The Ministry of Revenue received an additional 300,000 yuan in income each month, which made Emperor Wende very happy.
At noon, I simply went to Weiyang Palace to have lunch with Empress Pei.
Liu Yi and his wife were there too.
"Don't you have anything to do?" Emperor Wende asked Liu Yi with a stern face and a strict father's look.
Liu Yi bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I have just finished my work and came to the palace to pay my respects to your mother."
"The fourth prince has always kept public and private affairs separate and never delays work." Queen Pei said from the side.
Emperor Wende hummed, "Now that you've paid your respects, get out of here."
Liu Yi was very depressed.
Empress Pei said hurriedly, "It's already noon, why don't you stay and have lunch together?"
"casual."
Emperor Wende was not unkind.
Empress Pei quickly ordered people to serve the meal.
He never talks while eating or sleeping. During the meal, the only sound you can hear is the slight clatter of dishes and chopsticks, and no other movement.
After lunch, Emperor Wende planned to take a break, and as he was in a good mood, he called Liu Yi to come over and talk.
"You've heard about the peddler tax, right?"
Liu Yi was beaming with joy. "Congratulations, Father! Congratulations, Father! The Ministry of Revenue has added another tax source, which solves a big problem."
Emperor Wende was in a good mood and smiled heartily, saying, "Well, increasing the tax revenue is a great thing. What makes me most happy is that the peddler tax is not heavy for small merchants and will not become a big burden for them.
Not only will it be convenient for vendors, and they won't have to worry about being a burden, but it will also allow the Ministry of Revenue to increase its revenue. Such a good thing, haha... I'm ashamed that the Ministry of Revenue came up with this. Tomorrow I'll ask who came up with this itinerant merchant tax.
Liu Yi hurriedly said, "My son knows a little bit about this matter."
"Oh?" Emperor Wende looked at Liu Yi, "Tell me about it."
Liu Yi pondered, "Recently, the officials from the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of the Imperial Household have been in frequent contact with my sister-in-law. I heard that the Ministry of Revenue has a plan for a trolley tax, which was drawn up by my sister-in-law. If nothing unexpected happens, this trolley tax was most likely devised by my sister-in-law."
Emperor Wende raised his head and looked at Chang En: "Do you know about this?"
Chang En bowed and said, "I have heard a little bit about it, but I haven't had time to verify it yet."
Emperor Wende waved his hand and said, "Tell the Minister of Revenue to wait at Xingqing Palace. I have something to ask him."
Chang En bowed and accepted the order.
Liu Yi seemed to be hesitant to speak, "Father, I have heard some bad rumors."
"What's that rumor?"
Liu Yi opened his mouth, looking very embarrassed. "It is not my place to gossip about others, especially about my elder brother and his wife. However, since this concerns the affairs of the imperial court, I dare not conceal it."
"Speak!"
Liu Yi said respectfully, "Yes! It's like this. Now many people know that the Ministry of Revenue suddenly imposed a tax on traveling merchants because of my sister-in-law's instigation behind the scenes.
Therefore, some people said something extremely unpleasant, saying that the Ministry of Revenue was actually controlled by a woman. A woman, if she interfered in the Ministry of Revenue today, would she interfere in military and national affairs tomorrow? Some people also said that the eldest sister-in-law's actions were all instructed by the eldest brother. They said that the eldest brother..."
"What? Just say it." Emperor Wende's face had turned gloomy.
Liu Yi looked nervous and uneasy. "Some people say that my eldest brother was impatient after becoming the crown prince and interfered with the affairs of the six ministries behind our father's back. When he holds power, he will definitely do something treasonous.
"I absolutely cannot believe this. My elder brother is not that kind of person. I dare not hide this from my father. I implore my father to send the Jinwu Guards to investigate this matter and clear my elder brother and his wife's name. Those who spread the rumors must be apprehended and severely punished."
Emperor Wende's face turned as dark as the bottom of a pot. "Did someone really say that?"
Liu Yi was trembling with fear. "Some people in the government office are already talking about this. They say that my eldest brother is too ambitious to send my eldest sister-in-law to fight for power. I'm afraid he has ulterior motives.
They also said that the Minister of Revenue, Lord Zhao, must have accepted bribes from my sister-in-law, which was why he insisted on imposing a tax on traveling merchants. They also said that my sister-in-law used the money from the Ministry of Finance to seek personal gain for my brother.
