In the Salt and Iron Division, more than a hundred officials were dismissed?
Word spread quickly.
There was an earthquake in the entire officialdom.
You must know that these are not more than a hundred soldiers, but more than a hundred officials.
Many of them were scholar-bureaucrats with noble status and were born in Jinshi.
With so many people being dismissed at once, their network of connections will inevitably form a huge force.
Therefore, this is tantamount to causing huge waves in the morning the next day.
But Zhao Jun didn't care about this, and left after the Imperial City Secretary ordered a strict investigation of Liu Yuanyu.
He planned to go back and write an article, but there happened to be a lot of blank space on the first page of the newspaper. In addition to reporting on the Bianliang underworld, the officialdom must also report.
Newspapers were made with movable type printing, and the Song Dynasty had the conditions to make mature newspapers.
It's just that the imperial power system requires public opinion control, so these things are not allowed to appear in the market.
But after Zhao Jun mentioned to Zhao Zhen that the government must have its own mouthpiece media, the printing shop became a permitted existence under the imperial power system.
At present, the main reason is that the news media within the Song Dynasty have not yet formed a system. Only printing houses can make newspapers. If other newspapers appear in the future, an Information Agency will be established to control them.
At this moment, more than a hundred officials in the Salt and Iron Division were driven out of the palace. Then the Political Council worked overtime and immediately transferred elite troops from redundant officials to fill the Salt and Iron Division.
At the same time, Yan Shu temporarily took control of the third division, and the unstable factors below were quickly eliminated. By the next day, all the new officials had arrived.
This is also one of the benefits of redundant officials.
There are too few officials. There are more than 40,000 officials and thousands of people are queuing up to be dispatched. Suddenly, there are more than a hundred positions here. Wouldn't those idle officials be very happy?
As a result, many officials happily took up their posts.
Many of them were even idle officials from Bianliang. They used to have nothing to do every day, but suddenly received orders and went directly to the Salt and Iron Division to report in the afternoon.
The next morning, in the Chui Gong Hall, many imperial censors fired on the grounds that the Political Council had dismissed so many officials.
Zhao Zhen sat high on the stage.
The three groups of ministers below each stood in their own positions.
Following Wang Shouzhong's words: "If you have something to do, leave early to play, if nothing happens, roll up the curtain and leave the court."
Supervisory censor Zhang Zongyi stood up first, raised his hands to Zhao Zhen and said: "In the official family, I have my own rules to start the memorial!"
"explain."
Zhao Zhen responded calmly.
Zhang Zongyi said: "Yesterday, the Constitutional Yuan dismissed more than a hundred officials from the Salt and Iron Department. This is by no means a regular occurrence. Once this is opened, wouldn't everyone in the officialdom be in danger and ask the officials to make a decision?"
His words were almost equivalent to the start of a war.
Han Qi, the admonisher, also said: "The late emperor has always been unable to punish officials. Officials should follow the late emperor as an example. They must not treat officials like this. Even if they make mistakes, they should issue orders to punish them. How can they be dismissed and humiliated like this?"
"Moreover, this dismissal of more than 100 officials involves an unprecedented range of officials. These people have done nothing wrong, they are just under orders. Should they be dismissed even if they are difficult to lead?"
"I think that the Constitutional Yuan is arrogant and domineering, and immediately dismisses and removes him from office at the slightest disobedience. This is really against the holy will, so please remove the Constitutional Yuan."
"Yes, the Constitutional Yuan is so powerful that I might act disobediently. I also seconded the proposal to dismiss the Constitutional Yuan."
In an instant, several censors and admonishers stood up to impeach.
But before Zhao Jun said a word, other officials stood up to defend the Constitutional Yuan and said: "What? When did the officials' corpses sit in plain sight, sitting like a monkey, living like a dog, and being shameless, and we have to defend them? Your integrity Woolen cloth?"
"I think you are the ones who are disobedient. The Constitutional Yuan is only for administration, not the Privy Council. Not to mention that even the Privy Council cannot mobilize troops and horses. Without soldiers and horses, how can you be disobedient?"
"It has become a common practice for people in the Yushitai to make false accusations. Officials and ministers suggest that the special exception of non-innocence in the Yushitai should be abolished. They can frame whoever they want to frame. Are there not many people who have been caught and falsely accused by the Yushitai in recent years? It has been so long. , this is where everyone in the officialdom is in danger."
"I second the motion to cancel the privilege of censor Tai Yan's non-innocence!"
Many officials from the other group came forward one after another. In addition to the people from the Three Phases and Three Cantons group, there were actually many neutral officials. Zhao Jun didn't know why they stood up to speak for the Constitutional Yuan.
Only Lu Yijian and others can look at their noses with their eyes, and their hearts with their noses. Most of these officials have extraordinary relationships with the newly appointed officials of the Salt and Iron Department.
Many people say that party strife was serious in the Ming Dynasty and there was a complicated network of relationships among officials.
In fact, party strife has been very serious since the Song Dynasty, with Qingli's New Deal and Wang Anshi's Reform. Fighting to the death between the new party and the old party has long been the norm in official circles.
