By a twist of fate, the illegitimate son of the Marquis's family marries the county princess.

Chapter 268 Current Status of the Ministry of Revenue

Ministry of Revenue

While Pei Rujing was talking to the eldest princess, Wen Zongji was in the office of Zhou Shiyue, the Minister of Revenue.

"This humble official pays his respects to Your Excellency, Minister."

Zhou Shiyue smiled upon seeing Wen Zongji and raised his hand, saying, "No need for formalities, please sit down."

"Thank you, sir."

Zhou Shiyue put down his brush: "It wasn't for nothing that I sought out the Crown Prince so many times; I finally managed to get you to the Ministry of Revenue."

Wen Zongji cupped his hands in greeting: "It is my honor to have your favor, sir."

Zhou Shiyue looked at Wen Zongji with increasing satisfaction: "Back then, when you used the Beijing Gazette to earn a lot of money for the Crown Prince, I felt that you were suitable for the Ministry of Revenue. Later, just by selling the quota for the Beijing Gazette, those bookstores were willing to pay a high price to buy it. I became even more certain that you could solve the current predicament of the Ministry of Revenue."

"I dare not accept such an honor."

Zhou Shiyue had praised him too highly, and Wen Zongji instinctively became modest.

Zhou Shiyue waved his hand: "I never speak empty words... Enough of the idle talk, let me tell you about the current situation of the Ministry of Revenue."

"Because there were many natural and man-made disasters in the past two years, the Emperor was benevolent and exempted many places from taxes. In addition, a lot of money and grain were spent on disaster relief. With only expenditures and no income, the national treasury was depleted."

"In addition, in the past two years, the barbarian enemies outside the pass have begun to stir again, sending large armies to break through the pass for several consecutive years. Although they have all been blocked outside, the compensation for the soldiers who died in battle, the cost of recruiting new soldiers, and the money and food lost due to the war have all increased the depletion of the national treasury."

Zhou Shiyue sighed: "Great Chu seems to be a peaceful and prosperous country, but in reality, the national treasury has not accumulated any surplus for several years and has been living off its reserves. If this continues, the national treasury will probably be empty."

"To replenish the national treasury, there are only two ways: to increase revenue and reduce expenditure. First, let's talk about reducing expenditure. Currently, the biggest expenses of the court are military expenditure and the salaries of officials. These two are obviously impossible to reduce. In fact, this year the emperor added more than a hundred eighth-rank officials, which is another considerable expenditure."

At this point, Zhou Shiyue's gaze lingered on Wen Zongji for a moment.

Wen Zongji touched his nose.

He knew that the more than one hundred eighth-rank officials Zhou Shiyue mentioned referred to the chief editors of the various branches of the Beijing Gazette Bureau.

From Zhou Shiyue's perspective, it was indeed Wen Zongji who caused the trouble, further increasing the pressure on the Ministry of Revenue.

Wen Zongji explained: "The Capital Gazette Office is subordinate to the Crown Prince's Palace, and the salaries of the Capital Gazette Office officials should be the responsibility of the Crown Prince's Palace. The Crown Prince did not intend for the Ministry of Revenue to bear this responsibility."

Zhou Shiyue said, "The Crown Prince did mention it to me."

He was merely bringing up the matter casually to let Wen Zongji know how much pressure the Ministry of Revenue was under.

Normally, the salaries of more than one hundred eighth-rank officials would be a drop in the ocean for the vast national treasury.

Zhou Shiyue brought this up at this particular moment, telling Wen Zongji that the national treasury had reached a point where it was time to be extremely careful with every penny.

"If we can't cut the two biggest expenses, then any efforts in other areas will be minimal and pointless. Therefore, only one solution remains—increase revenue!"

"This is also why I insisted on bringing you to the Ministry of Revenue."

To put it bluntly, Zhou Shiyue was attracted by Wen Zongji's ability to make money.

This is also why the Crown Prince assigned Wen Zongji to the Ministry of Revenue.

The Crown Prince had already informed Wen Zongji of this matter.

Wen Zongji was not surprised by Zhou Shiyue's words: "This humble official will do his utmost."

