Chapter 76: First Release Why do I feel like there is another pair of hands...
Zhao Changning heard the teasing in the emperor's words and chuckled softly, "Your Majesty, I wouldn't dare say that."
The emperor shook his head and said nothing more. Taking advantage of the break, he looked at the list again.
"Your list is quite comprehensive. There will be some trouble later."
Zhao Changning didn't hide his thoughts. "Since we're going to divide it, then everyone should get it. They're not the only ones who deserve credit. Your Majesty, Changning asks for nothing more than justice..."
As soon as he finished speaking, the elders all came. It was a hot day and they were all sweating.
Of course, except for Gao Yun, he came in a sedan chair.
A few old men were walking in front, and the young old men were following behind. There were few young people. Zhao Changning used to just watch from the sidelines and felt that the old men were working hard. Now that he has participated, he feels that the Dayong officialdom is so old and frail.
The late emperor is still alive, so these old guys are also quite alive.
The small court meeting is attended by familiar people who see and interact with each other every day, so there will not be so many false greetings. What is important is to solve the problem.
The emperor was not a man who would procrastinate. He pointed directly at the targets of both sides and spoke without bias.
"...I know your difficulties well. However, I have reviewed this list and I know the Nüshu Ling is not biased. The people listed here have all made contributions and are all right. I cannot make a unilateral decision. My Lords, please take a look and discuss it together."
When Sun Zhidao took the list from Zhao Changning's hand, he rolled his eyes, snorted coldly, and seemed extremely impatient.
Zhao Changning looked at the old men with a smile on his face, but he sneered in his heart. They wanted money and face, and they also wanted to maintain the character of scholars and superior people. All the good things in the world were taken by these old men.
Naturally, she would not speak her mind, just like the emperor was obviously annoyed with these people, but at this moment he sat firmly at the top, watching the fight between the tigers from the mountain, which made her suppress her anger.
Sure enough, the densely packed names on the list made everyone's expression change color.
I knew this woman was very capable, but I didn't expect her to be so experienced and not at all the rashness of a newcomer to the officialdom.
Gao Yun was the last one to look at the list. After he had finished, his old, hoarse voice rang out, "The Nüshu Ling was very thoughtful. There is nothing wrong with this list."
As the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Zhou Hai immediately quit.
He knew that this vicious woman couldn't be so kind.
"My Lord, is this so thoughtful? The silver for the voyage was paid for by the Ministry of Revenue, a full 700,000 taels of silver, not a penny less. If it were divided like this, wouldn't the Ministry of Revenue just be paying out money without any income? What did the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of Works do? The ships were hired by the Zhejiang Provincial Governor, the soldiers were from the local government, and the personnel were from the Ministry of Rites. Only our Ministry of Revenue was left standing there in a daze..."
The Minister of Works was displeased upon hearing this. He glanced at his cousin Zhou Min and stood up and shouted, "Zhou Hai, stop yelling. What do you mean the Ministry of Works did nothing? During the snowstorm, it was us who organized people to help the people. Over the years, the Ministry of Works has repaired palaces, built temporary palaces, and supervised the construction of warships. Which of these didn't cost money? If it weren't for us, how could the Japanese pirates be resisted? Are you going to stop them with your mouth?"
Before the Assistant Minister of War could open his mouth, he was interrupted by Sun Zhidao, an official of the Ministry of War.
Sun Zhidao was in a bad mood and pointed at Zhou Hai's nose and cursed, "When I went to the battlefield, you were still wearing a urine ring. Zhou Hai, don't force me to beat you up. The Ministry of War is short of money every year. Let alone paying money, there is nothing to pay. I haven't even contacted you yet, but you're talking about us..."
The emperor watched them quarreling leisurely, took the tea handed to him by Zhao Changning and took a sip.
Zhao Changning also watched them shouting calmly, and just felt it was funny. He thought that this time he had made the right decision to increase revenue and reduce expenditure. If he really relied on these old guys, it would be useless even if he lived frugally and starved to death.
