"I have sothing here that I want everyone to see." As he spoke, he took another docunt from his pocket and presented it.
The junior eunuch passed it to Baili Yan, who turned a bit pale after reading it, but still let it pass down.
"Have you all seen this? These are the annual expenses for the Shandong garrison." Ye Haoyang glanced at everyone and continued, "There are fifty thousand troops in Shandong. The total annual military budget is only sixty thousand silver taels. Averaged out, each person gets just over one tael a year, and this includes clothing and dicine for the soldiers."
"Gentlen, I just want to ask you, does anyone in your household spend only one tael a year? Even your servants must spend more than one tael annually, right? The military budget allocated for Shandong barely covers food, let alone any embezzlent. If I were to embezzle anything, these people would starve to death."
"That’s not right!" State Duke Tong noticed the discrepancy. "The total military budget for Shandong is sixty thousand taels, but the expenses listed here add up to a hundred thousand taels. What is going on here?"
Ye Haoyang looked at everyone in disdain, "What’s going on? The extra forty thousand taels were from . My mother gives pocket money every year, and it’s all been put into the military budget. Now do you understand?"
"I have a wealthy mother. Why would I bother embezzling such a small amount? To be honest, I get more than sixty thousand taels as pocket money every year. Why would I be so petty?"
Ye Haoxuan, a civil official and not standing with Ye Haoyang, already covered his face and didn’t want to speak.
This younger brother, really so straightforward? The blow was so hard, he didn’t dare to see the Emperor’s expression.
At this mont, Baili Yan especially wanted to leave, deeply regretting it. If he had known he would be humiliated too, he wouldn’t have let this brat co to court to clarify matters. It was simply too embarrassing.
The Ministry of Revenue was also embarrassed.
The silver they allocated each year is less than soone else’s pocket money.
"Does anyone else have anything to say?" Baili Yan looked at everyone grimly.
"Emperor, The accounting might not be accurate." Assistant Minister Yu argued.
"Then ask the Ministry of Revenue whether they allocated sixty thousand taels a year. Send soone to Shandong to check with the procurent officers; they have records too. Compare them one by one." Ye Haoyang said, "If after comparison there are discrepancies, I’ll take responsibility. If not, shut up."
Assistant Minister Yu was furious at his arrogance. Ye Haoyang was so overbearing, he hadn’t learned anything from his father’s deanor.
"Enough!" Baili Yan didn’t want to see them argue anymore, and stood up to overlook everyone, "Without solid evidence, no one is allowed to discuss this matter further, or it will be considered slander. Court officials should uphold the law, rule by regulations, and have reason and evidence for everything. Such baseless account books can’t even fool a child, yet you co here claiming soone embezzled. I see all of you have regressed. Assistant Minister Yu is banned from court for two months, and State Duke Situ has his salary docked for half a year. Court adjourned!"
After the Emperor left, Assistant Minister Yu fainted right there in the hall. The punishnt for the Imperial Brother-in-law Situ was mild, but Yu was unfortunate; after a two-month ban from court, no one would rember him.
Ye Haoyang smirked and left upon seeing this.
"You really don’t care about preserving anyone’s dignity." Ye Haoxuan caught up with him at the palace gate, "The Emperor must regret having let you into court; you practically slapped him in the face."
"Bla ? Every year they give such little military budget, and they have the gall to accuse of embezzlent?"
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