Chapter 391: Settlement Fee
Cut troops, increase military spending, and establish five major camps.
No matter which one of these events was taken out alone, it was enough to shock the whole world.
Moreover, in this era of great contention, no country dares to do those things at the same time.
However, the Qin State was not afraid.
Hearing Cao Cao's question, Heshen, the Minister of Revenue of the Qin Dynasty, stepped out from the ranks of officials and said in a neither humble nor arrogant manner:
"Prime Minister, given our country's annual tax revenue, increasing military spending is not a problem at all."
Seeing his confident look, all the officials felt relieved.
In the entire Qin State, there was hardly anyone better at making money than Heshen.
Even more than ten years ago, when the Qin Dynasty was relatively poor and needed donations from the public, Heshen was able to find ways to get money.
If he says there is no problem, then there must be no problem.
Cao Cao nodded, bowed deeply to Daji and said, "Empress, since there is no problem with the Ministry of Revenue."
"Then, as Your Majesty has said, we will immediately increase the military expenses of our Great Qin soldiers."
Hearing this, the latter nodded in agreement and said, "Since Your Majesty has made the decision, let's start from now."
As soon as he finished speaking.
Cao Cao then told the officials, "Military expenses are rising, but it's difficult to cut down on soldiers."
"They are all soldiers who have served our Great Qin and made great contributions."
"Do you have any ideas on how to properly place them?"
If we do those things together, if there is a mistake in any one link, it can easily lead to big problems.
Zhuge Liang, the Minister of Revenue, was the first to respond, "I suggest that we provide resettlement allowances for the soldiers who are about to be laid off."
"In addition, the imperial court and local county governments must also properly arrange their jobs."
"Let them continue to contribute their remaining energy in local areas."
What he meant was that the local county government had many departments and all needed people.
For example, constables, yamen runners, and even night watchmen all have the same job.
It would be easy to solve the problem by dispersing them throughout Daqin and giving them farmland.
But the key question is, how much resettlement allowance should be given to them?
The officials speculated that given the emperor's character, he would definitely give more money to the laid-off soldiers.
After all, who doesn't know that Emperor Qin Ying Yuan loves his soldiers like his own sons?
To put it bluntly, the purpose of this court meeting is to focus on solving some problems in military reform.
He Shen bowed and said, "With the Ministry of Revenue's current financial resources, there is no need to worry about not being able to accommodate those old soldiers."
"What do you think, everyone? Let's give them five taels of silver each for their resettlement expenses."
In the Qin Dynasty, one tael of silver was enough for an ordinary person to live for a year.
Of course, this is a more economical case.
Therefore, Daji, who was listening carefully, felt that five taels of silver was too little.
"They are all veterans of the Great Qin, having shed blood and suffered wounds for the Great Qin. As they age, they will inevitably suffer from a variety of illnesses."
"Five taels of silver...I'm afraid it won't be enough to see a doctor many times, right?"
Although she did not go deep into the people's lives, she knew their sufferings.
Let’s not talk about anything else, just take the common people at the bottom of society. If they catch a cold occasionally, the price of the medicinal materials they need to take is as high as fifty cents.
Including the prescription, it would cost at least a hundred coins.
Moreover, the quality of the medicinal materials taken is mostly very poor.
The effect is very slow.
If you want to take better medicinal herbs, I'm afraid it will cost at least one or two taels of silver or even more.
There is not even a cap.
Those soldiers who fought for the Qin Dynasty really shed a lot of blood.
They are still in the barracks, receiving daily training, and their body functions have adapted.
If they leave the barracks and become idle, they will face endless illnesses, big and small.
You definitely need a lot of tonic food.
Therefore, five taels of silver are really not enough.
I'm afraid only women like Daji have a slightly different perspective on issues and things, and are more careful.
Otherwise, few people would consider this issue for veterans.
He Shen thought for a moment, then bowed and said, "Your Majesty, please be merciful."
"Five taels isn't enough...how about ten taels?"
He is really not stingy, he is just doing his job.
As the Minister of Revenue, you have to be thrifty when spending money for the country and be familiar with every penny.
This will help you avoid being left with no money when the situation becomes extremely critical.
Although Daji was a woman, she knew that if the retired soldiers were not properly settled, they would return to their hometowns in the future.
It will be Ying Yuan's reputation that will be ruined.
So, she took matters into her own hands and argued with Heshen, saying, "Ten taels of silver... is enough for medical treatment and living expenses."
"But... they've spent most of their lives serving the country, and in the end, they only earned ten taels. If word gets out, it'll inevitably make the court seem stingy."
Ten taels of silver and still stingy?
Not to mention Heshen, even the officials felt a little difficult.
You know, retired veterans don’t just have ten taels of silver, they also have their salary that they save up hard every month.
Seeing the expressions of the officials, Daji frowned slightly and said, "You might as well think about it. Military spending has just increased, and now we have to lay off those old soldiers."
"If it were you, would you feel bad?"
"Heshen, I don't want to say much, but what do you think of fifteen taels of silver?"
Fifteen taels!
Hearing this number, all the officials couldn't help but gasp.
In many places, the monthly salary of a ninth-rank official is less than ten taels of silver!
But after all, being an official is the result of ten years of hard study.
And what about the veterans?
For a time, many civil officials began to discuss it, feeling that it was too much.
Three hundred thousand people, fifteen taels per person, that’s four and a half million taels!
Even if the treasury has money, it shouldn't be spent like this, right?
The civil officials felt that it was too much.
But the generals felt that it was what the soldiers deserved. They had fought on the battlefield for many years and sold their lives. Why shouldn't they get fifteen taels of silver?
"Your Highness Huo Guang believes that fifteen taels of silver is the best offer!"
Huo Guang spoke.
He Shen frowned and said, "General Huo, this is a very kind gesture. My Ministry of Revenue will have to spend nearly five million taels of silver!"
Huo Guang said unhappily, "If you think fifteen taels of silver is too much, then someday, when the war breaks out again, you can take up your weapons and fight the enemy to see for yourself."
"If you say again that fifteen taels of silver is too much, then I will keep silent about it."
These remarks made Heshen remain silent.
Daji smiled and said, "While the treasury is full, we should spend the money that needs to be spent."
"Heshen, let's leave it at that. I will personally write to inform Your Majesty of this matter."
"As for the matter of disarmament, it will be better for Your Majesty to make the announcement after he returns from Jin."
As soon as she finished speaking, she ordered the eunuchs around her to adjourn the court and then leave.
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