The emperor didn't know Lao Mengming's current psychological activities, he saw Lao Meng's face full of emotion, and he was also proud of his corporal Lixian this time.

"Old Aiqing, if you keep talking, I want to hear how the officials in this world support themselves." The emperor stood in the center of the main hall, a cold light in his eyes. The ministers who watched it were a little weak in their hearts.

When Meng Ming heard the emperor ask, he stubbornly said: "Your Majesty, the officials under you can only increase the fire consumption of taxes and silver in order to live. In this way, the burden of the people actually exceeds the taxes collected by the imperial court by a lot, and if the emperor increases the tax by three more layers, I am afraid that the people below will have no way to live. ”

After listening to Meng Ming's words, the emperor stood there silently. He now realized that in fact, the taxes paid by the people were not as he thought.

At this time, Liu Wan, the head of the household department, stood up and said: "Your Majesty, what Master Meng said is right, if the emperor wants to increase taxes, I am afraid that officials from all over the country will double it." Then the people will probably be even more miserable. ”

Liu Wan paused for a moment, looked at the ministers in the court again, and saw that their faces were not good, and he knew in his heart that he had already offended all the people by stabbing this matter in the court.

But as the emperor's loyal courtier, he must not let the emperor make any mistakes. You must know that the emperor is now walking on thin ice, and if he makes a mistake, he will fall into the ice hole and never get out again.

The Emperor silently turned around, re-ascended the imperial steps, and came to the throne, holding on to the armrest of the throne, not knowing what to say.

In the end, the emperor turned around and asked Jia Ke directly, "Jia Aiqing, you are the foreman of the Military Aircraft Department, and now that the imperial court is seriously short of salaries, you can find a way to increase some imperial court taxes." ”

The emperor broke the jar and threw the problem directly to Jia Ke, see what you can do. It's my emperor's kindness to do it well, and it's your Jia Ke's sin if you don't do it well.

Jia Ke didn't expect the emperor to push this mess to him, Jia Ke didn't have the idea to accept this trouble, Jia Ke pondered for a while, and thought of a solution that the emperor would never accept.

"Long live Lord, for the sake of today's plan, all the minister can think of is that he can only collect taxes from the gentry of the world, these people have quite a lot of land, if the tax from them can be increased by at least fifty percent, then the trouble of the court will be solved." Jia Ke said eagerly.

As soon as Jia Ke finished speaking, all the ministers in the hall made a noise together, and everyone present, including Jia Ke, who was not a big landlord and a big gentry, Jia Ke's method was simply digging their roots.

After listening to Jia Ke's method, the emperor still thought it was very good, and letting these rich people pay some taxes was also a drop in the bucket for them, and it didn't hurt the roots.

How do you know that when you see the ministers below clamoring together, you feel a chill in your heart. If this method is passed, then it is tantamount to offending the gentry of the world.

And the foundation of this dynasty is these gentry, once they no longer support the imperial court, I am afraid that the imperial court is in danger of overturning.

The emperor broke out in a cold sweat when he thought of this, and the cold light in his eyes swept over him when he looked at Jia Ke. This Jia Ke clearly wants to separate himself from the officials and gentry of the world, so that he can control the world. It's really a ruthless method, and it's so vicious.

The emperor thought of this and patted the imperial case, "Shut up, Jia Aiqing, what are you talking about?" If you do this, the court will immediately chill the hearts of the people in the world. This matter will never be mentioned again. ”

When the civil and military forces below heard the emperor say this, they were relieved, and they were really afraid that the emperor would follow Jia Ke's plan to collect taxes from the gentry of the world like a young man.

Jia Ke said helplessly: "Since the emperor does not adopt the minister's suggestion, the minister really has no choice." ”

The emperor looked at Jia Ke's scoundrel, which means that I am this way, if you don't adopt it, you yourself want to have nothing to do with me.

Liu Yu actually thinks that Jia Ke's method is very good, but now is not the time to mention it, if the emperor is in power, there is no Jia Ke as a powerful minister. Then this method can naturally be implemented smoothly, and it will only take a year or two to solve the problems of the imperial court.

But now that the court is unstable, Jia Ke has been eyeing the emperor by the side, as long as the emperor makes a mistake, then Jia Ke will pounce on the emperor like a wolf and bite the emperor to pieces.

Liu Yu thought for a while, walked out of the class and said to the emperor: "Your Majesty, this year's tax revenue will definitely be reduced due to the drought in Shaanxi and the floods in the Lianghuai region. In this way, next year's tax revenue will be less, and the imperial court will be completely unable to support it at that time. ”

When Liu Yu said this, he looked at the ministers below, which means that I put the problem here, can you find a way to solve it?

Jia Ke naturally knew what he meant, but now was not the time to speak, you just stood there silently, as if there was no way.

And the ministers below are also well aware of this matter, but they are silent, as long as they do not violate their interests, it doesn't matter what you do.

Liu Yu saw that all the ministers did not speak, so he said to the emperor again: "Long live Lord, I am afraid that it is a little inappropriate to increase the tax by thirty percent, but if you only add one layer, you can still operate it all at once." ”

Liu Yu said this and looked at Lao Meng Ming again, this matter is the most fierce opposition to him, now let's see what he means.

