I studied in modern times

Chapter 819 Useless people, die!

"It's not decided yet..." Cai Jing bowed, "But, my husband is almost thinking this..."

"Hmm..." Zhao Xu raised his eyebrows: "Any questions?"

Cai Jing was stunned.

He felt something was wrong.

Logically speaking, based on his understanding, the young official in front of him hated the people under him when he was doing things, and he only completed the task for the sake of completing the task.

What’s happening now?
Cai Jing was a little puzzled, but he still followed his established train of thought and bowed, "Your Majesty, if you follow Prime Minister Pu's opinion, there may be some trouble in the counties and towns within the prefecture..."

Zhao Xu smiled: "You mean the thirty-one towns?"

Cai Jing bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty is wise and wise!"

[Town] This administrative unit was purely military in nature when it was first established.

This is also the origin of its name.

Shuowen Jiezi says: Zhen means to suppress!
The Zhou Li says: Zhen means peace.

Therefore, the Northern Dynasties set up [towns] in the beginning to suppress the disobedience of the border counties.

The famous Six Garrison Military Leaders thrived in this Northern Wei military garrison system and shaped the political landscape for the next few hundred years.

After entering the Song Dynasty, the lessons of the separatist regimes in the late Tang and Five Dynasties were learned.

Taizu and Taizong began to emphasize culture over military power.

As a result, the military function of the town began to be weakened. Up to now, the town is no longer called a military town but a city town.

As the name suggests, a "town" is an administrative unit based on the market.

The [town generals] that had been so powerful since the Northern Dynasties could no longer rise to prominence.

Their roles quickly transformed into a weakened version of the police station chief.

At most, they can handle some minor public security cases involving theft.

The highest official and actual controller of the town became the supervisory official appointed by the emperor.

These people were either civil officials or eunuchs.

They are the emperor's white gloves, and the only thing they have to do outside is to find ways to make money for the emperor.

Of course, fill your wallet as well.

Zhao Xu looked at Cai Jing and whispered, "Are you worried about me?"

Cai Jing prostrated himself on the ground, trembling: "I dare not!"

Zhao Xu smiled.

Don’t dare yet!
He was clearly afraid.

Because, the supervisors in other places may be insignificant pawns.

He might even be a convicted criminal who was demoted.

It really doesn't matter if you offend these people.

But can the supervisory official in Kaifeng Prefecture be just any random person?
Definitely not!

No matter what, the officials in charge of these places are definitely related to some important figure in the court.

He might even be a relative of a certain Da Diao Dang who was close to the emperor and empress!
For example, Feng Jing, who was close to Zhao Xu, became rich after he became prominent, and his relatives among the common people also became prosperous.

These people are now just using Feng Jing's name to bully others and do some business outside.

But I will definitely seek an official position in the future.

At this time, the most convenient place for Feng Jing to arrange his relatives was to serve as supervisors and officials in the prefectures and counties.

It's easy and lucrative. As long as you complete Emperor Zhao's targets, you can put almost all the rest into your own pocket.

Don’t be too happy!

Zhao Xu asked Feng Jing to bring a chair. He sat on the chair, facing the summer sunshine of the imperial city, and looked at Cai Jing.

"Then do you have any idea to make the supervisors of the towns in the prefecture obey the imperial court's order and really abolish the 'pass tax'?" Zhao Xu leaned back in his chair and asked with interest.

Cai Jing swallowed his saliva and bowed, saying, "I dare to ask Your Majesty to issue an edict to allow the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection to investigate the illegal activities of various towns..."

This means using the power of judicial supervision to knock out a few troublemakers and then deter others.

These people were forced to obey the court under high pressure and make concessions.

As long as permission is given, the crows of the Censorate will swarm in and dig up all the scandals of the officials in Kaifeng Prefecture!

What these crows like and love to do most is to attack the powerful.

So, as long as there is a little opening, they will take the initiative to get things done.

only……

This kind of thing, in essence, is actually stealing the emperor's favor!

Therefore, Cai Jing prostrated himself on the ground after he finished speaking: "Death penalty... Death penalty..."

Zhao Xu smiled: "Okay...Okay...Am I the kind of person who would ignore the overall interests of the country for my own selfish interests?"

Cai Jing didn't dare to respond to Zhao Xu's words at all.

Because he is afraid of boomerangs.

In the past, Zhao officials have said things like "I will never show favoritism when it comes to matters of state and society" more than once.

However, once his relatives are really involved.

Then his expression changed immediately.

Even Ren Miao, a monarch with such a good temper, would be in trouble if someone dared to investigate the bad deeds of the Yang and Li families.

Guaranteed to go crazy immediately!

As for the time when the previous emperor was in power...

Think about Gan Chengli!

This eunuch sent by the previous emperor to Jinghu North Road forced to death, beat to death, and crippled hundreds of local civilians.

But, when the late emperor was still alive, who dared to speak against him?

It was not until the previous emperor passed away and the new emperor ascended the throne that the Censorate dared to investigate him.

