Above the court, the emperor was furious, angrily threw a large stack of thick books on the court, and the ministers were panicked, frightened, and silent.

"The soldiers haven't been paid for three months! Three months! The soldiers on the border can only live on thin chaff every day! They left their hometowns and stuck to the border of Datang every day, and fought for the stability of my Datang! Is this how we Datang treat those hard-working soldiers? If the soldiers don't have enough to eat, and if this goes on for a long time, the morale of the army will be chaotic, and who of you will be responsible at that time? Tobe Squire Pei Zhong! ”

Pei Zhong stepped forward and saluted, "There are only 100,000 taels of silver left in the emperor's household department!" The sum of these several places is as much as 200,000 yuan, and it is not enough to give this silver to anyone and not to whom, if it is really given to the military salary! Besides, what will happen to the expenses of the imperial court in the future? The minister is really embarrassed, Your Majesty! ”

The emperor was puzzled and angry, "One hundred thousand taels? Did the more than one million taels of silver levied at the end of last autumn run out so quickly? How do you settle accounts? Are you bullying me old and foolish? ”

Pei Zhong, the head of the household department, said: "Your Majesty, just last year to suppress the rebellion of the traitors in the south, it cost more than 500,000 taels of silver!" Coupled with the military expenditure and court expenditure in the past half year, the imperial court's treasury is now almost stretched! It's the incompetence of the ministers! Emperor! ”

The emperor walked slowly around the lobby, preoccupied, "Yes! I know! The southern traitors rebelled, and it took three months to suppress the bandits! The people are panicked, and almost half of Datang's savings have been exhausted! What now? We can't let our soldiers of the Tang Dynasty go hungry and guard the border for us. ”

A minister said: "Your Majesty, at this critical juncture, in order to solve the urgent need, it is necessary to collect taxes and silver throughout the country to replenish the national treasury!" ”

A minister stepped forward and said: "Your Majesty, the minister thinks it is inappropriate, when the war in the south was raging, taxes and silver were already raised, and there was a famine in Shandong and other places last year, and the victims moved westward. By the end of autumn, it was already full of victims. If at this time, the official tax is added, it will be even worse, I am afraid that it will increase the burden of the people and arouse public resentment! Emperor! ”

The emperor was angry and furious, "Is it so strict?" In terms of what you say, what should we do in Datang? ”

At this time, above the temple, there was silence, "What? At the critical time, are they all dumb? What's the use of me raising your group of people? ”

The crown prince Li Qi stepped forward and said resignedly, "Father, according to the ministers, this tax must be levied, otherwise, what will happen to the Tang Dynasty soldiers?" The soldiers have been working hard day and night, so we can't let the soldiers of the Tang Dynasty starve. ”

The emperor's majestic face showed a hint of a smile, "Then the prince, what should I do if it really arouses public resentment?" What if the real refugees gather to rebel, and the small ones become thieves and the big ones become cowards? ”

The prince said: "As the saying goes, villains are difficult to raise!" If there are really a few rebels at that time, the father only needs to give an edict to his son, let the son-in-law lead an elite army, and cut him down a few who are leading the trouble, and then the other thieves will also be frightened, and they will not be able to stir up any big waves! ”

At this time, King Shu squinted his eyes slightly, as if he was thinking.

The emperor glared angrily, "Ridiculous! Only if the Son of Heaven is not virtuous will there be natural disasters, and there will be a famine in Shandong, and the rulers themselves should reflect on themselves, but now you are shooting at the people, isn't this making me lose my virtue to the people? ”

Feeling that he had done something wrong, the prince was even more cramped and uneasy, and he was resigned.

The emperor looked at the crown prince, "As the crown prince, how can you act like this?" ”

The prince resignedly said: "Erchen is also worried, so he ......"

Prime Minister Wei Zhiyi stepped forward, "Your Majesty, according to Weichen, if this national tax is collected, it will be difficult, but the current way is not that there is no way, but it is just ...... Just ......"

