Zhang Juzheng's eyebrows have a slight upward movement, but this action is very fast, and ordinary people can't catch it, and most of them will ignore the past. The tone remained the same, as if asking, "Your Majesty, I don't know how much money you plan to pay to the household?" ”

Wanli was overjoyed, and blurted out the number he had originally thought. "One hundred thousand. Guanglu Temple prepared imperial meals for a few days during the New Year, and the palace put lanterns in Shangyuan, and I and a few people around me said that they would purchase a batch of foreign lanterns sold from Guangdong. Also, after the Chinese New Year, the people around me always have to give rewards, and these need money everywhere. Wait until ......"

The Emperor's voice grew quieter, and his excitement gradually dissipated, as he saw the face of his mentor. This young son of heaven, who aspires to follow his grandfather's example, although he lacks talent in academics, still has his own talent in guessing people's hearts. Although he is limited to age, he cannot be compared with Zhang Juzheng and other bigwigs, but after all, he has been studying with his teacher for several years, and he can still figure out the psychological changes of this character who is also a master and a father.

Zhang Juzheng had been keeping his head down before, so he didn't pay attention to anything. At this moment, Zhang Juzheng raised his head, the master and apprentice looked at each other, and Wanli realized that he seemed to have said something wrong, and the teacher was about to get angry, so he stopped speaking in time. Looking at the teacher pleadingly, "Actually, five...... 50,000 ......"

"Please be merciful! The minister has his own face! Zhang Juzheng did not answer the emperor, but instructed the eunuchs word by word. The little eunuch looked at the emperor, but Zhang Juzheng had already raised his voice, "Please be merciful!" ”

The crime of separating mother and son is punishable, because no eunuch dares to disobey this order. The current emperor's biological mother, the Empress Dowager Cisheng Li in the Mu Dynasty as the imperial concubine with a phoenix ribbon to manage the six palaces, after Mu Zong's ascension, the mother to the son Guijin as the Empress Dowager Cisheng, is also the real meaning of the current palace administrator. The Rensheng Empress Dowager Chen, who is also the queen mother, is not as powerful as her. Zhang Juzheng was able to take charge of the dynasty alone, which was also inseparable from the support of the queen mother.

As the Empress Dowager, she lived in Cining Palace, but in order to take care of the emperor and supervise his studies, Empress Dowager Li moved the palace to Qianqing Palace. ”

Including Zhang Juzheng and the emperor, the entire imperial study all knelt on the ground after this shout, and the Empress Dowager Li, who was dressed in a Hongfu Qitian jacket, walked through the middle surrounded by a palace eunuch until she sat down on the throne of Wanli. A bead curtain was hung to ensure that Yurong was not peeped at by the ministers, and then from behind the bead curtain, a woman's voice sounded. "Mr. Taiyue gave him a seat."

Zhang Juzheng got up, and a eunuch immediately moved the big chair for Zhang Juzheng to sit, Zhang Juzheng said: "Your Majesty has not sit, and the ministers dare not sit." ”

Empress Dowager Li is not very old, a woman who has just passed the age of thirty, is extremely energetic, and her voice is full of energy. "Mr. Zhang doesn't have to be polite, Mr. invited the mourning family to come, it must be Banzai who did something wrong, provoked Mr. to be really angry, and I want to ask me, a mother, to come out and judge and discipline my son. The master and apprentice are human, and the disciple is disobedient to the teacher, just like the son is disobedient to the family, in this imperial study, is there a seat for an unfilial son? ”

Although she and Wanli are mother and son, their relationship is not cordial, and even the emperor and his mother-in-law, Empress Dowager Chen, are more like mother and son. Hearing his biological mother's cold and stern tone, Wanli felt a burst of timidity, and hurriedly said, "I know that I am wrong......

In the corner, a little eunuch clenched his teeth, and even a slight gurgling sounded, but right now, no one could hear it.

Empress Dowager Li said: "Mr. Zhang, if you have something to say, now that the Ming Dynasty is politically harmonious, thanks to Mr. Force's efforts to protect him, if Mr. is angry, the day will collapse." In any case, please take care of your health, if this chapter is played in person, the mourning family will not protect their son. ”

"The minister doesn't dare to slander the king, he just wants to invite the saint to come, and the minister will repay the debt."

"Billing?"

"Yes, Your Majesty has already read the amount of money and grain reported by the household department this year, but it is an account, and the minister has to report it. The year is approaching, the nobles in the court need to be rewarded, this is customized, and there are nine sides to reward silver, can not be sent, before the object is discounted, now Taicang has silver, not only should be silver, but also should be rewarded, in order to show the virtue of long live. According to the statistics of the household department for several days, a total of 3,494,040 taels of silver should be paid this year, and the balance of the household department is ......"

