Hearing this, Wu Mingkong frowned slightly and fell silent.

A moment later.

Her cold eyes looked at Qin Xingyan, and said expressionlessly, "Let's hear it." ”

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Qin Xingyan responded, his face showed a solemn expression, and he said in a deep voice: "If the imperial court wants to take into account the disaster victims and the war, it must have enough silver, but since last winter, the vast majority of the silver in the treasury has been invested in the production of firearms, even if the commercial tax is raised, there is not much surplus......

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by the empress.

"Don't talk nonsense, tell me, how do you plan to do it?"

Hearing this, Qin Xingyan was silent for a few breaths, and then said solemnly: "The minister's method is to mobilize rich merchants from all over the country to buy the disaster-stricken fields with silver and grain. ”

The voice fell.

Du Chen'an, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, and Zhao Zizheng, the waiter of the Ministry of Works, immediately understood Qin Xingyan's thoughts and cast strange glances.

Wu Mingkong frowned and asked, "What do you mean to let the farmers sell the affected fields in exchange for grain, and the grain of the imperial court will not be touched with one stone?" ”

Qin Xingyan replied: "It's not that a stone of grain is not given to them, those tenants who don't have land, the court still has to open a warehouse to release grain, and those farmers who have land, if they sell their fields, they no longer need the court to give them."

Although these farmers have lost their land, they will be able to survive by renting the land of large families in the coming year......"

The words are not finished yet.

Zhao Zizheng on the side couldn't help but interrupt him:

"Qin Shangshu has been in charge of the household department for many years, and he should not know that in such a disaster year, rich merchants and gentry will try their best to annex land!

In previous years, 50 taels of silver could buy an acre of land, but in the event of a flood, 20 taels of silver could buy an acre.

The people got the money in exchange for food, and they could survive this winter, but what about the next year?

There is land, and the people are still living so hard, without land, they can only be the tenants of those rich merchants, and when the time comes, they are afraid that they will not even be as good as pigs and dogs.

So many people in Huizhou have lost their fields due to a flood, and there will inevitably be changes in the coming year, at that time, can Qin Shangshu bear the responsibility? ”

As he spoke, Zhao Zizheng couldn't help but show anger on his face, and he didn't hide his disdain for Qin Xingyan who was always thinking about scavenging the people's fat and ointment.

When Qin Xingyan heard this, he glared at Zhao Zizheng, his face also showed annoyance, and he said coldly:

"There is another way for this official to take the culprit who caused this flood, and all the money that was scavenged will be used to help the victims!"

Zhao Zizheng was not stunned at all, and said-for-tat:

"The Beiliu River flood, the Ministry of Industry is indeed to blame, but my Ministry of Industry is a clear water yamen, that is, all the officials are beheaded by the house, and the silver scavenged is not as good as a household member."

In the face of such cynicism.

Qin Xingyan opened his mouth and was about to fight back.

Before he could speak, he heard the little empress shouting angrily.

"Enough!"

Hearing the empress's voice, the two of them didn't dare to say anything more for a moment, and lowered their heads.

Wu Mingkong's cold eyes looked at the two of them, and he suppressed his anger and said: "At this moment, hundreds of thousands of people in Huizhou are being affected, and the soldiers on the front line are about to run out of food!"

The two of you are still here, digging through some old accounts and accusing each other! If it weren't for the fact that there were no available people in the imperial court, I would have cut off your heads immediately! ”

This is a very harsh statement.

Even Qin Xingyan, who was a core member of the Fang Party, couldn't help but tremble in his heart, and he knelt on the ground in a hurry, and apologized: "The crime of ten thousand deaths!" ”

Side.

Zhao Zizheng also knelt on the ground, and followed closely: "The crime of death of the minister!" ”

Wu Mingkong glanced at the two of them, took a deep breath, and tried his best to calm his emotions.

A moment later.

She looked at Qin Xingyan and said expressionlessly: "What Zhao Zizheng said in previous years that an acre of land could be sold for fifty taels in previous years, but when it was flooded, it could only be sold for twenty taels, is it true?" ”

Qin Xingyan hesitated for a moment and replied, "Back to Your Majesty, it's true." ”

Wu Mingkong said: "If the government forces all the affected fields, the purchase price must not be less than forty taels, is it feasible?" ”

"This ......"

Qin Xingyan hesitated:

"The war between the imperial court and Yan and Zhou has not yet ended, and the business of Shangjia is not easy to do.

If there is free silver, they would rather put it in the house than take it out, and unless the price of the land is low enough, not many people will be willing to buy it. ”

The voice fell.

Zhao Zizheng's eyes burst out with anger, glaring at Qin Xingyan, wanting to say something, thinking of the empress's previous scolding, he endured it stiffly.

That's when it happened.

Qin Xingyan continued: "With all due respect, the Beiliu River burst its embankment, and the imperial court has been fighting for many years, even if it is a rich merchant who does not have much surplus grain, if he uses strong means to force them to buy land at a high price, it is equivalent to forcing them to provide disaster relief, and in this way, the imperial court will definitely fall into turmoil."

If the rich people were allowed to buy the land at a low price, they would be profitable, and they would willingly hand over the silver and grain.

And the people will not make trouble until next year, when they find that they have no land and it is difficult to make a living.

By that time, the imperial court had already overcome the difficulties and could give some compensation to the people who sold their fields. ”

This statement is well-founded and convincing.

