stand back, let me come

Chapter 1437: The private money is gone [asking for a monthly ticket]

Xu Jie is also a veteran.

The reason why he has been able to maintain a stable position beside Shen Tang over the years is all due to his keen mind. Although he does not have Gu Chi's ability to read minds, he can rely on his experience to figure out Shen Tang's thoughts. He does everything Shen Tang asks him to do without paying attention to anyone's face, because he knows that Shen Tang is his biggest backer, and he will never touch anything Shen Tang does not allow him to do.

Only if you are obedient and sensible can you have the chance to eat meat and drink soup.

People who didn't know the situation would think Xu Jie was too flattering. Xu Jie was a scholar after all, so how could he bow to the power represented by Shen Tang? Many scholars criticized him for this, saying that he was a sycophantic person and that he was not very popular in the circle of scholars. Xu Jie didn't care about this at all, and even thought it was ridiculous.

He even dared to be sure that—

This group of clean people are not the main branches of each family.

If they had ever worried about the future of their family, worked hard all day, been tortured by the daily necessities, or climbed to a certain level in the government, they would never say such words. Only when you encounter various setbacks in the workplace can you understand how happy it is to have a boss like Shen Jun. In Xu Jie's eyes, Shen Tang is equivalent to an ATM machine - no matter how much work you do, the other party will give you the same amount of rewards on time, and will also give you high benefits during festivals. Status, salary, reputation, everything that should be given will not be shortchanged.

If you still can't appreciate her goodness, then go and watch Wu Xian.

When Xu Jie followed Wu Xian, he invested his heart and soul, but in the end, he didn't even get a share of the dividends. Even if he got a share by chance, it wouldn't be what Xu Jie wanted the most.

When Kangguo was founded, Xu's power rose.

As a prominent family in Heyin County, the descendants of the Xu family are well-known throughout the country.

No matter what famous teachers or scholars there were in the country, the children of the Xu family would always be taken seriously when they went to study under them. Even if the teachers’ threshold was too high and the students were unwilling to be accepted, the Xu family would not show any displeasure, let alone use the Xu family’s background as merchants to make trouble.

I would like to ask, given such spiritual and material things to his master, why didn't Xu Jie cherish them? Is it abnormal to guess what his boss is thinking?

Is it because these upright people don't want to figure it out?

They could only start from the local level and work their way up from the local level to the capital, and then work their way up again to be qualified to attend court and meet the emperor. What did Xu Jie's opportunity to understand the emperor's mind prove? It proved that he had many opportunities to meet the emperor.

How could those scholars who always make sour remarks understand his happiness?

but--

Xu Jie couldn't be happy today.

Not only was he not happy, but the words "I'm dying, I'm dying" kept circling in his mind. He was so nervous that his forehead was sweating and his fingers were shaking. Don't ask why he was nervous. The answer was that the task assigned by his master was going to fail, and he was thinking about how to apologize so as to avoid being scolded. The mastermind who brought him mental pressure, Xun Zhen, the Minister of Revenue, was behind him at this moment.

Xu Jie: “…”

Who could tell him why the Shangshu, who was supposed to be in charge of the southwest, would run back to the capital? And at this time!

Xun Zhen raised an eyebrow: "The government office hasn't used the Ice Mirror yet, right?"

It is not summer yet in Fengluo.

Xu Jie is also a scholar with a literary mind. Although his cultivation is not very profound, it is not a problem for him to use his literary energy to achieve the level of being immune to cold and heat. The weather is not hot, so why is Xu Wenzhu sweating like crazy?

Haha, are you feeling guilty?

He calmly stretched out his hand, his palm covering Xu Jie's curled fingers.

Xu Jie instantly got goose bumps all over his body, and a chill rushed to his head. He wanted to jump up and dodge. But these were all his imagination. In fact, he was so panicked that he felt powerless. He watched Xun Zhen pry open his fingers one by one with little effort. The whole process was not forced, but it made Xu Jie's breathing pause several times. Finally, Xun Zhen picked up the note.

He hesitated, "Xun, Minister Xun, no."

Xun Zhen looked over and said, "No?"

The tone was somewhat playful.

"This, this is the master's secret..." Xu Jie swallowed nervously a few times, and his voice became smaller and weaker.

It was too late for him to speak, Xun Zhen had already unfolded the note.

Xu Jie closed his eyes in despair.

Everyone is a scholar, so they know how good their eyesight is. They can remember everything with just a glance. Therefore, Xun Zhen can see the content on the note with just one glance.

Xu Jie seemed to have made a mistake and lowered his head to look at his toes.

I dare not think about how my master will deal with him when he returns from the war.

After a long time, a light laugh escaped from Xun Zhen's lips.

The short syllables successfully aroused goose bumps all over Xu Jie's body. He hurriedly said: "Minister Xun, please don't misunderstand me. I just received it and haven't even gathered all the staff yet. I remembered that I still have trivial matters to attend to, so it's better to hand it over to..."

Xun Zhen simply threw the letter back to him.

