Guide to traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty

Tang Dezong fled to Hanzhong in embarrassment and changed the Yuan Dynasty to Xingyuan, with the intention of revitalizing the country.

As a result, Hanzhong became Xingyuan Prefecture.

Zhang Gen arrived all the way and found that Hanzhong had not suffered any damage, but instead had a very strange state of stability.

When I enter the city now, the people on the streets are also beaming with joy. They are not as sad as they were in the past two years.

Zhang Gen knows the reason. The exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes that urban residents need to pay have been cut in half after all calculations.

It’s not that Zhu Guoxiang’s harvest was too low, but that Song Huizong’s harvest was too high!

Shen Yourong opened the curtain to look around, and said to Grandma Yan, "Mom, this is Xingyuan Mansion. It's really bustling and lively."

"It's lively." Mrs. Yan smiled from ear to ear.

The two of them are now not mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, but foster mother and daughter. Bai Qi has also become Zhu Guoxiang's adopted son and stepson.

When the Zhu family and his son started the army, Grandma Yan was frightened out of her wits. After some time, she gradually got used to it, and now she even enjoys this status.

She couldn't help but suddenly started to believe in Buddhism, chanting sutras and praying every morning and evening, praying to Bodhisattvas to bless Ju Ming and win battles.

The carriage was quite big, and Wen Xiaomei, An Niang, Zhang Jinping, and Zheng Yuanyi were also in the carriage.

Both Wen Xiaomei and Zhang Jinping have complicated emotions, but An Niang and Zheng Yuanyi are the purest. Sometimes, the wider their horizons and the more thoughts they have, the more troubled they become.

The Lizhou Road Transportation Department Yamen is still lavish, but now it has become Zhu Guoxiang's residence, and the number of servants has been significantly reduced.

The female family members were arranged to live in the back house, and Mrs. Yan, Zhang Jinping, and Zheng Yuanyi lived in the same courtyard.

"This place is much better than Daming Village." Grandma Yan said with a smile.

Zheng Yuanyi supported the old lady and said, "I will go shopping with the old lady."

"Okay, okay!" Mrs. Yan was so happy that she couldn't help but smile.

Zhang Jinping was calm and collected in front of her parents, but in private she was worried. She always dreamed of Ju Ming wearing armor and covered in blood, and then she woke up from her dream sweating profusely.

Accompanying Shen Yourong to visit Zhu Guoxiang, Zhang Jinping finished his greetings and couldn't help but ask: "Sir, is there any news about Dalang?"

Zhu Guoxiang said: "I received a battle report two days ago that Dalang has captured Sanquan County."

"As long as nothing happens," Zhang Jinping took out two letters and said, "These are family letters from my daughter-in-law and sister Yuan Yi. Please send them to Da Lang along with the official documents."

"Okay." Zhu Guoxiang nodded.

After chatting for a few more words, Zhang Jinping stood up and left.

Zhu Guoxiang said: "As for the family members of Hanzhong officials, you can keep in touch with Yourong. You can also invite the female family members to go on an autumn outing. You are from a wealthy family and are well-informed. You should always help Yourong."

"Yes, my daughter-in-law is resigning!" Zhang Jinping bowed and left.

With only the husband and wife left in the room, Shen Yourong's expression suddenly changed, and he asked with a reproachful tone: "We agreed to let Qier work as a civilian, why did you let him lead the troops in the war?"

Shen Yourong rarely got angry. Everything went according to her husband's will. Today was the first time she got angry since they got married.

Zhu Guoxiang could only comfort him: "He has his own ideas and cannot be persuaded. It would be better to have more experience."

Shen Yourong was not very good at quarreling, so he just sat there and sulked, not giving her husband a good look.

Zhu Guoxiang said: "I have written a letter asking Dalang to take care of him as much as possible. He is just a civilian in the army. There is no danger."

After hearing this, Shen Yourong's anger subsided, but he still remained silent.

Zhu Guoxiang felt awkward all over, and after a few words of comfort, he excused himself to attend to official duties.

Zhang Gen and other scholars were summoned, and when they arrived at the lobby, they found that there were quite a lot of people.

