As the New Year is approaching, the weather suddenly turns cold. Although it hasn't snowed in the past few days, the cold wind and rain have enveloped the entire Lin'an Palace in a cold rain.
For Zhao Hong, who had just ascended the throne, no day was free, even New Year's Eve was no exception.
After writing the words "New Deal", "Economic Law" and "Anti-Corruption" on the paper, Zhao Hong frowned and looked up at the continuous drizzle outside the window in trance.
The so-called New Deal is nothing more than old wine in a new bottle, but the impurities and sediments in the old wine must be removed.
The three redundancies, redundant officials, redundant soldiers, and redundant expenses, were the three stubborn problems that the Song Dynasty could not solve. Could he solve them?
And he had to solve these problems in order to change the situation of weakness and poverty in the Song Dynasty, so as to avoid the emergence of the cliff mountain.
After all, there are 70 million people of the Song Dynasty behind him.
On the table in front of him, there was an article that looked full of alterations.
To be precise, it is an admissions brochure, the admissions brochure of Jinling Martial Arts Hall.
"The imperial edict says, I respectfully honor my precious destiny, care for my country and lead the land, forever learn from the rise and fall of my predecessors, and think about it with trembling fear, like walking on thin ice. In order to promote the martial spirit of our people in the Song Dynasty and revive the weakness of the Song Dynasty for hundreds of years, A martial arts hall is specially set up in Jinling City. All patriotic young people, no matter rich or poor, high or low, regardless of origin, can go to the martial arts hall to take exams and study. Anyone who is over 17 years old and under 30, has good health and can understand literary and ink All students can go for the assessment. The assessment time is from the first to the fifth day of March in the first year of Xingqing. After passing the assessment, the trainees are scheduled to graduate in one year. The reserved quota is 1,200 people. After graduation, they will enter the army as lower-level officers and undergo a one-year internship in the army. Those who pass the test will be mid-level and low-level officers...announce it to the world, and the envoys will hear about it..."
The writing is smooth, concise and concise, and the article is good.
Zhao Hong couldn't help but smile proudly.
Normal students are not useless.
As for the admission brochure of the Song Dynasty Naval Academy, it has been published in the "China Daily" in the early period. It mainly targets the southeastern coastal areas such as Guangdong and Guangxi, Fujian, Zhejiang, and Huainan. The age of admissions is also two to three years younger than that of the Martial Arts School. After all, the navy's study time is much longer, and experience at sea needs to be accumulated slowly.
As for the Jinling University Hall, because the first batch was all the children of distinguished officials from Lin'an City, and the admissions were within the system, there was no admission brochure.
"Dong Songchen, please personally give this article to Liu Kezhuang and Shuo Ji of the Propaganda Department, and ask them to publish it in the latest issue of the newspaper and send it to all state capitals as soon as possible. Let the Ministry of War pass it on to all the states in my name. The road army, prefectures and counties must be made known to all the people in the world."
ten thousand years is too long, fight for now. Zhao Hong was more anxious than anyone else about establishing a military academy.
The imperial court of the Song Dynasty was limited to the south of the Yangtze River. It could convey the imperial decree in just a few days, and a month would be enough time to write the document as far away as Sichuan. As for newspapers, the spread should be faster and wider.
Dong Songchen took the admission brochure, read it carefully, and asked hesitantly:
"Your Majesty, the Naval Academy only recruits 600 people. The Martial Arts School recruits 1,200 people. Isn't that too much?"
The imperial examination only takes two to three hundred people in three years. This year, there are only 1,200 people. Doesn’t it become a “redundant official”?
"The Naval Academy is only for the navy, but the Jinling Martial Arts Academy is for both infantry and cavalry. Excluding the children of officials in the military and Lin'an City, the Martial Arts Academy only recruits 800 people, which is already very few!"
Zhao Hong shook his head and laughed.
The infantry, the mother of all arms, is the foundation of the martial arts hall.
In addition to the 200 young officers recommended by the army to appease the morale of the army; the powerful children of Lin'an Prefecture selected about 200 people to appease the hearts of the court officials; the remaining 800 recruited trainees faced the Seventeenth Road of the Song Dynasty, and each road averaged less than 50 people is already few enough.
"Your Majesty, those dandies in Lin'an City, can they do it?"
Dong Songchen said cautiously, still a little worried.
