I studied in modern times

Chapter 409 Song Oath (1)

After appeasing the ministers, Zhao Xu knew that it was time to make chicken soup for them.

Chicken soup is a necessity in human political life.

Like salt, it is indispensable.

After just sorting out his thoughts, Zhao Xu pointed to the 120 nine squares on the sand table and said: "I heard that King Zhao Han (Zhao Pu) once said: Governing a big country is like cooking small dishes."

“I’ve also heard people tell the story of Foolish Old Man who moved mountains.”

"There is a saying in the Book of Rites, and the inscription on the plate says: It is new every day, it is new every day, and it is new every day."

"Bianjing is a big city and has many disadvantages. However, I and you will work together to eliminate a small disadvantage in a day and a big disadvantage in a year!"

"Bianjing has 120 nine squares, one square per month, and ten years old can make Bianjing look brand new."

As Zhao Xu spoke, he became generous and his voice rose a little higher.

He knows his weaknesses and also understands his strengths.

It's all about one thing - youth.

Being too young makes it difficult to convince the public and convince others.

Especially those officials who are far away from him and can't even see him are unlikely to be foolishly loyal to a little emperor who has no idea of ​​his background or abilities because of legends or other reasons.

But in turn, this is his greatest advantage.

He is young and just needs to prove that he has the drive and determination to do something.

Then once the ministers are willing to follow, no one will give up easily and lose the team.

Because time is on his side.

Based on the normal life span of the emperors of the Song dynasty, he should have the final say in the world in the next ten, 20, or 30 years.

Zhao Xu also participated in some election activities on modern campuses.

Speech skills have actually been developed.

It's just that he has been enduring it and rarely uses it.

Now is the right time.

Zhao Xu appropriately demonstrated his modern speaking skills.

Therefore, he did not simply speak.

Instead, he incorporated many of the techniques he had honed in modern times.

Voice, tone, accent, body language and most importantly eye contact.

All were used by him.

So when he spoke, he looked at the officials in front of him, looked into the eyes of these ministers, communicated with them as sincerely as possible, and gave them timely feedback.

And his age has become his best BUFF.

How could any scholar-officials resist a young emperor speaking the principles of saints and expressing his ambitions and goals with enthusiastic and sincere eyes?
Fan Chunren was the first to be moved.

Then there are Cheng Yi, Su Che, Lu Dafang...

All the ministers paid their respects one after another: "Your Majesty has great ambitions, and I will do my best to assist you!"

The fellow readers also bowed their heads and worshiped.

Zhao Xu stepped forward, stretched out his young hands, and personally helped the ministers up one by one.

Showmanship and performance, he was top notch.

When he helped the last person up, he said to everyone sincerely: "The poem goes: The country is thousands of miles away, and the people stop at it; it also goes: The wild yellow bird stops at the corner of the hill. Confucius said: When you stop and know where you are stopping, can you be a human being instead of a bird?"

The ministers all felt their heads buzzing, and they all prostrated collectively. Even the youngest companion, who was the youngest companion, worshiped on the ground and replied: "King Mu Muwen, please stop at Jixi!"

This is the original text of the Book of Rites.

No one can remember it wrong.

At the same time, this is also the most important paragraph in the "University", the most important chapter in the Book of Rites.

It directly leads to the saint's way of cultivating oneself, governing the country, bringing peace to the family and bringing peace to the world.

The original text of the Book of Rites directly says: To be a king should stop at benevolence; to be a minister should stop at respect; to be a son should stop at filial piety; to be a father should stop at kindness; to be a friend of the country should stop at trust.

Therefore, it further leads to the conclusion that a gentleman has a great road, and the great road lies in loyalty. There is also a great road in making money, and the great road lies in righteousness and benefit.

But for Zhao Xu, all of this, the entire "Book of Rites" chapter, can be condensed into one sentence.

That’s why a gentleman will do everything possible!

In order to cultivate myself, govern the country, bring peace to the family, and bring peace to the world, I will hold on to the fearless spirit of If I don’t go to hell, whoever will go to hell!Brave and do whatever it takes just to increase wealth and revitalize the country.

Even if it ignites the world's war and causes the death of millions of people, he will not hesitate.

Because this is what the saints taught.

He was specifically named in front of the principle of self-cultivation, governing the country, bringing peace to the family, and bringing peace to the world.

As for what you want to say, that was not the original intention of the saint.

So I would like to ask, in today's world, who can know the true intention of the saint?

The scholars in the Song Dynasty today are no longer the "Six Classics Zhuwo" in the Han and Tang Dynasties.

People of that era only needed to learn the commentaries on the classics and meanings of those great scholars. Only by studying the commentaries on the classics and meanings of the great magnates could they practice the morality of saints and their own ambitions.

The Song Dynasty has now entered an era that modern people call "I Annotate the Six Classics".

Individuals can communicate directly with saints across time and space.

Use my thoughts to make the Avenue of Saints great again.

Therefore, this is an era without absolute authority, an era in which everyone can interpret the saints.

Therefore, Su Shi could openly make up an article "On Loyalty in Punishments and Rewards" in the imperial examination room.

