Do You Know?: I, the Little Cabinet Elder, Regent of the World.

Chapter 139 Let the common people suffer, I'll bear the blame! (4k two-in-one)

"What does Lord Jiang think is the best way to provide relief?"

Cai Xiang, the Minister of Revenue, stepped out of the procession.

Led by Jiang Zhao, more than fifty people from Huainan East Road all looked over.

Cai Xiang was from Fujian Road.

Since he took charge of the Ministry of Revenue, Fujian Road has benefited greatly, with water conservancy projects being carried out almost every year.

Money doesn't appear out of thin air, nor does it disappear out of thin air.

The main plan for this disaster relief effort was to use money from Fujian Road.

"Open the granaries for a hundred days, reduce or exempt taxes, and build water conservancy projects. This will ensure political stability, social harmony, and a stable populace," Jiang Zhao replied.

In Huainan East Road, the main grains grown are rice and wheat, with a focus on "two harvests of rice and wheat".

Rice cultivation is divided into early rice and late rice.

Early rice is planted at the end of May and harvested in July or August.

Late-season rice is planted in mid-August and harvested in late October.

Once the late rice is harvested, wheat is planted immediately, and it can be harvested the following May.

This process, in theory, can achieve three harvests a year.

Now, seven days of torrential rain in June have ruined the early rice harvest.

With no early rice harvest, the only way to appease the people is to provide emergency disaster relief, dredge waterways, and allow them to plant late rice with peace of mind.

After a hundred days of recuperation, the late rice was harvested in October, and the people had food. The flood was finally over.

"One hundred days?"

Cai Xiang's expression changed slightly.

That's going to cost a lot of money!
Huainan East Road is a densely populated area.

Of the twelve million households in the country, more than one million eight hundred thousand were located in Huainan East Road, accounting for a full one-sixth.

Even if only one-fifth of the 1.8 million households were affected by the disaster, that would still amount to 400,000 households.

One shi of grain is equivalent to one hundred sheng, or about one hundred and forty jin.

If each household consumes one liter of porridge per day for disaster relief, then 400,000 households would consume more than 4,000 shi of grain per day.

One hundred days of disaster relief would amount to 400,000 shi (a unit of dry measure)!
Even this is just theoretical disaster relief grain.

Considering issues such as embezzlement, layers of exploitation, and transportation losses, it would have been impossible to acquire the grain without two million shi (a unit of dry measure).

Two million shi (石) is equivalent to two million guan (贯).

“Huainan has suffered a disaster, and relief should be provided.” Cai Xiang shook his head, looking understanding. “However, it would be difficult for the Ministry of Revenue to support the people for a hundred days out of thin air.”

It should be noted that the annual tax revenue collected by the Great Zhou Dynasty was only thirty to forty million strings of cash.

After deducting major expenses such as border troop consumption and official salaries, only about 20 million strings of cash remained.

There is a budget for how to spend these 20 million strings of cash.

The routine expenses of the Three Offices and Six Ministries, as well as the governance of local areas, amount to tens of millions of strings of cash annually.

As of now, six months have passed, and the Three Departments and Six Ministries have already spent approximately five million strings of cash.

The rebellion in Guangnan East Road involved more than 10,000 soldiers who had to travel a long distance, and it was estimated that it would cost one million strings of cash.

In terms of budget, the Ministry of Revenue had only 14 million strings of cash left.

This 14 million guan is the expenditure budget for the second half of the year.

The Diji sacrifice was a rare large-scale sacrifice, estimated to consume seven to eight million strings of cash.

The expenses of the Three Offices and Six Ministries in the second half of the year amounted to at least five million strings of cash.

The remaining million strings of cash were intended for emergencies.

If the disaster relief effort in Huainan East Road lasts for 100 days, the cost of grain and fodder alone will be two million strings of cash.

This would definitely cause the Ministry of Revenue to exceed its budget.

As the Minister of Revenue, exceeding the budget is undoubtedly a serious crime.

This will definitely not work.

