Emperor Ming Dynasty

Chapter 594 Banknotes
As soon as October arrived, the cold wind in Beijing was already howling, and yellow sand began to waft across the city, mixed with fallen leaves, not to mention winter.

Pedestrians are in a hurry for fear of eating their mouths full of sand, the poor can't wait to come to the pawn shop, dry their pockets, and redeem their winter padded jackets, while the rich are also in a hurry in horse-drawn carriages.

No matter how clean the streets are, it will not help, leaving only ruts.

For those with little money, the cotton-padded jackets from the south are the warmest, and it is a joy to come to teahouses and restaurants, listen to books and watch plays.

Due to the weather, even the imperial palace couldn't avoid it, the yellow sand was everywhere, and it was a western scene.

Seeing this, Zhu Yixi's only good impression of the Forbidden City disappeared, and there was only disgust in his eyes.

The three cabinet ministers sat in a circle, felt the warm temperature of the floor, took off their wool-lined shirts, and discussed sincerely.

"Everything will stand in advance, and nothing will be abandoned if you don't."

Yan Chongxin's qualifications and age are the youngest. Seeing that the two of them remained calm, he could only speak with interest:
"The end of the new year is approaching, and the six yamen are preparing for the battle of Yunnan next year. Although the war will be next year, the preparations alone will require more than one million yuan in money and food, which has exceeded the budget."

The budget is to calculate the expenditure for the next year based on last year, which is to live within our means.

The tax amount for next year is collected according to expenditure, which is to live within one's means, and the more representative ones are the Tang and Song dynasties.

Therefore, the Tang and Song dynasties never died because of money. If the money is not enough, taxes will be increased!
Far away, anyway, for these preparatory work, the money and food he consumed had already exceeded the budget of the various ministries, and if he continued, he would have to pay for the small treasury.

"Isn't the Changlu Salt Field implementing the ticket salt system?"

The emperor knew this well, and said indifferently: "I have collected 800,000 yuan this year, are these not enough for preparation?"

"Your Majesty, because Lu Bingbu went to the Guanning line of defense, the Bingbu has already invested the surplus in his land..."

Zhao Shu was in charge of the household department, so he could only explain.

"What about customs, it has increased a lot this year..."

The emperor said casually.

But halfway through the talk, he realized that the customs had already belonged to the internal funds.

"The household department has nothing to do, and the cabinet has no idea? Everything depends on me, is I a god?"

After Qian Donkey ran out of skills, Zhu Yixi directly resorted to the tactic of throwing the pot away. Looking at the three of them, his eyes showed disappointment.

The three looked at each other, and Zhao Shu could only come out and talk: "The household department has a lot of food in storage, and the official salary can be converted into silver for food. In two or three months, you can get 500,000 yuan of silver."

Since the use of silver dollars to calculate salaries, the court has become much more convenient, and officials also like this currency.

However, the conversion has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people in Daming for 300 years. As long as the money is not enough, it can be made up with food, which can just solve the inventory.

"I can only suffer one hundred officials."

The emperor couldn't help sighing when he heard the words, but in the ears of other people, why is there some joking element?
Originally, the price of autumn harvest grains fell sharply, but now they have to release grains to convert them into silver. Isn't this causing grain prices to fall again?
Who would like the food to shrink as soon as it arrives?

The three were helpless about this, they were also victims, but for the sake of Daming, they had to do so.

"Wait, food!"

Suddenly, the emperor thought of something, his eyes were extremely bright, and his words changed directly:

"It's not easy for the court officials to live in the capital, how can we let them suffer any more?"

The three members of the cabinet were stunned, some of them couldn't react.

"Your Majesty is wise, this is the blessing of the imperial court."

Zhao Shu euphemistically reminded: "If you want to come, all the officials will be grateful and help the court to overcome this difficulty."

"It will be fine after the New Year's Eve."

"No, I have my own ideas."

Zhu Yixi became interested, he felt that he had to try it, even if he was wrong, it didn't matter,

"How much food does the household department have left?"

He heard it directly to the gentle and jade-like Zhao Shoufu.

Zhao Shu was taken aback, of course he understood that what the emperor was talking about was summer grain, or last year's old grain, not the new grain that had just entered the warehouse.

"About 3 million stones."

"It's enough to distribute food to court officials, and it can also go to storage to make room for new food."

"3 million stones, 3 million stones, enough is enough—"

Suddenly, the emperor murmured, looked at the three of them with great interest, and said loudly: "This time, you will help me no matter what..."

After speaking, he spoke in a low voice.

In a blink of an eye, it is the tenth day of the lunar new year, which is the day when the imperial court pays the salary.

The Beijing officials at the middle and lower levels got up early today, led donkeys and horses, and hurriedly came to the Department of Cleaning Officials of the Ministry of Households to receive food.

"What is this called!"

Zhou Wei shook his head, as the book office of the Ministry of Rites, there are only ninth-rank officials, he leads the old donkey that the family rides, and his son also borrowed a donkey, and the two moved to the Ministry of Households step by step.

After all, please take it easy, but it will be troublesome again.

"Father, this time it's the capital city, which is much stronger than before."

The son in his twenties didn't take it seriously. He led the donkey and looked at Lao Tzu's helpless expression. He was a little optimistic:
"During the Chongzhen Dynasty, it was necessary to go to Tongzhou to collect Lumi. It was a tossing to walk hundreds of miles."

"Now as long as we receive food in the capital, I don't know how much better it will be."

"You kid knows what a fart!"

Zhou Wei couldn't help cursing: "There is a rule in the officialdom, if everything can be done, it will definitely happen in the future, and more and more, it will become a rule."

"Finally, it can be done with a bag. Now I need a donkey cart, and I will have to run around in the future."

Speaking of this, he sighed: "If you receive the food, you will lose a lot of money. This year will be difficult!"

"Ah?" The son was taken aback: "It's okay to run once in a while, but if you run every month, who can eat it?"

"The old donkey can't bear it! This is the only animal in my family."

"Bah, you only care about the donkey, not your father?" Zhou Wei spat and kicked him uncontrollably.

What an unfilial son.

Even though the nine-rank official's bag of grain was only a few tens of stones, the two donkeys had to work several times. At his age, he had to go back and forth, but he couldn't bear it.

"Hey, isn't this dad, you are always strong!"

"Hmph, the idioms are good, why can't you succeed in reading? You just know how to dawdle!"

One was scolded, the other slobbered, and they came to the household department in a short while.

I saw that there are few people here, it seems that it is not like the Ministry of Households, but more like the Ministry of Rites.

"Father, we didn't come to the wrong place, did we?"

"No, it's the household department."

Zhou Wei shook his head and strode forward.

When I came to the courtyard, I didn't see any grain.

"This man, didn't you say you came to get the food? Why can't you see a grain of rice?"

Seeing that the person in front of him was also a book office, Zhou Wei raised his hands and asked.

"Hey, where is the grain in the Tongzhou warehouse? No matter how bad it is, it is also in the Tianjin warehouse. How can there be such a large land storage in Beijing?"

The man smiled.

"Ah? Then why did you tell me to wait here?" Zhou Wei was taken aback, in disbelief.

"I got Lumi!"

(End of this chapter)