"You have to select the best, you have to go through assessments, and you have to study for a year after entering the school. It's the same at Jinling University. After a year of training, it's just a pile of rubbish. If you can't do it, you can't do it!"
Military management, coupled with strict drills, will make those who are not drilled obedient.
"Your Majesty, I'm afraid that some garbage is just garbage and will disappoint Your Majesty!"
Dong Songchen muttered softly, reminding Zhao Hong.
"You kid, you're so long-winded, you're even more annoying than Monk Tang!"
Zhao Hong glared, and Dong Songchen quickly shut up.
The emperor even compiled the school motto, school emblem, and school song. His hopes were high enough, and he couldn't spoil the emperor's interest.
"Have the drawings of the training equipment required by the Martial Arts Hall and Naval Academy been handed over to the Ordnance Department?"
Horizontal bars, parallel bars, dumbbells, low pile nets, high walls, balance beams, assassination protective gear, assassination wooden guns, steel plate targets, wooden dummies, including wooden horses for training cavalry, etc. The more comprehensive these equipments are, the better.
He actually wants to start a triathlon, but unfortunately there are no bicycles in this era. Maybe it can be replaced in some way in the future.
"Your Majesty, Zheng Tu is already making samples. But I'm afraid we won't be able to see the finished samples until after the Lantern Festival. As long as the samples are confirmed, it will be done quickly."
After following Zhao Hong for a long time, Dong Songchen was also full of new terms.
Zhao Hong nodded slightly. The samples are finalized in the first half of the first month, and the production and installation are completed in the second half of the first month and February. The time is tight enough.
"Please urge Zheng Tu. All craftsmen who work overtime on holidays will receive double their salary. In addition, there will be school badges, school flags, student uniforms, shoes and socks, and..."
Zhao Hong was still nagging, and the guard's soft voice sounded outside.
"Your Majesty, Mr. Truth is requesting an audience outside the palace."
"Let him come in."
Zhao Hong walked back and sat back in his chair.
At the beginning of the new dynasty, there are still many things that must rely on these courtiers, especially these high-ranking "own people".
At the very least, you have to give it a try.
"His Majesty summoned his ministers here, but I don't know why?"
Zhen Dexiu was a lot wet, but he was not polite and got straight to the point.
"Please sit down, Mr. Zhen. I have summoned you. Naturally, I have something important to discuss."
Zhao Hong felt really sorry to be summoned to discuss political matters on New Year's Eve.
"Shi Miyuan monopolized the power of the prime minister, and the prime ministers and ministers were in vain. As a result, the imperial power collapsed, the powerful ministers were dictatorial, and the emperor became a puppet."
Zhao Hong looked at Zhen Dexiu with soft eyes.
"I appoint Xue Ji as prime minister and Xuan Zhen as privy envoy, and restore the old system. I hope Zhen Gong will not mind."
Xue Ji was originally the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and was involved in political affairs. Xuan Zhen was the Minister of the Ministry of War, and was involved in political affairs. These two men served as prime minister and privy envoy respectively, in charge of civil and military affairs, and divided the power of the independent prime minister. Zhao Hong also carefully considered this decision. .
As for why Zhen Dexiu is not allowed to serve as prime minister, the reason is very simple. Beautiful articles do not necessarily mean outstanding political achievements.
It is too unrealistic to emphasize "rule by man" but not "rule by law", emphasize virtue but neglect punishment. To control chaos and security, we place our hope on the sagacity of the monarch and the integrity of officials, rather than on the soundness and protection of the legal system.
All people are selfish! Once the benefits are obtained, who is willing to spit out the meat in his mouth?
"Your Majesty is overly concerned, I dare not complain!"
Zhen Dexiu felt disappointed, but still obeyed the emperor's will.
Shi Miyuan was authoritative, loyal to those in power, surrendered and compromised externally, eliminated dissidents internally, recruited power and accepted bribes, and bribed the public. During his time in power, he printed a large number of new huizi and did not exchange them for gold, silver or copper coins. Instead, he only exchanged new huizi for old huizi and discounted the old huizi by half. As a result, there were too many parties, the currency value dropped, prices soared, and people were in dire straits.
The story of Shi Miyuan’s dictatorship can never be repeated again.
As for him not becoming prime minister or privy councillor, the emperor must have made his own decision.
"Your Majesty, Hu Ju is a man who likes luxury and is good at dancing. He was very greedy during his tenure. If he continues to serve as the ruling minister, I am afraid that something big will happen sooner or later."
