Chapter 112: Supplies are also a kind of money
As the First Emperor listened to Fu Zikang's words, a hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes.
It's not that the First Emperor had never heard false words.
The state commander Wei Liao said when they first met that he would formulate a strategy for him to pacify the six kingdoms.
The Marquis of Zongheng was weak, and his words could make a fortune and his eloquence could make the alliance of the six countries fall apart.
Li Xin, Marquis of Longxi, issued a military order himself, saying that he could lead an army of 200,000 Qin soldiers to defeat Chu and then return.
These words sounded all nonsense at first, and the First Emperor found them all ridiculous.
But the First Emperor was willing to listen to their specific operation process and analyze the possibilities from it.
Wei Liao presented the military book "Wei Liaozi" and explained the reasons in a simple and easy-to-understand way.
The First Emperor thought it was feasible, and appointed Wei Liao, who had long been unsuccessful in the State of Wei, as the national commander, giving him the highest military power in the State of Qin.
Dun Ruo analyzed the situation in the world and made a thorough analysis of the royal families and folk customs of various countries. He even used the example of the First Emperor and said, "I know that the king loves talents. Even if I say that the king is unfilial, the king will not kill me immediately. Doesn't this prove that I have the ability to see through people's hearts?"
When the First Emperor heard what you said, it seemed to make sense, so he promised you a huge sum of money, appointed you as the prime minister, and sent Dun Ruo on a tour of the six kingdoms, completely ignoring the possibility that Dun Ruo might run away with the money.
Li Xin brought out a large map and explained to the First Emperor in the Council Hall how to attack Chu, where to attack, how to divide the troops, what kind of response Chu might make, and how he could crack it.
After a night, the First Emperor thought about it and it seemed that there was no big problem. So he boldly appointed the young general Li Xin as the general and gave him 200,000 troops to attack the State of Chu.
The first two of these three were successful, but the last one failed.
But this failed one was actually almost successful - if Chang Wenjun had not rebelled.
In fact, the First Emperor was willing to listen to these false words, provided that these false words had the possibility of coming true.
If Fu Zikang said that Chang'an Jun could collect the money needed for the Chidao project within a year, the First Emperor would pay attention to it and ask for details.
But Fu Zikang said that the money that Chang'an Jun had sent to the Ministry of Grain and Grain was enough to build the highway.
What Fu Zikang said was in the heart of the First Emperor.
It is equivalent to Wei Liao saying that I can conquer the six kingdoms tomorrow, Dun Ruo saying that I can persuade the monarchs of the six kingdoms to surrender to Qin the day after tomorrow, and Li Xin saying that if the king gives me twenty soldiers, I can conquer Chu.
It's ridiculous.
Nonsense.
There is no possibility at all.
The First Emperor was too lazy to ask in detail.
Wang Wan handled internal affairs for many years, and was the main person in charge of large-scale construction projects such as the imperial palace, the Great Wall, and the imperial mausoleum.
As soon as Fu Zikang finished speaking, the others had not yet reacted. When the First Emperor was reluctant to speak, Wang Wan had already shouted angrily.
"absurd!"
Seeing Wang Wan getting angry, Fu Zikang was a little afraid.
His body trembled and he took half a step back.
I'm just saying something to participate...
"Nine highways lead to the east, west, south and north of the Great Qin. Such a huge project is comparable to Dayu's flood control and the consolidation of the nine states. It requires the efforts of all people and the wealth of the world to be completed. If the money sent by Chang'an Jun is enough to complete the construction of the nine highways, it must be equal to the wealth of the world, enough for the military pay of the Great Qin for ten years!"
When the First Emperor saw Fu Zikang taking a half step back, he was completely disappointed with him.
The First Emperor always acted in a magnanimous manner, and his character was extremely strong and he was never afraid.
In the eyes of the First Emperor, people must not be without courage, as timid people cannot accomplish anything great.
His words are empty and his heart is cowardly.
