Chang'an.

In the Xiande Hall of the East Palace.

The king and his subjects are discussing matters.

Seeing that the nine years of Wude finally came closer to the disaster, external troubles and even civil unrest, the New Year is coming soon, and next year will be the first year of the Zhenguan renaissance.

From the adventure mutiny on the fourth day of June to the present, every day in the past six months has been walking on thin ice and being cautious. But finally, rebels such as Li Yuan, Wang Junkuo, Li Xiaochang, Li Youliang, Liu Deyu, and Luo Yi were all beheaded.

Jie Li scored 300,000 horses and horses to drink from the Wei River. When his troops arrived in Chang'an, he was forced to retreat.

The drought and locusts were severe, and they were hungry and food famine, so they still gritted their teeth and survived.

Li Shimin sat in the hall and listened to the prime ministers' summary below. He suddenly felt like he was a different life. He had only been the crown prince for two months and the emperor for a hundred days, but it seemed that he had spent half his life on energy.

This emperor is indeed not easy to be a good person.

The hardships along the way, the emperor brought the world not to a bumper harvest, a prosperous country and a safe country, but to the great drought and locusts that ravage Guandong. For this reason, the court had to take out all the treasury money and grain to provide disaster relief.

Nowadays, the national treasury is empty, including the food in Taicang, Jingji Main Warehouse, Transport Warehouse, and Changping Warehouse. The food in the warehouse is pitifully small, and more are dried locusts and locust powder.

All the rent and mediocre adjustments were exempted this year, and the princes and nobles gave up their income from fiefs this year, and even officials reduced their salaries by half.

Li Shimin felt that he was a bit of a failure in becoming an emperor.

The New Year is coming soon, but the emperor cannot give the rewards to the heroes and prime ministers, nor can he give the rewards to the soldiers.

Because the treasury is empty.

Although I have survived this year, there is still a long time before next summer harvest. What should I do if I don’t want to take over the most important period of time?

The ministers sang praises below, but Li Shimin was very ashamed.

Although he has survived various challenges and crises, he is now in power, especially through the reform of the army. He has now completely controlled the Northern Ya system of Chang'an City, Baiqi Statue, Zhenfu Statue, Yulin Army, Qianniu Guard, and Jinwu Guard, which has given him stronger control than his father when he was emperor.

But so what?

Did he have ever been so embarrassed now when he was a father?

If you don’t take charge of the family, you don’t know that the firewood and rice are expensive, you don’t know that the world is so difficult to control.

The national treasury was dried up and the grain was not available, and the newly built Six Army of Beiya was unable to come up with a suitable military supply plan.

Without food, a more serious famine will break out after the beginning of spring next year, and the disaster resistance will be in vain. Without money, the Sixth Army of the Beiya will be unsustainable, and his Sixth Army of the Beiya may be forced to disband.

In the hall, the ministers began to discuss the process of the grand ceremony next year, but this was inseparable from the word "money". The grand ceremony next year is very important. This is the first major dynasty after his change of the reign. At that time, the Hu envoys from all directions and the congratulations of the Hu people from all directions will come to congratulate him. If something goes wrong then, it will affect the majesty of the Central Plains Celestial Kingdom.

Li Shimin can't afford to lose this face, nor can the Tang Dynasty, so it must be done, and it must be done solemnly, and it must be done so particularly solemnly.

Wei Zheng scolded the Secretary Zuo Pushe Feng Deyi.

"Prime Feng said so much, Wei Zheng dares to ask, where does the money come from?"

Feng Deyi was stunned and couldn't answer.

Now the treasury is empty and cleaner than the face. It was even said before that all officials paid half of their salary, but the problem is that this half of their salary was originally going to be paid, but now the court cannot pay it.

Where do you get the money to celebrate the ceremony now?

Wei Zheng's sharp question left Feng Deyi speechless.

The palace was in awkward silence.

Wei Zhengdao, "The Honglu Temple had just reported that Jie Li sent an envoy to the Tang Dynasty and asked us to give us 200,000 silk. We have no money to buy Turkic horses. Not to mention 10,000, even 5,000,000 horses, even 5,000,000 horses. I am worried that if I completely reject Jie Li's horse, it may cause dissatisfaction with Jie Li, and maybe the border will cause trouble again!"

Li Shimin felt a headache when he heard these words.

However, Li Jing, the general of the Left Guard, made a memorial at this time, proposing to use troops to the Liang army capital of Shuofang, saying that if the Liang army capital is not eliminated for a day, the northern part of the capital will be unstable. The Liang army capital must be destroyed and the Shuofang must be recaptured in order to stabilize Guanzhong, protect Chang'an, and even have the strategic initiative over the Turks. Otherwise, the Tang Dynasty will always be strangled by the Turks, and will leave as soon as you want.

But Li Jing's proposal was unanimously opposed by the prime ministers, because he had no money.

The famine has not passed at the moment, where does the money come from? How can you dare to provoke and start a fight at this time?

The emperor coughed a few times.

The hall became quiet again.

Li Shimin rubbed his temples with one hand, and his eyes swept over the ministers.

"I have heard the words of the ministers and summarized that the most important things that appear in the court are the most important things. First, money is money and second, food. If there is no money, the salary of the officials cannot be paid, the salary of the newly established North Ya Six Army cannot be paid, and the main dynasty meeting will not be handled next year...... Now, the rest are not raised, and we will discuss how to solve the problem of money and food!"

No one answered.

Li Shimin swept over the ministers in dissatisfaction.

"Feng Prime Minister, you are the Zuo Pushe, the leader of all officials, you say."

Although Feng Deyi was more capable, otherwise he would not have been able to have experienced four emperors of two dynasties and were all honored and favored, but this person’s best person is to observe his appearance, polish his mind, and engage in power struggles. If you really want to say that this kind of pragmatic governance, especially economic and financial management, Feng Deyi would be helpless.

