I served as an admonisher in the Song Dynasty

Chapter 222 All the dignitaries in Bianjing City are about to enter a period of crazy overtime work
  April [-]th is the [-]th day since the official promulgation of the "[-]-Day Examination Policy for Officials".

A problem occurred.

Officials from many places reported that they were unable to complete the tasks listed for the month.

Within the Reform Department.

Zhao Zhen sat in the middle, frowning.

The desk is full of memorials.

They are all memorials written by officials who reported that "local matters, plans cannot keep up with changes, and officials take a hundred days to complete the policy, which is really a policy that disrupts the government" and requested that the policy be discontinued.

"Is this test policy too harsh?"

"Local officials are under too much pressure and are not competent. Should we change our policies and reduce the difficulty?" Zhao Zhen's heart has been shaken.

With so many officials giving feedback, it is impossible to demote them all.

Fan Zhongyan flipped through the memorials on his desk and said: "For officials, it has been less than a month since the examination was issued. It is reasonable for the officials to be uncomfortable with it, but it is really surprising that so many people reported that they were unable to complete the tasks for that month. "

At the beginning of the month, when officials from various local and state governments listed their tasks for the month.

Zhongshu, Taijian, and various local supervisors have carefully checked, and local officials are not allowed to set tasks that are too simple or too heavy.

According to everyone's estimation, more than [-]% of the officials can successfully complete their tasks for the month.

But now, as the end of the month approaches, the number of officials reporting that they cannot complete the tasks for that month continues to increase, to more than [-] people.

Although local officials are indeed more tired than officials in Beijing and have more chores.

But everyone is aware of the difficulty of the tasks they listed.

It shouldn't be this difficult.

Wang Yaochen put down a memorandum and said: "Officers, there must be some officials who are just trying to make up for their mistakes. They must be able to complete the task but keep delaying it. They must feel that if they cannot complete it, they will lighten the task; if they complete it easily, they will increase the task, so they deliberately Not done!”

Zhao Zhen nodded slightly.

This is bound to happen, but the most difficult thing now is how to solve this problem.

At this time.

Sima Guang said: "Officials, I suggest that this month be regarded as a trial month, no punishment or reward, and then the next month we will officially follow the rules. Punishment will be punished without any excuse!"

As soon as Sima Guang finished speaking, Wang Anshi shook his head.

"No. If we make concessions this month, we will continue to make concessions in the future. There will be more and more opponents. In the end, this policy will become in name only. I suggest that severe punishment be imposed in the first month, and the salary should be fined and reduced. If you demote someone, your own officials will fill the gap. This will have a deterrent effect, otherwise more and more officials will find reasons and excuses. Everyone is lazy. Without force, the new law will be difficult to implement!"

Liang Shi nodded and said: "I agree with Jie Fu's opinion. The new law has just been implemented, so we must not make any concessions."

Wang Yaochen shook his head.

"This method is too cruel and should arouse the resistance of many officials, and then make those who can complete the task unwilling to complete the task. Just like when we go to pull weeds in a wheat field, in order to pull out all the weeds, we cannot remove most of the wheat seedlings. Pull it out too, don't be so reckless. The officials also have to coax, you can't force it, absolutely not!"

"Yes, you can't punish them all or not. How to grasp this scale is the most critical issue at the moment." Fan Zhongyan said the key to the problem.

Zhao Zhen nodded in approval.

Hearing this, Su Liang, who had been deep in thought, couldn't help but his eyes lit up.

"Have it!"

Suddenly, everyone looked at Su Liang.

Su Liang smiled and said: "Sometimes, the stupid way is the best way."

"I suggest that the officials can order those who are unable to complete the tasks for the month to report again. The specific content and reasons for the inability to complete the tasks will be stated. Then, they will be reviewed one by one by the two government agencies, the Taijian, and the Hanlin Academy. There are non-personal factors that cannot be completed. There is no fault for those who are unable to complete the task due to lack of ability or poor attitude; those who are unable to complete the task due to lack of ability or poor attitude will be punished; those who are deliberately unwilling to complete the task will be demoted; those who fail to complete the task due to particularly egregious circumstances to oppose the reform will be directly dismissed..."

On the side, Wang Yaochen, the Third Chief of Staff, was dumbfounded when he heard this.

