"The expense of moving the capital and the military, coupled with the recent addition of the Foundry Bureau, another major drain on funds, has left even the state treasury somewhat strained."
"I believe we should reduce some military expenditure and investment in the Foundry Bureau, freeing up funds to control the Yellow River floods."
Fa Zheng spoke with a solemn expression.
He helped manage domestic affairs and knew the treasury's expenditure very well. At present, pressure was mounting on every front.
Although fiscal authority had been recovered from the Zhen Clan, an inspection revealed that the treasury was nowhere near as well stocked as they had imagined.
Ghost payrolls, falsified accounts, graft and corruption... every case, every item was shocking to behold. Even the assets confiscated from the Zhen Clan would not suffice to plug these holes, because more than the Zhen Clan alone was involved.
Digging deeper would implicate far too many people and might even shake the foundations of imperial governance, so the Son of Heaven had decreed that the investigation stop with the Zhen Clan.
Simply put, it was an enormous mess.
Even if the Zhen Clan had escaped this audit, within a few years they would have been unable to cover it up, with expenditure exceeding revenue.
Of course, military spending remained the greatest expense. The Han Army's strength had been built with solid gold and silver. Whether in the quality of its weapons and equipment, its compensation for casualties, or its food allowances, it stood several levels above ordinary armies.
"No. Military spending and the Foundry Bureau's funding cannot be reduced. Maintain their usual allocations!"
Liu Xie rejected Fa Zheng's proposal without hesitation.
"Without a strong army, how can we march south to crush the rebels? And the Foundry Bureau is our utmost priority. It