Chapter 84 How much is dignity worth?
In the Ministry of Revenue.

The crowd was dense, all of them were officials who came to watch the fun.

All the officials present, whether they were wearing blue or green robes, had sarcastic looks on their faces and mocking expressions in their eyes.

And in the crowd.

Next to a large vat filled with water, several minor officials from the Ministry of Revenue, dressed in green robes, folded their arms, their faces full of sarcasm.

In front of these people were two military generals in military uniforms.

Looking at the old and faded military uniforms on the two men, Yan Shaoting frowned slightly as he squeezed under the corridor.

Looking at the attire of the two men, Yan Shaoting recognized them at a glance. They were from the Beijing Camp and Xuanfu respectively, and both were wearing fifth-rank military uniforms.

With this military rank, he is qualified to be a garrison commander or a thousand-household officer in the army.

If he were placed in a border town like Xuanfu, he would be a middle-level military officer.

The bearded man was the general in the Xuanfu army. His face was filled with grief and indignation, and he raised his hand and waved a report card.

"Here is a letter from Xuanfu Governor Zhao Kongzhao and Xuanfu General Ma Fang requesting cotton armor, cotton clothes, money and food for the enemy."

"There is an official document of approval issued by the Arsenal Department of the Ministry of War."

"These are all sealed and signed."

"Why can't I get anything when I come to your Ministry of Revenue? Are the things I have useless?"

The ambassador of the Yiziku of the Ministry of Revenue, with a frown on his face, said to the military commander of Xuanfu: "In front of so many people, you have to make it clear that we have never said that the discount in your hand is useless."

The ambassador of the Taicang Treasury, who was also of the ninth rank, also spoke up: "If you continue to slander us like this, don't blame us for impeaching you!"

The military commander of the Beijing Camp held his fellow officer from Xuanfu, whose face was flushed with frustration, and looked at the two men from the Ministry of Revenue: "My two superiors, we have no such intention. It's just that Governor Lan is anxious about the matter of preparing Xuanfu for the enemy this year, and the soldiers on the front line are waiting for the military supplies to be delivered.

I have a letter from the Marquis of Zhenyuan here, which contains money and food for military supplies. The soldiers are waiting for it. Please take the trouble to send it to us."

Seeing this man say so.

Lan Yongzhen, who came from Xuanfu, could only bow his hands in frustration and lower his head: "I was wrong in my words before, please calm down and approve the military supplies to me."

When meeting two fifth-rank military generals, he even had to show courtesy to several ninth-rank minor officials in the Ministry of Revenue.

Yan Shaoting felt a sense of absurdity.

“That’s an attitude.”

The ambassador of Taicang Treasury said calmly, then shook his head and sighed, "It's not that we don't want to give it to you. The Ministry of Revenue naturally knows what you want. Xuanfu, the Ministry of War, and the Beijing Camp have also sent letters to you. But you also know that the court is in a difficult situation this year. Didn't our Ministry of Revenue allocate 500,000 taels to the nine frontier towns not long ago?"

Lan Yongzhen, the governor of Xuanfu, blushed and said, "I am not trying to make things difficult for the officials in the Ministry of Revenue. It is just that if we don't bring back the cotton armor and cotton clothes now, the brothers at the border will have to stay in the garrison for the winter in the second half of this year."

The ambassador of Taicang Treasury frowned and looked at Lan Yongzhen with some annoyance: "Don't you understand what I said?"

Lan Yongzhen's eyes widened, his face full of confusion.

He really didn't understand what these people from the Ministry of Revenue meant.

The ambassador of Taicang Silver Treasury wanted to say something but was stopped by the ambassador of Yi Zi Treasury next to him.

The Yiziku ambassador looked at Lan Yongzhen with a face full of sarcasm: "I've given you 500,000 taels of silver, but you still can't be satisfied? You all have donkey appetites!"

Lan Yongzhen's breathing stopped.

The Yiziku Ambassador was still cursing, "It's just you in Xuanfu who are in trouble? So it's not difficult for us in the Ministry of Revenue? We haven't even received our salaries for half a year!
A few days ago, all the officials sat in the Meridian Gate to demand their salaries. Officials from other government offices received three months' salary, but everyone in my Ministry of Revenue was fined three months' salary.

