Chapter 1                                                              

Datong City, Datong Governor's Office.

Zhou Mengchen and his soldiers knelt respectfully in the yard. A voice echoed in the yard.

But Tengxiang held the imperial edict in both hands and read out loudly: "From Zhou Mengchen, he brought the heroes of the two wars in Shuozhou to the capital to meet him, and I admire him."

Zhou Mengchen immediately bowed and said, "I am Zhou Mengchen obeying the order." Then he stood up and took the imperial edict with both hands. He asked Teng Xiang to sit in the inner room.

Meng Chong looked at Teng Xiang, and his enviousness could not be concealed at all. But he was injured for a hundred days. He could only move his broken leg carefully with the support of the eunuch.

This imperial edict was sent in an expedited manner after Beijing learned of the great victory in Shuozhou. There was no eunuch sent to send an eunuch at all, and directly appointed Tengxiang to read it out.

After Zhou Mengchen sat down, he said, "Brother Teng, reward the silver for the army? What is the saying of the court?"

Tengxiang said, "Is there any? It's just not good news." Then Tengxiang took out a letter from his arms and handed it to Zhou Mengchen. Zhou Mengchen looked at it, raised his eyebrows and said, "Let Datong pay the advance. How can this work? The Tartars' head is fifty taels per. This is a 500,000 taels, and there are thousands of heads of the White Lotus Sect?"

Tengxiang coughed and said, "Note that it is written on it, the head of the White Lotus Sect is based on the mainland bandits."

Zhou Mengchen saw this and there was indeed such a sentence. Zhou Mengchen sneered and said, "In this way, the White Lotus Sect only needs 10,000 or 20,000 taels to be sent?"

Tengxiang said: "There is no way to do this. Even the Ministry of Revenue has said that the rewards of the Tartar heads must be adjusted, otherwise the court will not be able to support it. Brother Zhou must also be mentally prepared."

Although Zhou Mengchen felt uncomfortable, he also knew that this was inevitable.

Many things are on the market.

The era of fifty taels of head was built on a great victory in the Ming Dynasty, where hundreds of people were beheaded at most. Therefore, the court had to give more money to inspire morale. Now, more than 10,000 were beheaded at once. The Ministry of Revenue could not support it at all. Moreover, in the future, Datong fought a war of beheading 100,000. Although it could destroy the Tumote tribe. After all, after beheading 100,000, there would be no male members of the Tumote tribe. However, it would also allow the Ming Dynasty to perish and give out a reward of 5 million taels at once. The Ming Dynasty's finances would have to collapse.

Therefore, Zhou Mengchen is the Minister of Revenue. He must lower the price.

It’s just that Zhou Mengchen understood it, but it was uncomfortable. After all, the soldiers received meager monthly food, and their salary was more of the land that could be tax-free at home. The monthly food was only enough for one person to eat, and there was a little surplus. It was also a meager pension when he died. It was just that the land of his children could be tax-free for 18 years. There were a few taels of silver to mourn.

Because many soldiers' corpses are buried on the spot, these few taels of silver do not require funeral expenses.

The high price of the Tartars' head is the only place where the warriors can get high returns. But the problem is that as a soldier, if you want to get a head, you have to risk the possibility of giving the head to the Tartars yourself. To fight, or even kill the enemy, you may not be able to seize the head.

Yes, fifty taels are a heavy burden for the court. But ask yourself, this kind of fight that licks blood on the knife and exchanges life for life. Is fifty taels really enough?

This is even more true for the White Lotus Cult.

The fierce and stubborn people among the White Lotus Sect are even more fierce than those of the Tartars. In particular, the old soldiers of the White Lotus Sect brought by Xiao Qin are all crazy believers, and they are the kind of people who have to take the blame even if they die.

Such people are not Tartars. The price of the first level is based on the mainland bandits. It would be good to give one to two or three taels of silver.

Some money is not saved like this. It is just that Zhou Mengchen knew about the financial crisis of the court.

Zhou Mengchen said: "I will talk about the affairs of the Ministry of Revenue in the future. If I don't talk about it, I will talk about it now. In this battle, Datong will definitely not be able to get the reward of 600,000 taels of silver."