I remember that when Cheng Jiao recommended this person, he said that he should be regarded as a disciple of the Mohist school. He is only suitable for doing things, not for discussing politics. This is absolutely true.
The First Emperor was just about to let Fu Zikang go back first, and then let Li Si talk to him about searching the world for copper and iron to cast the twelve golden men.
Then he heard the timid Fu Zikang muttering in a low voice: "It will take more than ten years. Based on the military pay of the Qin army last year, it will take the Qin army eleven years and three months to build the Jiuchi Road."
"Oh, you are really bold to say that." The First Emperor was amused.
The First Emperor did not expect that Fu Zikang not only dared to admit that the money Ying Chengjiao moved was the military pay of the Qin State for ten years, but also dared to say that it was more than ten years.
Especially since the military pay is settled based on last year's payment, not this year's payment, this is totally out of line.
At the beginning of last year, Wang Jian commanded an army of 600,000 soldiers of the Qin Dynasty, and they attacked the Chu State. In the middle of the year, the Chu State was destroyed by Wang Jian. The Qin State provided food and horses for 600,000 people for half a year, and the military pay was an astronomical figure.
This was not the end. Less than three months after the army returned victorious from the war against Chu, the First Emperor appointed Wang Ben as supreme general and Meng Tian as general to lead an expedition to Qi, with a total of 400,000 troops and horses.
Although Qi eventually surrendered, it was Meng Tian who was fighting against the main force of the Qi army. Wang Ben led 50,000 Qin troops to attack Linzi and approached the city of Linzi. Only then did King Tian Jian of Qi surrender after being persuaded by Dun Ruo.
Moreover, Qi was located in the far east, bordering the East China Sea, and was the farthest from Qin among the six states. The military pay Qin spent on the long expedition to Qi was no less than the military pay Wang Jian spent on his 600,000 troops to attack Chu.
Last year was the year with the highest military expenditure in the nearly ten years since Emperor Qin Shihuang came to power.
"Ridiculous! Ridiculous! I have never heard such arrogant words! You treat us as children who don't know how to count!" Wang Wan slammed the table and shouted angrily.
Fu Zikang quickly took two steps back and shook his head, saying, "I dare not."
Meng Yi thought Fu Zikang didn't know how much the military pay of the Qin Dynasty was last year and was just talking nonsense, so he asked in a bad tone: "Do you know how much the military pay of the Qin Dynasty was last year?"
Upon hearing this, Fu Zikang's eyes lit up immediately, and he immediately said: "By the end of the New Year, the total expenditure was 1,189,237,346 yuan."
Fu Zikang spoke this sentence much louder than before, and he spoke it very fluently. No one knew how he memorized this string of irregular numbers.
Gai Nie was now extremely sensitive to accuracy. Upon hearing this, he turned his head and glanced at Zhao Gao: Look at Zikang, he can be accurate to the single digit.
Zhao Gao: Why is this plague god looking at me? His eyes seem to show contempt. What should I do?
Meng Yi never thought that Fu Zikang could answer this question. He was going to say, "You don't even know this, yet you dare to say that it can be equivalent to ten years' military pay last year."
Fu Zikang's answer made him stop talking halfway. The Meng family scholar said awkwardly: "Ah, so the military pay was so much last year..."
Wang Wan followed up on Meng Yi's words and angrily said, "Since you know the amount of military pay last year, how dare you speak nonsense in front of His Majesty!"
Fu Zikang didn't know why Wang Wan, the right prime minister, always treated him badly.
But he remembered Ying Chengjiao's warning to him - if he wanted to secure his position as one of the Nine Ministers, he only needed to take care of the accounts. He didn't need to care about other matters and didn't argue with others.
"I dare not speak nonsense..."
He whispered again.
Fu Zikang performed a not-so-standard apology to Wang Wan and returned to his seat.
I have said so much, so I should be considered as participating. The position of the Internal History of Grain Administration should be kept, and I can still get 2,000 shi of grain a year.
Seeing this, Wang Wan wanted to say something else.
