Jinyi Town Mountains and Rivers

Chapter 61 The Huge Deficit of the Salt Tax

The western suburbs of Beijing.

He Liu and Lao Hu stood on a dirt slope.Next to them stood two guards from the Criminal Department.

More than ten feet in front of the four stood Fu Hanling and Li Xueyi who was about to marry.The two said goodbye reluctantly.

He Liu handed two 20 taels of silver ingots to the two guards: "It was hard work for you to escort the criminal to the Northwest for the army this time. This is a little hard money, take it."

The tall officer said: "What is the sixth master talking about. This is the job of a villain."

He Liudao: "This criminal was originally the son of an official family. He was spoiled and raised. He has never suffered from the hardship of traveling long distances with a big shackle? Please take care of him along the way."

The short officer said: "Don't worry, Sixth Master! Since you have told us, we will definitely get things done!"

He Liu and Lao Hu led the two servants to the front of the pair of fateful mandarin ducks.

He Liudao: "It's about time. Mr. Fu, it's time for you to go on the road. It's a long way to go to the northwest mountain, so please take care of yourself."

Fu Hanling said: "I'm wearing a shackle, so it's inconvenient to salute the sixth uncle. Xue Yi has already told me that my life was saved by the sixth uncle! If there is a day when I turn around in the future, I will definitely repay it."

He Liu shook his head: "Don't think about turning around right now - what you should think about most is how to save your life in the Northwest!"

The northwest is a place of bitter cold, and a young master like Fu Hanling sent to that place to serve as an army, not to mention being killed by the Tatars, even the severe cold can kill him.

He Liu sent Fu Hanling away, and Li Xueyi also returned home, waiting to get married.

The daughter of the Minister of Justice married Jin Yiwei's Beizhen Fushi, which was considered a major event in the official circles of the capital.On the wedding day, there was an endless stream of officials who came to congratulate her.

After the banquet was over, Liu Yuanzhen came to the bridal chamber.

He lifted off Li Xueyi's red hijab.Li Xueyi's skin was as smooth as snow, and her eyes were like a pool of clear water.

Liu Yuanzhen raised his right hand and stroked Li Xueyi's cheek.

Li Xueyi didn't resist, her eyes were full of cruelty.

Finally, Li Xueyi closed her eyes, lay flat on the bed, and waited for the enemy in front of her to be ravaged by her new husband-in-law.

However, Liu Yuanzhen got up and walked out of the bridal chamber. . . . . .

#######In the winter of the 39th year of Jiajing, auspicious snow fell from the sky.This heavy snow lasted for a whole month.

When the water is full, it will overflow, and when the moon is full, it will be short.If there is too much auspicious snowfall, it will be a disaster!
The harvest in Beizhili had been poor this autumn, and the people lacked food and clothing.After this heavy snowstorm, tens of thousands of people died of freezing and starvation in the 35 counties of the seven prefectures of Northern Zhenli.

An imperial meeting is being held in the main hall of Yongshou Palace.

Emperor Jiajing was still sitting cross-legged on the futon in the green gauze curtain.

In front of the green gauze curtain, all the officials above the third rank in Beijing stood.

Yan Song, the chief assistant of the cabinet, said: "Since there is a disaster, we must go to save it. I will try my best to coordinate the household department and the governor of Zhili, and let the household department allocate disaster relief money to Beizhili as soon as possible."

The three generals of King Yu's Party: Xu Jie, Minister of the Cabinet, Zhang Juzheng, Secretary of the Ministry of War, and Gao Gong, Minister of the Ministry of Households, launched an attack on Yan Song!
First, Gao Gong said: "Older Yan Yange, the household department's Taicang has been sold out! There are only 10,000+ taels of treasury silver left in the treasury! Disaster relief? Our household department is already a clever woman who can't cook without rice!"

Yan Song's son, Xiaoge Lao Yan Shifan questioned Gao Gong: "Gao Suqing, you are in charge of the household department's house for the emperor, and the national treasury is so short, you are duty-bound!"

Gao Gong said angrily: "Mr. Xiaoge, why is the Ministry of Accounting so short? I want to ask you, the Secretary of the Ministry of Industry!"

Yan Shifan said angrily: "Joke! I am the Minister of the Ministry of Industry, and you are the Minister of the Ministry of Accounting. Your Ministry of Accounting is in short supply, and you want to ask me the Minister of the Ministry of Industry?"

