As soon as he heard that it was a flood in southern Henan, Zhang Lingyang couldn't lie down, hurriedly sat up from the bed, and said, "How many victims are there in southern Henan now?" Has the levee ever been blocked? ”

Zhang Zhiyuan replied: "Back to Your Majesty, Zhu Kaishan's expedited recital said that the breach embankment has been blocked, but the number of people affected has not yet been counted. ”

"The population on both sides of the Yellow River in southern Henan has been very dense since ancient times, and according to the minister's estimates, the number of people affected this time should be quite large."

Hearing this, Zhang Lingyang looked at Zheng Yongji and said, "How much treasury silver does the household department need now?" ”

Zheng Yongji replied: "If you go back to Your Majesty, the household department now has less than 300,000 taels of silver!" ”

"What?" Zhang Lingyang couldn't help but be stunned and said, "How can it be so little?" ”

Zheng Yongji replied with a look of regret: "Your Majesty, when Weichen took over as the head of the household department, the household treasury was only 500,000 taels, and this was three months ago. In the past three months, the household department allocated 200,000 taels of military salaries to the western Xinjiang side, so that only 300,000 taels of silver remained in the treasury of the household department. ”

"Also, the officials of the various ministries in Beijing have not been paid for three consecutive months!"

Hearing this, Zhang Lingyang couldn't help but be stunned, and said: "The officials in Beijing haven't issued the money for three months, why don't I know about this?" ”

Zheng Yongji replied with a sad face: "Weichen thought that this little thing was not easy to bother, so he didn't report it. Originally, Weichen wanted to stay up for another two months, and then issue money to the ministries and government after the autumn tax came up. I don't want to ......."

Zheng Yongji's words came to an abrupt end, but Zhang Lingyang understood the meaning of Zheng Yongji's words, and praised Zheng Yongji: "Loyal minister! ”

Then, Zhang Lingyang said to Sun Sheng, who was standing aside: "Quickly allocate 500,000 taels of silver from my internal money and transport it to southern Henan, so that Zhu Kaishan, the governor of southern Henan, can quickly buy relief grain and grass." ”

"Forget it!" After thinking about it, Zhang Lingyang said again: "Then allocate 100,000 taels of silver from the internal treasury and hand it over to the household department, so that it can send over the arrears owed to the officials of the ministry!" Moreover, the affected counties in southern Henan will be exempted from taxes for three years! ”

"Your Majesty Shengming!" After Zhang Lingyang finished speaking, Zhang Zhiyuan, Zheng Yongji, and Zhou Shanning hurriedly got up and bowed to Zhang Lingyang.

"What's holy about this? I really can't let the officials below go hungry to run errands for me! ”

That being said, Zhang Lingyang's heart was in pain.

At this time, Zheng Yongji spoke again: "Your Majesty, there is a flood in southern Henan this time, and Weichen wants to personally escort the disaster relief money to southern Henan, so as to prevent the local officials from filling their pockets. ”

"What Zheng Aiqing said is not unreasonable, but in a year of great disasters and disasters, there are always some local officials who fill their pockets and swallow up the relief money." Zhang Zhiyuan agreed with Zheng Yongji's self-recommendation.

But Zhang Lingyang said: "There are a lot of things in the household department, which one and which one can leave Zheng Aiqing?" ”

After thinking about it, Zhang Lingyang said: "Shen Chao, the imperial history of the right capital, has always been loyal and upright, and Shen Chao is the Qin messenger, so he will personally escort the money and grain to southern Henan!" ”

"......" Zhang Zhiyuan opened his mouth, but in the end the words still did not come out.

"Your Ministers obey!"

"Your Majesty's illness has not yet recovered, it is important to carefully recuperate your body, and the ministers will retire first!"

With that, Zhang Zhiyuan and the three of them left the Heart Cultivation Palace.

