Chapter 122: The Bureaucrats' Art of Passing the Buck

Nanjing.

Receiving the official document from Yangzhou Prefecture, Tian Zhisheng felt the sky was falling.

In the previous rebellion suppression war, the clumsy performance of the Nanjing Six Ministries had already aroused strong dissatisfaction from the Emperor and the cabinet.

As the Minister of War, Tian Zhisheng was severely reprimanded by Emperor Yongning and given the punishment of a three-year salary fine.

He could ignore a little salary.

But the political impact caused by this was extremely bad.

Originally, the Nanjing Six Ministries were a nursing home for high-ranking officials; at this rate, it would be difficult for him to finish this term.

Once the capital inspection began, he realized the situation was not good.

Based on the bad impression he left on Cabinet Minister Xu before, this assessment was likely to be unqualified.

Just sent people to the capital to be active, and now caught up with this matter.

The salt fields were looted, and the power-holders in the court whose interests were damaged would inevitably record a stroke against him.

The officials of Yangzhou Prefecture also have responsibilities, but they were all transferred to Yangzhou at the end of last year.

The first to bear the brunt of the failure to restore local military strength in time is the Ministry of War.

The Ministry of War in the capital is not easy to provoke, and the Nanjing Ministry of War is undoubtedly the best vent.

As a direct management office, recording the account on their heads is not wrong at all.

However, Tian Zhisheng still felt aggrieved; the low efficiency of the Nanjing Ministry of War is a historical legacy problem.

Nominally, their power is great, but most of their power overlaps with the Ministry of War in the capital.

When the decisions of both sides conflict, they are always based on the Ministry of War in the capital.

Decisions were overturned one after another, and everyone's ambition had long since disappeared.

When encountering problems, the officials of the Ministry of War are all dragging if they can.

In order not to be slapped in the face afterwards, they would rather drag it out and wait for the Ministry of War in the capital to handle it than solve the problem in advance.

This time was no exception; the problem of empty local military strength in Yangzhou was again skillfully thrown to the Ministry of War in the capital.

If no accident happened, then this operation would have no problem at all.

Unfortunately, something happened now; if the court conducts accountability, he, this Nanjing Minister of War, definitely won't be able to escape.

Deep in his heart, Tian Zhisheng asked about the whole family of the pirates who caused trouble.

Acting at the critical moment of the capital inspection, this is not robbing salt fields at all, it is clearly aimed at his official hat.

Obstructing people's official career—not exterminating their nine clans is hard to eliminate the hatred in his heart.

"Pass the order down: order the Jiangnan Navy and the Yangzhou Regiment to advance by land and water, and must wipe out the pirates in the shortest time."

Tian Zhisheng ordered immediately.

The things that happened before cannot be changed; now he can only think of ways to make up for it as much as possible.

In order to improve efficiency, he rarely showed the responsibility of a Minister of War.

He didn't go to convene a public discussion of the Six Ministries to reduce his own responsibility.

"Minister, just issuing orders, I'm afraid they won't act.

According to the customs of our dynasty, before the army sets off, a departure fee must be given first.

At the same time, a batch of military grain must be raised to guarantee the army's combat needs.

For the Yangzhou Regiment, the Yangzhou Prefect's office can be asked to advance it first.

For the Jiangnan Navy, theoretically, it can be pushed to the Nanzhili Governor's office and the Military Commissioner's office, letting them advance the military pay.

The problem is that with their situation, I'm afraid they won't be able to come up with money and grain for a while."

Vice Minister of the Ministry of War Yin Dengjia reminded tactfully.

In the previous rebellion suppression war, the Nanzhili Governor's office had already advanced a large amount of military expenses, and the treasury had long been empty.

Not to mention the Military Commissioner's office, which was squeezed together with the Nanjing Ministry of War, and its own authority was compressed to the extreme.

Looking at the official documents from the prefectures below, they didn't even notify them when mobilizing troops, and directly found the Nanjing Ministry of War.

In the Great Dayu Dynasty, government offices without power will not have money.

"The spring tax is coming soon; let the Governor's office think of a way to deal with the matter first.

If it drags on for a long time, something big will happen.

Ha Shaoxing knows the severity of the matter; on this issue, he will go all out."

Tian Zhisheng thought and said.

Lack of money is a common phenomenon in government offices at all levels of the Great Dayu.

The garbage tax system limits the growth of the court's fiscal revenue.

The group that should pay the most taxes did not pay taxes to the court.

Even if government offices at all levels add some fees to the bottom, it is still a drop in the bucket.

As a transit station, the Nanjing Ministry of War relies entirely on court allocations and will not have a balance.

If you want money, you have to find the Ministry of Revenue, not the Ministry of Revenue in Nanjing, but the Ministry of Revenue in the capital.

Tian Zhisheng is only authorized to use the strategic materials stored by the court in Nanjing.

Regrettably, these materials had long been resold by the people below.

During the last rebellion suppression war, they wanted to take the opportunity to balance the accounts.

Unfortunately, those few Imperial Envoys were one stronger than the other.

They just showed a little sign, and they were ruthlessly pinched out by others.

