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In this world, because people think and stand differently, there will be controversy about everything.

Some people like sweet, some people love salty; Some people respect Confucianism, some people worship Buddhism; Some people think it's slim and good-looking, and some people think it's plump and attractive......

If the two sides argue, it is that each has its own reason, and no one can convince anyone.

But there is only one thing, which most people will agree with, and that is - it is better to have money than not to have money!

Of course, there are a very small number of people who claim to be high and maverick, and will regard silver as a blockage, and they will have a headache when they smell copper, and some people will admit that their biggest pain is because they have too much money...... But that's also because they don't lack money themselves, and the poor don't dislike having more money.

At the temple, this view is even more consistent.

The dignity and operation of the imperial court, the emperor's great achievements, the embezzlement of corrupt officials, the realization of the ambitions of the Qing officials, the salaries of the soldiers to support their families, the rule and relief of the common people - these things all need silver!

Regardless of class, position, or idea, the eyes of all the people in the government and opposition are firmly fixed on the silver grain in the treasury, hoping that they can divide more.

Seeing that the New Year is approaching, and Emperor Deqing's birthday is also at this time, there are more places where the court needs to spend silver.

Now, hearing that the treasury has run out of money and food has made everyone shocked and panicked.

For a while, the noisy discussions in the Taihe Hall were buzzing, which made Emperor Deqing more and more headaches!

"Silence! In the Taihe Palace, in front of me, as a member of the imperial court, you are so out of shape, like a village woman, what kind of system has you become? ! ”

With a hint of shame and anger, Emperor Deqing shouted to stop the chaos of the officials.

Then, Emperor Deqing's expression was still calm, but his eyes were as fierce as a hungry wolf, and he turned his gaze to Ma Sen again and asked, "Ma Shilang, this performance of yours ...... What does that mean exactly? I will soon take out 1,950,000 silver from my private money and lend it to the household department, and the household department will finally make up hundreds of thousands of stone of surplus grain, why do you say that the treasury has no money and grain? ”

Ma Sen replied helplessly: "Your Majesty, although there is a lot of money and food on the books of the household department, it is only on the books!" The 1,950,000 taels of silver you lent to the household department must be used for the rice of the hundred officials and the vassal kings, and it must not be misappropriated, and hundreds of thousands of stone grain and grass must be transported to the front line as soon as possible, and it cannot be used elsewhere either!

But the expenditure of the imperial court has never been just the official and front-line military expenses, and the trivial expenditures in all aspects are also not a small amount! Especially when the New Year is approaching and Your Majesty's birthday is approaching, there are even more trivial expenses, and the yamen and local governments in the capital have cried to the household department for money, and the reasons are extremely sufficient......

The Ministry of Industry wants to urgently dredge the river, the Ministry of War wants to expand the barracks and artisan households, the Metropolitan Procuratorate wants to repair the yamen, the Ministry of Rites needs to prepare for the festival at the end of the year, and the Guozijian has to give a sum of money to reward those who have been evaluated by the inmates according to the custom, and even the eunuchs of the inner court have reached out to ask for silver to prepare for His Majesty's birthday, and there are even more reasons for local officials to cry poor......

There are all kinds of things, so that the household department can not refuse at all, otherwise it will cause all kinds of trouble and chaos, but the household department really can't come up with the silver! Therefore, I beseech you, Your Majesty...... Lend another 1,500,000 taels of silver to the household! ”

Hearing Ma Sen's explanation, Emperor Deqing's brows also became tighter and tighter.

*

From these words, Emperor Deqing received a lot of important information.

For example, Ma Sen explained in detail the current difficulties of the various yamen and the reasons for asking for money, which seemed to be too long-winded, but in fact it was to win the support of all the officials in the Taihe Palace, and use the power of the major yamen to put pressure on the Deqing Emperor.

For another example, the internal cabinet of the household department is inclined not to make a big deal about this year's New Year's celebration and the emperor's birthday, and all aspects of expenses should be restrained as much as possible, and they should be saved.

For another example, because Emperor Deqing lent money to the household department this time, the household department was already eating the marrow, becoming greedy, and completely eyeing the internal silver of the Deqing Emperor, and wanted to turn this situation into a routine!

These circumstances made Emperor Deqing not only unhappy in his heart, but also secretly vigilant!

Emperor Deqing's promotion of Zhao Junchen to the cabinet assistant was actually an aerial means to allow Zhao Junchen to participate in the decision-making of the imperial court, but also weakened Zhao Junchen's actual power, in order to regain Zhao Junchen's control over the imperial court's finances.

However, Emperor Deqing suddenly discovered at this time that when he finally weakened Zhao Junchen's control over the household, the household became domineering and out of control!

I think that at the beginning, when Zhao Junchen was in charge of the household department, he had always been sensible and obedient, and he was the best at figuring out the intentions of Emperor Deqing, so how could he have used the difficulties of the treasury to put pressure on Emperor Deqing?

Zhao Junchen has always been able to satisfy Emperor Deqing's good deeds, and the annual New Year's celebration and Deqing's birthday are all poor and extravagant, so that Emperor Deqing has a bright face! Especially this year, we have also encountered a great victory at the border and a great joy in recovering the homeland, which can be described as three joys, how can it be a low-key celebration and a small operation?