Lao Meng Ming stood next to him and listened carefully, he analyzed the current situation in the imperial court, and was not optimistic about next year's tax situation. Now Liu Yu proposed to increase only one layer of taxes, which is a compromise by the emperor, and in this way, the impact on the lives of the people is much smaller, and it is not a way in the way.

So Meng Ming was silent there, which meant that he agreed with Liu Yu's method.

The emperor saw that Meng Ming had already acquiesced to this matter, and his heart finally fell to the ground. Although he did not achieve his goal of collecting 30% of the tax, only this layer of tax can barely cope with it, as long as the various yamen next year can reduce some expenses and barely know that it will pass.

Who knew that the emperor had just breathed a sigh of relief at the bottom, but a young imperial history stood up.

This imperial historian is only in his 20s, and he looks like a fledgling, but his eyes are very determined.

This imperial history stood up, knelt on the ground, and then said to the emperor in a choked voice: "Your Majesty, the minister has a foundation." ”

The emperor couldn't help but smile when he saw Zhang Zhen kneeling at the bottom. This man is also considered to have come out of his hands.

If you want to say that this Zhang was born in a cold door, when he took the last exam, it was also his own insight and wisdom that picked him out of the failed papers, and made him a legend, so this Zhang Zhi has always been grateful to himself and loyal.

"Zhang Aiqing, if you have anything to say, I am an intolerant person."

After listening to the emperor's words, although he was still a little choked, he stubbornly raised his head and looked at the emperor.

And Jia Ke, who was standing at the front, looked at this and understood what this Zhang Zhen was going to say.

"Long live the minister, take back your life, otherwise the catastrophe will not be far away."

The emperor was stunned when he heard this, just now he admitted that he had made a compromise, originally the tax was added three layers on the original basis, and now only one layer is already magnanimous. This little imperial history, what is this for?

"Zhang Qian, what do you mean by that?" When the emperor said this, his face was gloomy.

Zhang Zhen did not stop because of the emperor's unkind face, "Long live, the ministers are from the people, and they know that these ordinary people are not living well." Every day, I go out early and return late, just to eat in one bite, so I still can't eat all year round? ”

When Zhang Zhen said this, he couldn't hold back anymore and began to sobble incessantly in the court. It seems that he thought of his own sadness.

After hearing his words, the emperor was angry, but in the end he endured it, after all, this Zhang Zhen was also for his own sake.

"Zhang Aiqing doesn't have to worry too much, and even increases the tax revenue this year, so that the court can tide over the difficulties, and it will naturally be reduced by next year, and the people's hardship this year can be regarded as contributing to the court."

Although Zhang Zhen was crying, his eyes were very firm, and after listening to the emperor's self-righteous words, he actually contained his sadness.

"Banzai this kind of thinking, I'm afraid that I can deceive myself, I'm afraid that Banzai will want to stop collecting taxes at that time, but these officials at the bottom, as well as those cool officials, will not comply."

After listening to these words, Jia Ke kept nodding. If it was when the emperor was in power, maybe under the authority of the emperor, the officials under him would be able to restrain themselves, but now the emperor is forced to take care of himself. Where is the energy to manage the affairs below, and now the officials below are becoming more and more unscrupulous, and the emperor's thinking is probably just carving a boat for a sword, and a fish and wood for fate.

Jia Ke now admired this little official a little, and was afraid that the emperor would do something to him in anger, so he glanced down.

Xie Xiang, the left deputy capital imperial history, received Jia Ke's signal and immediately stood up.

"Long live Qiyu, what Zhang Zhen said is the truth, please take back your life."

With a beginning, the people in Jia Ke's vein immediately knelt down in a large area, "I implore the emperor, it is not easy to read it to the people, and take back your life." ”

The emperor stood beside the throne, only to feel his temples jump, and his body was a little unsteady.

Xia Shouzhong saw the emperor's appearance and hurriedly came over to support him.

But the emperor pushed Xia Shouzhong away, stood beside the throne, and glared angrily at the kneeling people below.

"Okay, you are all loyal ministers, all of you are Qing officials who ask for the lives of the people, I am a faint king, and this tax will be collected, what do you want?"

Liu Yu looked at the emperor and was already a little annoyed, but Jia Ke seemed to be still standing there without closing his eyes and recuperating, knowing that the emperor had been calculated by Jia Ke again.

If today's events reach the people, the name of the emperor will be decided.

So Liu Yu hurriedly came out of class and said to the minister kneeling on the ground: "What do you want to do?" Don't you know that the court is in trouble this year? If taxes are not increased, how can this imperial court be maintained? ”

How do you know that as soon as he finished saying this, Zhang Zhen spat at him, "Traitorous minister, some time ago, you proposed to the emperor to discuss the matter of guilty silver, and the world was already boiling. As a result, the prison is unfair, the people suffer, there is nowhere to redress grievances, and now they support the emperor to raise taxes, I don't know what kind of heart you have, whether you want to make the world repeated, you are willing. ”

Now that Zhang Zhen sees so many ministers supporting him, he is more and more excited, and the young man's strength of not being afraid of heaven and earth has been brought into full play by him. He openly reprimanded the Minister of Military Aircraft in the court.