Chapter 217: Protect One

From the beginning of the third year of Kaiping, Zhu Wen almost occupied Bianjing, the capital of Daliang, and the discussion of the city was slowly diverted away from the war in Hebei. This was because at the beginning of the year, the Yan bandits were on the rise and Youzhou was lost and gained. Therefore, Zhu Wen deliberately blocked the news to prevent his own wisdom and majesty from being discussed.

Therefore, over the past six months, outside of the imperial court in Bianjing, the common people in the streets have naturally been mostly concerned about their own lives.

As almost the most stable city in the world, the people in the capital of Daliang are more or less wealthy than other places. Having not been ravaged by war for many years, they also know how to enjoy life better than people in other areas.

Now that summer is about to begin, warriors with a little capital, business tycoons, and some literati who depend on warriors for their livelihood have all started to get busy.

The villa in the countryside needs to be renovated to make it convenient to take the family there to escape the summer heat. The ice that has been stored for half a year also needs to be dug out. The days are long in summer and the afternoons are particularly tiring. Various activities to kill time also need to be well prepared. Warriors are very competitive and their families have the most capital, so they naturally show off their wealth. Various banquets are prepared, not to mention anything else, just to relieve the abnormal psychology of fighting on the battlefield all day, which is better than going to the countryside to make a scene.

At the same time, the winter wheat and various fruits and vegetables planted in the Central Plains last year are now in harvest time. They are usually transported to Beijing through the Bian Canal from various prefectures. Most of them will be used to make up for the military supplies consumed in the war in Hebei. Although it can only make up for a small part of the deficit, it will eventually allow Chongzhengyuan and the Ministry of Revenue to breathe a sigh of relief.

In addition, summer is the time when all the markets in Bianjing are the busiest. Needless to say, ordinary people would go there to have some fun in their spare time.

The most proud ones are the ruffians or the fake imperial guards. They will dress up nicely and take some decent-looking entourage with them to walk around the Daxiangguo Temple and some cities. Most of them will drink a bowl of iced sour plum soup in Anle Pavilion and look at some decent women coming from across the street, even some girls from wealthy families. They will try their best to get close to them. Although they will inevitably be scolded, it is also the greatest joy in life.

But the world is not at peace today, with wars raging everywhere. Only in Bianjing can we feel the peace and prosperity of the country. If we don't enjoy this kind of happiness, it may become a thing of the past one day. How can we not be greedy for it?

Naturally, there will be scholars who worry about the country and the people, saying that the world is not yet stable, and that men of our generation should serve the court, put down the troubled times as soon as possible, and not seek comfort, etc. However, there must not be many such people. After all, in this era when warlords and local governments are rising one after another, only God knows when this chaotic world will be quelled, and it is not something that small people like them can worry about.

What does the life and death of ordinary people in other places have to do with the people of Bian Jing?

I only hope that the wars from other places will not come here, so that this scene of peace and prosperity can last forever in Bianjing.

As a result, the entire capital of Bianjing seemed to be immersed in this peaceful scene. It was not until mid-July that a major event finally broke out throughout the city.

The so-called big event is that after more than a year, Champion Marquis Xiao Yan has finally pacified the chaos in Yan and is leading the Yan warriors back to the capital. When the army returns to the capital, the Zhu emperor will personally visit the Drum and Horn Gate to watch the army show off their military prowess and allow the people to watch along the way. After the victory, the Zhu emperor will appease the Imperial Ancestral Temple and offer sacrifices to the four directions. At that time, all civil and military officials will be rewarded, and even the families of all the imperial guards in the city will be rewarded.

And because the Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching on August 15th, the Imperial Guards will not stop the Lantern Festival from July 20th until the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the whole city will be in carnival!

Just think about it, what a big event this was! The entire Hebei region fell into the hands of the Zhu emperor. In the past ten years, there had not been such an exaggerated achievement, not to mention that there was a saying that he went thousands of miles to fight against the people of Mobei.

