I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 73 Pixiu Feng Bao, generous with money

Inside the Wenhua Hall.

Zhang Juzheng looked at the three inspection documents on the imperial desk and fell into deep thought.

Lu Diaoyang, Zhang Siwei, Chen Zan and Liu Shouyou dared not even breathe, fearing that Zhang Juzheng would be so angry that they would quit.

Zhang Juzheng’s choice was correct.

Even if it is a national disgrace, it should be made public. When disaster victims suffer or corrupt officials run rampant, the emperor must issue an edict of repentance.

This is the law of our ancestors and what wise monarchs do.

As for Empress Dowager Li.

The royal dignity is the most important thing, and they don’t want the young Wanli to bear the stigma.

As a mother, she was fine; as a queen mother, she was far from perfect.

In her heart, there are only the royal family in the Forbidden City, not the common people of the Ming Dynasty.

……

Lean slightly.

Zhang Juzheng turned around and looked at Lu Diaoyang and the other three.

"Do you think there's anything wrong with my advice just now?"

Deputy Minister Lü Diaoyang thought for a moment and said, "There's nothing wrong with that. However, to convince the Queen Mother, I'm afraid I'll have to rely on my uncle to take care of it!"

The other three people also nodded.

The crux of the matter lies with Empress Dowager Li.

If the young Wanli were alone, he would definitely not have the courage to do this.

Empress Dowager Li seldom spoke to officials of the previous dynasty, and only Zhang Juzheng communicated with her more.

In most cases, she also listened to Zhang Juzheng.

Zhang Juzheng put away the three inspection documents and held them in his hand, saying, "Let's keep this matter secret for now. I will speak to Your Majesty tomorrow and then make my recommendations."

After saying that, Zhang Juzheng took the lead and walked out of the hall.

……

Early the next morning.

As soon as Zhang Juzheng arrived at the cabinet duty room, he received a notice from the inner court that the emperor had caught a cold and the daily lecture was cancelled.

This was obviously Empress Dowager Li's idea.

She was waiting for Zhang Juzheng to compromise.

Zhang Juzheng paused and said to the clerk beside him, "Ask Minister Yin to come over!"

"Yes, Mr. Ge."

Afterwards, Zhang Juzheng sat at the table, took a look at the three inspection documents, and began to write a memorial of advice.

……

About a quarter of an hour later.

The Minister of Revenue Yin Zhengmao walked in quickly.

Recently, Yin Zhengmao has been busy and diligently working to resettle disaster victims outside the city.

He even set up a tent himself.

This made it impossible for the censors who were watching him to find any fault at all, and they even felt that this was completely inconsistent with the legendary "corrupt official Yin Zhengmao".

"Sir, are you calling me here to discuss the second disaster relief in Liaodong?"

Zhang Juzheng nodded and said, "The situation in Liaodong is more serious than we imagined. It's also the lean season. I suggest raising one million taels of silver to provide relief to the victims."

"One million taels?"

This amount was somewhat beyond Yin Zhengmao's expectations.

He originally thought that it was just a secondary disaster relief to repair the damage, and 500,000 taels would be enough.

Unexpectedly, it was more than the initial 750,000 disaster relief silver.

One million taels of silver could fully cover Liaodong's annual military expenses, which shows that the situation there was very bad.

"One million taels, no problem! I'll go find the Imperial Household Department and the Ministry of Works to share the share immediately."

"How are you going to split it?"

Yin Zhengmao thought for a moment and said, "The Ministry of Revenue will pay the lion's share, taking 600,000 taels, the Imperial Treasury 300,000 taels, and the Ministry of Works 100. If the Imperial Treasury isn't willing, 200,000 taels will be fine."

Zhang Juzheng shook his head.

"Brother Yangshi, later you will call Minister Guo and Eunuch Feng together and tell them that I have instructions. The Ministry of Works will take 100,000 taels, the Imperial Treasury can take it or not, and the Ministry of Revenue can provide 900,000 taels!"

"Ah?" Yin Zhengmao didn't understand what he meant.

