There was absolute silence in the Fengtian Temple, except for the ambergris incense that was still burning, and the sound of breathing was much lighter.

It's been many years, and it's really been many years that no one dares to play a courtier who still plays bull after the emperor reprimanded him for being 'presumptuous'.

If you don't count the previous important ministers such as Min Qi and Zhang Fuhua, among the officials below the third rank in the DPRK and China, Li Mengyang is the first one in the past few years.

Because Zhu Houzhao understands them, they also know Zhu Houzhao, this son of heaven doesn't like Wenchen forcing him to do things, saying a big disrespectful thing: Zhizu refuses to admonish, and Wenzu pretends to be wrong.

However, as the protagonist, Li Mengyang did not show fear, he only felt that the predicament of the clan must be solved, if it weren't for this public heart, he would have a better choice today.

Those present understand this.

That's why it is worthy of Li Mengyang.

I don't know how long it took, but the emperor on the dragon chair suddenly spoke.

"It seems that the context of my Ming Dynasty is still there, and it has not been broken."

There was no anger in his words, and some of the other ministers relieved their nervousness.

"Your Majesty." Yang Yiqing said: "Li Mengyang's words are arrogant, but Weichen feels that what he said is not completely unreasonable, there are many sects and vassals in the world, but money and food are a fixed amount. Some places have been overwhelmed and the people have been displaced, can Your Majesty still remember the few letters from Huguang Governor Xie Yuqiao Lian asking for food and sparseness? ”

"Yes. Huguang was originally the granary of the world, but now it is short of grain year after year, which is really strange. ”

Yang Yiqing has been planning for a long time about Huguang.

"Your Majesty, the old minister wants to send a cadre from the cabinet to investigate the shortage of food in Huguang, and he understands it in the world."

The emperor asked: "Zha Huguang, is it related to what Li Mengyang played?" ”

"Relevant!"

"What's the matter?"

Yang Ge Lao said loudly, "Huguang has the most feudal domains!" ”

It seems easy to ask and answer this simple question, but it is even more difficult to say it than to reach the sky. Now Li Mengyang has turned over this mountain.

The predecessors planted trees and the later people enjoyed the shade, and many people immediately knew what to say.

Wang Bing was also impatient, and said: "In addition to Huguang, there is also Henan, not that the kings of Henan violated the laws of the imperial court, but it is really that Zonglu's burden is too heavy, and the ministers live in the cabinet, and they have also heard that Henan's rice and grain are no longer enough for Zong's vassals, and the Central Plains is still like this, and it is not surprising that such a thing will happen in frontier wastelands such as Gansu." ”

Zhu Houzhao continued to listen to them.

At the same time, Han Wen, who had been away for a long time, also led his two waiters to walk in quickly with their heads bowed.

"Figured it out?"

"If you go back to Your Majesty, you can roughly frame the number. The old minister is not familiar with the affairs of the ministry, please ask Your Majesty to punish the crime. ”

Zhu Houzhao skipped the nonsense and asked directly: "How much?" ”

"The imperial court needs to spend more than 260 thousand stones on Zonglu every year, as for Zonglu's arrears, since the Cheng and Hong years, it has shown an intensifying trend, and those who can make enough noise, unless the prince favored by the first emperor, most of the remaining are insufficient."

"So what if you want to make up all the vassals in the world? How much do you need? ”

"Due to the short time, the minister did not have time to conduct a detailed investigation, but it was roughly estimated that 1 million stone tax grain was still needed."

"Do you have it now?"

"Yes. In recent years, there was not much left in the household department, and there were still more than 1.3 million stones of grain storage. ”

Don't underestimate this number, being able to balance rather than fall short is already a remarkable achievement.

Mainly in the past two years, maritime trade has helped a lot.

Moreover, Zhengde did not fight for three or four consecutive years, and its financial situation has indeed greatly improved.

But if this money is sent out, it will really be a rat running from the treasury.

Zhu Houzhao let out a sigh, "The imperial court always owes people money, I'm afraid it's not good......"

"Your Majesty!!" After Han Wen turned sideways, Wen Tingxin, the head of the household department, hurriedly played, "The problem of displaced people in Huguang has not been solved, and ten months ago, Shandong and Shaanxi reported drought. From this point of view, the court always owes people money. It is nothing more than a choice between the money owed to the clan or the money owed to the victims. ”

This guy is quite good at attacking the heart.