Even in the next few decades, there may not be a Lantern Festival that can be held nearly a month in advance, let alone a Lantern Festival that can last for more than half a month.

As a result, the people of Bianjing were naturally excited about this. Every household, bringing their old and children, went to the Chenqiao Gate in the north city early in the morning to look at the returning Tiger Army.

Of course, more people just wanted to see the famous champion Hou Xiaoyan. According to the rumors, this champion Hou was good at writing rouge reviews and riding a horse to travel across the mountains and rivers. He was a first-class man with both civil and military talents.

Moreover, according to rumors, Xiao Yan's story has turned more and more into a legendary one. Even though Xiao Yan had already set up Anle Pavilion in Bian Jing and accomplished such a famous thing as Rouge Review, everyone seemed to really understand him for the first time.

They had to see whether this so-called Marquis of Champion was really twelve feet tall, with a broad back and broad arms, the appearance of a scholar, and his official robes stained purple with human blood.

However, the people of Bianjing waited and waited, and in the increasingly intense fanaticism, it was not until the end of July that they finally heard that the Guide Army in the north had approached the capital and had stationed in the newly built imperial army camp on the northwest bank of the Jinshui River. When this news came out, countless people quickly flocked to the Guide Army's station to watch the excitement. Of course, as it was an important military camp, they could only watch from afar.

……

Not to mention the fun of the city, the Daliang court has naturally been very busy these days.

The news that the Ghost King and Xiao Yan were at odds for some reason had long been no secret. There were even rumors that Zhu Wen wanted to abandon Xiao Yan, a former Tang Dynasty surrenderee.

As a result, many people gave up the idea of ​​making friends with Xiao Yan. Of course, there were many civil and military officials who wanted to wait and see what Prince Jun Zhu Youzhen would do. They were obviously betting that if Zhu Youzhen was willing to support Xiao Yan, they would not mind getting on board the "Prince Jun" ship and submitting a memorial to speak for Xiao Yan.

However, it is obvious that Zhu Youzhen's faction is no match for the Ghost King's faction. There are very few officials who have served them over the years, so naturally they cannot make any waves in the court. Zhu Youzhen himself has not expressed anything, so naturally no one can speak for Xiao Yan.

But rumors are just rumors. The Zhu emperor's ambition for glory and his eagerness to appease the Taimiao and offer sacrifices to the four directions have not changed at all. Before he makes a final statement, this grand ceremony that combines victory, display of military power and offering sacrifices to the four directions will only be carried out according to the plan that has been decided long ago.

Therefore, people from various ministries and government offices kept coming and going in the Chongzhengyuan. Jing Xiang, the envoy of the Chongzhengyuan, was not wearing an official robe, but only a light white shirt. He was handling each matter of offering tributes by candlelight in the government hall.

Recently, Zhu Wen has not paid much attention to government affairs. He has been spending all day with his daughters-in-law or some favorite concubines. Of course, he mostly lingers on Zhang Zhenniang, the wife of Prince Ying, who is also the legal wife of the Emperor of Hell.

Therefore, all matters, big or small, naturally fell on Jingxiang's shoulders.

After Li Zhen's death, this respected prime minister became even busier. He didn't even have time to pay his respects to this nominal old friend. The word "finance" alone was enough to keep him busy and keep him out all night.

At this time, it was already late, and after Jing Xiang had dinner, he continued to handle important matters in the Government Hall.

In the evening, countless officials came and went in the government hall, but Jing Xiang handled them one by one without hesitation. Even many people were confused by the complexity of the matter, but this prime minister who was responsible for so many matters was always clear and did not even need to ask a second time, so he won the admiration of officials at all levels.

In this world where military generals are respected and civil officials are in decline, Jing Xiang is a rare civil official who can make all the generals sincerely convinced. Needless to say, his abilities are extraordinary.

At this time, a minor official led the newly appointed Minister of Revenue Zhang Wenwei directly into the Council Hall.