Gao Gong said: "The Ministry of Industry's budget at the beginning of the year was 300 million taels. By the end of the year, when you reconciled and canceled the accounts, your Ministry of Industry actually withdrew 800 million taels of silver from our household department in one year! The overspending reached 500 million taels! Mr. Xiaoge , tell me, is the deficit of the household department due to the excessive expenditure of the Ministry of Industry?"

Yan Shifan was not to be outdone: "The overspend of 500 million taels, of which 200 million was due to the flood in the south of the Yangtze River this summer, and the Ministry of Industry was transferred to the river yamen to repair the embankment! The other 300 million taels were for the emperor to repair Lingji Palace, Chaotian Temple, and build Fengtian Temple, used by Leshan Palace! The emperor is the son of heaven, and the emperor is supported by the world! Building several temples and Taoist temples for the emperor is the filial piety of the people in the world! Does Gao Shangshu have any objection to this?"

Yan Shifan blamed Emperor Jiajing for the expenses of the Ministry of Industry, so Gao Gong was inconvenient to say more.

Zhang Juzheng came out of the class and said: "The way of running a family of ordinary people is nothing more than two things: increasing revenue and blocking revenue. The household department is so short-lived, and the budget overrun of each department is only part of the reason! The bigger reason is the reduction of revenue! For example, the salt tax in the south of the Yangtze River. The archives of the Ministry of Households for more than ten years. Ten years ago, the salt tax handed over to the national treasury in Jiangnan was a huge 400 million taels. Since ten years ago, it has been decreasing year by year. This year, the salt tax silver handed over by the Lianghuai Salt Transport Yamen is only a mere 90 taels! The population of Daming has not changed, so could it be said that the salt used on the dining tables of common people is [-]% less than that of ten years ago?"

Standing in front of the green gauze curtain was Lu Fang, who was in charge of the chief inspector of ceremonies: "Zhang Butang is saying that the deficit of salt tax and silver in Jiangnan is as high as [-]%?"

Zhang Juzheng said: "Exactly! What has the Lianghuai Salt Transportation Yamen been doing in recent years? The three Lianghuai salt transportation envoys should all die to apologize!"

The Lianghuai salt transport envoy is the world's most fat messenger.Since Yan Song took power, this position has been firmly in the hands of the Yan Party.This is a well-known fact in the officialdom.Zhang Juzheng's participation in the Lianghuai Salt Transport Yamen is tantamount to attacking Yan Song, the chief assistant.

Yan Shifan said angrily: "Zhang Taiyue! You and Gao Suqing sang together, it's nothing more than Xiang Zhuang's sword dance is aimed at Peigong!"

Zhang Juzheng confronted him tit for tat: "Who is Xiang Zhuang that Mr. Xiaoge said? Who is Pei Gong? In front of the emperor, Mr. Xiaoge, please explain clearly!"

Yan Shifan was about to refute, when Yan Song spoke and interrupted his son: "Shifan, this is a court meeting, let people speak!"

Zhang Juzheng said again: "Your Majesty has no faults. I think that for the present plan, we should send a loyal person as soon as possible to patrol the salt in the south, check the salt tax, and make up for the deficit. Jiangnan purchases grain, cloth, and cotton and transports them to the disaster area!"

Yan Song hurriedly said: "I think Zhang Taiyue's words are very true! I recommend Yan Maoqing, the vice-capital censor, to go south to inspect salt!"

Yan Maoqing is a hardcore strict party.This is known to everyone in the court.

Gao Gong was about to raise an objection, but Xu Jie, the second assistant to the cabinet, gave him a wink and told him to shut up.

Lu Fang lifted the green gauze curtain.Emperor Jiajing finally said: "Well, after arguing, we will find a solution. Zhang Aiqing's method is excellent, and Yan Maoqing recommended by Mr. Yan Ge is also a loyal person. Lu Fang drafted an order to award Yan Maoqing the title of Yushi Zuodu , as an imperial envoy to the south to inspect the salt, to clean up the Lianghuai salt tax!"

All the ministers knelt together and shouted: "The emperor is holy! Long live my emperor!"

The meeting will disperse.

Xu Jie, Gao Gong, and Zhang Juzheng did not go back to their respective mansions, but came to Prince Yu's mansion.

(End of this chapter)