Rather than forcing disaster relief efforts and overspending, it would be better to prioritize stability and allocate less money from the outset.

Cai Xiang's expression softened.

Anyway, the Ministry of Revenue has no money!
"With the Ministry of Revenue's finances, allocating several million strings of cash for disaster relief is not impossible, is it?"

Jiang Zhao looked displeased and questioned, "You should know that Huainan East Circuit pays six to seven million strings of cash in taxes every year. Even if we include the water conservancy projects, this allocation is only three or four tenths of those six to seven million strings of cash."

As a highly prosperous coastal region, Huainan East Road's main economic activities were salt production, canal transport, maritime transport, commerce, fishing, and handicrafts.

The five most profitable monopolistic businesses in the world are: salt production, mining, border trade, maritime transport, and canal transport.

Aside from mining, Huainan East Road is involved in all other areas, accounting for four out of five!

The taxes paid to the imperial court accounted for about 20% of the total tax revenue, making Huainan East Circuit a major taxpayer.

"The Ministry of Revenue has 14 million strings of cash left. If we take into account the expenditures of the Three Departments and Six Ministries for the second half of the year, as well as the Di and Jia sacrifices, there is really no money left."

"With the Ministry of Revenue's finances, disaster relief can only last for a maximum of thirty to fifty days."

Minister of Revenue Cai Xiang spoke slowly.

Even with limited funds, there are ways to provide disaster relief.

Regarding relief efforts, the Ministry of Revenue has always maintained an attitude of "focusing on the big picture and addressing the small details."

Small-scale relief efforts are enough for officials in the Ministry of Revenue to make their presence felt and boost their political achievements, but they don't cost much money.

They allocated funds for disaster relief, collaborated with the Ministry of Works to build water conservancy projects, and occasionally even managed to make a quick buck.

Therefore, officials in the Ministry of Revenue even hoped that there would be more minor disasters in the world.

Large-scale relief
Too expensive!
If you're not careful, you'll end up overspending.

The Ministry of Revenue was in charge of the nation's finances; if it caused the treasury to exceed its budget, it would be a serious crime.

In the past, many officials of the Ministry of Revenue were demoted or dismissed due to financial problems related to large-scale relief efforts.

Therefore, when faced with large-scale relief efforts, the Ministry of Revenue was often quite cautious and did not readily allocate large sums of money.

Of course, this does not mean that relief will not be provided.

Failure to provide relief could lead to frequent rebellions and uprisings, which is a serious crime.

"With a hundred days of grain harvesting, Minister Cai only provides disaster relief for thirty to fifty days. Are we going to let a million people starve to death?" Left Vice Censor-in-Chief Lü Zhen rebuked.

"That's not the case."

Cai Xiang stroked his beard, noting that he had considerable experience in large-scale disaster relief.

"This could encourage wealthy individuals to contribute to disaster relief efforts."

A simple sentence, yet it's all about "refined scoundrels".

The so-called "encouraging wealthy households to provide disaster relief" was actually forcing ordinary people to borrow grain!

From a demand perspective, it is indeed necessary to provide disaster relief for 100 days so that the people can harvest their grain.

However, a genuine 100-day disaster relief effort is very prone to overspending, and the Ministry of Revenue is unwilling to take responsibility.

In contrast, disaster relief lasting thirty to fifty days can temporarily stabilize the people's mentality and prevent rebellion or uprising.

Over time, hundreds of thousands of people starved to death. The remaining hundreds of thousands either borrowed grain from wealthy landowners at high interest rates or sold their land to survive.

The wealthy and powerful made money and hoarded land, while the government provided disaster relief and fulfilled its obligations.

Win-win!

The usual tactic!
In the imperial court, the officials were in an uproar and began to discuss the matter.

People are starving to death; loan sharks are exploiting them.

This kind of disaster relief tactic is so dirty!

Of course, this approach is not new.

Some people may even have hands-on experience with it.

However, this did not affect the officials' attitude of rebuking them.

The constant disputes among officials are unsettling.

Cai Xiang looked up at the highest-ranking officials in Huainan East Road.