This man was previously the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. After Li Zhen's death, the burden of the Ministry of Revenue naturally fell on his shoulders. For a time he held great power, but he was aware of the times and quickly made friends with Jing Xiang. For a time, outsiders called him Jing Xiang's confidant.

Therefore, when he came to the government hall, he naturally did not need to wait in order to be received by Jing Xiang. Instead, the officials who were waiting outside to be summoned all stood up and greeted him respectfully.

But even so, Zhang Shangshu frowned, which was rare, and his expression became even more frowned after seeing Jing Xiang. Jing Xiang just asked him to sit down, and then told the clerk not to see the officials outside for the time being, and then put down his pen and asked: "Why is Youhua so sad?"

The latter put down the tea handed to him by the clerk, and then smiled bitterly and said: "Prime Minister, I have been in office as the Minister for more than two months. I am really exhausted and feel that I can no longer hold on. I come to bother you now, just to ask for a private solution."

Jing Xiang did not ask any more questions. He just pondered for a moment and then said, "Has the Ministry of Revenue's expenditure reached this point?"

Zhang Wenwei smiled bitterly and shook his head. The gray beard on his chin trembled, but a lot of it had been pulled out a long time ago.

"Prime Minister Jing knows that last year, we attacked Hebei and Hedong successively, and the military supplies were provided by Henan Prefecture, so the Ministry of Revenue did not have to spend money. However, when Hebei was conquered and Hedong besieged Luzhou, a large number of people were rewarded. Later, the Yan bandits made a comeback, and another group was rewarded. Now, we are preparing the Guide Army to guard the Imperial Guard, and we have to spend the military pay of 20,000 soldiers and horses. Not to mention this, it will cost a lot to comfort the entire Hebei area. In addition, the military pay of each army is already high, the salaries of the generals need to be paid, and the Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching, and the Imperial Guards need to be rewarded. We also have to hold this grand ceremony. I don’t want to mention other miscellaneous expenses. All these are piled up together, and the Ministry of Revenue really can’t support it..."

He complained bitterly, "Besides that, Your Majesty is also going to build a Buddhist temple in the palace, and in the future a group of Taoists will be exterminated. This cannot be neglected. The expenses in the first half of the year were basically paid for by the army, and now we haven't even had a chance to catch our breath, and now we have to bear these things... Alas, the entire Hebei province has been ceded, but because of Lord Li's forcing the people of Yan to rebel, we have to be exempted from taxes for a year. Not only can we not rely on it, but it is also a big hole. We need money to rehabilitate officials and build various places. Now that this grand ceremony is giving out rewards, I really have..."

Jing Xiang stroked his beard and frowned: "I remember that the financial plan recorded in the account book of the Ministry of Revenue at the beginning of the year should not be so short."

Zhang Wenwei's bitter smile deepened, but his voice lowered: "Your Excellency, you should know that the things on the account book cannot stand up to scrutiny... Before, I was not Lord Li's confidant, so I didn't know some things. But now that I have taken office and carefully checked, I found that 30% of the accounts are empty..."

The former's eyes dimmed: "It's Li Xingxu (Li Zhen's pen name)..."

"No." Zhang Wenwei carefully looked around and lowered his voice and said, "It seems that the Dark Emperor was behind the money... But there is no evidence, so I dare not investigate further..."

Jing Xiang raised his eyebrows, but was a little surprised.

It was not difficult for him to see that Li Zhen and the Dark Emperor had some secret communication, but this sign was not very obvious, and Li Zhen was usually an extremely arrogant person, so he should not do such a stupid thing.

And why did the Dark Emperor embezzle such a large amount of money? To raise a private army? To expand the Xuanming Sect?

A thought flashed through his mind and he thought of Xu Yuan. The Underworld Emperor seemed to have no say in the court, but as the envoy of Chongzhengyuan, he knew very well that as the person in power of Xuanming Sect, his strength in the dark should not be underestimated. However, in recent years, he has been unusually low-key, and with the Ghost King covering for him, he rarely has any handles.

