"Big brother, you are here, you must help me this time."

When he arrived at the Qianqing Palace, he should have been instructed by Zhengde, so Gu Dayong didn't let people pass it on, and led Xie Hong in. Zhengde was walking back and forth in the hall anxiously, and when he saw Xie Hong, it was like a wronged child seeing his parents, holding Xie Hong's hand and complaining.

"I'm going to help you, of course, but you'll have to tell me, what the hell is going on?" Xie Hong was curious all the way, but he could be regarded as seeing the person concerned, so he hurriedly asked.

"They bully honest people." Zhengde continued to sue unrelentingly.

"Well, indeed." Xie Hong echoed sincerely.

"Yesterday they lost to me, today this is a personal vendetta of the communiqué!"

"That's right."

...... "It's all to blame on the envoys from Korea, I didn't inform them when I ascended the throne, but these people came to pay tribute by themselves, and as a result, they caused me so much trouble." After scolding for a while, venting his anger, Zhengde snorted angrily and talked about the reason for the incident.

"Isn't it a good thing for North Korea to pay tribute?" Xie Hong was puzzled, isn't the tribute just to send things and money, so there will be trouble? Did the courtiers think that what was sent was not good enough?

"I originally thought it was a good thing, but in fact, ......" Speaking of this, Zhengde was even more annoyed, and he didn't want to speak anymore, so he shouted: "Old Ma, you come out and explain to the eldest brother." ”

A eunuch came out from behind, and with a smile, he first gave Zhengde a salute, and then gave Xie Hong a salute, saying, "Our Ma Yongcheng, Lord Xie is polite." ”

"Well said." Xie Hong nodded, I hadn't heard of this person's name, but he could be so close to Zhengde, so he thought he was one of the Eight Tigers.

"Don't talk about these things, you can explain today's matter to the eldest brother clearly." Zhengde was very impatient and interrupted Ma Yongcheng's politeness.

"The slave obeys." Ma Yongcheng bowed in response, and then raised his head and explained to Xie Hong: "This dynasty pays tribute to the vassal state......

After listening to it for a while, Xie Hong understood that the Ming Dynasty was big or small, there were many vassal states, such as Ryukyu, Korea, and Hami, and the Wa Kingdom actually used to be, and these vassal states paid tribute every year, which is not surprising.

But the foreign policy of the Ming Dynasty was relatively stupid, the vassal state paid tribute, and the court had to give a gift in return, and at least doubled! Xie Hong was speechless, isn't this a typical person who is stupid and has a lot of money?

If there is really a lot of money, it is nothing for people to be stupid, but the trouble is that there are more things in the Ming Dynasty this year, and Hongzhi will repair the imperial mausoleum after his death; Fighting on the frontier requires military salaries and pensions; The Nanjing earthquake in September last year and the famine in Shaanxi also had to be relieved, so the treasury was a little empty.

The misfortune is that North Korea came at this time, and the value of the tribute this time is still very high, so when the Ministry of Rites proposed a reward, the Ministry of Household began to complain, saying that it could not be given, and the Ministry of Rites would cut it.

The Ministry of Rites didn't do anything when they heard it, and the reward couldn't be doubled, how could it reflect the majesty of the Heavenly Empire? As a result, the two began to make a fuss.

Coincidentally, the North Korean envoy happened to come in time for a few years ago, and Zhengde was preparing for the family at that time, so he didn't pay attention to it, and when he ran away, no one bothered to talk about it, so it dragged on until February.

Xie Hong didn't bother to complain, the civil officials fought among themselves, exploited the people, and even cleaned up the emperor, which was more powerful than the other, and the means were also unfathomable, endless. But as soon as a pair of outsiders are on fire, the inner king and the outer saint, this idiot-like diplomatic policy is really inherited through the ages!

If you have money, you are generous, that is stupid and has a lot of money, and if you don't have money, you have to charge hard, that is, you are slapping your swollen face and becoming fat, isn't this pure illness?

"Big brother, you say, aren't they just sick!" Zhengde interjected angrily, but it coincided with Xie Hong, he waved his hand again, and said, "Old Ma, you continue." ”

"At today's court meeting, this matter was mentioned again, this time Han Butang and Zhang Butang suddenly stopped arguing, not only that, but the courtiers also unified their opinions, and said in unison......" Ma Yongcheng hesitated.

"Just say it!" Zhengde shouted hatefully.

"They said: Etiquette cannot be abolished, my Ming Dynasty is the Heavenly Empire, and North Korea is because of admiration for the majesty of my Celestial Empire, so I came from afar with enthusiasm, and I can't chill the heart of the vassal country because of just a few things......" repeated these high-sounding truths, and Ma Yongcheng got to the point:

"What the courtiers mean is that since the household department has no silver, and this matter is related to the heavenly family, they must take this money out of the inner treasury, if it is not enough, then the imperial village will be exempted......" Ma Yongcheng said while peeking at Zhengde's face, and the more he spoke, the quieter his voice became.

"It's so deceitful!" Zhengde had already sat down, but when he heard this, he slapped the table again and stood up.

"Huangzhuang?"

The courtiers suddenly put aside the controversy and unanimously pointed the finger at Zhengde, and the eight achievements were yesterday's sequelae. Xie Hong was like a mirror in his heart, yesterday in the suburbs of Beijing, the ministers cried and cried, dizzy, it can be said that they lost their faces, and they were almost not scared out of a heart attack by Zhengde, plus a series of things before, it is strange that they can endure this breath.

This is indeed a personal vendetta of the communiqué, and by taking advantage of the fact that North Korea paid tribute, their counterattack came. However, the inner treasury is the emperor's small treasury, this Xie Hong knows, but what the imperial village is, he has no idea.

