Chapter 309: Financial Meeting Due to Lack of Money

The light yellow light is very soft, and there is mainly a dragon bed in the bedroom.

Since the weather has turned cold, the palace maids will be arranged to warm the bed every night before going to bed, so the quilt on the dragon bed always has a different kind of fragrance.

It's just that the woman warming the bed today turned out to be Northern Concubine Iksi. This woman who usually likes riding horses and shooting arrows is now here to warm her bed.

Concubine Bei had a beautiful oval face. After she had just washed herself, she was wrapped in a silk quilt and sent directly to the dragon bed by two eunuchs.

She has jet black hair, and her eyes are big and lively, even revealing a wildness of the prairie. Perhaps because of daily exercise, the exposed collarbone looks particularly sexy.

Bang bang...

When Zhu Youtang saw the beauty on the bed, his heartbeat suddenly accelerated, but he really liked the exotic liveliness and naughtiness of this beautiful woman.

Yi Kexi saw Zhu Youtang's initial surprised reaction in his eyes, his eyes flashed with excitement of success, and his whole face smiled sweetly and innocently.

Liu Jin saw that the two people had obviously called, and immediately sent the irrelevant people away, but she knew that the dragon bed tonight would not be too peaceful.

Zhu Youtang had already taken off his outer clothes and walked towards Yikesi on the dragon bed.

Different from the clever Qingyue and Han Youying, and also different from the quirky Fan Jinling, this Mongolian girl is a straight person, and her body seems to be hiding no secrets.

Although he had many unsatisfactory things, it was a bit of a sense of accomplishment to see the woman he had named as his concubine living happily every day.

It would be even more perfect if Concubine Bei could give birth to a prince or princess, but God has never let her have her way in this regard.

Faintly, he always had a worry that even though his life had gotten rid of the original sadness, he still could not get rid of the fate of extinct heirs.

"Your Majesty, are you worried?" When Yi Kexi saw Zhu Youtang lying on the bed, he took the initiative to lean over with his warm body and asked with concern.

Zhu Youtang smelled the body fragrance on her body and felt the burning heat of her skin. He stretched out his arms and gently hugged her body and sighed: "This has always been the case in government! If something doesn't happen here, something needs to be done over there. There is no day when I don’t worry about solving problems!”

"The same is true for my mother. Mongolian tribes are constantly fighting and fighting over pasture, so I often see her frowning!" Yi Kexi looked considerate and put his ear against Zhu Youtang's. Chest said.

Zhu Youtang's heart moved slightly, and he asked seriously: "My beloved concubine, what kind of person is your mother?"

"Chen Concubine's mother feels like a father to me. She has been very strict with Chen Concubine since she was a child..." Ixi liked the smell of Zhu Youtang very much, so he expressed his feelings.

After Zhu Youtang heard what Ikesi said, he was even more sure that the history books had greatly underestimated the Mandu Sea, so he made a decision and said: "I recently received news that Mongolia suffered from a severe cold wave, and nearly 100,000 cattle and sheep were killed and injured. Half!"

"Ah?" Yikesi's eyes widened, looking at Zhu Youtang with great surprise and worry.

Zhu Youtang met the girl's gaze, but said with some warmth: "Since you are my concubine, I can't just ignore it completely, so I plan to donate two thousand pieces of brocade clothes to your headquarters in your name!"

"Seriously?" Yikesi raised his body and asked very seriously.

Zhu Youtang couldn't help but swallowed secretly. Knowing that this girl still cared about the life and death of her tribe, she reached out and pinched her fleshy cheek: "You have no joke!"

"Your Majesty, now that I am your concubine, you...why are you still so kind to me?" Yikesi asked with a sore nose, looking moved.

Zhu Youtang met Yi Kexi's eyes and said seriously: "Although we are in a political marriage, it is precisely because you are my concubine that I will naturally treat you well!"

"Your Majesty, lie down!"

"What?"

"Don't ride tonight, let me move!"

…

Although Yixi has married into the Ming Dynasty, it is impossible to completely break up with the Mongolian side.

Now I suddenly learned about the disaster in Mongolia, and learned that my own people were struggling to survive in the wind and rain, and even some familiar people died in this cold wave. Because she has personally experienced the cold snap on the grassland, she understands the hardships of her tribe better than ordinary people.

Now, Zhu Youtang has taken the initiative to send two thousand cotton-padded clothes for disaster relief. How can she not be moved?

Yikesi knew that the best way to repay him was to give this man what he wanted most.