The First Emperor signaled him to shut up with his eyes.
Li Si didn't even turn his head to look at Fu Zikang.
If he were still the Chief Justice today and one of the Nine Ministers together with Fu Zikang, he would still do some face-saving work, talk to him, help him out and establish a good relationship with Fu Zikang.
But Li Si is now the left prime minister. The Chief Justice will care about the Minister of Grain, but the left prime minister will not.
The Left Prime Minister didn't want to pay any attention to this kind of person who was full of lies and stubbornness.
Li Si saw that the First Emperor's gaze returned to him and he gave him a look, asking him to continue speaking.
Then Gai Nie, who always had a cold and hard face and was not happy with anyone, spoke.
"Your Majesty, Zikang never speaks nonsense."
"Hmm?" The First Emperor looked back.
Gai Nie looked at the First Emperor and said, "Nie and Zikang have known each other for several years, and I have never heard Zikang say anything nonsense."
The First Emperor did not believe Fu Zikang's words.
But the First Emperor believed what Gai Nie said.
If Gai Nie had not taken the initiative to wake up the First Emperor early last night, the First Emperor would probably have slept until noon.
Although the First Emperor thought that sleeping until noon was not a bad thing, Gai Nie's behavior still made the First Emperor trust him more.
In terms of his own safety, the First Emperor believed.
Compared to the obedient Zhao Gao, Gai Nie, who has a strong personality, is better.
"Mr. Gai, what you said means that the money Chang'an Jun sent to the Zhisu Nei Shi Mansion is 12 billion. Mr. Gai, do you know how much 12 billion is? The entire Zhisu Nei Shi Mansion cannot accommodate such a large amount of money!" Wang Wan said in a stern voice.
You're so lazy! You didn't even remember the 100 million that Zikang just said.
"I don't know how much money the Zhisu Neishi Mansion can hold, I only know that Zikang doesn't speak nonsense."
Fu Zikang nodded gratefully to Gai Nie, although he felt that this should not be said.
The prince warned me that if I wanted to secure my position as the Internal Affairs Minister, I should not argue with others...
The First Emperor acted decisively and immediately stopped Wang Wan from continuing to speak. He smiled and said, "What's there to argue about? The money is real or fake. Would you mind going with me to the Sulli Palace to see if it's inconvenient? Come! Go to the Sulli Palace!"
The First Emperor believed Gai Nie but not Fu Zikang. He decided to lead four people to the Zhisu Neishi Mansion to find out the truth.
Governed the Su Neishi Mansion.
The Left Prime Minister of the Ministry of Grain and the Right Prime Minister of the Ministry of Grain had been giving orders.
"Can this thousand gold be recorded in the account? Once recorded, move it into the warehouse quickly!"
"Don't mess around. Not only will you endanger your own lives, but you will also bring harm to your entire family and implicate three clans!"
"Why are you so slow at keeping accounts? You are a new employee. I was wondering why you look unfamiliar. You have not yet learned the counting method taught by the Minister of Grain and Grain. Go and move the money first, don't waste time!"
"Idiot! A thousand coins are worth one gold! Don't count the coins! Convert them into gold! Otherwise, how much will you have to keep in this account!"
The officials of the Ministry of Grain and the Imperial Household were like industrious bees, constantly busy.
"The hundred gold pieces have been weighed, the accounts have been recorded, and they are now stored in the warehouse."
"Here is a hundred thousand coins, not a penny more or less. Take it."
"Brother Zhang, get me another twenty bamboo slips. No, fifty!"
"Have you used up all the one hundred bamboo slips? Did Lord Chang'an move the inner treasury of His Majesty here?"
"Hurry up and do it. The left and right chancellors are watching."
All the rooms in the vast Zhisu Neishi Mansion were in use, and all the officials in the Zhisu Neishi Mansion, who used to have relatively little time, were now idle.
Officials walked back and forth in each room and each door, each holding bamboo slips, sacks, etc. From the jingling sound of the sacks, it was known that there was a lot of money there.
