Chastity Layman 2

Chapter 223
Changan.

In the Xiande Hall of the Eastern Palace.

The monarch and his ministers are discussing matters.

Seeing that the Nine Years of Takede has finally come to an end amidst famine, foreign aggression and even civil turmoil, the new year will be soon, and next year will be the first year of the reform of Yuan Zhenguan.

From the adventurous mutiny on the fourth day of June to now, every day in the past six months has been walking on thin ice, cautiously.But finally came, Li Yuan, Wang Junkuo, Li Xiaochang, Li Youliang, Liu Deyu, Luo Yi and other rebels were all beheaded.

Jie interest rate of 30 rides to drink the Weihe River, and the soldiers approached Chang'an, but he was also forced to retreat.

Severe droughts and locusts, hunger and food shortages, but they still gritted their teeth and survived.

Sitting in the hall, listening to the summaries of the prime ministers below, Li Shimin suddenly felt as if he had been a prince for only two months and emperor for a hundred days, but he seemed to have spent half his life.

This emperor is really not easy to be.

It's been a difficult journey. What he, the emperor, brought to the world was not a bountiful crop and prosperity for the people, but a severe drought and locusts that ravaged Guanzhong and Kanto. For this reason, the imperial court had to use all the treasury money and food to relieve the disaster.

Now the national treasury is empty, Chang'an Taicang, Gyeonggi Zhengcang, transshipment warehouse, and Changping warehouse have very little food, and more are dried locusts and locust powder.

This year's rents and adjustments were all exempted, the princes and nobles also gave up their fief income this year, and even the officials' salaries were halved.

Li Shimin felt that he had failed as an emperor.

The New Year is coming soon, but he, the emperor, can't give the rewards to the heroes and prime ministers, nor can he give the rewards to the soldiers.

Because the treasury is empty.

Although we have survived this year, there is still a long time before next year's summer harvest. What should we do during the most critical period of failure?
The courtiers sang praises from below, but Li Shimin was ashamed.

Although he has survived various challenges and crises now, and now he is in power, especially through the reform of the army, he now completely controls Chang'an City, Baiqi Division, Zhenfu Division, Habayashi Army, Qianniu Guard, and Jinwu Guard The establishment of the Beiya system in Beijing gave him stronger control than when his father was emperor.

But so what?
Had he ever been in such a mess when he was a father?

If you are not in charge of the family, you don't know how expensive firewood is, and if you don't sit on the throne, you don't know that the world is so difficult to control.

The national treasury was dry, food supplies were not available, and the newly-built Sixth Army of the Beiya Army had not been able to come up with a suitable army supply plan for a long time.

Without food, a more serious famine will break out after the spring of next year, and the fight against the disaster will fall short.Without money, the Sixth Army of the Beiya will be unsustainable, and his Sixth Army of the Beiya may be forced to disband.

Your Majesty, the ministers began to discuss the process of next year's Great Court Meeting, etc., but this is inseparable from the word money.Next year's grand dynasty will be very important. This is his first Zhengdan dynasty after he changed the Yuan Dynasty. At that time, the Sifang Dynasty and the barbarian envoys from all directions will come to congratulate him. If something goes wrong by then, it will affect the Central Plains Celestial Dynasty The majesty of the kingdom.

Li Shimin couldn't afford to lose this face, and neither could Datang, so it had to be done, it had to be done grandly, and it had to be done extra grandly.

Wei Zheng reprimanded Shangshu Zuo Pu and shot Feng Deyi.

"Feng Xiang said so much, Wei Zheng dare to ask, where does the money come from?"

Feng Deyi was stunned, unable to answer.

Now the treasury is empty, cleaner than a face.Even before it was said that all officials would be paid a half salary, but the problem is that this half salary was also paid, but now the imperial court can't pay it.

Now where does the money come from to engage in ceremonies and ostentation?

Wei Zheng's sharp question left Feng Deyi speechless.

The hall fell into an awkward silence.

