The Ming Dynasty: A bookstore sells the history of the Ming Dynasty, leaving Emperor Chongzhen bewil

It was already night, but the Hall of Supreme Harmony was brightly lit.

The ministers, who had already prepared to go home for the New Year, were once again urgently summoned back here.

The court was orderly, yet completely silent.

On the throne, Emperor Chongzhen looked at the memorial in his hand, his brows furrowed.

"I have just received an urgent memorial from Yang He, the Governor-General of the Three Border Regions of Shaanxi, delivered over 800 li."

"Natural disaster! Another natural disaster!"

"From spring to winter, the sky over Shaanxi was as red as blood, and not a drop of rain fell. In the three prefectures of Yan'an, Yulin, and Qingyang, the land was barren for thousands of miles. Rivers and wells dried up, wheat and rice yielded no harvest, and tree bark and grass roots were stripped away and eaten. Starving people sold their wives and children, and the price was less than a bushel of millet."

"In addition, the severe cold after the onset of winter caused millions of disaster victims to be displaced, countless people to die or be injured, and people to live in misery."

"All granaries in Shaanxi are empty; we hereby request the imperial court to provide disaster relief!"

"What do you suggest we do?"

Emperor Chongzhen raised his head and looked around at the assembled officials in the hall. However, after he finished speaking, the officials fell silent. Grand Secretary Han Kuang lowered his head and stared at the tips of his boots, while Minister of Revenue Bi Ziyan stroked his beard and frowned.

"say!"

Emperor Chongzhen couldn't help but slam his hand on the table, making the teacups clatter.

"Every day you're impeaching me, and I'm impeaching you, each one more eloquent than the last. But when something really happens, each one shrinks back. Didn't you say a few days ago that you were eating the emperor's food and were supposed to share his burdens? Now is precisely the time when I need you to share my burdens, so why are you all mute?"

Having said all that, Han Kuang finally stepped forward: "Your Majesty, in my opinion, the most urgent task is disaster relief, and disaster relief boils down to two words: money and grain."

"First, since all the granaries in Shaanxi are out of grain, we should urgently transfer grain from the surrounding provinces to the disaster area. Second, we should issue an imperial edict to the Ministry of Revenue to allocate funds for disaster relief. Third, we should appoint an imperial envoy to rush to the disaster area to oversee the disaster relief work."

As soon as he finished speaking, the oppressive atmosphere finally lightened up a bit, and the ministers nodded in agreement.

But in the end, this is just the basic procedure for disaster relief. Which veteran official doesn't understand it? No one stands up to say it because it's just empty talk and it's useless to say it.

Sure enough, at this moment, Bi Ziyan, the Minister of Revenue, stepped forward and stated bluntly: "Your Majesty, the national treasury has no funds available for allocation."

Emperor Chongzhen frowned: "Why is there no money available to allocate?"

"Why--"

Before speaking, Bi Ziyan sighed deeply: "Your Majesty, the military pay in Liaodong has not been paid for six months. Not long ago, the 300,000 taels of military pay that Commander Sun took to Liaodong to take up his post was pieced together from various sources. Even part of the annual salary originally planned for the imperial relatives was deducted. Last year's annual salary for the imperial relatives was already in arrears. This year, not only can we not make up for last year's arrears, but we are afraid that we will not be able to pay the full amount for this year either."

"besides……"

Bi Ziyan hesitated for a moment, then changed the subject and said, "In short, the national treasury really can't come up with a single penny now, or rather, I am incompetent and have no other choice. If Your Majesty wishes to punish me, I have no choice but to resign."

Emperor Chongzhen did not blame Bi Ziyan.

Because he knew that Bi Ziyan was telling the truth. Bi Ziyan was the brother of Bi Zisu, the Liaodong governor who was arrested for the mutiny at the front. Because of this relationship, Bi Zisu could not even get a penny of military pay from his brother, which led to the mutiny at the front.

Bi Ziyan was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the twentieth year of the Wanli reign. He had rich experience in officialdom, and his greatest strength lay in financial management. As Minister of Revenue, he devoted himself wholeheartedly to his post, a fact that Emperor Chongzhen was aware of.