At that time, the officialdom included classmates, fellow villagers, fellow students, in-laws, etc., who colluded with each other and formed countless interest groups, large and small.
Today Liu Yuanyu and more than 100 people from the Salt and Iron Department were dismissed, and they mobilized their connections to cause trouble. But the newly appointed officials are not vegetarians. They only have fellow villagers, classmates, and close friends from the same school, don’t we?
The result was that the two factions were fighting each other one after another, and Yushitai was involved in it in order to protect his own rights and interests, making the whole court a mess.
Everyone was quoting scriptures and talking at length.
You talk, I talk.
The court hall was made to look like a vegetable market, while Zhao Jun, Lu Yijian and other people from the Constitutional Yuan looked on indifferently, silently as if they were watching a play.
really.
As long as there is benefit, there will be great scholars who will argue for me.
At the end, Wang Shouzhong rang the gong to indicate silence in the court, and then barely suppressed the sound.
Han Qi said: "No matter what, it is too harsh to dismiss so many officials. Their guilt should not be so heavy in the first place. Officials should think again!"
"snort!"
Lu Yijian snorted coldly: "You guys are really ignorant and fearless. The Constitutional Yuan just asked Liu Yuanyu to hand in the annual count. This was his duty, but he refused to perform it. Not only could we not teach him a lesson, we even Just say a few words about him? If everyone is like this, then where is the authority of the Constitutional Yuan? Where is the power of the official family? "
Han Qi argued vigorously: "The power of the official family does not come from the removal of officials, but from the saint-like character to make the world surrender. If the official family is led by a gentleman, then how can the officials feel resentment? "
This sentence means that no one in the Constitutional Yuan is a gentleman. Even Fan Zhongyan was scolded by this sentence, which made him very unhappy.
"It's nonsense, I don't know what it means."
Yan Shu stood up and said in a cold voice: "A gentleman cherishes virtue, while a villain cherishes his country; a gentleman cherishes punishment, while a villain cherishes kindness. When a country establishes a legal system, there are relevant regulations. If Liu Yuanyu doesn't abide by it, what qualifications do he have to be an official? "
Fan Zhongyan also retorted: "It is exactly this principle, the so-called "a gentleman will not be powerful if he is not serious, and he will not be solid if he is learned." An official who has read poetry and books but cannot even do the basics should be dismissed!"
"Then what does it have to do with Duoyan Iron Company?"
Zhang Zongyi said: "If Liu Yuanyu is incompetent, he will be impeached by the Yushitai. The Constitutional Yuan is so powerful now that it should not easily determine the career of so many officials!"
"The Constitutional Yuan exists because it represents the official family to lead the officials and rectify the officials to maintain order in the world."
Wang Zeng sneered and said: "In the final analysis, you, the Yushitai, are speaking out for a group of officials who do nothing, just to protect your power of impeachment. But according to the officials who do not disobey, the officials cannot even punish them. This world is official. Our world or your world?
These words were quite murderous and heart-wrenching. Wang Zeng would definitely not have said this before.
Because he used to be a member of the scholar-bureaucrat camp, he naturally wanted to safeguard the interests of his own camp in the same camp. Therefore, the former Wang Zeng would definitely stand on Han Qi's side and come up with reasons and excuses to defend Liu Yuanyu.
But now he finds that his camp seems to have changed. When he actually sat in the position of co-president of the Constitutional Yuan, he realized that it is wonderful to hold power.
It is said that the butt determines the head. In the past, they wanted to assimilate Zhao Jun. But unknowingly, they became Zhao Jun's interest alliance, so they unconsciously began to maintain the authority of the Constitutional Yuan.
Because the power of the Constitutional Yuan is really fascinating, not to mention that as long as you are in the Constitutional Yuan, you almost have a gold medal to avoid death.
Then why bother moving your butt to the side of the scholar-bureaucrats again?
Zhang Zongyi said: "Counting is not a big deal in the first place. Although Liu Yuanyu has an average character, he has not made any big mistakes, so why should he stick to it? His reasons are also very sufficient. It is understandable that the Salt and Iron Department is short of manpower."
"I'm sorry, I can't understand."
Zhao Jun stood up and said coldly: "Believe it or not, I summoned more than a hundred officials yesterday afternoon. They have just come on duty today. Tomorrow they will be able to finish what the Salt and Iron Division usually does, and improve the political system." Do they do what the court requires? This task is what they should do in the first place. If they can't do their part, what else does Your Majesty need these wine bags and rice bags? "
"Besides, why isn't counting a big deal?"
Wang Zeng also retorted: "This is the standard to measure whether the Song Dynasty is moving forward. The Constitutional Yuan was established to make the country strong. If we can't see where the country's problems are, how can we talk about prosperity?"
"alright."
Zhao Zhen looked at the quarrel below and finally said: "This matter was decided by me. The Constitutional Yuan was established by me to control officials. The decrees they issued are my orders. Salt The Tiesi officials don’t even obey my orders. If I don’t dismiss them, why are they still there?”
