The household department has already begun to count, and one by one, the numbers have been reported to Shangshu Li Shiao.

Then, Li Shiao was overjoyed.

There are many provinces that have paid more than the predetermined amount of official grain, but only three have not achieved the target, one is Yunnan, one is Zhejiang, and the other is Sichuan.

The most unforgivable thing is Zhejiang, where only 1.14 million quintals of official grain are being shipped from Zhejiang, which is 260,000 quintals less than 1.4 million quintals, and 260,000 quintals is already equivalent to the amount of official grain paid by Guangdong or Guangxi for a year, and it is definitely not a small number.

However, Li Shiao did not rush to report, but waited patiently, and in two days, it will be a court meeting as scheduled.

At that time, the person surnamed Xu was pointed out by Qianfu in the court discussion, and then denounced the new deal on the charge of delaying the military plane, and when the time came, the new deal was put to an end, so that the officials in Zhejiang knew the consequences of changing the tax system without authorization.

After some calculations, Li Shiao settled down, and his mood in the past two days has also improved a lot. It's just that Liang Teng, the household servant, is as anxious as a hot pot ant, during the day, he wants to make fun of the new deal with his colleagues in the public house, and scold Wang Xue, but after the duty, the old face is pulled down, and he is very distressed, and even at this time, he has planned to repair the book and go to his hometown in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, so that his people immediately withdraw a lot of business, ready to deal with the next storm of the imperial court.

That night, Liang Teng once again smeared and visited Xu's house.

Xu Qian was teasing Hengdao, so he had to return Hengdao to the nurse, and then he saw him lazily.

"Adults come to visit late at night, I don't know what's going on?" In the hall of Xufu. Xu Qian said slowly.

Liang Teng smiled bitterly: "The old man is here, or for the sake of official food, Zhejiang Shang owes the household department 260,000 quintals of official grain on credit, is there really no way?" ”

Xu Qian smiled slightly: "Who said that he owes 260,000 official grains on credit?" ”

Liang Teng was stunned and said: "The official grain in Zhejiang now is only 1.14 million quintals, how can it not be on credit?" ”

Xu Qian said slowly: "Don't worry, my lord, the lower officials have their own way, this matter." It was already arranged. ”

Facing Xu Qian, who was full of confidence, Liang Teng shook his head in his heart, has it been arranged? It's been arranged, why don't you see food now? Everyone is already sharpening their knives, you are good, and you are still boasting about Haikou here.

Xu Qian diverted the topic. Immediately said: "Yes, it is reported that the household department allocated 300,000 taels of silver to purchase firearms from the Tianjin Manufacturing Bureau?" ”

Liang Teng was really in no mood to talk to Xu Qian about this, and said absent-mindedly: "There is such a thing, the Datong warehouse is on fire, and the Shenji Army urgently needs a batch of firearms, so it specially purchased a batch." ”

Xu Qian smiled slightly: "Lord Liang, in my opinion." This Tianjin Manufacturing Bureau is afraid that it is going to make a fortune. ”

At this time, who is in the mood to think about getting rich, but Liang Teng is not a fool. Said: "Yes, the household department has allocated 300,000 yuan, and it is said that the inner treasury will allocate 300,000 yuan to purchase firearms from the Tianjin Manufacturing Bureau." This Tianjin Manufacturing Bureau is now in short supply. ”

Xu Qian shook his head: "I'm afraid it's not just that." ”

Liang Teng looked at him in amazement: "Could it be that there are still people to buy?" Xu Futai is talking about export? But as far as the old man knows. The price of firearms sold for export is often very low, and even the sea route to appease the envoys is filled with a lot of silver. He was silent for a moment: "Although Da Shi, Franco, and Wa are not the enemies of my Ming Dynasty, but the sale of their firearms, in fact, some people are already unhappy, but now they don't have the heart to ask, but this, but also be careful." ”

Xu Qian said: "What Xia Guan said is not this, it is a loss to sell to Francois and Big Cannibal, but now that there is a war, the Shenji military has used the firearms of the Tianjin Manufacturing Bureau, you must know that the firearms of the Tianjin Manufacturing Bureau are much sharper than the firearms of the imperial court, of course, the more important thing is to stabilize the dìng, from now on, once these firearms make them taste the sweetness, will they still use the firearms of the imperial court in the future?" Not to mention, the purchase from the Tianjin Manufacturing Bureau is often a large transaction, of which there is a lot of silver that can be used to fill the pocket, and the firearms of the imperial court are only allocated, and the military attachés in the border towns handle less than a penny. ”

Liang Teng frowned, in a sense, ** is indeed the lubricant of development, if you want to have kickbacks and oil and water in the army, you have to have a name to get money, get silver from the household department for various reasons, and carry out large-scale purchases, in order to fill your pockets, compared with eating empty salaries, this ** method is obviously much more clever, after all, eating empty salaries all year round, how much silver can you fool the imperial court? It's better to make a casual deal.

