I will never be Renzong

Chapter 112 The Unlucky Xia Song

The next day there will be a court meeting at the Xuanzheng Palace.

Xia Song, a scholar of the Imperial Academy, said: "Officials! Last year, the imperial court handed over the tea trade to the Royal Chamber of Commerce. The Royal Chamber of Commerce implemented a method of monopolizing and classifying agency distribution. Many tea merchants failed to participate in it, so there were many rioters. , and the price of tea is higher than in previous years, I think this move will affect people's livelihood, and now the imperial court wants to lay off troops and reorganize the army, so I think that the imperial court can take back the tea trade and increase the imperial tax revenue!"

After listening to Xia Song's words, Wang Qinruo couldn't help frowning.

"If the imperial court takes back the tea trade, dare to ask Bachelor Xia, how will the imperial court manage it?"

Zhao Zhen asked.

Xia Song held the wat board and replied: "When I returned to the official house, I thought that the system of tea officials should be restored. Now that the troops are stationed in the northwest, there is a shortage of food and grass. The court can restore the method of exchanging tea for food and grass!"

"Really? But I don't think so!"

Zhao Zhen smiled.He also said: "Since ancient times, the most taboo thing for a promising monarch is to change the order from day to day. The imperial court handed over the tea trade to the Royal Chamber of Commerce to take care of it. Colluding with merchants to gather crowds to make trouble, as for Xia Xueshi’s claim that the high tea price affects people’s livelihood, in my opinion, it is pure nonsense. Tea is just a pastime after meals, drinking or not drinking does not affect people’s lives at all, so why? As for influencing the livelihood of the people, this is just a tactic used by wealthy merchants! As a Hanlin scholar, you are my right and left arm, how can you be bought by wealthy merchants?"

"The minister was negligent for a while, and almost fell into the tricks of an unscrupulous businessman! False official family condemnation!"

Xia Song's brow was covered with sweat at this time, thinking that he would have known that the ten thousand taels of snowflake silver would not be collected. Now it seems that the current officials are not easy to be fooled.

Zhao Zhen naturally knew that Xia Song was a well-known treacherous minister in history, but a treacherous minister may not be unusable.

"Previously, I ordered Liu Congde to lead three thousand forbidden troops to develop Liuqiu. Yesterday I received a report from Liuqiu that the three thousand forbidden troops had arrived in Liuqiu and started to build the city. Now Liuqiu is short of officials. , Seeing is believing, hearing is believing, Xia Xueshi has been with me for a long time, so it is inevitable that he does not understand the sufferings of the people in the world, so that he credulously believes the words of wealthy merchants and great merchants, thinks of his achievements, and removes the post of Hanlin Bachelor, and he is sent to seek knowledge of the state .”

Zhao Zhen decided Xia Song's destination with a few words.

"Thank you, official family Long En!"

Xia Song bowed in a daze.

The courtiers suddenly took a deep breath, my good fellow, there were not a few ministers who were demoted for a slip of the tongue, but Xia Song was probably the only one who was demoted to a wild island thousands of miles away.

"According to reports, Liuqiu Island is rich in resources and easy to exploit, so I plan to take Liuqiu under the management of the imperial court, so I decided to change Liuqiu to Taiwan and set it up as a prefectural system, and the first prefect of Taiwan Xia Xueshi will be in charge, don't disappoint my expectations!"

At this time, there were only 3 or [-] aboriginal people in Taiwan, and most of them lived in the mountains, living a life of primitive society and drinking blood. During the Three Kingdoms period, Sun Quan established the jurisdiction of Yizhou, but was forced to abandon it due to climate reasons. Zhao Zhen ordered Liu Congde to send troops to Liuqiu regained the jurisdiction of the Song Dynasty, and planned to build three counties: Taipei, Taichung, and Tainan.