Therefore, Wang Anshi could openly establish Jinggong New School and use the articles of Confucius and Mencius to endorse the new law.

A monk can touch it, a poor Taoist can touch it, and of course I can touch it too.

Therefore, Zhao Xu smiled and raised his hand: "I will make an agreement with you and the world!"

Everyone's heads were buzzing again.

Agreement? !
Everyone's first reaction is not the story of the three-chapter agreement between the Han Emperor Liu Bang and the people of Guanzhong.

Because when the Emperor of the Han Dynasty made the three-chapter treaty with the people of Guanzhong, he was still the King of Han.

The object of the treaty is only the common people, not the ministers.

So, who, when he was the emperor, made an agreement with the ministers and made an agreement with the world?
Trace upwards!

The era of three graves and five canons, that distant period of three generations.

Pan Geng moved the capital and made a covenant with his ministers and people - at that time, it was called an oath.

Almost everyone can remember this.

Because this is the ideological stamp engraved deep in the memories of the scholar-bureaucrats.

Pan Geng made a grand vision, summoned ministers, admonished them, and spurred them.

He summoned the people, explained the reasons for moving the capital, and promised a bright future.

Therefore, the ancestors of the Shang Dynasty followed Pan Geng and moved the capital to Yin, allowing the business foundation to be revitalized again.

For the scholar-bureaucrats, the Yin Shang Dynasty was able to rule the world for 800 years, and most of the credit went to Pan Geng.

As a result, everyone held their breath, pricked up their ears, and listened respectfully to the grand plan the young emperor in front of them made to them.

"I will work together with you to reform Bianjing. Within ten years, we will eliminate all the shortcomings of Bianjing today one by one."

"In my eyes, Bianjing City in ten years' time will have clean roads, safe public security, and people with jobs. In 20 or 30 years, the people will have homes to live in, the elderly will have support, and the children will have education."

Zhao Xu spoke slowly, describing the future he constructed.

Of course, this is an utopia.

Maybe he won't be able to see it in his lifetime.

But that didn't stop him from describing it.

Because he has really seen it!
Moreover, it can definitely be achieved!

As long as we conscientiously study the great virtues of being a leader and continue to consolidate and fish in a sustainable way.

Maybe it will even be possible in our lifetime!

The ministers listened, their eyes shining.

They easily thought of Confucius's description of the Utopia, which is also what countless people pursue throughout their lives: the journey of the great road, the selection of talents and talents...the old are provided for, the young are educated...the widowed, lonely, disabled and sick are all provided with. keep.

The emperor simplified it into: people have careers, people have homes, old people have support, and children have education.

Will we see initial results in ten years?
The ministers were a little excited when they thought about it, because ten years is not too far away and they should all be able to see it.

At the same time, there was some doubt.

Can it be done?How?On what?
Although the scholar-bureaucrats do not admit it with their mouths, they know in their hearts that this world is material.Rice costs money, cloth also costs money, and houses and land cost even more money.

Naturally, providing jobs to people requires money.

Big, big money!And so much is spent month after month, year after year.

Where can officials go to find this much money?

It should be noted that although the Song Dynasty now has an annual income of more than 6000 million yuan, more than [-]% of it is spent on military affairs.

The remaining three melons and two dates were needed not only to feed the huge bureaucracy and satisfy the appetites of the upper and lower ranks, but also to support the royal family, nobles, and relatives.

This is due to the increase in fiscal revenue brought about by Wang Anshi's reform.

Otherwise, the Song Dynasty would have been forced to withdraw from the war with the Western bandits due to financial collapse.

Zhao Xu met the gazes of the ministers. He smiled and said softly: "I know that this matter is difficult. If I want to do it, I must make it beneficial to the people and be united with the world! Therefore, I want to make an appointment with you today! From now on! From now on, I will stop at benevolence towards my subjects. What is benevolence? Benevolence means loving others! Therefore, from now on, all palace expenses and all royal expenses will be paid out of the palace money and silk, which will be sold to the world, and the state, county and government will spend it. , consumption should also be disclosed to the people, and from now on, local officials are strictly prohibited from privately increasing taxes without the approval of the capital."

The first element of capital development.

Private property must be protected.

At least, we must be protected legally and institutionally!
Today, the emperor's decree or the government's order cannot allow the people to sell their precious properties at cabbage prices or even obviously unfair prices - such things are common in the Song Dynasty, and can even be said to be countless. Endless.

No, if the emperor or a high-ranking official wants something rare tomorrow, they can conscript the people to collect it for free, and create some sort of flower, stone, or birthday card.

Let alone the day after tomorrow, local officials or emperors slap their heads and temporarily impose a miscellaneous tax item to exploit the people and merchants unscrupulously.

In this case, who is playing with you?

Everyone makes money, or they just try to save it.

Store it under the bedside, store it in the cellar, or even bring it to the coffin without laughing and joking with your emperor.

Or it will only be used to buy land and fields, turning wealth into land.

What inputs expand production, and what promotes technological progress?
Don't even think about it!

No one is a fool.

Of course, when you take a big step, it’s easy to get carried away.

Therefore, Zhao Xu pays great attention to propriety.

