Chapter 655 Money <<<
"Bring me the Ministry of Revenue's report."
Li Chen asked Wan Jiaojiao to bring out the official documents delivered by the Ministry of Household this morning. After flipping through them, he immediately frowned.
All other expenses were still within the normal budget, but today's celebration for the troops cost tens of thousands of silver taels just on the first day.
Don't be fooled by the small number, it's only the first day. According to the rules, the victorious army must stay for a period of time depending on the size of the battle, ranging from seven days to a month. Every day, tens of thousands of people need supplies, food, and alcohol, which alone costs a significant amount. Not to mention the generous rewards during celebrations with extravagant meals, slaughtered cattle and sheep, all bought with taxpayer money.
Even as the recent disaster has yet to be fully overcome, prices of various supplies and materials have skyrocketed. Not only are ordinary people struggling to cope, but even the imperial court is finding it difficult to bear the burden.
According to the Household Ministry's calculations, the entire reward would cost at least three or four hundred thousand taels, and this was just the cost of the rewards. Other war merit awards and death and disability pensions would each amount to no less than this figure.
Although death, injury, and disability allowances are ultimately paid by the Xianchao government, this current expense requires the imperial court to advance the funds.
Seeing Li Chen frowning, his mood was not good. Wan Jiaojiao, who had been serving by Li Chen's side for a long time and roughly knew some of the ins and outs, cautiously spoke up: "Your Highness, the matter of silver can't be solved in a short time, so don't worry too much. Over the years, hasn't it always been like this?"
Li Chen let out a sigh and said, "In the past, when the imperial court was short of money, it owed officials' salaries. All other construction projects were halted. Projects that couldn't be stopped were delayed as much as possible, patching one hole to cover another. We managed to get by this way. But while civilian officials' salaries could be delayed, these soldiers risked their lives on the battlefield for their achievements, and those can't be delayed."
"If we default once, the court's reputation will be ruined. In the future, when the country is in trouble, who will still risk their lives for the court? Even with passion, one must first have food to eat."

After saying all that, Li Chen let out a soft sigh and said, “Fine, bring over the few reports I just read. Today, I'll arrange for all the military merit rewards for this victory. Tomorrow, I'll go over them again in court and make sure they are implemented as soon as possible. That way, the soldiers can rest assured sooner.”
Wàn Jiāojiāo felt a pang of sympathy for the Crown Prince working so hard, but she didn't dare to stop him. She could only bring out what Lǐ Chén requested and then quickly brewed a pot of ginseng tea and placed it by his side.
Li Chen took the ginseng tea and sipped it, his eyebrows furrowed slightly. He had never been used to the taste of ginseng, and this time was no exception. However, Wan Jiaojiao's intentions were always good, so he swallowed it with gritted teeth.
When busy, time always seems to fly by.
When Li Chen put together the finalized plan, it was already midnight.
At this time of day, he should be going back to rest or finding Zhao Rui for a good relaxation, but today he didn't. Instead, he went straight to the East Palace side hall.
At the side hall, there were three layers of guards inside and three layers outside, all made up of the most elite members of the Jinyiwei. Dozens could be seen patrolling back and forth in plain sight, ensuring no weak points in their defense. In the shadows and several adjacent houses, over a hundred more elite Jinyiwei were ready to rush out at any moment.
These people are all the top-tier experts in the Jinyiwei.
Here, gathered at the Dongchang headquarters in the capital city, are the most elite martial artists.
Furthermore, with San Bao seated at the entrance of the side hall and Gong Huiyu enjoying the moon on the roof, it could be said that they provided true all-round protection. Unless a well-equipped army of several thousand came in full force, there was absolutely no possibility of any problems occurring here.