This is the Song Dynasty!
The ministers should not even think of touching the emperor’s interests.

Even making a comment could be a sin!

Zhao Xu saw that Cai Jing didn't say anything, so he laughed: "Alright...alright...don't ask the Censorate to come forward...that would be too undignified!"

"I will issue some decrees in the next few days to transfer all those annoying people in the prefecture away!"

Having said this, Zhao Xu turned to Feng Jing and ordered: "Feng Jing, tell Shi Deyi to compile a list of people in the towns within the prefecture who have a history with the two palaces or me..."

"Then, let Shi Deyi tell these people..."

"Let them choose whether to go to Jiaozhou and work with Gao Zunhui, or go to Xihe Road and work with Xiang and Gao, two relatives of the emperor..."

After saying that, Zhao Xu looked at Cai Jing and said, "Now, you don't have to worry anymore, right?"

Let relatives go to another place to make a fortune.

This is the solution Zhao Xu came up with.

The beauty of this matter is that it not only protects the interests of external relatives, nobles and internal officials - Xihe and Jiaozhou are now good places to make a fortune!

Even if an ordinary yamen official wanted to go, he might not be able to do so.

Now, Zhao Xu has issued a general amnesty, giving these guys the opportunity to go to Xihe and Guangxi to shine.

As long as they are sane, it is impossible for them to refuse.

At the same time, Xihe and Jiaozhou now have the advantage of low human rights and are far away from Bianliang.

Even if they do something bad, it won't affect the overall situation.

Who knows, they can even make contributions to the country in these places!
After all, whether it is the cotton plantation in Xihe or the sugarcane plantation in Jiaozhou.

They are in urgent need of "outstanding talents" from Bian Jing to join!
And these yamen officials in the towns of Kaifeng Prefecture, who are good at exploitation and squeezing people's bones, are just the right professionals for the job.

Win-win!

It’s a win!

Cai Jing swallowed his saliva and bowed, "Your Majesty is benevolent and holy. The people of Kaifeng Prefecture will be grateful for your grace today for generations to come!"

only……

He raised his head and carefully observed the expression of the young emperor in front of him.

After confirming that Zhao Xu was not joking with him, he took a deep breath and asked his question: "I am terrified..."

"I dare to beg your Majesty for your teachings..."

"Hmm?" Zhao Xu sat up straight.

"Why, Your Majesty..." Cai Jing has been in Zhao Xu's core circle since the eighth year of Yuanfeng, when Zhao Xu personally visited Kaifeng Prefecture to govern the country.

Therefore, he knew very well that this young master was by no means an innocent "benevolent and holy emperor".

On the contrary, he attaches great importance to profits when doing things.

He was determined not to do anything that didn't make money. In this matter, in order to promote the abolition of excessive taxes, the emperor chose to let Shi Deyi inform the royal family to change places.

This is tantamount to a declaration that other supervisory officials who are not royal relatives have been abandoned, making these people targets.

At the same time, it was also tantamount to giving up the tacit understanding reached between the Zhao officials and local supervisory officials over the past hundred years.

If you help me make money, I will ensure that you are safe!
To put it more seriously, this is already destroying the ancestral system and shaking the foundation of the country!
Even the supervisor of Kaifeng Prefecture could not protect himself.

How could those officials in the prefectures and counties have the courage to make money for Emperor Zhao?

To be honest, Cai Jing couldn't understand the actions of the young emperor in front of him.

But he didn't dare to ask.

He could only give a few hints, so that if something went wrong in the future, he could establish himself as a "loyal and upright" person in front of the emperor.

Zhao Xu looked at Cai Jing's expression and praised him in his heart: "What a smart man!"

He looked at Cai Jing and said softly, "I have my own plan, just go ahead and do it!"

Cai Jing bowed his head and kowtowed again: "Yes!"

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"I shall swear to die for your majesty!"

and so……

Did the government understand what I meant?
In order to abolish excessive taxes, the government is willing to destroy the system of supervising officials that has been in operation for a hundred years?

Cai Jing was shocked!

If it were someone else, he would be sweating profusely at this moment and might even want to give up.

But, he is Cai Jing!

The future Grand Tutor Cai, for the sake of power, will be willing to follow Zhao Ji in his recklessness and destroy almost all the ancestral systems of the Northern Song Dynasty, from politics to military!
and so……

For someone like him, he doesn't care whether there are any consequences.

As long as you can climb up, as long as you can win the favor of the emperor, what does it matter even if the flood is overwhelming?

"Yes!" Zhao Xu nodded: "Go back and use it sincerely!"

"promise!"

……

After seeing Cai Jing off, Zhao Xu raised his head and looked at the blue sky and white clouds.

The weather is very good today. There is a gentle breeze in the imperial city and butterflies are flying in the imperial garden.

Zhao Xu suddenly whispered, "Supervisory official?"

"Hey!"

"I wish I could smash it to pieces!"

