For Jiajing, Wu Jie said honestly, he couldn't see through. He has also been in contact with the chairman of the Ming Dynasty for nearly 20 days, and he has some preliminary understanding of him. When I got acquainted with him, I found that those historical records were not reliable at all.

For example, in the history books, it is said that Emperor Jiajing has cultivated the Tao of God and Shinto because of his perennial cultivation, and he has problems cultivating his brain. Sometimes, however, this man is very shrewd, especially when it comes to money.

Of course, there are some oddities elsewhere. For example, Huang Jin said this sentence very quietly just now, and mosquitoes are the same.

As soon as the words fell, Jiajing's voice came out of the house: "Huang Jin, Wu Jie, come in." The voice was calm, as if it had suppressed the anger for a moment, and became calm and light.

Wu Jie was shocked in his heart, this ear power is simply a special function.

He glanced at Huang Jin in surprise, but Huang Jin looked like he was not used to seeing it, pointed inside, and motioned for Wu Jie to go in.

Today is the first snow of this winter in the capital, and the weather is already a little cold.

The doors and windows of Jiajing's house were wide open, and the northwest wind was blowing, blowing the veil on Jiajing's head.

A few little eunuchs who were waiting next to them were already cold and black, but they didn't dare to complain, especially because they were there to hold on.

I haven't seen Jiajing for more than ten days, and the emperor is still wearing a cyan robe this time, with a gold crown on his head. It's just that the clothes on his body are really thin, and they are actually dressed in summer, which makes people's vests feel cold.

He was sitting behind the big case, his face pale, his long eyelashes drooping, as if he didn't care about the man in front of him.

There were two people standing in the room, one of them was wearing a court dress of the second rank, and the other was dressed as a military attache of the third rank.

Both of them are very handsome, but this handsomeness is different. The man was about forty years old, fair-skinned, and bookish. Standing in the middle of the house, his body looked soft and relaxed, and the three long wisps of his beard flew up and down in the wind, along with the long sleeves of the official uniform, handsome and elegant.

There was an open-minded air between his eyebrows. As soon as he stood there, a powerful aura appeared on his body, and he was not afraid, looking at Jiajing calmly.

There is no need to guess, this person is Hu Zongxian, the governor of Zhejiang and the secretary of the military department, the military governor of the five southern provinces, and the commander of thousands of troops and horses has come over, and he naturally has a momentum on his body.

The third-rank military attache beside him didn't look very conspicuous, with dark skin and thick calluses on his hands. Short beard, sturdy like a tiger. Obviously a battle-hardened general.

However, this person looked very cowering in front of the emperor, and his forehead was covered with fine hairy sweat on a cold day. His gaze is also wandering, obviously not the kind of reckless martial artist.

I don't know this person Wu Jie, but looking at his grade, at least he is a general above the staff general. Hu Zongxian is the secretary of the military department, the second grade, this person is the third grade, and he will be released to future generations, at least a senior officer at the deputy military level.

It is estimated that it is a subordinate of Lord Hu.

"I've seen Your Majesty." Wu Jie stepped forward with Huang Jin to salute, and then looked at the two secretly.

"Don't look at it." Jiajing suddenly raised his head and said to Wu Jie: "This person is Hu Zongxian, the governor of Zhejiang, and the commander of the five provinces in southern China. ”

Jiajing pointed to Wu Jie again and said to the two: "This person's name is Wu Jie, and he is now walking in front of me. ”

Wu Jie hurriedly stepped forward and made another gesture: "I've seen Governor Hu." ”

When Hu Zongxian heard the emperor's introduction to Wu Jie, he did not say that this person had an official position, and he was surprised in his heart. However, he was an old man in the court, and he knew that there were often cultivators walking in the emperor's inner hall, thinking that he was just a monk or something, so he only nodded and didn't take it to heart.

Wu Jie saw that Hu Zongxian didn't have any expression, he was a little embarrassed, and his body froze there.

However, the military attache who was a third grade returned the salute again and again, and a bright light flashed in his eyes, and then changed to a full smile: "I've seen Gonggong Huang, I've seen Mr. Wu." ”

Hearing the seemingly humble words of his subordinates, Hu Zongxian frowned slightly, obviously a little dissatisfied.

Fortunately, the emperor spoke out at the right time: "Wu Jie, this Lord Hu came to ask me for military salaries, and now I will send you here for the military supplies of Zhejiang and Fujian." You are also very clear about the affairs of the household department, and you will discuss it. ”

"Yes." Wu Jie bowed and straightened his waist.

Hearing the emperor's words, Hu Zongxian and Zhang Juzheng were both slightly startled at the same time, only to know that Wu Jie was not just a lucky idler as they imagined.

can be dressed in cloth, or this person really has some way.

Jiajing said again: "Today, the cabinet, the celebrant supervisor, and Governor Hu on the front line are all talking about the frontline military, and the people are all complete. Wu Jie, just now Governor Hu said that the military salary on the front line in Zhejiang has been exhausted, and he came to ask me for money. I said no, and Governor Hu said that I have the money to repair the courtyard, so why don't I have the money to send food and pay, so that the palace can reduce some expenses, and the courtyard will not be built. You know the accounts well, tell me. ”

Wu Jie cleared his throat: "The expenditure of the Ministry of War this year has been approved in the lunar month, and the ministers have seen the accounts of the Ministry of Household and the draft votes of the cabinet, and a lot of money has been distributed to the front line. Not only that, but also overspent three million, these three million ministers remembered that they were used to build warships for Qi Jiguang to fight against the Japanese in the southeast against the Japanese on the sea, in fact, as soon as the silver was sent to Zhejiang, it was all diverted for other purposes, and there was no warship. ”

This sentence was so powerful that not only Hu Zongxian's face changed, but even the military attache next to him trembled.