There were officials like Xu Fuyan, Liu Yao, Liu Huiyuan and Fu Xingzhong from Lizhou Road, as well as local scholars from Xingyuan Prefecture and Lizhou.

"I've met Mr. Zhu!"

Those who saluted collectively were scholars from all walks of life, out of respect for Zhu Guoxiang.

Other officials did not show any good face.

Zhu Guoxiang bowed and said: "I have little talent and knowledge, and I am not good at governing the people. Although I invite you to come and observe the government, I am actually afraid that I have made some mistakes. I hope that you gentlemen can correct me."

"I don't dare to take it seriously. How can we, the defeated army, find fault with Duke Yuan Zhang?" Xu Fuyan said angrily.

Zhu Guoxiang said: "If you are traveling among three people, you must have my teacher. Please feel free to teach me."

Zhang Gen was thinking along the way that he would be scolded and asked why Zhu Guoxiang rebelled. At this moment, I really see him, but I have no desire to speak. The deal is already done, and no matter how many questions I ask, it will be in vain.

After thinking about it, Zhang Gen only asked: "Can Guanzheng really leave in March?"

Zhu Guoxiang smiled and said: "When the time comes, I'll do whatever you want."

"Okay." Zhang Gen decided to wait for three months and then run away.

Zhu Guoxiang said: "In the past month, all the government orders that have been issued have been copied. You can familiarize yourself with them before deciding which yamen you want to watch. Today we are discussing the issue of restructuring. I hope you can speak freely."

A subordinate officer took out the blackboard and wrote on it with chalk.

Lizhou Road was cancelled, and Jinzhou was merged into Xingyuan Prefecture, and Xingyuan Prefecture was renamed Hanzhong Prefecture.

Everyone felt that this was an unnecessary move, and it was just a matter of changing the road to a government. From the previous level of the state capital, it became a subordinate of the state government.

Zhu Guoxiang suddenly said: "If we occupy the Fourth Road of Sichuan Gorge, we will establish Sichuan Province. The province will have three chief officials in charge of civil affairs, military affairs and punishment. What do you think?"

Zhang Gen suddenly became energetic. This was an additional level of administrative unit.

Originally: Central - Road - Fuzhou Military Supervision - County.

Now it is: central government - province - prefecture - state and county.

This is the result of discussions between the father and son. To put it bluntly, they are bringing over what was done in the Ming Dynasty and making local administration more detailed and vertical.

In fact, there was also a first-level invisible unit in the Ming Dynasty, namely: Dao!

Affiliated to the Chief Secretary is the Fenshou Road, and those subordinate to the Ancha Division are Fenxun Road. There is also the Military Preparation Road, which specializes in fighting wars, the Tixue Road, which specializes in examinations, the Qing Military Road, which specializes in military reorganization, and so on. A Tao often manages multiple state capitals.

Chen Dong asked: "In other words, in the future, the government will be equivalent to the road, and the imperial court will only be in charge of the province?"

Zhu Guoxiang nodded: "If there is no Sichuan Province, the four roads of Sichuan Gorge will be scattered and easily captured by the rebels."

Zhang Gen strongly agreed with this statement.

Sichuanxia Fourth Road is said to be a whole, but in fact they are all working in their own way.

Huang Gai, as the transport envoy of Chengdu Fulu, also served as the shipping envoy of Sichuan. When the war actually started, he could only mobilize soldiers and horses from the Chengdu Prefecture. The other three groups did not have to obey his orders and had to temporarily send strategic and appeasement envoys from the imperial court.

Moreover, it would be difficult for the economic and strategic pacification envoy to actually manage the various branches under his command without the power to open the government.

The approach of the Song Dynasty made it easier for the court to collect taxes and directly manage local areas. The price is that the country is in disarray, officials are doing their own thing, and everything is a mess when it comes to war.

Zhu Guoxiang added: "The official system of the Song Dynasty was too complicated. From now on, it will only be based on dispatch. Officials and positions will be changed to virtual titles to bestow honors."

Liu Yao couldn't help but ask: "How do I get my salary?"

Zhu Guoxiang said: "Officials, positions, dispatches, no matter the empty title or the actual position, whichever is higher will receive the salary accordingly. It is impossible to have two salaries for one official or three salaries for one official."

