公使錢即是公用錢，支用的範圍為供給官吏廚食、宴餉軍兵吏卒、招待過往官員、補助救濟僚屬等項目，州軍長官擁有相當的支配權。本文從相關事件的歷史背景著手。宋仁宗慶曆三年至五年間（1043－1045），張亢、滕宗諒、葛宗古、尹洙等邊臣涉及過使或私入公使錢案件，他們受罪貶謫的真正原因，乃是捲入朝廷政爭或人事傾軋，並非只是過使公使錢而已。在政情錯綜複雜的慶曆時代中，公使錢成為攻擊政敵的武器之一。北宋初期，將公使錢私入者不在少數，公使錢使用範圍有很大的灰色空間，甚至帶有歷史共業的味道。滕宗諒和尹洙在仁宗朝的聲望不低，案情爆發後，引起群臣的關注，對當時的政壇造成不小的震憾。正因如此，許多官員開始小心謹慎公使錢支用的分界，其支用標準逐步形成共識，即「不得私入」與「不得過例饋送」。日後，公使錢違法支用的案子多集中於「席捲公帑」與「過例饋送」兩大類，對比滕、張、葛、尹四案起來，顯然清楚明白許多。

Zhang, Kang, Teng, Zongliang, Ge, Zonggu and Yin, Zhu were sued to abuse the minister money in Song Renzong time. They were found guilty not simply because of the abuse of minister money but mainly because of some political issues.The officials had great flexibility to use the minister money in the Northern Song Dynasty initial period. After the mid-term, the officials used the minister money carefully to avoid breaking the law. Gradually, a consensus was formed to guide the use of the minister money.