Datang: Showdown, your father and I are Li Shimin

Chapter 28 Donation and Borrowing
Chang'an City, Imperial Palace, Xuanzheng Hall.

"All my loves, do you have a play?" Li Erduan sat on the main hall, looking down at all the officials in the hall.

All the courtiers looked at each other in blank dismay, and immediately shook their heads.

Seeing this, Li Er suddenly stood up from the dragon chair, and glanced around at the ministers.

All the ministers in the hall looked at each other, and stood up one after another. They didn't hear Li Er say to retreat, and everyone stood quietly.

Everyone had doubts on their faces.

After a long time, Li Ercai slowly opened his mouth and said: "My dear friends, you must know that the smallpox epidemic suddenly disappeared in heaven. Now that the Tang Dynasty has internal and external troubles, the treasury is empty, and the disaster relief needs a lot of money. The treasury can't afford it for a while. Much silver."

"Everyone is responsible for the rise and fall of the world. In order to eliminate smallpox as soon as possible, I decided to allocate 9000 taels of silver from the internal funds to the treasury for disaster relief. All my lovers know that I want to be frugal, but I can't get much silver out of the internal funds. This little money It's just that the firefighting with salaries won't make waves, I don't know if all the lovers have something to say?"

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a burst of chattering in the entire Xuanzheng Hall.

"Your Majesty, what are you doing?" Cheng Yaojin looked around in a daze, not knowing what Li Er was doing.

"Could it be that we are also asked to put money into the treasury for disaster relief?" Qin Qiong and Li Jing looked at each other, not knowing what kind of medicine Li Er was selling in the gourd.

"It seems that His Majesty has been a little nervous recently."

"I feel that the national treasury is tighter than His Majesty's internal funds, otherwise His Majesty would not ask us to donate money."

Seeing that everyone was still unmoved, Li Er couldn't help but frowned, and reminded: "The smallpox disaster has affected hundreds of thousands of people, and now the national treasury is empty. Can't you just donate some money?"

The ministers below were discussing a lot, and many people suddenly stood up and said: "Your Majesty, the ministers are also living very poorly these days, and they really can't afford much silver. I have 800 taels of silver, which can be donated to the national treasury."

"In the face of national crisis, it's not that I don't want to take action, it's just that I have more than enough energy, I can donate 500 taels."

"Wei Chen doesn't have much money on hand, so I can donate 1000 taels."

When Li Er heard this, his eyelids twitched violently.

I have always been very generous to these ministers, and the rewards are always thousands of taels of silver and dozens of bolts of silk and satin. When using them, none of them made a sound.

Li Er clenched his fists in his sleeves angrily, his hands were trembling uncontrollably.

It seems that rewarding these guys will be less in the future.

One person took the lead, and others also donated a few hundred taels.

Li Er's face suddenly turned black as if digging coal, and he kept thinking in his heart: "Could it be possible to borrow it?"

Just as the people in the court were talking about hundreds of donations, Wei Zheng suddenly stood up, looked at Li Er resolutely, and said loudly: "Your Majesty! Although my life is clean and honest, I still have some savings in my family. , I am willing to donate 8 taels of silver to the national treasury for disaster relief."

Li Er looked up and down with satisfaction, and said secretly in his heart: Well, Wei Zheng, you are usually dissatisfied with me. I didn't expect you to be the first to understand what I mean today. When I get help from Ze'er someday, If you make a lot of money, I will reward you well!

With Wei Zheng at the beginning, Du Ruhui, Fang Xuanling and others also began to stand up.

"Prime Minister Wei is indeed generous. Wei Chen is usually frugal, but now that he has some savings, Wei Chen is willing to donate 8 taels." Du Ruhui cast an approving look at Wei Zheng.

Fang Xuanling followed Du Ruhui closely: "Since the two ministers donated generously, I am also willing to donate 10 taels of silver for disaster relief."

After finishing speaking, Changsun Wuji also squeezed out from behind Fang Xuanling: "There is a natural disaster, and all the people are in trouble. As courtiers of the Tang Dynasty, we should naturally share the worries of your majesty and the people of the world. I am willing to donate 12 taels. To quell the disaster!”

Fang Xuanling and others nodded approvingly towards Changsun Wuji.

Tang Jian and others also opened their mouths one after another, donating tens of thousands.

Cheng Yaojin quietly punched Qin Qiong and said in a low voice: "Old Qin, should we also be interested? How much do you plan to donate?"