Wei Zhengdao, "Earlier, the Honglu Temple reported that Jieli sent envoys to the Tang Dynasty, saying that he wanted to send 20 horses to the Tang Dynasty, and asked us to give [-] pieces of silk. We have no money to buy Turkic horses, let alone Even [-] or [-] horses can’t be paid for [-] horses, I’m worried that if Xieli’s horses are completely rejected, Xieli’s dissatisfaction may be caused, and there may be troubles at the border again!”

Hearing these words, Li Shimin only felt a headache.

However, Li Jing, the general of the left guard, still played at this time, proposing to use troops against the Liang divisions in Shuofang, saying that if the Liang divisions were not eliminated for a day, the north of the capital would be unstable. Protect Chang'an, and even truly have the strategic initiative against the Turks, otherwise Datang will always be stuck in a situation where the Turks choke their throats and come and go whenever they want.

But Li Jing's proposal was unanimously opposed by the prime ministers on the grounds that they had no money.

Now that the famine is gone, where will the money come from, where will the food come from?At a time like this, how dare you take the initiative to provoke and start a fight?
The emperor coughed a few times.

The hall fell silent again.

Li Shimin rubbed his temples with one hand, his eyes swept over the ministers.

"I have listened to the words of the ministers, and concluded that the most urgent thing to do in the court is money, and food. Without money, the salaries of hundreds of officials cannot be paid, and the salaries of the new Beiya Sixth Army will not be paid. Next year, the Zhengdan Grand Court will be held. I can't do it... now let's discuss how to solve the problem of money and food!"

No one answered.

Li Shimin swept across the officials in dissatisfaction.

"Prime Minister Feng, you are Zuo Pushe, the head of all officials, tell me."

Although Feng Deyi is more capable, otherwise it would be impossible for the four emperors in the two dynasties to be honored and favored, but the best thing about this person is actually to observe his face, judge his intentions, and engage in power struggles.If we really want to talk about this kind of general affairs and practical administration, especially the economic and financial management, Feng Deyi is helpless.

After squawking for a long time, I had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "Please increase revenue and reduce expenditure!"

"Where to increase revenue and where to reduce expenditure?" Li Shimin asked.

Feng Deyi couldn't answer.

Li Shimin was very disappointed, "Auxiliary machine, tell me!"

Changsun Wuji, as the emperor's first confidant Yuan Cong, after Xiao Yu and Chen Shuda were kicked out of the phase, he really arranged him to be the right servant to shoot, which naturally won the emperor's trust.

But the emperor is only 28 this year, and his eldest grandson Wuji is a few years younger than the emperor. Li Shimin once said in public that all the sons are young, so if he treats his eldest grandson Wuji as his son, the 25-year-old eldest grandson Wuji is quite decisive. , Good at strategy, but not good at economics either.

Facing such a mess, how can there be any good way.

He actually felt that at this moment, it was not the right time for the Sixth Army of the Beiya to be established, especially since the Sixth Army of the Beiya needed to recruit troops, which would be a huge military expense.But this is what the emperor insisted on, how can it be mentioned?

"Duke Wei!"

Facing the emperor's question, Wei Zheng said very bluntly, "I am the secretary and supervisor. Economics and finance are neither the minister's job nor the minister's job. Your Majesty should not ask me."

Li Shimin was annoyed, "You are not only a secretary supervisor, you are also an advisor to a doctor, and you are also a political adviser!"

"I am an advisor to political affairs. I do have the responsibility to intervene in military and state affairs, but I am mainly responsible for sealing and refuting audits. As for how to get money and grain, this should be the Minister of the Household Department, the Secretary of the Si Nong Temple, the Secretary of the Taipu Temple, Your Majesty should ask them about matters such as the Shaofu Supervisor, this is their duty!"

Li Shimin shook his head helplessly.

