Zhang Dexiang was the first to enter the palace, and when he saw Renzong coming up to ask about something, Renzong didn't say anything and told him to wait.

Next is Jia Chaochang, then Ye Qingchen, Ye Qingchen is the latest one, he deals with the affairs of the three divisions, especially recently, the follow-up of the Baozhou mutiny, plus the disaster in Shaanxi, all need him to deal with it personally, and he is busy.

In fact, when he heard Renzong's call, his heart was gordoned, before Renzong asked for the 150,000 yuan, they were all squeezed out from all sides, in case of trouble, the three divisions couldn't come up with the money, then it would be a big problem.

But when he saw Zhang Dexiang and Jia Chaochang, he understood that it seemed that he couldn't avoid it, and he didn't know what name Renzong used to ask for it, but he had to think about it first, where he could squeeze out this money.

It's really not a family and I don't know how expensive firewood and rice are, he has served as the third envoy for so long, without that year, he is not trembling, the money is not enough, and his waist can't stand up.

But no matter how much you squeeze it, one or two thousand times is okay, and if there are more, it won't work.

Ye Qingchen looked at Renzong, and he couldn't see anything from his expression, but did he call him alone, and he also brought the prime minister and vice minister, this is not a small problem, this is asking for more money.

Seeing that Ye Qingchen had also arrived, Renzong said, "Ye Qing, I don't know how much the three divisions spend every year?" ”

Ye Qingchen hadn't answered yet, and Zhang Dexiang next to him said something bad, about the matter of Xiang Jun, he decided with Jia Chaochang, and did not inform Ye Qingchen.

The purpose is not to put it in his pocket, 30,000 Xiang Army, according to the appropriation, this is not a small number, in the center, you can't do things without money, even if it is the prime minister, every year he and Ye Qingchen for tens of thousands of yuan, start a tug-of-war, if this money, saved, it is a great thing for the East and West Mansion.

But in front of Renzong, it was impossible for him to stop Ye Qingchen directly, his face was strange, and he kept glancing at Ye Qingchen, but Ye Qingchen didn't see it.

Since Renzong asked, of course this is endless.

According to the regulations, a box army can receive 12 stone rice, plus 6 guan of silver, but the expenses of the imperial court are more than this, plus food, training weapons and updates, etc., in the case of not establishing a new box army, each person is about 20 stone rice and 10 guan money per year.

"It's over!" Hearing Ye Qingchen say it like this, Zhang De seemed to be secretly not good, but he had no choice, this was data, and it was impossible to change the data.

"Oh, in this way, the annual consumption of a box army is about 24!"

"I can't say that, because most of Lu Mi is self-raised, and the work of the Xiang army can also be solved, and the average of the imperial court every year is about 4 runs!" Although Ye Qingchen didn't know why Renzong asked this question, he still retorted.

Zhang Dexiang next to him breathed a sigh of relief, this Ye Qingchen is not stupid enough to say anything, if he really wants to follow 24 people, it will be a dead man.

Renzong thought about it, the income of the entire imperial court was only about 20 million, the Xiang army was 24 a year, the forbidden army was twice as much as the Xiang army, 800,000 forbidden troops and more than 400,000 Xiang army, the annual expenses were not 50 million, and they couldn't bear it anyway.

"So, if you cut 30,000 troops, then you can reduce your expenditure by 120,000 per year?" Renzong asked.

"The official family wants to abolish the box army!" Ye Qingchen was shocked and said, "Don't, the third division can't come up with so much money!" ”

The expansion of the number of Xiang troops in the Northern Song Dynasty is due to various natural disasters, which has gradually increased, at the beginning, during the period of Taizu Taizong, it is really how many count, anyway, once a disaster is encountered, all of them are incorporated into the Xiang army, but in the later period of Zhenzong and Renzong, it was found that it could not be done like this.

The disastrous weather in the Northern Song Dynasty is increasing, and there are more and more victims, although the army does not invest much, but it is always the army, and it always requires the government's investment, under the premise of more than 400,000 yuan, it is already a little impossible, and it will be difficult to do more.

From the later period of Zhenzong to the period of Renzong, it was more maintenance, but this maintenance was difficult, and the number also increased from more than 200,000 in the Zhenzong period to more than 400,000 in the Renzong period, more than 200,000, and the annual government expenditure increased by more than one million, making the economy of the Northern Song Dynasty, which was already unable to make ends meet.

Ye Qingchen doesn't know the benefits of abolishing the box army, but if he doesn't cut it, what he pays every year may only be a fraction of the cut, and if he wants to cut it, he must give severance pay, which is conservatively 20 yuan, and there are farm tools and fields, these things add up, even if it is a reduction of 350,000 people, it is enough to collapse the finances.

Renzong heard Ye Qingchen's words, and smiled slightly, Ye Qingchen is a little rigid, but here in the third division, he is a meritorious person, in recent years, although the financial situation is still severe, but it has not reached the extent of previous years, just that during the few years he took office, the average annual expenditure was reduced by more than one million yuan.

