Xian Sun of the Ning Mansion of the Red Chamber

Chapter 314 Cabinet Deliberation
As the saying goes, laymen watch the fun, and experts watch the doorway.

The officers and soldiers marched to the north, and the common people still watched the excitement more or less. They felt that they were honored under the great fire of the prosperous era, and that their lives were not in vain.But for the various ministries and officials of the imperial court who maintain the operation of the government, this is a real life-and-death contest. It is a gamble on the fate of the country. The imperial court machine, which looks a little bloated and lazy on weekdays, is now using a An extremely efficient speed is running.

No, the school martial arts ceremony had just ended, and Yang Bi was invited to Wenyuan Pavilion by several ministers of the cabinet. Together with him were Prince Zhao Yang Yi, and the three ministers of the Ministry of Household, Ministry of Military Affairs, and Ministry of Industry among the six ministries.

There are only two issues on the agenda this time, one is to cooperate with the follow-up conscripts of the Northern Expedition Army, and the other is the most important food and fodder logistics for the army.

The imperial court has agreed that the nine sides of the trip will be divided into three sections at the same time. The four towns in Shaanxi will form one road, one part of the two towns in Shanxi and Jizhou Town will form the other road, and Liaodong Town will mainly ensure that the Donghu tribes are contained, forming the last road on its own. However, in order to protect the enemy from jumping over the wall and fleeing to the south in a hurry, Xuanfu stood firm.

The four towns in Shaanxi mobilized a total of 3 troops, of which [-] horses left Jiayuguan in the west to recover the old pass of Yumen, then went north to the southern foot of Hami Tianshan Mountain, and then controlled the entire Western Region.

An army of 2000 is a bit insignificant for nearly 2 million hectares of land. In addition to dealing with the Huns at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains, as well as many small indigenous countries in the Western Regions, newly attached lands and cities, they also need to It is a blessing to have 3 people who can go to Hami in the end, and even fewer people can go to Yili.But this is also a helpless thing, the marching route of the army has to pass through the ancient vast sea, too many people will make the army appear bloated and inconvenient.But in any case, these [-] horses are definitely the elite of the Western Army.

Another 7 horses were divided into two groups, one from the north of Ningxia to Yinshan to attack the Youguli King's tribe; the other from Gansu, crossing Yibula Mountain, and went straight to Yiji, where the main force of the Xiongnu Youwang tribe, which had lost its leader, was located. It is an area to contain more enemies for the army to conquer the Western Regions.

Even Wang Ziteng, with all his heart and mind, felt a little powerless, so he rushed to recommend Jia Yucun as the governor of Shaanxi to the imperial court.The reason why it was Jia Yucun was because Wang Ziteng wanted to make sure that he invited a helper instead of someone who would compete with him.

As for Shanxi Town and Jizhou Town, the two armies had a total of nearly 7 horses, and they were divided into two groups to attack the left part of the Huns. It is worth mentioning that the Zuoguli King of the Huns had been defeated in the last battle of Datong. Although Agujin let his youngest son Tasul succeed King Zuoguli, but his vitality has been exhausted, and at this time he is mostly famous but not real.Moreover, after Shuwudu was released, all the sons who accompanied the Southern Expedition were killed in battle, and the tribe was rewarded by Agujin to Tasur. With resentment, he led some old tribes to seek refuge with Agujin's other sons. On the one hand, the platform of Tasur is also secretly connected with Dagan.

In order to protect his scandal from being exposed, Tasul wanted to kill Shu Wudu, but at critical moments his brothers would come out to make trouble.

And Agujin is not in the headquarters at this time, which is providing a good opportunity for the officers and soldiers of the court.

In short, at this time, the size of the Xiongnu was in chaos, and the old grievances of various ministries were not settled, and new enmity was added.

How about the war in the north, let's not show it for the time being, and return to the internal affairs of the court.

Even if Liaodong Town, which was responsible for containment, was excluded from the Northern Expedition, there were only two armies, with a total of 17 horses, and the food, fodder and military expenses needed were not a small amount.The military expenditure reported by Wang Ziteng alone requires 700 million taels of silver, which is not counted as the total silver equivalent to a part of the army's food and grass provided by the imperial court.