He believed his proposed solution was not bad.

The policies that allowed wealthy families to borrow money and hoard land were all beneficial to them.

"No."

“Providing disaster relief for thirty to fifty days is no different from not providing any relief at all,” Jiang Zhao said, shaking his head.

He did not approve of this method of relief from a moral standpoint. Moreover, this method of lending and land reclamation was not applicable to Huainan East Circuit.

The reason is simple: the businesses along Huainan East Road are extremely profitable.

Huainan East Road accounts for four of the five most profitable industries.

To put it bluntly, the wealthy families on Huainan East Road are not short of money for loans at all.

In contrast, population is what the powerful families of Huainan East Road care about most.

Salt production, canal transport, maritime transport, commerce, fishing, and handicrafts all needed to be done by people.

In particular, handicrafts such as tea, porcelain, silk, and sugar were extremely profitable, but also very labor-intensive.

In comparison, what's a little usury and the "nine out, thirteen back" rule?
Furthermore, once you have a certain amount of money, it's just a number.

In contrast, the influence of powerful clans is even more important.

However, to demonstrate influence, one needs the support of others.

The phrase "It is the livelihood of millions of people" is more effective than any amount of money.

"What is the projected expenditure for the second half of the year? It is 14 million guan?" Jiang Zhao asked, seemingly remembering something.

“Exactly.” Cai Xiang nodded.

What kinds of expenses were there?

Jiang Zhao sighed softly, looking as if he had pity on the common people: "Millions of people in Huainan have suffered. Let's save some unnecessary expenses. One or two strings of cash can save a life. It is truly better than building a seven-story pagoda."

"It makes sense!"

"To save the common people!"

"The Emperor is benevolent and very frugal; his subjects should emulate him."

Officials from Huainan East Road echoed this sentiment.

At the same time, Jiang Zhao looked intently at the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works: "I wonder what the budget is for the second half of the year?"

Minister of Revenue Cai Xiang secretly sensed something was wrong.

In a split second, he understood Jiang Zhao's intentions.

I thought they were coming for the Ministry of Revenue, but it turns out they were coming for Fujian Road.

When it came to disaster relief, the six Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet kept their eyes closed and seemed to be looking down at their noses.

This highly regional political situation inevitably led to a surge in the presence of local communities.

The interest group represented by the six Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet has quietly reduced its presence.

"The Ministry of Works' budget for the second half of the year is 10 million strings of cash."

With piercing gazes, all officials were watching.

Du Xi, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, felt a chill run down his spine and had no choice but to come out.

This matter cannot be concealed.

After all, Zhou Mengyang, a fellow townsman from Huainan East Road, was the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, and he had seen the Ministry of Works' account books.

Originally, the construction of Fujian Road had no bearing on Zhou Mengyang's interests, so he should have turned a blind eye.

Who would have thought that Huainan East Road would be ravaged by floods.

As a result, Zhou Mengyang naturally revealed the details of the construction of Fujian Road.

"Ten million strings of cash?"

"So, apart from the Ministry of Works, the three ministries and five departments only received four million strings of cash?"

Jiang Zhao feigned surprise, knowing the answer already, and asked, "How could there be so much? Could you spare some money?"

"It involves the Diji sacrifice, which is estimated to cost seven or eight million strings of cash. The remainder will be used for the construction of palaces and local livelihood projects." Du Xi's expression darkened slightly as he tried to gloss over the matter.

"Local livelihood projects?"

Jiang Zhaowen said gently, "It's all for the sake of the people and the nation. In that case, could we suspend the construction project and instead focus on providing relief to Huaidong?"

"Let the people suffer, I'll bear the blame!" Jiang Zhao said, patting his chest with pity.

"This..." Du Xi's expression turned somewhat awkward, his sleeves trembling slightly: "The fiscal budget has already been set, and changing it on a whim is probably not an option."

The public works project on Fujian Road has been ongoing for several years, and the budget for the second half of the year has already been passed down, all so that the subordinates can promote the reputation of several high-ranking officials on Fujian Road.

