Chapter 214: Zhou Chen's persistence

Zhou Chen said in a deep voice: "The old minister is just a horse, he is favored by His Majesty, and he has been carried to this day, under one person, above ten thousand people, the grace of knowing the encounter, the mountains are high and the sea is deep, the minister should naturally do his best for His Majesty, even if he is dedicated, what does it matter." Your Majesty has an order, and the minister dares not to work hard for it. It's just that the minister has some words, but he doesn't dare to say it, he can't say it, so please forgive your majesty. ”

Zhu Qizhen said: "Sir, please speak." ”

Zhou Chen said: "The Yellow River Dagong, Xuanda was soldiered, and now there is another big defeat, and the money consumed has exhausted the treasury. Now Your Majesty's intention is to fight again with the tile thorn, but the army is outside, and the daily consumption of thousands of gold, Your Majesty please give the ministers a bottom, when will this battle be fought. The minister is well prepared, or please ask Your Majesty to take the life of the old minister. ”

Zhu Qizhen listened to it and knew that it was really difficult for him to be thoughtful for a while.

Zhou Chen is not the kind of person who adheres to principles very much, or even the kind of person whose utilitarianism is better than morality, but his utilitarianism is not for his own personal gain, but for his own personal gain, but to leave a name in history and do a good job.

So in many things, Zhou Chen is willing to compromise. If you want to do something, you have to keep your position, and if you want to keep your position, you have to get holy grace. Therefore, under normal circumstances, Zhou Chen is unwilling to have a hard top with the emperor, and the so-called direct advice or something is not what Zhou Chen wants to do.

It's just that Zhou Chen really can't stand it anymore.

Last year, although there was a large work of the Yellow River, but the Ming Dynasty finances were still very healthy, and the silver in stock was about 10 million, although it was not much, but it was about the same. 、

But the emperor was going to war.

Okay, collect and scrape, although Zhou Chen is a little busy, it is probably enough.

However, the Chengguo Gong lost his soldiers and lost his generals, and suddenly the court expenses were thrown into a hole that could not be filled. If it weren't for Zhou Chen's feeling that this hole was too big, Zhou Chen would not have coveted Cheng Guogong's family property.

Although Zhou Chen has some things that can only be done, he is not taboo. But as a minister of financial management, persuading the emperor to do such a disgraceful thing, he was not without a sense of shame in his heart.

That's it, Zhou Chen felt that he could barely smooth out this hole.

The emperor has to fight again, he has to recruit troops, and so on. That doesn't cost money.

But the money? Money?

It's really gone.

Otherwise, Zhou Chen would not have to use Jingcang grain, not that Jingcang grain cannot be used. Even every year, Jingcang will release a batch of old grain to collect new grain.

Because there is a time limit for grain storage, it is generally only one or two years after it is out of the warehouse, and the grain is kept as new grain.

This is one of the jobs of the household department.

Even if Jingcang plus Tianjin, the warehouses in Cangzhou add up, and now it is only more than 10 million stones, even if it is calculated according to the full warehouse, it is only 5 million taels.

This though is

A lot of money can probably fill this hole, but the question is, can the grain in the granary really be emptied?

This is a more terrible thing than having a big hole in the Ming Dynasty's finances.

Zhou Chen is certainly not the kind of minister who will admonish him, but at this moment, he must also speak in the face of this kind of hole that has almost been filled.

Zhu Qizhen said a little bit about his meaning, and said, "Why is this so? ”

Zhou Chen was a little aggressive, and said: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty must give your ministers a hand over today, when will Your Majesty fight this battle?" ”

Zhu Qizhen said: "This is not something I can decide. ”

Zhou Chen said: "Why is it not up to Your Majesty to decide, although the minister has not fought, but he also knows that there is more money and more money, and there is less money and less money, it is not that the minister is dragging his feet, it is really not rich in finance this year." ”

Zhu Qizhen also knew that he would withdraw the army and guard the Juyong Pass, Bauhinia Pass and other checkpoints. Around the beginning of winter, the spurs will also retreat.

It's just that without the containment of the army, the people of Xuanda will be miserable.

Zhu Qizhen is neither willing nor reconciled, unwilling that he has done so many things, and now he still wants to be a turtle with a shrunken head?

