In the Hall of Diligent Government, in addition to Emperor Jing who was sitting in the seat of honor, there were many people in the hall.
A man who looked to be in his forties, dressed in a scarlet official uniform, frowned and asked, "Sir Yan, why is the military expenditure this year so much higher than in previous years? Did the Ministry of War really calculate it correctly?"
"What does Lord Qin mean by this?" On the other side, a man with a square face and a dignified expression said faintly, "Every time the military expenditure is calculated, I will specially invite a few mathematicians from the Imperial College to help me calculate it. Why, Lord Qin, are you suspecting that the Imperial College has calculated wrongly, or are you suspecting that the Ministry of War has reported the military expenditure falsely?"
Although the person in front of him was the current Minister of Revenue, Qin Shao, the two of them had similar official positions, so the middle-aged man didn't have to give him any face.
Qin Huan had just asked a question when he was interrupted by the Minister of War, Yan Bing. Naturally, he felt depressed.
The Imperial College had the most talented mathematicians of the Jing Kingdom. The military expenditure was huge, and it was no small matter. It was impossible for them to make a mistake in their calculations. Qin Huan himself would not doubt it, and even if he did doubt it, he would not say it here.
The Chancellor of the Directorate, the Minister of Education, and several scholars from the Hongwen School were all standing at the side. There were even a few Confucian scholars among them. These Confucian scholars didn't care if he was the Minister of Revenue or not. If he dared to doubt their professionalism here, they would definitely fight him to the death.
As for suspecting the Ministry of War of falsely reporting military expenditures, there was no evidence. Even His Majesty couldn't say such a thing. Qin Huan wasn't that stupid. He explained, "You've misunderstood, Sir Yan. It's just that I'm sure Sir Yan is aware of the current state of the national treasury. As the Minister of Revenue, it's my duty to investigate every sum of money. I hope Sir Yan won't take it to heart."
Yan Bing glanced at him and said, "In the past few years, the dynasty was stable and there were no wars, so the military expenditure was naturally low. Although the results of this campaign are impressive, the expenditure is not small. Whether it is rations, military equipment, or the soldiers' salaries, they all require money. Lord Qin, don't think too simply."
Qin Huan pondered for a moment before he nodded and finally stopped talking.
Although the national treasury was tight, the money had to be squeezed out no matter what … It was just that the days ahead would be even more difficult.
"The matter of military expenditure is of great importance. We will discuss it later. My two beloved ministers, please wait for a moment." Emperor Jing walked down from above and spoke to the two of them. Then, he looked at the people waiting at the side and asked, "May I know why the great scholars entered the palace?"
Among the people from the Directorate of Directorates and Hong Wen Guan, three of them were old men with white hair and beards. Although their positions were not high, they had spent their entire lives teaching and had many achievements. Even Emperor Jing had to give them enough respect.
An old man stepped forward and bowed to Emperor Jing, saying, "Your Majesty, I heard that the County Magistrate of Chang 'an, Li Yi, taught the princes and princesses arithmetic at the age of twenty. Is this true?"
"It's true." Emperor Jing's eyes flashed with a strange light and he nodded.
"Please forgive me for speaking bluntly." The old man stroked his beard and said, "This is too ridiculous. That Li Yi is only indebted to His Majesty and was bestowed the title of County Magistrate of Chang 'an. He is only 20 years old and yet he only has the title of Elementary Scholar. This shows how shallow his knowledge is. How can such a person become the teacher of the Prince and Princess? What virtue or ability did that Li Yi have? What does His Majesty think of the Directorate of Directorates and Hong Wen Guan? "
The old man's words were so direct that Emperor Jing could not answer for a while.
Qin Huan, the Minister of Revenue, looked at the people from the Directorate of Directorates and Hong Wen Guan with a strange look on his face. Those people had finally taken action against the County Magistrate of Chang 'an, Li Yi.
