Chapter 161 Sun Chuanting was frightened

Sun Chuanting was surprised that Chongzhen would criticize him again, but what he didn't expect was that Chongzhen actually nodded in agreement, and even said with gritted teeth: "Every time I think of Wei Zhongxian's deeds of disrupting the government, I wish I could skin him alive!"

"A mere eunuch dared to call himself the 9,000-year-old, and even wanted to set up a statue in the Imperial College to share incense with the Sage of Literature. This alone is enough for him to die a hundred times!"

Sun Chuanting was completely confused, and even felt that the young emperor in front of him might have some kind of illness or be suffering from schizophrenia.

One moment he speaks for Wei Zhongxian, and the next moment he grits his teeth at Wei Zhongxian. What does this mean?

Chongzhen gnashed his teeth for a while, but suddenly smiled and said to Sun Chuanting: "But I heard this from an expert, that is, even a piece of toilet paper in this world has its use, and the same is true for Wei Zhongxian!"

"As the saying goes, medicine can kill people, but it can also save people. For the Ming Dynasty today, traitors like Wei Zhongxian are medicine that can save people, but it can also kill people!"

Sun Chuanting felt that he had never been so confused in his life. After all, he was a genuine Jinshi. Why did he feel like a fool standing in front of Chongzhen? He could understand every word, but couldn't understand them when they were put together?

Sun Chuanting, who was confused, lost his temper and could only respectfully ask for advice: "How could a traitor like Wei Zhongxian become the life-saving panacea for our Ming Dynasty?"

"But what this expert said makes a lot of sense. Everything in this world has its own reason for existence, so a piece of toilet paper naturally has its uses. But I really don't understand what use Wei Zhongxian has other than harming the people."

Chongzhen smiled without saying anything, but just took out an account book from the imperial desk.

Wang Chengen immediately took it and handed it to Sun Chuanting.

Chongzhen said, "This is the expenditure of the nine frontier military pay since I ascended the throne. See if there is any problem."

When Sun Chuanting saw that the emperor even showed him such a confidential account book, he did not dare to be disrespectful and began to read it page by page.

Chongzhen was not in a hurry either. He raised the teacup and drank slowly.

After about a quarter of an hour, Sun Chuanting raised his head and looked at Chongzhen in shock.

Chongzhen did not care about Sun Chuanting's rudeness, but asked meaningfully: "Sir, have you finished reading it? Do you see any problems?"

Sun Chuanting immediately said, "Before August of the seventh year of Tianqi, the nine frontiers all had varying degrees of arrears of wages, ranging from a few months to more than ten months! The total amount exceeded one or two million taels!"

"But as of a few days ago, all the arrears of wages in the Nine Borders have been paid off... How is this possible?"

"Could it be that the late emperor had money but was unwilling to spend it, and only after Your Majesty ascended the throne did this..."

Halfway through his words, Sun Chuanting suddenly realized that it was extremely disrespectful to say this to Tianqi, so he stopped talking abruptly, but his curious eyes were still staring at Chongzhen.

Chongzhen laughed loudly and asked, "Sir, didn't you say that Wei Zhongxian was causing chaos in the government? The late emperor valued Wei Zhongxian very much during his reign. Do you think Wei Zhongxian would leave so much money in the treasury?"

"Besides, sir, you were still an official in the court before the sixth year of Tianqi. Don't you know whether the court has money?"

Sun Chuanting actually thought about it for a moment and replied, "The imperial court was indeed out of money at that time..."

"But Your Majesty has only been on the throne for a few months, where would so much come from..."

Sun Chuanting stopped talking halfway through his speech.

Because it seems extremely impolite to ask anyone why he is so rich, let alone if the person is the emperor.

Chongzhen smiled even more proudly. For some reason, he gradually came to like the feeling of scaring his ministers into a daze. It gave him a sense of pleasure of looking down on the world.

After laughing, Chongzhen said, "This money was brought to me by the eunuch party that you mentioned was causing chaos in the government!" "Do you know why I sent Wei Zhongxian to serve as the tax collector in Jiangnan?"

This time Sun Chuanting was not confused at all. He quickly and shockedly said, "Is it just for the purpose of collecting taxes? And Wei Zhongxian collected two million taels for Your Majesty in just a few months?"

Chongzhen shook his head, and Sun Chuanting immediately felt relieved.

He rose from the bottom of the society to become a county magistrate and knew how difficult it was to collect taxes.

Without powerful means and a cold-blooded and ruthless personality, it would be impossible to collect all the taxes from the court.

What's more, Wei Zhongxian collected commercial taxes and faced powerful and wealthy people, not honest peasants who were easily manipulated.

It is no exaggeration to say that it is as difficult as climbing to the sky to deduct money from them.

What’s more, in just a few months, the amount collected was close to two million.

If Wei Zhongxian could really do it, even if Sun Chuanting disliked him, at least when it came to collecting taxes, he would be willing to say "Your Excellency is awesome!"
After following Wang An for so long, Chongzhen also became a bit sinister. Hearing this, he did not directly say that it was because he had seized all the Huizhou merchants. Instead, he smiled and said, "Sir, Wei Zhongxian has brought me more than two million!"

More than two million?

Sun Chuanting suddenly felt a little dizzy and kept wondering whether Wei Zhongxian was playing any tricks.

Could it be that he took out all the money he had embezzled in the past in order to save his own life?
But no matter what the reason was, it is an indisputable fact that Wei Zhongxian obtained money for the court. Even if they really wanted to deal with him, they had to at least wait until Wei Zhongxian could no longer obtain money.

Moreover, as an able minister who cared about the country, Sun Chuanting could vaguely feel that the root cause of the Ming Dynasty's predicament was actually the lack of money.

Other issues such as land annexation, intensified social contradictions, and official corruption are not immediately fatal problems.

At this point, Sun Chuanting finally understood why Chongzhen did not kill Wei Zhongxian.

Sure enough, without reaching that position, many decisions made by those in higher positions are simply incomprehensible, and may even seem absurd.

But once you get to that position, you will understand it.

Chongzhen smiled and said, "Sir, have I answered your question?"

Sun Chuanting hung his head and said dejectedly: "Your Majesty has already cleared up all the doubts in my mind!"

"Haha," Chongzhen laughed, "Then I also have a question, I would like to ask you to solve it."

Sun Chuanting said, "Your Majesty, please speak."

Chongzhen suddenly became serious and said, "Sir, may I ask how to solve the problem of bandits?"

…………

After two hours, Sun Chuanting walked out of Wenhua Hall with a look of high energy.

He had just received the appointment from Chongzhen and was about to go to Shaanxi to take over the post of governor.

However, according to the original history, Chongzhen only gave him 60,000 taels of silver, and Sun Chuanting had to raise the subsequent military pay himself.

(End of this chapter)