"Jing Ming, do you know how big a task this is? We have more than [-] state capitals in the Song Dynasty, with nearly [-] officials. Even if [-]% of the memorials cannot be completed, there are still [-] or [-] people. We need to check the items they listed one by one. , determine the reason, this...this...can't be completed at all, it's too laborious!"

Su Liang smiled slightly. "The officials who submitted these memorials felt that it was impossible for the imperial court to investigate all the matters clearly, so some people dared to be so bold, pretend to be useless, continue to be lazy, and then ask the officials to stop the policy!"

Fan Zhongyan said: "Jing Ming is right, but if everything is investigated in detail, it will be too time-consuming. I'm afraid it won't be until the Mid-Autumn Festival at least!"

"Yes! Even if we work day and night, it will be difficult to complete such a huge workload in a short time!" Sima Guang also said.

"No, it won't take that long. With my method, it will only take half a month." Su Liang said with a smile.

"A detailed investigation into the reasons for unfinished matters by officials can be divided into multiple stages. Except for the final judgment stage, the other stages are repetitive physical tasks, such as organizing documents, copying manuscripts, writing briefings, etc. Two Governments and Three Divisions Officials from the Imperial Academy, Taijian, and Hanlin Academy can serve as the main judges, while other yamen, including officials with official posts but no assignments, the masters of the Imperial College, idle relatives of the clan, the internal servants' office, and the officials who enter the internal servants' office, as long as they are literate, can They can be assigned to work in different yamen.”

"The imperial court pays them monthly salaries and lets them do something. Isn't it too much?"

"In this way, the speed can be increased. In addition, doing so will inevitably make the whole Song Dynasty aware. Some local officials will not dare to be reckless when submitting memorials. There will be fewer official memorials that deliberately do nothing. Our The workload will be greatly reduced again. In this way, half a month is enough."

"Those who are the first to submit the memorial and claim that they cannot complete the task for various unreasonable reasons can only be considered unlucky. The court's actions can also be regarded as fair and just. Every clause is well-founded and no one will be wronged. Official!"

this moment.

Zhao Zhen, Fan Zhongyan, Liang Shi and others all looked at Su Liang.

They looked at Su Liang, wondering how Su Liang's mind could work to come up with such an idea.

Wang Yaochen was so excited that he wanted to bow to Su Liang.

It is really incredible that those leisurely dignitaries and relatives in Bianjing City can be mobilized to work, and that the latter can still do it!
  Su Liang thought that everyone still had doubts, so he said again: "Officials, everyone, if you work hard this time, it will make local officials never dare to make false reports or conceal reports again. Isn't it worth it?"

Snapped!
  "This is a great idea!" Zhao Zhen couldn't help but slap the desk hard in excitement.

Wang Anshi and Sima Guang looked at Su Liang with admiration on their faces.

Su Liang can always open a new door to their ideas from an incredible angle.

Wang Yaochen stroked his beard.

"Officials, this strategy is very good, but it also has a flaw. If this strategy is implemented, I am afraid that all the dignitaries and relatives in Bianjing City will scold Su Jingming."

"Ha ha ha ha……"

Zhao Zhen and all the officials couldn't help laughing.

In Bianjing City, most of the officials and clan relatives who had official duties but no errands were just eating, drinking, carrying cages and raising birds, as if they had never done anything serious.

Comfortable and accustomed to laziness.

Now that he suddenly had to work as a temporary worker in the government office, and even had to stay up late to sort out paperwork, it would be strange if they didn't scold Su Liang!

"Just scold me. If there are too many people scolding me, I don't care anymore!" Su Liang said with a smile.

……

On that day, Zhao Zhen issued an edict.

The order notifies local and state officials that if there are any matters that cannot be completed that month, the specific contents and reasons must be listed.

at the same time.

The two governments and three departments also began to forcibly dispatch auxiliary personnel.

It is reasonable for these people to live on the imperial salary and work for the imperial court.

This time, time is tight and the task is heavy.

Even if there are multiple people assisting, there may be several all-nighters.

This is an unprecedented scene in the Song Dynasty.

Zhao Zhen felt that this move would definitely be recorded in the annals of history and become a political achievement that would be praised by future generations in his imperial career.

(End of this chapter)