dream of red mansion

Chapter 822 Arguing
The imperial palace, above the Golden Luang Hall.

Emperor Daoyuan Min Ning asked: "Yesterday, the Ministry of Internal Affairs handed over the brochure, saying that the Ministry of Household Affairs deliberately withheld the second wave of budget funds for the Qianwang's first birthday ceremony. Yu Aiqing, is there such a thing?"

As soon as Minning's words came out, there was a lot of discussion in the hall.

Even the common people know how important Qian Wang is in the dynasty, let alone the court?
It can be said that there has never been a prince's birthday ceremony as grand as the Qianwang's in Dachu. Since the beginning of spring, the biggest thing for the court is probably to prepare for His Highness the Qianwang's birthday ceremony.

Does the Ministry of Finance even dare to withhold this money?

Hubu Shangshu Yu Shuyang said: "Report to Your Majesty, there is indeed something."

When Min Ning heard this, he first glanced at the cabinet ministers in the ranks of civil servants, and then said: "Why is this? When the court made a budget at the end of last year, didn't this matter have already been negotiated? Regarding the first birthday ceremony of the king, the state treasury Transfer 100 million taels of silver and transfer it to the Ministry of Internal Affairs in two installments."

Yu Shuyang said loudly: "Your Majesty, the plan can't keep up with the changes, the territory of Chu is vast, the population exceeds tens of millions, and there are too many places where the imperial court spends money.

Two generations of former emperors passed away the year before last, how much money was spent on building imperial tombs and holding national funerals?As a result, last year's annual revenue has been reduced by nearly half before it is included in the budget.

As a result, this year's budget is not enough.

Your Majesty, the national treasury has been in deficit for two consecutive years!

Even so, no matter how short the court was of money, the Ministry of Household Affairs would not dare to detain the money used for the birthday ceremony of His Highness Qian Wang.

However, before the beginning of summer this year, there have been frequent news of severe drought in several provinces in the south of the Yangtze River. Seeing that this year is another disaster year, if the imperial court has no money to use, what should we do?

Regarding the birthday ceremony of His Royal Highness, the minister also thinks that it should be held in a big way, but the minister always feels that the lords of the cabinet are handling this matter to the left, and the budget for the birthday ceremony is too high, so that it is suspected of wasting the country's power!
You know, even the enthronement ceremony of His Majesty back then, the money spent before and after it was only 120 million.As for His Royal Highness’s birthday ceremony, the budget alone is 200 million yuan, half of which will be borne by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Household Affairs.”

Hearing this, Min Ning also felt a little bitter.That's right, the grand emperor's succession ceremony was actually less expensive than his younger brother's first birthday ceremony.I'm afraid that in the eyes of my father, Taifu and others, I'm only taking care of the country for my younger brother temporarily, and when he grows up, I will naturally return it to him.
Yu Shuyang continued: "Of course, Your Majesty and all the elders have other plans, and I have nothing to say, but at this time when the country is spending money, I have the courage to implore Your Majesty for the sake of the country and the people of the world. Reduce the cost of one or two year-old kings' birthday ceremonies, and leave some money for the court for necessary use!"

After Yu Shuyang finished, he knelt down on the ground holding the wat board in his hand, and his voice was earnest.

What he meant was very clear, that is, he asked the court to cut the budget for the Qianwang's first birthday ceremony.

The court fell into silence for a while, and many ministers were convinced by Yu Shuyang's statement.Yes, is a child's birthday ceremony really that important?
If there is a major natural disaster this year and the court has no money to use, wouldn't it be a big event?
But there are also courtiers secretly sweating for Yu Shuyang. Since the birth of King Qian, he has almost been a taboo of the government and the public, and no one can violate it.

The importance of King Qian can be seen from the last decrees of the former emperor about His Highness Qian Wang in the hands of the Empress Dowager.

If it was a turbulent era, all the ministers would have doubted whether the queen mother was a demon queen who secretly fabricated the last emperor's will to disrupt the court.

But soon the actions of the four ministers in the cabinet proved that those were really the last emperor's decree!

Moreover, all the court elders, without exception, treated His Royal Highness Qian Wang like an old hen guarding chicks. The court officials are all human beings, so they naturally know that His Highness Qian Wang is actually the emperor's favorite successor Candidates.
Among them, there are too many inside stories that make people guess.

Unfortunately, there are only a small number of people who fully understand the reason.

Yu Shuyang is a practical minister, he just does what he thinks is right.

Min Ning looked at the four elders, they all frowned slightly, but did not speak.

