Great Zhou Empire: Kill Zhao Kuangyin at the beginning

Chapter 388 Thirty Years of Success (Special thanks to book friend tai1972 for 6 monthly tickets!)

After the annual holiday of the 30th year of Kaixi, on the morning of January 16th, the emperor and his ministers summarized the achievements of the previous year's administration.

The Prime Minister and Minister of War Zhang Qixian came out and said:
“Your Majesty, since last year, our Great Zhou has been peaceful, except for the war between Central Asia and the Star Religion Alliance.

Throughout the year, the Ministry of War organized the transportation of 7 million shi of military rations, 1.1 million weapons, 2,000 Tiger Dun cannons, and 1,000 "Yan Su Cannons" to supply the front line, mobilized 1.2 million civilian laborers, and spent 3.6 million taels of silver.

If the cost of the court's military rations and weapons is included, 17 million taels of silver were spent on the battlefield in Central Asia last year.

According to His Majesty's order, the "Royal Arsenal" branch was completed and put into use in Talas last September, and its output is sufficient to supply the ten Longxiang Army Corps fighting in Central Asia. "

Chai Zongxun nodded slightly and said:

“There are more than 20 countries in the Star Sect world in Central and West Asia. They have a large population and strong military force. Our Great Zhou should not underestimate them.

My Longxiang Army is composed of elite soldiers who have experienced hundreds of battles. As long as the strategy is appropriate, we will be able to defeat the coalition forces of the Star Religion countries and conquer the Star Religion world!

However, this battle will be protracted, so there is no need to rush. We must sacrifice as few soldiers as possible and make the most of our advantage in destroying the enemy with artillery!"

Zhang Qixian bowed and said:

"I obey your order!

In the war last year, the Longxiang Army of our Great Zhou suffered only 50,000 casualties and annihilated more than 800,000 enemies. This is all because the commanders of the corps on the front line understood your majesty's will. "

The Deputy Minister and Minister of Personnel Li Hang came out and said:

“Your Majesty, since the expansion of the imperial examination system, our Great Zhou has admitted more than 800,000 scholars in the provincial examinations held last year.

This year's spring and autumn examinations are expected to admit 70,000 juren and 5,000 jinshi respectively.

It will greatly alleviate the current shortage of officials across the country.

Last year, more than 1,200 cases of corruption, dereliction of duty, and oppression of the people were handled nationwide, which is more than 10% less than the previous year.

Chai Zongxun said:

"We must strictly manage the administration of officials! Any official who violates the law, no matter who he is or what rank he holds, will be severely punished according to the law!
I am the Son of Heaven, shepherding the people on behalf of the Heaven, and I should put the people first. The court belongs to the people of the world, not to a handful of bureaucrats and dignitaries!
Officials are only tools for implementing the court's policies, and I have given them extremely generous treatment and social status. We must not allow them to become stubborn interest groups or a den of evil that sucks the blood and sweat of the people. "

All the ministers in Chuigong Hall were truly afraid that this was the case.

Minister of Revenue Wang Dan came out and said:
"Your Majesty, according to statistics at the end of last year, the population of our Great Zhou has exceeded 90 million, the national farmland has exceeded 560 million mu, and the per capita farmland has exceeded 6 mu. The total grain output has reached 150 billion jin.

The pasture area reached 90 million mu, and the number of herders in Liaodi and Central Asia exceeded 8 million, with an average pasture area of ​​more than 12 mu per person. The number of cattle, sheep and other livestock raised exceeded 120 million, with an average of 15 livestock per herder.

Among the common people's families across the country, one in ten has a monthly income of more than 100 taels of silver; five in ten have a monthly income of more than 20 taels; and four in ten have a monthly income of more than 5 taels.

There are only one or two widows, widowers, orphans and orphans among a hundred.