I haven't seen your Xuanfu give us any subsidies from the 500,000 taels of silver!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the officials from the Ministry of Revenue, who had just been fined three months' salary by the Taoist priest, started to curse angrily, and their words were blunt, saying that the Xuanfu was shameless.

The curses were harsh.

Lan Yongzhen's eyes turned red, as if they were about to bleed.

He was at a loss and could only look at the brothers from the Beijing Camp who came to the Ministry of Revenue to ask for things today: "Brother Guo..."

Guo Yuchuang frowned and looked at the two people from the Ministry of Revenue: "My two superiors, we also know the difficulties of the court and the Ministry of Revenue. But the military situation is urgent, and we can't let the brothers in the camp go hungry to fight the enemy? If we can't get these things, I'm afraid the brothers in the camp will..."

"What do you want?"

Ambassador Yi Zi Ku's eyes widened, his face full of sarcasm: "Could they possibly rebel?" As soon as these words came out, even Guo Yuchuang's face changed and he clenched his fists.

Lan Yongzhen, who was riding a skinny horse and leading his brothers from Xuanfu to the capital, finally couldn't bear it anymore.

His face flushed and he roared.

Ambassador Yiziku was so frightened that he took three steps back.

Lan Yongzhen's face was filled with anger: "If we can't get food and armor, the Altan tribe on the grassland will cross the Great Wall without us rebelling!"

The frightened Ambassador Yiziku immediately stepped forward and pointed at Lan Yongzhen, saying, "This is outrageous! If the Anda tribe comes in, it's because you guys are incompetent! I just want to say one thing today: there's no money! Get lost wherever you came from!"

Is this the civil servant of the Ming Dynasty?
Lan Yongzhen was almost overwhelmed by anger. He clenched his fists and veins popped out on his face.

A conflict was about to break out.

The ambassador of Taicang Treasury hurried forward, pulled the ambassador of Yizi Treasury back, and then looked at Lan Yongzhen and warned him: "This is the Ministry of Revenue! This is in the capital, under the feet of the emperor! Are you going to commit murder?"

Lan Yongzhen's eyes flushed red: "I..."

Guo Yuchuang also pulled him back, fearing that a conflict might really break out between the two sides.

The Taicang Treasury Ambassador suddenly smiled and said playfully, "Actually, since you have a warrant, it's not impossible for my Ministry of Revenue to hand the things over to you."

Guo Yuchuang immediately bowed and clasped his fists: "Please give me your instructions, sir."

Lan Yongzhen stared at the other party closely. He really wanted to punch these shameless officials from the Ministry of Revenue to death.

The Ambassador of Taicang Silver Treasury stared at the two of them with a sneer.

"It's not a big deal, it's just that you were so scary just now, you looked like you were going to kill someone."

"Even beggars on the street have to show some expression if they want to ask for a steamed bun. You two..."

"If you satisfy us, you can take something. It's not impossible to give it to us now."

The ambassador of Taicang Silver Treasury had a teasing look in his eyes, and the meaning of his words was very clear.

But this incident is just like what happened a few days ago when the young cabinet minister only clamored with the cabinet in front of the Meridian Gate but was unable to participate in the sit-in.

Today, the two minor officials from the Ministry of Revenue can only do it but cannot speak out.

If someone were to say that a fifth-rank official of the Ming Dynasty should kneel down before a ninth-rank official, let alone the real status of the civil and military officials in the court today.

But you two small officials cannot break this window paper.

Otherwise, the civil officials would be able to tear them both to pieces without the military officers having to do anything.

Shameless thing!

As soon as these words came out, the whole audience burst into harsh laughter.

Many people even shouted in agreement.

"During the New Year, beggars all know to kneel down and sing songs in front of the door. What our Ministry of Revenue takes out is a mountain of gold and silver."

"If it were me, I would kneel down right now!"

"kneel!"

Those who were watching the fun naturally had no scruples and shouted "kneel down" directly.

Lan Yongzhen, the governor of Xuanfu Army, was so angry that he was shaking all over and his clenched fists were rattling.

Guo Yuchuang's expression also changed drastically, with a few cold rays flashing in his eyes.

He almost gritted his teeth and asked, "Shangguan really wants to humiliate us like this? To make our dignity fall today?"

The Yiziku ambassador, who had been frightened back by Lan Yongzhen, now had a sneer on his face.

"Hurt?"

"You don't want money or food anymore?"

"How much is the dignity of a bunch of soldiers worth?"

(End of this chapter)