I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 194 His Highness is giving you a chance
Li Chunfang, Zhao Zhenji, Zhang Juzheng and Wang Guoguang quickly arrived at the back hall of Ziguang Pavilion in Xiyuan.

"Four gentlemen, something happened in the capital today. Feng Bao, please tell us about it."

"Yes, Your Highness. Four gentlemen, last night, the Imperial College assistant Wei Yunzi hanged himself at home. It is said that he went to the Ministry of Revenue to collect his salary yesterday, but because he owed the Ministry of Revenue too much silver, too much was deducted, and he only received two stone of rice and three liters of pepper.

Wei Yunlai's family was poor. In addition to the Ministry of Revenue, they also owed a lot of foreign debts. This salary was not enough to pay off the debts, and it was difficult to even make ends meet. Wei Yunlai must have been unable to figure out the situation and hanged himself.

Five of his good friends of the same age, including Zhou Bingzhou, the Censor of the Censorate, Li Zhibin, the Director of the Ministry of Rites, and Yuan Xian'an, the Chief Clerk of the Honglu Temple, pooled together 15 taels of silver and gave them to the Wei family for funeral expenses.

Several people were quite resentful of the Ministry of Revenue's deductions. They were so angry that they ran to Chaoyangmen Street to beg for money with bowls and hung a banner that read "The Ministry of Revenue is unscrupulous and forced colleagues to death. Begging for alms to collect money for the funeral!"

Thousands of people are watching and many are donating money to them. The news has spread to all five cities and even outside the city.”

Li Chunfang, Zhao Zhenji, Zhang Juzheng and Wang Guoguang looked at each other in surprise. Such a thing had actually happened. It was unprecedented in the dynasty!
Zhu Yijun frowned and said dissatisfiedly: "How can Gao Gong do things! He is in charge of the Ministry of Revenue and investigates the Lianghuai salt administration, which is a good move. How can he make it start well but end badly?
He sent out 24 of his most favored students, but only 21 returned, and only found 470,000 taels of silver. It was a drop in the bucket, and it was of no use at all to fill the huge hole in the Ministry of Revenue!"

Zhang Juzheng said cautiously: "Your Highness, Gao Xinzheng must have his own difficulties."

"What's the hardship? Determination is the most important thing when it comes to doing something. Once you have decided to do it, you must overcome all difficulties and make up your mind to do it well.

I asked Feng Bao to tell him that I will do my best to support him. Feng Bao, have you told Gao Gong?"

Feng Bao quickly replied, "Your Highness, I have told Minister Gao everything you said without missing a word."

Zhu Yijun put his hands in his sleeves, walked to the window, looked at the Zhonghai Lake outside, and shook his head: "Gao Xinzheng, what are you thinking about!"

Everyone looked at each other and said nothing.

After waiting for dozens of breaths, Zhu Yijun turned around and said to the four people: "No matter what Gao Gong thinks, let's think about how to deal with this matter first!
As for the Lianghuai Salt Administration, since we have started, we must continue to thoroughly rectify it and cannot give up halfway! "

"Dangdang!"

In the signing room of the Minister of Revenue, Gao Gong was so angry that he threw the teacup to the ground, breaking it into countless pieces and spilling the tea all over the floor.

"Zhou Bingzhou, Li Zhibin, Yuan Xian'an, what do these five people want to do? Officials appointed by the imperial court are begging in the streets. How can this be allowed?

This is a slap in my face! The treasury is tight, why can't they be more considerate? As long as we hold on for a month or two, when the autumn tax money and grain are delivered to the capital, all problems will be solved. "

Sitting in the signing room were several of his confidants in the Ministry of Revenue and several trusted aides.

"Lord Gao, this time the salary was paid out in too many items, and there was a lot of criticism in the court."

"Did they fold a lot of things?" Gao Gong suddenly realized something. "When the actual distribution was made, how much of the things were folded?"

No one dared to speak. Gao Gong pointed at one person and asked aggressively, "You say!"

"Mr. Gao, when the Shaanxi Qinglisi issued the actual payment, those above the fourth rank received 40% in rice and 60% in goods."

Gao Gong asked sternly, "What about those below the fourth rank?"

After a silence of more than ten breaths, the man replied, "Those below the fourth rank will receive 20% in rice and 80% in goods."

"Asshole!" Gao Gong was furious. "Whose idea was it? Tell me, whose idea was it!"

No one answered.

An aide replied hesitantly, "Mr. Gao, I'm afraid it was someone below who took the initiative to help you solve your problems."

"Asshole, you ignorant dog, are you trying to help me solve my problems? You are pushing me into the fire pit! Immediately send an order to the Shaanxi Qingli Division, and they must follow what I said before, and pay 50% in rice, 30% in goods, and 20% in silver."

A confidant suddenly spoke up, "Mr. Gao, after your previous decree was issued, the officials of the Shaanxi Qingli Division complained that the calculation was too complicated, adding a lot of work to their schedule and making it difficult to pay salaries on time."

