Jiajing mourned for the candidates who participated in the examination in his heart for a moment, and then put the exam questions aside.

"I have good news for you." Jiajing turned his gaze to Xu Jie, and said slowly.

"Dare to ask Your Majesty, what is the good news?" Even though Yan Song had already guessed, he still showed a very interested look.

"A sum of silver will be sent to the treasury in the near future, about 30 million taels." Jiajing looked around at the ministers and said lightly.

"What? Thirty million taels! Hearing the figures reported by the emperor, all the ministers were dumbfounded, and Yan Song was directly stunned.

Yan Song had already expected that the amount of silver would be a lot, but he didn't expect it to be so much, right now, there are still 26 million taels of silver in the treasury, plus the 30 million that will be sent to the treasury immediately, and the salt tax that has not yet been collected, the silver in the treasury will reach an extremely terrifying 60 million taels!

This made Yan Song, who had been the first assistant of the Ming Dynasty for more than 20 years and was accustomed to living a poor life, a little difficult to adapt for a while.

When was there so much money in the treasury? And not so long ago, he was still anxious about the deficit of the treasury.

Who am I? Where am I? Am I dreaming? That's five six million taels of silver!

After suppressing all the messy thoughts in his heart, Yan Song took the lead in kneeling on the ground and said respectfully: "All this depends on the wise leadership of Your Majesty, which has transformed the treasury from the previous deficit to the current surplus of 60 million taels!"

"Weichen, I admire Your Majesty so much! You are the father of hundreds of millions of people in my Ming Dynasty, and I have two capitals and thirteen provinces in the Ming Dynasty, and there is only one sun for Your Majesty! Yan Song said, goodbye.

Xu Jie, who was on the side, frowned without a trace, and his heart was full of disdain: "Yan Song, this old thing, is eighty-one years old, and he can still say such flattering and sensual words, he is really a traitor!" ”

After a while, the remaining few people also knelt down and said in unison: "Your Majesty Shengming!" ”

"Well, get up, get up." Jiajing waved his hand and asked everyone to get up.

I have to say that Yan Song's sycophant meal before made Jiajing very useful, and even his mood was much better.

Seeing that the emperor was in a good mood, Yan Song continued tremblingly: "Your Majesty, since the treasury is so abundant now, I can also put some previous things on the agenda, such as the salary increase of officials. ”

In the twenty-fifth year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty, the formulation of the official Yulu, the first grade of the official month is eighty-seven stones, and the lowest of them from the ninth grade of the official month is only five stones, the difference between the two is more than ten times, and for the vast majority of officials, it is difficult to support their families only by relying on the money!

The payment method of Yulu is rice, silver, banknotes, silk, cloth and various physical goods to deduct, the proportion often changes, and the treasure money due to the indiscriminate issuance, more and more worthless, so many high-ranking officials in the receipt of the money are refused to the court with treasure money deduction, and this part of the senior officials is naturally transferred to the low-level officials, the vast majority of their money is deducted by the treasure money.

"Your Majesty, Weichen thinks what Elder Yan Ge said is very good! At present, the price of rice is getting more and more expensive, but the official's salary has hardly changed, not to mention anything else, take the price of rice as an example, the price of rice in the capital has risen from the previous 120 Wen to the current 150 Wen. ”

"There are still many officials who need to support their families!"

After Yan Song proposed a salary increase for officials, Xu Jie also knelt on the ground and begged the emperor.

"Well, what the two pavilion elders said, there is some truth, what do you think?" Jiajing said, turning his gaze to the other three and asking.

"Your Majesty, Weichen agrees with what the two cabinet elders said, and it is time for the official's salary to rise." Gao Gong on the side saw the emperor's gaze move to him, and hurriedly spoke.

"What about the two of you?" Jiajing turned to Yan Shifan and Zhang Juzheng, who had not spoken.

"Your Majesty, our opinion is the same as that of the elders, and we agree with raising the salaries of officials!" Zhang Juzheng and Yan Shifan glanced at each other and spoke at the same time.

At present, whoever shows the slightest willingness to oppose it will soon become the target of public criticism and be ostracized by the entire bureaucracy! Since ancient times, there have been only individuals who have betrayed the class, and there have been no classes that have betrayed interests.

"Well, you're so unanimous, you must have already spoken to each other beforehand, right?" Jiajing smiled, and his tone was indifferent.

"Don't dare!" Hearing the emperor's words, a trace of panic flashed on the faces of the ministers, and then they knelt on the ground in unison.

"However, I am not opposed to raising the salaries of officials, and the low-level officials are also living a difficult life, and that little money alone is not enough to feed the whole family." Jiajing looked at the ministers kneeling on the ground, and suddenly changed his words and spoke.

"But I don't know who should handle the salary increase for officials?" Jiajing put on a hesitant look on his face, and then swept his gaze over Yan Song and Xu Jie.

"Your Majesty, Weichen is willing to share your Majesty's worries!" This time, Xu Jie took the lead and pleaded with the emperor.

"Your Majesty, this suggestion was put forward by Weichen, and it should be handed over to Weichen!" Yan Song glanced at Xu Jie, and said in a deep voice.

"Your Majesty, Weichen has been in charge of the household department for many years, and he is familiar with the affairs of officials and officials! If this matter is handed over to Wechen, it will definitely get twice the result with half the effort. Xu Jie gritted his teeth and continued to ask the emperor.

"Your Majesty, Weichen is the first assistant of the cabinet, assisting His Majesty in managing the government for more than 20 years, and his experience in this area is not much better than that of Xu Ge! What's more, this proposal was put forward by Wechen, and Wechen also had a definite plan. ”

The first assistant of the cabinet and the second assistant of the cabinet quarreled over who would raise the salary of officials, without him, the hidden interests in this are too tempting! It can make thousands of court officials think of you, and you can also form a good fate, leave one more way back, and greatly expand your sphere of influence and absorb more henchmen.

"Your Majesty's ......"

Just as the two pavilion elders were arguing, Jiajing frowned, and immediately spoke, ending the dispute.

"Don't make any noise! Look at the two of you, and the first and second ministers of the cabinet? Jiajing opened his mouth and scolded angrily.

"Please also ask Your Majesty for forgiveness." Yan Song and Xu Jie, seeing that the emperor was angry, stopped arguing one after another and asked the emperor for their guilt.

"In this way, since the two Pavilion Elders want to preside over this matter, then I will leave this matter to the two of you! You'd better come up with a definite solution for me, or I'll not spare you both. Jiajing thought for a moment and said in a deep voice.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Immediately after that, Xu Jie and Yan Song glanced at each other and sighed helplessly.

"Alright, alright, I'm a little tired, that's all for today's cabinet meeting!" Jiajing waved his hand, his face full of impatience.

"Yes, my lords send your majesty!" Immediately after that, everyone bowed to the emperor and saw him off.

……

Soon, under the spread of well-intentioned people, the emperor's plan to raise the salary of hundreds of officials spread widely, and officials of all sizes in the capital were talking about it.

"Hey, have you heard? Your Majesty is waiting for me to get a raise? ”

"I've heard it a long time ago, and the whole capital is in an uproar, Your Majesty is really a holy monarch!"

"I heard that this salary increase was presided over by Yan Song, the first assistant of the cabinet, and Xu Jie, the second assistant of the cabinet?"

"Well, who presides over him? It's good to be able to raise some more, I'm almost out of food......"

(End of chapter)