The furious Emperor Jiajing, holding his wide Taoist robe, quickly walked down the altar and paced back and forth in the empty hall.
"Asshole! Do you think I'm blind and a beggar? You gave 2.3 million taels to the national treasury, and even said shamelessly that you would allocate 1 million taels of silver to the inner treasury of the palace to build the Wanshou Palace for me.
Working tirelessly to relieve your worries! Asshole! That's how he relieved your worries! Three million three hundred thousand taels of silver were loaded onto three ships, which sailed from the south to the north, parading through the streets, afraid that the world would not know that he, Yan Maoqing, had relieved your worries and found three million three hundred thousand taels of silver for the national treasury in Lianghuai for me!
Huang Jin, tell me, how much silver did Yan Maoqing find during his salt inspection in Lianghuai? "
Huang Jin replied: "In reply to the emperor, the total should be 5.5 million taels."
Zhu Yijun had been planning to overthrow Yan Song since last year. When he heard that Yan Song had sent Yan Maoqing to inspect the salt industry in Lianghuai, he found an opportunity to remind him, which made Emperor Jiajing suspicious. He asked Huang Jin to send spies from the East Factory to watch Yan Maoqing and also made a copy of his real account book.
"But there are only 3.3 million taels in the memorial. 2.3 million goes to the national treasury, and 1 million goes to the palace and to me. Tell me, how did they divide the rest of the silver?"
"In reply to the emperor, the Yan family has 1.2 million taels, and Yan Maoqing has 1 million taels."
"Listen, listen," Emperor Jiajing lifted the front of his Taoist robe and stomped hard on the memorials on the ground, "It's all my money! They took two million taels, and I gave them one million taels! I have to be grateful and give them promotions and titles!"
In the main hall of Renshou Palace, the roaring voice of Emperor Jiajing echoed.
Zhu Yijun stood up, supported Emperor Jiajing, and called Li Fang.
"Li Fang, quickly bring a chair for Grandpa Huang."
Li Fang got up quickly and brought a chair. Zhu Yijun and Huang Jin supported Emperor Jiajing on both sides and sat down on the chair.
Li Fang brought another bowl of ginseng soup. Zhu Yijun took it and held it in front of Emperor Jiajing with both hands: "Grandpa Emperor, there is no need to get angry with these bastards. So what if they took the money? As long as it is still in the territory of the Ming Dynasty, it can't escape."
Emperor Jiajing suddenly turned his head and looked at Zhu Yijun. His triangular eyes moved around his young face for a few times, and then he suddenly smiled.
"Haha, haha! I'm old, but I don't think as clearly as a child. Yes, it doesn't matter if they take my money. As long as they are still in the Ming Dynasty, they have to spit out what I gave them!"
Hu Zongxian, who was standing next to him, was horrified when he heard this.
He quietly looked at the grandparents and grandchildren together with a complicated expression.
Emperor Jiajing, who had returned to normal, took the ginseng soup from Zhu Yijun's hand, drank it slowly, then took the silk scarf handed to him by Li Fang and wiped the corners of his mouth.
"My dear grandson, how do you tell him to spit out the silver?"
"Grandpa Emperor, pluck the feathers of geese when they pass by, and leave the skins of beasts when they leave. This is a bad habit in the officialdom, and it has existed since ancient times. It cannot be banned. But the treasury has no money, so Grandpa Emperor asked them to go and get one tael of silver. Twelve cents will go into the treasury, and they will take four cents, and there is nothing to say.
Ten coins go to the treasury, and they take six coins, so they can only accept it with a pinch of the nose. But they can't do it this way. The suppression of the Japanese in the southeast requires money, and the Ming Dynasty needs money everywhere. Grandpa Emperor has been saving money for the sake of the country, but they have become rich.
Yesterday, my grandson went back to Prince Yu's Mansion and heard two gardeners talking about how in their hometown of Suzhou, there was a retired official who spent nearly one million taels of silver to build a garden for his retirement.
It's so lawless!"
Emperor Jiajing's eyes widened and he asked in a lost voice, "How much silver did you spend?"
"Nearly one million taels of silver, but I don't know the exact amount."
Emperor Jiajing pointed at Huang Jin and asked, "You are in charge of the East Factory and the Embroidered Uniform Guard, do you know that?"
"This old servant has received the petition. It is from Wang Mulan, the former Minister of Rites. He retired and returned to his hometown. He built a garden on the site of Dahong Temple in Wu County, Suzhou. It took five years and cost 610,000 taels of silver. It was named Humble Administrator's Garden."
The Emperor Jiajing's anger rose again: "Humble Administrator's Garden, does he think I am incompetent in governing? Six hundred and one hundred thousand taels of silver, a garden for retirement. Wang Mulan, the Minister of Rites, I remember, a good friend of Yan Shifan. Is he sixty years old? Is he?"
"Your Majesty, Wang Shilan is fifty-three years old this year, and he was only forty-nine when he retired."
"Haha!" Emperor Jiajing sneered, "You are less than fifty years old and you want to retire. I am sixty years old, and I am still hanging on here! What a bunch of idiots who have no respect for the emperor or the father."
