Han Dao world

Chapter 203
Both Zhao Wen and Zhang Xi were stunned.

How many officials are awarded for a cart of grain in the blink of an eye?
Zhang Xi hurriedly stopped. "Your Majesty, it is indeed precious for the people to eat pots of pulp to welcome the king's teacher. But officials and lords are important tools of the court and should not be given lightly. If the people in Hedong hear the wind and respond, your majesty cannot reward them all. Resentment will damage His Majesty's reputation."

Zhao Wen was silent.

Liu Ai, the attendant, also persuaded: "What Sikong said is very true. And Zhao Qing is grateful for the kindness of the first emperor and devoted all he has. Loyalty is commendable, but this wind cannot help. The people are not rich. If someone starves to death because of it, Wouldn't it be contrary to His Majesty's original intention?"

Taichang Wang Jiang and others agreed one after another.

Liu Xie is as immovable as a mountain.

It cannot be said that their reasons are unreasonable, but he has enough reasons to believe that this is by no means their most important reason.

Of course, their target was not Zhao Qing, but the rich Hedong family who had more food.

If Zhao Qing's father and son donate dozens of stones and grains to be awarded officials, how many official positions will the Hedong clan take away?
But he is by no means impulsive.

It was indeed a coincidence that he met Zhao Qing, but how to gain a foothold in Hedong and at the same time not be swayed by the rich clan of Hedong has been in his mind for a long time.

Zhao Qing just happened to meet him.

Liu Xie said to Zhao Qing: "These grains are the only ones in your family, right? Do they also include seeds?"

Zhao Qing cupped his hands and said: "Your Majesty, this is indeed the only food in my family. But it doesn't matter. Although I am old, I still have the martial arts from back then. I can go hunting in the mountains and sell it for some food. As for the seeds, I can also borrow some. , more than ten acres of land, and not many seeds are needed."

He knelt down and kowtowed again. "Your Majesty's great kindness, I am grateful, but I dare not accept the official position. I hope that Your Majesty can prosper the great man, build peace, and let the younger generations live a peaceful life. Even if I starve to death, I am willing."

Liu Xie helped Zhao Qing up. "The old man treats the court with sincerity, how can the court abandon him? How about this, I accept your food. There are still a few people in your family, and how much food you need every day will be provided by me. If you have the energy to go hunting in the mountains, the imperial court will buy what you get. It’s just that the imperial court is poor, so the price won’t be too high. Will the old man be willing?”

Zhao Qing was stunned, blinking his old eyes, not understanding what Liu Xie meant.

Zhao Wen reacted in an instant, took a step forward, and said loudly, "It's the great man's fortune that His Majesty can share weal and woe with his subjects."

Zhang Xi, Liu Ai and others looked at Zhao Wen suspiciously, not knowing whether to second the proposal or continue to dissuade him.

Zhao Wen sighed: "The loyalty of the people in Hedong is rare and precious. If all the people in the world can advance and retreat with the imperial court like Hedong, why worry about the great man's downfall and the world not being peaceful?"

He saluted again solemnly. "Your Majesty, I think it is feasible. Not only is it possible to do it in Hedong, but it should also be enforced in the world."

Liu Xie nodded with satisfaction. "Although Situ is approaching his sixtieth year, he still has a strong heart. This is also the luck of the court and my luck."

Zhao Wen said a few words modestly, finally letting go of a big rock that had been in his heart for a long time.

Seeing this, Zhang Xi and the others had no choice but to agree.

Civil affairs are the responsibility of Situ.Since Situ Zhao Wen agreed with the emperor's decision, it was not easy for them to stop him.

Liu Xie immediately ordered that several of Zhao Qing's sons be incorporated into the team, and they would first be responsible for the transfer task and do some physical work.Zhao Qing himself was awarded the official position of Habayashiro, and he stayed in the imperial camp specially to feed the emperor's horses.

Zhao Qing and his son were so grateful that they knelt down to thank them.

-

Start again and rush to Anyi.

Zhang Xi and Zhao Wen were in the same car, and whispered, "Zirou, are you going to trick the emperor into selling his official position?"

Zhao Wen squinted at him and chuckled: "Do you know how many household registrations there are in Hedong?"

Zhang Xi shook his head.

"There were more than [-] registered households in Hedong at the time, but now it is less than half. According to Pei Juguang's estimate, it may be less than [-]."

"So what?" Zhang Xi said angrily, "Most of the people in exile are ordinary people, but the losses of the big families are limited, and they might even get richer."

"You're right." Zhao Wen nodded, and asked back: "The food is in their hands. Whether to give it or not, how much to give, is up to them to decide. How to solve it? If the official position given is too small, they are not willing to change it. How will the imperial court raise food to overcome the current difficulties?"

Zhang Xi smacked his lips, speechless, with a troubled expression on his face.

He also thought about the problem that Zhao Wen mentioned, but there was no solution.

If the people from Hedong set the price on the ground, Sangong may not dare to ask for it, but Jiuqing may fight for one or two.

Zhao Wen stroked his beard and sighed.

"Your Majesty rewarding Zhao Qing and his son will not only make the Hedong clan feel ashamed, but also raise food. Ordinary people have limited food surplus in their families, but they have a large number of people. If there are [-] households, even A household contributes one shi of grain, that is [-] shi."

Zhang Xi was taken aback for a moment, the hand twirling his beard trembled, and pulled off two gray beards.

"That's right, [-] shi, if you save some food, it can supply the court for a month. If it's two or three shi for a household, it will last longer." He thought about it, and said: "But with so many official positions, this salary..."

Zhao Wen interrupted him. "How long has it been since you received your salary?"

"Uh..." Zhang Xi smiled wryly.It's good to be able to eat in the past few years, and there is no salary to receive.

"The three princes don't have any salary, and the emperor can only eat wheat rice. How can Lang Guan have any salary? If he can have two bowls of wheat rice a day and fill his stomach, he is satisfied. But in this way, the court can increase at least two or three Thousands of soldiers. These are young men who endure hardships and stand hard work, and are loyal to His Majesty. Farming in leisure time and going out in wartime, isn’t it better than the northern and southern armies formed by those libertines?”

Zhang Xi was stunned for a while, then turned to look at Zhao Wen. "Are you sure... this is the original meaning of the Son of Heaven?"

Zhao Wen snorted and ignored Zhang Xi, with a bit of disdain on his expression.

Zhang Xi was a little embarrassed.

It doesn't matter whether it is the original meaning of the emperor, as long as the plan is beneficial to the court and them, it can be implemented.

As for what the final implementation will be, what the emperor says doesn't count, and what they say counts.

In the short term, if what Zhao Wen said can be realized, the court will have tens of thousands of shi of grain in its hands and the support of the people in Hedong, and the bargaining power of the wealthy families in Hedong will be weakened.

They are willing to donate food, and what kind of official positions they can get, they can only be rewarded by the emperor.

If he refuses to offer food, the Son of Heaven has enough strength, either by coercion or by force.

"Zirou, it's better for you to see the opportunity quickly." After figuring out the pros and cons, Zhang Xi took the initiative to apologize to Zhao Wen.

In an extraordinary period, the Sangongs cannot engage in internal strife and be taken advantage of by others.

Zhao Wen looked ahead, his eyes flickering.

Anyi City is far away.

(End of this chapter)