Out of the main hall, Zhou Shanning said to Zhang Zhiyuan: "I just saw that Zhang Ge Lao wanted to speak, but what did he think was wrong?" ”

"There are indeed some!" Zhang Zhiyuan nodded and said: "Shen Chaozhong is upright, but this person is not good at housework, the old man is worried, Shen Chao is going to southern Henan, I am afraid that it will cause a storm." ”

"No, it won't!" Zhou Shanning was a little unconvinced, "As long as the people below don't make trouble, even if Shen Chao wants to cause trouble, I'm afraid he won't be able to make trouble!" ”

Zhang Zhiyuan shook his head and said: "Although the number of people affected by the disaster in southern Henan has not yet been counted, the banks of the Yellow River are densely populated, and although the silver money allocated by His Majesty is a lot, I am afraid that it will not be enough for the victims to spend the winter." Come to think of it, in order to avoid local turmoil, Zhu Kaishan will definitely do something about disaster relief."

"With Zhu Kaishan's temperament, it is really possible to get out of this matter!" Zhou Shanning nodded and said.

Immediately, Zhou Shanning said again: "Then why didn't Elder Zhang Ge explain the situation to His Majesty?" ”

Hearing this, Zhang Zhiyuan smiled bitterly and explained: "The old man just looked at His Majesty's intentions, and it seems that he has the intention of specially transferring Shen Chao to leave Beijing, otherwise Zheng Yongji took the initiative to ask Ying, why didn't His Majesty agree, but used Shen Chao as a messenger?" ”

Zhou Shanning sighed and said, "After listening to Zhang Ge's words, the officials came to their senses. With Zheng Yongji's tactfulness, if he was sent to southern Henan to help the victims this time, there should be no chaos. But Shen Chao's temperament is the same as Li Guangtai, and there is no room for sand in his eyes. Now with Shen Chao as the messenger, I am afraid that there will be another turmoil in southern Henan! ”

"Who's to say it isn't?" Zhang Zhiyuan let out a long sigh......

In the Heart Cultivation Palace, Zhang Lingyang lay down on the bed weakly.

This time, there was a sudden loss of 600,000 taels of silver, and Zhang Lingyang's heart was extremely painful.

However, thinking that Shen Chao could go out of Beijing this time, at least three months, or at most half a year, he would not talk in his ear, Zhang Lingyang's heart jumped inexplicably.

Li Guangtai, the left capital of the Inspectorate, Shen Chao, the right capital of the imperial history, and Zhao Ji, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, are the three hard bones in the court.

Now that Li Guangtai and Shen Chao have left the capital successively, that is to say, except for Zhao Ji, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, no one will talk in his ear for a few months, and Zhang Lingyang is excited when he thinks about it.

"No, there is still Zhao Ji, an old horseman, in Beijing, I have to think of a way to transfer Zhao Ji out of the capital."

Thinking like this in his heart, Zhang Lingyang began to ponder carefully.

After a while, Zhang Lingyang called Sun Sheng and said: "You go quickly to draft the decree, just say that I was entrusted with a dream by Taizu last night, and the imperial mausoleum in Xuzhou was in disrepair, and Zhao Ji, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, went to Xuzhou to repair the imperial mausoleum on behalf of me, and pay tribute to the emperors of the Great Zhou Dynasty." ”

"Slaves obey!" With that, Sun Sheng went down to draw up the purpose.

Thinking that Shen Chao and Zhao Ji were going to leave the capital one after another, Zhang Lingyang, who was in a happy mood, lay on the bed, crossed his feet, and hummed an unknown song in his mouth.

"I don't know how Li Guangtai investigated the salt tax in Jiangnan?"

At this time, it had been two months since Li Guangtai left Beijing.

If Li Guangtai's investigation goes well, it is estimated that the results will be available within a month or two.

Zhang Lingyang didn't want Li Guangtai to return to Beijing so soon, so he got up and called a little eunuch outside and ordered: "Quickly Xuan Jinyi Guard commands the money to pass." ”

After the time of a pillar of incense, Qian Du came to the Heart Cultivation Palace: "I don't know why Your Majesty summoned Weichen to come?" ”

"Qian Du, I ask you, have you received any news from Li Guangtai during this time?"

Qian Du replied: "Back to Your Majesty's words, a few days ago, Han Xiao of Jinyi Wei Qianhu wrote to Yu Weichen and said that Li Yushi had checked the account books of the two yamen of Yangzhou Metropolitan Salt Envoy Division and Salt Section Promotion Division, and I am afraid that within a few days, the moths hidden in the two salt road yamen will be able to be pulled out. ”