Chastity Layman

  Chapter 223 Emperor Worry

  Chang'an.

  In the Xiande Hall of the East Palace.

  The ruler and ministers are discussing matters.

  Seeing that the Nine Years of Takede has finally come to an end in the midst of famine, foreign aggression and even civil turmoil, the new year is coming soon, and next year will be the first year of the reform of Yuan Zhenguan.

  From the adventurous mutiny on the fourth day of June to now, every day in the past six months has been walking on thin ice, cautiously. But finally came, Li Yuan, Wang Junkuo, Li Xiaochang, Li Youliang, Liu Deyu, Luo Yi and other rebels were all beheaded.

  Jie interest rate of 300,000 riders to drink horses to drink the Weihe River, and the soldiers approached Chang'an, but he was also forced to retreat.

   Severe drought and locusts, hunger and food shortage, but still gritted their teeth and survived.

  Li Shimin was sitting in the hall, listening to the summaries of the prime ministers below, he suddenly felt as if he had been a prince for only two months, and he had been the emperor for a hundred days, but he seemed to have spent half his life.

  This emperor is really not easy to be.

   It’s been a difficult journey. What the emperor brings to the world is not a bumper crop and prosperity for the people, but a severe drought and locusts that ravage Guanzhong and Kanto. For this reason, the imperial court had to spend all the treasury money and food to relieve the disaster.

  Now the national treasury is empty, Changan Taicang, Gyeonggi Zhengcang, transshipment warehouse, and Changping warehouse have very little food, and more are dried locusts and locust powder.

   This year's rent adjustments are all exempted, princes and nobles have also given up this year's fief income, and even officials have even halved their salaries.

  Li Shimin felt that he had failed as an emperor.

   Chinese New Year is coming soon, but he, the emperor, can't give the rewards to the heroes and prime ministers, nor can he give the rewards to the soldiers.

  Because the treasury is empty.

  Although we have survived this year, there is still a long time before next year's summer harvest. What should we do when the most critical period is not picked up?

  The courtiers sang praises below, but Li Shimin was ashamed.

Although now he has survived various challenges and crises, and now he is in power, especially through the reform of the army, he now completely controls Chang'an City, Baiqi Division, Zhenfu Division, Habayashi Army, Qianniu Guard, and Jinwu Guard The establishment of the Beiya system in Beijing gave him stronger control than when his father was emperor.

   But so what?

  Has he ever been in such a mess when he was a father?

  If you are not in charge of the family, you don't know how expensive the rice is, and if you don't sit on the throne, you don't know that the world is so difficult to control.

  The national treasury is dry, the food cannot be supplied, and the newly-built Sixth Army of the Beiya has not been able to come up with a suitable army supply plan.

  Without food, a more serious famine will break out after the spring of next year, and the disaster resistance will fall short. Without money, the Sixth Army of the Beiya will be unsustainable, and his Sixth Army of the Beiya may be forced to disband.

  Honor, the ministers began to discuss the process of next year's Great Court Conference, etc., but this is inseparable from the word money. Next year's grand dynasty will be very important. This is his first Zhengdan dynasty after he changed the Yuan Dynasty. At that time, the Sifang Dynasty and the barbarian envoys from all directions will come to congratulate him. If something goes wrong by then, it will affect the Central Plains Celestial Dynasty The majesty of the kingdom.

   Li Shimin can't afford to lose this face, and neither can Datang, so it has to be done, it has to be done grandly, and it has to be done extra grandly.

  Wei Zheng reprimanded Shangshu Zuo Pu and shot Feng Deyi.

   "Since Feng has said so much, Wei Zheng dare to ask, where does the money come from?"

  Feng Deyi was stunned, unable to answer.

   Now the treasury is empty, cleaner than a face. Even before it was said that all officials would be paid a half salary, but the problem is that this half salary was also paid, but now the imperial court can't pay it.

  Where does the money come from to engage in ceremonies now?

   Wei Zheng's sharp question left Feng Deyi speechless.

  The hall fell into an awkward silence.