The emperor looked at Wei Zhiyi, "Wei Xiang, let's say it directly!" ”

Prime Minister Wei Zhiyi said: "The people's taxes cannot be collected, but the taxes of large households in Guanzhong can be collected, and this is the time when the country is in danger, and it is the time for them to serve the country!" There are still more than three months to go before the harvest season, we only need to wait for three months, the minister has already calculated, as long as more than 400,000 is collected, we can get through the current crisis, Emperor! ”

The emperor sighed, "Yes! It's time for them to serve the country, 'the skin does not exist, the hair will be attached'! Now, who do you think you should send as rulers to collect money? ”

This is not a good errand, whoever accepts this mission will become the target of the public, and it will be difficult to have a foothold in the court in the future, and the temple will be silent.

Duan Yu, the secretary of the ministry, looked at King Shu's eyes and glanced at the crown prince Li Qi.

Duan Yu is King Shu's person, and it seems that King Shu's sword is pointing at the crown prince Li Qi at this time.

Duan Yu, the secretary of the ministry, stepped forward, "Your Majesty, the minister thinks that it is best to send someone who can represent the Tang Dynasty in this matter, so that he can have the right to deal with those big households in Guanzhong!" ”

Seeing that Duan Yu meant the crown prince Li Qi, the prince's people were unwilling.

Xu You, the squire of the military department, stepped forward to refute.

Xu You, the squire of the military department, said: "Your Majesty, the minister thinks that it is best to send a person of high moral standing in this matter, which is a good policy!" ”

Hearing that Xu You, the squire of the military department, meant to refer to King Shu, the people on King Shu's side were also ready to move.

The prince's people, King Shu's people on both sides want the other party's people to go, after all, this is not a good errand, whoever goes, will betray their relatives and become the target of the public.

The emperor was angry, "Okay! Don't fight! I'll appoint one! Li Chun, King of Guangling! ”

Li Chun, the king of Guangling, stepped forward and saluted, "Father! The son is here! ”

The emperor said, "King Guangling! Chun'er! I'll send you this errand! The courtiers don't dare to take it, do you dare to take it? ”

Li Chun smiled uninhibitedly, "Why don't you dare?" Erchen took this mission! ”

The emperor's eyes were full of majesty, "Good! Then I'll send you two edicts! One is to levy 500,000 taels of silver, and the other is that I give you the privilege of acting cheaply! ”

Li Chun, the king of Guangling, saluted, "Son, thank your father!" ”

Guo Jiayan hurriedly stepped forward and saluted, "The minister sees the emperor, and the minister is willing to ask for orders to go with the king of Guangling to collect taxes and silver, and ask the emperor to agree!" ”

The emperor's majestic face showed a smile, no one else dared to take the task, but he didn't expect this kid to ask for his life.

Xu You, the squire of the military department, stepped forward, "Lord Guo can't!" Mr. Guo is in an important position! Commanding the Imperial City Guards to protect the emperor's safety, this matter must not be negligent! ”

At this time, Xu You, who is the crown prince of the queen, clearly understands that if Guo Jiayan is really appointed to collect taxes, then the leader of the Praetorian Guard in the imperial city will be replaced by someone else, and if the person who is replaced is not the queen's person, it will be unfavorable for the crown prince to ascend the throne in the future, after all, the Imperial City Janissaries control the army of the imperial city; Besides, if Guo Jiayan really went to collect taxes, then the prestige of the Guo family in the court would no longer exist.

Guo Jiayan said: "Please allow the emperor!" Guo Jiayan is willing to serve the emperor! Willing to play for Datang! ”

The emperor looked at Guo Jiayan and looked at the ministers, "Jiayan, you have a brave heart!" But the Imperial City Janissaries need your leadership! I need you to protect my safety! ”

Guo Jiayan saluted, "Yes!" Emperor! Obey! ”