Hu Zongxian wished he could cover his ears.
Can I hear these words?
Will the emperor kill me later?
Zhu Yijun supported Emperor Jiajing, gently stroking his back with his left hand, and said, "Grandpa Emperor, don't be angry. It's my fault for making you angry again."
When Emperor Jiajing looked over, he nodded at Hu Zongxian next to him.
Emperor Jiajing immediately understood what Zhu Yijun meant. Some things cannot be said in front of his ministers.
He waved his hand and signaled Li Fang: "Move Lord Hu's stool closer, and move one for the prince as well. Lord Hu and I are as close as monarch and subject, so let's sit closer and talk."
Hu Zongxian kowtowed immediately and said, "I thank your majesty for your grace."
He stood up and sat on a stool, less than ten feet away from Emperor Jiajing, suppressing the discomfort in his heart and looking respectful.
"The Japanese pirates in the southeast have been causing trouble since the 34th year until now. The Governors of Zhi and Zhejiang have changed several times, but only you, Hu Ruzhen, have truly wiped out the Japanese pirates in Zhejiang.
He has made great contributions and has worked hard. "
"Your Majesty, these are what a minister should do. I am loyal to my emperor and I earn his salary." Hu Zongxian glanced at Emperor Jiajing and asked about what he was most concerned about. "Your Majesty, what about the suppression of the Japanese in Fujian?"
The Japanese invasion in the southeast has caused widespread harm. Hu Zongxian has spent several years of hard work and finally wiped out the Japanese threat in Zhejiang. Now only some Japanese pirates entrenched in Fujian are left. All the success depends on this one move, and he does not want to give up halfway.
Emperor Jiajing sighed and said, "Hu Ruzhen, you saw my misbehavior just now. The treasury is short of money and grain. The salt inspection in Lianghuai only brought in this little silver, and they embezzled half of it.
If we impose more taxes, the people will suffer. It is a dilemma to force the people to rebel because of the Japanese invasion in Fujian."
Emperor Jiajing was also very hesitant.
Zhu Yijun was right in reminding us just now. If the Japanese threat to Fujian is not eliminated, trade with Western merchants will be affected, delaying the profit.
However, a large amount of silver was needed to eliminate the Japanese invasion in Fujian, and his grand plan of practicing Taoism had to be delayed for a while.
Blocked at both ends.
Hu Zongxian looked at Emperor Jiajing and wanted to say, Your Majesty, didn't we have 5.5 million taels of silver just now? If we force them to spit it out, won't we have all of it?
But he didn't dare to say it, because he knew that the court was short of money and had countless holes to fill, not to mention that the emperor had been waiting for the money for a long time.
The emperor had been planning for many years to build the three main halls, Wanshou Palace and other Taoist temples and palaces. However, due to lack of money, the construction was delayed and they were never completed.
This is something that everyone in the government and the country knows.
Now that the emperor has the money, can he be willing to give it up?
But without sufficient food and money, how can we wipe out the Japanese pirates in Fujian?
Hu Zongxian was extremely anxious, but didn't know what to do.
"Grandfather Emperor, I just heard about the Lianghuai salt inspection, and your grandson remembered something." Zhu Yijun spoke.
Hu Zongxian was stunned and listened attentively.
The experience just now made him realize that Prince Yu was not only extremely trusted and favored by the Emperor, but also mentally mature, and his every word and action was quite meaningful.
"Grandson, what did you remember?" Emperor Jiajing waved his wide sleeves, put his hands in the sleeves and placed them on his upper abdomen.
"Last year, Lord Yan and his colleagues submitted a memorial saying that they wanted to increase revenue for the court and to develop a rice-to-mulberry program in Zhejiang. However, after all the hassles, the treasury received very little money and the people in the southeast were resentful.
Now the Emperor has strictly ordered them to inspect the salt in Lianghuai, but they dare to blatantly swallow up nearly half of the silver. I think that they have embezzled a lot of silver from the rice-to-mulberry and the tax collection in the southeast on weekdays. "
The Jiajing Emperor's face was so gloomy that water could drip out of it. Finally, he sighed and said, "I know these dirty things, but the state affairs and civil affairs still have to be handled by them."
"Grandpa Emperor, we can't control them for now, but we can find a new way to make money and help Hu Butang collect the food and money to eliminate the Japanese pirates in Fujian."
"A new way to make money?" Emperor Jiajing squinted his eyes and pondered for a while, "Grandson, please continue."
"The only valuable things in the southeast are silk, porcelain, and tea, and they control all these things. They sold 100,000 taels of silver to Westerners and paid 10,000 taels of silver in taxes to the national treasury, and we didn't even know about it."
Emperor Jiajing nodded slowly.
Yan Maoqing's inspection of the salt industry in Lianghuai broke his heart.
He knew that Yan Shifan and his gang were dishonest and would take advantage of others, but he turned a blind eye to them. He never expected that they would be so bold that they would dare to split the profits 70% with him, even after repeated strict orders.
My grandson is right. They have been embezzling a lot of money over the years!
This is all my money..!
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