But Wei Zheng said again, "I have no plan to get money and food, but I also agree with what the prime minister said about increasing income and reducing expenditure. Your Majesty's Sixth Army of the Beiya Army has been changed from government soldiers to recruit soldiers. There are more than 20 soldiers. The cost was huge, and I thought it was unnecessary. In the previous dynasty, Yang Guang set up the Xiaoguo Army in addition to the twelve guards, and once raised [-] yuan, but what happened? The Xiaoguo Army did not defend Yang Sui, nor Yang Guang. , and even eventually regicide and rebellion!"

Wei Zheng talked non-stop, holding on to the issue of the Sixth Army of the Beiya, saying how much food the Sixth Army would spend, especially at this time, this is a bottomless pit, demanding that the emperor withdraw the Sixth Army of the Beiya and restore the original ten. The second guard and the fourth mansion fanned the Suwei system.

Li Shimin suppressed the unhappiness in his heart, and listened to Wei Zheng's spray.

"Do you have a good plan to teach me?"

The emperor asked three consecutive questions, but no one answered.

Li Shimin's face became more and more ugly, he stood up abruptly, kicked Yu An over with one foot, then walked away with his black face flung at his sleeves.

All the officials were left looking at each other.

The emperor kicked the case again.

Wei Zheng also stood there with a dark face, "There is no demeanor of a king!"

"Wei Jian, let's say a few words less!"

"Am I wrong? As an emperor, he kicks the case at every turn and walks away with his sleeves. What does it look like?"

All the prime ministers and ministers saw that Wei Zheng refused to give up even after the emperor left, and wanted to spray there, but they all turned their heads helplessly and ignored the big sprayer, saving their faces from being sprayed with saliva.

Li Shimin hurried back to Lizheng Hall.

Upon seeing this, Changsun asked, "Why is Your Majesty angry?"

"That damned Wei Zheng is only worthy of going home to farm and sell wine as a villager. I can't bear to blindly invite names to buy straight." Li Shimin had nothing to hide in front of the queen, and scolded Wei Zheng for a long time, saying that he He was just invited to pretend to be upright, but in fact this person is very treacherous, "He just knows that I dare not kill him, and wants to set him as an example, so that the world will know that I can tolerate the old princelings and those gentry scholars... "..."

"Aside from bullshit and nonsense, what else can this damned villager do? I really asked him how to govern the country, but he couldn't even say a fart!"

"Sooner or later, I will kill this man!"

The eldest grandson poured her husband a cup of tea.

"Your Majesty, drink a cup of tea to calm down!"

"I can't drink it." Li Shimin was still angry, his chest heaving.If he didn't leave just now, he was really afraid that he would rush down and knock Wei Zheng down with a punch, and then kick him violently.

"Your Majesty, above the court, there are hundreds of officials and bureaucrats, all of whom perform their own duties. Wei Zheng is not wrong. He is a political advisor, but he is not a minister in charge of economy and finance. Your Majesty insists on asking him this. How can I answer?"

Li Shimin let out a long sigh.

"It would be great if Huailiang was here. A hundred Wei Zhengs are no match for one Qin Lang. Although Qin Lang is young, his ability to do things is a thousand times better than that of Wei Zheng. No matter what I ask him, he can always come up with unique opinions. , unlike this Wei Zheng, who can do anything besides spitting!"

The eldest grandson chuckled lightly.

"Sanlang is indeed very intelligent and skillful. Your Majesty might as well call Sanlang back to Beijing to ask advice. I have driven him out of Beijing for so long, and I have learned enough lessons. It will be the Chinese New Year, so we must not let him return to Chang'an."

Li Shimin said, "It's too soon to call him back now. I haven't stopped the flames of what happened last time."

"But what happened last time, you can't blame Saburo, can you? He also suffered an unreasonable disaster!"

Li Shimin sighed, "Now the imperial court's finances are indeed at the end of their ropes. I'm afraid Qin Lang will be helpless when he comes. A clever woman can't live without rice."

"If your majesty doesn't call Sanlang back to ask for advice, how will he know if he can do anything?" The eldest grandson still insisted.

"Let me think about it again!"

(End of this chapter)