Chapter 568: Crying Poor, I Really Have No Money
Inside the Golden Palace.
As soon as the court started, Su Yulun and Duke Jingguo came out separately to explain to Xiao Jin the disaster relief and resettlement situation in Kuncheng.
It has been more than two months since this incident, and the people of Kuncheng have basically been resettled by the court.
However, the damage caused by this earthquake to Kuncheng was too great. The post-disaster reconstruction work will be a long and very expensive project, and it is difficult for the national treasury to come up with so much money to fill the gap.
Xiao Jin turned to look at the Minister of Revenue.
The Minister of Finance felt his scalp tingling, and could only stand up and say in a sad voice: "Your Majesty, the national treasury has spent a lot this year, and the money that can be transferred to Kuncheng is really limited."
I have no money. Even if I had money, I would still cry poor!
Otherwise, there is no telling how many of those jackals, tigers and leopards standing in the hall would want to take money from the national treasury!
Xiao Jin frowned slightly in embarrassment, "My dear, are you saying that the treasury is out of money?"
The Minister of Revenue nodded awkwardly, "Yes."
Xiao Jin frowned even more tightly, slowly raised his eyelids, and swept his gaze over the officials below.
The ministers quickly lowered their heads and pretended to be dead, muttering to themselves, you can’t see me, you can’t see me!
Although the emperor looks worried, no one knows what he is actually thinking. His calculating eyes are clearly looking at which ministers has the fattest body so that he can scrape off some fat from them!
It must be said that these ministers do have some correct understanding of Xiao Jin.
Sure enough, everyone heard Xiao Jin say in a deep voice: "Lord Li, I heard that you are planning to buy a mountain villa in the suburbs to escape the winter. Such a good villa will cost a lot of money."
Lord Li's hair stood up all over his body. He had just mentioned this to his wife, but how did this matter reach the ears of the Emperor?
Lord Li wanted to pretend to be dead, but the emperor obviously couldn't agree.
"Your Majesty, no, that's not the case."
Xiao Jin did not comment and turned his attention to the other ministers. After calling out their names, each one was so scared that they cried out that they didn't want their salaries anymore and asked the emperor to let them go!
But it was obvious that Xiao Jin was not going to let them go just like that.
Few of those who can stand in this Golden Palace have empty pockets. The annual salary of a court minister is capped at most. Even if one does not eat or drink for decades, he cannot afford a big house in the capital. But all these people in front of him live in houses with pavilions and towers.
"Kuncheng is in such a difficult situation. As the ruler of a country, I feel really bad. Eunuch Zhang, from today until Kuncheng is successfully rebuilt, I will no longer provide new clothes, and the palace expenses will be reduced by half. In order to reduce the palace expenses, you should not talk to me about whether to have more concubines in the harem in the future. One more person means one more mouth to feed, and I can't afford it."
If they don't expand their harem, how can their eldest daughter and youngest daughter get close to the emperor!
This won’t do!
"Your Majesty, I have not had any other hobbies in recent years, and my family still has some surplus. I am willing to offer the surplus money to make a small contribution to the people of Kuncheng."
The ministers who were quick to react immediately stood up and expressed their opinions.
Once someone took the lead, others had no choice but to follow suit. They could only express their willingness to contribute to the court.
But the amount of money they dared to take out was limited, and Xiao Jin wanted more than just that.
"Prime Minister Su, I heard that you have some dealings with the imperial merchants in Jiangnan?"
Su Yulun finally returned to court and wanted to keep a low profile, but the emperor exposed him in public.
"Your Majesty, I don't have close contacts with the imperial merchants. I have only met them once. But I think that as imperial merchants, they have the responsibility to step forward and lend a helping hand to the country when it is in trouble. Your Majesty, rest assured. I will inform them of this matter and let them do their part for the country. They will also call on more merchants to participate in helping Kuncheng."
Tsk!
Listen!
It’s different to be the prime minister. As soon as the emperor opens his mouth, the prime minister can know what the emperor means.
Sure enough, everyone saw the emperor nodding with satisfaction, "Then I'll trouble you, my dear ministers. If any of you know such a person, you can also let them know."
Xiao Jin didn't tell them clearly what to do, but everyone who knew knew that the emperor wanted them to ask the merchants for money!
The emperor's plan can be heard even by the cows grazing outside the border!
After the court was dismissed, the ministers were cursing in their hearts, but fortunately the emperor did not make things difficult for them and just asked them to get the silver.
"Well, even if we get some silver, it won't be enough, unless we can find a gold mine."
Some younger ministers were ignorant of the situation and started whispering to their colleagues before they even left the palace.
When his colleagues heard this, they quickly made a gesture to silence him and said, "Master Zhang, you'd better be careful with your words." What gold mine? Can it be so easy to find?
Even if he finds it, can the emperor let everyone know?
The adult also realized that he had said the wrong thing, so he quickly kept silent and quickened his pace to leave the palace.
Outside the palace gate, carriages from various mansions were parked, waiting for the ministers to return from court.
Behind these carriages, there was a thin figure hiding in the dark, quietly observing the direction of the palace gate.
However, he could not recognize these officials at all and could only guess based on the carriages they were riding in.
When he saw the carriage of the Duke Jingguo's Mansion passing by, he hurriedly chased after it.
However, his injuries had not healed yet and he could not walk as fast as the carriage. Fortunately, there was a traffic jam at that time and he was finally able to stop in front of the carriage.
The driver was startled and quickly stopped the carriage. After seeing who was stopping the carriage, he could not help but curse, "What are you doing? Do you want to die? Don't you see whose carriage this is? Do you think you can stop it?"
Si Chen looked at the badge on the carriage and slowly knelt down, "Please, Lord Jingguo, make the decision for me."
After a long while, a powerful voice came from the car, "If you have any grievances, you can go to the Jingzhao Yin Mansion to report to the authorities. Don't worry, Jingzhao Yin is definitely a fair and strict official, and will not let a person who does evil go."
Si Chen clenched his fists and choked up, "My Lord, Jingzhao Yin can't handle this matter. It's about Kuncheng."
The man sitting in the carriage's eyes darkened slightly. He lifted a corner of the curtain to take a look at Si Chen, then asked the guards to take him to the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion.
Si Chen finally breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Duke Jingguo was willing to see him.
Long before he won the title of third place in the imperial examination, he had received help from Duke Jingguo. Duke Jingguo was a benefactor to him and was the only person he trusted in the capital.
It’s not that he had thought of looking for Duke Jingguo before, but all the letters he sent to Duke Jingguo’s Mansion fell on deaf ears. Today, he thought of going outside the palace gate to take a look, but unexpectedly he ran into Duke Jingguo’s carriage!
(End of this chapter)
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