It is difficult for a clever woman to cook without rice
In July of the first year of Chengqi, that is, the third month of Nangong Jingnu's ascension to the throne, the political situation that had finally stabilized fell into an unexpected crisis.
Since there were dynasties in ancient times, people in this world have been divided into three, six, and nine grades, and they are called "scholars, farmers, industry and commerce" according to the decree of the imperial court.
The imperial court and local government offices need to operate, and they must collect taxes and silver from farmers. Once there is a problem in this link, the world will not be far from chaos...
For three months, Nangong Jingnu worked hard day and night, and did not dare to slack off for a moment. She conquered the harsh civil service group with her own practical actions, and also used various methods to temporarily stabilize the military military group. I thought it was finally possible. Breathe a sigh of relief, it's a pity that the day did not go as expected.
On a certain day in July, it was a good season when the grains in the north began to bear ears and the harvest in the south began. However, a natural disaster occurred in the Wei Kingdom that swept the north and the south and caused widespread disasters.
The severe drought in the north has swept across the fourteen capitals of the Gyeonggi region, causing a large area of grains to grow into empty shells.
In the south, a flood broke out, and the flood spread to seven prefectures, five of which were food production areas, the granary in the south of Wei State, and the money bag of the imperial court.
Although Nangong Jingnv received the grace of tax reduction and exemption after she ascended the throne, because the north has not been very peaceful in recent years, the affected people in the north this time do not have much allowance at home, and most of the rations accumulated by the peasant households are only enough for the whole family. Eat for a few months, and then face the long winter. Although the south is relatively prosperous, the floods have washed away countless farmlands and granaries, and tens of thousands of people have been displaced.
The post officials from the north and the south came to Beijing with a red memorial on their backs. Nangong Jingnv was shocked when she saw it. The preliminary statistics of the losses of the prefectures were written on it, and the numbers were shocking.
Nangong Jingnv called Zhongshu Ling late at night, and officials from the Ministry of Households, the Ministry of Punishment, the Ministry of Industry, and the Dasinong entered the palace to discuss matters.
Nangong Jingnv: "At least 300,000 people were affected by the natural disaster on both sides of the north and south. I decided to send a group of people to the seven disaster-stricken prefectures in the south, and mobilize the local government and the garrison to strengthen the dams to resist the flood. Repair the damaged facilities in the seven places, and set aside a part of the funds for the reconstruction of the homes of the affected people. The officials of the Ministry of Punishment went to supervise with the imperial censor. Grain and grass are transported to the disaster-stricken state capital in the north. Dasinong is responsible for on-site inspections to see if the crops can be remedied. Zhongshu Province is responsible for supervising to ensure that every affected farmer can receive enough rations to survive the winter! Minister of the Ministry of Housing, you immediately convene people to count the two disaster relief funds to me, and I will see the specific figures before dawn." Then he handed over the reports sent to the capital from the north and the south to the Minister of the Ministry of Household.
The Minister of the Household took it with both hands: "The old minister follows the order."
Nangong Jingnv gave a small meeting room in Ganquan Palace to the Minister of the Ministry of Housing, and ordered people to quickly summon the head of the Ministry of Household, the chief accountant, into the palace.
On the other hand, Xing Jingfu took Nangong Jingnv's handwriting, and went to Hongwen Pavilion to get the peerless treasure of the inner court: "Kuzhou Huanyu" picture, this is when Nangong Rang was thirty-nine years old, a traveler named Yu Ziqi. With the birthday gift presented by the scattered people, it was through this picture that Nangong Rang learned that there was still half of the country to the north of the moat, and thus started the war.
After the reunification of the North and the South, Nangong Rang kept this map in the Hongwen Museum. At present, "Kyushu Huanyu" is the most accurate and complete map of the Wei Kingdom.
After getting the map, Xing Jingfu brought other officials to another palace. They needed to determine the location of the disaster area, calculate the distance, and plan the route in the shortest possible time.
