stjorthotic Chapter 115 It's all my money! The rise and fall of the imperial court ultimately leads to the
Chapter 115 It's all my money! The rise and fall of the imperial court ultimately leads to the
Chapter 116 It's all my money! The rise and fall of the imperial court ultimately leads to the prison!
The Imperial City, the Palace of Longevity.
Emperor Xuanwu's face turned red as he angrily stared at Ning Zhiyuan, the Minister of Revenue, who was kneeling below him.
"We just confiscated the property of Yan's faction in the first month of the lunar calendar, and their vast wealth went into the Ministry of Revenue. Now, less than three months later, you're telling me we're out of money?!"
Emperor Xuanwu summoned Ning Zhiyuan to the palace to inquire about the salaries of officials.
This was the first time in his decades-long reign that he had encountered officials blocking the palace gates demanding their salaries.
Emperor Xuanwu knew his days were numbered and wanted to leave a good reputation; the older people get, the more they care about their reputation.
This incident has caused him to lose all face. In the thousands of years since the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty, it seems that no one has ever heard of such a thing.
Ning Zhiyuan's face also turned bitter as he began to speak: "Your Majesty may not know this, but while we did indeed confiscate a considerable amount of Yan's family wealth at the beginning of the year, the court's expenditures were also substantial."
He began to calculate the accounts for Emperor Xuanwu.
"Jiangnan suffered from floods last year, and this year we still need to allocate funds to support the spring planting for those disaster victims. This sum amounts to one million taels of silver. Chun'an..."
The river embankments in Jiande and two other counties have breached and have not yet been repaired; this will cost another 500,000 taels of silver.
"The Prince of Zhenbei and the Duke of Dingguo have been urging us for a long time to pay the soldiers in the north."
"The Japanese pirates are rampant in the south. Last year, His Majesty planned to train a navy to wipe out the Japanese pirates in order to protect trade with the vassal states."
'
""
Each item cost hundreds of thousands or even millions of taels of silver, and Emperor Xuanwu's expression grew increasingly grim.
"What you just listed is only thirty million taels, but the Yan faction's wealth is far more than thirty million."
"Your Majesty, you are unaware of the fact that although the Yan faction is wealthy, they do not have much cash. Most of their assets are estates, shops, and antiques. While these items are valuable, they are not easy to convert into cash."
Ning Zhiyuan carefully glanced at Emperor Xuanwu's expression.
"Half of the money obtained from confiscating the property of Yan's faction went into the Imperial Treasury, and the Ministry of Revenue really didn't have enough money to pay the officials' salaries."
After saying this, he slammed his head heavily to the ground, not daring to look up at Emperor Xuanwu.
He knew that Emperor Xuanwu valued his reputation, but there was nothing he could do; every expense was important and none could be cut back on.
Emperor Xuanwu sighed after hearing this.
"Get up. You've been an official for quite some time now, haven't you?"
"Your Majesty, I passed the imperial examination in the fourth year of the Xuanwu reign and have been an official for forty-seven years."
"I know you have it tough, and I understand your difficulties. I am always mindful of the country's hardships and the people's suffering. The salaries of all officials must be paid. Tell me, where does this money come from?"
Seeing that Emperor Xuanwu's complexion had improved, Ning Zhiyuan said, "Your Majesty, please grant us some silver from the Imperial Treasury. We will make up for it with tax revenue collected at the end of the year."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Xuanwu's face darkened.
The Imperial Treasury is the emperor's own money; this wasn't the first time Ning Zhiyuan had said this.
However, every year at the end of the year, Emperor Xuanwu wanted to use tax revenue to make up for the shortfall.
Ning Zhiyuan would then come to him with a tearful face, complaining that the silver in the inner treasury was dwindling.
He was really unwilling to hand over the income he had finally earned this year, which was barely enough to enjoy.
Emperor Xuanwu gritted his teeth and said, "Very well, then last year's salary will be drawn from my private treasury. How much money is needed?"
Ning Zhiyuan was prepared. He took out an account book from his pocket and replied, "There are two thousand officials of all ranks in Bianjing, and more than ten thousand clerks and servants. If we were to pay their salaries for a year, it would cost about three million taels of silver."