All the officials had a look of confusion on their faces. Even though they were the officials who had seen the most money in the Qin Empire, they had never seen so much money.
If they don't wash their official uniforms today, you can smell the stench of Qin money and copper from three meters away.
This was the scene that the First Emperor saw when he, along with Gai Nie, Zhao Gao, Li Si, Wang Wan, Meng Yi, and Fu Zikang, arrived at the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Everyone lowered their heads and did their own things. Some were weighing, some were doing accounts, and some were moving things. It was very lively.
The Left Prime Minister and the Right Prime Minister, who had been giving orders on the steps, were the first to see the First Emperor from a high vantage point.
The two of them trotted up to the First Emperor and were about to bow to him, but they didn't say anything.
"Do your work, don't bother me."
"only."
The two of them were really rude. They just agreed without even saying hello.
He ran back the same way he came here and continued to give orders at the top of his voice.
The behavior of the two men stunned the First Emperor.
Are these two really ignoring me and running back now?
The First Emperor turned his head to look at Fu Zikang, the Internal Secretary of Grain Administration, nodded and praised him.
"Zhi Su's treatment is good."
The way a group conducts itself is inextricably linked to its leader.
For example, in the Qin State led by Emperor Qin Shi Huang, every man was as fierce as a tiger or a wolf, and even the literati were capable of taking up swords and going into battle, full of blood.
Fu Zikang said quickly: "Thank you, Your Majesty."
If it were Li Si, he would definitely add, "It is because of your Majesty's wisdom that your subjects can work so hard," and give the credit to the First Emperor.
But Fu Zikang didn't have such an idea. He just thanked him and said nothing more.
But the First Emperor didn't care. Instead, he smiled and patted Fu Zikang on the shoulder.
The First Emperor liked capable ministers regardless of their personalities.
The relationship between the king and his subject is harmonious.
Wang Wan, the expert in internal affairs, has gone over to check the number.
Wang Wan took a tour around the Zhisul Nei Shi Mansion and asked the left and right chancellors of the Zhisul Nei Shi for the approximate number, and he had a rough idea in his mind.
He walked to the side of the First Emperor who was also walking around and looking around, and said softly: "I was short-sighted at first. The amount of money in the Ministry of Grain and the Ministry of Internal Affairs is the largest I have ever seen in my life. Chang'an Jun's ability to collect money is much greater than that of Lu Buwei. Although this place is not enough to pay for the military pay of the Qin Dynasty for ten years, it is still more than five years."
The First Emperor looked at Fu Zikang and laughed.
"Fu Zikang, you said that this place has the military pay of the Qin Dynasty for the past ten years. Now it is only five years. What do you want to say?"
Although he said so, the First Emperor had no intention of blaming Fu Zikang at all.
At once, the problem of the nine highways was half solved. The First Emperor was so happy that he could not contain himself. The questioning was even more sarcastic.
Fu Zikang shrank back.
"Your Majesty, I have never said that the Ministry of Internal Affairs has ten years of military pay..."
The First Emperor: ???
Li Si: ???
Wang Wan: ???
Meng Yi: ???
Zhao Gao: ???
The five of them were all stunned.
You just said in the Council Hall, and you are not going to admit it? You also said it was ten years of last year's military salary, can you lie about that?
Even if there is no ten years' military pay, only five years is also a great achievement. Why do you say that?
To deny it like this is absolutely a crime of deceiving the emperor!
Gai Nie had no doubts. He looked at the confused five people and said, "Zikang never lies."
The First Emperor, Wang Wan, Meng Yi, Zhao Gao, and Li Si were all speechless.
Are you forming a group to bully the king?
Fu Zikang looked at Wang Wan, Meng Yi, Li Si, Zhao Gao with twinkling eyes, he even looked at Gai Nie!
"What I am saying is that the money that Chang'an Jun just sent to the Ministry of Internal Affairs is enough to build the highway..."
Fu Zikang thought to himself: Supplies are also a kind of money.