The incident of the County Magistrate of Chang 'an beating the King of Shu had passed. Because this matter involved many people, once it became a big deal, the reputation of the King of Shu would be ruined. Therefore, the officials of the King of Shu, including Prime Minister Qin, all chose to remain silent and did not make things difficult for the County Magistrate of Chang' an, Li Yi.
However, it was also impossible for this matter to be brushed aside so easily.
If they were only slightly interested in the County Magistrate of Chang 'an a few days ago, after that day, Li Yi had officially become a thorn in their side.
He had only done one thing and made countless people's long-term hard work go down the drain. If the County Magistrate of Chang 'an was not eliminated, it would be difficult to vent their anger.
The words of the great scholar from the Directorate of Directorates were the first step of their revolt.
After all, these two places were the sphere of influence of the officials of Prime Minister Qin.
Qin Huan glanced at Yan Bing, the Minister of War opposite him. Seeing his expressionless face, Qin Huan wondered why Yan Bing did not say a word at this moment, given his relationship with the Li family.
"Your Highness, Your Highness, His Majesty is discussing important matters with several officials. Your Highness can't go in …" Suddenly, there was a noise at the door of the hall, temporarily breaking the atmosphere in the hall. Everyone looked in the direction of the door.
"Father …" Li Han, the Prince of Jin, dodged two eunuchs and ran in, panting. When he just said this, he could not help but be stunned when he saw so many people in the hall.
Except for his father, he did not know most of the people in the hall, but the two old men standing there were teachers who taught him Confucian classics and history. When Li Han saw them, he felt a headache and said in a low voice, "Father, please go ahead. Han 'er will wait for you outside."
Emperor Jing was usually busy with state affairs and had little time to teach his children. He remembered that the last time he saw Li Han, Prince of Jin, his face was rounder than it was now. He did not expect that he had lost so much weight in such a short time. He could not help but feel distressed and guilty. He touched his head and said, "It's okay. Han 'er will go over there and play alone for a while. When father is done with his business, I will accompany you."
Li Han nodded and walked to the upper table alone.
Emperor Jing looked a little absent-minded. In his memory, Prince of Jin had always been naughty and mischievous. He did not have the heart to study and liked to play. When he saw him again today, he had grown so much and become so well-behaved and sensible. As a father, he did not even know when his child had grown up …
As an emperor, he was undoubtedly qualified, but as a father … Emperor Jing sighed in his heart, and his expression could not help but become gloomy.
The appearance of Prince of Jin was only a small interlude. Seeing him walk to the back, a secretary of the Imperial College stood up and said, "Your Majesty, that Li Yi abandoned the calculation method and introduced that Ah … Ah Bo number. This is an act of forgetting his roots. How can such a person who forgets his ancestors become the teacher of the princes?"
"The education of the princes is the most important thing. Your Majesty must not be careless. Could it be that the Imperial College's Doctor of Mathematics is inferior to a mere scholar?"
"The County Magistrate of Chang 'an City, Li Yi, is immoral and incompetent. How can he teach our princes? Your Majesty, please reconsider and do not let the princes down …"
"If this matter is spread, I am afraid that the people will laugh at us and think that there is no one in the Imperial College!"
…
…
The people of the Imperial College and the Hongwen School did not feel the change in Emperor Jing's mood. They all stepped forward and spoke sharply. There was only one request.
The County Magistrate of Chang 'an City, Li Yi, had no talent and was not qualified to be the teacher of the princes and princesses. In order to prevent the princes from being delayed, they should choose a Doctor of Mathematics from the Imperial College to teach them personally. As for the County Magistrate of Chang' an City, Li Yi, he should go back to where he came from …
The people of the Imperial College and the Hongwen School tried to persuade Emperor Jing. On the table, Prince Jin, Li Han, was not interested in the conversation. He sat on a chair that did not match his body and looked around for a while. He felt a little bored and glanced at an open memorial on the table. He casually glanced at it and saw something familiar. He moved closer with interest …
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