However, although Ma Yongcheng complained in his heart and understood that the treasury was indeed empty, he didn't want to explain it to these civil officials!

So Ma Yongcheng said with a smile: "It is said that a country's treasury should be very sufficient, why is it empty?" It's just that the civil officials say so, and the slaves and maids don't understand! Just listened to these news and reported it to the emperor. ”

At this time, Emperor Zhengde also thought for a while, frowned, and said: "The expenses have been really large over the years, and now that the treasury is empty, then Henan has suffered a locust plague, how to relieve the disaster?" ”

Ma Yongcheng was immediately happy when he heard this, and said with a smile: "Your Majesty, this slave has heard a little news, I heard that Li Ge Lao and Fei Shangshu are discussing to stop the official money for the time being, save the silver for disaster relief first, and wait for this difficulty, the treasury will be relieved and then make up for the official money!" ”

Emperor Zhengde couldn't help but nod when he heard this: "Well, this method is not bad!" The two scholars were indeed quick-witted, so this difficulty was overcome! ”

Emperor Zhengde didn't think so much in his heart, and he thought that the officials would not have to wait for these officials to live, so that they would not be hungry if they were late.

As soon as he said this, a little eunuch came to report: "Emperor Qi, cabinet scholars Li Dongyang, Yang Tinghe, and Household Secretary Fei Hong ask to see!" ”

In the main hall, as soon as Emperor Zhengde sat down, Li Dongyang and others came together and finished the salute. Li Dongyang couldn't wait to report: "Your Majesty, now Henan has suffered a locust plague, and the locust plague has not left an inch of grass in transit, and Henan has fallen into a predicament!" Now that the people of Henan are waiting to be fed, the imperial court should immediately allocate silver and two grains and grass for disaster relief! ”

Emperor Zhengde, who already knew the beginning and the end, was still relatively relaxed, and nodded when he heard this: "Since Henan has suffered a locust plague, the imperial court naturally can't sit idly by, and the cabinet will draw up a charter with the household department!" ”

Fei Hong took a step forward and said, "Your Majesty, the treasury is already empty!" There is no way to allocate for disaster relief! ”

Emperor Zhengde would have been surprised if he heard that the treasury was empty, but now that he had calmed down, he still had some doubts, so he asked, "The treasury is empty?" Why? ”

Fei Hong, the head of the household, has been worried because of the affairs of the treasury, and he knows all the accounts clearly, and now when he heard Emperor Zhengde ask, he immediately poured bitter water, and began to calculate it like a number of treasures, from the first emperor to the cost of this rebellion.

Emperor Zhengde listened to the first two big, and if he didn't listen, he didn't know that he was shocked when he heard it, it turned out that the expenditure of the treasury over the years was so big! Fei Hong's household book is not easy!

After Fei Hong finished settling the accounts, Emperor Zhengde coughed dryly and said, "I didn't expect that the treasury was already stretched, in that case, those Aiqing have a good plan?" ”

Although he understood that the treasury was indeed empty, Emperor Zhengde was not in a hurry, after all, the two scholars and Tobe Shangshu had already thought of a way!

At this time, Li Dongyang stepped forward and knelt down and said: "Your Majesty, the treasury is empty, but disaster relief is urgent, and the ministers ask the emperor to pay silver from the inner treasury for disaster relief!" ”

Yang Tinghe and Fei Hong also immediately knelt down with Li Dongyang and said in a deep voice: "Please ask the emperor to allocate money from the inner treasury for disaster relief!" ”

Emperor Zhengde was immediately stunned, feeling like he was hallucinating, which was completely different from what he thought in his heart! No, do you want to embezzle official money for disaster relief? Why do you have to transfer money from the inner treasury again?

Not only Emperor Zhengde was stunned, but even Ma Yongcheng, who was waiting on the side, was also stunned, what is the situation? Didn't you say that it was good to embezzle official money for disaster relief? Why did it become reaching out to the emperor to ask for silver?

Seeing Emperor Zhengde looking at him, Ma Yongcheng almost vomited blood, these rabbit cubs, they didn't hear the right news, now it's okay, it's embarrassing in front of the emperor! Look at our family when we go back, we don't practice well.

Emperor Zhengde also looked confused when he saw Ma Yongcheng, obviously something was wrong! However, Emperor Zhengde did not complain about Ma Yongcheng's misreported news, although Ma Yongcheng said it wrong, but some words made Emperor Zhengde feel deeply true!

For example, embezzlement of government money for disaster relief is a good idea! Anyway, this silver can't come out of the inner treasury, why? Because the landlord's family has no surplus grain!

Emperor Zhengde's own inner treasury doesn't have much silver, and it's only four or five hundred thousand taels of silver when it's full! If this had been put in the past, four or five hundred thousand taels of silver would have been terrible! However, now that Emperor Zhengde has spent money generously, his horizons have also been opened, and forty or five hundred thousand taels of silver is really not much!

Over the years, he has stopped asking for silver from the treasury, and the expenses in the palace are directly from the inner treasury, so these four or five hundred thousand taels of silver are really not much! What's more, he also wants to marry Liu Ji.

Although it is not a national ceremony like marrying the queen, Emperor Zhengde does not want to treat Liu Ji badly, and even Emperor Zhengde attaches more importance to it than when he got married!

Liu Ji was reluctant to enter the palace, so Emperor Zhengde wanted to place Liu Ji in the leopard room, so the leopard room naturally had to be greatly changed, and a lot of things had to be added! And these, Emperor Zhengde is unwilling to wronged Liu Ji!

So Emperor Zhengde shook his head and said, "However, there is no silver in my inner treasury!" You'd better think about it again! A few Aiqing are quick to be sensitive to political affairs, and I believe they will think of a way! ”

In fact, Emperor Zhengde wanted to shout, you go and embezzle the official property! What kind of money did you come to me for?!

Li Dongyang kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, there is really no way for the ministers!" The ministers were also forced to come to ask the emperor to pay the silver from the inner treasury! ”

Yang Tinghe also kowtowed and said: "Your Majesty, they are all the people of the Ming Dynasty!" They are all the emperor's people! Could it be that the emperor just watched them starve to death? ”

What does it mean to watch them starve to death? Why can't you do it? You have no choice but to look at the little money in my inner library! Emperor Zhengde was very angry in his heart, but he was not stupid, the misappropriation of officials would definitely cause dissatisfaction among hundreds of officials, so Emperor Zhengde himself did not say anything about embezzling officials!

Emperor Zhengde shook his head and said, "I have never paid silver to the treasury over the years, and even some of the silver that originally needed to be supported by the treasury has been paid from my inner treasury!" My inner library is empty, too! I don't have any money! So, a few Aiqing should think of a way again! ”

Before Li Dongyang came, they were mentally prepared, and it was not easy to get money from Emperor Zhengde's inner treasury. Now hearing that Emperor Zhengde directly prevaricated that there was no silver in the inner treasury, Li Dongyang immediately gritted his teeth and said: "Your Majesty, the minister knows that the emperor's inner treasury has silver!" Please also ask the emperor to allocate silver for disaster relief! ”