Zhang Juzheng continued, "After you say this, Eunuch Feng will certainly not agree. He will raise the price. He'll raise it to at least 500,000 taels, and then you'll agree. If it's less than 500,000 taels, you won't take a penny. Remember, I'm the one who ordered you to take it from the inner treasury or not. You must convey this."

"Eunuch Feng...that...old Pi Xiu would be willing to give up the bulk of the money?" Yin Zhengmao couldn't believe it.

He felt that asking the inner treasury to take 200,000 taels would cost at least half a pound of saliva. Zhang Juzheng smiled slightly and said, "Don't worry, just do as you are told."

"Okay, I will do as you wish." Yin Zhengmao agreed and left the duty room.

……

inside the house.

A smile appeared on Zhang Juzheng's face.

The reason why he was certain that Feng Bao would take the lion's share was that if he said "you can take it from the inner treasury or not", it would mean that he was very angry about what happened yesterday.

Empress Dowager Li, young Emperor Wanli, and Feng Bao.

The one I like most is Zhang Juzheng who takes the overall situation into consideration, and the one I dislike most is Zhang Juzheng who is angry and furious.

Taking the overall situation into consideration was Zhang Juzheng, who carried the Ming Dynasty on his shoulders; being angry and furious was Zhang Juzheng, who wanted to quit.

The current Ming Dynasty.

Empress Dowager Li and young Emperor Wanli hid in the Cining Palace for a month, and the Ming Dynasty continued to function normally.

But if Zhang Juzheng was absent for two days, the imperial court in the capital might have been in chaos.

Feng Bao was afraid that Zhang Juzheng would be angry.

Therefore, he would definitely use money to compensate, implying to Zhang Juzheng that Empress Dowager Li and the young Wanli were showing weakness and waiting for Zhang Juzheng to consider the overall situation and reconcile.

but--

Zhang Juzheng could not compromise. He just wanted the inner treasury to pay more money.

It is not easy to make the inner treasury pay out money, so Feng Bao should be cheated as much as possible.

Zhang Juzheng looked righteous and awe-inspiring.

In fact, in some small matters, they will also use some small tricks that gentlemen would not use.

The officialdom is complicated.

Only by trying to walk on both the main roads and small paths can you go far and fast.

Officials who are too upright and too correct often find it difficult to achieve great things.

……

Half an hour later, in the front hall of the Ministry of Revenue.

After Yin Zhengmao sent away Feng Bao and Guo Chaobin, who came to share the cost of the second disaster relief in Liaodong, he was so happy that he couldn't stop smiling.

He didn't expect it, so he just said two sentences that Zhang Juzheng told him: You can take it from the inner treasury or not.

In the end, Feng Bao took the initiative to ask for a share of 600,000 taels of silver, which accounted for the bulk of the disaster relief costs.

The Minister of Works Guo Chaobin, who was standing by, was dumbfounded.

He was so surprised that he could fit two eggs in his mouth, and even suspected that Yin Zhengmao had threatened Feng Bao in some way.

Feng Bao's stinginess and the stinginess of the inner treasury were well-known in the two capitals, thirteen provinces and border garrisons of the Ming Dynasty.

This is the beginning.

The Ministry of Revenue will have an easier time than in previous years and will achieve much greater results.

Yin Zhengmao felt that he was one step closer to entering the cabinet.

……

afternoon.

Hanlin Academy, Editing Office.

Shen Nian sat at the table, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong.

First of all.

This morning, little Wanli suddenly said he had caught a cold and canceled his daily lecture. Something was wrong.

Yesterday, little Wanli was still full of energy, with a rosy complexion and no signs of illness at all.

It's hard to believe that he was bedridden all night.

Second.

Shen Nian saw an urgent letter from Liaodong delivered to the Censorate yesterday, and it would definitely be delivered to the emperor that day.

According to convention.

This letter should have appeared on Shen Nian's desk early this morning, for him to copy and annotate, but there has been no news until now.

Shen Nian vaguely felt that something was wrong, but he didn't know what was wrong.

at this time.

A clerk on duty in the cabinet quickly came to the editing room and said, "Editor Shen, Lord Zhang wants you to come over!"

Shen Nian stood up quickly. Since the elder had invited him, he naturally could not neglect it.

(End of this chapter)