The current Nanjing Ministry of War, besides having a large amount of military equipment and grain on the books, is actually an empty shell.

"Minister, the departure fee can be pushed to Governor Ha, but the money for the Navy to maintain warships cannot be dragged anymore.

If the warships are not maintained, if they really go to the battlefield, something big will happen!"

Xu Chonghao on the side added.

The Jiangnan Navy just sent him a thick gift on the front line.

It was originally the fee for balancing the accounts, but unfortunately, it failed later.

The matter was not done, but he had put in effort, so the money naturally couldn't be returned.

Now that the opportunity has been delivered to his door, for the sake of better cooperation in the future, he felt it was necessary to help fight for it.

"I will go to the Ministry of Revenue to discuss whether we can raise a sum of money.

Let the Jiangnan Navy immediately send the warships to the shipyard for inspection; the speed must be fast.

In any case, they must send troops within seven days to wipe out these pirates."

Tian Zhisheng said with a headache.

It is truly too difficult; he feels like a wall-plasterer, and his work depends entirely on fooling.

Even if he himself knows that these orders are indeed excessive.

Completing the inspection of warships within seven days is purely a dream.

Sending warships to the shipyard at this time is mainly to repair major problems, so as not to sink directly as soon as they fight.

If the naval battle is lost, he cannot escape the blame.

After all, the money previously allocated by the court for maintaining warships was misappropriated by the Nanjing Ministry of War for the most part.

Thinking that the service time of these warships was already very long, and the service time would reach the limit in two or three years.

By then, the ships would be directly retired and processed, and then money would be asked from the court to build new ships, so the money for repairing ships would be saved.

Never expected that the plan was only half implemented when pirates jumped out to make trouble.

Since they have to fight, this expense cannot be saved.

For Tian Zhisheng, saving expenses is very important, but ensuring victory in the war is more important.

Governor's office.

"Bastard!"

"Tian Zhisheng, I owe you in my last life!

Where does the Governor's office have money? This is clearly trying to pit people.

Tell the Jiangnan Navy that I have no money here, and I won't give my life either.

If you have the ability, go ask the Ministry of War; if it really doesn't work, go ask Yangzhou Prefecture."

Ha Shaoxing, who received the news, couldn't help but curse.

What superior or not, in the face of interests, it is not worth mentioning at all.

At his level, the only ones who have the ability to decide personnel appointments are the Emperor and the cabinet.

If you want to go further, personnel appointments also have to go through court recommendation.

"Governor, your subordinate is just a messenger and cannot be the master of the Ministry of War.

If you have any opinions, go talk to Minister Tian.

It's not early now; your subordinate will leave first!"

Yin Dengjia decisively chose to flash.

Whether it is the immediate superior or the power-holding Governor in front of him, he cannot afford to provoke them.

Since the official document has been delivered, just flash.

Lest he be injured by the bigwigs fighting.

"Get out!"

Ha Shaoxing said unhappily.

Now he is very annoyed when he sees people from the Ministry of War.

Wanting to refuse clearly, he finally didn't dare to open his mouth.

The Ministry of War's approach, although a bit pitting, still belongs to the obligations that the Governor's office should fulfill.

Doing it well is what should be done, but if problems arise, the responsibility is infinite.

Compared to the semi-retired Minister Tian, he is still very young and has infinite prospects.

"Steward, how much money and grain are left in the Governor's office? Is it enough for the Jiangnan Navy's departure fee?"

After sending people away, Ha Shaoxing asked with concern.

Now money

For the local finances, this will be a tremendous test.

"Master, there are still 300,000 taels of silver in the accounts, as well as 100,000 shi of stored grain.

The true situation is, at most, only one or two tenths of that.

If we pay the mobilization silver, the yamen will have no money left.

As for the current plan, I fear the only option is to set our sights on the spring taxes."

Private Secretary Yang said with a look of helplessness.

That the yamen of the Provincial Governor in the wealthiest province under heaven would actually be short of money—no one would believe it if word got out.

"The spring taxes must absolutely not be touched!

The imperial court is about to deploy troops to Liaodong, and this year's tax revenue is all earmarked for military pay.

Whoever dares to meddle with this is setting themselves against His Majesty and the lords of the imperial court.

That bastard surnamed Tian is clearly trying to harm me.

If it were truly possible to touch the spring taxes, he wouldn't need to beat around the bush like this; he could just send a formal dispatch, and I would give him whatever he asked for.

That scoundrel doesn't dare to take the responsibility himself, so he wants me to be his scapegoat; that is absolutely impossible.

Notify each prefecture to levy an additional 'bandit-suppression tax.'

The registered farmland in Nanzhili is nearly 80 million mu; excluding tax-exempt land, levy an additional three li and five hao per mu.

The war situation ahead may change, and we need to prepare a bit more in reserve."

Ha Shaoxing thought for a moment and said.

Forcibly apportioning taxes to the common people undoubtedly affects one's official reputation.

But there is no other way now; compared to offending the Emperor and the lords of the court, it is clearly easier to bully the common folk below.

As long as the levy doesn't fall on the heads of the gentry, the matter remains within a controllable range.

(End of chapter)