Early in the morning.

Emperor Tianqi moved and went to Qinzheng Hall.

The capital has become a little uneasy recently.

Rumors spread everywhere.

It is said that Jiangnan has begun to lack food.

Under the disaster, this kind of rumor is the most terrifying. After all, once there is a disturbance, the people will rush to buy food, and merchants will be reluctant to sell it.

Of course, I am not worried at the moment. On the one hand, the court still has reserves, and on the other hand, Zhang Jingyi had attacked a group of people at the beginning.

However, the dispute between the Jiangnan officialdom and the Beijing officialdom is getting more and more intense.

When it comes to interests, ministers who believe in benevolence, righteousness and morality on both sides have begun to curse each other from a distance.

Emperor Tianqi was particularly annoyed about this, so early this morning, he ordered all officials to come to Qinzheng Hall to meet.

The reason why I chose not to discuss the court and choose to be in Xiyuan is actually because I don’t want to expand it. There are enough rumors now. If the court convenes the court to discuss this issue seriously, it will inevitably cause huge panic.

So just stay in this Xiyuan, everyone will close the door and discuss the matter.

All the officials had their own thoughts and arrived one after another.

Zhang Jingyi came early, so he greeted Huang Liji and others first.

Huang Liji's face looked very bad. This time it wasn't Zhang Jing who cheated him, but... he was really exhausted.

As for Li Guo, he was naturally stranger to Zhang Jing.

After waiting for a while, Emperor Tianqi arrived. The ministers saluted and said, "I have seen Your Majesty."

Emperor Tianqi nodded and said straight to the point: "What I am discussing today is not the matter of changing mulberry into rice, but my intention is made. In the south of Jiangnan, it is actually disrespectful to the order. What is the plan?"

When he came, Wei Zhongxian had already discussed with Emperor Tianqi and believed that the attitude in the palace should be tough.

Therefore, as soon as this statement came out, all the officials looked at each other and many people had already smelled the smell of gunpowder.

At this time, Emperor Tianqi said: "Huang Qing's family."

Huang Liji immediately stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty."

Emperor Tianqi said: "What is the crime of disrespectful resistance?"

"Punish the clan." Huang Liji answered honestly.

"So what do you dare to do now? You are the Chief Secretary, what should you do?"

"This..." Huang Liji looked confused. What could he say...

"Your Majesty..." At this time, Zhang Qian, the Minister of Personnel, stepped forward and said, "The state affairs can be discussed, so why should we punish the clan if we discuss politics? Please be generous. If you are so harsh and harsh, I am afraid that Jiangnan will become even more disinterested."

Emperor Aoki glared at him.

In fact, he had expected the attitude of all officials, so he was not surprised. So he said, "What I mean... is that bandits are everywhere, and the Jiangnan and Jiangbei are all going to share the worries of the court! Over the years, have I not been generous enough? The current problem is just as Zhang Qing said, only the small profits are seen in front of me. You must know that once food is short of food, refugees in Jiangnan will spread everywhere, and the bandits in Guanzhong will also cross the river. At that time, the people in Jiangnan will be suffering from the lives of the people. Do you understand this account? Or are you unwilling to understand it at all?"

As soon as Emperor Tianqi said this, all the officials fell into silence again.

All fools know that this is an offensive thing, and no one wants to be a pioneer.

After a while, someone finally stood up and said, "I think Your Majesty is wise, and your Majesty's words have also inspired me. Your Majesty's love for the people, and I admire you. But... if you force the gentry to do this, it would be too much, and I have a plan to achieve both sides."

Everyone looked at this person and it was Li Guo, the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet.

Emperor Tianqi stared at Li Guo and frowned and said, "What kind of strategy is the best?"

Li Guo smiled and said, "I heard that the Liaodong County Prince has a big family business and has countless silver patterns at home. Since they are all about sharing the worries of the country, then Jiangnan and Zhang family should bear the burden together. Jiangnan and the Zhang family will pay for the rice planting in Jiangnan. How about it?

As soon as these words were spoken, many people were stunned, and then chewed Li Guo's words carefully, then couldn't help laughing.

This is really...

In this way, it is equivalent to pushing Zhang Jing to the forefront.

Isn’t you going to share the worries for the country? Then let Zhang Jingyi share the worries for the country.

Zhang Jing frowned, but he didn't expect that Li Guo would actually play on his head. The last time he had an argument with him, this time this guy took revenge on purpose.

But he is a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, so how can he do anything?

Zhang Jing stood up and said, "Mr. Li might as well make the words clearer!"

Li Guo calmed down and said, "Who in this world is not worried about the country? However, the prince is the most grateful. Now in the crisis, his highness should set an example and donate generously. If he is willing to make up for the losses of the gentry in Jiangnan, on the one hand, the gentry in Jiangnan can willingly change food. On the other hand, it also seems that the prince will share the worries of the country. Wouldn't it be good? I have calculated that if half of the mulberry land in Jiangnan is converted into grain fields, it will be necessary to subsidize 32 million taels of silver, this silver..."

