.

All the ministers in the imperial court knew that the imperial court owed everyone salaries, but there was no accurate data on how much they owed. Now that Zhang Jian blew himself up, the entire court was in chaos.

Seeing that the officials were puzzled, Zhang Jian said, "Originally, I couldn't owe so much, but in the past two years, the former emperor passed away and gave a sum of money to the officials. A sum of money, plus the fact that the south has been fighting for the past two years, and the court’s wasted money was invested in the southern battlefield, which caused the court’s finances to be tight, and officials’ salaries were delayed again and again, so now, they owe so much money."

"Zhang Shangshu, the past two years have been really difficult for the officials, you have suffered!" Wang Mang said, with no expression on his face, but in his heart he met Zhang Jian's scolding blood. What is he doing? You want to put all the responsibility on my head!
Zhang Jian stretched out his hand and wiped his eyes, sighed, and said: "Your Majesty, the humble ministers are unfortunate, and the bureaucrats are also unfortunate. Fortunately, those low-level officials have low wages and are still in arrears. Life is very difficult." , I also ask Your Majesty to pay them part of their wages for the sake of their dedication to the country and His Majesty."

You have said that, what else can I say, not to mention, Wang Mang hated the unscrupulous boss and the contractor who owed wages to migrant workers the most in his life, and he would never be such a person.

Immediately, Wang Mang looked at Li Hong and said, "Li Hong, how much money can the Ministry of Household give now?"

Li Hong and Fan Li looked at each other, Li Honggong said: "The Ministry of Households can allocate another 20 taels of silver to the Ministry of Officials, no more."

Zhang Jian's eyes flickered, and then he kowtowed and said: "On behalf of the court officials, I thank Your Majesty Long En."

"Get up." Wang Mang waved his hand, signaling Zhang Jian to get up, and then looked at Baiguan and said, "My dear friends, if you have any need for money, please tell them together, and this meeting will solve it together. "

As soon as Wang Mang's words fell to the ground, all the officials of the court stood up one after another, and you asked Wang Mang for money from three thousand, five thousand, and ten thousand. Sending money, now directly hold a financial meeting where the big guys sit together and negotiate democratically.

Wang Mang accepted all the cries for poverty, and ordered the Ministry of Households to record the reasonable needs of all officials, saying that he would definitely give money to these yamen who were short of money.

In the end, no officials spoke anymore. Wang Mang looked at Li Hong and said, "Li Shangshu, according to the discussion just now, how much will the Ministry of Households pay in total?"

Li Hong said with an ugly face: "Your Majesty Qizuo, there is currently a total of 160 million taels of silver in the household department. If the expenses are spent according to the requirements of the ministers' discussion just now, the total budgetary expenditure of the imperial court is 180 million taels, and there is still a shortfall of 5000 taels of silver. 25 taels, Your Majesty, this money cannot be brought out by Weichen's household department."

After Li Hong finished speaking, the officials all changed their colors. It would be fine if they didn't have their money, but since they had their budget, it would be impossible. At that time, the officials seemed to be making a fuss.

But before they started arguing, Wang Mang stood up and said loudly, "So much money is missing, what should I do?"

The officials were dumbfounded by the emperor's reaction, Li Hong said, "Your Majesty, what's the matter?"

"I promised the Queen Mother that I would give another 10 taels to the Shangyuan Palace to build the Jardine Garden. I originally thought that the court has money now, so I agreed to the Queen Mother with the 10 taels, but now the court has exceeded the budget again. But what should I do?" Wang Mang said with a wry smile.

"This..." Baiguan was dumbfounded. The emperor made it clear that he wanted money. Originally, there was a shortfall of 25 taels, but now that the queen mother's 5000 taels were added, the difference would be 10 taels. What's the matter with this money? manage?
Wang Mang looked at the group of ministers who were all silent, and said in his mouth: "My loves, I promise you everything. I promise the Queen Mother, and I will definitely not go back on my word. Which loves me now is willing to relieve my worries?"

The officials were silent, who would dare to speak out to relieve the emperor's worries at this time?Who can come up with this money?
Li Hong's eyes lit up, he stood up suddenly, pushed the Jinshan upside down jade pillar, knelt down on the ground, and said loudly: "The salary of eating the king, relieves the worries of the king, Li Hong, Minister of the household department, is willing to relieve your majesty's worries."

Immediately, everyone in the hall turned to Li Hong.

(End of this chapter)