He put his hands into the wide sleeves of his official robe and said seriously, "What are you talking about? I didn't see anything! I just had a dream yesterday. I dreamed that the master was holding my hand in the dream. He felt sorry for the tight treasury and the poor housewife in the Ministry of Revenue. He wanted to ask you for help! That's why I came to ask you, Wenzhu. The master handed this matter to Wenzhu, naturally trusting your ability. Wenzhu will definitely bring this batch of property back safely, right? The treasury is short of money recently, Wenzhu, you have to act quickly."

Xun Zhen spoke powerfully.

If Xu Jie didn't know about the money-hungry face of the Minister of Revenue and the fact that his master was short of money and going crazy, he would really believe it.

The monarch was fighting on the front line and still sent money to his subjects in their dreams. If this story was written into history books, I wonder how many years it would be praised by future generations. Xu Jie opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a word of refusal for a long time. He couldn't afford to offend Shen Tang, nor could he offend Xun Hanzhang. Don't ask, the only thing to ask is that Xun Hanzhang is now his superior.

The county magistrate is not as good as taking charge now.

Xu Jie felt a bitter taste in his mouth.

I regretted countless times why I ran from the Ministry of Rites, a low-paying government office, to the Ministry of Revenue. Was it because I was addicted to using the abacus?

Staying in the Ministry of Rites, he can do whatever he wants with Qin Li's protection.

As long as he stayed in the Ministry of Revenue, Shen Youli couldn't get him out.

Xu Jie bowed and said, "I obey your command."

Xun Zhen smiled brightly upon hearing this, and was very satisfied with Xu Jie's knowledge and tact. Tsk tsk, it's more comfortable to deal with smart people, and it makes me feel a lot happier. Xu Jie wiped the sweat off his forehead and curiously asked Xun Zhen how to return to the capital.

If he knew Xun Zhen was there, he would never open the secret letter in the Ministry of Revenue. If he didn't open it here, he wouldn't be caught.

The master's private money would not be taken away by Xun Zhen into the national treasury.

It would have been fine if Xu Jie hadn't mentioned it. As soon as he did, Xun Zhen's face darkened: "Humph, what else could it be? Isn't it because of that annoying Cui? He doesn't do much work, but he's quick to ask for money."

As soon as Xu Jie heard it, he knew who the "Cui" Xun Zhen was talking about.

The only "Cui" in the southwest region who could make Xun Zhen feel embarrassed was Cui Zhi, the head of the Cui family and the head of the Southwest Gods Association branch. Xun Zhen could ignore Cui Zhi's former identity, but he had to pay more attention to the latter.

At the beginning, Shen Tang ordered Chu Yao and Cui Zhi to stay in the southwest.

Chu Yao is in charge of external affairs, while Cui Zhi is in charge of internal affairs.

Be alert to the border defense line between the southwestern continent and the central continent.

However, plans cannot keep up with the speed of change.

The Central Allied Forces were coming on strong, so Shen Tang decisively transferred Chu Yao away, and also used this opportunity to let Xun Zhen take charge of the rear. It was true that Xun Zhen could be of great use at a critical moment, but it was also true that Shen Tang had a serious deficit, and it was unknown how many years it would take to pay off the previous deficit.

Xun Zhen was upset about this for several days.

Why can Kang Shi do it but he can’t?

Being angry is fine, but war is all about logistics. Kangguo's target this time is still the Central Allied Forces. It is likely that they will have to defeat the enemy in one go before they can stop, and the logistics supply line will be stretched. If Xun Zhen is not there, Shen Tang cannot be completely relieved.

Xu Jie is capable, but lacks a global perspective.

After all the calculations, Xun Zhen really cannot go to the front line.

I have been traveling to the southwest during this period. As for Cui Zhi asking for money...

Although the Southwest Branch is not as dark and cruel as the Central Branch, nor does it have the latter's incredible network of connections, it is a talent trading market after all, and Cui Zhi's circle of friends can also pull out a few reliable people.

Wasn't it he who helped to connect Gongyang Yongye and Luo Yuan?

If Kangguo is given enough time, Cui Zhi can also help with the movement.

High-end talents often have a value that matches them.

_(:з　∠)_

The things they ask for are all kinds of weird, but money and power are the easiest things to satisfy. What are the other conditions?

Xun Zhen was almost hurt by the anger.

Cui Zhi sighed and said, "Xun Shangshu is Mr. Shen's right-hand man, and he has been a colleague of mine at Taishan for many years. This matter involves the great cause of Kangguo and the stability of the southwest. Cui will do his best and will not make things difficult for me."

He Cui Zhi did not take any commission from it!

There is no benefit at all.

In addition to this matter, the southwest was in a state of disrepair and needed financial allocations from the national treasury. Every day when Xun Zhen opened his eyes, he would receive many "crying out" documents waiting for his review and stamping.

Every day when he closed his eyes, he could see many leeches crawling onto his legs and body to suck blood. The treasury that he had managed for many years to fill up was visibly shrinking. He was so heartbroken that he could not bear it any more! The night watchman could even hear his own head crying and soaking his pillow in the middle of the night.

Come at him if you have anything to lose, don’t harm the national treasury!