Wang Wei, who had not spoken for a long time, said with a smile: "The minister has heard a sentence since he was a child, since ancient times, the faint monarch has scavenged the wealth of the world, so there is always no shortage of money, and the Ming monarch hides the wealth of the people, so he is always short of money, and His Majesty's troubles at this time are the troubles of the Ming monarch." The minister wants to thank His Majesty for loving the people and loving the people for the people of the world! ”

Wang Bingzhi rolled his mouth, damn, pretending to be so tall, patting the sycophants is more numb and disgusting than us.

“…… This is one of them. Second, the silver of the imperial court is not enough to spend, and it is nothing more than two ways to open up sources and reduce expenditure. The open source policy, one is to open the sea, the other is to clear the tun, these two have been done. The key is to throttle. Lao Chen believes that His Majesty and everyone here were shocked by the number of sects just now, and what was even more shocking was that after a hundred years, how much should Zonglu be? Where does it come from?

Now that the monarch is bright and virtuous, the world is renewed, and Zonglu can still afford it, even if he makes up for what he owes, he can grit his teeth and get through this year. However, as the old saying goes, those who do not seek eternity are not enough to seek a moment; Those who do not seek the overall situation are not enough to seek a domain. Your Majesty is the king of the past and the future, and you should seek for the eternal life of my Ming Dynasty! ”

"I have already understood the meaning of Yang Ge Lao, Wang Ge Lao and all the ministers. It's this Zonglu, and the imperial court will one day not be able to afford it! Ah......" The Emperor pinched his waist and shook his head and laughed self-deprecatingly, "Don't say that one day will come, even today I still owe money to many relatives." But this day has to go on, so be it, Elder Yang Ge. ”

"The old minister is here."

"Huguang's affairs, you are in charge, Huguang does have many clans, but when it comes to today's situation, it doesn't seem to be enough. Send men to see, and send those who are able. ”

Yang Yiqing's mind moved, "Your Majesty, isn't there just one person in front of you?" ”

Li Mengyang's body tightened, is this time coming?

Zhu Houzhao thought about it for a while, thinking in his heart that the elder was still the elder in the end.

Li Mengyang is indeed very suitable, because after this 'service', Li Mengyang has become famous, with his reputation among scholars, he is the most unlikely to make peace with the vassal king, and he now estimates that even if he dies, he will not ignore his reputation.

It was also the most difficult for those vassal kings of Huguang to hunt him.

For Zhu Houzhao, appointing Li Mengyang can also win the hearts of scholars. After all, when the hand is stretched out to the clan, it is better to hold the heart of the scholar.

"Li Mengyang, are you willing to go?"

"Minister, obey the holy decree!"

"Okay." Zhu Houzhao felt comfortable in his heart, after all, it was also a good thing to be able to add some blockage to this pile of princes, no matter what, he could knock out some land money and grain.

Of course, he won't do it like Zhu Yunwen cut the domain, and he doesn't want to wantonly hunt down and kill the world's clans, that would destroy his foundation, he just wants to pay less, so there are some things that Li Mengyang has to tell in private, at this time, there are still too many people on this occasion, which is not appropriate.

Pressing these thoughts in his heart, Zhu Houzhao continued: "Let's go back to the point that Mr. Wang just mentioned, to seek for all generations. The ancestors put the country in my hands, and I can't watch it be indifferent after a hundred years, and there must be an explanation for Zonglu's affairs. The court of 3,000 people can afford it, but it does have 30,000 or 100,000 people if it goes on like this. If this is to be solved, how do you think it will be solved? ”

In fact, all the ministers have their own ideas in their hearts, and what Zhu Houzhao has to do is to hook them out!

So he asked directly: "Li Mengyang, you didn't have an obvious official position in the past, but you should also know my rules, and if you ask a question, you must have a way." What do you think? ”

Li Mengyang inadvertently clenched his fists.

The sunlight came in from the door, forming a square frame of light in the main hall, he knelt between the light and shadow, and the officials on both sides of his side were there, and he looked up to be the Ninety-Five Honor of today.

As the emperor asked these words, it was as if all the light fell on him.

Slowly, slowly...... I saw him pressing his hands on the ground and kowtowing to the emperor, and the sound of 'bang' seemed to hit everyone's hearts.

"Weichen, be courageous! Your Majesty should not treat one family as a family, but as the people of the world......"

(End of chapter)