Emperor Zhengde

Chapter 108 Yan Song is coming to Beijing
Of course, no matter what you do, money is essential.

Wang Yangming also understood this truth. Even if Zhu Houzhao talked a lot, it would cost money to run a school.

Therefore, Wang Yangming asked Zhu Houzhao: "Your Majesty, where did the money for building the Imperial University come from?"

"Money? Go ask your father!"

Zhu Houzhao replied without thinking. Although Jiao Fang, the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, was now in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, Zhu Houzhao had not yet clarified the specific powers of the Cabinet and the six ministers. Therefore, the Minister of Revenue was still in charge of the Ming Dynasty's finances.

Wang Yangming was speechless and could only reply: "Your Majesty is indeed my father and my ruler, so I would like to ask Your Majesty, where will the money come from?"

Zhu Houzhao never expected that he had accidentally become the father of the sage Wang Yangming.

Zhu Houzhao couldn't help but say: "Your father is the Minister of Finance, who else can you go to if not him?"

"Yes!"

Wang Yangming could only respond in this way. He originally thought that Emperor Zhu Houzhao would use his own treasury to build a university, but he did not expect that the emperor would ask the Ministry of Revenue to pay for it.

At this time, all the court officials knew that Emperor Zhu Houzhao must have made a lot of money after confiscating the houses of the rebels.

Therefore, they all wanted to get some money from the emperor to do some good things, but some also wanted to do some bad things to make money.

Wang Yangming was naturally no exception. He also thought that since the emperor was so rich and it was the emperor who wanted to build the Imperial University, naturally he would have to pay for it.

But Wang Yangming did not expect that Emperor Zhu Houzhao was so stingy and still asked the Ministry of Revenue to pay.

However, Wang Yangming could not disobey Zhu Houzhao.

Zhu Houzhao didn't say much and just asked Wang Yangming to leave.

Zhu Houzhao was not really stingy and was reluctant to spend his own money. He wanted to change the way he spent money. If he paid the money directly, officials at all levels of the court would come to him, the emperor, for money whenever they were short of money.

In that case, the emperor himself would not be the Son of Heaven but the God of Wealth!
There is no free lunch in the world. Zhu Houzhao wanted his ministers to understand this truth: governing the world requires costs. You cannot take the money from me as the emperor. You can only borrow it from the Ministry of Revenue!
Moreover, borrowing is not free, there is interest.

After all, the stable operation of a court not only guarantees the interests of the royal family, but also guarantees the wealthy life of you rulers, but you can't always let the emperor lose money.

anyway.

Wang Yangming had no choice but to go find his father, the Minister of Revenue Wang Hua.

As soon as Wang Yangming came to Wang Hua, Wang Hua frowned and shouted sternly: "Look at you! You are already over thirty years old, how can you still be so ignorant? The chief priest of the Imperial University is a useless person. No official in the court wants to take the position, but you are the only one who takes it. Since His Majesty values ​​you and lets you enter the Hanlin Academy and become a lecturer, you can be regarded as a close minister of the emperor. You should keep a low profile and maybe you can enter the cabinet in the future! Fight for our Wang family and bring honor to our ancestors!"

"Master, calm down. Wang Yun wants to be a good minister. He is not an official for the Wang family, but for the future of the Han Dynasty. Although the Imperial University is not as noble as the Hanlin Academy, it is the best place for academic research. Its significance is far beyond what you see now. I am not being presumptuous. Your knowledge can only stop at the level of Shangshu!"

Wang Yangming's words made Wang Hua so angry that he didn't hit him on the spot. But when he thought that this was the Ministry of Revenue, not his home, he had to hold back and said angrily: "You rebellious son, it's only because I am your master, otherwise you would have been feared by the powerful and the rich because of your ignorance of the ways of the world! I don't know how His Majesty values ​​you! Tell me, why did you come to see me?"

"I need money! His Majesty has ordered that the money for building the Imperial University of Peking must be paid by the Ministry of Revenue. Since you are the Minister of Revenue, I will naturally come to you!"

Wang Yangming replied.

"There is no money! The two taxes have not been collected yet, and the money from the confiscation of property has been put into the treasury. How can the Ministry of Revenue have any money?"

Minister of Revenue Wang Hua replied without even thinking.

"Okay, then I will report the truth to Your Majesty!" Wang Yangming said and turned away.

Wang Hua was so angry when he saw this that he quickly shouted, "Come back!"

Wang Yangming pretended not to hear and continued walking forward.

"you come back!"

Wang Hua was really afraid that Wang Yangming's answer to Zhu Houzhao would make Emperor Zhu Houzhao unhappy and implicate the entire Wang family.

Therefore, Wang Hua hurriedly ran to stop Wang Yangming and said, "You really want to piss me off to death! Are you really going to tell the emperor directly that the Ministry of Revenue has no money as I said?"

"If you don't say so, why do you say so?"

Wang Yangming smiled secretly, turned around and asked in a puzzled tone.

"What do you want me to say to you? Go back first and I'll think of a solution. The Ministry of Revenue really has no money!"

Wang Hua replied.

"Grand Minister! If there is no silver, there is no silver. Why worry so much? Just tell His Majesty the truth. I believe that His Majesty will not punish you, me, or the Wang family for this. What are you afraid of? His Majesty is not a tyrant. You should be able to see today in the court that His Majesty really wants to work hard to govern the country. It is impossible that he does not know the difficulties of the Ministry of Revenue. How can you accomplish great things if you are too cautious? I'm leaving!"

Wang Yangming said this and left.

Wang Hua couldn't help but jump up and yelled, "I don't need you to teach me how to be an official!"

Wang Yangming had no choice but to go to Zhu Houzhao again.

At this time, the Ministry of Personnel officially began organizing the central civil service selection examination.

All departments also informed the Ministry of Personnel of their vacancies one after another, which then counted the vacancies and informed all provincial governments, prefectures, counties, and the Imperial Colleges in the north and south, ordering those who were willing to serve the country to come to Beijing and take the exam to become candidate officials in various departments, which was equivalent to civil servants in later generations.

The Ministry of Personnel will then promote or transfer incumbent officials, as well as appoint and dismiss alternate officials based on the circumstances of each ministry.

Of course, high-ranking officials still need to be recommended or discussed in court.

……

At this time, Yan Song, who was recuperating at home, also learned the news from the prefect.

Yan Song was originally an editor in the Hanlin Academy, but in the 18th year of the Hongzhi reign he had to resign and return home to recuperate because of a serious illness.

Now, he has recovered from a serious illness, but the court has been turbulent and the situation has changed dramatically recently, and he can't find a way to resume his post.

Now that he knew that the imperial court was going to select officials directly through examinations, he immediately ran home happily and said to his first wife, Ouyang: "Madam, I want to tell you something good!"

……

Zhang Cong, Xia Yan, and Yan Song all appeared. Book friends who are familiar with the Ming Dynasty should know the connection between the three of them, and everyone should have guessed what the author is going to do.

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(End of this chapter)