Waiting outside were dozens of high-ranking officials led by Zhu Chunchen, the Duke of Chengguo, and Chen Yan, the first assistant, who were in high positions but did not have any resistance.

Before this, they had a respected status and great influence in the capital, and in many cases, they could even overpower Emperor Chongzhen.

After the capital was invaded by the Shun army, these large families, like the fate of the palace, were sacked by the Shun army, and most of them were captured by the Shun army.

Zhou Lu reversed the situation and turned defeat into victory, and they were freed.

Knowing that they were at a loss, they immediately entered the palace to see the emperor, and were ready to rely on their ability to speak and argue to make up for the distrust in the emperor's mind, in order to maintain their position.

They stood outside for an afternoon, and slowly discussed a way to deal with Emperor Chongzhen - hugging together and advancing and retreating together.

They are all important ministers of the imperial court, and they are grouped, and many powerful forces are twisted into a rope, and with the emperor's fragile heart, they must also give in.

They had the most contact with Emperor Chongzhen, and they had long seen through Emperor Chongzhen's temperament of being rigid on the outside and cowardly on the inside, and felt that he would not be responsible for the public, and he would not dare to do anything to them, and would accept their requests.

Now, just wait to see the emperor.

But until it was dark, the emperor ignored them.

They had no choice but to go back in a huff, feeling uneasy.

Following.

Early Dynasty time.

The hundred officials gathered again at the palace gate, waiting for the emperor to summon them.

And the two ordinary croppers with faces like the bottom of a pot were summoned by the emperor first and entered the imperial palace.

The Huangji Palace, also called the Jinluan Palace, is the main hall of the early dynasty.

In fact, the identities of these two black-faced farmers are the two ghost generals summoned by Zhou Lu, Wang Shouren and Yu Qian.

Wang Shouren and Yu Qian came to the palace to report the situation.

It is worth mentioning that Wang Shouren is the "Wang Yangming" who is known for his "psychology".

Wang Yangming is a thinker and military strategist, and he is also very talented in government affairs.

Yu Qian was once the mainstay of the Ming Dynasty.

Wang Yangming and Yu Qian bring bad news, and good news.

The bad news is that the war has wrought its wreak, and it will take at least a month for the walls to be repaired, and if there is a strong enemy attack in the near future, there is a high possibility of attacking it.

The good news is that from the soldiers of the Shun army, a huge amount of gold and silver banknotes were seized, which was converted into silver, about "nearly 70 million taels".

This bad news, Zhou Lu was mentally prepared and felt that it was normal.

In this era, there was artillery, although it was not as powerful as modern times, but as long as there were enough artillery, it could knock down the city wall.

And the good news, if you want to add a modifier, it must be "great"!

Great news!

In Chongzhen's memory, the treasury has long been depleted.

Chongzhen didn't even have money to give disaster relief to the northwest, so he borrowed money from courtiers.

You say that an emperor has been reduced to borrowing money from courtiers, how poor is this?

It can be said that Chongzhen cannot be said to be the most persecuted emperor in history, but he must be the poorest emperor.

The treasury is depleted, nothing can be done, and the most terrible thing is that no military salaries can be paid.

Military salaries are generally in arrears throughout the country, and in some localities they have even been in arrears for two or three years.

This is also one of the big reasons that affect the morale of the Ming Dynasty.

Therefore, the income from the seizure of nearly 70 million taels of silver is of great significance to the Ming Dynasty.

What is the concept of nearly 70 million taels of silver?

Emperor Chongzhen has been registered for more than ten years, and the treasury income is only a pitiful more than 20 million taels of silver.

Nearly 70 million taels, which is three times the income of the state treasury for more than ten years!

The depleted treasury, when it is full at once, can definitely be described as being rich and getting rich overnight.

And why does Shunjun have so much money?

When people come to attack the city and kill people, it is impossible to carry such a heavy amount of gold and silver.

Therefore, the nearly 70 million taels can be said to be basically obtained by looting large households in the capital.

And the big families in the capital are mainly officials.

This shows that many officials are hiding their wealth.

Zhou Lu felt that Chongzhen was too much of a failure to be the emperor, his officials were so entrenched, and he was so poor as an emperor, and even wore a dragon robe with patches.