In short, there are all kinds of things being said, which is really unbearable. If it is not curbed, I am afraid that the censors will soon take action and impeach my elder brother and sister-in-law."
Emperor Wende snorted coldly, "I had no idea that the various government offices in the capital were so busy behind the scenes. They're like the gossipy women in the market, gossiping all day long."
"Your Majesty is right. The atmosphere in the government office is indeed somewhat lax."
Emperor Wende seemed to have no desire to rest. "Alright, go back and do your job well. I have to go back and continue to be busy too."
After saying this, Emperor Wende stood up and left the Weiyang Palace with his men.
Empress Pei escorted Emperor Wende out of the palace and turned back to glare at Liu Yi.
Liu Yi looked innocent.
Queen Pei frowned, "Are those rumors true?"
Liu Yi said calmly, "Indeed, some people are discussing this matter."
"Then you shouldn't have brought this up at this time."
"Mother, it's rare for me to see my father. This concerns my elder brother and sister-in-law's reputation. Could I possibly keep it secret? Do I have to wait until the court is filled with criticism before reporting it?"
Liu Yi felt quite aggrieved.
Empress Pei frowned and said, "Even if you are thinking about your elder brother, you shouldn't be the one to take the lead in this matter."
"My son couldn't help but speak out because he was worried about his elder brother and his wife."
Empress Pei stared at Liu Yi suspiciously.
Liu Yi had a frank face and a selfless heart.
Queen Pei frowned. She was indeed doubting Liu Yi's intention.
She was worried that Liu Yi was deliberately making a complaint to cause trouble for the emperor and to plot against Liu Zhao.
However, Liu Yi was so frank that she suppressed her doubts. "Forget it, you should leave the palace and go to work. If something like this happens again, have someone else tell His Majesty, don't take the initiative yourself. Don't forget what your father reminded you. Your father doesn't want to see you brothers killing each other."
"Your Majesty, I misunderstood. I was wholeheartedly concerned about my elder brother and his wife, and would never kill one another. But now that I think about it, I was indeed reckless. I'm afraid my elder brother and his wife will misunderstand my intentions. Alas, it's difficult to have it both ways. I hope my elder brother can be more magnanimous and not take my inconsiderateness to heart."
"If your eldest brother is dissatisfied with you, I will explain it for you."
"Thank you, Mother."
"Okay, be more careful next time. Don't act impulsively like a brat."
"My son will remember your mother's teachings."
Liu Yi took Xiao Qin'er and said goodbye and left.
Empress Pei, however, looked worried.
Eunuch Wen Zhongwen, the Junior Supervisor of Weiyang Palace, served beside Empress Pei.
"Is your Majesty worried?"
Empress Pei nodded. "The eldest and the fourth are both my children. I don't want them to be at loggerheads with each other, fighting each other and ultimately benefiting others."
Wen Zhong pondered for a moment, "How about inviting both of you to the Weiyang Palace some other day? Your Majesty, get straight to the point and discuss the pros and cons of this matter with you two. If you two help each other, I think the other princes won't stand a chance."
Empress Pei, however, asked another question: "Do you think the fourth prince will obey the eldest prince? Will he be willing to work for the eldest prince?"
"this?"
Wen Zhong also looked hesitant.
When he was in Prince Ning's mansion, he served Pei Shi, so he knew the temperaments of several young masters in the mansion.
Several young masters suddenly became princes, but their tempers naturally remained the same as before. It is impossible for their temperaments to change just because they became princes.
Given the temper of Fourth Prince Liu Yi, I'm afraid he would not be willing to follow behind First Prince Liu Zhao, and even less willing to make wedding dresses for the First Prince.
He thought for a moment and said, "Although it's not easy, we must give it a try. If the two princes were to fight, it would only make their loved ones sad and their enemies happy, while benefiting others."
"That's exactly what's going on. But this matter needs to wait. I'll summon the two brothers again after some time."
Empress Pei looked worried. She was really afraid that her two sons would fight with each other and someone else would benefit.
…
Emperor Wende summoned the Minister of Revenue and then summoned the Minister of Household Affairs.
The king and his two ministers closed the door and talked for a long time.
The next day, Emperor Wende quietly left the palace. No one knew where he went except his confidants and the two adults.
