With the arrival of the first day of the first month of the ninth year of Kang Mazi in the Qing Dynasty, the Pingxi Palace, which is located in a corner, has also ushered in the best era since the establishment of the mansion. In the past year, relying on the monopoly of the exclusive planting right of the Eight Banners Fushou Paste and the export tax exemption right, and relying on the Eight Banners Fushou Paste planted in the domain controlled by the palace itself, the Pingxi Royal Mansion has made a financial income of more than 3.2 million taels of silver, from the prince Wu Sangui to the ordinary feudal soldiers, not to mention, they have also completely made up for the Achilles heel of the Pingxi Wangfu that it cannot be self-sufficient in food and salary, and the financial dependence on the Qing Dynasty has also been greatly reduced.

In the face of such a situation, the vast majority of the civil and military generals of the Pingxi Royal Mansion and the vassal dependents of the feudal clans were of course full of red light, and their purses were bulging, worshipping Wu Sangui and Lu Fatzi who brought them this kind of divine object like gods, and Wu Sangui also woke up from a dream several times, and was extremely grateful to God for giving him such a living treasure as Lu Fatzi - referred to as a living treasure. However, some people of insight in the Pingxi Palace, such as Wu Sangui's four major think tanks Hu, Liu, Wang, and Fang, as well as Xia Guoxiang, Liu Yi, Gao Dejie, Guo Zhuangtu, Qiu Kesun, Yang Shanzi and others under Wu Sangui, were all worried about this situation, and discussed with each other to find opportunities to remind Wu Sangui.

The best opportunity is undoubtedly in the few days after Chinese New Year's Eve, in order to celebrate the New Year, most of the backbone of the Pingxi Royal Mansion, including Fatty Lu, the number one rising star of the Pingxi Royal Mansion, have dragged their families back to Kunming to celebrate the Spring Festival with Wu Sangui. After a few days of intense preparation, on the second day of the first lunar month, the four major think tanks of Pingxi Palace, Lu Fatzi, Xia Guoxiang, Liu Yi, Gao Dejie and more than ten people came to Yin'an Hall and jointly implored Wu Sangui to meet with him.

After waiting patiently for a long time, Wu Sangui, who still had a sense of wine on his face, finally came to the Yin'an Palace, not wearing the prince's clothes that were officially summoned, but wearing a civilian clothes, and shouted as soon as he entered the hall: "In the morning, the king sent someone to drink with you to celebrate, why did you all refuse?" Why are they all here now? Let's go, it's rare to have a good year, to celebrate more, to accompany the king to Anfuyuan to drink, what to say when there. ”

"Father-in-law, we have something important to do, or ask my father-in-law to speak in the Yin'an Palace." Wu Lao Han's eldest son-in-law, Hu Guozhu, kowtowed and said.

"Big deal?" Wu Sangui shook his eyes and said, "For the New Year, is there anything important that can't be said in a few days?" Having said that, seeing many hardcore henchmen kneeling in the Yin'an Hall with serious faces, Wu Sangui still did not insist on opposition, and soon sat on the dragon chair in the middle of the Yin'an Palace, accepted the etiquette of the hardcore dogs according to the rules, and said: "Flat, if you have anything to say, just say it." ”

Everyone was not in a hurry to speak, only Hu Guozhu gave a look to Liu Yi, the number one financial expert in the Pingxi Palace, Liu Yi understood, knelt down on his knees, took out a thick account book but did not open it, and said directly: "Lord Qiqi, the financial income of Kangxi in Pingxi Wangfu for eight years is as follows: Yunnan Tian tax, Ding tax and salt tax and other taxes totaled 293,326 21 yuan and three cents, and Guizhou various taxes and silver 100,000 and 297 25 yuan and one cent, Yunnan Eight Banners Fushou Paste received 3,256,992,26 yuan, and the imperial court allocated 3.4 million taels to the military salary. ”

"The sum of all incomes is 7,055,616,22 cents, an increase of almost double last year's 3,720,000 taels!" Speaking of this, Liu Yi paused for a moment, and then said in a deep voice: "If you add the secret income of my Pingxi Palace's private copper mining and gold sand mining, the financial income of my Pingxi Palace's this year has actually exceeded eight million taels!" Excluding military salaries, weapons, salaries and other expenses, the actual savings are more than 480,000 taels! “

"Zuo Chang (Liu Yizi), this number, Gu has asked you a few times, and how many times have you carefully reported it?" Wu Sangui said with a smile: "These are all your credits, especially Yifeng, your Eight Banners Fushou Paste has really helped us a lot in Pingxi Palace, from this year onwards, we no longer have to be afraid of being stuck by others." ”

"Father-in-law, please listen to Lord Liu first." Hu Guozhu reminded with a serious face. Wu Sangui was in a hurry, and made a gesture to Liu Yi to continue talking.

