Chapter 517 (1/2)
When Lin Shangshu followed the servant to Wenyuan Pavilion, he found that the assistant ministers appointed by Emperor Jingxuan, Yin Ge Lao, min Ge Lao and an Ge Lao, were all there. Besides the three of them, Prince Jin, Prince an and Prince Rong Shizi were sitting in the room.
Two princes and a son of the world, who are respected for their status, naturally sit at the top of the table, while the three cabinet elders are at the bottom of the table.
But the atmosphere in the room was a little strange, because everyone was just drinking tea and no one spoke.
Thinking of his lowest status, Lin Shangshu arched his hand with a smile and asked, ”why did you invite me here?”
Old Angu was always pleasant. When he saw Lin Shangshu, he said, ”everyone is from the Ming Dynasty, so we don't talk in secret. Now the court is going to use money. How much money can your department put out?”
When Lin Shangshu listened, his face muscles were almost invisible, so he could only say euphemistically: ”what's the situation in the past two years
People also know that if the emperor wants to implement a benevolent government, the taxes in the South and the northwest will not come up. Otherwise, the old Yin Ge will not implement any ”salary reduction system”. Now not only the salaries of the officials will be reduced by half, but also the salaries of the soldiers on the nine sides will still be in debt... ”
Several cabinet elders naturally knew that what Lin Shangshu said was true, so they did not speak.
But Xiao Tongqing, the prince of an, sat there with his head tilted, looked at Xiao Tongfeng, the prince of Jin, and said with a smile, ”brother five, the disaster in Northwest China happened last year. Can't you collect the tax this year?”
Xiao Tongfeng picked his brother Xiao Tongqing's eyes.
Last year, there was a severe drought in Northwest China, but not many places were affected.
His territory is still full of pots and pans, otherwise he would not be so relieved to continue to live in the capital.
But crying children have milk to eat.
He also instructs his subordinates to lie about the damaged area and loss, thinking about how much more they can get from the imperial court.
I didn't expect Xiao RUIZHAO to ask someone to help him cut his tax by half.
The prince of Jin, who got a bargain, naturally wanted to be good, so he asked his subordinates to take the tax relief into his own warehouse.
Liaodong and southwest, which have never suffered from natural and man-made disasters, are not so lucky. They have not reduced taxes, but their salaries have been reduced by half. Everyone dares to be angry.
Therefore, Prince an, who had long felt unfair, blocked Prince Jin with words.
The prince of Jin is not a fuel-efficient lamp. He sighed and said: ”although it was last year's disaster, it's just spring this year, but there are no crops in the field! I want them to pay all the taxes, and they have to pay them, don't they? And last year, there was no grain in the field. I'm afraid some farmers don't even have grain to grow. ”
All of you are old people in the world. Who can't understand what king Jin said?
Unexpectedly, the prince of Jin changed the topic: ”but I just heard from Lin Shangshu that the National Treasury is so empty that even the nine sides of the country are in debt for food and pay
Well, I can ask people to move 2 million liang from my private bank. The imperial court should be in emergency for the time being. ”
Two million taels, if put in the ordinary, is naturally a lot of money.
However, it is a drop in the bucket to deal with the court which is now spending money like running water. But the king of Jin put his posture there first, which made it hard for others to say anything else. He could only curse ”old fox” in his heart, but he also praised him for his integrity.