Eight other servants worked together to carry two boxes of files, which contained local chronicles and water classics of the Wei state capitals. The Ministry of Industry needed to pass these files and plan the most suitable disaster relief tools and repairing equipment according to the geographical conditions.
Nangong Jingnu wandered between the two palaces from time to time, asking about the progress.
In the silent night, the lights in Ganquan Palace were brightly lit, and from time to time there were hurried and clear voices of making plans in the council hall next to it.
The dripping hourglass ticked "tick tock", time passed bit by bit, and the east was white.
Almost at the same time, the Minister of the Ministry of Housing and the Minister of Works, each with a wad of paper in their hands, ran back to the main hall.
Minister of the Ministry of Works: "Your Majesty, the equipment needed to fight the flood has been obtained. Here is the list of materials and costs required, as well as the estimated number of craftsmen needed. This... is the specific route given by Lord Zhongshuling, and it is the most Fast."
The Minister of the Household: "Your Majesty, this is the amount of grain and forage needed by the Household Department in the north and the amount of silver needed by the disaster-stricken areas in the south."
Nangong Jingnu took out the fee list given by the Ministry of Industry and handed it to the Minister of Household: "How much does it cost in total?"
The minister of households held the list in his left hand, raised his right hand and began to count: "A total of 2,300,930 silver coins and 230,000 load of grain are needed!"
Nangong Jingnu asked Xing Jingfu again: "When can we reach the disaster area?"
Xing Jingfu: "It is faster to travel by land in the north. If it is faster, you can reach the disaster-stricken prefecture in 40 days. The minister here in the south recommends taking the waterway. If a flood sweeps the post road, it will be damaged to some extent. The silver, stone and wood needed are all It's a baggage, and I'm afraid it will be difficult to travel in the mud. Although the waterway will take some time to go around the bend, but it is safer than the land road, and it will take two months at the earliest..."
The Minister of Punishment: "But... Your Majesty can send the post house to go back day and night, and the state capital in the disaster area will deal with it first, waiting for the rescue of the court."
Nangong Jingnu sighed and nodded, "Go do it."
Everyone: "According to the order."
Only the Ministry of Household expressed embarrassment and knelt on the ground: "Your Majesty, I'm afraid..."
Nangong Jingnu: "What's wrong?"
The Minister of the Household: "Your Majesty, the Household... does not have so much money."
A trace of anger flashed across Nangong Jingnu's eyes, and she asked, "Where's the money in the treasury?"
The Minister of the Household took the account book in the master's hand and put it on the ground in front of him, and opened it: "Look, Your Majesty, since the thirteenth year of Jingjia, the amount of money handed over to the Ministry of Household has been insufficient, and in the following years it is even more than a year. It's not as good as a year... But the expenditure of the imperial court has not decreased but increased, and the money in the treasury is decreasing year by year, and it is tight every year!"
Da Si Nong: "Your Majesty, since the thirteenth year of Jingjia, there have been natural disasters everywhere, and the imperial court has reduced or exempted some taxes..."
Nangong Jingnu recalled that this was indeed the case, and it was her own decision, but she remembered that there was a lot of money in the treasury, and even if the tax failed, it would not even be more than two million taels.
Nangong Jingnu: "Where's the money in the treasury? Where did the money collected in the past go?"
The Minister of the Ministry of Housing raised his sleeves to wipe the sweat, but he didn't say a word for a while.
Nangong Jingnu: "Whatever you want to say, Ben Gong... I forgive you."
The Minister of the Household: "Zhou Zhi, the first prince, King Jing, King Yu and other princes' funerals, according to the rules, the funeral budget of each one-word king is one million taels, and the fire repair of the ancestral mausoleum spent four One million taels, the construction of the emperor's mausoleum starts from the year following the emperor's enthronement, and it costs about several hundred thousand taels every year. In the past, the proportion of the ladies in the palaces, the expenses of the inner court... It was about 80 to 120 per year. Between 10,000 taels, several disaster reliefs will be used..."