Zhou Hai was scolded but he was not afraid at all. Instead, his voice became even louder. However, this time he did not dare to provoke other people.
"Salaries are about to be paid out, and Shaanxi, Gansu, and other places are suffering from drought, and they're still waiting for disaster relief funds. The emperor has generously reduced taxes this year, and the next time we go out to sea, the Ministry of Revenue will definitely have to pay for it. Seeing that the income is not enough to cover the expenses, everyone just wants to ask the Ministry of Revenue for money. When will the money come in? It's okay to share it this time, but in the future..."
As an official of the Ministry of Revenue, Qi Yuwei couldn't help but glare at Zhou Hai, and finally made him shut up.
Zhao Changning couldn't help but smile. It's finally here.
Finally, the real purpose was revealed, which was the distribution of money in the future. The mere 2.7 million taels was nothing, but it caused these old guys to fight like this. Could it be that they were so short-sighted that they were just fighting for this little bit of silver?
Of course not.
They had big appetites and thought that she and the emperor were young and easy to fool.
The emperor looked at Zhou Hai silently and thought to himself, it turned out to be a good idea to call this person here.
Zhao Changning and the emperor exchanged glances, and the emperor and his subject understood each other very well. She was very perceptive and immediately took over Zhou Hai's words.
"Master Zhou, your words have really enlightened me. The reason for this division is that we've just opened up the sea, and everything is difficult at the beginning, so the money is naturally dispersed. But in the future, if we have someone in charge and build up a scale, costs will be reduced, and there will be more money to be distributed. I'd like to ask, how will it be divided in the future? Will it be divided among you again, without going into the national treasury? This time it's 2.7 million taels, what about 27 million taels next time?"
Money deposited into the national treasury and money deposited into the Ministry of Revenue are two completely different things. It is very difficult to withdraw money from the former as it has to go through layers of inspection. With the latter, withdrawing money is unclear and there are many tricks involved.
She was working for Dayong, not trying to make money to support that group of greedy people.
Qi Yuwei, an official from the Ministry of Revenue, immediately retorted, "You are wrong, Nv Shuling. This money was not distributed to us, but was deposited into the Ministry of Revenue's treasury. In the future, it may also enter the national treasury, or it may be distributed as official salaries. This "we" also includes you, Nv Shuling, and all the officials of Dayong."
Zhao Changning smiled suddenly.
"Yes, Lord Qi is right. Since we are all officials of Dayong, and I'm the one taking the lead on this matter, and the Emperor has personally ordered it, you all know the attitudes and actions of the other officials involved. Why must it go to the Ministry of Revenue first? Is it difficult for the Ministry of Revenue to transfer money from the national treasury? And why are all these people asking for this money? Didn't people from the six ministries come to pay for salt, iron, cotton, and silk in the past? Did all that money go to the Ministry of Revenue? Is it only for going to sea that the money from the Ministry of Revenue is used?"
She asked a lot of questions in one breath, smiled coldly, looked at the eyes of the crowd, some shocked and some angry, and said sternly: "Could it be that, my Lords, you are only targeting me?"
That's right, she just didn't want to share the money with these old guys.
She holds a grudge.
Zhou Min took a deep breath. He didn't expect Zhao Changning to be so sharp and merciless. This was not like someone who had just entered the officialdom. He was more like people like them who had been in the officialdom for decades.
"Nu Shu Ling, what you said is really biased. It's as if every official in the court is corrupt. Does it mean that if the money goes into the Ministry of Revenue, it goes into the pockets of all officials?"
Zhao Changning sneered, "That was said by Lord Zhou, not me."
When the emperor saw Zhou Min's face change drastically, he felt very happy and almost applauded. But seeing that Zhao Changning was getting a little out of control, that was another matter and they would not talk about it today.
He quickly tried to smooth things over, "Nu Shu Ling, calm down. Let's just talk about this one thing today."
Zhao Changning forced a smile and bowed to the emperor. "If you must divide it and not put it into the national treasury, then I am not unwilling to do so."
