General Constitution of Ming Dynasty

Chapter 70
The 27rd of the twelfth lunar month in the 23th year of Jiajing.

Starting in the early morning, with the sound of firecrackers exploding outside the palace, the inside and outside of the palace began to get busy, until the seventeenth day of the first lunar month, there were endless fireworks at the gate of the palace.

All the concubines in the harem wore gourd-shaped patch clothes, that is, gourd-shaped patches with auspicious patterns embroidered inside, and Huang Jin and other powerful officials also put on their own boa robes to prepare for the stove.

Supervisor Shang Shan smoked from the kitchen and was busy making pastries needed for various festivals and dynasties. In addition, he had to store enough meat for twenty days before he stopped killing.

As for offering sacrifices to the stove, it was supposed to be the Son of Heaven who came forward, but Jiajing didn't even bother to go there by himself. Obviously, the Stove Lord didn't have as much face as God, and Jiajing sent envoys to sacrifice on his behalf.

What Jiajing really cared about was the court push held in the cabinet's residence on the day of offering sacrifices to the stove.

After Renyin, when Jiajing took refuge in Xiyuan, the east and west wing rooms of Wuyi Hall in Xiyuan were set up as cabinet value houses. Since then, the cabinet has had two value houses.

The important meetings related to the imperial court's annual income and expenditure are naturally held in Wuyi Hall.

On both sides of the two opposite long tables, there were nine ministers from the civil and military classes of the Ming Dynasty, but besides the nine ministers, Zhou Shangwen, the favorite general of Jiajing who happened to be in Beijing, was naturally allowed to attend the court meeting.

This is also the first time Zhou Shangwen attended the court meeting.

Among the crowd of flying fish and python robes, Zhou Shangwen, who was dressed in a first-grade military officer's robe, looked so different that he himself was already aware of the discomfort. In order to prevent himself from being so uncomfortable, Zhou Shangwen couldn't help but scold him. A word of Yan Song.

"Old thief."

The sound was not loud, but everyone present could hear it clearly.

Yan Song could only pretend to be old and didn't hear anything.

In the corner of the Wuyi Hall, the scholars of the Hanlin Academy surrounded Yuan Wei and Zhang Juzheng, the attendants of the Eastern Palace.

After the officials of the outer court waited for a while, Zhang Zuo, Teng Xiang and other eunuchs in charge of ceremonies and powers came late. Seeing Zhang Zuo and others arrived, there was a chime from the back of Wuyi Hall.

Huang Jin took two small fire fighters and moved out two round stools.

"Old General Zhou, Elder Yan Ge, your father has a decree to give you a seat."

The two stood up and saluted: "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Zhou Shangwen sat down on the round stool, raised his legs, and found that everyone around him was staring at him, so he put his legs down angrily.

All the officials in charge of ceremonies returned to their posts, and Huang Jin was then included.

"Everyone, let's start the discussion?"

After Huang Jin spoke, Yan Song slowly took out the playbook from his sleeve.

"That's the old rule. The cabinet will report the receipt and conclusion first, and then we will discuss the expenditure."

"Last year, a total of 610 stones of wheat, 140 pieces (pi) of various silks, 150 pieces of cotton cloth, 11 catties of raw silk, and 200 pieces of various banknotes were converted into silver. Nineteen thousand two hundred taels, and the silver price of silk and cotton cloth is 3204 million taels."

As soon as Yan Song finished reading, Zhou Shangwen slapped Yan Song's leg with a "slap".

"Yan Song! The imperial court has brought in so much food and fodder at the age of one, and you are still suppressing the rewards and pensions of our Ming soldiers?!"

Zhou Shangwen slapped his thigh suddenly, and the wings of Yan Song's black gauze hat trembled, and everyone was holding back the smiles on their faces.

"Zhou Yanzhang! How can you just listen and not listen?"

Interrupted by Zhou Shangwen, Yan Song lost the mood to continue thinking about expenses.

Anyway, there is an expense in front of everyone present.

"Excluding the expenses of the state capitals and chief ministers, the food and fodder transported to Beijing by water was only 400 million shi. The 450 million shi used to supply Jifu and Jiubian needed 30 taels of silver to make up for it. Two, when Zhu Wan in the southeast uses troops, he needs military pay and 30 taels for shipbuilding."

Yan Song's words came to an abrupt end, and so far, only 64 taels of quota remained in the household department.

It is also necessary to deal with various expenses in the palace and the Ministry of Industry.