He knew that Emperor Xuanwu's expression would be even more unpleasant upon hearing this number.
As expected, Emperor Xuanwu's expression shifted between light and dark.
He said emphatically, "Fine! Call Wang Xi in and give you three million taels."
After saying this, Emperor Xuanwu completely lost his spirit.
He thought to himself, "That's all my money! So the one million taels of silver promised to me last year for palace construction is now going back with interest!"
Emperor Xuanwu was heartbroken, but the court could not function without these officials.
If you want a horse to run, you have to feed it grass.
Emperor Xuanwu distributed last year's salaries, and officials in Bianjing (Kaifeng) all praised him as a wise and virtuous ruler.
Since the downfall of Yan's faction, Bianjing has seen a rare moment of joy.
Shen Yan was somewhat surprised when he saw the silver in his hand.
Surprisingly, they actually managed to get their hands on it.
Although it wasn't much, Shen Yan received a total of sixty taels of silver.
The jailers also received money, so their silver coins were naturally even less.
Shen Yan did not withhold any from them and let Qi Xuan distribute them all.
In the past, when the imperial court issued salaries, the salaries of the officials were mostly intercepted by their superiors.
The money was skimmed off at every level, and never reached the clerks.
Officials would even falsify records; the prison only had a few dozen officers, but the roster listed more than three hundred.
These funds were naturally divided among the officials of the Ministry of Justice.
Shen Yan, the prison warden, was originally not supposed to receive any money.
However, because of his special status, the people in the Ministry of Justice dared not disrespect him.
Shen Yan then distributed the money among himself.
He summoned three prison guards: Chen Xiaoshuan, Lü Youcai, and Ma Danian.
"Spread the word, I'm treating everyone to a gathering at Chunfeng Tower tonight."
The officials who had clashed with palace eunuchs over their salaries were also released from prison.
They were not punished in any way, which was expected.
They haven't suffered at all during their time in jail these past few days.
On the contrary, they had wine and meat at every meal, and lived a much more comfortable life than outside.
"Although Shen Yan has a bad reputation, he is indeed quite good at managing the prison."
"I've been to this prison two or three times already, and Shen Yan's reputation is well-deserved."
"Without exceptional qualities, how can one gain the appreciation of superiors?"
"...
'
Shen Yan told them about Emperor Xuanwu issuing salaries, and everyone was moved to tears, kowtowing repeatedly towards the direction of the imperial city.
This incident caused a great stir, spreading not only throughout Bianjing (Kaifeng) but also reaching the south.
Emperor Xuanwu lost both money and face this time.
Chen Yu was still imprisoned in the imperial prison, and no one cared about him.
However, he had a very good attitude. Every day when he encountered Shen Yan passing by, he would pull him aside for a chat.
He was certain that his life was not in danger, but whether he would be given an important position was another matter.
Chen Yu's current status is no accident; his cunning and methods are extraordinary.
Shen Yan was somewhat surprised to learn that he had once been from a prominent family in Jiangnan.
His parents sent him to the palace because his family had fallen on hard times.
He was only fourteen years old that year, and almost twenty years have passed in the blink of an eye. He has finally reached this position today.
Survival inside the palace is far more brutal than outside, though he didn't elaborate, Shen Yan could imagine it.
A few more days passed.
People from the palace came and took him away. When Chen Yu saw them, a smile appeared on his face.
Shen Yan had also met this person before; it was He Yun, Chen Yu's godson.
"Godfather, you've suffered so much in prison!"
Chen Yu smiled and said, "Lord Shen has been very kind to me. Staying in this prison is no worse than being in the palace."
He Yun then realized that Shen Yan was right next to her and that she had said the wrong thing.
Chen Yu turned to Shen Yan and said solemnly, "I said a few days ago that if we can get out this time, I will reward you handsomely. Please wait a few days, Lord Shen."
"I only took money from your godson, so it's only right that I take care of you. There's no need for this."
Chen Yu didn't say anything after hearing this.
"Lord Shen, until we meet again."
Watching his departing figure, Shen Yan thought to herself, "His words were loaded with meaning; does he already know what arrangements await him outside?"
.
He then shook his head with a smile: "Why think about these things? Let them rise and fall in the court, I'll just wait for them to come in from the prison."
>