Zhang Shixun, the envoy of the Third Division, said: "The officials talked about Liuqiu. Regarding the construction of the county seat by the Taiwan government, last year the officials checked the land tax owed by the world, and recovered a total of 1976 million yuan in land taxes owed. Last year, the three divisions totaled the world's wealth. The total amount of taxes is 3540 million guan, plus the land tax collected is 5516 million guan. After excluding military salaries and salaries of officials, the imperial treasury should have less than 1500 million guan. About 500 million guan, the total number of bridges, rivers, canals and sea weirs built in various places is about 400 million guan. Last year, the Yellow River flooded, and nearly 500 million guan were allocated to dredge the Yellow River and resettle refugees. For the first two, officials have to set aside 500 million guan. I really can't afford it for the severance pay for the downsizing of soldiers?"

Cao Lili said: "Officials! The imperial court is financially strapped, and I think the reduction and reorganization of soldiers should be suspended first!"

Li Di, the minister of the Ministry of War who just took office, said: "Officials! The number of households in the world is constantly increasing. Last year, the imperial court encouraged the people to cultivate wasteland. Both commercial and land taxes are steadily increasing, but the treasury still has no money. Why? It’s all because our dynasty maintains nearly 140 million troops, and if the practice continues, this number will not decrease, but will increase. If we don’t reorganize and reduce the army, our Song Dynasty will be dragged down sooner or later!”

After Li Di became Minister of the Ministry of War, he quickly reorganized the Ministry of War, dismissed all the eyes and ears of Cao Yong, and appointed some capable officials. Of course, he also offended Cao Yong for this.

"How much was the imperial tea tax last year?"

Zhao Zhen thought for a while and asked Zhang Shixun.

"Go back to the official house! Last year's tea tax revenue was only 80 guan, but the revenue from tea the year before last was nearly 200 million guan!"

Zhang Shixun replied.

"Tea is handed over to the Royal Chamber of Commerce. It is normal for the court to reduce tea tax revenue. To tell you the truth, this year the Royal Chamber of Commerce paid a total of 460 million tea leaves to the inner warehouse. Therefore, it is undoubtedly correct that the tea trade will be managed by the Royal Chamber of Commerce. Yes, Wang Qinruo!"

"Go back to the official's house! I'm here!"

"The book of Zhongshu drafted the edict, saying: Since the reign of Tianxi, the tea law has been violated repeatedly, and now the tea trade has become a custom, which is managed by the Royal Chamber of Commerce, and future generations cannot change it. I want to eliminate those unscrupulous businessmen thought!"

Zhao Zhen said solemnly.

"The minister takes orders!"

Wang Qinruo had also received bribes from wealthy merchants before, but Wang Qinruo knew what the Royal Chamber of Commerce meant to Zhao Zhen. Although he was also greedy for money, he knew he couldn't take some money.

"This year's tea income will be allocated to the third division, and it will be used as severance pay for the dismissed soldiers!"

Zhao Zhen thought for a while, and the reorganization of the army still had to continue. The treasury had no money, so he could only cut the meat from his internal treasury.

Lu Yijian said: "Officials! The king of Xia, Zhao Deming, is not feeling well this year. The tribute has not yet arrived. I think we should send an imperial physician to diagnose him, so as to show the imperial court's appeasement strategy!"

Zhao Deming is Li Deming, the father of Li Yuanhao. After Zhao Zhen came to the throne, he was awarded the title of Grand Master of the Examination, Grand Tutor of the Shou, Shangshu Ling and Zhongshu Ling, envoy Chijie Commander in charge of all military affairs in Xiazhou, governor of Xiazhou, and Dingnan Army. The Jiedu envoy, the observation envoy, the king of Xiping, and Jiashi City have [-] households, and [-] households have been sealed off!

After Lu Yijian's words fell, Zhao Zhen's complexion suddenly became a little bad. Zhao Zhen knew that Xixia was an unfamiliar white-eyed wolf, but at present, everything in the court was not ready, so he finally chose to forbear, and ordered the imperial physician envoy to bring a gift to come. to condolences.

(End of this chapter)