Xu Jie, who was on the side, quickly smoothed things over and said, "Old General Zhou, after the court spent last year, the deficit has increased by 15 taels, and the total deficit has exceeded 120 million taels of silver."

Yan Song said leisurely: "I think back to when Emperor Xianzong was pure emperor, the expenditure on the Nine Sides was only 40 taels..."

The meaning of this sentence is obviously an insinuation of the ineffectiveness of the soldiers on the nine frontiers. Zhou Shangwen, with his fiery temper, understood the cleverness hidden in Yan Song's words, but he didn't save Yan Song any face.

"Your surname is Yan, but if you make up the military salary, the silver that should be rewarded will be paid. It will take less than three years for the military expenses of the nine borders to come down. You should pay it."

Yan Shifan, who was standing by the side, couldn't help but said angrily: "For military pay and military pay, the cabinet is responsible for the general affairs of the two capitals and thirteen provinces! In addition to the nine sides, the imperial court also has billions of Li Shu."

"You little one-eyed thief, if you don't win this battle, go and fight it. You are so loyal to the court that you don't need to pay for military expenses. Tomorrow, I will take you to the grassland to compete with me?"

"The imperial court only has so much money, who do you want to give it to, right? Your surname is Zhou, we have drafted a ticket, right?"

"Qing'er!"

Without waiting for Yan Shifan and Zhou Shangwen to open their mouths, Yan Song directly stopped Yan Shifan.

Zhou Shangwen is like a hedgehog, after Zhou Shangwen stirs up so much, even Xu Jie's cleanliness is left idle.

Yan Song took a deep breath and glanced at Ding Rukui from the Ministry of War.

"How about this? The former Household Department reserved 60 taels of silver, and first took out 20 taels of silver to distribute Datong's reward. Zhou Yanzhang, this old man even took out the cabinet's private money."

The cabinet ministers were all stunned except for Zhou Shangwen. The money was squeezed out by the six departments yesterday.

After Yan Song said so, this money turned out to be Yan Song's ability to govern the country and foresight, and the money was prepared in advance.

And this time Yan Song will take out the 60 yuan and distribute it to Datong. If Qingliu has any objections later, Zhou Shangwen will directly bite on it regardless of so much indiscriminateness.

Zhou Shangwen didn't attend the imperial court meeting last year, so he naturally didn't know the secrets of it, and an approval of 20 taels was better than a tael of silver, so he gave up in resentment.

"If Mr. Yan Ge said that, then it's still..."

Before Zhou Shangwen finished speaking, Zhang Juzheng, who was just listening in, sensed an opportunity.

"Old Yan Ge! This discussion will fail!"

Zhou Shangwen's expression changed suddenly upon hearing this.

"The soldiers of Datong killed Tartars outside, and where did you come up with the reward in exchange for their lives?"

Zhou Shangwen was about to spit out lotus flowers.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Juzheng did not follow the routine at all.

He rushed out from the auditorium on the side and came in front of everyone.

Xu Jie hurriedly winked at Zhang Juzheng.

"Uncle, step back."

Zhang Juzheng didn't care about Xu Jie's words, he bowed his hand to Zhou Shangwen.

"Old General Zhou, the rewards of the soldiers must be distributed, but they must not be paid out of the 60 taels!"

"Fart, what's the matter with the 60 taels? Can he become 120 million taels next year?"

Zhang Juzheng took a deep breath.

"Old General Zhou, this money was reserved by the imperial court for search and use. Now that the 60 taels of silver have been spent, the troubles of Hetao captives will become worse day by day!"

Yan Shifan's expression changed suddenly upon hearing this.

"Zhang Juzheng! The Ministry of War has made a custom order, and the search for a package has been exhausted. Why can't the 60 taels be moved?"

After what Zhang Juzheng said, Zhou Shangwen understood that this money was originally allocated to them as military expenses, but Yan Song took it as a favor!

Once he took this money, he would be a sinner on Nine Sides.

"Ming military expenses, you take 40, and give 20 to the frontier army, and our soldiers on the nine frontiers still have to thank you?!"

"Old thief, isn't your father and son the **** old man?!"

After Zhou Shangwen and Zhang Juzheng had such a mess.

The original imperial court meeting was completely messed up.

The faces of the civil servants on both sides also sank.

Hetao thing.

Didn't you agree not to mention it? !

Why is it brought up again now!
(End of this chapter)