In addition to the Central Route Army, counting the consumption of civilians recruited to ensure the logistics of the army, the imperial court will spend at least nearly 2000 million taels of silver for this Northern Expedition alone, and there is no food and grass.

That is to say, the New Deal has been quite effective in recent years. If it was placed around the second year of Jiade, the total annual tax of the imperial court would only be maintained at about 2000 million taels, and it would not be able to go north at all.After Fu Donglai came to power, he tried his best to collect money for the imperial court. Gaomen's mansions were copied one after another, so that the hidden land suddenly multiplied like mushrooms after a spring rain, and he also promoted the spread of land into acres. , increase the household registration, and the gentry pay the grain as a whole. In just two years, the tax of the imperial court has broken through the 3000 million tael mark again, and it is constantly approaching 4000 million tael, which is nearly 5000 million tael from the peak period. Although there is still a lot There is a gap, but fortunately, there is hope.

Because the preparations started nearly a year in advance, although the military expenditure was staggering, it would not cause too much headache for the court princes. The household department in charge of Yang Yi happily took out the first batch of money, although most of them were still Fu Donglai's credit, but Yang Yi's demeanor still made Jiade, who is the emperor and his father, very happy, and the words of praise in his mouth were even more generous, such as "Zhi Xiaozhen when I was young" "Set an example for the princes" " and other worthless sweet dates fell one after another, Yang Yi was a little dizzy after boasting.

Compared with it, Yang Bi seemed a bit inconspicuous.Although Jiade intended to let the two sons compete, he was not so confused that he used the great fortune of the country to raise Gu to cultivate his successors, so the two kings had a clear priority over the government.Looking at it now, Yang Yi is in charge of the household department, while Yang Bi is in charge of water transportation and future sea transportation. It is obvious whether Yang Bi is superior or inferior, but Yang Bi is not without merit.

In addition to being responsible for using the taxes from the past year to the present in various places to fill in the military expenses of the army's northern expedition, the household department is also responsible for the recruitment of civilian husbands and raising food and grass for the army.

Not to mention recruiting civilian husbands, although it is called recruiting, it is also a matter of money, and no other family can do it except the Ministry of Household Affairs.

Naturally, Yang Bi also wanted to make a difference in this major national event, and the method he used was also very clever, and no one could pick out the slightest fault, that is, the neck of the Kahu Department.

In the main hall of Wenyuan Pavilion, everyone sat separately.

I only heard Fu Donglai take the lead in saying: "The time required for this army's northern expedition is still uncertain. After the cabinet discussed, it was agreed that three months of food and grass should be provided for the army first. In addition, the household department has to prepare another two months." Food and grass in case of unexpected needs. In the early stage, we have the grain and grass for the first half of the year, and then I will be more relaxed, and the court also has enough time to prepare for the next stage of food and fodder consumption. As for the amount of food and grass required for half a year, please also ask Ye Ge Let me explain it to you guys."

It stands to reason that on such occasions, even if it is a gesture, Yang Jing, the chief assistant, should be the first to sit in the opening. Fu Donglai's doing so is considered a taboo in the officialdom, but it seems that everyone has nothing to do with it. Perceived in general.It's not that Fu Donglai doesn't know the inner way, it's because as the second assistant to preside over the New Deal, his name is not right and his words are not right, and there are only two things he relies on, one is the emperor's trust, and the other is the prestige among the officials .

Yang Jing has been Li Endi and Xu Zhemu's echo for nearly ten years, and the courtiers seem to be used to it. On the contrary, after Fu Donglai returned to the court, he acted like a thunderbolt. underestimate.

Even so, Fu Donglai still didn't dare to take it lightly, and gave Yang Jing too many opportunities to perform in front of the officials.On weekdays, it would be fine for him to show his courtesy and modesty, but now it is a major event involving the rise and fall of Dagan's national fortune, and at this time, not only the chief officials of the various ministries of the imperial court, but also Dagan may be present. The future crown prince, of course he has to establish prestige for himself.

