Jian Zhaoxing

Chapter 242 Gift from the Emperor
"A secret?" Lin Zhiqing frowned slightly. "A secret that only your grandfather knows?"

"No." Lin Qingshan shook his head: "Your father and your fourth uncle both know."

No, is it about Fourth Uncle again?

Lin Zhiqing lowered his head: "Grandfather, this matter is related to the Ministry of Revenue, isn't it?"

Lin Qingshan's behavior was very strange after he heard that the Ministry of Revenue had arrived.

Having spent a considerable amount of time with Lu Huai, Lin Zhiqing had gained some understanding of the Ministry of Revenue.

In summary, the Ministry of Revenue had four core functions.

First, fiscal management, including tax collection, warehousing management, and fiscal expenditure allocation.

Second, household registration management, including population statistics, household registration, and the collection of taxes and corvée labor based on this.

Third, resource allocation, including the management of land, water conservancy, and land reclamation.

Fourth, the management of officials' salaries and military expenditures.

The Lin family nowadays has little to do with any of these four things; the only connection they might have is their salary.

But she knew very well that the Lin family members' salaries were very low, and they couldn't cause any major problems.

All she knew about Lu Huai and the Ministry of Revenue's operation was that they were looking for something.

But what to look for and why to look for it seem to be matters between the Ministry of Revenue and the Hua family, and have nothing to do with the Lin family.

“That’s right, it is indeed related to the Ministry of Revenue.” Lin Qingshan slowly sat down in the chair.
"If it weren't for the Ministry of Revenue's visit to Bianliang, I might have almost forgotten about these things."

“Originally, I didn’t intend to tell you about these troublesome things, but now that you are reliable and have become the head of the family.”

“The Lin family’s affairs are closely related to you. If we continue to keep it from you, there’s no guarantee that someone won’t take advantage of the situation and cause you to lose the initiative.”

This definitely has a story behind it!
Lin Zhiqing stared intently at Lin Qingshan, knowing he couldn't miss a single piece of information.

Lin Qingshan's words were extremely serious.

The Lin family is now walking on a knife's edge; one wrong step and they will be doomed.

"Your father and I both served in the military, and we know best how many soldiers' lives are lost in a single victory." Lin Qingshan lowered his head, his tone filled with sorrow.

"Warfare does not rely on superior weapons or profound military strategies, but on generals and soldiers; neither can be lacking."

"Qing girl, have you ever heard the saying that the Great Sheng Dynasty values ​​martial arts over literature?" Lin Qingshan looked at Lin Zhiqing.

Lin Zhiqing nodded slightly.

This saying is widely circulated, and the current situation in the court reflects this, with figures like the Duke of Pei, the Marquis of Zhenyuan, and the Earl of Dingbei currently enjoying great power.

"Heh." Lin Qingshan shook his head: "That statement is indeed correct."

"But the court values ​​generals more than lower-ranking soldiers."

"Leaving aside the salary, every time a battle was won, the rewards would be sent to the general's mansion like a flowing river."

"But those soldiers who lost their lives or were wounded in the war only received a small amount of compensation."

"I am sick from my travels and have no food to stay at home. I have traveled thousands of miles to return home but have not yet reached my hometown. With disheveled hair, I lament my sorrow beneath the Great Wall. I cannot bear the autumn chill that seeps into my wounds."

"The claim that the court values ​​military prowess over civil service is a lie. What the court truly values ​​are the powerful families, not ordinary soldiers."

"Those wounded and disabled soldiers who were discharged from the battlefield could only receive a meager pension, which almost cut off their way of life."

These words were quite sharp, and if they were to get out, it would be a disaster for the Lin family. Lin Zhiqing even subconsciously looked around to see if anyone was eavesdropping.

This is not a world where one can speak the truth without restraint. "Grandfather, I still don't understand what you mean. What does the wounded and disabled have to do with the Lin family?" Lin Zhiqing couldn't figure it out, so he could only ask.

Her question calmed Lin Qingshan down.
"The Lin family army that your father and I led back then was invincible, but the wounded and disabled generals who retreated and their relatives suffered greatly."

“The fallen soldiers could only receive one or two taels of silver in compensation and one dou of grain per month, but even such a small amount was not guaranteed to be received by them.”

"The same applies to the other soldiers."

“I once submitted a memorial to report the situation, but the memorial disappeared without a trace and nothing was done.”

Lin Qingshan was heartbroken, his words filled with helplessness.

Lin Zhiqing frowned: "Grandfather, what did you and my father do? Did you help them out?"

“That’s right.” Lin Qingshan took a breath: “Your father and I have taken out some of our savings, but this is only temporary.”

"The number of wounded and disabled generals is too large. The strength of the two of us is really meager. But the Lin family exists because of the Lin family army, and the Marquis of Changning exists because of the Lin family army."

"In desperation, the two of us secretly began to sell the imperial gifts bestowed upon us by the court in order to find a way out for the Lin family army."

"A gift bestowed by the emperor!?" Lin Zhiqing was shocked.

After taking over the Lin family, she carefully checked the assets and concluded that the Lin family had almost nothing of value.

Of those imperial gifts, only a few large items remain, which take up space and require time to maintain, making them quite troublesome.

Only a few items remained, which was clearly unreasonable for the Marquis of Changning's residence.

Because Lin Qingshan and Lin Congrong had won countless battles, in addition to gold and silver, they had received many imperial gifts such as jewels, weapons, utensils, and calligraphy and paintings.

These rewards are not tangible benefits, but rather honors.

In any case, it's impossible for only a few pieces to remain.

Moreover, apart from gold and silver treasures, all other items were recorded. If they were sold or destroyed, the perpetrator would be charged with blasphemy against the emperor.

Because Lin Zhiqing's father, Lin Congrong, colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country, many of the Lin family's assets were seized.

Lin Zhiqing did see some imperial gifts among the seized assets, so he didn't think too much about it.

Only now did she realize that those imperial gifts had not been confiscated, but rather sold off.

If this gets out, it will be far more serious than Lin Congyan's crime of disrespect.

Thinking of Lin Congyan, Lin Zhiqing spoke again: "What does this have to do with Fourth Uncle? Why do Second Grandfather and Eldest Uncle not know, but Fourth Uncle does know about reselling imperial gifts?"

“Your father used to do this, but now your fourth uncle is doing it.” After saying those words, it was much easier for Lin Qingshan to reply.

But Lin Zhiqing caught the key words in his words: "Now it's Fourth Uncle doing it, which means that your behavior is still continuing?"

“That’s right.” Lin Qingshan nodded. “After your father died, the Lin family army disbanded. We can’t just stand by and watch those soldiers starve to death.”

Lin Zhiqing's expression was serious: "Grandfather, why are you only telling me now?"

"The more people who know about this, the greater the risk." Lin Qingshan's back hunched slightly.
"I know you've had a tough time, and I'm afraid someone will seize on this little thing and not let it go. Plus, the Ministry of Revenue has come to Bianliang, so I'm feeling uneasy."

The Ministry of Revenue was in charge of the distribution and collection of imperial gifts.

"There are too many people in the capital who are eyeing the Lin family. I'm worried that someone might use this as an excuse to cause trouble, and you won't be able to handle it. So I've decided to give you a heads-up in advance."

Lin Qingshan hadn't planned to say anything, because no one in the Lin family could withstand such a blatant act of defiance.

But now the situation is dire, and Lin Zhiqing wants to lead the Lin family out of the mire, which is an unknown obstacle.

At the very least, we need to be prepared.