In fact, some public welfare projects have already started, just waiting for funding from higher authorities.

If the policy is suddenly canceled, they will be in a difficult situation.

"Changing policies frequently?"

Jiang Zhao asked in confusion, "The fiscal budget for the second half of the year was only recently released, right? Does this mean that Lord Du issued the decree without the cabinet's approval?"

Upon hearing this, several Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet turned around to look.

It's not uncommon for those in power to issue orders in advance in order to spread their reputation.

However, since certain things have been done, one must bear the consequences of these things being exposed to the imperial court.

If Du Xi dared to utter a single "yes," he would be disregarding the authority of the cabinet.

Ultimately, how can you guarantee that government orders will pass through the cabinet?
Du's heart sank.

Caught between a rock and a hard place, unable to back down.

If you disagree with the people on Huainan East Road robbing money from Fujian Road, you should at least give them an explanation.

Moreover, its importance is no less than that of providing disaster relief to millions of people.

Conversely, if the transfer of funds had truly been approved, the decree would have been issued long ago.

This will undoubtedly deal a significant blow to their prestige on Fujian Road.

"Government orders need to be approved by the cabinet, so they were not passed down."

Du Xi felt a slight unease and retorted, "However, the budget has already been set. If we can arbitrarily take money from the Ministry of Works, what will become of the Ministry of Revenue's budget?"

"Yes!"

A fifth-rank official in the train chimed in, "Lord Jiang, the Ministry of Revenue is in charge of finances. Preparation is key to success, and lack of preparation leads to failure. Natural disasters and man-made calamities are unpredictable, and there's really nothing we can do when they occur. Lord Cai's proposed relief method is excellent; we might as well give it a try."

Unsurprisingly, these are officials from Fujian Road.

He looked completely unfamiliar; I guessed he was someone who had just been promoted.

Jiang Zhao glanced over indifferently.

A fifth-rank official, also wanting to get involved in the struggle for the purple robe?
"Who are you?" Jiang Zhao asked calmly.

"This humble official is Wang Tao, a secretary in the Ministry of Rites." The man, who was about forty years old, cupped his hands in greeting.

Jiang Zhao raised an eyebrow.

A forty-year-old official of the fifth rank in the capital must at least be a junior scholar (庶吉士), and is considered to have a very good chance of becoming a third-rank official (紫袍).

It is estimated that those who passed the examination in their twenties or thirties had a smooth path to becoming probationary scholars, and even skipped several ranks.

"Preparation is the key to success, and lack of preparation leads to failure." How true that is!

"In your opinion, why doesn't the Ministry of Revenue set aside some surplus funds to deal with emergencies?" Jiang Zhao asked, digging a hole for them.

"The strategy of making provisions has existed since ancient times."

Wang Tao was very excited to be promoted to an official position in the capital, and even to the court. He was full of confidence and high spirits: "The Ministry of Revenue is one of the six ministries, so it naturally has a plan to reserve funds for it."

Jiang Zhao's eyes lit up, and he prompted, "Since there are reserves, why can't they be used for disaster relief?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Cai Xiang, the Minister of Revenue, changed his expression slightly and was about to speak up to stop him.

Unfortunately, it was too late.

"The reserved funds must be used for emergency purposes during the Di sacrifice."

"Cough cough!"

A loud cough jolted Wang Tao awake, and his hands and feet went cold.

Done!

"Di Chariot?"

Jiang Zhao shouted angrily, his voice suddenly becoming impassioned: "According to the Ministry of Revenue, are we going to exhaust our Great Zhou Dynasty to the point of ruin just for the sake of the Di and Jia sacrifices?"

"When did the Di and Cha sacrifices become an excuse for you treacherous and incompetent people?"

"Could it be——"

Jiang Zhao looked at the group of people, scanning them one by one: "Lord Cai, Lord Du, Lord Wang, have you been harboring resentment for a long time?"

"Are they deliberately making excuses and refusing to provide disaster relief just to imply to the officials that the Di sacrifice is too costly?"

……

(End of this chapter)