Zhou Mengchen was telling the truth. The rewards from the Battle of Rabbit Maochuan, coupled with the combat consumption, have consumed almost the foundation of Datong. Even if it weren't for the collection from Shanxi Town, 100,000 taels of silver and 100,000 s of grain, Datong's granary would have been at its bottom.

Fortunately, the autumn harvest is coming.

This year's Datong is a bit drought. Fortunately, corn has a stronger drought resistance than millet and wheat. Although there was harassment in spring, after the summer, the war did not affect the grain. Zhou Mengchen asked the old farmer to estimate that this year, and this year it is still a common year. The harvest is slightly more than last year.

Of course, there are two reasons for this. The first reason is that pheasant is higher than wheat. The second reason is that although it is in the midst of war, the spring plowing area this year is more than last year.

Now Zhou Mengchen is waiting for the autumn harvest to extend his life. Where can I get the money to pay 600,000 yuan in advance for silver rewards?

Zhou Mengchen was able to get 200,000 taels, and it would be great if he could get 200,000 taels. Otherwise, the governor's office of Datong, the prefectural and county garrisons below would not be able to live a life. If he was not in charge of the family, he would not know that the firewood and rice were expensive. Even if he did nothing, he would have to pay several thousand taels of silver every month.

What are the money for books, paper money, food silver below, subsidies for scholars, and miscellaneous things. There are many rituals, such as sacrifices for soldiers who died in battle, and sacrifices for all kinds of gods. Perhaps every small thing is not much. Probably some fruit plates, paper money, etc. But to sum up, only one or two hundred taels of silver. If Zhou Mengchen had not reduced the cost of the cost of the garrison, ten thousand taels of rice per month would never be able to get it. You should know that many county yamen in ancient times said nothing in public. However, to maintain the expenses of the yamen runners, at least a thousand taels of silver a year. There were several prefectures and counties in Datong Prefecture that had already been in the garrison. Zhou Mengchen was able to compress the situation to this point, which was a very long way to play. It also occupied the reasons for the rebuilding of the garrisons. Otherwise, the expenses would not be so small.

Tengxiang said: "Mr. Zhou, this is not what I mean. I am just a messenger. There is a post from the Ministry of Revenue. Please go to Shanxi merchants to borrow it."

Zhou Mengchen's breathing was stagnant and said, "Brother Teng, I'm not polite between you and me. Is this the trap of the East Building?"

The east building is Yan Shifan.

Zhou Mengchen was very suspicious whether Yan Shifan thought that Zhou Mengchen had just reached an agreement with Shanxi merchants. Later, the Ministry of Revenue turned against him. To be honest, Zhou Mengchen did not have much idea about borrowing money. After all, Zhou Mengchen was used to how much debt the local governments in later generations were. Compared with those debts, with the foundation of Datong, what is a mere 600,000 taels of debt?

But what he was more worried about was the political risks of this matter.

After all, this practice was a taboo in the Ming Dynasty.

Tengxiang said, "Please rest assured by Lord Zhou. Your Majesty knows this. My ancestors also asked me to pass on a message to you, saying that the court is really nervous now. However, no matter how nervous it is, it cannot be short of the rewards of the soldiers. This is the worst strategy. The first payment issued by the Ministry of Revenue will be this."

Zhou Mengchen then felt at ease and said, "That's all that is the case now."

However, Zhou Mengchen also had other thoughts in his heart, and he said to himself: "The Shanxi merchants are simply everywhere. But it is true. Although Shanxi merchants started out with the salt industry, border trade is also the sphere of influence of Shanxi merchants, and Datong is probably the key point of their layout. In the past or two years, I have been focusing on wars and have not paid attention to business. Now I can take a look."

Tengxiang said, "Brother Zhou, today cannot be the same as last time. Meng Chong is going to stay in Datong to recuperate. This is what the palace means. Brother Zhou should get up quickly, otherwise I will recuperate in Datong too."

Meng Chong's tricks were clearly clear to the big men in the palace. Although the situation was critical at that time, Jiajing could understand it. However, as the emperor's slave, Meng Chong's little thoughts were not very desirable. So Jiajing gave a small punishment.

For eunuchs, the palace is always the most important thing. Meng Chong has been recuperating in Datong for so long, and after he goes back, many relationships have to be reopened. This is also a major blow to Meng Chong.

Zhou Mengchen even knew that such a thing was a must. He had to get up and go to Beijing immediately.
Chapter completed!