I, Jiajing, successfully cultivated immortality

Chapter 9 Imperial Meeting (2)

"For the sake of the emperor, I can endure any hardship!"

As soon as Yan Shifan's words fell, everyone was stunned, and then Gao Gong couldn't help but jumped out and accused: "Don't blame the emperor for everything! I see, most of the money was paid by some people. Devoured."

"You!" Yan Shifan was impatient, and when he was about to refute, Yan Song spoke unhurriedly.

"Last year, there was a severe drought in two provinces and floods in three provinces. The imperial court allocated funds to repair the Mudan River and the Songhe River. In addition, the construction of new dams in Jiangsu and Zhejiang alone cost more than 400 million taels."

As soon as Yan Song's words fell, Gao Gong immediately flipped through the account book in his hand repeatedly, seeing that he couldn't find any flaws, he had to sit down angrily.

"I don't understand. They are all doing the affairs of the court. Why does the more who does more, the more wronged he is!" Swept over Xu Jie, Gao Gong, and Zhang Juzheng one by one.

"This extra money, why do you always hold on to it?"

"According to this, the household department should sign it." Lu Fang, who had been watching for a long time, said lightly.

"Ding!" A crisp jade chime sounded from behind the bead curtain, and everyone present understood that the emperor had forgiven the loss, so they skipped the topic tacitly.

Behind the bead curtain, Emperor Jiajing recalled the palaces built by his predecessors, with green tiles and vermilion tiles, extremely luxurious, his face darkened, and he roared: "My money!"

"Okay, this matter is over, let's talk about the overspend of river supervision." Xu Jie, the second cabinet assistant, spoke slowly.

"At the beginning of the year, the budget of the Ministry of Industry was 400 million taels, and the settlement was 700 million taels, which was an overrun of 300 million taels. How do you explain this?"

When Yan Shifan heard this, he didn't answer. He just turned his eyes to Lu Fang who was facing him, cupped his hands, and said softly: "The supervision of the river is all in charge of the Dongchang. The Ministry of Industry is not clear about the specifics. It should be Lu Gonggong. Answer."

The smile on Lu Fang’s face remained unchanged, and he took up the conversation: “It’s like this. At the beginning of this year, officials in Jiangsu and Zhejiang reported that there might be a risk of Hong Xun. Then I asked the officials of Qin Tianjian for confirmation, and they said that it was not ruled out. The possibility of major floods in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions.”

Lu Fang said, picked up the tea on the table and took a sip, and continued: "Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas are my Ming Dynasty's tax-heavy areas, and there must be no loss! Immediately afterwards, I sent Li Xuan to investigate as the river supervisor. investigative report."

After Lu Fang finished speaking, she took out the report written by Li Xuan from her cuff and handed it over to everyone for review.

Yan Shifan accepted the investigation report handed over by Lu Fang, but he couldn't help cursing inwardly: "This old fox, he plucked himself clean in a few words!"

And Qingliu didn't mean to embarrass Lu Fang, but just took a cursory glance and then exposed the matter. After all, their current main enemy is the strict party, and there is no need to provoke another powerful enemy.

"Everything will be done in advance, and if it is not done, it will be abandoned. If you continue to eat the food, the food will be exhausted. I really don't know what else I can eat in the Ming Dynasty!" Zhang Juzheng put down the report in his hand, and stroked his cheek angrily. beard.

"What do you mean by that?" Yan Shifan responded immediately, staring at Zhang Juzheng fiercely.

"It means that this year is going to be in short supply like last year?" Zhang Juzheng didn't hesitate at all, and responded head-on.

"You are short here, we have to raise taxes on the people next year, and let the people live?" Gao Gong also stood up, glaring at Yan Shifan.

"Huh, haven't all the accounts been checked? Taxes are collected from the people and used by the people. Where is there no need to spend money on each of these piles? Do officials need money? Do you need money to build dams? Don’t need money? Do you need money to transport various materials such as wood? Not to mention labor costs and wear and tear!”

"I see, there are some people who don't want to do things for the imperial court sincerely, and they are treacherous ministers who harm the country and the people!"

Yan Shifan's eyes swept across the crowd, his face was full of contempt.

"Who did you just say is a traitor?" Gao Gong's tone was very calm, like a volcano about to erupt.

"The treacherous officials have jumped out by themselves, Gao Gong is one, and Zhang Juzheng!" Yan Shifan emphasized word by word.

"Huh, how do you write the word treacherous? A female character plus a dry character. I have been an official for so many years and I have only had one bad wife. What about you? Mr. Xiao Ge, you just married the ninth concubine wife not long ago. "

"You!" Yan Shifan was impatient, but he couldn't find any reason to refute for a while.

Just when the crowd was arguing, and if they went further, the imperial meeting would be upgraded to an unlimited fighting competition, there was an untimely snoring sound, and everyone followed the sound, only to see Yan Song drooping his head, and fell asleep at some point.

"I don't know if Mr. Yan Ge is disrespectful before the emperor." Seeing this, Xu Jie couldn't help laughing, and said a few yin and yang words.

At this moment, there was movement behind the bead curtain. Jiajing was wearing a blue-gray Taoist robe with intricate water cloud patterns embroidered on it. He stood up from the dragon chair, walked out lightly, and chanted: The body is shaped like a crane, and there are two scriptures under a thousand pine trees. I came to ask and said, "The clouds are in the blue sky and the water is in the bottle."

"Your Majesty!" Seeing Jiajing coming out, everyone stopped arguing and saluted one after another, while Yan Song was still soundly asleep. Seeing this, Yan Shifan was about to wake up his father, but Jiajing stopped him.

"Let Yan Ge sleep for a while."

"Get up, get up, get up!" Jiajing then looked at the others, waved his hands casually, and everyone got up immediately.

"Do you know what poem I just read?"

"Return to Your Majesty, it is Li Ao's questioning poem in the Tang Dynasty."

Yan Song's voice came, and everyone looked around, only to see that Yan Song had woken up at some point, and was tremblingly saluting Jiajing.

"Old Yan Ge is right, this is exactly Li Ao's questioning poem."

Seeing that someone answered his question, Jiajing was in a good mood, and then looked at Yan Shifan with playful eyes: "Mr. Xiaoge, is what Gao Gong said just now true?"

"Your Majesty, when I go back, I will send those wives and concubines back to my natal family." Yan Shifan turned pale when he heard Jiajing's question, and quickly knelt down on the ground to defend himself.

"Okay, it's not a big deal to marry the nine-room concubine. Since ancient times, princes and generals, which one is not a group of wives and concubines? Besides, if you send him back, how will he live in the future, keep it, and spend more time on it. It's fine with state affairs." Jiajing randomly found an empty chair and sat down, and comforted him aloud.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace! I'm determined to be your Majesty's heartbreaker, and I will never hesitate to die." Yan Shifan bowed to the ground gratefully.

"Get up, and learn more from your father in the future." Jiajing said, not forgetting to mention something.

"I have heard what you discussed just now. A large part of the responsibility for the shortfall of the national treasury last year is on my shoulders! I was bewitched by the alchemists, and I wantonly built palaces, wasted money and made the country's affairs difficult. Here I am first. I will apologize to you all!"

"Your Majesty, you can't! It's the duty of the courtiers to eat the king's salary and share the worries for the king. How can we accept the gift of the emperor!"

Seeing Xu Jie weeping, he knelt down on the ground first, and then the other people in the room also knelt down in panic, and all the ministers were crying and chaotic.

(End of this chapter)