At the beginning of the country, the officials in charge might have been the running dogs of Emperor Zhao.

While working diligently to make money for Emperor Zhao in the local area, he also served as Emperor Zhao's ears and eyes, monitoring the military leaders and powerful people in the local military states.

But now...

The system for supervising officials has long collapsed.

There are now more than 1,800 towns in the prefectures and counties of the Great Song Dynasty.

Each town has one or more supervisors, and their duties are different, supervising different things.

There were supervisors for commercial taxes, supervisors for mining taxes, and various iron supervisors, money supervisors, and salt supervisors...

In a word, making money by imperial order and with special permission from the emperor.

But the problem is that the supervisors in these more than 1,800 towns have long been at odds with Emperor Zhao.

They had long forgotten that they were out there to make money for Emperor Zhao.

They always put the money in their own pockets first.

Thinking of this, Zhao Xu stood up with a ferocious look on his face.

"My money!"

"They take 20 million strings of cash!"

"Give me eight million strings of cash!"

"Do you still want me to thank them?!"

Last December, the Ministry of Revenue reported that the commercial tax of the Song Dynasty exceeded 8 million strings of cash for the first time in the first year of Yuanyou!
At that time, the government and the public were celebrating.

But Zhao Xu felt very uncomfortable in his heart.

Because he knew that local prefectures and counties reported 8 million strings of cash in commercial taxes.

This means that at least 20 million strings of cash, or even more, was stuffed into the pockets of local officials and clerks.

Everyone around was trembling with fear as they listened to Zhao Xu's mumbling, not daring to make a sound.

But they don't know that this is still not what Zhao Xu is really dissatisfied with the supervisory official system.

Making money, that's normal!

Who wouldn’t fish?

Even in modern society, in the so-called just, free and democratic West, Commissioner Smith, Commissioner John and Commissioner Zeke are all making money.

And it is open and legal.

It has even become a meme on the Internet - What is the most dangerous profession?
Answer: Auditors who went to Afghanistan for audit.

Because the mortality rate is 100%.

So, the real problem is that these people are blocking the road.

They are blocking Zhao Xu's way to developing industry and commerce!

With them around, tax cards from all over the country cannot be abolished.

With them around, it would be impossible for the Song Dynasty to unify the market!
It is impossible for Zhao Xu to point out his talent for mercantilism!

also……

There is one more point.

That is the problem of distributing the cake.

Since he ascended the throne, what Zhao Xu has been doing is to win over the group of relatives, nobles and military officials.

Continue to support these people with wealth and privilege.

He even made concessions to allow them to participate in Zhao Xu's great cause and share the profits.

At the same time, in order to cultivate emerging industrial and commercial capital interest groups.

Emperor Zhao Xu was also bleeding heavily.

For example, in the first year of Yuanyou, the salt reform carried out in conjunction with the Silkworm Salt Law actually paralyzed the salt monopoly system in Lianghuai, Jingji, Hebei, Shaanxi, Henan, Jingdong, Liangzhe, Fujian, Guangdong and Guangxi... almost half of the Song Dynasty.

The sea salt and dried sea fish from Dengzhou, Mingzhou and Quanzhou began to penetrate into various prefectures and counties through the Grand Canal through the policy of Silkworm Salt Law, smuggled by the grain transport soldiers of the Jianghuai Transport Bureau.

As a result, last year’s salt monopoly revenue was cut in half!

If it weren't for the income from sugar and cotton cloth to fill the hole, the Song Dynasty's finances would have been bankrupt by now.

Does Zhao Xu look like someone who would suffer a loss?

Oh……

I carry the heavy burden forward, so that you can live in peace, right?
Ha ha!

Useless people, die!

It just so happens that the officials in charge have been raising them for more than a hundred years, and they are already fattened up and ready to be slaughtered!
By slaughtering this fat pig, the country can have a full meal, the meat eaters can also share the benefits, and the merchants can stretch their legs and get more room for activities and development.

Of course Zhao Xu has to do such a good thing!
Kaifeng Prefecture is just a beginning, a pilot.

This policy will be popularized in the next three to five years.

However, the supervisory officials have been acting as white gloves for Emperor Zhao for more than a hundred years, which has aroused public outrage and resentment in the local area.

Kill them and no one will gossip.

Of course, Zhao Xu wouldn't kill everyone with one slap.

Smart people, after seeing the direction of the wind, will immediately transform and adapt to the new era.

Then, Zhao Xu will definitely make use of them.

And there must be such people!
There are more than 1,800 towns in the prefectures and counties of the whole country, which means there are thousands of supervisory officials.

The base is already large enough!

Thinking of this, Zhao Xu continued to mutter.

"The upper and lower classes are squandering money, so they plunder the people... When the people are about to revolt, they plunder the merchants..."

"But I don't want to plunder it from the merchants..."

"I can only suffer for you, my dear ministers, and let Pu Zongmeng and Cai Jing bear the blame..."

"Hey Hey……"

(End of this chapter)