"Huang Zongxi," Fan Jingwen said in a deep voice, "Today's topic is to discuss Wang Zhixin's guilt, not the court's deficit. Don't act on your own and deviate from the topic."
"Master Fan is wrong," Huang Zongxi said calmly, "I think Wang Zhixin's case was caused by the court's deficit. The ancients said that to control water, one must clear its source. Those who are good at eliminating harm should examine its root, and those who are good at curing diseases should cut off its source!"
"If we only deal with Wang Zhixin himself without solving the court's deficit, similar cases will happen again in the future."
"Yes." Chongzhen took over the topic, "If the deficit cannot be resolved, the next person to open a mine is likely to repeat Wang Zhixin's mistake."
Fan Jingwen lowered his head and thought for a while, then took a deep breath and asked, "Your Majesty, what if the deficit problem is solved?"
Chongzhen smiled and said: "If the deficit problem is solved, the mining can be temporarily stopped."
The king and his minister seemed to be talking, but in fact they were making a deal.
Fan Jingwen expressed his intention to solve the court's deficit.
Chongzhen responded by stopping mining.
If the king and his minister are both satisfied with each other's conditions, then they will hit it off.
If there is any discrepancy, continue to negotiate the terms.
Fan Jingwen's ultimate goal was to stop mining. After receiving Chongzhen's response, he immediately said, "Your Majesty, winter has come to Liaodong. If nothing unexpected happens, the offensive of the Ping Liao army this year will come to a temporary halt."
"The various expenditures, especially the pension silver, will not be too much. According to the current silver in the treasury and the silver that needs to be spent by the end of the year, the court's deficit this year is about 1.2 million taels."
"I can ask local officials to call on local gentry and merchants to raise funds. By the end of November at the latest, the silver can be escorted to the capital."
"Well," Chongzhen nodded first, then asked, "What about the deficit next year? How to solve it?"
"If the war goes well next year, the deficit will be very small."
"No matter how much it is, it's a deficit. We have to find a way to solve it!" Chongzhen pressed on.
"Your Majesty, rest assured. The cabinet has already found a solution." Fan Jingwen paused and said, "First, the commercial tax of Shanghai Port. According to the increase this year, the commercial tax next year will increase to more than 700,000 taels. All this money can be used to fill the national treasury."
"In addition, merchants bring back more than 10 million taels of silver from the East and West every year, which, after being exchanged for Ming Yuanbao, can bring hundreds of thousands of taels of income to the national treasury."
"Also, the money paid to the salt inspectors and alternate officials will be sent to the national treasury."
"If the war goes smoothly and the pension expenditure is low, this money will be enough to cover the national treasury's expenditure next year!"
Fan Jingwen's meaning is very clear.
As long as the war goes smoothly next year and there are no major casualties.
The court's income and expenditure can be balanced.
Chongzhen was quite satisfied with Fan Jingwen's answer.
After so many years, the situation in which the Ming Dynasty's treasury had been running in deficit was finally about to be reversed.
This is a remarkable achievement.
If there is an unexpected situation that causes an increase in treasury expenditure, we can then think of other solutions.
Thinking of this, Chongzhen nodded heavily to Fan Jingwen and other cabinet members: "Since the cabinet has solved the problem of the treasury deficit, the mining can be temporarily stopped."
"Your Majesty is wise!" Led by the chief minister Fan Jingwen, a group of ministers saluted Chongzhen.
After everyone finished their ceremony, Chongzhen slowly asked Fan Jingwen, "What do you think should be done with Wang Zhixin?"
After solving the problem, we need to solve the people.
Wang Zhixin was Chongzhen's man.
The punishment cannot be too light, otherwise it will not be able to shut up the civil and military officials in the court and the local gentry.
The punishment cannot be too severe, otherwise it will make Chongzhen lose face.
Fan Jingwen understood this well.
He answered seriously: "I think that although the king's heart is deeply sinful, there are reasons for it. I hope Your Majesty will think twice."
"Your Majesty, please think twice!" Led by Fan Jingwen, the officials present said in unison.
Chongzhen pretended to think for a while, then looked at Wang Zhixin and said, "Wang Zhixin?"
"The servant is here."
"Do you know your guilt?"
"I am guilty." Wang Zhixin replied.
"Tell me what crime you committed?"
"I shouldn't have been too hasty when mining, and I shouldn't have caused any loss of life."
"Wrong!" Chongzhen's expression was serious and his tone was cold: "You shouldn't have taken the deficit of the national treasury on yourself! Mining is indeed to avoid deficits, but the deficit of the court cannot be made up by mining alone. You are stretching your hands too far."
Wang Zhixin lowered her head and said, "I admit my guilt."
Chongzhen continued with an unchanged expression: "Since you can't control your hands, then use them to go to Nanjing to clean the mausoleum for Taizu."
Wang Zhixin was shocked all over and could hardly believe his ears.
He knew that Chongzhen would punish him, but he did not expect that Chongzhen would directly send him to Nanjing.
I am still of great use, why would Your Majesty abandon me?
"Wang Zhixin, why don't you accept the order and thank me?" Wang Chengen scolded from the side.
"Your Majesty, I bow my head in thanks!" Wang Zhixin knelt on the ground in a daze and kowtowed heavily to Chongzhen.
Chongzhen ignored him and looked at the ministers present: "What do you think of my decision?"
"Your Majesty is wise!" The ministers immediately bowed and complimented him.
At first they just wanted to stop mining and didn't think about overthrowing Wang Zhixin.
Now Chongzhen took the initiative to send Wang Zhixin to exile in Nanjing, which was tantamount to cutting off his own arm.
Some ministers even felt that Chongzhen was a little stupid and couldn't help but smile happily.
Looking at the different expressions on the faces of the ministers present, Chongzhen sneered in his heart.
He had long wanted to put Wang Zhixin in Nanjing, but he never had the chance.
Now he finally found the opportunity.
Next.
Wang Zhixin, this troublemaker, will throw Nanjing and the entire Jiangnan region into chaos at the right time.
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