"yes"
Many censors looked at each other and had no choice but to retreat.
Because Zhao Zhen has already determined this matter.
To a certain extent, Liu Yuanyu and the others were disobedient, which was a taboo in the Song Dynasty.
So as long as Zhao Zhen spoke, they would naturally have nothing to say.
Then it was finally considered a normal morning morning.
After the morning meeting, Zhao Jun did not go to the Constitutional Yuan to work, but went straight to the printing shop.
The articles written yesterday have been delivered, and the workers are working overtime to retype them. Today is the time to print the newspaper.
Meng Chengqi still stayed in the printing shop.
Ever since he knew Zhao Jun's identity, he knew that he had a big thigh, and it was the biggest one in the entire Song Dynasty except the emperor.
Therefore, even though the affairs of the printing shop had nothing to do with him, he still used the prestige of his old employer and the reputation of working for Zhao Jun to assume the identity of a supervisor in the printing shop and supervise the printing of newspapers for Zhao Jun.
The workers were not disgusted either.
The main reason is that Zhao Jun is generous. In addition to maintaining his original salary, if he works overtime, he will also receive overtime pay and bonuses.
People are not disgusted with 996, but they are disgusted with being paid four to five thousand yuan every month, and without overtime pay, they still have to pay 996.
As long as the salary is paid, the monthly salary is doubled, and you can sleep in the company 24 hours a day.
With the salary in place, the first page of the newspaper was quickly printed, which was densely packed with various news. The two major events were naturally the underworld and the earthquake in the officialdom.
Others include poetry, gossip, gossip, advertising space and submission columns.
In the printing shop, Zhao Jun looked at the first page of the newspaper, which had a lot more new content than yesterday. It was well filled in. He nodded with satisfaction and said: "Very good."
Under the ginkgo tree in the yard, Meng Chengqi lowered his eyebrows and showed a flattering smile and said: "As long as the Supreme Court is satisfied, everything is ready now. As long as the Supreme Court gives an order, it can be printed directly, and it will be all over Bianliang tomorrow. newspaper."
"Sales of this newspaper will be a problem for the time being."
Zhao Jun thought for a moment and said, "Meng Dongjia, I have a favor for you."
"Please inform me of the court's instructions."
Meng Chengqi's attitude was extremely respectful.
Zhao Jun said: "My boss is good at writing, and I must know a lot of scholars. We can recruit some scholars from relatively poor families, buy a courtyard next to the printing shop, and set up an editorial department to review manuscripts. If there are any news, poems, or scripts worth publishing in the newspaper, , can all be reviewed.”
Meng Chengqi nodded repeatedly: "Leave this matter to me, but can I enter the editorial office?"
Zhao Jun smiled and said: "If my boss likes it, just become the editor-in-chief."
"Thank you, Zhiyuan."
Meng Chengqi was very happy.
Then Zhao Jun said: "If you want the newspaper to gain a reputation in Bianliang and become a mouthpiece channel for the Song Dynasty court to spread news to the people, you must have corresponding strategies. Just good content quality is not enough. Wait until the newspaper is printed. After that, you send people to various tea shops across the city and give each one a free copy so they can show it to customers."
"Free delivery?"
Meng Chengqi hesitated and said: "Zhiyuan, our initial investment has been so huge. Each newspaper costs 10 cents. It only sells for 12 cents. Even if it sells 10,000 copies, it only makes 23 cents. After one month, it is worth It’s enough to cover the basic expenses of the printing shop. I’m afraid I won’t be able to recoup this initial investment.”
Many people think that the Song Dynasty has always been 1,000 copper coins. In fact, the official standard is 770 copper coins. However, the folk price is basically maintained at around 850 copper coins. So if the newspaper has four issues per month and sells 10,000 copies each, the income will be about It’s 23.5 goals.
But there are so many workers in the printing shop, and the monthly salary for them is more than 100 yuan. Basically, they may not even be able to maintain the minimum cost. No wonder there is no profit in opening a printing shop.
However, Zhao Jun smiled and said: "It's smaller, the layout is smaller. In addition to newspapers, normal books are printed in the printing shop, and there will be advertising revenue later. In addition, our audience is not only Bianliang, but also the entire Gyeonggi Province. Road, Gyeonggi Road has a population of millions, and it only needs to have 100,000 customers, and the monthly income of the printing shop can reach more than one or two thousand guan, so why worry about not making money?"
Meng Chengqi was surprised: "But will there really be so many people buying it?"
"Will do."
Zhao Jun said without hesitation: "The reason for free delivery in the early stage is to make them depend on us, and we have an exclusive monopoly. As long as people want to read news and think about poetry, there will be no worries about not being able to sell the newspaper."
His eyes dropped, staring at the newspaper in his hand. Controlling public opinion is of great help to the officialdom and many things.
At least if we open up overseas lands in the future, countless people from the Song Dynasty will go to distant places under the propaganda of newspapers.
By then, the entire world will have Han footprints, and there will be no need to worry about overseas expansion.
(End of chapter)