Liang Teng said disapprovingly: "Xu Futai, having said that, but the annual income of the imperial court is only so much, even if the inner treasury subsidizes some, it is impossible for the border army to say that it can allocate as much as it wants, and if it can allocate 300,000 yuan a year, it is already the top of the sky." A few years ago, there was no war, and the household department was still slightly deficit every year, but now the war is tight, and everything needs silver, how can you allocate money out at will? ”

He is a servant of the household department, and he knows the situation of the household department clearly, and with the current situation of the national treasury, it is absolutely impossible to make the household department say that he will pay for the silver.

Xu Qian smiled slightly: "Those Qiu Ba in the border town, in order to ask for silver, they can't find any reason, they can't do anything, I'm not worried about this." ”

The ** of military attaches is different from that of civilian officials, military attaches are greedy, and they often look much uglier, what kills good and risky merits, what eats empty salaries, and licks blood with knives, for the sake of benefits, they really dare to do anything.

As for what reason they will use when the time comes, only God knows.

Xu Qian continued: "As for the silver of the imperial court, once it is urgent, it still has to be given what should be given, but it's just ...... The source of this silver, but the mountain people have a clever plan. ”

Liang Teng couldn't see through Xu Qian, this guy has a bad stomach, but the surname Xu has a saying that is indeed right, Tianjin Manufacturing Bureau, the market has been very optimistic recently, should I let a relative go there to do some business?

It's just that now, Liang Teng still doesn't have the mind, because the official food problem in Zhejiang has made him very uneasy, and now Xu Qian is full of confidence, but he can't persuade anything. Liang Teng saw that Xu Qian was talking about the east and the west, and he always didn't talk about the topic, so he had to get up and say goodbye, too lazy to say more.

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The entire Jingshi is calm on the surface, but at this moment, it seems that everyone is waiting for something.

The most critical day has finally arrived.

On October 19, it stands to reason that today is a routine court meeting, and the Son of Heaven personally ascended to the court, from the cabinet, down to the imperial envoys of the Imperial Procuratorate, and the secretaries, attendants, chiefs, langzhong, and ministers, all of whom had to attend the meeting.

It was a big day, and many people seemed to have received the news, but their faces were calm, and one by one, according to the previous practice, they waited at the noon gate to enter the palace.

Yang Tinghe and Yang Yiqing came together, this year's Eryang cabinet is the most sincere and united, and the two arrived at the palace gate together, which seems to be a metaphor for something.

After all, cabinet ministers have their own rules, and under normal circumstances, it is impossible to arrive at the same time, the only possibility is that earlier, these two cabinet elders got together, discussed something secretly, and then set off together to come here.

Li Shiao, the head of the household, came earlier, with a smug smile on his face, he looked at it that he didn't sleep well last night, after all, it had been arranged for so long, and he finally wanted to see red with a bayonet today, and he couldn't help but be excited.

The other officials, after arriving piecemeal, no one exchanged heads, today's atmosphere is very strange, that kind of pretended relaxed atmosphere is not at all, everyone's expression, are silent.

When Xu Qian arrived, many people's eyes were on the right deputy of the Imperial Court and the governor of Zhejiang, and there was sympathy and schadenfreude in their eyes.

It's just that Xu Qian didn't have too many thoughts, he always had a smile on his face, and he also talked to people, standing alone on the side, waiting patiently.

The sky was not bright, only a faint light, at this time the morning drum sounded, the heavy palace door was finally pushed open, and then a eunuch came out, pulling his throat: "Please come in." ”

So, hundreds of officials rushed in, and everyone quietly crossed the Jinshui Bridge and arrived at the Chongwen Palace.

After standing in shifts, Jiajing came in high spirits, he wore a crown of heaven, wearing a crown dress, between gestures, with a bit of self-pride, after sitting down on the throne, his eyes began to wander among the ministers, and finally fixed on Xu Qian, his eyes narrowed slightly, and smiled at Xu Qian.

Xu Qian smiled back.

This smile carries a tacit understanding, or a mutual encouragement.

As the Son of Heaven, of course Jiajing knows what is happening outside, and he knows everything in the Jingshi, of course, he also knows that today's court meeting is the moment when the group will attack, but whether Xu Qian can be safe and sound today, he is not too sure, because many things, as the Son of Heaven, he does not have the confidence to completely control the overall situation.

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The first chapter is delivered, asking for a monthly pass.