After a long time, I had to bite the bullet and say, "Please increase revenue and reduce expenditure!"

"Where can we make money and where can we make money?" Li Shimin asked.

Feng Deyi couldn't answer.

Li Shimin was greatly disappointed, "Auxiliary, you said!"

As the emperor's first confidant Yuan Cong, Changsun Wuji was kicked out of court after Xiao Yu and Chen Shuda were indeed arranged to serve as the right pushe, which was naturally deeply trusted by the emperor.

But the emperor is only twenty-eight years old this year. Changsun Wuji is a few years younger than the emperor. Li Shimin once said in public that his sons were young, so he treated Changsun Wuji as his son. Although Changsun Wuji, who was 25 or 26, was quite decisive and skilled in strategy, he was not good at economics.

Faced with such a mess, there is no good idea.

He felt that at this moment, the establishment of the Sixth Army of the Beiya was not the time, especially the Sixth Army of the Beiya had to re-recruit troops, which was a huge military expenditure. But this was what the emperor insisted on doing, how could it be raised?

"Duke Wei!"

When Wei Zheng faced the emperor's inquiry, he said rudely, "I am the secretary and the economy and finance are neither the chief nor the main duties of the minister. Your Majesty should not ask me."

Li Shimin was angry, "You are not only a secretary, but also a counselor, and a political affairs officer!"

"I am a political affairs officer. I am indeed responsible for inquiries about military and national affairs, but I am mainly responsible for the refutation of audits. As for how to get money and grain, this should be the affairs of the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, the Minister of the Taipu Temple, the Minister of the Shaofu Supervisor, etc. Your Majesty should ask them, this is their job!"

Li Shimin shook his head helplessly.

Wei Zheng also said, "I have no way to get money and food, but I also agree with the Prime Minister's words of increasing revenue and reducing costs. His Majesty's Six Army of the Northern Yamen changed the government troops to recruit soldiers, with a total of more than 27,000 soldiers, which cost a huge amount every month. I think it is really unnecessary. Yang Guang of the previous dynasty established the Xiaoguo Army outside the twelve guards, and once raised 200,000, but what was the result? The Xiaoguo Army did not defend him, nor did he protect him, and even eventually rebelled by the monarch!"

Wei Zhengtao continued to seize the matter of the Six Army of the Northern Ya and refused to let go, saying how much money and food the Six Army would consume, especially at this moment, this was a bottomless pit, and asked the emperor to withdraw the Six Army of the Northern Ya and restore the original system of the Twelve Guards and Four Prefectures.

Li Shimin forced himself to suppress his unhappiness and listened to Wei Zheng's spitting.

"Do you guys have any good advice?"

The emperor asked three questions in a row, but no one answered.

Li Shimin's face became increasingly ugly. He stood up suddenly, kicked the imperial desk over with one foot, and then left with a black face.

All the officials were left looking at each other.

The emperor kicked the imperial case again.

Wei Zheng also stood there with a dark face, "No kingly demeanor!"

"Wei Jian just say a few less words!"

"Am I wrong? As an emperor, he always kicks the imperial desk and leaves with his sleeves. What does it look like?"

When the prime ministers saw that Wei Zheng was not willing to give up even after the emperor left, they still wanted to spray it there, and they turned their heads helplessly and ignored the big squirting, saving their saliva from being sprayed.

Li Shimin hurriedly returned to Lizheng Palace.

Seeing this, Changsun said, "Why did Your Majesty get angry?"

"That damn Wei Zheng is only worthy of going home to farm, sell wine and be a village man. I can't bear it anymore." Li Shimin had nothing to hide in front of the queen. He scolded Wei Zheng for a long time, saying that he was just asking for the name and pretending to be honest. In fact, this man was very treacherous, "He just knew that I dare not kill him, and wanted to set him as an example, so that people all over the world knew that I could tolerate the old princelings and tolerate those gentry literati......"

"Apart from bullshit advice all day long, what else can this damn villager do? I really ask him some strategies to govern the country and ensure the stability of the country, but he can't even let go of a fart!"

"I will kill this man one day!"

The eldest grandson poured a cup of tea for her husband.

"Your Majesty, drink a cup of tea first to calm down!"

"I can't drink it." Li Shimin was still angry and his chest was up and down. He didn't leave just now, and he was really afraid that he would rush down and knock Wei Zheng down with a punch, and then kick him hard.

"Your Majesty, all officials and officials in the court perform their duties. Wei Zheng was not wrong. He was the assistant to the government affairs, but he was not the minister in charge of economy and finance. Your Majesty insisted on asking him this, how could he answer?"

Li Shimin sighed.

"It would be great if Huailiang was here. One hundred Wei Zhengs can't beat Qin Lang. Although Qin Lang is young, his ability to do things is thousands of times higher than that of Wei Zheng. No matter what I ask him, he can always put forward unique opinions. Unlike this Wei Zheng, what else can he do except spitting out saliva!"

Changsun chuckled.

"Sanlang is indeed very wise and skillful. Your Majesty might as well call Sakuro back to Beijing to ask for advice. He has been driving him out of Beijing for so long and has taught enough lessons. It's going to be the Chinese New Year, so we can't let him go back to Chang'an."

Li Shimin said, "It's too fast to call him back now. I haven't stopped the fire from last incident."

"But I can't blame Saburo for what happened last time, right? He also suffered a disaster!"

Li Shimin sighed, "Now the court's finances are indeed at the end of their lives. I'm afraid Qin Lang will be helpless when he comes. It's hard for a good cook to cook without rice."

"If Your Majesty doesn't call Saburo back to ask for advice, how can you know if he has any solutions?" Changsun still insisted.
Chapter completed!