Early in the morning, the old emperor Zhao Zhen, who was sleeping less and less, sat in the study, holding a new issue of newspapers.

Empress Cao personally delivered breakfast. If you want to talk about Empress Cao, it is really a good wife for his wife. When breakfast is delivered, the dishes are placed next to the desk, and without much trouble, he slowly retreated.

Zhao Zhen looked at the newspaper and frowned slowly, and murmured: "Theory of Qin, on why Qin was defeated in the second generation, on the Six Kingdoms, on why the six kingdoms could not defeat Qin, the only thing with this "Theory of Strong Country" is about where Qin is victorious, and it is a rare talent!"

As he was talking, Zhao Zhen slowly put down the newspaper and ordered the eunuchs beside him to call Ouyang Xiu of Kaifeng Prefecture.

All the good guys came slowly. Needless to say, Han Qi was the most dedicated. He got up almost in the middle of the night. He was the first to arrive at the study room. He was actually a minister of Renzong's humble minister who devoted himself to his life until his death.

The new Censor General Bao Zheng was obviously not as good as the loyal minister Han Qi, and stood behind Han Qi.

Ouyang Xiu came the latest because he did not have to go to the palace to meet the emperor today, and he was too busy with Kaifeng Mansion.

Zhao Zhen didn't say much, but waved his hand to the side. Several eunuchs brought a stack of newspapers. Zhao Zhen said, "Looking at the "On the Strong Country" on the homepage is really thought-provoking."

There were only Ouyang Xiu who knew what "Theory of Strong Country" was because he had read it. Han Qi and Bao Zheng obviously didn't know this article. Even if Han Qi gave Gan Qi the last place, Han Qi didn't know what article Gan Qi wrote.

Everyone is reading.

Han Qi is already in a bad mood. It’s not how well Gan Qi wrote the article, but why Gan Qi was awarded the award? What should I do about this?

After everyone read it almost, Zhao Zhen said again: "How strong is the country? I think what Gan Daojian said is very reasonable. The system method is the foundation of a strong country. Wang Anshi, the branch of the country, also wrote a book of ten thousand words. When I read it, I feel the difficulties of the government and the country. I should take innovation as the key, and the first thing to bear is redundant expenses. Regarding redundant expenses, the court meeting has discussed it for several years, but it still has not reduced much results. Now the branch of the country is not enough to make ends meet. If this continues, it is really hard to sustain. You should think carefully to strive for self-improvement."

This is a serious matter. Wang Anshi's Wanyan Book is about the specific problem, and Gan Qi's article is about the top-level design problem. How can Zhao Zhen not be affected at all when the two articles are added together? The reality has reached this point, and redundant fees have always been something Zhao Zhen cares about, so he naturally became even more anxious at this time.

Han Qi replied: "Your Majesty, I have begun to do redundant expenses. The redundant expenses in the army are particularly prominent. There are less than half of the troops who can be used for the ban. The rest of the people are useless. The military should be the first priority. As long as the military redundant expenses are reduced, the imperial court will be much more abundant."

Redundant expenses are unnecessary public expenses. Last year, the imperial court's annual income exceeded 70 million yuan, but 90% of them were spent on military expenses. It is correct to change military expenses.

However, military expenditure cannot be changed at will, and some things are accumulated problems. The imperial guards' army have more than one million, and the root cause of the problem lies in the recruitment system. Using refugees as the army and criminals as the army, this problem itself will make the army unusable. Han Qi said that half of the army is unusable, but in fact, it is far more than the majority, but the vast majority are unusable.

But isn’t it so easy to reduce military spending? How to reduce it? Other means are all cure the symptoms but not the root cause, unless disarmament is disarmament, but disarmament also has big problems. Put hundreds of thousands of soldiers without assets into society at one time? That is to cut off the road to life for these hundreds of thousands of people. What would these people who used to use swords and guns do?

Recruiting refugee criminals to join the army is to prevent chaos. If hundreds of thousands of men suddenly cut off their path to life, chaos will definitely occur.

Even if they cut down their income on which they live, the problem is not small.

When he criticized King Bao Zheng, he naturally stood up and sneered: "King Han's move is inappropriate. Military pay is the cause of the military and Han people's life. If it is reduced, chaos will occur."

Han Qi also said: "Nine out of ten of the imperial courts are used for military expenditures. If the military expenditure is not reduced, the redundant expenses will be unsolvable. Can't the salary of officials be reduced?"

Bao Zheng replied: "The salary of officials can naturally be reduced. Which one of the officials is not a big family and a big business? Where does the main income depend on the salary of the court? The method of reducing salary is bound to be desirable. Even if it is to reduce military expenditure, it should be based on the officers. It also requires detailed expenditures to make up for loopholes in it, and to investigate corruption and abuse of power in detail."

Bao Zheng dared to say this? Although the truth is true, his words are very problematic.

For example, Ouyang Xiu, the first one, disagrees with it and said, "Bao Zhongcheng's words, overturned a boat of people in one go. If an official is a big family, he will really not be able to achieve great things? The main income is not based on salary. He has been an official for twenty or thirty years, and the family and the family all rely on salary to live on salary. The military expenditure is so huge, and the expenses are extremely large. If the military expenditure is not reduced, the salaries of officials are reduced. This is not reasonable."