But.

Zhao Zizheng's expression was even more angry.

Not to mention him, even Du Chen'an on the side, his expression became a little wrong.

Wu Mingkong noticed the expressions of the two and immediately realized that the situation was by no means what Qin Xingyan said.

So, he asked, "As you say, let the people sell their land at a low price, and there will be no harm in it?" ”

Hearing this, Qin Xingyan hurriedly said: "Back to Your Majesty, it's not the case, after all, no matter what the minister says, the people have sold their fields cheaply, and they may be able to make a living in a year or two, but after a long time, losing the land they rely on for a living will definitely have a great impact."

However, at this point, without affecting the war ahead, the only way the minister can think of is this one method, which is only an expedient measure in the final analysis......"

The voice fell.

Du Chen'an, who was on the side, couldn't help but speak: "Qin Shangshu's plan is indeed feasible, but it's just ...... The people of Yongzhou will suffer for a while. ”

Zhao Zizheng lowered his voice and said coldly: "It's not just a period of suffering, it's just a place of no return." ”

Qin Xingyan looked at Zhao Zizheng, snorted coldly, and did not answer.

Wu Mingkong's deep gaze swept around the bodies of the three of them, and he immediately realized.

The essence of this method is to rob the people of the people's fat and ointment.

Use their fields to get through it.

As for what happens after that, no one is expected to care.

In a small Huizhou, the people together are only a few hundred thousand.

Even if it really falls into a place of no return, what kind of storm can it set off.

It is nothing more than to make the court bear some more infamy.

There was a long silence.

Wu Mingkong looked at the three of them, slowly spoke, and asked, "Other than that, is there any other way?" ”

Qin Xingyan and Du Chenan glanced at each other, and they both fell silent.

Zhao Zizheng hesitated for a long time, and said in a deep voice: "If you don't suffer the people, there is only one plan that works." ”

Wu Mingkong looked at him and said lightly: "Let's hear it." ”

Zhao Zizheng said in a deep voice: "Negotiate peace with Zhou Guo!" Accumulate strength and fight again next year! ”

As soon as this remark came out.

The atmosphere froze instantly.

Whether it was Du Chen'an and Qin Xingyan of the Fang Party, or Zhao Zizheng and Lin Wan'er of the Imperial Party, they all fell silent, quietly waiting for the empress to make a statement.

There was silence for a while.

In the end, it was Du Chenan who stood up and broke the silence.

"In the war with the Zhou State, the imperial court has the upper hand, and when the new batch of firearms is completed, it will not be long before it can drive straight into the entire Zhou State!

At that time, the Zhou State will be incorporated into the territory of our Great Qian, and the strength of the imperial court will be greatly improved!

His Majesty and Fang Xiang's hegemony of dominating the world has laid the foundation, and if such a grand plan can be realized, it is nothing for the hundreds of thousands of people in Huizhou to suffer hardship. ”

Zhao Zizheng hesitated for a moment and retorted: "The imperial court does have the upper hand, but General Bai, who has always been overwhelming, is now stopped by the Tiger Ben Army in Lingnan Road because of the lack of firearms.

If the State of Zhou has been in a stalemate with the imperial court, the State of Yan and the State of Wu may take the opportunity to make trouble, and then the imperial court will fall into a situation where they are enemies on three sides!

Moreover, if you can't achieve victory in a short time, the countries will never let the imperial court destroy the Zhou State! ”

When Qin Xingyan heard this, he snorted coldly and raised his voice: "These are just your speculations!" What the facts, no one knows! Even if it is really as you said, the countries will not sit idly by, and the imperial court is nothing more than to produce more firearms! As long as there is a party to sit down! No matter how many enemies there are, they are just ants! As strong as Yan Guo, he sent an army of 300,000 troops, but not all of them were defeated by Fang Xiang! ”

Zhao Zizheng looked at Qin Xingyan, his expression was extremely solemn, and he asked in a deep voice: "What about the hundreds of thousands of people in Huizhou?" ”

Qin Xingyan was silent for a while, and said with a straight face: "Compared with Your Majesty and Fang Xiang's great hegemony, what are hundreds of thousands of people?" ”

"Your Majesty and Fang Xiang are pretending to be Wanzhou Jiufang, not a small land of one state, hundreds of thousands of people!"

Speaking of this, he paused, raised his voice and said:

"The old man knows that you are afraid of your reputation and do not want to leave a reputation in the history of the youth!"

"It's nothing more than suffering the people, and the infamy will be borne by the old man, the household official! It has nothing to do with you! ”

The voice fell.

Outside the Heart Cultivation Palace, there was a deathly silence.

Du Chenan looked at Qin Xingyan on the side and sighed in his heart.

He knows.

Qin Xingyan tried his best to sell the people's land this time, not for his own selfish interests, but for Fang Xiang's grand plan to dominate the industry!

After all.

Such a thing as the annexation of land has been a felony throughout the ages!

In the future, when this matter spreads, he, the head of the household, will definitely be spurned and left in stink for thousands of years.

The other side.

Zhao Zizheng also knew it in his heart.

Qin Xingyan couldn't get too much benefit from this flood.

Hearing the argument of "suffering the people", although he was angry in his heart, he did not refute it again.

Wu Mingkong, on the other hand, stood in place, his delicate face without any expression, and fell into deep thought.