"Lord Yu, because the imperial court is investigating the Gansu grain case, the former Hubu Shangshu and Wang Hongzuo, a native of Baoshan in Yunnan, has been dismissed and questioned, and replaced by Hao Weine, who is at odds with our Pingxi Palace, so Weichen and others can no longer directly grasp the income and expenditure of the imperial court's finances, and can only be inferred from the analysis of public information, and it is estimated approximately." Liu Yi said unhurriedly: "Weichen and others estimate that the treasury income of the imperial court in Kangxi for eight years should only be more than eight million taels, and the income of the inner treasury will definitely not exceed ten million, and the total will be about eighteen million taels. ”

"Really? What's wrong with that? Wu Sangui didn't come back to his senses for a while, and asked in confusion.

"Lord Wang, Weichen also has an absolutely accurate message." Liu Yi sighed and said: "In the eighth year of Kangxi, the imperial court's revenue from the salt tax on Lianghuai was 2,382,556,7125 yuan and five cents, which was 871,321,25 cents less than the income of our Eight Banners Fushou Paste in Yunnan. ”

Wu Sangui really couldn't laugh, Wu Sangui was not a political idiot, seeing such shocking figures, Wu Sangui certainly understood Liu Yi's extraneous voice - Yunnan's Eight Banners Fushou Paste revenue has exceeded the Lianghuai salt tax, the number one pillar of Mites' fiscal revenue, what will Xiao Mazi and Mites' Qing court think? Could it be that the next holy decree will praise Wu Sangui for his financial management and encourage Wu Sangui to continue to eat alone and make a fortune this year? That little pockmark and mite Qing court are really idiots!

"Father-in-law, the husband is not guilty, but he is guilty." Hu Guozhu said gloomily: "Although the imperial court has no way to grasp the real financial revenue and expenditure of our Pingxi Palace, it can probably still be estimated, such a figure is in the eyes of the emperor, what will the emperor think?" Do you think that our Pingxi Mansion is already very rich, and next year's food and salary can make us self-sufficient? ”

"Or, will the emperor think that you are his courtier, and your silver should be his silver?" Fang Guangchen's voice was not warm either.

"What do you mean are worried that the emperor and the court will attack our Pingxi Palace?" Wu Sangui's expression finally became serious.

"Lord Wang, this is an obvious matter." Wang Shirong hurriedly opened his mouth and said: "Our emperor, how careful you are, you don't know it, prince. In the sixth year of Kangxi, the financial income of our Pingxi Royal Mansion is less than half of what it is now, and the emperor feels that he has given too much, and he has to force the prince to cut your military salary, and now our financial income is more than double that of Kangxi's six years - our emperor, you still have to feel so distressed that you can't sleep at night? ”

"Mr. Wang, that's not necessarily." Fat Lu added viciously: "Maybe after turning over the brand, the concubine was wrapped in yellow silk and carried to our emperor, our emperor suddenly remembered the financial income of our Pingxi Royal Mansion this year - and then the poor concubine comforted herself with her own hands all night." ”

"Huh. Hahaha. "Everyone including Wu Sangui is full of laughter, Xia Guoxiang and Gao Dejie and a few rough people simply laughed out loud - Xia Guoxiang is known in history as a big man who can compare with Wu Yingqi, and he is definitely not as brave and resourceful as the legendary battle of wits and courage with Lord Wei, and his position in front of Wu Sangui is far less important. Liu Xuanchu, Lu Fatzi's teacher, scolded: "One peak, above the Silver Palace, must not be presumptuous!" But after scolding the students, Liu Xuanchu himself couldn't help laughing.

