Emperor Zhengde

Chapter 32 Who said that His Majesty only built the Qianqing Palace

At that time, the Minister of Revenue Wang Hua also took his leave. Before this, Wang Hua had only been an upright official in the Ministry of Revenue and had no idea about the financial situation of the imperial court. Now that he had taken office at the Ministry of Revenue, he discovered that the imperial court was really poor.

For a moment, Wang Hua couldn't help but think of some of the contents in the "Outline of Governing the Country" bestowed upon him by Zhu Houzhao. He suddenly felt that some of the contents in the "Outline of Governing the Country" were indeed correct. For example, with the increase in privileged classes such as royal relatives and gentry, the court's expenditure would become larger and larger. Therefore, the court could not just think about saving money but had to find ways to increase revenue.

The Minister of Finance Wang Hua also wanted to go back and take a closer look at the "Outline of Governing the Country" instead of thinking about burning it.

The chief minister of the cabinet, Liu Jian, paid no attention to the Minister of Revenue, Wang Hua. He just looked at the figure of the Minister of War, Xu Jin, and snorted coldly.

"If Lord Liu had not died, it would not have been Xu Jin's turn to take charge of the Ministry of War. This Xu Jin almost doesn't take our cabinet seriously," said the Second Assistant Li Dongyang.

"A madman who burned the Four Books is simply a scum of Confucianism. Letting such a person be the Minister of War is simply a disgrace to the court etiquette. If Your Majesty was not so stupid, he would have been impeached and dismissed by the censors long ago. How could you tolerate his arrogance!"

Xie Qian, the third minister, also had a very bad impression of the Minister of War Xu Jin, and spoke of it rather angrily.

The Minister of War Xu Jin was originally an official from a frontier town. He had always been looked down upon by the upright officials in Beijing, such as the cabinet officials, who came from the Hanlin Academy. In the eyes of the upright officials, these civil servants in the frontier towns were infected with the crude habits of the military men, and were therefore looked down upon by the upright officials.

Fortunately, Xu Jin never formed a clique and always remained neutral. The last time a new Minister of War was recommended by the court, the cabinet was forced to choose him as one of the candidates for the Minister of War in order to prevent Ma Wensheng from gaining an advantage. Now he has been appointed as the Minister of War by Zhu Houzhao.

Liu Jian and other cabinet ministers had originally thought of winning over Xu Jin after he became the Minister of War. However, they did not expect that Xu Jin would make the shocking move of burning the Four Books just after becoming the Minister of War, and he did not even consider himself a gentleman. This made the upright civil servants who most hoped that court officials would follow Confucian etiquette hate Xu Jin's behavior very much.

Liu Jian and other cabinet ministers now want to expel Xu Jin from the court.

"If something really happens between the regiment camp and the imperial guards this time, it will be a good reason to force him to resign!" said Liu Jian, the chief minister of the cabinet, with a cold smile.

Li Dongyang and Xie Qian also laughed.

"But the most important thing right now is to let His Majesty return to the palace!" Liu Jian said again at this time.

"What the Prime Minister said is very true. The emperor should stay in the palace and handle government affairs for us civil officials. Otherwise, he will be an unjust ruler!"

Xie Qian echoed.

"Whether it was Liu Jin who instigated His Majesty to stay outside the palace, or His Majesty wanted to stay outside the palace, His Majesty must not be allowed to leave the palace at will in the future. He must be kept in the Forbidden City!"

Li Dongyang also said something, and Liu Jian and Xie Qian both nodded.

……

Xu Jin, the Minister of War, returned to the Ministry of War helplessly, and could not help but sigh: "Incompetent officials ruin the country, incompetent officials ruin the country!"

The incompetent officials that Xu Jin was referring to were naturally Liu Jian and others in the cabinet, but at this time he could only curse them and had no way to deal with Liu Jian and others.

Even Xu Jin himself guessed that if he could not pay the overdue rice salaries to the Beijing troops this time, his position as the Minister of War would be over. He might even have to sacrifice his own life to appease the anger of the officers and soldiers if officials and civilians caused trouble because of the arrears of rice salaries.

Minister of War Xu Jin sighed. He had wanted to make a career in the Ministry of War but he did not expect that he would face the fate of being punished.

At this time, Zhang Mao, the governor of the Central Military Governor's Office of Duke Ying, also came to the Ministry of War with a group of military officials and nobles.

As soon as Zhang Mao found the Minister of War Xu Jin, he asked hurriedly, "Sir Xu, you are the Minister of War, are you in charge of the rice salary of our 12th Regiment? It has been owed for three months!"