Zhang Juzheng's voice was not very loud, but he heard it very clearly, and his voice was also very magnetic. Until the expenses were reimbursed, Zhang Juzheng said again: "The remaining funds of the household department must be paid to the treasury in the summer and autumn of the following year." In the coming year's meeting, the two counties of Da and Wan and the imperial court should pay tens of thousands. In addition, in the spring, the ice is aquatic, and the money will be used on the river. Beiyu suffered from disasters in winter, and there was a possibility of internal offenses in the spring, and money was also needed for side affairs. The Huguang Zengguang Demon Book case involved the Xiangxi Tusi, and it was necessary to recruit ten battalions in Huguang to prepare for the rebellion of the natives. The Duke of Wei offered a cowpox prescription, and the imperial court should set up a cowpox bureau in the southeast...... In addition, the disaster of flood and drought is unpredictable, once there is a change, it is necessary to use silver hair, and the remaining money in the ether warehouse is not only not much, but it is insufficient. ”

After the bead curtain, Empress Dowager Li said: "Yes, this country, the country and the family are the same, and you have to use money everywhere, but what about the input, that's it, it's difficult for you to be a family." ”

"The minister is guilty, and he does not dare to be praised by mercy. The ministers borrowed left and right, and the current support has been powerless, long live to spend 100,000 silver for the festival expenses, the minister is really difficult to obey, and I specially ask the saint to surrender. ”

"The cost of the festival is 100,000 taels? Your Majesty, you are so generous. Empress Dowager Li's voice was cold, Wanli only felt a tremor on her body, and quickly knelt down and said, "Queen Mother...... I was wrong. ”

Empress Dowager Li snorted, "How can this be true!" You go and ask Feng Daban, how many silver taels did you spend on the birthday of the mourning family a few years ago? You saw the pomp and circumstance, and you should have a number in your heart, right? A mouth costs 100,000, you have such a big breath! ”

Zhang Juzheng said: "Cisheng, the minister thinks that the current treasury is not sufficient, and the state is still insufficient. The southeast guards against thieves, the north guards against captives, and money is needed everywhere. The only way to do this is to cut off all useless expenses in order to fill the treasury and prepare for the uneventual situation. The ministers please exempt the Shangyuan lights in the palace this year to save this useless fee. ”

"It's up to the gentleman to decide. It is useless to put lamps in this palace, and if you are not careful to attract Huilu, then something big will happen. It's good to be free. Just do as Mr. Zhang wants. ”

"Thanksgiving. In addition, if there is a lieutenant official who asks for money from the household department with an order in the future, how should the official respond, please also ask for clarity from the saint. ”

"It's easy to do. Long live the money, there is a mourning family to discuss with the husband, the one who should be given has its own holy decree, and the middle decree should not be taken. Tell the officials of the household department, seeing that the decree for silver is not obeyed, the eunuch who holds the decree for silver is locked into the palace, and he has his own mourning family. ”

"Thank you."

Zhang Juzheng was silent for a moment, and then said: "The minister thinks that His Majesty's personal government is imminent, so he should read more books of sages and sages, and take Ming as the king's reason." Don't be mistaken by the vulgar words in the market, involve energy, and delay the right thing. ”

"What? He still dares to read those unsightly scripts? ”

Empress Dowager Li's voice became even more severe, and Wanli hurriedly said: "Queen Mother, that is to teach people to serve the country with loyalty and righteousness......"

"Stay! Don't think you've done anything good, I don't know what a mother...... There are some things that cannot be said in front of the gentleman, for fear of staining the ears of the gentleman. A book that teaches loyalty, see what kind of loyalty it is! Mr. Zhang, please go back first, today's class has stopped. The mourning family has to talk about housework with Banzai! ”

"Obey."

Zhang Juzheng palace waist public is the Empress Dowager Li in the name of the emperor reward, is out of the palace gate, there are two waist sedan chair to welcome out, out of the palace to transfer to the eight sedan chair all the way back to the Shamao Hutong house. As soon as he got off the sedan chair, the chief manager You Chubin came up, and said while walking inward with Zhang Juzheng:

"Xiangye, Jiang Ning has a letter......

"How?"

"Back to the prime minister's show, it is a happy letter. The eldest lady has never been dyed with flowers, and now her body is well, and she can leave for Beijing when she is healed. ”

"This girl will cause trouble for people, wait for her to go home, see how I punish her!" Although the words were harsh, there was still a hint of a smile on that gloomy face.

You Chubin said: "Since the eldest lady is fine, the two sons ......."

