It's the end of the year and the beginning of the year again.

In the main hall, Cheng Ji ordered to lead the cabinet ministers, as well as the household department secretary Bi Ziyan, the Ministry of Rites He Ru favor, the left capital Yu Shi Wen Tiren, and Wang Chengen led the celebrity supervisor opposite each other.

The main topic of today's meeting is the final financial accounts of the past year and the budget for the coming year.

Wang Chengen said in a sharp voice, "In the past year, there have been captives and disasters in the past. This white flower of silver is really drawn like flowing water."

"If it weren't for the Holy Emperor's presence in the universe, he would guide the direction and reorganize the rivers and mountains. The adults assisted Yin and Yang, forbearance for the country, and there was a lot of progress in the support. At the end of this year, I don't even know how to get by! ”

Wang Chengen gave a step, and the originally solemn atmosphere immediately became a little more lively.

Cheng Jiming, as the head of the civil officials, took over the conversation.

First of all, he accepted Wang Chengen's flattery without revealing a trace, and he did not lose his modesty words.

Then he also pointed out the strong support of the Cabinet in the past year.

The final foothold, of course, is still the emperor's wisdom.

“... The soldiers are in danger and the battle is fierce, and the rivers and mountains are covered with dust, His Majesty Zhizhu is in his hands, and he first allows the Liao Governor Hong Chengchou to take the heavy responsibility, and chase the east to capture the outside of the fortress, and grant the Datong General Soldier Mangui to be an elite soldier, and the old department of Wuliangha is in Yingchang. The wisdom of employing people is peerless! ”

After patting the horse, Cheng Jiming cautiously looked at the hazy figure of Chongzhen behind the curtains.

Cheng Ji's life is not just because Chongzhen suddenly promoted himself to be the first assistant in the court discussion before, but because of the large list of achievements just listed, many of which Chongzhen bypassed the existing civil official system and contributed to it.

If these things fail, then the civilian government will naturally be more emboldened and pick up the "Emperor's Ancestral Teachings" and the Four Books and Five Classics to give a serious exhortation.

But the problem is that Chongzhen has done it, doesn't this mean that the civil officials are like decorations, and the emperor can govern the country without them?

The fear of superiors often stems from the realization of their subordinates that they can be replaced.

In the midst of the curtains, Chongzhen coughed, "Today is Laba, and I asked the imperial dining room to boil Laba porridge for you Aiqing and a few big companions." As soon as the meeting was over, everyone took the food box from the little eunuch and went back. ”

The courtiers and celebrants hurriedly thanked them.

Chongzhen said, "It's the festive season, and I don't want to stay with you for a long time. A few Aiqing have long words, and short words if they don't have words, and there is no need to say the kind of words that can be praised or not. ”

Cheng Ji's heart sank, and he knew that the consistent style of the saint was also pragmatic, so he hurriedly cut to the point.

"In the past year, the bulk of the expenditure was Liaoyu, totaling 4.5 million taels."

"Jianzhou entered the fortress, and the soldiers and horses of the Qinwang in various places distributed food and salary, rewarded 1 million taels of silver, and requisitioned 500,000 taels of grain and grass."

"The Western Army went out to conquer Karaqin, that is, the three guards of Wuliangha, with a total of 1 million taels of food and silver, and 400,000 taels of early expenses for rebuilding Yingchang City."

"Shaanxi suppressed bandits on three sides, and spent 1 million taels of food and wages."

"Zhili Shuntianfu and other rebuilt city walls and temples 600,000 taels, disaster relief and tax reduction and exemption of 300,000 taels of variegated rice and wheat."

"200,000 taels of drought relief in the northwest, and 100,000 taels of taxes will be exempted."

"Other hundred officials and miscellaneous expenses are 2.4 million taels."

"The total expenditure is 12 million taels."

Cheng Ji's orders were reported one by one, and the cabinet member handed the ticket to Bi Ziyan for signature, and then handed it over to the celebrant for approval.

Wang Chengen took a stack of tickets and trotted all the way to the throne, but before he could open his mouth, he saw Chongzhen nodding.

The money is all spent, what can you do if you don't get a bonus?

After the approval was completed, the courtiers were also relieved.

Next up is the annual income. Cheng Ji cleared his throat and said

"The salt tax revenue in various places is 3.5 million taels, and the salt inspection and inventory of tax arrears is 600,000 taels."

"The provinces have four million taels of land."

"The new tax on liquor is 1.2 million taels, and the tax on tea is 700,000 taels."

"The inner treasury spent two million taels of gold and silver."

"The total income is 12 million taels, and the income and expenditure are offset."

Chongzhen's fists tightened a little.

When I looked at history, I was very puzzled by Chongzhen's persistence at that time.

As for being so stingy? Isn't the world all yours?

But when it was my turn, I finally realized the pain in it.

To put it bluntly, this is like a unit with a deficit at the end of the year, and let the leader take out his own income to fill it.

And this unit is not a small loss, it is a huge loss every year, and once you agree, you have to take out all your net worth to fill it.

What kind of leader can accept such a request?

The current income of the inner treasury can only maintain the expenses of the palace.

If you want to reward the military attache or other people, you can't come up with the money.

However, there were many places to spend money last year, and if this year's budget surplus is enough, you have to make up for it in your own inner treasury.

The next six ministries each submitted their budgets for the year.

The Ministry of Rites must continue to operate the mutual market with Lin Dan Khan, after all, it will not be able to take building materials in the new year.

There is also preparation for the imperial examination, and this year it is time to hold the triennial palace examination.

The household department should continue to manage the northwest disaster relief and the reconstruction of Zhili.

The Ministry of War and the Ministry of Engineering are the majority.

The Liao salary alone cost four million taels. At the same time, if there is no increase in troops in the northwest, it will also be paid by one million.

Mangui, who was on the front line, built a city defense when it was time to spend money, and the expenditure did not decrease but increased.

Yuan Chonghuan, the governor of Jiliao, saw that Man Gui was engaged in the project, and he also applied for an additional budget of 2 million taels to build a city in the Daling River and the Xiaoling River.

Originally, the Ministry of Industry had planned to trim the river embankment in Jiangnan, but now when it saw this situation, its budget was all to support the Ministry of War.

Even so, the total expenditure was as high as 12 million taels.

Compared with last year's income, there may be a deficit of 2 million taels.

So here's the problem, last year, Chongzhen could still use the small treasury to pad it first.

Where to find these two million taels this year?