He also looked at Jia Qing and Wang Ziteng, who were in the ranks of military officers, and Wang Ziteng's "mother's family". Wang Ziteng had similar expressions to Li Zhen and the others. He's totally fine.

Min Ning felt embarrassed.

On the one hand, he felt that what Yu Shuyang said was right, on the other hand, he didn't dare to agree on his own.
The scene fell into silence for a while.

The right servant of the household department came out and said: "my minister thinks what you say is reasonable. The imperial court is the center of a country, so it should keep enough silver taels for emergencies. Besides, the household department has allocated 30 taels for the birthday ceremony of His Royal Highness Qian Wang. Two, plus the 100 million taels from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, it has already reached 130 million taels, which is enough to hold a grand ceremony for His Royal Highness."

What he meant was that there was no need to give the remaining 70 taels.

The grand birthday ceremony of the king, because it is an internal matter of the royal family, it is reasonable for the Ministry of Internal Affairs to pay the money, and the transfer from the national treasury is also to relieve the financial pressure of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The Minister of Rites didn't agree when he heard it, and immediately said: "It's easy for you to say, now that the regulations have been laid out, money is needed everywhere, and if you don't give it, you won't give it. When the time comes, there will be a joke, who can take this responsibility? "

The Minister of the Household Department said: "What do you mean if you don't give it, you won't give it? This is for the sake of the country. If there are a large number of disaster victims this year like in the 11th year of Zhengqing, and the court has no money to use, who can take this responsibility? It's just a stopgap measure.

Besides, more than 100 million silver is not enough?As long as Mr. Qian and his colleagues in the Ministry of Rituals are a little more frugal and don't use money that shouldn't be used, this grand ceremony can still be held in a splendid manner. If there is no delay, can Mr. Qian not be considerate of the court? "

Qian Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites was almost out of breath. The other party clearly meant that their Ministry of Rites was extravagant and wasteful. He replied in a cold voice: "You said it lightly. Your Ministry of Households cut off 70 taels at once when you were crying. If you cry poorly again, and cut off a few hundred thousand taels, I don't think there is any need to do this grand ceremony!"

Among the ranks of military attaches, Jia Qing, who was at the head of the ranks, smiled slightly when he heard that the quarrel between these ministers was quite interesting.If Dachu is to be regarded as a family, then the imperial court is the housekeeper. If we really want to talk about it in detail, the so-called state affairs are actually no substantive difference from the parents.

But they are all "oil, salt, sauce and vinegar tea" and the like.

After a few rounds of confrontation between the officials of the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Household Affairs, Li Zhen finally stood up and spoke:
"Okay, His Royal Highness is the heir of the country. There is nothing wrong with the birthday ceremony of the King Qian. Your Excellency, the remaining 70 taels must be handed over to the Ministry of Internal Affairs as soon as possible. Corruption of ink, otherwise, all will be dealt with by the laws of the country.”

Although Li Zhen is over 70 and her voice is very old, his words are authoritative at this time, even more authoritative than Min Ning.

"Teacher!! Household Department." Yu Shuyang was still kneeling on the ground, looking up at Li Zhen in puzzlement, and wanted to speak.

Li Zhen interrupted him, and said: "Okay, regarding the lack of money in the national treasury, it will be discussed and resolved as the top priority of the imperial court. Right now, the first thing to do is to hold the birthday ceremony of His Royal Highness, which is a fundamental matter of the country. Don't wait to be perfunctory again!"

Yu Shuyang was still a little dissatisfied, and looked up at Min Ning.

Min Ning glanced at the top leaders below, seeing that they had no objection, obviously they agreed on this matter, so he could only say embarrassingly: "Teacher's words are reasonable, the king is the heir of the country, if you can't be sloppy, just follow the advice of Taifu." Do what Fu said."

"Yes, my minister complies with the order!" Yu Shuyang got up tremblingly, feeling somewhat disheartened for a moment.

Before, he felt that the imperial court paid too much attention to the king, how could it be useful to hold a birthday celebration for a prince with 200 million taels of silver?However, all the elders in the first and second ranks of the court unanimously decided to approve it. Although he was dissatisfied, he had to endure it.

However, the current drought in several provinces in the south of the Yangtze River is the truth, and he did not deliberately fabricate it. He felt that at this time, the princes in the court should wake up and stand up to support his proposal.

But just now, apart from his own subordinates, there was not a single person who stood up and seconded him except for the officials of the third rank and above in the court!

Isn't this chilling?

(End of this chapter)