Recreating the prosperous Tang begins with summoning players

Chapter 486 There are always more solutions than problems

Wang Chengwei came to the Wannian County Yamen alone, and those well-informed officials and servants had already been waiting at the door.

Seeing that Wang Chengwei was alone, the subordinates in soap-colored uniforms looked at each other, and they all saw something in each other's eyes.

Although the Tang Dynasty was not the same as the later Ming and Qing Dynasties, it was necessary to bring a set of masters to take office.

But those who take office alone are often scholars from poor families. I heard that this county magistrate is from the Wang family of Taiyuan. Why is he so poor?

However, Wang Chengwei took the post alone, which made several officials breathe a sigh of relief.

There is a big difference between officials and officials. Wang Chengwei is a Jinshi of Xinke and has been favored by the emperor. Who would dare to offend such a boss.

But if you don't offend, you don't offend. These subordinates still dare to do small tricks behind Wang Chengwei's back.

The Tang Dynasty paid equal attention to civil and military affairs, but in Gyeonggi counties like Wannian County, civil servants obviously had more work than military officials.

Among the many officials, the county magistrate in charge of assessment and personnel affairs has the highest status.

The County Sigong Cao, surnamed Xiao, was a shrewd and short man who was a native of Chang'an. After the Puppet Yan captured Chang'an, he fled outside the city. After Chang'an was restored, he immediately ran back to the Yamen.

Standing behind Xiao Sigong was Cao, the county secretary in charge of the county government's finances.

This sihu, whose surname is Zheng, is short and thin and coughs constantly, as if he is in poor health.

This Zheng Sihu is not as clever as Xiao Sigong. When Chang'an fell, he also worked as a pseudo-Yan official for a while, which can be regarded as a stain on his body. Therefore, Zheng Sihu was the most disturbed among the people present. He was most afraid of Wang Chengwei's new official. The three fires he took office burned him down.

The civil officials were in front, and the soldiers and horse envoys responsible for the security of Wannian County stood in the second row.

In a county with a complete staff of officials, a county magistrate like Wang Chengwei is the direct superior of the civil servants, and the soldiers and horse envoys are under the management of the county magistrate who is also a Liunei official.

However, the Liu Nei official in Wannian County is only Wang Chengwei, the county magistrate, so he is also the immediate boss of the military envoy.

This soldier and horse envoy, surnamed Wang, has a strong body, a thick beard, and slightly yellow hair, which should be of Hu people's blood, but he speaks the authentic Chang'an dialect when he speaks, and he must have lived in Chang'an for several generations.

The rest of the officials also bowed to Wang Chengwei, and Wang Chengwei did not put on the airs of being an official, but politely led all the officials into the county office.

Next, Xiao Sigong checked the appointment documents of the Ministry of Officials and Wang Chengwei's copper seal.

Xiao Sigong took Wang Chengwei to pay homage to the community temple in the county, and then offered incense to the enshrined civil and military saints, and only then completed the ceremony for the appointment of the new county magistrate.

After finishing their work, everyone sat down in the lobby according to their status. There was no county magistrate in Wannian County, and Wang Chengwei was in charge of county affairs and sat in the chief seat.

Below are civil officials such as Si Gongcao, Sihu Cao, and Sigong Cao in order. Opposite the civil officials are military officials such as soldiers and horse envoys and prison orders.

The yamen servant who is not even an official can only stand in the corridor outside the yamen lobby, which also makes Wang Chengwei very addicted.
However, Wang Chengwei's prestige did not last too long, Xiao Sigong stood up and said:
"Wang Xiancheng, Chang'an has just been restored. The account books in the Wannian county government have been severely damaged, and the warehouses in the county government have also been looted by the rebels. Now the government has no public money, and the salaries of the officials have not been paid for three months."

Xiao Sigong was also heartbroken, what he said was true and had to be said during the handover.

The new county magistrate took office today, and if the situation in the county is not explained clearly, it will be his own responsibility in the future.

But today's talk will make Xinxian Cheng feel that he and these subordinate officials are undermining the superior officials, so after Xiao Sigong finished speaking, the other officials kept their heads down and dared not speak, for fear that Wang Chengwei would suspect that they were in cahoots to force the palace.

Wang Chengwei also frowned, the damage caused by An Lushan's invasion of Chang'an was far worse than imagined.

"Go to the warehouse first."

However, he couldn't believe the one-sided words of these subordinate officials. Wang Chengwei led everyone to the warehouse on the side of the county government.

This was originally the place where various documents and books of the county government were piled up, but the warehouse had already been burned, and even the wooden gate was burned.

Wang Chengwei walked in, and the warehouse had been burned down for a long time, and it wasn't these subordinates who set fire to it temporarily.

Immediately afterwards, they came to the county treasury. The county treasury originally stored a large amount of grain, but now even the mice had been removed, and the ground was covered with dust. As expected, Xiao Sigong did not deliberately exaggerate the difficulties.

The county government is really poor and white.

Back in the lobby, Wang Chengwei frowned and said, "It's not easy for the lords to fall into Chang'an with the false Yan. I already know the situation in Wannian County."

Now the officials under the hall breathed a sigh of relief. What they were most afraid of was that Wang Chengwei was a cruel official who didn't understand anything.