In fact, for the position of chief assistant, if Fu Donglai really wants to fight, this matter itself is not difficult for him. Even if the emperor wants to use Yang Jing to check and balance him, he still has various means, or let Yang Jing take the initiative to resign. Officials are not accepted, or let the emperor personally remove and re-appoint.

Just making such a "choice" is more than just a "difficult" word for Fu Donglai.

No matter what Yang Jing said, he is the first assistant, and he is still appointed by the emperor. If he wants to move to him, it will take a lot of effort, and the court will not be able to return to peace in a short time, and it may cause disputes among court officials. It may also allow those who are interested to take advantage of it, and new forces will take advantage of it. This is not what Fu Donglai wants to see.

Once such a situation is formed, the New Deal will inevitably be affected, the effect will be greatly reduced, and the time will be infinitely delayed. How can there be today's rich situation.Moreover, the New Deal has always been something that offends people. It is still unknown how long he can sit in this seat.Instead of letting more people hate him, it is better to offend Yang Jing alone and set up a familiar opponent for himself, which can not only deter all officials, but also reassure the emperor.

After finishing speaking, Fu Donglai glanced at Yang Jing next to him, and the other party seemed to be used to it.

Ye Baichuan followed closely behind, looked around at the crowd, and said, "This time the Northern Expedition has a total of 17 troops in the six towns of Jizhou, Shanxi, Shanxi, and will cost 12 shi for food and grass in one month. Plan. For the early expedition, there is still standing food in the army, plus the large army raised by itself, which can be used by the army for one month. What the court needs to provide is follow-up food and grass. The household department needs to provide food and grass for three months at a time, totaling 38 25 shi, another [-] shi will be put into storage."

"Prince Zhao, Fu Shangshu, how long will it take for the above-listed food and household departments to arrive, and the cabinet needs to give an accurate answer."

Yang Yi frowned, 63 shi, although he had been prepared for a long time, this figure still surprised him a bit. You must know that the throughput of Daqian Water Transport, at its peak, was only about 600 million shi a year. It is generally maintained at around 400 million shi all the year round, and the cabinet opens its mouth, which is the total amount of water transportation for two months at a time.

This number can still be collected together, but don't forget that the amount listed by Ye Baichuan is only the food and grass needed by the army of the Northern Expedition, and it does not include the rations of the civilian husbands who are responsible for the logistics of the army. This is obviously a part that needs to be paid by the Ministry of Households. If this is really counted, it will cost 70 shi.

Moreover, the grain tax received by the household department from various places has to be used to maintain the consumption of the garrisons in various places. Although the Liaodong town is not counted this time, it still shoulders a heavy task, and the grain and grass cannot be delayed as in previous years. Procrastination, it must be made up in full.

Again, it's not that these grains cannot be produced, and it's not that the household department is unprepared, but it's just that it's a bit reluctant to have such a large amount at a time.

"Mr. Yege, from the first month of this year until before the waking of stings, several provinces in the north were hit by snowstorms, and the Ministry of Households had to take out some Changping grain to help the victims, which cost a lot. Although the summer grain in the south has already come down, but It has not yet been transported to Beijing, and now we can only rely on the household department to provide the current needs."

Seeing that Yang Yi started to complain, how could Ye Baichuan allow the other party to continue complaining, if it was like this, all the court officials might as well hold a complaint meeting, and there is no need to come out to do things.

"Prince Zhao, what you said is what the Ministry of Accounting needs to worry about. His Majesty has already ordered the Ministry of Accounting to make sufficient preparations. Isn't it too late to say this now? What the cabinet cares about is when the Ministry of Accounting will We can raise the amount of these grains and grass in place.”

Although Yang Yi is a prince with a high status, but at this time the cabinet is discussing affairs, and Ye Baichuan, as a cabinet minister, does not need to be polite in matters.

Yang Yi didn't feel annoyed when she heard the words, she just looked at Fu Youzhen, Minister of the Household Department, and said to Ye Baichuan: "Old Ye Ge, it is a matter of great importance to the country, and this king will not push back. The household department has 40 days to prepare everything, and all the servants, chariots and horses that should be transported are also recruited, how about it?"

