Mingshi

Chapter 1499 Difficulties
Speaking of this, Luo Xin said: "Everyone knows that during the time of the first emperor, the Jinggong stopped."

Everyone nodded. The beginning of this experience was to let some educated ministers tell the emperor about knowledge and the way of governing the country.But what is Confucianism best at?
It's a sense of ritual!

So, after playing around, a complete, grand, and cumbersome ceremony was created.

Now that it is completed, grand, and cumbersome, what does it mean?
It means spending money, big money, extravagance.

After Emperor Jiajing came to the throne, he still continued the Jingdiao. The first time he opened the Jingdiao, he spent nearly 40 taels of silver.Then Emperor Jiajing stopped.

It's too expensive, with this money, how good it is for Emperor Jiajing to practice Taoism!
Emperor Jiajing didn't even go to court, isn't it normal to stop for a while?Who dares to say anything?
This stop lasted for more than 30 years. The ceremonial things that were purchased at the beginning were lost long ago, and they were badly damaged. Now that the business is reopened, it is bound to be repurchased, which requires a lot of money.

Therefore, Luo Xin continued: "Reopening the scriptures in this way will definitely require a lot of money, and everyone will discuss it later. Let's talk about the canonization of the crown prince. His Majesty has already issued an order to hold it grandly. This is another big sum of money. No Do you know if everyone has an estimate of how much it costs?"

Chen Yiqin has already made preparations, and now he has decided to follow Luo Xin closely and does not want to give up the opportunity.Moreover, he and Luo Xin had worked together in Prince Yu's Mansion for a period of time, and he also had a basic understanding of Luo Xin.Knowing that Luo Xin is definitely not a person with nothing to do, sooner or later he will show his fangs in the Ministry of Rites, so he has made all the preparations these days, and when Luo Xin finished speaking, he immediately opened his mouth and said:

"My lord, I have checked that the first emperor spent 130 million taels of silver when he appointed the eldest son of the emperor as the crown prince. Now that more than 30 years have passed and prices have risen, it is estimated that it will cost more than 160 million taels."

"Tsk..." Luo Xin rubbed his teeth and said, "How much money do you need to buy a business rice dumpling?"

"It's estimated to be 60 taels." Chen Yiqin said: "But this is the first time, so I have to buy a lot of things. I don't need so much for the second time. I guess 25 taels will be about the same."

"160 million plus 60 is 220 million taels of silver." Luo Xin frowned slightly and said, "I'm afraid the household department doesn't have that much silver right now?"

"It's more than nothing!" Tao Xingyan sighed and said, "Originally, the household department still had more than 500 million taels of silver. After the death of the first emperor and the enthronement of the current emperor, it cost more than 340 million taels of silver. Now the household department only has There are more than 100 million taels of silver left. This is still the situation of the Ministry of Household Affairs. The late emperor’s internal funds were completely wiped out by the late emperor to build altars, alchemy, etc., especially during the last period of the late emperor..."

Having said that, Tao Xingyan remained silent, but everyone in the room understood that Emperor Jiajing had already fallen into madness in his last days, spending money like crazy, buying anything that could help him prolong his life and help him cultivate immortality. .Those Taoist priests who became rich, however, gave Emperor Longqing a clean inner money for all the inner money.

In fact, today's Daming is not short of money.With the northern mutual market and the southern shipping department, millions of silver will be sent to the capital every six months.And this money will be divided into two parts, a small part is the emperor's internal funds, which is an agreement reached between Luo Xin and Emperor Jiajing's cabinet when he established the Shibo Department and Mutual Market.In this way, the household department is still rich, but the madness of Emperor Jiajing left the internal funds with no money.And the lack of money is also temporary, that is, after another four months, the money from the Shibo Department and the Mutual Market will be sent again.

However, it will take four months, what should we do now?
Don't look at the household department still has more than 100 million silver, but there are more places waiting to be spent.This more than 100 million is not enough at all.Since Luo Xin established the Shibo Department and the Mutual Market, the Household Department has lived a comfortable life for a few years, but now it is stretched. Shipping companies and mutual markets will send money.

However, Hubu could wait, but Emperor Longqing couldn't wait!
Now that you are the emperor, you have to reward your concubine, and the maids and eunuchs in the palace should also reward some.This is not a small amount of money, it is really an expense, and it must be rewarded to show the identity of the emperor.

but……

There is no money in the house...

Everyone in the palace knows that after the new emperor ascends the throne, there will be rewards, which is a necessary process.If the emperor does not give rewards, it will lose the dignity of the royal family.

Everyone is waiting!
Emperor Longqing had no choice, so he discussed with the cabinet, not to ask the Ministry of Households for money, but to borrow it!Emperor Longqing promised that as long as the money from Shibosi and Hushi was delivered four months later, he would immediately return it to the Ministry of Households.

Naturally, the cabinet would not refute Emperor Longqing's face, because whether it was Xu Jie or Gao Gong, everyone knew that in four months, Emperor Longqing would have money.You can pay it back, just borrow it, what else does this courtier say?
Just hurry up and transfer some money to Emperor Longqing from the Ministry of Household Affairs.The emperor must not lose his dignity.

However, the bad thing is that after Emperor Longqing ascended the throne, the contrast with Emperor Jiajing was too great.

Emperor Jiajing acted arbitrarily, but Emperor Longqing was indecisive.

In the past, those speech officials were all broken by Emperor Jiajing, and they were frightened.No one dared to impeach Emperor Jiajing.But after Emperor Longqing ascended the throne, these officials found that the times were different!
Emperor Longqing is a naughty melon!

Emperor Longqing didn't understand anything!
Emperor Longqing has a good temper!

The golden age of our speech officials has come!
At this time, we officials, if we don't win fame, when will we win it!

Therefore, before the cabinet ordered the household department to transfer money to Emperor Longqing, the officials who heard the news, like flies smelling rotten eggs, wrote a letter to impeach Emperor Longqing, impeaching Emperor Longqing for extravagance and waste, even He also told Emperor Longqing the story of King Zhou.It started with a pair of exquisite chopsticks, and ended with the kingdom.And the silver that Emperor Longqing wanted from the beginning was much more expensive than chopsticks...

Emperor Longqing could not be wronged, nor could he be angry.

I borrowed it, but didn't I not repay it?
However, when the Yanguan heard Emperor Longqing's explanation, he became even more turbulent.Yan said, His Majesty's internal money should be reduced. This time Emperor Longqing was really angry, but those officials were even angrier and more arrogant, as if Emperor Longqing was angry, they had an opponent, and their spirits were even more excited.

then……

The cowardly Emperor Longqing was discouraged!I no longer mentioned the matter of borrowing money, let alone the matter of rewards, but just hid in the harem and sulked.Therefore, the Ministry of Etiquette is also very worried now, if the report of the degree and cost of the canonization and canonization of the crown prince, will it usher in the impeachment of today's speech officials like mad dogs?

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(End of this chapter)