Wei Zhengdao, "Earlier, the Honglu Temple reported that Jieli sent envoys to the Tang Dynasty, saying that he wanted to send 10,000 horses to the Tang Dynasty, and asked us to give 200,000 pieces of silk. We don't have the money to buy Turkic horses. Let’s say 10,000 horses, even 5,000 or 3,000 horses, I’m worried that if I completely reject Xieli’s horses, Xieli may be dissatisfied, and there may be troubles at the border again!”

  Li Shimin only felt a headache when he heard these words.

However, Li Jing, the general of the left guard, still played at this time, proposing to use troops against the Liang divisions in Shuofang, saying that if the Liang divisions were not eliminated for a day, the north of the capital would be unstable. Protect Chang'an, and even truly have the strategic initiative against the Turks, otherwise Datang will always be stuck in a situation where the Turks choke their throats and come and go whenever they want.

  But Li Jing's proposal was unanimously opposed by the prime ministers, the reason being that they had no money.

  There is no famine right now, where will the money come from, where will the food come from? At a time like this, how dare you take the initiative to provoke and start a fight?

  The emperor coughed a few times.

  The hall became quiet again.

   Li Shimin rubbed his temple with one hand, his eyes swept over the ministers.

"I have listened to the words of the ministers, and concluded that the most urgent thing to do in the court is money, and food. Without money, the salaries of hundreds of officials cannot be paid, and the salaries of the new Beiya Sixth Army will not be paid. Next year, the Zhengdan Grand Court will be held. I can't do it... now let's discuss how to solve the problem of money and food!"

  No one answered.

   Li Shimin swept across the ministers in dissatisfaction.

   "Prime Minister Feng, you are Zuo Pushe, the head of all officials, tell me."

  Although Feng Deyi is more capable, otherwise it would be impossible for the four emperors of the two dynasties to be honored and favored, but the best thing about this person is actually to observe his face, judge his intentions, and engage in power struggles. If we really want to talk about this kind of general affairs and practical administration, especially the economic and financial management, Feng Deyi is helpless.

   He groaned for a long time, and finally had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "Please increase revenue and reduce expenditure!"

   "Where to increase revenue and where to reduce expenditure?" Li Shimin asked.

  Feng Deyi couldn't answer.

  Li Shimin was very disappointed, "Auxiliary machine, tell me!"

  Changsun Wuji, as the emperor's first confidant Yuan Cong, after Xiao Yu and Chen Shuda were kicked out of the phase, he really arranged him to serve as the right servant, which naturally won the emperor's trust.

But the emperor is only twenty-eight this year, and the eldest grandson Wuji is a few years younger than the emperor. Li Shimin once said in public that all the sons are young, so if he treats the eldest grandson Wuji as a son, although the twenty-five-six-year-old eldest grandson Wuji is also He is decisive and strategic, but he is also not good at economics.

  Faced with such a mess, there is no good way.

  He felt that at this moment, it was not the right time for the Sixth Army of the Beiya to be established, especially because the Sixth Army of the Beiya had to recruit soldiers, which was a huge military expenditure. But this is what the emperor insisted on, how can it be mentioned?

   "Duke Wei!"

  Facing the emperor's inquiry, Wei Zheng said very bluntly, "I am the secretary and supervisor. Economics and finance are neither the minister nor the official job of the minister. Your Majesty should not ask me."

   Li Shimin was annoyed, "You are not only a secretary supervisor, you are also an advisor to a doctor, and you are also a political adviser!"

"I am an advisor to political affairs. I do have the responsibility to intervene in military and state affairs, but I am mainly responsible for sealing and refuting audits. As for how to get money and grain, this should be the Minister of the Household Department, the Secretary of the Si Nong Temple, the Secretary of the Taipu Temple, Your Majesty should ask them about matters such as the Shaofu Supervisor, this is their duty!"

  Li Shimin shook his head helplessly.