Zhu Youtang lay quietly on the dragon bed, feeling a little guilty as he watched this exotic beauty serving him diligently. It was clear that his motives were impure, but he ended up being the object of gratitude.

It was just that the bed sheet carried everything, but it was almost torn by Zhu Youtang.

The moon is very round tonight, and the Qianqing Palace in the white snow is like a picture scroll, but the uncoordinated voice of an exotic woman can be heard intermittently.

After winter arrives, everyone's pace of life seems to suddenly slow down, but time does not stop.

As the snow in Beijing becomes thicker and thicker, the end of the year has come.

Compared with the people in Beijing, the officials in the capital have become even busier because there are too many things to do until the end of the year, and they have to start looking forward to the three years of Hongzhi.

Xiyuan, Imperial Study Room.

As the weather in Beijing is getting colder, Zhu Youtang is now wearing very thick clothes, but he came here to preside over a supreme meeting.

As an emperor, sometimes it is better to say nothing than to say, and it is better to not express an opinion than to express an opinion, so as to create greater psychological pressure and stronger majesty for the ministers below.

Zhu Youtang is well versed in the way of the emperor, so every time he holds a supreme meeting, he sits in the attic above and drinks tea quietly, letting the ministers below make noises.

Wan An and other important ministers have arrived and are sitting in the chairs below, and most of them are familiar faces. Because today is related to next year's budget, the face of Li Si, the Minister of Revenue, has been tense.

The cabinet chief Wan'an had a few more age spots on his face, and he set the tone with an honest and confident look: "Which aspects of the court should cut expenditures, which aspects can increase revenue, and how much money each government office should spend on work next year, let's discuss it here!"

"The Ministry of Rites is a low-income government office, but next year's joint and palace examinations will be held, plus various sacrificial activities, and it is estimated to cost one million taels!"

"The court has already set the tone to strengthen the army. Next year's goal is to achieve weapon replacement, so the budget is at least three million taels!"

"Our Ministry of Works has stopped many non-urgent projects, but the management of the Yellow River and the development of Jianzhou are urgent, and the budget is at least five million taels!"

...

This highest meeting has just begun, and several government offices have asked for money, and each one is more outrageous than the other. The first three government offices alone have already reached 9 million taels.

Since overseas silver has not yet poured in on a large scale to plunder the Ming Dynasty's high-quality and cheap goods, the value of silver is very high now, and 9 million taels is even higher than the 90 million taels later.

But no matter what the actual valuation is, it is impossible for the Taicang of the Ming Dynasty to take out so much silver at once.

Li Si, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, is a good-tempered old man, but at this moment his face suddenly turned black: "Do you really think that the Ministry of Revenue is a gold mountain? Even if it is a gold mountain, it is not enough for you to ask for it like this!"

"Minister Li, won't the talent selection ceremony be held next year?"

"Minister Li, updating weapons is the tone set in June this year!"

"It is urgent to control the Yellow River, and the development of Jianzhou will be a great achievement!"

...

The person who can sit in this position is naturally not an ordinary person. Instead of leaving the problem to himself, it is better to throw it to others. He immediately expressed his attitude aggressively.

The officials present looked at each other, and then looked up at the attic silently.

No one expected that they had just started the meeting and ended up in a deadlock.

Han Youying's long legs were kneeling towards Zhu Youtang, and she brought a cup of freshly brewed tea to Zhu Youtang, and she was also curious about how Zhu Youtang would express his attitude.

Zhu Youtang crossed his legs, picked up the teacup and sipped the fragrant tea slowly, as if the dispute below had nothing to do with him.

For a moment, the whole imperial study seemed to be so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

Cough...

Wan'an didn't hear the emperor in the attic speak, so he knew that the emperor didn't intend to participate in the topic. He coughed lightly first, and then said in a tone of teaching: "Don't just ask for money, discuss first, how can we increase fiscal revenue!"

This...

Xu Qiong, the Minister of Rites who had just quarreled the most fiercely, immediately shut up and turned his head silently to look at the person next to him.

This problem is undoubtedly a headache. The salt administration has been sorted out, and the grain tax has also achieved great results. Even the Maritime Customs Office has a good harvest this year.

Unfortunately, the empire's tax revenue is obviously far better than that of the Chenghua Dynasty, but the current government's finances seem to be stretched.

Under this premise, it is undoubtedly difficult for the court to increase fiscal revenue now, or even something that is impossible to accomplish.

