In the Changkun Palace.

The emperor looked at Lin Yan, who was kneeling on the ground and presented him with a serious fold, pulled her up and led her to sit down beside him, and said with a smile: "It's good for you to arrive, the first thing you do when you enter the palace is to give me money." ”

Lin Yan leaned on him and said with a smile: "The concubine also loves the virtuous name." The concubine disposed of the concubine last time, and then there were officials who impeached the concubine for treating the concubine harshly and arrogantly. The concubines always have to make an appearance to show them, and the concubines are also well aware of righteousness, virtuous and frugal. What's more, the emperor is a Ming monarch, and the concubines can naturally only be virtuous queens, so that they can be regarded as husbands and wives. ”

The emperor smiled: "Then what if I am a faint king?" ”

Lin Yan praised him greatly, and said: "The emperor is majestic and martial, wise and martial, and works hard, how can he be a faint king." smiled and said, "If the emperor is a faint king, then the concubine will be a traitor." In short, the pace of the concubines must be the same as that of the emperor. ”

The emperor said: "Your father is a stuffy gourd, why did he give birth to such a clever girl as you." ”

Lin Yan winked at him and said, "Probably the concubine is like my mother." ”

Lin Yan shook the emperor's arm again, half coquettish and half serious: "Uncle only said that I was not allowed to fold it." Although I am for fame, I really feel that the consumption of the harem is too large, and the concubines have carefully calculated that the annual consumption of the harem has reached more than one million taels, and the annual income of the imperial court is only forty million taels. ”

This is still in the case of only more than ten masters in the harem, this year is the year of the general election, if some new palace concubines come in after the draft, and then there will be princes and princesses born in the future, this number will only be more terrifying. A large amount of silver money is lost in the harem, which not only causes waste, but also increases the burden on the imperial court's finances.

Think about the Lin family army in the northwest, one million taels of silver is their military salary for two years. During the three years she was in the northwest, she saw the soldiers of the guard with her own eyes, because sometimes the military pay was not timely or insufficient, and they could only rely on drinking chili water to keep warm in winter.

If the silver saved in the harem is used as their military salary, a large number of soldiers guarding the frontier can be fed and clothed.

The emperor looked at her with a smile and said, "What else have you found, tell me about it." ”

Lin Yan looked at him with clear eyes, her eyebrows and eyes were delicate, and she also said with a smile: "The concubine found that the harem was consumed too much, and it only started when the first emperor was used. When Emperor Taizu, the harem cost only two or three hundred thousand taels a year, to Emperor Taizong, the harem was only 300,000, to the first emperor, when the first emperor first ascended the throne, the harem cost was only about 400,000, and then it increased year by year, reaching more than one million in the later years of the first emperor. When the emperor ascended the throne, the harem cost remained at the level of the previous emperor in his later years, and it was also around one million taels. ”

The emperor sighed and explained to Lin Yan: "When Emperor Taizu was established, the dynasty was first established, and Emperor Taizu was supported by the ministers of the previous dynasty to sit on the throne. The people were caught in the war and could not recuperate at all, and the court did not have too much money, so naturally there would not be too much money for the harem. And Emperor Taizong only favored Empress Xu in his life, and only Empress Xu gave birth to a pair of children of the first emperor and Tang and Huang Huang's aunt, and the other harems were useless, so the harem was also less useful. When it came to the first emperor, the first emperor was much more affectionate than Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong, with hundreds of concubines in the harem, and more than a dozen princes and princesses. There are more harem masters, and the consumption will naturally increase. In addition, the first emperor implemented the policy of rest and recuperation, the people lived and worked in peace and contentment, the economy was prosperous, and the court had enough silver, so naturally there was silver money for the harem to enjoy. And although there are not many of my harems, the concubines left by the first emperor still have to be supported by me, and the harem consumption is naturally not saved. ”

Lin Yan nodded, indicating that she understood.

Emperor Taizu's harem is used sparingly because he really has no money. Emperor Taizong's harem is not much, because as long as Empress Xu is alone, no matter how much one person uses, there is not much more. The use of the first emperor's harem has increased significantly, first, the court has silver, and second, the first emperor's little wife is too much. When it came to the emperor, although the emperor's little wife was few, there were too many little mothers, and they couldn't save it.

Lin Yan remembered that the silver that flowed into the harem with white flowers really flowed into the hands of the concubines and concubines of Ci'an Palace.

There are more than 60 harems where the first emperor is still alive, and the low-level palace concubines are sent to Qingliang Temple to become monks, and there are more than 20 concubines who have children or are in high positions when the first emperor is in a high position, and now all of them live in the large and small side halls of Ci'an Palace. But whether it is the monks of Qingliang Temple or those concubines and concubines in Ci'an Palace, they still need the emperor to support them until their old age.

It is also a bit hard to be the emperor, the emperor's own concubine Qi Xian has passed away in the first year of the emperor's accession to the throne, and the remaining concubines have nothing to do with him.

As a result, now, the emperor has to provide them with the flattery and honor that even Concubine Qi Xian did not enjoy.

Lin Yan buried her face in the emperor's clothes and smiled in a low voice, not knowing what the emperor would feel in his heart when he raised those concubines.

The emperor turned his head to squint at her and asked, "What are you laughing at, little girl?" ”

Lin Yan shook her head, showed a pair of eyes from her clothes, looked at him brightly, and continued to smile.

The emperor shook his head helplessly and inexplicably, and then opened the fold she presented and looked at it.

Lin Yan was secretly happy for a while, and then sat next to him obediently, waiting for him to finish reading.

After reading it, the emperor said: "But the excerpt you presented is also very reasonable, and now the use of the harem is indeed too large, so it should be reduced." Do as you wish."

Lin Yan said in her heart, look, he is actually unhappy with the concubine and concubine, who have nothing to do with the promotion.

The emperor pondered for a moment, and then said: "But a cut of three percent is too much, so cut two percent." If you cut it too much, I'm afraid that the harem will complain too much, and it will not be easy for you to implement it. As he spoke, he took out a small jade seal that was half an inch long and half an inch wide and one inch high, and stamped a seal on the fold.

It was a small seal used by the emperor privately, with the word "Xiao Zhi" written on it.

Lin Yan smiled when she saw it and said, "Your small seal may not work, you have to cover a jade seal for your concubine." ”

The Emperor glanced down at her, and saw that she had a sly smile on her face, but it looked very serious.

The emperor nodded her nose, raised his head and instructed Gonggong Wan, "Go to the Qinzheng Palace and bring the jade seal." ”

Wan Gong said yes fairly, and then withdrew.

Lin Yan began to laugh and pat her ass: "The concubine knows that the emperor is wise and martial, and he is a rare emperor through the ages." ”