It was already freezing outside the Qianqing Palace, although the sensible eunuchs lit a few charcoal basins to keep warm, but all the ministers were already shivering.

The head of the household department in charge of the world's money and grain, Bi is no exception.

Bi Ziyan heard the summons of Emperor Chongzhen in the palace, so he hurriedly trembled and saluted and registered, only then did he dare to push the door into the house, and a warmth suddenly melted his already frozen body, and he saluted Emperor Chongzhen with a red face, and said, "The old minister is here." ”

Chongzhen hadn't recovered from his anger at Yuan Chonghuan, nodded and said, "Master Bi, is it warm here?" Can it be cold outside? ”

Bi Ziyan didn't know the intention of Chongzhen's words, so he had to answer truthfully: "It's very warm inside the palace and very cold outside the palace." ”

"Then the soldiers who came to escort King Qin from all over the country are still stationed outside the Beijing Division, isn't it colder? Would you like to soothe it a little? Chongzhen asked.

Bi Ziyan hurriedly arched his hand and said: "Naturally, naturally, naturally it is colder." It should be soothed, it should be soothed. ”

"That's good." Chongzhen then said, "You are the head of the household, and you should be responsible for the affairs of the labor army." Let me ask you, how much grain can the household department take out to labor the army now? ”

I don't know if it's too warm in the Qianqing Palace, but I saw that Bi Ziyan, a sixty-year-old old Shangshu, couldn't help sweating on his forehead, and said: "The emperor wants to work for the army, which is good." It's just that...... Just ......"

"Just what? You've made it clear to me! ”

"It's just that there are only 70,000 stone of military rations stored in the Beijing Division, which is barely enough for the three battalions of 100,000 horses to support one month...... Fear...... I'm afraid ......"

"I'm afraid of what?" Emperor Chongzhen said in a fierce voice.

Seeing Emperor Chongzhen's demeanor, Bi Ziyan knew that he was already very difficult to pass today, so he simply replied: "I'm afraid it's not enough to work hard, Your Majesty!" ”

"What? There is only so little left of the military rations in the Beijing Division? How did you become a household secretary? Chongzhen shouted and scolded.

He spoke very loudly, and it spread all the way to the outside of the Qianqing Palace, so that the officials standing outside the palace could hear it clearly, and their hearts couldn't help but tense for a while. In particular, several officials of the household department and the military department were even more frightened, lest the emperor's thunderous anger fall on their heads and split themselves to pieces.

Sun Chengzong in the Qianqing Palace hurriedly made a round and said, "Your Majesty, you can't blame Master Bi for this. After Huang Taiji entered the Kou, the Jingshi had actually severed contact with the outside world, and the military rations naturally could not be delivered, and it was not easy to store a month's surplus grain now. ”

"If there is no food and grass, how can we work the army? You're teaching me! Chongzhen bared his teeth and scolded, his face and body no longer had the majesty and calmness of the Ninety-Five Supreme.

In the face of such questioning, Sun Chengzong and Bi Ziyan both chose to remain silent.

But Ji Qingwen was still stunned compared to them, and replied first: "Your Majesty, you can pay to buy food from the rich families in the capital!" ”

"Yes, yes." Chongzhen suddenly realized, and asked Bi Ziyan again, "How many silver taels are saved in the treasury now?" How much food can be bought? Also, since it is a labor army, it is always not enough to just distribute some rice and flour food, so you should also reward some silver taels, right? ”

If you don't have enough food at home, you should spend money to buy it.

Such a superficial truth, three-year-old children know it, how can Sun Chengzong and Bi Ziyan, two old foxes who have been in the officialdom for decades, not know? Why do you still need Ji Qingwen to remind you?

The reason why they didn't put forward such an opinion is also very simple, just two words-

No money!

I only heard Bi Ziyan say: "Your Majesty, now there are only 200,000 taels of silver left in the treasury. According to the current price of one stone of white rice and five taels of silver in Jingshi, it is only enough to buy 40,000 stone ......"

"Impossible!" The young Emperor Chongzhen still refused to believe his ears, "The treasury should have received seven million taels of silver last year, and the treasury should have four million taels, although it is the end of the year, there is still a balance of more than one million taels left, and I also monitored the account books of the transfer department a few days ago." How could it be that there were only 200,000 taels of silver left today? ”

After that, Chongzhen pointed at Bi Ziyan's nose and scolded: "You, you are the head of the household, you explain this matter to me clearly!" ”

Bi Ziyan was helpless, so he could only sigh and settle accounts with Chongzhen.