"Fifty thousand, almost." Qin Qiong then stood up, reported his amount to Li Er, and then sat down again.

Cheng Yaojin scratched his head in embarrassment: "Hehehe...Old Qin, we have a good relationship, right? I'm a little nervous recently, can you lend me tens of thousands of taels of silver? I can't give much at the moment."

Qin Qiong rolled his eyes at Cheng Yaojin and asked, "Is twenty thousand enough?"

"Enough is enough! Enough is enough!" Cheng Yaojin stood up with a smile and bowed to Li Erchang: "My old Cheng, donate [-]!"

After all, he sat down and raised his eyebrows proudly at Qin Qiong.

Qin Qiong immediately knew what this guy meant and gave him a hard look.

Immediately afterwards, Li Jing, Yu Chigong, and Changsun Shunde also began to report their numbers.

Civil and military officials from all walks of life talked for a long time, except for Du Ruhui and Cheng Yaojin, who were relatively large in number, those famous families were only a few hundred or a few thousand.

The richer people are, the more they value money.

Especially among them there are some people who do business secretly, but they withhold a lot of wealth.

Li Er naturally knew this.

Not long after, Du Ruhui suddenly glanced at Fang Xuanling and fixed his gaze on Pei Ji with a joking look on his face: "Pei Xiangsuo has such a big family and is facing a natural disaster. Why did he spend such a small amount of money?"

As soon as these words came out, the people on Fang Xuanling's side all locked their eyes on Pei Ji.

Pei Ji looked into the eyes of these people, and suddenly blushed. Their family was rich, but it was beyond his control.

Pei Ji lowered his head and said, "Return to Your Majesty, I really don't have much money to donate."

Immediately afterwards, Fang Xuanling snorted coldly, and stood up: "Pei is really poor? Pei's family has been everyone in the past dynasties, and it can be said that they are rich and incomparable. I don't think they want to give up?"

Cheng Yaojin was even more straightforward, pointing to Pei Ji's nose on the spot and said: "I think you are either poor or stingy. Such a big family can't even come up with tens of thousands of silver? I don't believe it!"

Pei Ji's face was ashen, and the veins on his forehead stood out: "Returning to Your Majesty, last time Your Majesty punished my servant for one year's salary, I really don't have much, if it's not possible, I can borrow 1 taels from the family... "

Li Er suddenly snorted coldly: "Good you Pei Ji, you are so selfish in the midst of the Tang Dynasty's natural disaster. Well, I don't want you to donate, why not borrow it? I promise half the interest!"

At first, those who donated only a few hundred were secretly proud.

Because they knew that people like Du Ruhui would never get their money back.

Pei Ji raised his head stiffly, his face was ashen, it seemed that Li Er had bitten him this time.

When he thought about borrowing money, he would not lose money anyway, and if he borrowed money, he could get it back, and the family would be easy to explain.

Before Pei Ji could speak, the others began to report the loan amount to Li Er in tens of thousands.

Cheng Yaojin was so angry that he really wanted to take a bite of gold: "Grandma, these guys said they had no money at first, but now they are more active when they talk about borrowing one by one!"

"Don't panic, His Majesty has his reasons for doing this, but the tens of thousands of taels of silver, just tightened his belt recently." Qin Qiong glanced at Pei Ji and the others contemptuously, and couldn't help but spit.

"Since Your Majesty sincerely wants to borrow, I will make the decision on behalf of the Pei family. Just ask how much your Majesty needs to borrow." Pei Ji bit the bullet and met Li Er's gaze.

Li Er slowly stretched out three fingers: "30 taels, and I will pay you 45 taels when the time comes!"

"Okay! 30 taels, Pei dares to ask His Majesty to make a written statement, so as to explain for the family." Pei Ji curled his lips, and as soon as he finished speaking, the whole court fell silent.

"Hiss—" There was a sound of inhalation coming from an unknown direction.

How dare you ask His Majesty for a written proof? It's really courageous.

Li Er suddenly sneered, and then looked at Tang Jian: "Tang Shangshu, I would like to trouble you to draft a loan letter for them, and at the same time count the donations and loans of the ministers, and hand them over after making them give it to me."

"I obey the order!" Tang Jian bowed to Li Er respectfully, and he could clearly hear a trace of anger in Li Er's voice.

"Retire!" Li Er shook his hand violently, turned and left.

(End of this chapter)