This was a reduction in salary expenditure, and the treatment of officials in the Song Dynasty was indeed outrageous.

Zhu Guoxiang added: "The salaries of low-level officials and staff have increased compared with those in the Song Dynasty. As for materials, job allowances, additional expenses, job fields, etc., they are all combined into job allowances and reduced accordingly."

The income of senior officials in the Song Dynasty was simply too much.

Take the prime minister as an example. The material money alone is 300 yuan. This is purely a food subsidy, and Lumi has to calculate it separately.

Compared with senior officials, the wages of low-level officials and subordinate staff are so low that they cannot even support themselves.

Zhu Guoxiang's reforms were to significantly reduce the salaries of senior officials, slightly reduce the salaries of mid-level officials, and increase the salaries of low-level officials and subordinate staff.

No more unpaid subordinate staff are allowed, and the number of subordinate staff will be determined based on regional conditions.

If there is really not enough manpower, temporary workers will be recruited. Temporary workers are also paid, but they must obtain approval from the higher-level government office.

The official system remained unchanged and the Song Dynasty system was followed.

Subordinate officials are divided into multiple levels. Nowadays, they can be promoted to high-ranking officials very quickly. When the territory becomes larger and the imperial examination is held in the future, it will be more difficult to be promoted to high-ranking officials, and they can only be promoted to the seventh rank at most. Unless his outstanding political achievements alarm the emperor, and he is given a Jinshi background, then he can be promoted to the seventh rank or above.

At the same time, there was a strict assessment system for subordinate officials, and senior officials had terms of office. In the Song Dynasty, senior subordinate officials in prefectures also had terms of office, but they were basically not strictly enforced, and county-level officials did not have terms of office.

Zhu Guoxiang then asked his subordinate officials to write down the specific official positions.

The shogunate system at the state level was greatly streamlined, and their respective responsibilities were clearly clarified, no longer like the Song Dynasty with layered restrictions and unclear powers.

Zhang Gen thought carefully after reading it. This kind of official system has obvious advantages. There are fewer opportunities to kick the ball and blame each other. Officials who really want to do things can be more powerful.

Zhu Guoxiang did not completely abolish the preferential treatment of officials who were punished by paying fines. However, for crimes sentenced due to corruption and bending the law, not to mention the death penalty cannot be avoided, and even ordinary punishments cannot be reduced with money.

That is, intensify the fight against corruption so that officials will not take any chances.

Liu Huiyuan stared at the reformed system again and again, thinking that if the Zhu family and his son were to win the world, they would have to be careful in their future official positions. Corruption will really lead to beheading. Even if you don't commit corruption, even if you become prime minister, your income will be far less than that of the Song Dynasty court.

Of course, Xiaoguan became more nourished.

Today we will only talk about these system reforms. Zhu Guoxiang asked them to give suggestions, but no one was willing to speak.

After they dispersed, Zhang Gencai met with several people and discussed the pros and cons of restructuring.

Xu Fuyan said: "The emperor has not set up the imperial examination for the time being. Since there are not enough scholars, the officials will be promoted quickly. We have also introduced the official grinding system and increased the salaries of the officials. I am afraid that the subordinate officials will be much cleaner. Each one will do it for the sake of success." Promotion will also lead to active work. This will solve a major chronic problem of the Song Dynasty court, and subordinate officials will no longer blindly reap profits."

Liu Yao said: "Streamlining official positions, clarifying powers and responsibilities, reforming salaries, and the two stubborn problems of redundant officials and redundant expenses have been solved. The imperial court will never be able to do it. Which prime minister dares to make such changes, I'm afraid he won't be able to do it in a year. .”

Fu Xingzhong sighed: "I finally understand why Zhu Chenggong said it would not be broken or established. It is better to draw on a piece of white paper than to scribble and change on a masterpiece handed down from generation to generation."

This descendant of the Fu family is a bit tempted to become a thief.

Not only for the people, but also because I want to do something, and for another selfish reason: betting on the new dynasty!

The higher the official position and the deeper the background, the more you understand what the Song Dynasty court was like.