When Zhang Jing heard this, she couldn't help laughing.

Actually, this is a verbal trap.

Isn’t it that Zhang Jingyi is the best minister, and now that the country is in trouble, the Zhang family does not pay, but lets the innocent gentry in Jiangnan share the worries... using this to protect the interests of the gentry in Jiangnan?

Zhang Jingyi said without hesitation: "I have this silver, and I will never give those rich gentry in Jiangnan! With this silver, it should be relieved to those people who are suffering from disasters! However, when Li made this public, I agree with it. There are too many refugees at the moment. If they are not resettled, it will cause chaos sooner or later! My Zhang family has a lot of silver, and it is better to do this... I, Zhang Jingyi, would like to pay 500,000 taels of silver to deport the national treasury to help the victims. I brought this head... I also hope that others can follow suit. Of course, it is not to ask you to pay 500,000 taels of money and force, and that is the best of both worlds. Mr. Li, how much do you plan to pay?"

When Emperor Tianqi heard this, he immediately felt energetic.

It’s really like people sitting in the hall, money comes from heaven!

There are also such good things!

Li Guo never expected... Zhang Jingyi was really willing to pay! You know, 500,000 taels are definitely not a small amount for a family.

He Zhang Jing was willing to pay the money, so what about the others?

Li Guo immediately said: "My family is poor. When I was an official, my family was already in decline. After that, I became an official, and my annual salary was limited. My family dared not say that I could not make any money, but I could not say that I was rich, not as generous as Your Highness. I am willing to give out a hundred taels of silver..."

A sarcasm flashed through Zhang Jing's eyes, but he sneered: "Damn Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, only a hundred taels of silver? How can I bring this a good idea?"

Li Guo calmed down and said with confidence: "My family has no fiefdom, and it is not like the Zhang family doing all kinds of big deals. My husband's family is barely covered with sedan chairs, and even if it is used for more than ten years, he is reluctant to exchange it."

When it comes to this point, it seems a bit unkind to force it.

So much so that the hall was silent all of a sudden, and everyone seemed to be afraid that Zhang Jing would come to him to donate money.

So Zhang Jingyi murmured in a low voice: "Everyone is clean and honest, who knows it? People who don't know think that my Ming Dynasty officials are already suffering, and they are even worse than refugees!"

This was not loud or small, but it happened to be heard by Li Guo who was sharp-eared. Li Guo frowned and said righteously: "Your Highness, who are you scolding?"

Emperor Tianqi was already very disappointed at this time. Unexpectedly, this method could not squeeze out any oil from the officials!

Seeing that the situation began to develop in a strange direction, Emperor Tianqi had to reprimand: "Okay, no need to say it anymore. The problem now is... the world is full of famines, but I, Ming Dynasty... I am short of food everywhere and have no food. I will starve people to death. If people refuse to starve to death, they will become bandits. Don't you understand this truth?"

After a pause, Emperor Tianqi continued, "I have been worried over the years, but what about you? I only know how to make noises and chatter every day... You have been making noises for so many years, so I will ask you... where does the grain... come from?"

All the officials were silent again.

In fact, as long as you don’t talk about substantive issues, anything is easy to talk about.

Emperor Tianqi looked at Li Guo coldly at this time and said, "Li Qing is a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet. Let me first talk about where the grain comes from?"

Li Guo said calmly: "In the past, when the country had not yet collapsed and had music, every year of disaster, good gentry gave porridge to help the court to help the people. Therefore, there were no major chaos in the past two hundred years of the Ming Dynasty. There were cases of starving people to death, but it was not like this today, and there were bandits everywhere. Therefore, I think... the most urgent task at the moment is to make good gentry first and let the gentry all over the world know that Your Majesty is willing to govern the world with mercy, so that everyone will be willing to serve."

Emperor Tianqi said disapprovingly: "Such a great disaster depends only on what they call alms?"

Li Guo then said again: "Your Majesty... This is my heartfelt word. Although I am a minister, I can't change grain. Who in the world can change grain? Not to mention anything else, can I change it even if I am the prince of Liaodong...?"

Li Guo had been extremely dissatisfied with Zhang Jingyi because of the matter of Yan Shenggong, and his conflicts had almost become public.

Of course, Li Guo deliberately touched Zhang Jingyi's tiger's butt today, but he actually had his own considerations.

But...but at this moment...

Suddenly, an eunuch hurried in and said, "Report to Your Majesty, outside the palace... there is a down-and-out person... going to come into the palace, saying that it was His Highness King Xin. The guards stopped him and asked me to identify him... This person... This person is really His Highness King Xin..."

Emperor Tianqi was stunned, and then furiously said, "What does it mean to be true? Yes, no, no!"

The eunuch said laughing and cryingly: "It's true that I am a little... it's really... it's really similar, but... it's not like it..."

…………

besides.
Chapter completed!