After returning to the palace, Emperor Wende always had a smile on his face, as if he had encountered happy events.
Just as Liu Yi said, soon an imperial censor came to the court to impeach Liu Zhao and Gu Jiu.
They said that Liu Zhao had evil ambitions and that Gu Jiu, a woman, had extended her hands too far, even reaching the Ministry of Revenue. This was simply outrageous.
Of course, the Minister of Revenue was not spared either.
Half of the impeachment memorials were directed against the Minister of Revenue, saying he had accepted bribes from Gu Jiu.
The Minister of Revenue was calm and composed, not in a hurry at all.
As a high-ranking official in the ministry, who hasn't been impeached?
Any senior official who has not been impeached is not considered a qualified senior official.
No life resume is complete.
The Minister of Revenue, Lord Zhao, was so calm.
You can impeach me as you please, but I will remain as steady as a pine tree and unshakable.
Emperor Wende kept all impeachment memorials in his palace and did not send them out.
There was too much accumulated, so Chang En simply asked them to carry them out one basket at a time and burn them.
What a waste of paper.
Emperor Wende snorted coldly.
"Is it easy for the Ministry of Revenue to save some money? Don't these memorials cost money? They are all wasted."
Chang En's mouth twitched. He had long been accustomed to Emperor Wende's temper, but sometimes he still got irritated.
"Your Majesty, the Ministry of Revenue has added the commerce tax, which makes it more comfortable than before."
Emperor Wende was dissatisfied, "How much more generous can it be? Wait until the Ministry of Revenue can increase tax revenue by 3 million taels a month, then you can talk to me about generous."
After a pause, Emperor Wende continued, "The previous emperor had to ask the eldest daughter-in-law for help when he renovated the three main halls. Why can't the Ministry of Revenue ask the eldest daughter-in-law for help when it wants to increase its revenue? It's simply ridiculous!"
Chang En said with a smile, "Your Majesty, calm down. Those censors naturally didn't have the courage to oppose the late emperor's decision, but they had the guts to impeach the Ministry of Revenue. They are just picking on the weak."
Emperor Wende nodded repeatedly. "These censors are all bullies who only care about the strong and bully the weak. But when it comes to asking for money, they never hesitate. The Ministry of Revenue finally received hundreds of thousands of taels of silver, but in just a few days, it was all gone. I didn't even have time to look at that money."
"Next month, when the revenue from the traveling merchants arrives, Your Majesty, why don't you go and take a look at the Ministry of Revenue's treasury?"
"What are you looking at? Looking at rats running through an empty warehouse?"
Emperor Wende looked unhappy.
The national treasury has no money, and the emperor has to get money from the Shaofu for everything he does. It's really frustrating.
The Shaofu was equivalent to the emperor's private treasury. Who would be willing to touch the private treasury when they could use public money?
Unfortunately, the treasury is empty.
Every time the stingy Emperor Wende opened the private treasury of the Shaofu to take money, his heart would bleed.
He had been emperor for only two or three months, but he already understood the previous emperor's feelings of clutching the purse strings.
I have no money, and I can't even speak with confidence.
Even if you are the emperor and seem to be rich, you still cannot speak with confidence if you don't have money.
Whenever someone wanted to do something, the court officials would just tell him they had no money.
It's so infuriating!
"It's a good thing the late emperor placed the salt and iron tax under the Ministry of Revenue. Otherwise, I would be a poor emperor, manipulated by the court officials at every turn. It would be difficult to accomplish anything."
Chang En said, "The Shaofu Bank is well managed, and its income is increasing year by year. I heard that the Shaofu plans to open 20 new banks in various prefectures this year."
Emperor Wende was delighted. "This is good news. The opening of banks throughout the country will benefit the people and increase the income of the Ministry of Finance. This is very good. The Minister of Finance may be average in other aspects, but he is very capable in financial management."
The Shaofu Household Director, who was praised by the emperor, would have both joy and sorrow.
The good news is that Gu Jiu kept his promise. When the one-year period was up, he took the silver note and repaid the first loan of one million taels last year, including principal and interest.
What worries me is that the censor’s impeachment is so fierce, and I don’t know whether it will affect Gu Jiu’s project outside the South City Gate.
The Shaofu Household Order only hoped that the project would not be stopped, and that the house could be repaired and sold as soon as possible to pay off all the subsequent debts.