"What does this have to do with them? A gentleman is a gentleman, and he is born from the beginning. Filial piety (brother Tongyi) is also the foundation of benevolence! The two actually left their sister and went to Beijing by themselves, and the way of filial piety is safe? How can such a person contribute to the pillars of the Ming Dynasty and the country? Before going down, read through the book and then say, who dares to take half a step out of the study and break his legs! ”

You Chubin shook his head helplessly, his words were in vain, and the two sons could only continue to suffer. He handed over a stack of worship stickers, "This is the official who posted today, please ask the prime minister to command." ”

"Look at the arrangement, according to the rules, you have your own measure. Don't make arrangements today before applying for two o'clock, I want to talk to Feng Pan (Zhang Siwei) and Yaoquan (Shen Shixing) about the trial arrangement, and I don't have time to meet outsiders. At other times, you look at the arrangement, at the end of the year, the people's homes are busy with the New Year, but I am the only one here who is busy doing things, and you have worked hard. ”

You Chubin listened to the hard work of the imperial prime minister, and suddenly felt a burst of heat around him, and his fatigue and fatigue were all swept away. said with a smile: "Xiangye works hard for the country, and he doesn't dare to say that he is hard, how can a few small people dare to say these two words." It's just a matter of running a few more steps and saying a few more words. ”

"There's one more stigma." Zhang Juzheng said: "Everyone says that you have seven hearts and black hands and are greedy for bribes, who knows that those filial piety have become silver taels in the treasury and rice juice in the porridge shed in the outer city." The seven-rank official in front of the prime minister, you follow me, but you only have an empty name, and you can't afford it. ”

"Contributing to the country is as it should be. If those officials asked them to donate money to the court, none of them would be happy. Let them take the silver to honor the slaves and maids, but one is harder than the other, this is also a means of fighting poison with poison. Doing something for the master, the slave maid is happy, and what does the slave and maid care about if they are stigmatized. ”

Zhang Juzheng nodded, "As long as he is willing to do things for me, I won't let him suffer in vain." When I'm done, I'll arrange for you to come from a background. ”

Zhang's mansion is full of visitors from morning to night, and every night there will be a large banquet, and it will stop in the middle of the night. On the moon, the banquet of Zhang's Mansion has just entered the port, and at the back door of the Shamao Hutong, a small sedan chair quietly arrives. After the sedan chair is lifted, a waiter gently lifts the cotton sedan curtain, and then stretches out his arm to help a middle-aged man in his thirties.

The huge air lamp outside the door of the Prime Minister's Mansion shines on the tall and straight figure of the man, with a long face and long eyebrows, and a very capable appearance. But looking at the world, I am afraid that there is no rich businessman who can let You Chubin, the head of the Prime Minister's Mansion, greet him in person, and greet him respectfully, just by looking at his attitude, you can know that this person's identity is unusual.

The man smiled and waved his hand at You Chubin and said, "You Qi, you don't have to be polite to yourself, I'm not that age." Although his hands and feet are not as convenient as the children under him, he is also a person from the Admiral Dongchang, and if he even needs to be helped to walk, it will be a joke. I'll go to the study and wait, you invite Taiyue to come, don't worry. He socializes a lot, especially at this time, I don't know how many people want to talk to him, let him be busy with him first, and then come back after he is busy, I just want to see what new calligraphy and painting he has. ”

Not long after the man arrived in the study, there was a light cough outside the door, Zhang Juzheng had already walked in at the door opening, and the person who came hurriedly got up and saluted, "Brother Taiyue, I still alarmed you after all." ”

Zhang Juzheng's face, which was as serious as ice that never melted for ten thousand years, was full of smiles at this time, and he hurriedly returned the salute: "Brother Shuanglin, if you don't come to the door easily, how dare I slack off?" Besides, if you fancy a lot of my paintings and calligraphy here, wouldn't it be bad? ”

"You scholars, you just have a lot of eyes, and our family hasn't thought about it yet, but you thought about it first. Come on, I just think about you, I won't take back three or five pictures this time, and I'm sorry for this reputation, so I'll take whatever I see for a while. ”

"Brother Shuanglin, you can just take it, but after reading it, you must take a commemorative note."

"You're thinking about my inscription, since I inscribed the Qingming Shanghe map, I easily stopped doing it, and I didn't fall for you. I said You Qi, what are the rules of your family, people who come only care about tea and food, right? To be honest with you, I came out of the palace in a hurry, I didn't have dinner, my stomach was empty, what did I want, I tried your cooking skills. ”

Zhang Juzheng knew in his heart that it was impossible for Feng Bao, the current minister of the imperial court, the eunuch in charge of the seal and the commander of the Qin Order, and Feng Bao, the confidant of the Empress Dowager Cisheng and his most important political ally, to come to his house to eat. There is only one meaning of such an order, and the content to be discussed next cannot be known to You Qi, so he waved his hand to retreat at the moment.

But when You Qi was about to leave the house, Feng Bao followed again, "I said, hurry up and serve food, the sooner the better, I'm really a little hungry." No kidding, I really haven't eaten, what to take, just starvation. ”[.]