Li Yu, the Minister of Personnel, and Jia Jun, the Minister of Works, exchanged glances, but shook their heads bitterly. They had no good ideas to increase fiscal revenue.

This is simply unsolvable. Who told you to fight for two consecutive years?

When the Minister of Punishment saw everyone's frowns, he smiled coldly in his heart, but he knew that the crux of the problem was the one in the attic.

War has always been a game of burning money.

What was the result? This emperor ascended the throne for only two years. He conquered the Annan Li Dynasty in the south and the Jianzhou Jurchens in the north. Even the richest family assets would be spent.

Now it can be said that he is reaping the fruits of his own labor. Now he still doesn't know how to rest and recuperate, and even wants to develop Jianzhou and update the weapons and equipment of the Ming army.

Wu Yu, the right assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue, noticed He Shixin's unusual reaction, and stood up and said seriously: "Grain tax and salt tax are related to people's livelihood. The current court's handling is the best method, so I think it should not be done rashly! However, the annual revenue of Chongwenmen customs duties was less than 10,000 taels last year. Why? After a secret investigation by me, it is because the Chongwenmen tax officials are of low rank and dare not offend people. They tacitly allow the goods of the powerful to pass through. This has been the common practice of tax officials in all dynasties. Therefore, the Chongwenmen tax officials should be upgraded to be directly responsible for the six ministries, and be responsible by the upright doctor or assistant minister. This move can ensure that the Chongwenmen customs duties are intact!"

Huh?

Zhu Youtang, who was drinking tea, couldn't help but brighten his eyes and found that this right assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue was indeed a young official who worked hard.

Chongwenmen Customs was the main agency for collecting taxes in the capital of the Ming Dynasty. Since Chongwenmen was the gate where the most foreign goods entered among the nine gates in the capital, the court levied tariffs on goods entering the city here.

If the tariff management of Chongwenmen could be strengthened and strict management could be exercised over the goods entering the city through the other eight gates, then the collection of tariffs on goods in the capital could indeed be completed.

"The customs revenue of Chongwenmen is indeed too little!"

"With so many goods entering the city every day, how can we not even collect 10,000 taels?"

"The situation here is exactly what Minister Wu said. How can a small tax officer stop the goods of the rich and powerful?"

...

Although officials such as Li Yu, the Minister of Personnel, did not want to find a way to increase fiscal revenue, they undoubtedly had vision. Now when they heard the topic of Chongwenmen customs, they immediately discussed and expressed their opinions.

When the emperor did not say anything, Wan'an would often take the initiative to guide the direction of the meeting, so he asked seriously: "Minister Wu, which department do you think is suitable?"

"Mr. Yuanfu, doesn't the Ministry of War want to update weapons? Then let the Ministry of War be handed over to it?" Wu Yu, the right minister of the Ministry of Revenue, had already made up his mind and immediately put forward a plan.

Huh?

Li Yu, the Minister of Personnel, and other officials realized that this arrangement was very clever, but they turned their heads to look at the officials of the Ministry of War.

Now the Ministry of War is crying for money to update weapons and equipment, and now the court has given the responsibility for Chongwenmen customs duties. If they cannot collect the tax silver, it will be their own responsibility.

This kid is really good at it!

He Shixin, the Minister of Punishment, had already felt the hostility of Wu Yu, the Right Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, towards him. Now seeing Wu Yu's outstanding performance, he looked uncomfortable and disdainful.

Zhu Youtang gently put down the teacup in his hand and directly participated: "Do you have any objections?"

"We have no objection!" Officials such as Li Yu, the Minister of Personnel, knew that this was a good way to increase the financial revenue of the court, and responded in unison.

Emperor, it is best for the officials below to make a decision together, and then you can hammer it. Even if something really happens in the future, the monarch and the ministers will bear it together.

Zhu Youtang saw that everyone agreed, and he also felt that this plan was feasible, so he said with a final word: "Approved! The Ministry of War recommends candidates for tax officials, the Ministry of Personnel will check, and then it will be submitted to the cabinet for discussion!"

Even if it is a candidate for a tax official, the best way is for all government offices to participate, which can reduce mistakes in decision-making. Especially since Chongwenmen Tax Office is related to the tariff of commodities in the whole capital, the selection of personnel must be extremely cautious.

"I obey your order!" Wan An and other relevant officials immediately expressed their opinions respectfully.

Zhu Youtang was not happy in his heart, but he knew that the tariff of Chongwenmen was actually a drop in the bucket, so he asked seriously: "My dear ministers, do you have any good ideas to increase the income of the court?"