It turned out that the money and grain taxes receivable from the Ming court only existed in the account books-

Nominally, the treasury should have received seven million taels of silver, but two million taels of it were the deficit of last year, and they had been written off against the treasury before they were collected. Of the remaining 5 million taels, more than 2 million taels were paid on the spot for the salaries of the soldiers of the guards, the construction of the river, and the cost of renewing the grain in the Yicang, but only 2,900,000 taels of silver were actually sent to the Jingshi. And these 2,900,000 taels of silver will be used to supply the food and salary of the soldiers of the Beijing camp, the salaries of the officials of the capital, and the maintenance of the city walls of the Beijing division. Last year, two more batches of silver were allocated to help the disaster in Shaanxi and Shanxi and the war in eastern Liaodong, which were also two additional expenditures.

In this way, in the end, in November, there were indeed only 200,000 taels of silver left.

In fact, the current head of the household department is a very honest and talented official, otherwise if someone else comes, he may not be able to achieve a balance of 200,000 taels!

Therefore, Chongzhen listened to Bi Ziyan's list of rules, although he was angry in his heart, his anger had nowhere to vent, and he was so anxious that he was like a beast in a cage, and he walked around the Qianqing Palace several times with his hands behind his back.

After a while, Chongzhen suddenly raised his head and asked Ji Qingwen: "Ji Qingwen, you are rich, how much silver did you bring out of Beijing this time?" ”

Ji Qingwen hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, the minister did not follow the order this time, so he brought 100,000 taels of silver into Beijing, and now he has spent about 20,000 taels to reward the soldiers and help the people along the way, and there are about 80,000 taels of silver." ”

"Good. Although it is a drop in the bucket, it is better than nothing. You can lend this money to me first, and deduct it from the silk and silver taels you hand in next year. Chongzhen said helplessly.

The emperor borrowed money from his courtiers, which is probably the only one in the past.

rushed to this, Ji Qingwen didn't dare to disobey Chongzhen, and was just about to agree, but it was wrong when he thought about it.

So he hurriedly explained: "Your Majesty, it's not that the ministers are stingy. Yesterday, the minister left in a hurry, and the silver and silver were left in Jizhou City, not around...... Why don't you give an order and send a general to lead the army to fetch it? ”

"Good!" Chongzhen was short of money, and he had to make a decree without thinking about it.

Sun Chengzong on the side was in a hurry, and hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, please think twice." 100,000 taels of silver is 10,000 catties, and if you go less, you can't move, and if you go more, the momentum is too big. Your Majesty, now that the Manchurian Tartars are wreaking havoc outside the city, it is equivalent to taking silver with such fanfare! ”

"I don't care!" Chongzhen was already in a hurry, and even changed his self-title to the word "I", "Whoever gets me money now is my benefactor." ”

He thought about it again, and pointed to Luo Yangxing, who was standing by the gate of the Qianqing Palace, and said, "It's better than this." Luo Yangxing, you lead your subordinates to Jinyiwei, go to Beijing to loot the corrupt officials in the city, these guys are corrupt and bent on weekdays, and now that the country is in trouble, it is time for them to bleed. ”

As soon as Luo Yangxing heard that this was a beautiful difference that could collect money at both ends, he hurriedly agreed.

Unexpectedly, Sun Chengzong advised again: "Your Majesty, this matter must not be allowed." The officials of the imperial court and the relatives of the emperor are the foundation of the dynasty, and if you offend them, you are afraid of ......"

"What if you are offended? It's better than destroying the country and exterminating the species. Chongzhen scolded.

None of the people present dared to brush the emperor's beard, and they all fell silent.

In this air that seemed to be half frozen in silence, the furious Emperor Chongzhen finally calmed down and said, "It's better to be like this. I will send an order to all the royal relatives, nobles, and officials in Beijing to donate food and salary, and make it clear that this money and grain is not eaten or spent, but used to reward the army, so that they can know the truth that only when there is a family can there be a country. ”

Chongzhen paused and said: "Now that the enemy is present, I can't give them much time, limited to one day, if they don't donate money and food, or donate less to perfunctory me, then don't blame me for being polite!" That's right, just do it, and ask Han Kuang to come in and draft the will! ”

Han Kuang, a scholar and the first assistant minister of the cabinet, listened to Chongzhen's call, hurriedly entered the house, warmed his frozen hands, and according to the emperor's wishes, he personally sharpened the pen and began to draft a holy decree ordering the wealthy families in Beijing to donate money.

At this time, it was the time when the morning sun was rising, and in a tense and strange atmosphere, the capital ushered in November 17 of the second year of Chongzhen.