"40 million stone?"

Ye Baichuan understood that the other party wanted to provide the three-month food and grass needed by the army first, and as for the two-month reserve food planned by the cabinet, it was not impossible to prepare for three months, but Ye Baichuan Don't dare to open this door easily. Among the six departments, the household department is the most difficult to deal with. It is notoriously "thick-skinned". .

Ye Baichuan shook his head and said, "Lord Zhao, the number agreed by the cabinet is not negotiable. Also, 20 days?"

"Do all the officials of the household department eat dry food? This cabinet has already said that the standing food and self-raised food in the army are only enough for one month's consumption. In ten days, all the chariots, horses and civilian husbands of the household department fly. Can you feel the border in such a short period of time."

"No, the cabinet can only give the Ministry of Household Affairs five days to collect everything."

The food and grass in the army are consumed according to the march, but in fact, they can not only last for a month, but there is still enough for at least another fifteen days.But in this case, you can't leave yourself a little leeway.

"Five days?"

Yang Yi gave a wry smile, and didn't even bother to respond to Ye Baichuan's ridicule towards the Ministry of Household Affairs. Although it was a wild asking price, the bargain was too ruthless.

"Fu Shangshu, come here."

Yang Yi also had to take care of her princely prestige, this was the cabinet, he was a majestic prince, bargaining with the cabinet ministers like a common man, what he looked like, so he just decided to be handsome and blame Youzhen.

Fu Youzhen also had a bitterness in her heart and couldn't tell. Originally, the two had agreed in advance that Yang Yi would deal with the cabinet in order to rely on Prince Yang Yi's power so that the cabinet would not squeeze the household department too much. Forget it.

The prince and the honorable title of managing the household department can't even get a concession, what can you do if you let him be a minister.

But Fu Youzhen also has her own countermeasures.

Immediately he said: "Old Ye Ge, my lords, make all the preparations within five days, even if you force the lower officials to die, you can't do it, ten days, ten days?"

Ye Baichuan thought for a while and said: "Seven days, no more. Shanxi Town and Jizhou Town are fine, but the Western Army is far away. If the follow-up food and grass don't arrive, then our son-in-law will only be able to eat sand gone."

"Seven days is too short, allow another day, eight days?"

Ye Baichuan thought for a moment, then nodded.

"Let's talk about the amount, 63 shi, the Ministry of Households really can't afford so much food at once. You must know that in addition to the army of the Northern Expedition, there are also officers and soldiers left behind in the nine borders, as well as the army near Gyeonggi. What about the food and grass in the department?"

When Ye Baichuan heard the same words again, he didn't give Fu Youzhen a chance to continue, and interrupted: "It's 63 shi, and Fu Shangshu missed five hundred shi. Also, just now The cabinet has already said that the amount agreed by the cabinet cannot be negotiated."

"Old Ye Ge, listen to the official's words. It stands to reason that in the current season, not to mention 63 shi, even 70 shi, 80 shi, the Ministry of Households can also get it. It's just this time of the year The summer grain from the south has already arrived in Beijing, but this year's summer grain has not arrived. From the beginning of summer on the fifth day of April to the present, it will soon be June, and at least the new grain from Suzhou and Hangzhou should arrive in the capital, and it will take a month or so , The land of Shandong and Henan should also be sold, and this spring's disaster relief is also a fact, it's hard for a clever woman to cook without rice."

"The lower official also asked the cabinet to allow the household department some time to wait for the first batch of new grain from the south to enter the warehouse, and the household department will guarantee that the remaining grain and grass will be ready the next day."

Fu Youzhen's method is very clever. For the same matter, separate the time and quantity elements, first gain the initiative in terms of time, and then raise the issue of quantity, so that the other party will not reject them all at once, and repeat .

The other is to divert the conflict. Although Fu Youzhen didn't mention the water transportation, he said everything in his words. It's not that the Ministry of Households wants to delay, but that the water transportation this year is holding back.

Ye Baichuan really looked at Yang Bi who was silent at the side.