"Excuses! They have been calculating all their lives, and this little thing makes them feel troubled? It only adds to the trouble. How do they know to calculate separately for those above the fourth rank and those below the fourth rank? This is just adding to the trouble!" Another aide said, "Mr. Gao, if we ask them to redistribute the salaries now, it will be a mess. As far as I know, many officials have already sold all the pepper they bought in exchange for things. If we redistribute the salaries, won't we ask them to buy the pepper back?

Besides, one official hanged himself, and five officials begged on the street. Gao Gong changed his ways. Others saw it. If they are dissatisfied next time, will they follow suit? "

Another confidant immediately agreed, "Mr. Gao, the most important thing right now is not to re-issue the salary, but to find out if there is a culprit behind this matter."

Gao Gong was stunned for a moment.

Now those who want to deal with him and have the ability to deal with him in the court are either Xu Jie's party or Xiyuan.

Gao Gong now fully understood that Xu Jie and Xiyuan had previously joined forces to ask the emperor to issue an edict to summon him back to the capital, but to let him take over the Ministry of Revenue, which was actually pushing him into the big trap of the Ministry of Revenue.

Now they have fallen into the big pit of the Ministry of Revenue, and today's incident has made them look bad again. Their goal has been achieved.

Will he continue to bury himself in the pit?
No, I can't just sit there and wait for death!
Gao Gong stood up and walked around the signing room for a few times. Suddenly, he turned to his confidants and staff and said, "Continue to pay the salaries and don't worry about it for now. Go around and find out who was behind these two incidents this morning!"

"Yes!"

After everyone left, Gao Gong was filled with resentment and indignation.

"Gao Xinzheng," someone called outside the door. Gao Gong turned around and saw Gao Yi hurried in.

"Lord Nanyu, you are here?" Gao Gong stood up and bowed.

"Lord Xinzheng, did you know that Wei Yun, the assistant teacher of the Imperial College, hanged himself, and Zhou Bingzhou, the censor of the Censorate, Li Zhibin, the director of the Ministry of Rites, Yuan Xian'an, the chief clerk of the Honglu Temple, and five others were begging at Chaoyang Gate?"

"Heard something!"

"Lord Xinzheng, why don't you quickly find a way to make amends?"

"What can I make up for? There is a villain behind this, pushing this matter and framing me. What can I make up for? I will remain unchanged in the face of all changes!"

"Stupid!" Gao Yi was heartbroken. "Mr. Xinzheng, I have told you long ago that when distributing salaries, exchanging goods is a last resort. The Ministry of Revenue has no money now, but the Imperial Household Department has money, and the Coordination Bureau has money! You can go and borrow it.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has someone tell you that as long as you work hard, he will fully support you!"

"Full support! What do you mean by full support? I should have joined the cabinet, but I was asked to take over the mess of the Ministry of Revenue. What do Xiyuan and Xu Shaohu think? Do they think I don't know?

Ask me to borrow it, isn't Xiyuan waiting for me to beg them? Lord Nanyu, my tall and bearded knees are so stiff that I can't kneel down! "

Gao Yi stamped his feet repeatedly, "How could you be so confused, Brother Su Qing! I know what Xu Shaohu is thinking by temporarily blocking you from entering the cabinet and letting you take over the Ministry of Revenue. But Xiyuan doesn't think so!"

"If he doesn't think this way, what would he think?"

"Mr. Su, don't you know what Xiyuan is doing? He wants to send you to the cabinet, so he wants to see what you are capable of. He wants you to take over the Ministry of Revenue to see if you have the ability to manage finances and whether you can take responsibility.

"Mr. Song Gu (Chen Yiqin), Tai Yue, and Meng Jing (Zhao Zhenji) are very familiar with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. They have talked with friends many times. His Royal Highness believes that the most important ability of a cabinet minister is practical work, and the first practical work is to manage finances."

Gao Gong was stunned for a moment. In his heart, he somewhat agreed with what Gao Yi said, but his temper made him unwilling to admit defeat. He sneered and replied, "What a joke! Do I need him to test my ability? Brother Zixiang, why do you have to speak well of him?"

Gao Yi shook his head and sighed, "Su Qing, your temper is deadly. You are arrogant and do not care about Yan Song and Xu Shaohu. But when the late emperor was alive, would you dare to contradict him?
I dare not. Your Highness the Crown Prince is the good grandson of the late emperor, and his skills as an emperor are better than his father's. Now he has the emperor's trust, entrusted with military and national affairs, and is half the emperor of the Ming Dynasty. How can he use you if he doesn't convince you?

Is his temper the same as the emperor's?

Do you think His Highness can't rule the Ming Dynasty without you, Gao Gong? He has so many talented people under his command, how could he be without you, Gao Suqing?

Gao Suqing! It is His Highness who is giving you a chance now, not you giving His Highness the Crown Prince a chance! "

(End of this chapter)