These military officials and nobles were all the governors and commanders-in-chief of the twelve regiments of the imperial court. They were either dukes or marquises. Minister of War Xu Jin did not dare to neglect them and had to explain patiently: "Everyone! It's not that I don't want to pay the rice salary, but the imperial court has no money and food. I have already consulted the cabinet, and the Prime Minister has promised that the rice salary of the officers and soldiers of each battalion will be paid before the end of the year! The imperial court also has difficulties, and I hope you understand!"

"Master Xu, we can wait, but our brothers can't. They live on this little salary, and their wives and children rely on this little salary for food and clothing. Does the court really not care about our lives? You civil officials are wearing brocade and silk and eating delicacies from the mountains and the sea, but now you are not even willing to give us half an ounce of salary. Do you really think we are made of clay?"

Marquis Taiping Zhang Jie couldn't help but complain for a moment.

"Then how about this, Lord, you decide how much Xu is worth, so you cut him up and sell him off, okay?"

The Minister of War Xu Jin was a man with a bad temper. He was in a bad mood and started to say nonsense.

Zhang Mao couldn't help but persuade him, "Okay, Marquis Taiping, why are you making such a fuss?"

Zhang Mao then comforted the Minister of War Xu Jin: "Lord Xu, it's not that we have to force the court, but we can't ignore the lives of nearly 100,000 brothers under us. They are guarding the capital for the court. If something unexpected happens, neither you nor I can afford it!"

"To tell you the truth, the only money the court has now allocated has been temporarily allocated to the Ministry of Works to repair the Qianqing Palace. Now we can only wait a little longer. Don't worry, I, Xu, will definitely find a way to get you some salary!"

Xu Jin sighed and said.

"Your Majesty is only thinking about building the Qianqing Palace and is unwilling to support the brothers in the regiment?"

At this time, Taiping Hou Zhang Jie couldn't help but say something, and he began to feel some dissatisfaction with Emperor Zhu Houzhao.

Zhang Mao glared at Taiping Hou Zhang Jie and said, "Taiping Hou, what nonsense are you talking about? Your Majesty has no money. You know that even if Your Majesty wants to build the Qianqing Palace, we can't say no. It's just that we feel sorry for our brothers. Many of them are veterans who have killed Tartars. Now they have fallen to the point of leaving the barracks to become sedan bearers or even doormen, and some are doing hard labor. They are all veterans who have fought hundreds of battles! If the Tartars attack our Ming Dynasty again in the future, how will the capital defend itself against the enemy?"

Zhang Mao sighed as he spoke.

"Who said that Your Majesty only wanted to build the Qianqing Palace?"

At this time, the eunuch Zhang Yong came to the Ministry of War. When he saw Duke Ying of England Zhang Mao and Minister of War Xu Jin, he bowed first and said, "Duke, Grand Marshal, it happens that you are all here. My trip is not in vain. The emperor has a verbal order!"

After Zhang Yong said this, Duke of England Zhang Mao and Minister of War Xu Jin and others hurriedly prepared to listen to his orders.

"Order Duke Ying Zhang Mao to lead the officers and generals of each battalion, and Minister of War Xu Jin to lead the officials of all levels of the Ministry of War to come to the regiment camp to discuss matters immediately. I will personally distribute the rice owed to the officers and soldiers of the regiment camp and the imperial guards!"

As soon as Zhang Yong finished reading the decree, Minister of War Xu Jin was stunned and secretly said in surprise:
"Your Majesty, you want to give out rice as a stipend? But Your Majesty doesn't have much money in the treasury!"

As a civil servant and Minister of War Xu Jin knew better than anyone that the treasury of Ming Emperor Zhu Houzhao had long been emptied by the Cabinet and the Ministry of Revenue, leaving only tens of thousands of taels of silver. Otherwise, the Cabinet would not have returned the treasury to the Emperor so easily.

Duke Yingguo Zhang Mao was also somewhat skeptical. Although he did not know how much treasury the new emperor had, he knew that if the emperor really had so much treasury, he would not have allowed the officers and soldiers to delay their rice salaries until now.

But there was nothing they could do. Since Zhu Houzhao had spoken, Duke of England Zhang Mao and Minister of War Xu Jin had to believe it. They could only lead their men to the regiment camp with a skeptical attitude.

Zhu Houzhao had already arrived at the regiment camp at this time and began to order the officers and soldiers of each unit to assemble immediately.

This time, Zhu Houzhao wanted to personally distribute rice as salary to let the army in the capital of the Ming Dynasty know who their real commander was.

Thanks to my book friend, I would rather betray the heaven than you, for the reward of 100 book coins. Thank you to my book friend, Bei Mingzheng, for the reward of 100 book coins. Thank you to my book friend, Wandering Passerby, for the reward of 100 book coins. Thank you to my book friend, The Ant Who Stole Life, for the reward of 100 starting coins.

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(End of this chapter)