Xue Mi's questioning is high-sounding, reasonable, upright and bright, without any flaws, and no one can blame him.

Yan Zhang, the prince of Taiyuan, couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat when he heard this, and he was afraid for a while, if the Xianbei people retreated to the depths of the grassland, the war would not end in a month or two, and if the army out of the fortress was cut off from food, it would be difficult to escape the fate of the annihilation of the whole army.

"I'm so rich, how could I get to such a point!" the prince sighed.

"I think it's all Tian Ning's trouble," Cui Hao sighed hatefully: "This Tian Ning deserves to die!"

"Brother Cui's words have a certain amount of truth," Xue Yu nodded: "Tian Ning has to bear a lot of responsibility, not to mention anything else, just say that the grain caves near the imperial capital, Duzhi Cao has estimates, and it will take three to five years to make up for it, but Tian Ning does this, it doesn't matter if he dies, he can harm us." ”

"Tian Ning should be damned!" Xiao Zhao also nodded approvingly: "Zhang Meng seized a good opportunity, and the emperor was deceived by him." ”

"Zhang Meng must be driven out of the imperial court!" Wang Fen also chimed in.

Driving Zhang Meng out of the imperial court has almost become a consensus among ministers who oppose the new tax system, but how can he be driven out?

Zhang Meng acted very carefully, he lived in the palace during this time, and the emperor also learned the lesson of Pengzhu's assassination, and sent ten good hands from the tiger guards to be his guards, and the order given to them was that Zhang Meng was wrong, and they were all punished.

As for the impeachment of the courtiers, will it be useful with the emperor's favor and trust in him?

Xue Yu couldn't help shaking his head in his heart, driving Zhang Meng out of the court seemed easy, but in fact it couldn't be done at all.

"Lord Xue, what do you think?" Xiao Zhao Wang Ye stared at him with a smile.

Xue Mi smiled bitterly: "Little prince, don't squeeze me, you are a descendant of the Yan family, you control the Zongren Mansion, you try to be sparse, see if the emperor drives you away or Zhang Meng." ”

"What is my clan's mansion, there are many descendants of the Yan family, you are the queen's younger brother, and your speech is much better than my idle clan. "Xiao Zhao is full of ruffians.

Xue Mi was suddenly vigilant in his heart, and shook his head with a wry smile: "I'll tell you the truth, don't talk about me, even the queen mother's father, Pan Lian can't get rid of Zhang Meng, if he can do it, he will do it a long time ago." ”

Wang Fen nodded: "Lord Xue is right, Zhang Meng is gaining momentum now, the emperor wants to rely on him to complete the new tax system, it is impossible to get rid of him at this time, whoever comes forward will be finished, so the old fox Pan Lian is unwilling to do it." ”

Xue Mi was slightly shocked in his heart, and he subconsciously thought that these people seemed to have walked through Pan Lian's doorway, and they were probably rejected by Pan Lian.

Looking around, Xue Mi was a little uneasy, talking about such a thing on this occasion, this is going to be passed out, and it will be written in the imperial history, even if he can get out, the trouble is not small, and it is not in line with his purpose.

"Mr. Zhang Meng is an important minister by the emperor's side," Xue Mi decided to divert the topic: "He has won the trust of the emperor, and besides, the new tax system is not useless, and it is also good for the imperial court to increase fiscal and tax revenues." ”

"There is a saying in the Taoist scriptures, the Tao is the first, the art is second, the non-Tao is profitable, the greater the benefit, the greater the harm!" Wang Fenzheng said.

"Yes, the sages have already made it clear that this is to compete with the people for profit," Xiao Zhao said: "Lord Xue, the court has fought for this small profit, but it has lost the fundamental avenue and shaken the country's foundation. ”

"What you said, Lord Gu Wei explained in the debate of Yangzhou Academy, it is not surprising," Xue Yu shook his head and said: "The problem is that the imperial court is in financial difficulties now, you have to come up with a solution, if you don't have it, then you can only listen to others." ”

These words hit the nail on the head, the imperial court is now in financial difficulties, people have ideas, but you don't have ideas, so you can only do it according to other people's methods.

The room fell silent, Xue Mi saw that he actually blocked everyone back, and he was quite proud in his heart, so he continued: "If you don't know how difficult it is to be in charge, the imperial treasury is empty, if something happens, then there will be a big flood, a drought, or a war on the border, this year, Tubo invaded Liangzhou, fortunately it was beaten out, if they come back next year, what should I do?"

In addition, now that there are people everywhere who are homeless, what should we do if there are people with ill intentions who incite the homeless people to make rebellion? Where is the military spending? You can ignore these things, but the emperor must consider them, and Shangshutai must also consider them. ”

Xue Mi seemed to be angry, and poured out a bunch of bitter water, and everyone was still speechless.

In the middle of the ring, Wang Fencai said slowly: "It is said that there is a problem with the imperial court's finances, and to improve the finances, it is nothing more than two hands, open source and throttling, in my opinion, open source can increase taxes, increase commercial taxes, and also increase poll taxes." ”

"No," Xue Mi interrupted him, and said angrily: "This matter has been fighting for a long time between Zhang Meng and Pan Lian in Shufangzhai, and when Master Gu Wei Gu was arguing in Yangzhou, he said that the tax of the common people is already very high now, compared to the Taizu period, it is already forty percent higher, and I am afraid that the people will be overwhelmed, and there will be more displaced people." ”

"If open source doesn't work, then you can only throttle. Wang Fen said in a deep voice, the debate of Yangzhou Academy has spread all over the world, and Wang Fen's suggestions have been refuted by Gu Wei in the debate.