Everyone was a little surprised and confused when they saw that she suddenly softened.
Zhou Hai frowned, "What do you mean you don't want to? This national treasury is yours? Our Ministry of Revenue is still here, is it your turn to be willing or not?"
But no one paid any attention to him.
Gao Yun sighed and said tiredly, "Female Scribe, if you have anything to say, feel free to speak."
Zhao Changning was waiting for Gao Yun to speak.
"There's not much going on in the Ministry of Personnel here, but they're in charge of official promotions and so on. It's just the beginning, so no one else is interfering. I hope no one will interfere in the future."
"What?" Sun Zhidao was furious. "The Ministry of Personnel won't even let you in. How can you possibly accomplish this with just a few people? You're being too arrogant, Nv Shu Ling. The officialdom has its own rules, and you can't decide for yourself."
Zhao Changning's eyes were cold. "Then don't take this money. Just put it directly into the national treasury. We can settle it one by one in the future."
"You..." Sun Zhidao was so angry that he raised his finger to point at her, but he had nothing to say. Everyone could see how great the benefits of going to sea were.
Gao Yun sighed heavily, his old face was filled with sorrow, especially his swollen eyes, which looked particularly tired.
"I completely understand what the Nüshu Ling said. This money was certainly not easy to earn, and our six ministries didn't help us in time. At the time, everyone was furious. We were at fault, and we old folks shouldn't argue. If we were wrong, we should admit it. The Nüshu Ling was right to be angry. Whether it was a beating or a scolding, no one should lie in front of the Emperor."
Gao Yun's words made the people from the six ministries lower their heads. Everyone obviously knew why Zhao Changning was so angry. Wasn't it because they were not doing their job?
If everyone was united, why would there be such a quarrel today? Just for 2.7 million taels of silver, what a shame.
Zhao Changning looked at Gao Yun, who was old, with dim eyes and a head full of white hair, and his attitude softened for a moment. The words he just said were indeed full of anger.
She also knew in her heart that Gao Yun was really old, and he might not know everything about the work of his subordinates. After all, Gao Yun had once promised her that he would not get involved in this matter. There were too many cases of deceiving superiors and concealing the truth in the officialdom.
However, as the Prime Minister, he did fail in his duty.
"But I am honored to be the Prime Minister. All the officials have assisted me in managing Dayong's affairs for many years, so I must speak for them." Gao Yun changed the subject and said, "Nüshu Ling, Dayong has managed well without you for so many years. This shows that money is not the only way to solve problems. If everything is done as you ask, how can things in this world continue to function? After all, the court needs people to support it, and officials have to support their families."
Zhao Changning remained silent after hearing this.
She could tell that Gao Yun was telling her not to show off her strengths. One cannot be an enemy of everyone. There is no benefit in doing so, and this was indeed not her goal.
Seeing that she didn't speak, the emperor narrowed his dark eyes slightly, "Prime Minister Gao, please don't stand and talk. Sit down quickly, sit down quickly."
He turned to look at Zhao Changning, "Nu Shu Ling, since Prime Minister Gao said so, don't be so tough. Today's money will be divided according to your agreement. As for the future, we can discuss it later. What do you say?"
Zhao Changning came back to his senses, looked at the emperor's half-smile, his pointed words, and his deep eyes, and suddenly he woke up.
Her master is the emperor, and she knows best what the emperor wants. If she fails to satisfy the emperor today, what is the point of her existence as the female secretary?
The emperor wanted to enrich the national treasury, not the Ministry of Revenue and the officials of Dayong.
Zhao Changning's mind raced, and a chill came from the soles of her feet, as if she was back to the time when the late emperor wanted to use her hands to kill Hu Gouer. She didn't want to get involved then, and she didn't want to get involved now either.
But she could feel that the emperor was harder to fool than the previous emperor. He was too young, full of passion, impulse and energy. His desire for control was at its peak and he did not like people and things to deviate from his ways. Unlike the previous emperor, who had experienced many things and had long since smoothed out his edges, he only cared about results.
