Chapter 81 I Can't Live Without Yan Runwu

Are the officials of the Ming Dynasty afraid of the emperor today?
Probably not afraid.

But are the officials of the Ming Dynasty afraid of death?

Everyone is afraid!
Everyone knows that causing trouble in front of the Meridian Gate is the easiest way to achieve personal fame and official reputation.

But the officials of the Ming Dynasty also knew that this was also the most risky thing.

Because if things go wrong, the emperor will really go crazy and kill people.

A gust of wind blew past the Meridian Gate.

The officials who were sitting in silence today couldn't help but shrink their heads when they looked at the large black wooden boxes on the carriages.

Could this thing be going to be put into our heads later?
Yan Shaoting, however, sensed something and quickly turned around and pulled Yan Shifan away from the sit-in officials without saying a word.

But it was exactly this action of Yan Shaoting.

This further solidified the speculations of the officials who were sitting in protest to demand their wages.

Finished!

The emperor will definitely order their heads to be chopped off!

"Eunuch Lu! We are not offending Your Majesty today. We just want to ask the cabinet to return the salary we deserve!"

"Eunuch Lu! You are the emperor's close confidant. I hope you can understand that there are treacherous officials in our Ming Dynasty who are blocking the upper and lower levels and oppressing all officials."

"This treacherous minister is Xu Jie! It's Gao Gong!"

"Please, Eunuch Lu, make the decision for us."

"..."

Xu Jie and Gao Gong, who were brutally stabbed in the back by the civil servants, were stunned with their eyes wide open.

These bastards can really say anything.

Yan Shifan was also ready to stand with his "colleagues", but was held back by Yan Shaoting.

"Please be patient, you will understand it soon!"

Yan Shaoting had to say something to appease him.

This is not the time for Yan Shifan to show off.

Lu Fang stood in front of the Meridian Gate, facing the officials who were sitting in silence, and bowed in the direction of the Western Garden.

This eunuch, who is in charge of the twenty-four offices of the inner court and holds the seal of the Imperial Household Department, is so upright and awe-inspiring that if it weren't for his pale face and beard, one would think he is a powerful general of the empire.

All I heard was Lu Fang speaking in a full and clear voice: "In compliance with the order of His Majesty."

Although all officials sat in silence in front of the Meridian Gate.

But when they heard this, they all straightened their bodies.

"I heard that the ministers and officials of the previous dynasty have not received any official salary in recent years. I am surprised and worried about whether the ministers and officials have rice in their houses."

With just one sentence, the Taoist priest extricated himself from the matter of the Ming Dynasty's withholding of salaries for officials.

Then Lu Fang continued, "The national treasury is in a difficult situation, and I am very pleased that my ministers have worked hard, but it is difficult for me to let my ministers endure hunger and cold.

The inner court is ordered to cancel the emperor's birthday festival this year, and the inner treasury is ordered to transfer three months' salary silver to be allocated to the officials in the outer court to maintain the current situation.

The Ministry of Revenue officials are ordered to pay a fine of three months’ salary, and the salary owed will be repaid this year without error.”

After saying these three sentences, Lu Fang waved his hand.

The young eunuchs from the inner court who followed him out climbed onto the large carts and dropped the large wooden boxes onto the ground through the chutes.

Then several people worked together to push down the large wooden box.

There was a series of tinkling sounds.

The ground was covered with snow-white silver, reflecting the sunlight and blurring everyone's eyes.

Then a eunuch from the Imperial Household Department took out an account book and began to call out the names of officials one by one, asking which department and which official they were from, and how much their salary was for three months. They were asked to come forward, receive their silver, sign and seal their names, and then leave.

Yan Shaoting showed a knowing smile on his face.

Whoever says that the priest is really a stingy miser.

The three-month salary of officials in Beijing was only tens of thousands of silver taels. Now the Taoist priest, who had 2.8 million taels of silver from the imperial treasury, only needed to open his fingers slightly to scatter the silver.

Master Zhu pays for all the expenses today!

What’s more important is that when the two cabinet ministers Xu Jie and Gao Gong were being scolded,

The Taoist priest's move has won him a lot of people's hearts.

Listen to what the emperor said.

The emperor was unaware that the court was in arrears with officials’ salaries and was shocked, but he also admired the officials’ work attitude. In order to ensure that everyone would not go hungry, the emperor did not hold his birthday celebration this year. Instead, he took out three months’ salary of Beijing officials from the treasury to help everyone solve their temporary difficulties.

Finally, the emperor turned his attention to the Ministry of Revenue.

No matter how long it has been since the emperor, who is obsessed with practicing Taoism, last celebrated his birthday.

Today before the Meridian Gate, the official salaries that were due were paid, and the Ministry of Revenue that was due to be fined was also fined.

The emperor is naturally still as wise and benevolent as ever.

as predicted.

When the boxes of silver were scattered on the ground, the officials who were sitting quietly immediately thought that Your Majesty was wise and brave, and cared about all officials.

The bad ones are those idle ministers in the cabinet and the guys in the Ministry of Revenue who are in charge of the purse strings.

Yan Shifan looked at the silver coins being carefully weighed and cut by the eunuchs from the Imperial Household Department and distributed to the officials who were present to demand their wages. He blinked a few times and finally looked at his son who was holding his side.

Xu Jie and Gao Gong, who were stabbed in the back by the Taoist priest, almost vomited blood.

The two of them were firmly responsible for the crime of persecuting court officials.

"Did you just guess it?"

Fortunately, I was pulled away, otherwise I would have stolen the emperor's limelight today.

Yan Shaoting smiled faintly: "It's just a small matter of asking the cabinet and the Ministry of Revenue for the unpaid salaries. Can Your Majesty really go to such lengths to punish so many court officials?"

Yan Shifan blinked again, opened his mouth to say something, but finally closed it silently.

That end.

When Lu Fang saw the names of the sit-in officials being called one by one, he stood up and went to the front to receive three months' salary.

He turned and looked at Xu Jie, Gao Gong and Yuan Wei.

"Lord Xu, Lord Gao, Lord Yuan, His Majesty, and Lord Yan are waiting for you at Yuxi Palace."

When the emperor summoned them, Xu Jie and the other two immediately bowed and accepted the order.

Lu Fang turned to look at Yan Shaoting again, smiling: "Reader Yan, come with us to Yuxi Palace. His Majesty is waiting for you."

"And I?"

Yan Shaoting pointed at himself and was convinced when he saw Lu Fang nodding with a smile.

Then he turned to look at Yan Shifan and said, "Father, you should also go and get your salary. Don't forget the salaries of the three of us. I'll trouble you to ask someone to buy Yan'er's supplements."

Seeing that this rebellious son was actually using what he had just said to bully him.

Yan Shifan glared at his rebellious son fiercely.

But look at the young eunuch from the Imperial Household Department who is handing out silver.

However, the young cabinet minister actually walked over and cut in line, shouting at the young eunuch to quickly find the official salary records of Cabinet Minister Yan's family of three.

Yan Shaoting ignored the old man's affairs and followed Lu Fang to Yuxi Palace.

When everyone arrived at Yuxi Palace, they heard the Taoist priest's hearty laughter, mixed with Old Yan's flattery.

Wait until Xu Jie, Yan Shaoting and others come closer.

Jiajing looked at everyone with a rare blush on his face, his eyes swept across the faces of Xu Jie and Gao Gong, and finally fell on Yan Shaoting's face.

In front of everyone.

Jiajing stretched out his hand and pointed at Yan Shaoting, and said with a smile: "I just talked to Lord Yan about this. I can't live without you for even a day now."

(End of this chapter)