Moreover, as a retainer of the Zhu family, he did not have the strength and reputation to fight against the alliance between the Hades Emperor and the Ghost King, and it was difficult for him to remind Zhu Wen privately. Because if he was not careful, it would likely lead to civil strife in the Zhu family, and as a retainer, it was not appropriate for him to interfere in their family affairs.

But at the moment, it seems that the Dark Emperor has no good intentions...

He frowned, stared at Zhang Wenwei, and said thoughtfully: "Your Majesty has been fighting wars year after year in recent years, and the treasury is a bit difficult. I know this more or less, but at the moment, the use of the ceremony still needs you to grit your teeth and support it. Your Majesty attaches great importance to this matter, and you must not be perfunctory. Once you can hold on until the second half of the year, you can slow down a little. As for your Majesty's construction of Buddhist temples and the execution of Taoists, I will think of a way."

Zhang Wenwei was helpless. This was no other solution. He certainly could not afford to offend the military. No one could afford to bear the consequences of withholding military pay. Even Zhu Wen could not do anything about it easily. He could only let the people suffer.

In fact, Zhu Wen had rewarded farming and reduced rents and taxes in recent years, so the financial situation was not that difficult. Only in the past two years after he ascended the throne, whether because of his age or something else, he gradually became greedy for pleasure and too ambitious. He personally led several expeditions to Hedong and Hebei, and did not stop the conquests of Huaixi and some areas in the south. Military expenditures increased every year. In the past, he could still find ways to reduce commercial taxes, but in the past two years, naturally, the people could only suffer.

He sighed and could only bow his hands: "Since you are so kind, I will do my best to help you, but this is not a long-term solution... The Xuanming Sect, the Imperial Guards, and the guards from all over the place are really bottomless pits. No matter how much money I have, I have to throw it down..."

Jing Xiang stroked his beard and pondered for a moment, then stood up and walked to a wooden rack behind him, took out a brocade bag from it, and suddenly asked, "Youhua, what is your impression of the champion marquis Xiao Yan?"

Zhang Wenwei was stunned, then subconsciously frowned and said, "This man is just a military leader who likes to show off his achievements. If he hadn't submitted a report to Your Majesty to report the victory, how could there be these trivial matters?"

Jing Xiang laughed and stroked his beard, saying, "Let's not talk about his character, what do you think of his ability?"

The former was stunned for a moment, and asked: "Is Prime Minister Jing trying to win over this boy? I advise you that this boy is not someone you can get along with easily. Most of the officials in the court have a very subtle opinion of this boy. The Ghost King has an unknown feud with him, and I am afraid that Prime Minister Jing will bring trouble upon himself..."

"I am not involved in party disputes, so why should I be afraid of these things?" Jing Xiang smiled and shook his head, took out a letter from the brocade bag, and unfolded it, saying, "Half a month ago, this person sent a letter to me, saying that the court was in turmoil and he, a lone minister, could not support it, and wanted me to protect him."

"You can't respect the prime minister." Zhang Wenwei said hurriedly: "Even Prince Jun doesn't dare to protect this boy, you..."

"The prince and the general of the imperial army are naturally more sensitive." Jing Xiang said with a smile: "Not to mention that this boy has an extremely tempting condition..."

"What are the conditions?" Zhang Wenwei asked subconsciously.

Jing Xiang's eyes flashed: "That's right, Daliang's financial plan."

The former was startled, seeming a little panicked.

Jing Xiang just continued to speak: "Youhua, have you ever heard of what a bank is?"

"Bank?" Zhang Wenwei frowned. "Money house?"

Jing Xiang stroked his beard and laughed: "Also, the Longquan treasure."

The former was startled, apparently so shocked that he could not speak.

Jing Xiang had already put down the brocade bag, stroked his beard, looked forward, squinted his eyes, and said: "This boy is really a wonderful person. Now it seems that I have no choice but to protect him..."

After saying that, he suddenly remembered that one night a year ago, there was also such a wonderful person who seemed to have said to him -

'I hope to work with you again.'

(End of this chapter)