But Wei Zheng said again, "I have no plan to get money and food, but I also agree with what the prime minister said about increasing income and reducing expenditure. Your Majesty's Sixth Army of the Beiya Army has been changed from government soldiers to recruit soldiers. There are more than 27,000 soldiers. The cost was huge, and I thought it was unnecessary. In the previous dynasty, Yang Guang set up the Xiaoguo Army in addition to the twelve guards, and once raised 200,000 yuan, but what happened? The Xiaoguo Army did not protect Yang Sui, nor Yang Sui. Guang, and even eventually regicide rebellion!"

Wei Zheng talked non-stop, holding on to the issue of the Sixth Army of the Beiya, saying how much food the Sixth Army would spend, especially at this time, this is a bottomless pit, demanding that the emperor withdraw the Sixth Army of the Beiya and restore the original ten. The second guard and the fourth mansion fanned the Suwei system.

  Li Shimin suppressed his unhappiness, and listened to Wei Zheng's spray.

   "Do you have a good plan to teach me?"

  The emperor asked three consecutive questions, but no one answered.

  Li Shimin's complexion became more and more ugly, he stood up suddenly, kicked the imperial case over, and then walked away with his black face.

  Leaving all the officials looking at each other in blank dismay.

  The emperor kicked the case again.

  Wei Zheng also stood there with a dark face, "There is no demeanor of a king!"

   "Wei Jian should say a few words less!"

   "Am I wrong? As an emperor, he kicks the case at every turn and walks away with his sleeves. What does it look like?"

  All the prime ministers and ministers saw that Wei Zheng refused to give up even after the emperor left, and wanted to spray there, but they all turned their heads helplessly, and ignored the big sprayer, so as to save their faces from being sprayed with saliva.

   Li Shimin returned to the Lizheng Hall in a hurry.

   Changsun saw this, "Why is Your Majesty angry?"

"That damned Wei Zheng is only worthy of going home to farm and sell wine as a villager. I can't bear to blindly invite names to buy straight." Li Shimin had nothing to hide in front of the queen, and scolded Wei Zheng for a long time, saying that he He was just invited to pretend to be upright, but in fact this person is very treacherous, "He just knows that I dare not kill him, and wants to set him as an example, so that the world will know that I can tolerate the old princelings and those gentry scholars... "..."

   "Except for **** and admonishment all day long, what else can this damned villager do? I really ask him some strategies for governing the country, but he can't even say a fart!"

   "Sooner or later, I will kill this man!"

  The eldest grandson poured a cup of tea for her husband.

   "Your Majesty, drink a cup of tea to calm down!"

   "I can't drink it." Li Shimin was still angry and his chest was heaving. If he didn't leave just now, he was really afraid that he would rush down and knock Wei Zheng down with a punch, and then kick him violently.

"Your Majesty, above the court, there are hundreds of officials and bureaucrats, all of whom perform their own duties. Wei Zheng is not wrong. He is a political advisor, but he is not a minister in charge of economy and finance. Your Majesty insists on asking him this. How can I answer?"

   Li Shimin let out a long sigh.

"It would be great if Huailiang was here. A hundred Wei Zhengs are no match for one Qin Lang. Although Qin Lang is young, his ability to do things is a thousand times better than that of Wei Zheng. No matter what I ask him, he can always come up with unique opinions. , unlike this Wei Zheng, who can do anything besides spitting!"

  The eldest grandson chuckled lightly.

   "Saburo is indeed very intelligent and skillful. Your Majesty might as well call Sanlang back to Beijing to ask advice. I have driven him out of Beijing for so long, and I have learned enough lessons. It will be the Chinese New Year, so we must not let him go back to Chang'an."

  Li Shimin said, "It's too soon to call him back now. I haven't stopped the flames of what happened last time."

   "But what happened last time, you can't blame Saburo, can you? He also suffered an unreasonable disaster!"

  Li Shimin sighed, "Now the imperial court's finances are indeed at the end of their ropes. I'm afraid Qin Lang will be helpless when he comes. A clever woman can't make a living without rice."

   "If your Majesty doesn't call Sanlang back to ask for advice, how will he know if he has a solution?" The eldest grandson still insisted.

   "Let me think about it again!"

  (end of this chapter)