Zhou Lu glanced at the patch on his sleeve and shook his head.

When I changed clothes, I took a dragon robe and put it on, but found that there were patches on the sleeves, which was definitely not to highlight the personality and trendiness.

Lao Tzu was so poor that he had no money to pay for tuition, ate spicy strips with gutter oil, and did not wear patched clothes.

And Emperor Chongzhen is wearing a patched dragon robe.

The emperor was also drunk to the extent that he did this kind of bitterness.

but

Now as soon as Lao Tzu became emperor, he gained nearly 70 million taels in one fell swoop, which was three times his income in the more than ten years he had been emperor.

Overnight rich wood.

No matter how lucky you are, you can't stop it.

The phrase "money is easy to do" is common throughout ancient and modern times.

Disasters and famines in the northwest and the lack of livelihood for the people are the biggest cause of the rebellion?

"Tell the world that farmers across the country will be exempted from tax for ten years. Allocate 10 million taels for disaster relief, and those who embezzle more than one or two disaster relief funds will be beheaded! Those who are not effective in disaster relief will be beheaded all over the house! Those who take advantage of the disaster to seek benefits will be beheaded all over the house! Zhou Lu announced.

"Yes."

Wang Yangming bowed.

Wang Chengen gasped.

The emperor, who has always been somewhat indecisive, is now extremely decisive.

The peasants were exempted from paying taxes for 10 years, and a large amount of disaster relief was made to solve the problem of civil strife at the root at once.

If this holy decree continues, the whole country will rejoice.

It's just that the tax exemption in the past ten years is too ruthless, as a country dominated by agriculture, it is equivalent to losing the main income in the next ten years, of course, this time it will get nearly 70 million taels, and it is no problem to support it for ten years.

Compared with the ruthlessness of tax reduction, the emperor's punishment is more ruthless, and one or two of them have to be copied and beheaded, according to the current urine nature of Ming officials, if it is really investigated, many people will die.

And in troubled times, he used heavy canons, and even almost lost the country, in extraordinary times, no matter how ruthless the emperor is, he can understand.

Wang Chengen's guess was right.

Although there are documents from the emperor to the world, most officials and black-hearted businessmen have long been greedy, thinking that they are still just talking, and after waiting for half a month, they think that the limelight has passed, and they begin to be greedy for disaster relief.

Lin Zhongchen, who was promoted to the commander of the Jinyi Guard, and Wang Shouren, the minister of the Qin Mission, who held the sword of Shang Fang, made a secret visit and showed no mercy, copying all the way through, and for a time the heads were rolling, killing a total of more than 100,000 people, all of whom were corrupt officials, black-hearted businessmen, and large landowners who annexed land.

Unexpectedly, the wealth obtained by raiding the family exceeded 10 million taels of silver.

In other words, Zhou Lu used 10 million taels of silver to relieve the disaster, not only to lead to the elimination of the Ming moths, but also to make money in the end.

In some cities in the northwest, almost all the officials were killed, but the public order was surprisingly good, and the people cheered.

The replaced officials will soon take office.

The Ming bureaucracy has long been redundant, and the most important thing is that people who want to be officials.

This is a later story, and I will not say more.

The gaze returned to the Imperial Palace.

Zhou Lu continued: "Wang Shouren is the minister of the Qin Mission, responsible for inspecting disaster relief matters, and giving you the sword of Shang Fang, first cut and then play. Yu Qian, you are responsible for the reorganization of soldiers and horses, the allocation of grain, grass and military salaries, and you will also be given 10 million taels of silver, and the military salaries of the soldiers will be supplemented first. ”

"Minister, take the order."

Wang Shouren and Yu Qian were appointed, and left the Imperial Palace after giving the ceremony.

"Your Majesty......" Wang Chengen said after a moment's hesitation.

"What?" Zhou Lu asked.

Wang Chengen pointed to the outside of the hall and whispered: "The hundred officials feel that His Majesty despises them, they are very dissatisfied, the old slave is afraid of trouble, and now there is a lot of waste to be done, it is the time to employ people......"

The corners of Zhou Lu's mouth hooked up a hint of mockery: "Dissatisfied? Call the outside officials in. ”