The Minister of the Household licked his fingers and flipped through the account book: "Forty to eighty million taels were used, and some of them were distributed to the common people, the consumption and repair materials on the way to the disaster-stricken areas, the craftsmen's money... and... Every year, the generals from various places. The reported military maintenance cost is about 4 million taels per year. When it is more than 5 million, it cannot be stopped. The Ministry of War is not under the control of the old minister. In addition, the Weiming Palace, the Weiming Palace... Reconstruction, the former emperor ordered the ministers to 'return to the original state', this Weiming Palace was the east palace of the previous dynasty, and the Shang Emperor of the previous dynasty was famous for its extravagance. It took more than 8 million taels of silver to restore the Weiming Palace! This time the Youzhou garrison entered the capital to escort them, and all the consumption along the way was reported to the imperial court by the general Wang, who just took away 2 million taels from the Ministry of Household a while ago. In recent years, the tax revenue has dropped year by year, and many empty houses have appeared in various places. The peasant households have become black households. Silver! The old minister has announced the death, and the Ministry of Household can immediately take out the silver, I am afraid that there is not even two million taels! His Majesty's enthronement has reduced or exempted taxes from various places. I don't know how long this two million taels will last. It’s hard for a clever woman to cook without rice, and it’s hard for an old minister, the Ministry of Household really can’t make money!”
Nangong Jingnu's fists clenched tightly, and fine beads of sweat ooze out of her palms as she listened to the Minister of Household's calendar counting various expenditures.
All the courtiers in the hall fell silent and knelt to the ground silently.
Nangong Jingnu looked at them and felt the weight of the country for the first time.
She knew that there were a lot of problems in the court, but she never thought that what she saw in those days when she was under the curtain was just the tip of the iceberg! Frozen three feet is not a day's cold, and now these problems have accumulated for many years before they erupted.
Even the emperor above ten thousand people is powerless to return to heaven.
Nangong Jingnv: "What are you all doing on your knees? I didn't say who to blame, but all stood up and discussed countermeasures with me." Her voice was exhausted and a little hoarse.
Everyone stood up one after another, but still did not dare to make a sound. To find ways to? How can the deficit of real money be imagined
After a whole night of discussions, no effective method could be found, so Nangong Jingnu had no choice but to open her bloodshot eyes and bring a group of courtiers to the court.
During the entire court meeting, the ministers were discussing this issue, but they never got an answer that would satisfy Nangong Jingnu.
Since Nangong Jingnu was enthroned, it is almost normal for her to sleep a night and a day, and sometimes she is too busy to drink saliva.
This time, she hadn't slept for nearly two days, and she felt her head swell and her temples tingling.
After going to court, Nangong Jingnv ordered someone to drive into the palace without even changing her regular clothes. Qi Yan also locked herself in the study last night and slept in the middle of the night. When Nangong Jingnv came, she had just woken up and hadn't washed and changed her clothes. .
Nangong Jingnu: "You guys go down first."
Qi Yan: "Your Majesty."
Nangong Jingnv: "Don't get up." She walked to Qi Yan's bed and fell down.
Qi Yan was terrified and panicked to check the situation of Nangong Jingnu: "Your Majesty?! What's the matter with you?"
Nangong Jingnu opened her eyes and said feebly, "The north and the south are suffering from disasters, and the household department has no money... Qi Yan, I... I'm so tired."
Nangong Jingnu's face was very bad, she closed her eyes after blinking twice, and lay there motionless.
Looking at such Nangong Jingnu, Qi Yan felt both distressed and complicated in her heart.
She raised her hand and touched Nangong Jingnv's cheek, removed the shoes and socks for Nangong Jingnv and took off the crown, and said softly, "Sleep for a while, there will be a way. When His Majesty wakes up, let's find a way together."
Nangong Jingnu gave a "uh", turned her head and rubbed Qi Yan's leg with the tip of her nose, and fell asleep.