Everything he does now will only operate within Confucian thought and values.

At best, it's just a side shot.

Therefore, the legal content of this treaty, or oath.

In fact, it is just a verbal gentleman's agreement. It will not be written into any legal provisions, nor will it become any specific edict.

But it will become an invisible constraint.

The banquet officials excitedly bowed their heads and bowed again: "Your Majesty, you are wise!"

At this moment, the boundaries between the new party and the old party disappeared.

For scholar-officials, especially idealistic scholar-officials.

What they fear most is the scene in The Charcoal Seller, the emperor's extravagance and the massive construction projects in the palace.

Because this will lead to a terrible result - political corruption and chaos.

The scholar-bureaucrats knew this well.

They remembered the troubled times of the late Tang Dynasty and Five Dynasties very carefully.

At that time, the streets of Tianjie trampled all the bones of the princes, and the inner treasury was burned into beautiful ashes.

What scholar?What civil servant?
Cut them all down!

And the emperor is willing to restrain himself and make an agreement with his ministers.

This is truly remarkable.

The ministers looked at Zhao Xu excitedly, and Zhao Xu also gave them appropriate positive feedback.

He looked at the ministers one by one, and then said the second thing he wanted to do: "In addition, I must also promise to you that within this year, I will abolish the city entrance tax at each city gate in Bianjing."

"Merchant from all over the world can enter the city without paying taxes!"

This made the banquet officials couldn't help but prostrate themselves and worshiped again: "Your Majesty, you are wise!"

Even the companion readers are now excited: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty!"

The previous fair transaction no longer requires forced expropriation or purchase, and limits on local taxation.

In fact, we are far away from these people.

Because these things are not the worries of the nobles and their relatives.

They are just the worries of ordinary people.

After all, to be honest, except for a few stubborn local officials, most bureaucrats would not dare to increase taxes on the transactions of relatives and servants of high-ranking officials from Bianjing, let alone force them to buy and sell.

If you file a complaint, you can file it directly to the Yushitai, Dali Temple, or even the capital hall or palace.

What fool is willing to risk his own future to offend others?
The local bureaucrats had no time to curry favor with the relatives and servants of the big shots from Bianjing.

Now on the Grand Canal, the ships of high-ranking officials and their relatives have been exempted from inspection for a long time.

Even ordinary scholars and officials are taking advantage of their status to carry goods across states and counties to make profits.

Those tax cards are always for ordinary people.

Therefore, the businessmen of the Song Dynasty spared no effort to support their children and even the children of the family to study.

However, within this year, the tax cards at various city gates in Bianjing will be cancelled.

But it was a benevolent policy that truly benefited all of them.

Because the Song Dynasty was famous for its high taxes.

Every county has a tax card, and every state and every road has its own tax inspector.

When doing any business, you have to pay taxes.

The city gate tax in Bianjing City is even more painful to countless people.

How terrible is the city gate tax in Bianjing?
Even if you only bring copper coins in and out, you still have to pay a tax!

For every one hundred cents, you have to pay six cents, which is called case money.

What is this money for?
Those who support the tax collectors who collect taxes at the city gate!
Not only that, now even if you go through the city gate wearing clothes without bringing anything, you may still have to pay tax.

why?
Because the clothes you are wearing are also commodities!

In order to facilitate tax collection, Kaifeng Prefecture built guardrails outside Nanxun Gate so that pig dealers could herd pigs together for counting and tax collection.

For Zhao Xu, he had long wanted to abolish the city gate tax in Bianjing.

Because in his eyes, this seriously hindered the circulation of capital and the flow of commodity trade.

Think about it, every time you leave the city, you have to be skinned once.

It creates logistics obstacles out of thin air and increases costs out of thin air, which is not conducive to the development and prosperity of the commodity economy.

What's even more terrible is that most of these taxes are not actually put into the sealing pile warehouse.

A lot of it became official money from the Kaifeng Prefecture and the Dushang Taxation Institute, or even fell directly into the pockets of the tax collectors themselves.

If it fell into the hands of Zhao Xu, it would only amount to about [-] yuan in one year.

If so, why keep it?

Taking this opportunity, Zhao Xu directly dismissed it.

At the same time, it is also an opportunity to leverage the local tax card system of the Song Dynasty.

For the noble relatives and scholar-bureaucrats in Bianjing City, they would benefit the most from abolishing the city gate tax card.

Although the law stipulates that they are exempt from tax and inspection when entering and leaving the city gate.

But the problem is that they are not doing the business and trading themselves, but others are helping to manage it.

And they couldn't openly greet the city gate tax collector because of this kind of thing - this was seeking death, and would only lead to impeachment by the censor.

Now, the city gate tax card is abolished.

All obstacles disappeared completely.

Everyone benefits.

So whose interests are harmed?
Answer: The city gate tax collector.

But no one cares about them!Don't even care about them!

　I wrote this chapter for a day and revised it N times. I am still not satisfied with it, but there is nothing I can do about it.

　　Only first.

　　Ugh!
　　I'm in really bad shape today!
　　What you owe yesterday can only be paid tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow.

　　Damn it!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)