When he said there was no other way, there really was no other way; changing to someone else would only make things worse.

At this moment, another minister stepped forward: "Your Majesty, Shanxi suffered from drought and locusts last year, and Henan was hit by floods on the Yellow River. Both provinces are too busy to take care of themselves and have no grain to send."

They had neither money nor food.

Han Kuang just said that disaster relief is nothing more than "money" and "food," and now that we have neither, how can we provide disaster relief?

Emperor Chongzhen had a severe headache.

Make bricks without straw.

His understanding of this statement was extremely profound, because the Ming Dynasty's finances had always been poor. By the time it came into his hands, the national treasury had been completely depleted, with annual deficits, and the entire fiscal system could be said to have already collapsed.

In order to maintain the court's finances, their method was to increase taxes. At the end of the Wanli era, the Liaodong tax was increased by nine li of silver per mu. During the Tianqi era, this was extended to customs duties and salt taxes, and by his time it had increased to one fen and two li.

Even so, there was still no money.

The Ming Dynasty had just made some changes, climbed back up a little, and seen a glimmer of hope, but now it has been plunged back to rock bottom.

If the drought in Shaanxi is not dealt with in time, starving people will soon rise up in rebellion.

When starving people rebel, the rebellion must be quelled; when the rebellion is quelled, provisions and wages are needed; when provisions and wages are not available, taxes are levied; when taxes are levied, rebellion breaks out again; and so on... This creates an endless vicious cycle.

Ultimately, beset by internal and external troubles, the country perished.

The changes made before seem to have had no effect.

Emperor Chongzhen felt a wave of dejection.

"My lords, is there anything else you wish to say?"

The hall fell silent once again.

To be honest, without money and food, how can we provide disaster relief? We can't!

The only option is for the disaster victims to fend for themselves, which basically means they are left to fend for themselves. But no one can say that out loud, because the people are the most important, so it's better to keep quiet.

Emperor Chongzhen held his forehead with one hand and waved the other: "Dismiss the court."

……

After hastily dismissing the court, Emperor Chongzhen went to the Kunning Palace, hoping to find some solace.

Empress Zhou was reading a book when she saw the Emperor arrive. She quickly put down her book and went to greet him, only to find that the Emperor looked dejected.

"Your Majesty, what's wrong?"

Emperor Chongzhen did not answer, but instead asked curiously, "What's wrong with you?"

Because there were obvious tear stains on the other person's face.

Empress Zhou smiled gently and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes: "It's nothing. I just saw the book you brought back for me last time. It was so beautiful that it made me cry."

"The books I brought back last time?"

"Um."

Empress Zhou nodded, picking up the book she had just put down: "It's this 'Dream of the Red Chamber,' Your Majesty? Have you forgotten?"

"oh."

Emperor Chongzhen suddenly realized, but he had no interest in discussing books at the moment.

Empress Zhou asked curiously, "Your Majesty, where did you get this book?"

Emperor Chongzhen replied listlessly, "Just a bookstore..."

Emperor Chongzhen suddenly stopped halfway through his speech.

bookstore?

Yes! It's a bookstore!

The bookstore was, in his mind, the Grand Council of the Ming Dynasty.

Why didn't he think of a bookstore when he was at his wit's end?

Although he didn't know if Zhu Ziming could offer any solutions, he had no choice but to give it a try, even if it seemed hopeless. After all, when he was undecided about how to use Yuan Chonghuan, he went to a bookstore and got the answer he wanted, and also gained a lot of other things along the way. These things had guided his actions during this period.

Maybe this time it will work too?

Thinking of this, Chongzhen stood up abruptly, not even having time to drink the hot tea that Empress Zhou had just brewed, and hurriedly shouted to the outside world:

"Someone, prepare the car!"

Wang Chengen, who was outside, was puzzled, but he still hurriedly prepared the carriage as Chongzhen had instructed.

Before leaving the palace, Emperor Chongzhen made sure to take a fine porcelain vase with him.

Last time it was a painting, this time it was a bottle, and both times I left in a hurry.

Where is Your Majesty going?

Empress Zhou looked completely bewildered...