However, in the case of the county government, there was another snow disaster this year, and these officials are also looking at Wang Chengwei's ability.

Wang Chengwei knew from those players and friends who were officials in Longyou that these officials were quite cunning.

If the superiors are capable, these subordinates can serve the people wholeheartedly and carry out the will of the superiors to the end.

But if these cunning guys can't be deterred, they will cheat their own pockets and do all kinds of bottomless things.

If the Shangguan is a corrupt guy, these subordinates can turn into accomplices like wolves and exploit the people even more fiercely.

Wang Chengwei didn't look at these subordinates with colored glasses, but he also knew that if he couldn't come up with a solution, these subordinates would climb on his head.

Wang Chengwei looked at Sihu Cao and asked, "Zheng Sihu, what is the main income of Wannian County now?"

Wannian County is different from other counties in that it belongs to Ji County. You must know that there is no farmland in Chang'an City.

Zheng Sihu said: "Qi reported to the county seat that Wannian County has no acres of land, and the main income is Ding Yong and Tiao Fu, plus the market tax."

"Tell me in detail."

"Ding Yong is a human tax. Adult men in each household need to serve in the yamen for 20 days, and they can also use money to pay for Ding Yong. Nowadays, the people in Chang'an City basically pay money. The standard is three feet of silk a day, 20 The sky is like sixty feet of silk."

"Tiaofu is collected according to households, and it is also a variety of miscellaneous taxes. Each household pays two Zhangs of silk every year."

"The city tax is not found in other places. There is a market in every square in Chang'an, and the people in the square can sell goods in the market. We have [-] markets in Wannian County, which is also a large amount of income. , at most it can account for [-]% of the county government’s income.”

"So that's the case." Wang Chengwei nodded and said, Chang'an is different from other cities in Datang, it is already an industrial and commercial city.

Industrial and commercial cities naturally have to focus on industrial and commercial taxes.

Wang Chengwei frowned and said, "What about Dongshi's income?"

Zheng Sihu said with a smile: "Wang Xiancheng is joking, Dongshi's tax is collected by the city tax decree appointed by the imperial court, so it's our Wannian County's turn to collect it."

Now the market in Wannian County is very poor, and the people don't even have the money to repair the house, let alone go to the market to trade.

And the people in Chang'an City do not have land, and once they fall from the prosperous age, it is often more difficult to make ends meet than the people with land.

Zheng Sihu said again: "Nowadays the times are not good, many ordinary people have sold themselves into slavery, and now it is difficult to receive Ding Yong."

"Whether it is taxation or the assessment of small households, it will be difficult to complete next year."

Zheng Sihu said with a sigh.

The imperial court's assessment of local county magistrates is mainly in the aspects of taxation, Dingkou, public security and education.

Population reduction, tax reduction, these are points deducted in the assessment.

What Zheng Sihu is most afraid of is that the new county magistrate will go crazy and force everyone to complete the task of taxation.

Unexpectedly, Wang Chengwei nodded and said: "I already know the situation in Wannian County. I plan to go around the county in the past few days to learn about the situation in the county. You two, Xiao Sigong and Zheng Sihu, will come with me. Bar."

The two officials hurriedly said, "Don't dare!"

When they came out of the county office, Xiao Sigong and Zheng Sihu looked at each other tacitly, and at night Xiao Sigong came to Zheng Sihu's house.

The two are relatives of sons and daughters. Officials in the Tang Dynasty have a ceiling for promotion, but they are often officials passed down from generation to generation. Several official families in the county often marry each other.

Naturally, some family members brought wine, Xiao Sigong said: "Today, the county magistrate seems to want to do something really."

Zheng Sihu used to be an official of the puppet Yan, and he had a lack of integrity. Now he just wants to keep his position and said: "As long as the county magistrate doesn't go too far, it doesn't matter if you work hard!"

Xiao Sigong nodded, now that Wannian County is poor and white, he just needs to do his job well.There are three fires for new officials when they take office. As long as they don't burn themselves, they must support the county magistrate's work no matter what.

Wang Chengwei did not live in the county government office, but returned to the Longyou Guild Hall.

In the case of Wannian County, if you are a new scholar, even if you are the number one scholar, there is no good way.

But Wang Chengwei is still a player. Since he is a player, he must use the player's solution.

Gathering the players in Chang'an, Wang Chengwei spoke out about the difficulties in Wannian County.

Players start discussing with each other.

Guo Ping, the chairman of the Chang'an Chamber of Commerce, said first: "Let me tell you, Chang'an's consumption power is still very impressive! After the reconstruction of the East and West cities, Chang'an has become the largest market outside Longyou's mainland!"

Wang Chengwei said: "Old Guo, the Jingzhao government can't collect or use the taxes from the east and west cities. Can you find some way to increase the income of Wannian County?"

Guo Ping thought about it and said: "Only when you live in peace can you work happily. To develop the citizen economy, you must first increase the income of the people in Chang'an."

"But if you want to set up a workshop in Chang'an, Chang'an is very expensive, and there is no land."

Wang Chengwei said: "I have a solution, old Guo Ni will see if it works!?"

(End of this chapter)