But now, which knife can be used?
Her heart was filled with anxiety, like lightning and thunder. After thinking for a while, she pursed her lips and said softly, "Grandmaster Gao's words make me feel a little guilty. Today, I was in a hurry and my words were not very pleasant. I hope you gentlemen will not be offended. Changning apologizes here."
"However," Zhao Changning changed the subject, "I agree with today's division, but I want to clarify how to divide it in the future to avoid another argument in the future."
First, Gao Yun spoke softly, and now she took the initiative to give in. For a moment, the atmosphere in the hall eased a little.
Zhou Hai lost his voice and said, "Then tell me. We all need to discuss the affairs of the imperial court together."
Zhao Changning nodded.
"I said before that the Ministry of Personnel shouldn't get involved and that no one should be forced into this. I can compromise on this point. The six ministries can participate, but we need to have female officials mediate and hand over the matter. Let them communicate with the six ministries. We will be responsible for the sea voyages, and you will be responsible for supervision. In the future, all proceeds from the sea voyages will be recorded by the female officials, half going into the national treasury and half going to the various ministries. At that time, the six ministries can send people to supervise and calculate the accounts. If there are any corrupt officials, they will be dealt with accordingly."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone had some disagreements. There was only one Zhao Changning, and there might be a bunch of Zhao Changnings in the future. How could this be possible?
"No, the position of Nüshuling was originally conferred by the Emperor. Besides, female officials are supposed to assist the Empress in managing the harem. Why would they be transferred to the previous dynasty? This is inappropriate."
"Yes, how will this be managed in the future? Are we going to let the harem interfere in government affairs? Our ancestors have never had such a precedent."
Zhao Changning looked at the emperor and said sincerely, "Your Majesty, what Elder Gao said just now really resonated with me. I didn't consider the emotions of the officials, and only cared about my own anger. It's my fault, but the female officials are the most convenient and useful at this time. They won't be mixed with the interests of any party. They have followed me all the way to Jiangxi and know everything. If we rashly replace them, what if the porcelain production project fails? What's the point of our quarrel today?"
These words touched the hearts of many people. There were many struggles for power and profit in the six ministries. Letting a female official with no foundation take charge was a stable choice at this time. At least no one could gain any extra advantage.
The emperor looked at Zhao Changning deeply, and a strange look flashed in his eyes.
"What do you think? The Secretary-General has already made some concessions. If they continue to argue, this matter will last for years."
Gao Yun suppressed the chatter of the crowd and nodded, saying, "What the female clerk said is not without reason. The matter of female officials can be discussed. As for their official positions, the Ministry of Personnel will give the female clerk a satisfactory answer the next day."
Both sides took a step back and the matter was barely resolved.
After everyone left, Zhao Changning looked at the emperor nervously. Sure enough, the emperor's expression became much colder.
She knelt down without hesitation and said, "Your Majesty, Changning is guilty. Please punish him."
The emperor said calmly, "The female secretary's checks and balances skills are indeed quite good."
Zhao Changning said quickly, "Your Majesty, I swear to be loyal to you till death, and so do the ladies-in-waiting. I believe they can complete their mission well. Your Majesty, you gave me an opportunity, and I will never forget it."
The emperor shook his head. "Well, get up. You have some quick wit. A female official is just a female official. It's enough to give those old men a headache."
Zhao Changning breathed a sigh of relief, but felt a slight chill in his heart. He also understood Gao Yun's words: the greater the power, the more restrictions there are.
She should be more careful with her words and actions and think more in the future.
After leaving the Qinzheng Hall, Zhao Changning's legs went weak and if Yunsheng hadn't supported her, she would have fallen to the ground.
"Aunt, are you okay?" Yunsheng asked with concern, "What did the emperor mean by his last words?"
Zhao Changning murmured, "Yunsheng, why do I feel like there's another pair of hands pushing me?"
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The author has something to say: Of course, the greatest benefit [chin]
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