By last year, it had reached 4 million, and although he had offended many people, the center and Renzong were quite satisfied with his work.

"Ye Qing, if you say that on the premise of not providing severance pay, no less than 30,000 forbidden troops will be abolished!"

Ye Qingchen looked at Renzong a little depressed, isn't this a joke, if there is such an opportunity, why not do it, but how to solve their livelihood problems, how to make money and live?

"Ding Navy! Miao Ding asked me to ask for about 30,000 van troops, not only for the van army, but also for the families of the van army, and the cabinet and I have agreed! ”

Ye Qingchen hesitated a little, a thought flashed in his heart, but he didn't dare to say it, no matter how bad the Xiang army is, it is still an army, 30,000 troops, integrated, equipped with certain equipment, and also has strong combat effectiveness.

"Don't worry! Qingchen, this is a forbidden army that didn't carry any equipment, just people went out! Zhang Dexiang next to him said.

Hearing Zhang Dexiang's statement, Ye Qingchen somewhat understood that Renzong's purpose was to ask for money, but it was different from what he thought, he called Zhang Dexiang to exert pressure, but to help explain.

Zhang Dexiang didn't communicate with him on such a thing, the purpose is the same, it is also for money, 30,000 Xiang Army, which is not as good as the forbidden army, but the annual allocation is a lot.

At this moment, he noticed that Zhang Dexiang's expression was a little strange, coupled with Renzong's silent expression, as a high-ranking government official, Ye Qingchen still didn't understand something.

sighed, and made a decision in an instant, if there was no Renzong this matter, even if he knew, he could only turn a blind eye, and now, Renzong has intervened, what else is there to say.

"Your Majesty, I know what you mean!" When Ye Qingchen said this, he changed his words and said: "However, not all of the government's money is invested in the Xiang Army, and there needs to be a little discount!" ”

"Discount, how much?" Renzong has no accident, Ye Qingchen's character, if it is not partly throttled, it is impossible, if it is in the public heart, then it is no problem, but if it is too much, then it will be embarrassing.

"About three times!"

"Okay, 90,000 guan, I need to see this money as soon as the box army is in place, and go with the box army."

Renzong's statement made Ye Qingchen a little embarrassed, what he said was the truth, in fact, a box army of about 30,000 people, finally dismantled, it was not 90,000 guan in a year, and even unceremoniously said that the investment in a year, in direct and indirect combined, was more than 100,000 guan.

However, let Ye Qingchen take out 100,000 guan at one time, which is no less than squeezing him, you know, although the third division is running smoothly now, it is close to 100,000 guan, and it does not mean that it will be taken out, Ye Qingchen hesitated for a moment and said: "It's still the same as before, for three years!" ”

"That's not good, you can save 90,000 guan in a year, how much can you save in 3 years, if it is three years, at least 150,000 guan!" Renzong said without retreating.

Ye Qingchen hesitated, but finally agreed to Renzong's request.

Zhang Dexiang next to him smiled bitterly, but unfortunately he didn't have any way, the entire financial expenditure was decided by the three envoys, the three envoys, to put it bluntly, was to take out the power to divide the phase equally, as long as Ye Qingchen decided something, even Zhang Dexiang had no way to refute it.

Not to mention, looking at Renzong's approaching step by step, Zhang Dexiang dared to refute, to be honest, Zhang Dexiang was in the center for eight years, from 1038 to 1045, but this prime minister deserved to be quite sad, in the early stage, it was when Lu Yijian was in power, even if Lu Yijian was not the prime minister at that time, but whether it was the prime minister was better than the prime minister.

Finally, Lu Yijian was defeated by Fan Zhongyan and these young people, but Fan Zhongyan took the lead, as the deputy envoy of the Privy Council, he actually exercised the power of the prime minister, and finally now, he sensitively grasped that Renzong's center of gravity began to change, but he still had no way to grasp the real power.

Ye Qingchen's hesitation made Zhang Dexiang look hopeful, how much he hoped that Ye Qingchen could block it, then he could also get benefits, after all, a box army, not only the appropriation of the three divisions, but also some other benefits, these are no way to tell Renzong.

Renzong may not understand the twists and turns of the point, but he knows very well that he must cut through the mess quickly, and he must make Ye Qingchen agree to come down now.

In the end, after weighing the pros and cons, Ye Qingchen still agreed, Renzong was right, saving 90,000 guan a year, and at least 270,000 guan in three years, this is still direct data, in fact, the cost of a van army, 30,000 people is far more than 90,000, in fact, it will be more, but it is urgent to calculate.

When Ye Qingchen agreed, even if Zhang Dexiang had thousands of methods, he couldn't use it, Renzong was also very satisfied, 150,000 guan was already good, and now it was increased to 300,000 guan, for the construction of a city and a border military state, it was still a drop in the bucket, but this was already the biggest support he could provide.