Emperor Jiajing suddenly raised his head and glanced at Hu Zongxian sharply: "Lord Hu, I don't ask where your overspent three million taels went, but you came to entangle, what do you say about this?" ”

Hu Zongxian sniffed out the danger, but he still said slowly: "Your Majesty, although these three million taels are too much, Zhejiang and Fujian have used troops again and again, and a large sum of silver is needed for army assembly, allocation, and post-war pension. After a few battles, these three million were filled in. The military salary of the imperial court is only enough for the soldiers to eat, but if you want to fight a war, it is not enough. This is already an unwritten rule in the army, if Your Majesty really wants to punish the crime, it will chill the hearts of the soldiers on the front line, and in the future, the soldiers can only hold on to the camp and let the Japanese rob the countryside. Otherwise, as soon as the army is dispatched, you will have to owe a large sum of money, and you will be charged with greedy ink. ”

"You're talking bastard." Jiajing sneered, "So, what are I doing to raise you?" ”

Huang Jin saw that the situation was wrong, and immediately scolded loudly: "Lord Hu is presumptuous, how can he speak like this in front of the Lord of Long Live." ”

Hu Zongxian is also a strong point: "The minister just told the truth and didn't dare to hide it from His Majesty." ”

"So, you're going to let me stop repairing the yard and give you the money?" The irony on the emperor's face was even stronger.

Hu Zongxian: "Exactly, please also ask Your Majesty to put the country's society first." ”

Wu Jie also shook his head when he heard this, this Governor Hu is also a person with the power to seek emotional intelligence in historical records. After Yan Dang said that after the curtain Xishan, in order to keep his honor, this person continued to offer auspicious rui to please Jiajing, and he was knowledgeable. How did he keep provoking the emperor today, which made Jiajing Longyan angry, it is estimated that he also thought that he was in a hurry about the military salary.

With Jiajing's small surname, Hu Zongxian is estimated to be unlucky today.

Wu Jie had never met Governor Hu before, but he still had a good impression of this person. Regardless of his character, this person is indeed talented. If it weren't for him, I don't know how the Jiangnan Wokou Rebellion would have ended. In any case, this person has made great contributions to the country and the people, and he can be regarded as a national hero.

Today, no matter what, I have to think of a way to protect him.

Seeing Jiajing's gloomy face, Wu Jie immediately stepped forward: "Your Majesty, it has been a common practice for the front line to overspend every year, and the reason why the military department and the household department acquiesced in Governor Hu's overspending was to let Lord Hu use this overspending part as a reward to motivate the soldiers and a post-war pension and reward, so that they could be accounted for." However, this year's part of the 3 million taels of overspending is used for other purposes, and it is really no wonder that Governor Hu is really there. ”

"Oh, is there such a thing?" Jiajing was a little surprised.

Wu Jie stepped forward, took out an account book from the bookshelf and spread it in front of the emperor, and pointed at it: "The minister happened to see this when he checked the accounts a while ago. ”

Jiajing looked at it, looked up at the caisson on the ceiling, and waved his hand to Hu Zongxian depressedly for a long time: "I don't blame you for this, step back, ask for money to ask the household department and the military department to go." ”

"Yes, the ministers are leaving." Hu Zongxian and the military general glanced at each other, and they were both surprised. They thought that Hu Zongxian would definitely provoke the emperor to be furious if he said such careless words. But he didn't expect that this Wu Festival would calm down the emperor with just one sentence.

It can be seen that this person's status in the emperor's mind.

So, what exactly is the sacredness of the Wu Festival?

Waiting for Hu Zongxian and the others to retreat, Jiajing shouted angrily: "Huang Jin, Wu Jie, why didn't you say this earlier?" ”

Huang Jin was by the emperor's side just now, and naturally he also saw the account book that Wu Jie found out, and hurriedly replied: "Long live Lord, this account is related to the dignity of the heavenly family, and the old slave didn't dare to make a noise, so he asked the military department to close the account." ”

Wu Jie said lightly: "The minister originally didn't know that Governor Hu would come to Beijing to ask for money, but he was participating in the township test again this time, and it was delayed." After the three million taels were sent to Fujian, all the fine timber was purchased for shipbuilding. There could have been some left over for front-line warfare. But this time, His Majesty wants to repair the Yuxi Palace, transfer all the timber back to Beijing, and the labor freight along the way will be deducted here, and the savings will be exhausted. ”

He also had some contempt for Jiajing in his heart, the front-line war was so tight, but the emperor embezzled military salaries for enjoyment. No matter how you look at it, it's a big stain.

"Well, I see. I almost lost my dignity just now, but I am afraid that Hu Zongxian also knows where the three million taels are going in his heart, but he doesn't know what to say. This man is truly abominable! Jiajing angrily lifted a pencil, and with one force, it was broken in two.

shouted: "Hu Zongxian is hateful, Yan Song is hateful." If in the past, with a little military salary, he Yan Song could have borrowed it from all over the place, but this time he lent it out, but this time he used this reason to find a fault for me, is it to remind me that Zhejiang and Fujian will not be able to play without them? ”

There was an eerie tone in the voice.

(To be continued)