I, Jiajing, successfully cultivated immortality

Chapter 96 Officials Want a Salary Increase
After a moment of silence in his heart for the candidates who participated in the examination, Jiajing put the examination questions aside.

"I have good news to tell everyone." Jiajing turned his gaze to Xu Jie and said slowly.

"May I ask Your Majesty, what is the good news?" Even though Yan Song had already guessed it, he still showed great interest.

"In the near future, a sum of money will be sent to the treasury, about 3000 million taels." Jiajing looked around at the ministers and said calmly.

"What? 3000 million taels!" Hearing the number reported by the emperor, all the officials were dumbfounded, while Yan Song just stood there in a daze.

Previously, Yan Song had expected that the amount of silver would be a lot, but he did not expect it to be so much. Right now, there are still 600 million taels of silver in the treasury, plus the 3000 million that will be sent to the treasury soon, and there are no With the salt tax collected, the money in the treasury will reach an extremely terrifying 6000 million taels!

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

When did the treasury have so much money?And not long ago, I was still struggling with the deficit of the national treasury.

who I am?where am I?Am I dreaming?This is fifty-six million taels of silver!

After Yan Song suppressed all the messy thoughts in his heart, he knelt down on the ground first, and said respectfully: "All this depends on His Majesty's wise leadership, which turned the national treasury from the previous deficit to the current surplus of 6000 million taels!
"My minister, I have the utmost admiration for Your Majesty! You are the father of hundreds of millions of people in my Ming Dynasty. In my Ming Dynasty, there are only two capitals and [-] provinces, and only Your Majesty has one sun!" Yan Song said, and bowed again.

Xu Jie on the side frowned indistinctly, his heart was full of contempt: "Yan Song, an old man who is already 81 years old, can still say such flattering and nasty words, he really is a traitor!"

After a while, the rest of the people also knelt down and said in unison: "Your Majesty is holy!"

"Well, get up, let's all get up." Jiajing waved his hand and asked everyone to stand up.

I have to say that Jiajing benefited from Yan Song's flattery earlier, and his mood improved a lot.

Seeing that the emperor was in a good mood, Yan Song continued tremblingly: "Your Majesty, since the treasury is so abundant now, some previous matters can be put on the agenda, for example, the salary increase of officials."

In the 25th year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty, the salary of senior officials was formulated. The monthly salary of first-rank officials was 87 shi, while the lowest one was only five shi. The monthly salary of ninth-rank officials was only five shi. It is said that it is difficult to support the family only by salary!

The payment method of salary is rice, silver, banknotes, silk, cloth and various kinds of objects to deduct deductions. Refuse the imperial court to use the treasure notes to deduct the deduction, and this part of the senior officials is naturally passed on to the bottom officials, and most of their salaries are deducted by the treasure notes.

"My Majesty, I think what Yan Ge said is very good! Now the price of goods is getting more and more expensive, but the salaries of officials have hardly changed. If nothing else, let's take the price of rice as an example. The price of rice in the capital has changed from The previous 120 essays have risen to the current 150 essays."

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

After Yan Song proposed to increase the salary of the officials, Xu Jie also knelt down on the ground and begged the emperor.

"Well, what the two elders said makes sense, what do you think?" Jiajing said, turned his gaze to the other three, and asked.

"Your Majesty, I agree with what the two elders said, that the salaries of officials should be increased." Gao Gong who was on the side saw the emperor's gaze shifted to himself, and said quickly.

"Where are you two?" Jiajing turned to ask Yan Shifan and Zhang Juzheng who had not spoken.

"Your Majesty, our opinion is the same as that of the elders, and we agree to increase the salary of officials!" Zhang Juzheng and Yan Shifan looked at each other and said at the same time.

No matter who it is right now, as long as they show the slightest willingness to oppose, they will soon become the target of public criticism and be rejected by the entire bureaucratic group!Since ancient times, there have been only individuals who betrayed the class, but no class who betrayed interests.

"Well, you are so consistent, you must have talked about it beforehand, right?" Jiajing smiled and said indifferently.

"I dare not wait!" Hearing the emperor's words, panic flashed across the faces of all the ministers, and then they knelt down on the ground in unison.

"However, I am not opposed to raising the salaries of officials. The low-level officials are also living in a very difficult situation. The salary alone is not enough to support the whole family." Jiajing looked at the ministers kneeling on the ground, suddenly changed the subject, and said road.

"However, I don't know who should be in charge of raising the salary of officials?" Jiajing showed a hesitant look on his face, and then swept his eyes from Yan Song and Xu Jie.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, I am willing to share your worries for His Majesty!" This time, Xu Jie took the lead and asked the emperor.

"Your Majesty, this suggestion was made by my minister, and should be handled by me!" Yan Song glanced at Xu Jie and said in a deep voice.

"Report to Your Majesty, I have been in charge of the household department for many years, and I am very familiar with the salary of officials, big and small! If I entrust this matter to me, I think it will get twice the result with half the effort." Xu Jie gritted his teeth and continued to plead with the emperor. .

"My Majesty, I am the chief assistant of the cabinet, and I have assisted His Majesty in managing the government for more than [-] years. The experience in this area is far more than that of Xu Ge! What's more, this proposal was put forward by me. The minister also has a definite plan."

The chief assistant of the cabinet and the second assistant of the cabinet quarreled over who would raise the salaries of officials. Without him, the hidden benefits in it are too tempting!It can make thousands of court officials think of you as a favor, and it can also form a good relationship, leaving an extra way out, and it can greatly expand one's sphere of influence and attract more party members.

"Report to Your Majesty..."

Just as the two elders were arguing, Jiajing frowned, and immediately opened his mouth to end the dispute.

"Stop arguing! Look at the two of you, do you still look like the chief minister and the second minister of the cabinet?" Jiajing scolded angrily.

"Please forgive me, Your Majesty." Seeing that the emperor was angry, Yan Song and Xu Jie stopped their quarrel and pleaded guilty to the emperor.

"Well, since the two 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, otherwise, I will definitely not take it lightly I'll spare you two." Jiajing said in a deep voice after thinking for a moment.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace." Immediately afterwards, Xu Jie and Yan Song looked at each other and sighed helplessly.

"Okay, okay, I'm a little tired too, let's end today's cabinet meeting!" Jiajing waved his hand, his face full of impatience.

"Yes, I will send you off to Your Majesty respectfully!" Immediately afterwards, all the people bowed to the emperor to see him off.

……

Soon, under the spread of people with good intentions, the news about the emperor's plan to increase the salaries of all the officials spread like an uproar, and officials of all sizes in the capital were discussing it.

"Hey, have you heard? Your Majesty is going to wait for a raise for me?"

"I've heard about it a long time ago, and the whole capital is full of rumors. Your Majesty is really a holy king!"

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

"Hey, who cares who is in charge? It would be nice to get a little more salary increase, I'm almost out of food..."

(End of this chapter)