Zhu Qizhen said: "At the end of the year, will the tiles withdraw at the end of the year?" ”

"No, September." Zhou Chen said: "The imperial court's finances can only support until September. And even if there is no war, there are so many things to do. It costs a lot of money, and His Majesty must always leave a little money for preparation, otherwise once there is a disaster, the court's money will not even be enough for disaster relief. ”

"October." Zhu Qizhen gritted his teeth and said: "At the end of October, even if the tile spur does not retreat, I will order the troops to retreat. Fight again next year. ”

Zhou Chen suddenly breathed a sigh of relief and said, "You have no jokes. ”

Seeing this, Zhu Qizhen didn't know that Zhou Chen was actually forcing Zhu Qizhen to say a bottom line, in fact, everyone knew that at the end of October, it was actually winter.

The months mentioned here are all the unification calendar, which is different from the solar calendar of later generations, and can be regarded as the lunar calendar, and the end of October of the lunar calendar is actually the early winter season.

At that time, I will definitely retire from the army.

Zhou Chen did this, because he was afraid of Zhu Qizhen, and he was afraid that there would be some moths when the time came. I want to bite the bullet and talk about this date.

Zhu Qizhen didn't blame Zhou Chen for a while, and said: "October, this year's battle will be fought until October." No jokes. ”

Zhou Chen let out a sigh of relief and said, "In this way, the minister will be at ease." This news will probably spread throughout the capital tomorrow, and I ask Your Majesty to prepare early, if there is anything to do with the minister, just give orders. ”

Zhu Qizhen said: "Mr. can support the financial stall, it has been a great help to me, Mr. should also take care of his body, don't stay up late every day, I am indispensable to Mr." ”

This

The sentence is Zhu Qizhen's heartfelt words.

He didn't feel it before, but now he has a deep feeling, that is, all kings who want to do things need a minister who can make money, just like Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and Sang Hongyang.

Zhu Qizhen's attitude towards Zhou Chen is also like this, and now the cabinet can not lack anyone, and it is impossible to miss Zhou Chen.

Zhou Chen said: "The old minister understands. Please rest assured, Your Majesty, the old minister's body and bones can still hold up. ”

After Zhou Chen saluted, he hurried back to the cabinet, Zhu Qizhen explained so many things, he had to deal with them one by one, and although he didn't know what Zhu Qizhen was going to do, he also obviously felt that Zhu Qizhen was going to make trouble.

It's just that he doesn't know exactly what to do, but he knows very well that it may not be calm tomorrow morning. Although the etiquette of the early dynasty was very serious, it was still a major solemn and solemn occasion. What important decisions Zhu Qizhen has made are still announced in the early dynasty.

Zhou Chen naturally had to explain to the people below in advance, and pay attention to standing in line tomorrow morning.

Zhou Chen guessed well, Zhu Qizhen will naturally have a big move tomorrow. But before he had to do one thing first, that is, to become a prince.

Zhu Qizhen opened Cheng Guogong's testament, but saw that Cheng Guogong took all the sins on himself, which can be said to be a sincere confession.

There is a deep sense of remorse and self-reproach between the words, perhaps true. But Zhu Qizhen didn't mean to be moved, in his opinion, this was actually a deal that Cheng Guogong wanted.

Zhu Qizhen pondered for a moment and said, "Go and call Zhu Yi in." ”

Someone immediately went to call Zhu Yi, the commander of the guards of the Qianqing Palace, in.

"The last general has seen Your Majesty." Zhu Yi saluted and said. Kneeling on the ground on one knee, without Zhu Qizhen speaking, he naturally didn't dare to get up.

Zhu Qizhen gestured to the people on the side, and someone immediately gave Zhu Yi the widow of Chengguo Gong.

Zhu Yi seemed to think of something, and when she took it, her hands were trembling. After all, Zhu Yi is working in the Qianqing Palace, which is the power center of the Ming Dynasty and the most well-informed place.

Zhu Yi was not careful about his father's expedition.

Naturally, he knew that the army was in trouble, but what kind of predicament it was, it was not for him to know.

At this moment, just after the first glance, Zhu Yi trembled, and the whole person fell to the ground, because when he saw it, it was Zhu Yong's first sentence, and it was a masterpiece.

His father, Zhu Yong, the Duke of Chengguo, is no longer there at the moment.

He didn't care about the loss of honor in front of the king, he desperately opened his eyes and looked over little by little, and tears were flowing down little by little, and before he knew it, he was already in tears.

Maybe Zhu Qizhen won't be moved by the words in it, because Zhu Qizhen has already trained himself into a hard-hearted person, but for Zhu Yi, if he can not cry.