"You, can't you be respectful when you mention the emperor?" Wu Sangui also smiled and pointed his finger at Fat Lu, with an expression of hatred that iron does not become steel. Lu Fatzi raised his fat head and said: "Xia Guan is the prince's person, not his person." ”

"Alright, alright, don't divert the topic." Wu Sangui waved his hand with great satisfaction to stop Fat Lu from continuing to say those rebellious words. At the end, Wu Sangui put away his smile again and said solemnly: "In this way, you came to ask to see this king today, all to remind this king, to prevent the emperor and the court from eyeing this king's Eight Banners Fushou Paste income?" ”

"Father-in-law, this is a clear thing." Hu Guozhu spread his hands and said: "The imperial court will never allow our Pingxi Palace's silver to be rich, because with silver, we can get rid of the last shackles of the imperial court on us, we can expand the army, we can train troops, we can cast artillery to build weapons, we can arm the newly recruited army, we can also buy back horses in Tibet, increase our cavalry, and we can buy salt and grain, so that the vassals of Pingxi Wangfu will no longer be troubled by salt and grain shortages, and grow rapidly, will the imperial court allow such a situation?" ”

"To be precise, I can't see the poor drinking a bowl of porridge." Lu Fatzi said helpfully: "The imperial court will only hope that our Pingxi Mansion will become poorer and poorer, and will not want us to become richer and richer." ”

"What's new." Liu Yi said coldly: "Because we purchased a large amount of grain from the Pingxi Palace, now the price of grain in Yunnan and Guizhou has dropped by more than one penny per stone, and the price of grain in the grain-producing areas of Jiangnan and Huguang has risen by two to three dollars of silver per stone, and the price of grain in the grain-producing areas is still like this, let alone other places?" Will the imperial court tolerate this for many years? ”

"Lord, in a different situation, if you sit in that position in the Qianqing Palace, will you not be jealous of our Pingxi Palace?" Wu Sangui's other henchman, Guo Zhuangtu, opened his mouth and asked, "Will you find ways to weaken our Pingxi Palace?" Let us Pingxi Wangfu continue to be poor again and continue to suffer from the shortage of military salaries, food and grass? ”

"That's right, our financial income last year will definitely arouse the vigilance of the imperial court, and the imperial court will definitely not let us continue to make such a big profit this year." Many of Wu Sangui's henchmen and lackeys echoed and pointed out to Wu Sangui that Xiao Mazi and the Mites Qing Imperial Court would never allow the Pingxi Palace's financial rations to get out of control, and they would inevitably use all means to weaken the Pingxi Palace, at least let the Pingxi Palace's Gatekeeper and Watchdog in the southwest frontier again!

When the doglegs scolded Xiao Mazi for not being able to see the poor drinking a bowl of porridge, Wu Sangui never said a word, until the doglegs yelled dry and quieted down, Wu Sangui asked unhurriedly: "What you said is very reasonable, and the court will indeed not watch our Pingxi Mansion go on like this for a long time, but the knife handle is in the hands of others, and the court does not allow our Pingxi Mansion to make more money, what can we do?" ”

This time, the four wise men of Lu Fatzi and Wu Sangui exchanged glances with each other, and then, Fatman Lu stepped forward, saluted and said: "Lord, the knife handle is indeed in the hands of others, but we may not be completely controlled by others, as long as the measures are appropriate, the court may not dare to cut down this meat cleaver." ”

"So, you've got a countermeasure for the king?" Wu Sangui is now accustomed to the tricks of the kobold military advisers -- he will never come to his own bad ideas without secretly connecting them in advance and discussing and unifying the caliber.

"The prince is holy and bright, and the lowly officials have indeed prepared three strategies for the prince to choose." Fat Lu first slapped Wu Laohan on the back, and then asked: "I just don't know if the prince wants to listen to the next strategy or the middle strategy first?" ”

"Let's talk about the next step." Wu Laohan sat up straight and listened attentively.

"It's easy and safe." Lu Fatzi said: "That is, please ask the prince to go to the court, take the initiative to ask the court to reduce the grain and grass of our Pingxi Palace, and ask the court to take back the tax-free privilege of the Eight Banners Fushou Cream, and at the same time offer the Eight Banners Fushou Paste seeds to the court, so that the court can spread widely, and let our Pingxi Wangfu be weak again, and Yunnan and Guizhou will be poor again, so that the court can be slaughtered and others can be slaughtered." In this way, the emperor and the imperial court may be merciful, and they will no longer be as hostile to our Pingxi palace as they have been all these years. ”

Lu Fatzi's words are tantamount to saying in vain, even if Wu Sangui, who is unprofitable and can't afford to be early, even if he takes the wrong medicine and agrees to this bad idea, the wolves, tigers and leopards under Wu Sangui's command will also force Wu Sangui to take back his life, so Wu Sangui snorted coldly and said, "What about the middle strategy?" ”