Your Majesty, the "Kaixi Era of Prosperity" of our Great Zhou Dynasty can be said to have far surpassed the "Kaiyuan Era of Prosperity", and has almost reached the legendary "Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors" era of peace and prosperity! With the continuous development of Liao, Central Asia, Dali, Goryeo, Tubo and other places, the local finances have become self-sufficient and have begun to have surpluses, and no large subsidies from the court are needed.

The national treasury's tax revenue has exceeded 800 million taels of silver, and last year's national treasury surplus was 70 million taels of silver.

I believe that with the continuous development of various places, especially the new land in the past three years, our country’s tax revenue is expected to exceed 1 billion within five years! ”

Minister of Works Dou Yi came out and said:
“Your Majesty, the first phase of the national highway project, the Great Zhou Straight Road, has been completed since your Majesty approved the start of construction in May of the 23rd year of Kaixi, and it has been completed by the end of last year.

A total of 26 national highways were built extending from Bian Jing, with a total mileage of more than 320,000 miles, which means that every prefecture is connected by a national highway.

Over the past six years, the total amount of silver used has reached 250 million taels, which is within the budgeted amount of 260 million taels.

Your Majesty, after the new year, the Ministry of Works will continue to send personnel to various prefectures across the country to hire local laborers to start construction of the second phase of the "Great Zhou National Highway" project - the provincial highway project. The initial investment in silver is 20 million taels. Now our Great Zhou is in a bloody battle with the Star Sect countries and needs money.

Your Majesty, does this state highway project need to be suspended? Or should construction be partially resumed? "

Kou Zhun, the Minister of Rites, came out and said:
“Your Majesty, the court has invested a huge amount in the construction of the Great Zhou Straight Road. Now, in order to ensure that our Great Zhou will win the battle against the coalition forces of the Star Sect, I think we should collect tolls for the straight road to recover the construction investment and ensure that the treasury is fully stocked.

Today, our Great Zhou has become a rich and powerful country, a top-notch powerful and rich country in the world. There are at least 3 million merchants and civilians walking on the straight road every day. Even if each of them is charged one penny for road toll, it will be an income of taels of silver a day, which means an additional million taels of silver in national treasury income a year.

If we charge each person ten cents, it is not too much, and it would add up to 100 million taels of silver per year."

Chai Zongxun knew that Kou Zhun had been an envoy to the Eastern Roman Empire and had seen the large populations and vast territories of the Star Religion countries in Central and West Asia. He was therefore worried that the war between the Great Zhou and the Star Religion countries would be protracted and full of uncertainties, resulting in huge expenditures on the national treasury in the future.

If an extremely unfavorable situation occurs, such as the ten major Longxiang Army corps currently conquering Central and West Asia suffer a major defeat or even annihilation, then Chai Zongxun must immediately issue an order to recruit new Longxiang soldiers from domestic young people.

Assuming one million soldiers, the annual cost of salaries, weapons, expenses, etc. would be between 70 and 80 million taels.

If such an extreme situation occurs, the current 120 million taels of silver in the national treasury will soon be exhausted.

After all, the world of the Star Religion has more than 20 countries of varying sizes, including the Samanid Empire, the Black Caliphate, the Green Caliphate, and Khwarezm, with a total population of 50 million and a maximum total military strength of 5 million.

After Chai Zongxun pondered for a while, he said:

“The first phase of the Dazhou Straight National Highway project was basically completed on schedule.

Transportation is the lifeline of a country's economy. Convenient and smooth transportation will greatly promote the development of industry and commerce in various places and facilitate people's travel.

Although the court has spent a huge amount of money to build the straight road, in a few years, the increased economic benefits will far exceed today's investment.

I understand that Lord Kou is worried about the war between our Great Zhou and the countries of the Star Religion.

However, although our Great Zhou is currently at war with the Star Sect, there are still over 100 million taels of silver in the national treasury over the years, so there is no need to worry too much.

It should be noted that the increase in treasury tax revenue brought by commercial prosperity is far greater than the tens of millions of taels of silver that would be collected each year by collecting road tolls while suppressing the consumption demand of the entire population. "

(End of this chapter)