"Master Xie doesn't know, is this Huangzhuang ......" Seeing that he was puzzled, Gu Dayong hurriedly explained that Zhengde's small treasury was in his hands, and he knew the affairs of Huangzhuang best.

Huangzhuang is the Zhuang field directly operated by the royal family of the Ming Dynasty, in addition to some shops and other side businesses, to put it bluntly, it is the emperor's private industry, but this era is based on agriculture, so the bulk is still the output of the field.

Although the emperor is the lord of the world and claims to be rich all over the world, in fact, it is not so easy for Zhengde to spend money. The money in the treasury is in the hands of the household department, and if the emperor wants to use it, it must be drafted by the cabinet and then discussed by the court, and if the use is not in accordance with the etiquette norms, then it will be rejected.

Therefore, the money that Zhengde can use freely is the output of the imperial village, and at the beginning of his reign, when he rewarded the ministers, the reason why he was so generous was because of the silver he used in the inner treasury.

“…… Years ago, there was already a motion to abolish the imperial village in the government and the opposition, and the governor of the imperial history, Wang Jing and others, also made a comeback, but it was shelved by the Lord of Long Live and asked them to discuss it again, who would have thought that it was actually mentioned again today, this is really ......"

Gu Fatzi's face was wrinkled, he was in charge of money, how could he not know that without the Huangzhuang, not only would Zhengde have no money to spend, but these eunuchs would also suffer from poverty and take money from the treasury? Don't be funny, who doesn't know those masters in the household? When the emperor wants to use money, they must be called poor, but who in it doesn't have a pair of big hands and a big pocket?

This is to engage in an economic blockade, Xie Hong is not wrong to blame the scholars, these bureaucrats are indeed extremely powerful when they are fighting among themselves, and this counterattack is simply and neatly to the point, and there is no pedantry at all. Xie Hong couldn't figure it out, how could such a group of smart people behave stupidly everywhere except for infighting?

The emperor also costs money if he wants to do things, at least Zhengde is like this, when he sneaks away to Xuanfu, no matter if he stays in the hotel to eat, he also gives money.

The situation of not paying the debt has also happened, but there is only one bitter master, Xie Hong, who eats and lives in Xuanfu and adds all kinds of toys, Zhengde has not given money, but Xie Hong has nowhere to reason, who let them worship?

"Big brother, one world and two brothers, you have to help me." Zhengde looked at Xie Hong with blank eyes and played the emotional card.

"Don't worry, who will I help you if I don't help you?" Xie Hong is naturally obliged, and aside from the friendship between the two, he can't stay out of it. He still wants to start the construction and then improve the technology, these are all things that burn money, how can there be no money?

Moreover, if Zhengde is really overwhelmed by the Wenchens, let alone the start of construction and the industrial revolution, looking at yesterday's posture, Xie Hong will have problems if he wants to save his life.

It's just that things in the world are easier said than done, and when it comes to specific solutions, Xie Hong also has a headache, and those Wenchen are not easy to deal with.

Judging from yesterday's situation, what we need to consider is whether it makes sense, and there is nothing to justify strong words, but a group of people completely ignore what you say, just quote the scriptures and scriptures.

Come hard? According to the situation in the capital mentioned by Qian Ning, it seems that the civil officials are a little harder, and even the forbidden army guarding the palace may not be able to control Zhengde, without a knife handle, how to be hard?

By public opinion? Or is there something else? Xie Hong is even more unsure, he is just a craftsman after all, and besides, he has a little knowledge of later generations.

After thinking about it for a long time, Xie Hong didn't think of any good way, in the final analysis, it was a lack of strength, although Zhengde was the emperor, he had just ascended the throne, and he had a month's desertion halfway.

And Hongzhi was weak at the time, which led to a lot of power being sidelined, and even the Jingying, which was supposed to be in the hands of the emperor, was controlled by the civil officials.

Originally, there were contradictions between the ministers, and on the issue of North Korea, weren't the household department and the Ministry of Rites just arguing? But after Zhengde and himself made a fuss, the ministers actually had a common enemy, and under the same hatred of the enemy, they actually abandoned the controversy and unified the outside world, and it was impossible to survive in the cracks.

What to do? Xie Hong's heart was full of thoughts, and while he was thinking about it, he suddenly heard Zhengde scolding hatefully: "They are all damned Korean envoys, what kind of tribute do you always pay if you have nothing to do?" Otherwise, why are there all these troubles? ”

That's right, Xie Hong's eyes lit up, and he also scolded: "Yes, it's all the fault of the stick, let's just solve the stick directly." ”

"Sticks?" Zhengde looked at Xie Hong in confusion, "Why did the eldest brother call North Korea to make a stick?" ”

Xie Hong looked left and right, and saw that there was a pen and paper on the imperial case, so he was not polite, and walked over and drew a simple map on it.

"Second brother, look." Xie Hong didn't have the ability to draw ink and blue, but drawing a map was a trivial matter, and seeing that Zhengde also followed, he pointed to the map.

"Is it Yutu?" Zhengde is known for his wide range of interests, except for the Four Books and Five Classics, there is nothing he doesn't like, and military affairs are also one of them, so you can understand it at a glance.

"That's right." Xie Hong nodded, pointed to the long and narrow peninsula on the map, and said with a smile: "Second brother, look, isn't this just a mallet?" ”

"Huh." Rao is heart was resentful, and Zhengde couldn't help laughing, "It's really a mallet, it's better to give them a title in the future, don't call the king of North Korea, call it the king of the mallet instead." After laughing, he sighed and said, "It's a bad breath, but what should I do about the affairs of Huangzhuang?" ”

Xie Hong smiled mysteriously and said: "The bell must be tied to the bell, since it is the fault of the stick, let's find a way from the stick." ”

(To be continued)