Ouyang Xiu’s words make sense. Not all officials are corrupt and abused. For example, Ouyang Xiu is not corrupt, and his main income is really based on salary. In addition, it is important to say that the salary of officials in the Song Dynasty may be the highest in all dynasties.

For example, the prime minister's salary can be as high as 400 guan a month, and he can buy 100 acres of good land. In addition, there are various unthinkable subsidies, such as food subsidies, food subsidies, oil and salt. This is normal. There are also subsidies for firewood, firewood, rice, oil and salt, which are subsidies for firewood, and charcoal burning at home and charcoal for heating in winter.

In addition, there is also a nanny subsidy, which means that the servants who serve the prime minister at home, the court will give you subsidies. There are also subsidies for wearing clothes. The court directly gives you various silks and satin to make clothes for you home. And so on... Four hundred guan is of course the highest, and it is downgraded step by step, but overall, it is quite high. At Ouyang Xiubaozheng, there are three hundred guans, and a bunch of subsidies are equally large. Even if you reach the seventh rank and eighth rank, your salary will not be much lower. This is the basic guarantee for sharing the world with the literati. As an official, it is almost equivalent to saving money, which is almost the same as food, clothing, housing and transportation. You will also give you hundreds to dozens or dozens of acres of land a month as deposits.

In the Ming Dynasty, the salary level of the Song Dynasty was seen by Zhu Yuanzhang as a lesson. Then Zhu Yuanzhang was not so good about officials. The salary given by Zhu Yuanzhang was too much, almost perverted, so perverted that if officials rely solely on their salary, their families were a little larger, and even the whole family would be difficult to support. Then, officials would have to be corrupt and peeled off their skin. In the Ming Dynasty, it was also a dilemma to be a truly honest official.

The issue of reducing fiscal expenditure has not been discussed once or twice. Every time he talks about this issue, Emperor Zhao Zhen is overwhelmed. Military expenditure is actually not just military expenditure, it also includes disaster relief expenditures and stability maintenance costs. Reducing military expenditures will definitely lead to problems, and Zhao Zhen understands this.

But Bao Zheng said again: "Master Ouyang, if you are not corrupt, it does not mean that others are not corrupt. How many people in the court and officials are not big or big, and how many are not rich or rich?"

Ouyang Xiu and Bao Zheng argued: "Bao Zhongcheng, then tell me, in this study today, which family is big and the business is big, which one is rich and rich?"

After reaching this point, Bao Zheng would not give in. He took a few steps and pointed at the three envoys Zhang Fangping and said, "Isn't Mr. Zhang a big family and a big business? Isn't he a rich man? A few days ago, Mr. Zhang just bought a large industry from a gentry? You don't know?"

Zhang Fangping was also indifferent to the disaster. Seeing Bao Zheng talking to the emperor, he was so scared that he waved his hands repeatedly: "Bao Zhongcheng, there are not many, not many, just some fields."

Bao Zheng was really biting people randomly, and he couldn't tolerate sand in his eyes. Seeing that Zhang Fangping said there was not much, he spoke again: "Then I will send the censor to check tomorrow to see how much industry Zhang Xianggong bought this time."

The Chief Censor, the Censor, the leader of the Censors, and the fighter among the trolls are about to show his power again. This time the target is Zhang Fangping, the envoy of the Third Division, and Wang Anshi's immediate superior.

Zhang Fangping was already shocked and hurriedly said, "Bao Zhongcheng, you are just talking about yours, why bother me? Some trivial matters are not worth mentioning."

Zhang Fangping was admitting his defeat, but this time he was doomed. How could the fighter among the trolls let him go? Zhang Fangping, the three commanders, can only be regarded as a few days.

"Forget it, let's talk about this later. Let's talk about Gan Daojian's article first. Since Mr. Ouyang is here, I will ask more questions. Why is such an article actually ranked at the end in Kaifeng Prefecture?" Zhao Zhen asked, and the national affairs were naturally first. Gan Qi's final affairs were not as good as national affairs. Finally, I mentioned them.

Reform and reform are a mess, just a simple reduction of fiscal expenditure. It is so difficult. How difficult is it for a country to reform?

Ouyang Xiu knew that the emperor would ask this question just now, and went forward and said, "Your Majesty, the old minister doesn't know the specific details of it. The old minister has just taken office for a few days, and he still has no time to ask about the specific details of this trial. When the old minister goes back and asks you to know."

Ouyang Xiu was also very clever and he just shyed away.

Bao Zheng was angry and said, "Your Majesty, this matter is not that simple. Someone must have interfered with it and did not want to see Gan Daojian as a result. This matter must be investigated in detail. How could such a thing happen?"

Han Qi, the mastermind behind the scenes, spoke with a dark face: "Bao Zhongcheng doesn't have to be so angry. Didn't Gan Daojian pass the exam? I think it's just a few examiners who have different opinions. When Mr. Ouyang returns to the yamen to investigate, he will naturally know it clearly. Your Majesty also has his own decision."

If things are not done, we naturally have to control the impact of the situation. Mr. Han has this method.

Zhao Zhen nodded and said, "Then Mr. Ouyang will go back and ask for a question, and also look at the question of Gan Daojian's incantation. If there is no problem, it is no problem to take the Jieyuan article in this article. As for those examiners who have no knowledge, they should also deal with it. In the next year, these people will no longer be allowed to control the Jiesheng exam and strive to ensure the fairness of the imperial examination. This is the foundation of the imperial court and the country, and we must focus on it."
Chapter completed!