Xun Zhen stamped his stamp with an expressionless face, but his heart was bleeding.

There were reasons to suspect that there were false reports of corruption and empty salaries in various parts of the southwest, so he asked his spies to keep a close eye on the counties that had been approved. If a penny was spent on something that shouldn't be spent, don't blame him for being ruthless and sending him to demote officials, confiscate their property, and exile them!

No one can squander the national treasury that he manages.

These are not the only two bad things.

While on a business trip to the southwest, Xun Zhen inspected various places and was shocked to find that with the poor performance of the southwestern counties, there was no hope of making a profit within three years, and they could barely break even within five years. It would take about seven years for them to start making a profit, and about ten years for them to get their investment back.

He fiddled with the abacus frantically.

Cui Zhi was annoyed by the sound of the beads colliding.

[There is little arable land in the southwest, the waterways in various places have been changed beyond recognition, and a large number of people have left. It will take time to put order...] This is the result of Xun Zhen breaking the abacus. [In addition, the accounts of various places are not easy to calculate.]

It takes time to settle accounts.

Xun Zhen was so angry that his eyes turned red.

He was eager to beat the local tyrants and get some money.

Kangguo officials always had a legitimate reason to do things. Even if they targeted someone else's wallet, they had to cite scriptures to prove that the wallet had been theirs since ancient times, or that they had a connection with it. Xun Zhen couldn't just go up and say that the wallet was his, but he could find out how many lice the wallet owner had. As long as the money of the wallet owner came from a dirty source, wouldn't there be a reason to make the money his own?

Cui Zhi’s comment on this move is quite interesting.

【It's hard to believe that Minister Xun is willing to go to so much trouble. 】

That's quite polite, why not just send someone to rob it?

How many people who can make a fortune in troubled times have clean asses? The more ill-gotten gains, the greater the chance of getting rich quickly.

To put it bluntly -

If they arrested and killed all these people, it would be rare to find one innocent person among a hundred. Xun Zhen sent people to investigate their dark history and find fault with them, and also sent people to their homes...

This process is too long and too torturous.

It would be better to do it in one step and directly raid their house.

If it's done quickly and efficiently, they can spend two days less worried.

Xun Zhen didn't get along with Cui Zhi, and Cui Xiao was there, so he asked Cui Xiao to keep an eye on Cui Zhi, and he went back to the capital to do some work. He never expected that this trip would yield such a great harvest.

Look, what did he find?

The master's private money.

Hehe, they were all confiscated!

Xun Zhen felt happy when he thought about his master being so angry that he would jump up and down.

The master hides some private money?

The most basic trust between the monarch and his subjects has been lost! Heartbroken!

Xu Jie returned home from work in a state of despair and grief, as if he had lost his parents. His wife thought that a disaster was about to happen to the family.

"Hey, this matter...you don't understand..."

"How do you know I don't understand if you don't tell me?"

Xu Jie leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Hey, did you know that the master's private money was taken away by Minister Xun again?"

"This is not the first time or the second time."

Xu Jie: "...No, how did Madam know?"

Isn't it once or twice?

The lady sat beside him, picking at the melon seeds she had just roasted, and said with a smile, "Don't people say that our Lord started from scratch and gave his tolerance to Grand Tutor Qi, his preference to Minister Chu, and finally gave his purse to Minister Xun?"

The civil and military officials in the court may not know that Shen Tang has no money, but they all know that her purse is tightly controlled by Xun Zhen. Sometimes, the wives of the officials in the royal capital would have a bitter face when they gathered together, looking forward to it day and night, hoping that the master would learn to be extravagant and licentious like other kings, or at least wear more expensive clothes. She only had a few sets of clothes to change throughout the year. If the officials followed suit, how could they dress?

Officials could not wear fine clothes, and their wives could only dress simply.

Each family dares not overspend the budget for the ladies' gatherings.

I was afraid of being reported to the Censorate.

Xu Jie's wife had been living a "dull and simple" life in the royal capital these years, and Xu Jie thought she had started to keep a low profile at her age.

Alas, I have no words to express my pain.

Xu Jie: “…”

His wife sighed first, then said, "I hope Mr. Shen can wake up soon and marry a proper maid to take charge of the harem. This woman, how can she live such a rough life when she has someone at home who knows her well and can dress her up? Maybe after getting married, she can legitimately let the maid help manage her private money."

No matter what, Minister Xun can't run into the harem to steal, right?

Xu Jie: “…”

The lady glanced at him and said, "Isn't that right?"

Xu Jie said: "Before my husband got married, didn't he..."

The lady raised her eyebrows, and Xu Jie shut up awkwardly.

Indeed, the taste before and after marriage is different.

(ω)

The sun and the moon are born together, and thousands of spirits are born.

Hehehe, at around four o'clock in the evening, the jewelry shop told us that the customized Qiankun circle had arrived. The actual object is really beautiful and exquisite (), giving people the feeling that the labor cost was well worth it.

It's just that I gained weight recently, and I had to use a lot of force to get the 59mm ring into place.

PS: When I was typing, both sides of my left palm still felt a little painful.

PS: I will order one more after a while, just a pair for each hand.