Yang Bi felt the gaze cast on him, and without waiting for the other party to ask questions, he took the lead and said: "Old Ye Ge, my lords, the departure date of the water transport of new grain this year is later than in previous years. One is the land of Suzhou and Hangzhou, Since the beginning of summer this year, there have been several days of rain and floods, and the date of harvesting grain has to be delayed. Second, the canal is currently in the peak shipping season, and the river is congested, and merchant ships have sunk. It will take time to dredge. Three river dredging Due to the reassignment of Liu Yunlong, the director of the Ministry of Industry, the new officials were not yet familiar with the affairs, so the project could not be completed on time."

"Prince Li, the cabinet didn't listen to your reasons." Ye Baichuan said with a frown.

Yang Bi saluted modestly and said: "Xiao Wang knows, please rest assured, adults, it is true that the grain can not arrive in the capital at the same time as in previous years, but Xiao Wang has made other preparations beforehand."

"Although the Tianjin Shipping Terminal has not yet been completed, it is still feasible to temporarily build a simple pier if more craftsmen are sent. Furthermore, Xiao Wang has ordered the Jiangnan Navy and the coastal guards to investigate the shipping route and the hydrological conditions of various places. The situation, surveying the city book, drawing a sea map, and the preparations have been completed by the end of March this year. Therefore, Xiao Wang has already started the sea transportation in advance, starting from Suzhou Prefecture, and going north by sea, although the time is later than the departure of the water transportation ships. , but the time required can be reduced exponentially.”

"A few days ago, the Dengzhou Guard came to report that the ship had sailed into Weihaiwei. After a temporary rest and supply, it would immediately head north. According to the time, the new food would arrive in Beijing in three to five days."

As he spoke, he explained: "Because it's the first time to use sea transportation, the customs office can't be precise about the time, so we can only give a time limit."

After hearing this, Ye Baichuan's eyes lit up.

"Five days, even if it takes a little more to sell grain into the warehouse, it will be earlier than the eight days given by the Ministry of Households. This is very good, and the king of Lijun has a heart."

Ye Baichuan didn't bother about whether Yang Bi's reason for delaying the arrival of the grain to Beijing was true, nor would he investigate why the customs office started shipping without authorization and didn't want to report to the cabinet. The excuse of not coming here to ask for instructions" is back, and the shipping was originally promoted by him and Jia Ying, so naturally they will not make a fuss about this matter.

In short, as long as the things agreed by the cabinet are not delayed, everything is not a problem.

Although the emperor was not present, even though it was only Ye Baichuan who said "It's so good", it still couldn't hide Yang Bi's outstanding performance in this incident, he was courageous, insightful, focused on the overall situation, and more than alert.

However, Yang Yi couldn't be happy no matter what, the reason why the water transport arrived late, Yang Bi didn't reveal the slightest rumor to the household department, and whether it was really as he said, there were many coincidences, it is still unknown.There is also the matter of shipping, why didn't he speak up when he, Fu Youzhen and Ye Baichuan were arguing about it just now?

A cabinet discussion lasted for more than half a day. Of course, the items discussed, such as food and grass, were not known. They didn't disperse until dusk fell and the palace was lit up.

This side has just left, and Dai Quan in the Huagai Palace has already reported to Jiade the current state of affairs in Wenyuan Pavilion.

Prince's Mansion of Lixiao County.

Although today's result is quite satisfactory, Yang Bi, who returned to the mansion, was not idle for a moment during the whole day, and the mansion was even more hungry. Even lunch was taken care of in the palace. A few mouthfuls.

This is the case for him in his prime, and it is really not easy when he thinks about the veterans of the cabinet and the Sixth Ministry.

"My lord is back."

Just passed the meal, took off his clothes, and saw a middle-aged scribe walking in.

"Wynn, have you ever had a meal and just had a few drinks with the king?"

The middle-aged scholar smiled and said: "It seems that the prince is in a good mood today, but is there any good news in the palace?"

Yang Bi said with a smile: "Today I'm in a good mood, but it's not because of being in the palace, but because I'm in Wenyuan Pavilion."

After cleaning his hands, he took the towel from the servant to dry off the water stains, and then invited Nan Huai'en to the table together. After the maid filled the wine glass and the food was not good, Yang Bi talked about today's affairs in the pavilion.