Xue Mi sighed: "The imperial court throttles money, it's nothing more than using less in the palace, and then what else do you cut?

Wang Fen was blocked by Xue Mi, but he didn't get angry, he just smiled bitterly and sighed, and Xiao Zhao Wang Ye slammed the wine glass on the case: "In this way, there is no way, it can only be a new tax system!"

"Actually," Lu Yao said slowly, "this new tax system is completely unnecessary. ”

"Oh, why?" Xue Yao was a little surprised, Lu Yao had always been very low-key, rarely interjected, mainly listening, but at this moment he was a little shocked.

"The current financial difficulties of the imperial court are actually mainly caused by corruption," Lu Yao said seriously: "The imperial treasury was borrowed by officials, and it has not been completely recovered until now, Tian Ning and Du Zhicao officials privately divided the imperial court tax silver, and there are tens of millions of rough calculations. ”

After Lu Qiao finished speaking, Xiao Zhao Wang Ye slapped his thigh and said loudly: "Well said, Brother Lu Xian, well said, according to this calculation, the court is not short of silver, and the silver is corrupted by those corrupt officials." ”

Xue Mi looked at Lu Qiao, this kid was quiet, he looked a little thin, and his mind was so meticulous, you must know that he didn't get these data, he could infer so many things from just a few words, this kid is amazing.

"Lu Shinephew said it well," Wang Fenchong raised his glass to Lu Qiao, and Lu Qiao also raised his glass in response: "Did the nephew participate in the Spring Festival this year?"

"Upper and lower grades. Lu Qiao was a little ashamed in his expression, for a child of a thousand-year-old family like him, the upper and lower grades were already poor, but Lu Qiao already had an official position, a child of the scholar family, and he was born with an idle position.

This time, the person who presided over the spring product was the Guozi Priest Jiu Mi Chen, and there were also a few famous people from Manshilin, in terms of lineup, it was no worse than in previous years.

"Lord Wang, I want a young talent like Lu Shinephew to be recruited into the office. Wang Fen is not polite, Xiao Zhao's fiefdom is in Jizhou, and his relationship with the Wang family has always been good, and he has never been polite when he speaks to each other.

"It's best for the old seventeen to do this. Xiao Zhao Wang Ye shook his head and said: "The Zongren Mansion is no more than the Qingshui Yamen, Brother Lu Xian is here, it is a big talent and a small use, it is best to go to the degree of support Cao, or the Yushi Terrace." ”

The two of them settled Lu Qiao's future in a few words, but everyone here knew that they had this ability.

The old seventeenth is the king of Yanping County, Shangshutai Shangshu, and the master of the degree of support Cao.

Wang Fen nodded, and the matter was over.

Lu Qiao was a little apprehensive in his heart, and his father wrote to tell him that now was not the best time to join the office, let him wait for another two years, and warned him not to get involved in the dispute over the new tax system.

He hurriedly got up: "A letter from my father, let me study with peace of mind, before I finish my studies, don't enter the office for the time being, Lord Wang, Uncle Shi's kindness, Lu Qiao understands it." ”

Wang Fen frowned slightly, and Xiao Zhao looked at him puzzled: "Ling Zun is really, he still has this idea, I don't know where Lu Shi's nephew is studying now?"

"Back to the prince, I'm studying in Taixue. Lu Qiao replied respectfully.

Guozijian, Taixue, are the two major institutions of higher learning in the Great Jin Dynasty, the former is a bit like the royal private school, and the latter is much broader, and the children of the scholar family can be enrolled.

"Since Ling Zun has orders, naturally do what Ling Zun wants," Xue Yu interjected: "But it's a pity, Brother Lu Xian, this is the time when the imperial court needs you, the new tax system is very controversial, and it is the time for you to contribute to the imperial court." ”

Wang Fen and Xiao Zhao looked at Xue Mi, and the two of them showed a hint of a smile almost at the same time.

Xue Mi pretended not to see it, and was still persuading Lu Qiao to go out as soon as possible, Lu Qiao began to argue, and after a while, his attitude finally wavered, and he agreed to write a letter to tell his father, if his father agreed, there would be no problem.

Wang Fen and Xiao Zhao seemed to be very satisfied with this result, the two of them frequently persuaded to drink, and Xue Mi also had a sense of alcohol, and he asked Wang Fen about the Wang family and Hanhai Trading Company through wine.

"It's not solved yet, Brother Wang, when are you going to fight, Ling Zun is not in a hurry?"

Wang Fen sighed bitterly, and Xiao Zhao also looked at him, and there seemed to be worry in his eyes, and he couldn't help but be secretly surprised in his heart.

"We are still negotiating about this, and my father means that let Hanhai Trading Company come out more or less, and don't eat alone. ”

Xue Yu didn't speak, but Xiao Zhao said: "It's easy, Liu Han is not the kind of person who eats alone, do you want me to say it from it." ”

"When you need it, you will definitely trouble the prince. Wang Fen didn't say anything to death, he said that he was still negotiating, in fact, the negotiations had stopped, what the ancestors wanted was not a little bit, from the beginning to the present, the conditions of the ancestors had not changed.

The waterway of the Yellow River, Hanhai Trading Company must be relinquished.

(End of chapter)