Zhen Dexiu couldn't help but remonstrated with Zhao Hong.
"If Hu Ju is not greedy, I will not pursue his past mistakes. If he is greedy, he will become a stepping stone for me to implement the new policy. If we want to shock the world, we must kill chickens and scare monkeys when necessary."
Zhao Hong smiled slightly, Zhen Dexiu shuddered.
The punishment is not good enough for the scholar-bureaucrats. Does the emperor want severe punishment?
"Mr. Zhen, if you don't object to Xue Ji and Xuan Zhen sharing the role of prime minister and privy envoy, I will feel much more secure in my heart."
Zhao Hong hesitated for a moment and continued:
"Zhen Gong, you are only forty-seven, and you are still in the prime of life. Xuan Zhen and Xue Ji are already in their sixties. In a few years, I will still count on you and Wei Shilang Hu Mengyu. Do you understand my painstaking efforts?"
No matter whether he made a promise or made a painting, in his heart, he still didn't think that Zhen Dexiu had the ability to rule and help the country. If Jin Dexiu could become more pragmatic, he wouldn't mind letting the teacher go further.
He did not want the scholar-officials of the Manchu Dynasty to advocate Neo-Confucianism, like to talk, and take state affairs in vain.
"Your Majesty is wise, I will bear this in mind!"
Zhende Xiusu bowed and felt much more at ease.
Maybe in a few years, he will be able to rule the world. It seems that he still has some weight in the emperor's heart.
"My lord, in addition to Jinling Martial Arts Lecture Hall and Jinling University Hall, I am piloting a new policy on Jiangnan East Road. In addition to severely punishing corruption, banning bird fighting, cricket fighting, and foot binding, the most important thing is inventory and verification. Land possession to verify court land tax.”
Zhen Dexiu's eyes widened and he forgot to speak for a moment.
Zhao Hong suddenly brought up so many political matters to be done that he couldn't react for a while.
"Mr. Zhen, you are the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, you are also involved in political affairs, and you are also my teacher. I want to hear your opinion."
Zhao Hong looked at Zhen Dexiu with a gentle expression.
Does my teacher, a master of Neo-Confucianism, have any good strategies to solve the shortcomings of the Song Dynasty?
Seeing Zhen Dexiu frowning and thinking, Zhao Hong wrote a few words directly, put the paper up, and faced Zhen Dexiu.
He was already preparing to implement the New Deal, but he had no time to hide and seek with his ministers.
The reason why it is called the implementation of the New Deal, not the reform, is because it has been done before, but failed.
"Jingbian Dharma!"
The words on the paper surprised Zhen Dexiu and blurted it out.
Your Majesty is going to implement the Meridian Law on Jiangnan East Road!
This is probably going to cause shocking waves.
"Those who have land do not necessarily have taxes, and those who have taxes do not necessarily have land. The rich have endless fields, and the poor have no land to stand on. Tax records are false, taxes are uneven, and national wealth falls into the pockets of the powerful and powerful, who bully the weak and rely on their superiority.赀, choose profit and merge."
Zhao Hong put down the paper with a heavy expression on his face.
"Hiding taxes, evading taxes, harming the public and enriching private interests, where is the majesty of the court? If the court has no money, what will it use to train troops? What will it use to buy armor and weapons? What will it use to appease the people?"
The Song Dynasty did not restrict land annexation, and the cultivated land in various states was concentrated in the homes of nobles. Farmers had less land and less land, but the labor force was heavy and unaffordable. At the same time, powerful officials hid their land and hid taxes, and the court and government were in financial distress and could not make ends meet.
Although industry and commerce were developed in the Song Dynasty, commercial taxes were much larger than agricultural taxes, but this was not because of the high contribution of commercial taxes. A large part of the reason was due to excessive levies of miscellaneous taxes and the evasion of agricultural taxes.
The emperors of various dynasties in the Southern Song Dynasty implemented the "Jing Jie Law" one after another. However, due to the obstruction of powerful officials and collusion between officials and businessmen, their successes failed again and again. The reason was the huge interests behind it.
The anti-corruption campaign will only destroy the party dominated by the scholar-bureaucrats. If we don’t fight corruption, the country will be destroyed, but the Song Dynasty will be destroyed, and the people of the Song Dynasty will suffer at the bottom of society.
The tragedy of national subjugation was best not to fall on the Song Dynasty.