"Yang Yi didn't care about the water transport, and even withheld the river workers' food, fodder and salaries. This king knew that he had no good intentions. He was eager to wait for this king to make mistakes, so as to show his capabilities. Be prepared."

After a pause, he continued: "Speaking of which, this king has no idea about the sea transportation. In case of an accident on the way, not only will Yang Yi take the blame, but he will have to sue me in front of the emperor, and more importantly, , if there is a problem with the hundreds of thousands of shi new grain, there is no place to find it."

"Why do you think Jia Ying is so confident?"

Nan Huai'en said: "Your Majesty forgot, all the sea maps in our hands came from him, probably when the Jiangnan Navy was just established, he had already started planning for the sea transportation, and the navy general Qi Yaozong He is a seasoned veteran, and most of the army is from Shandong Linhai, so if he wants to find out the situation in the sea area, he is uniquely blessed."

"It's a pity that Qi Yaozong is really stubborn. He is not moved by the prince's courtesy. I really don't know what benefit Jia Ying has given him."

When Yang Bi heard this, he smiled and said, "I'm afraid there are other key points that we don't know about. Don't worry, I still have time."

"Let's not mention this, my lord, now is our time. The nine sides are fighting, the army is away, and the attention of the court is on the war in the north. Half of the Beijing defense camp has been transferred to Xuanfu and Jizhou, Shandong. I'm afraid it will take a while to prepare Japanese soldiers, so it's time for us to make a move." Nan Huaien said in a low voice.

"It's just that there is still one thing that makes my subordinates feel uneasy."

Yang Bi asked, "What's the matter?"

"The news from over there is that the dragon body of the Holy Majesty may not be safe. The source is because of the attack in Nanyuan. Someone saw the Majesty's arrow fall with his own eyes. It's a pity that only Dai Quan and Jia Ying were present at that time. Dai Quan's subordinates couldn't see it, and Jia Ying's subordinates tried to insinuate a few times, but the other party would divert every time, and we couldn't confirm this matter, so we still dare not move lightly."

Yang Bi said: "It's a big relationship, how can he be willing to say it, but in the end he still hasn't really attached himself to the king."

"Is there any news from the saint?"

Nan Huaien shook his head and said, "I have already disclosed it to the other party, but I haven't received an accurate reply yet."

Yang Bi suddenly said: "The daughter of the king of Nan'an has entered the capital and has brought a lot of tribute to His Majesty. His Majesty has decreed today that Princess Mu Jun will be entertained at Qianqing Palace tomorrow night. It is said that it will be a family banquet. The queen and Those above the noble concubine of the harem, as well as the princes and princesses must participate."

Nan Huai'en said: "That old guy, King Nan'an, has been hiding in southern Xinjiang for more than ten years, but he refused to come out. Even when His Majesty ascended the throne, he just handed over a congratulatory form. The old concubine entered the palace and greeted the queen. It's getting deeper and more powerful. To put it bluntly, the three palaces in the east, west, north and north together, including the palaces known as the "Eight Dukes", can't compare with one Nan'an king. .”

"This Princess Mu Jun, my subordinates have heard about it when they were also in Xijiang. Back then, some subordinates fought against her on the Sichuan-Yunnan border. I heard that the girl of King Nan'an is better than his son, but it's a pity that she is not a man. No rank."

Yang Bi nodded and said: "That's reasonable, otherwise, if a princess is not a princess, why does His Majesty treat her like a family banquet? It's not like proclaiming the emperor's favor."

"Don't mention King Nan'an, just use this dinner to think of a way to see if you can use it to confirm what is on your mind."

"Father is becoming more and more powerful now, and even us princes, princes, and county kings who are out of the palace, it is difficult to meet alone on weekdays, let alone this kind of family banquet. I don't know when it started, it has become rare. , the chances are dwindling.”

Nan Huai'en said: "So, if the subordinates come to do it, they must be very concerned about this matter. If you don't see such an opportunity, you will miss it."

Yang Bi nodded.

(End of this chapter)