"It's also very simple." Lu Fatzi said in a deep voice: "Please take advantage of the golden opportunity now, take advantage of the emperor and Ao Zhongtang to contain each other, and have no time to take care of our precious time, take out more than four million taels of silver saved this year and take out two million taels, cast fifty Hongyi cannons, make one or two thousand new rockets and supporting rocket cars, and then make more safety explosives and explosives cotton invented by the prince, and other muskets, swords and bows and arrows, as many as you can forge, Finally, please ask the prince to divide our Pingxi Wangfu into batches, take turns to train, farmers in leisure time, and soldiers in wartime! ”

"In this way, our Pingxi Royal Mansion has enough self-protection ability, and it will have weight to speak in the imperial court, and some people will not dare to casually hit the idea of the prince's silver. When it really doesn't work, even if we live in a corner, we have the capital to protect ourselves, and we don't have to worry about the threat from others. ”

Wu Sangui lowered his head and was silent, and after a long time, Wu Sangui raised his head and asked, "What about the best policy?" ”

"Lord Wang, I don't dare to say it." Fat Lu replied honestly.

"Father-in-law, the best policy is based on the middle policy." Hu Guozhu said cautiously: "If my father-in-law accepts our middle policy, then if we don't implement the best policy, we have to ask my father-in-law to make a decision." ”

Wu Sangui was silent again, and after a long time, Wu Sangui looked around at the people present and said, "So, you all hope that this king will accept the middle strategy?" ”

"The ministers are willing to serve the prince! Go to the soup and go to the fire, don't give up! All the lackeys of Pingxi Wangfu present knelt down together and replied in unison - no way, there are too many anti-bones in Pingxi Palace, and the anti-bones are too thick.

"Good." Wu Sangui, who has always been known for his indecision, suddenly went against the norm this time, pointed to Liu Yi in the palm of Cao's hand, and asked: "Chief, you say it again, what was our financial surplus last year?" ”

"Back to the prince, four million eight hundred and thirty-one thousand five hundred and fifty-six twenty-one dollars and nine cents!" Liu Yi has been waisting all the time, and quickly answered the numbers that have already been ripe.

"Then what do you want the king to spend with two million taels of silver to expand his armament?" Wu Sangui asked again.

"Back to the prince, Weichen and others have already listed the details of the expenditure!" Liu Yi raised the hands of the account book in his hand above his head, and said in a deep voice: "The lowly rank has been sleepless these days, and has made a detailed list of armaments, ensuring that every penny of the prince's money will be spent on the blade, please take a look at the prince!" ”

"Don't look at it." Wu Sangui waved his hand, suddenly slapped the Tuanlong case in front of him, and shouted: "Double this king, and count it again!" Don't you want two million taels? This king will give you four million taels. This king is fifty-six years old this year, and the silver is not brought to life or death, rather than staying in the silver treasury to become moldy, it is better to leave some life-saving magic weapons for the descendants of the Pingxi Palace! Let the whole world dare not use our Pingxi Mansion as a fish and meat slaughter! ”

"Lord Wang Shengming, Weichen and others swear allegiance to the prince!" Lu Fatzi and the others were ecstatic, kowtowing and shouting together, Liu Xuanchu and Fang Guangchen and other old people were even more in tears, and finally saw Wu Sangui in high spirits once.

"Also, pull out 50,000 taels for one peak alone!" Wu Sangui pointed at Lu Fatzi again, and shouted: "Yifeng, those Western things you said to Gu back then, you continue to do it for this king, the more the better!" The more powerful, the better! Also, last year, you responded to Qi and Gao Dejie that they said about the kind of airship that can make Lone soldiers fly to the enemy's head and throw explosives, you must make it for Lone! It's done, Isolone is the master of the country, and I will give you my granddaughter Xiaosu! ”

"Thank you for your trust." Lu Fatzi replied loudly: "Within this year, if you can't let the prince's sons and daughters fly into the sky and soar at will, you will ask the prince to be punished!" ”

"Okay, Lone believes you!" Wu Sangui was another group of dragon cases, suddenly slowed down, and said with a smile: "Okay, if there is nothing else, let's accompany this king to Anfuyuan for a drink." Lone was pulled from the wine table by you, and the guests over there are still waiting for Lonely. ”

(To be continued)