As for the matter of the household department eyeing the private money of the Deqing Emperor, it should not be underestimated - the Ming Dynasty since the Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang, the struggle between the household treasury and the emperor's internal treasury has been continuous, whenever the power of the minister is stronger than the imperial power, the officials will do everything possible to move the silver in the emperor's internal treasury to the treasury of the imperial court, if the imperial power is stronger than the minister's power, the emperor will try his best to move the silver in the treasury to the inner treasury. 520

In the past, when Zhao Junchen was in charge of the treasury, although he did not transfer the treasury silver to Emperor Deqing's treasury, he occasionally used the silver in the treasury to deal with some private affairs for Emperor Deqing, and also gave Emperor Deqing a lot of benefits in disguise.

What should I do if the household department keeps saying that he lacks money in the future and that he will not pay back the money to Emperor Deqing? What if the household department encounters a shortage of silver in the future, it will habitually focus on the internal money of Emperor Deqing?

For Emperor Deqing, these were important questions of principle!

Moreover, what made Emperor Deqing even more angry and helpless was that the household officials were not only greedy and reckless, but also stupid and incompetent!

When Zhao Junchen was in charge of the household department, the turnover of money and grain in the treasury has always been smooth, and he has never given Emperor Deqing such a headache as today, even if he encountered a silver shortage and food shortage, Zhao Junchen can always find a way to solve it, and there is no need for Emperor Deqing to worry too much.

But since Zhao Junchen stepped down as the head of the household department, it was only a month, and the treasury had already encountered two big troubles before and after! If this situation continued, Emperor Deqing felt that even if he was not angry with the incompetence and stupidity of the household officials, he would inevitably die of sorrow because the treasury was repeatedly exhausted!

Thinking of this, Emperor Deqing couldn't help but secretly began to miss Zhao Junchen.

In fact, at this moment, not only Emperor Deqing missed Zhao Junchen in his heart, but also hundreds of officials in the court began to miss Zhao Junchen.

In the past, when Zhao Junchen was in charge of the household department, he would leave some broth for others when he ate meat, but now everyone can't even gnaw meat and bones, let alone drink broth.

For a while, all the monarchs and ministers in the Taihe Hall had the same idea!

"How good it would be if Zhao Junchen was still in charge of the household department at this time!"

*

All kinds of thoughts flashed through Emperor Deqing's mind.

But soon, Emperor Deqing had already gathered all kinds of thoughts in his heart and focused on the troubles in front of him.

"The treasury is running out of money, why didn't we see the slightest sign of it the other day? Why did you wait until today to suddenly sell out and let me and the hundred officials receive the news? Isn't there any preparation in advance? ”

Emperor Deqing asked again with a serious expression.

Emperor Deqing faintly felt that this matter was not simple.

Ma Sen replied with a bitter face: "Your Majesty, the minister has already said at the beginning, all this is because of the urgency of Cao luck!" The household department has not been worried about the gradual exhaustion of the treasury money and grain, because the autumn tax in various places will be levied into the treasury this year, and the treasury will be much more abundant at that time, but who would have thought that just a few days ago, the river channel of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal was blocked, and the autumn tax money and grain from all over the country could not be transported to the capital, but the money and grain of the household department were gone, and the yamen repeatedly urged the household to ask for money and grain, and the ministers and others had no choice, so they had to tell His Majesty in an emergency! ”

"Caoyun has a problem again?" Emperor Deqing's brows tightened, but there was not much surprise in his expression.

After all, the Grand Canal in Beijing will be blocked once a year, every two or three years, the Ministry of Industry and the local governments along the canal are united in one place, and at this time of year they will work hard to dredge the river, and by the way, they will puff up their pockets.

Emperor Deqing turned his gaze to Chen Dongxiang, the secretary of the Ministry of Industry, and asked, "Chen Shangshu, do you know about Caoyun?" ”

Chen Dongxiang said with an innocent face: "Your Majesty, this time the blockage of the water transport is very sudden, and the minister only received the news a few days ago, and he is also preparing manpower and mobilizing the officials of various places along the coast to prepare for an emergency river fortification...... It's just that all this needs silver, and the minister personally ran to the household yesterday to ask for a sum of silver for the dredging of Cao Yun, but the household department can't take out one or two silver, and the Ministry of Industry is now also a clever woman who can't cook without rice. ”

Hearing Chen Dongxiang's explanation, Emperor Deqing's face sank slightly, but he also fell silent.

The autumn tax in various places could not be transported into the treasury because of the blockage of the water transportation, and the treasury lacked money to dredge the river because the autumn tax could not enter the treasury in various places - this matter has become a dead circle, and Emperor Deqing was helpless for a while.

At this time, Zhou Shangjing, who has always been low-key, suddenly came out and said: "Your Majesty, the old minister thinks that at this time, only by winning the favor and letting Zhao Gechen urgently return to the temple can we solve the dilemma in front of me!" ”

When Emperor Deqing heard Zhou Shangjing's recommendation, his eyes lit up at first, but he soon hesitated again.

The current predicament of the imperial court is already a dead circle, and an ingenious means of "creating something out of nothing" is necessary to resolve this situation.

"Making something out of nothing" can be described as difficult and difficult, does Zhao Junchen have this kind of means?

A large number of facts in the past have proved that Zhao Junchen really has this kind of magical means!

However, the crux of the matter is, is Emperor Deqing willing to let Zhao Junchen take charge of the imperial finances again? Also, Zhao Junchen, who has been resigning from illness since returning to Beijing, is he willing to make a comeback at this time?

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