Zhou Shiyue nodded: "You're new here, so don't feel too much pressure. First, take a look at the Ministry of Revenue's files from the past two years and see if you can find a way to open up new avenues."

Although Zhou Shiyue had high expectations for Wen Zongji, he also knew that Wen Zongji couldn't magically conjure up money like a god, and there would always be a process of getting to know him.

"Yes, I'll take my leave."

Knowing that Zhou Shiyue had finished speaking, Wen Zongji tactfully took his leave.

The clerk outside the door led Wen Zongji to his office.

The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue was a mid-level official and was not entitled to his own office. He shared an office with another Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.

The two men's desks were placed on either side of the door, facing each other directly.

As Wen Zongji entered his office, he saw his colleagues with whom he would be working from now on.

A middle-aged official with a mustache!

Bai Baojing stood up and cupped his hands in greeting: "You must be Wen Zongji, Lord Wen?"

Wen Zongji returned the greeting: "Indeed."

"My name is Bai Baojing. I am a fellow official in the Ministry of Revenue with Lord Wen. I have been working in the Ministry for several years. If Lord Wen has any questions, please feel free to ask me."

"Thank you, Lord Bai."

Upon their first meeting, Lord Bai was very kind and took the initiative to show goodwill, which Wen Zongji naturally accepted.

"Lord Bai, the Minister has asked me to review the Ministry of Revenue's files from the past two years. Do I need to go to the archives to look through them? What procedures are required?"

Bai Baojing's eyes flickered slightly upon hearing this: "It seems that the Minister values ​​Lord Wen highly... The Minister is always reliable in his work. Since he has said so, he must have instructed the officials in the Secretariat. Lord Wen can go directly there."

"The files in the archives are arranged according to their year and category. Lord Wen only needs to look at the labels on the bookshelves to find the file he wants."

Bai Baojing added another reminder.

Wen Zongji said gratefully, "Thank you for informing me of this, Lord Bai."

Although he would find out about these things when he got to the office, it was a favor that Bai Baojing was willing to tell him, and Wen Zongji naturally had to accept it.

When people get along, it's all about mutual favors; otherwise, how can we improve our relationships?

Bai Baojing added, "Upon learning of the arrival of a new colleague, we arranged to host a banquet for Lord Wen at Wangchun Tower to welcome him. We hope that Lord Wen will not refuse."

Wen Zongji said, "It is my honor. I am new here and it is precisely the time when I need to trouble you all. It is only right that I invite you."

Bai Baojing smiled and said, "There will be plenty of opportunities when we work together in the Ministry of Revenue in the future. We'll treat you to a meal this time, and then we'll go to Lord Wen's banquet later."

"Alright."

It wouldn't be right to be too polite, so Wen Zongji agreed.

So, when Wen Zongji finished his shift, Pei Rujing planned to ask him how he felt about his first day at the Ministry of Revenue.

All that awaited them was a drunken Wen Zongji.

Pei Rujing sighed: "Have Changdong and Anfeng help my husband take a bath to get rid of the smell of alcohol, and then bring over the prepared hangover soup."

Wen Zongji sent someone to say he wouldn't be coming back for dinner, and his colleagues wanted to host a welcome-back party for him. Pei Rujing knew he would be drinking again.

When a group of grown men get together, none of them will refrain from drinking!

By the time Wen Zongji had bathed and tidied himself up, quite some time had passed.

His face was still flushed with alcohol, and he wasn't entirely clear-headed, but he still remembered to walk over and press his face against Pei Rujing's stomach, asking indistinctly, "Were you good today? Did you fuss over your mother?"

Pei Rujing found it amusing: "Even when she's drunk, she still keeps talking to him."

Perhaps it's because it's become a habit, even muscle memory.

Wen Zongji looked up at Pei Rujing and smiled, then stood up and hugged her, making sure not to bump into her stomach: "My wife—"

Pei Rujing's heart suddenly raced.

She rarely saw Wen Zongji looking so dazed and confused, and instantly all her temper vanished. She reached out and hugged him back, saying, "I'm here."

never mind!

In officialdom, necessary social engagements are unavoidable, and Wen Zongji was considered to have had very few.