Gu Jiu held the teacup and smiled softly, "I'm not panicking at all, so why should the old ancestor be panicking?"
The Shaofu Housekeeper waved his hand and said, "I can't compare with you. If something happens, the worst that can happen to you is that you can stop repairing the house and go back to take care of your husband and children. If something happens to me, not only will I lose my job, I'm afraid the lives of my whole family will be at stake."
Gu Jiu said softly, "Grandfather, you're worrying too much. It's just an impeachment, and you haven't been implicated. Why are you so nervous? The Minister of State isn't panicking, so why are you panicking?"
"I'm worried that the impeachment by the Censorate will be so strong that it will affect the projects outside the South City Gate. I'm counting on you to pay back the next two installments on time."
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "Don't worry, ancestor. Any money I borrowed from your Shaofu Bank will be repaid on time and I won't make it difficult for you. Some time ago, my business brought several carts of goods from the south to the capital. I specially selected the best dried goods and sent them to your residence. You can try them. If they are good, I will send them to you next time."
"You're so thoughtful. It's a time of great trouble, and you're still willing to give me a gift."
Gu Jiu laughed. "This isn't the first time I've been impeached, nor will it be the last. I'm used to it. I helped the Ministry of Revenue come up with a tax source. I did it honestly and without any selfish motives. What am I afraid of? The censor said I was overreaching and that my prince was ambitious.
Humph, if you really have such wicked ambitions, why would I help the Ministry of Revenue increase revenue and reduce expenditure? I could just sit back and watch the Ministry continue to be penniless and continue to owe salaries to the officials in Beijing. When the arrears pile up and become a mess, wouldn't it be even more helpful for my Highness to turn the tide and win people over?
Now, I've done good things, but I haven't won anyone's heart. Such a loss-making business, could it be done by someone with such wicked ambitions? Those imperial censors are all pig-headed. Do they really think I'm as stupid as them?"
The Shaofu's eyes twitched. "Anyone who can be an imperial censor is naturally not stupid."
Gu Jiu laughed and said, "They are not stupid, but they are a bunch of troublemakers. They have made the court stink to high heaven."
Upon hearing this, the Shaofu Household Manager couldn't help but laugh out loud, "Don't say this outside, or you'll be impeached again."
"I'm not afraid of them."
Gu Jiu is not worried about having too many debts, and he is not itchy because of having too many lice. He is very open-minded.
"Don't be careless. Be careful not to affect the project outside the South City Gate."
Gu Jiu stared at the Shaofu Housekeeper, his eyes sparkling. "Your Majesty has already seen the cement road, right?"
The Shaofu Housekeeper turned his head and said, "How would I know about this?"
Humph, you want to deceive me again.
Gu Jiu would never be fooled.
"Did His Majesty say anything? Did he agree to let me build the road?"
"Instead of asking me about this, why not have Your Highness come to the palace and ask His Majesty directly?"
Gu Jiu shook his head, "That won't do. My prince came to the palace specifically to inquire about this matter, which means he is not distinguishing between public and private matters and is too selfish, which will disgust His Majesty.
The reason I asked the two adults to build momentum for me is that I don't want to involve my prince. I will find a way to solve my own problems, and I can't let him interfere. "
Prince Ning is no longer Prince Ning, but Emperor Wende.
There is only one word difference between "father" and "emperor", but the difference between them is huge.
In the past, Liu Zhao could freely seek benefits for Gu Jiu in front of Prince Ning, but now Liu Zhao can no longer freely seek benefits for her in front of Emperor Wende.
Gu Jiu and Liu Zhao both understood the proper balance here.
So the two of them reached an agreement on this matter without much effort.
Liu Zhao's duty was official business.
Gu Jiu's business of opening a trading company is a private matter.
Public and private matters must never be mixed up.
A sense of proportion is important.
How many meritorious officials were later beheaded and their property confiscated by the emperor? Many of them were because they lacked the sense of propriety as officials and aroused the emperor's disgust. Then, snap, everything returned to dust.
As a prince, Liu Zhao called himself a son and a minister in front of Emperor Wende. He was first a minister and then a son.
Since you are a minister, you must have the awareness and sense of propriety of being a minister.
Gu Jiu smiled at the Shaofu Housekeeper, but there was something she didn't say.
"This lady never dares to gamble with the emperor's conscience."
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