The predecessor who was scumbag by me was the emperor

Zhou Qing was not as angry as he had imagined. It is impossible for him to be a fussy person if he can climb to the position of Minister. The young people below are promising and valued by the emperor. That is a good thing. Anyway, it is impossible to threaten his position within ten years.

After the court was over, he called Shen Jia into the office, and asked his opinion carefully, "Do you think the decree proposed by the emperor is feasible?" Zhou Qing himself opposed it. It's not just a catty or two catty of grain that would be wasted if this method couldn't be done well. If the troubles are not good, the national treasury will be dragged down.

Shen Jia didn't make any promises, and replied cautiously: "Whether it's okay or not, you have to make a thorough prediction before you know. The next official can't tell you the answer at this time."

Zhou Qing took a deep look at him. This young man is indeed outstanding. He dared to face the emperor without flinching at such a young age. He has a clear mind. He is neither overly flattering nor aggressive. Given time, he will definitely be a member of the cabinet. .

Zhou Qing understood that he and Shen Jia had no conflict of interest. Since the other party has the talent and opportunity, why not be a bole who knows the horses, he doesn't rely on anyone now, so it would be good to draw him to be a helper .

He said kindly: "Then you should bother to come up with a comprehensive strategy. You need a few people for Ning Shilang to arrange for you." Zhou Qing not only gave it to others, but also gave him the authority to borrow confidential files at any time. , there are no more than five people who can have this kind of privilege, it can be seen that Shen Jia is really going to make a fortune this time.

Zuo Jiangyi was one of the assistants transferred to Shen Jia. Besides him, there were four other minor officials who would be under Shen Jia's orders for the next half month.

The first level of official rank crushes people, Shen Jia is higher than their official position, but it didn't make everyone feel rebellious, but they were just at a loss for what they were going to do.

Zuo Jiangyi was worried that Shen Jia still hated him, so he stepped forward and made a bow before admitting his mistake: "I have offended you so much before, please Master Shen not to remember the villain's mistakes."

"Some small things, I have long forgotten. Thank you, Master Zuo and all the adults, for helping Shen in their busy schedules. Because time is limited, I will stop talking nonsense and go straight to the topic. The emperor wants to implement a disaster relief project in the five northern provinces." The policy is to set up porridge sheds in various states and counties, so that poor people who have no surplus food at home can spend the winter on credit, and then repay the borrowed food at [-]% interest in the coming year, but this is very difficult to implement, so the emperor ordered this official Do a feasibility analysis to see if the policy can be implemented smoothly."

The assistants were confused and understood the general meaning, that is, the emperor thought of a new method to relieve the disaster, but it was difficult to carry out due to many resistances, so what does it matter to them?what can they do

Zuo Jiangyi asked bluntly: "Master Shen, what do we need to do? This policy has not yet started, and we don't know if it will be implemented."

Shen Jia instilled her ideas into them, emphasizing that data should be used to analyze problems. Most of the current policies and theories are eloquent words, and some even quote classics and gorgeous rhetoric. Writing a bunch of prefixes in a flashy manner has long displeased him.

"I know that it's difficult for you to understand for a while, but it's okay, you just do what I tell you."

Shen Jia is too young, everyone is not convinced, but this is a task assigned by the superior, and they have no right to object, but they don't take it seriously in their hearts, they only think that Shen Jia wants to get ahead and wants to go crazy, and to accompany such a yellow-haired What a waste of time, boy.

Shen Jia doesn't care what they think, as long as they can do things well, the first step is to collect data. He asked each of the five assistants to take a task and asked them to complete it within three days.

"These data are very important, and you can't make a single mistake. Otherwise, the results will differ by hundreds of thousands of miles. If you feel that you can't do it well, you can bring it up first. Otherwise, if something goes wrong, I won't be able to protect you."

A few people quickly promised: "But according to the adults." They were angry in their hearts, thinking that Shen Jia was looking down on them, thinking that they couldn't handle small things well, and they were young, but their tone was very loud.

They are usually the group of people who deal with the most basic data, but they know the most. Once Shen Jia said what he wanted, they could basically figure out where to start, and handed in the results in less than three days.

Shen Jia himself is not idle, he has been in the household department for a while, and has been exposed to a large number of account books every day, so he has a general idea of ​​the data, and seeing their results, he knows that they are close to each other.

How much grain was produced in the five northern provinces each year in the first three years, how much was handed over, how much was kept for oneself, how much was spent, how much was in stock, and several pages were written in detail, as well as the population distribution of the five northern provinces, the annual per capita income, As soon as these data were calculated, Shen Jia felt confident.

"Good job!" Shen Jia was not stingy with his praise, and then used a table to count the data, which is clear at a glance.

As soon as the form was made, several assistants were stunned. The population of the five northern provinces accounted for almost half of the country's population, and the situation in each state and county was complicated. They had been calculating the data day and night for the past three days. Once arranged, it seems that needless to say, we know the financial situation of various places.

Zuo Jiangyi was even more convinced, deeply regretting that he had offended Shen Jia, otherwise he would have the cheek to learn tabulation from him. He can imagine how important such a form is to the Ministry of Households, even if they do it No, handing in this form is enough to make meritorious service.

"The grain output in the five northern provinces has always been low. When the weather is favorable, they can barely make ends meet. Whenever there is a disaster, they have to rely on the imperial court for disaster relief. The imperial court does not know how much relief grain is allocated every year. If the emperor wants the grain to Lend it to them and pay it back next year. To be honest, those people who don’t have much land may not be able to pay it back. Even if they can afford it, they will still have to borrow food next year. Such a cycle is not a long-term solution.” Zuo Jiangyi proposed own point of view.

Shen Jia also noticed that the grain stocks in the counties of the five northern provinces are very small, and the relief food is almost all transported from the south. As a result, the grain production is low, and the people cannot eat enough every year, so borrowing food is meaningless big.

He thought of the "Nongjing" that he had restored before, and wondered if there was any way to increase the yield in it. He had never been a farmer in modern times, and he only knew that rice production was increased by hybridization. Know.

Shen Jia checked the data and found that there were no major problems. She put the form away and said to everyone: "Come here first, I will think about it carefully, and I will give everyone a day off tomorrow to rest." I am very satisfied with the work efficiency of the assistants, and I also know that they work overtime until late at night every day. No matter what the reason is, they are worthy of praise.

"Thank you, my lord." The assistants felt a little more balanced when they heard that they could have a holiday. They were indeed tired these three days, but Shen Jia was not idle either. Whenever they worked overtime, Shen Jia would also bring them snacks. Sending charcoal, this made several assistants treat him a lot, and when they saw the form made by Shen Jia, they were convinced of Shen Jia, the younger generation is formidable.

Shen Jia showed the data to Zhao Zhang first that night, "This year's winter wheat production in the north is expected to decrease by [-] to [-] percent. Last year, the weather was good and the winter was not too cold. The food subsidy was just the same. If the disaster relief food this year is borrowed If the method is allocated, the people will not be able to pay [-]% of the interest to repay next year, and they will still go hungry after repaying, but there is an advantage. This method may stimulate the enthusiasm of farmers to cultivate, but enthusiasm alone is not enough. Or by increasing food production.”

Zhao Zhang looked at the form made by Shen Jia and thought for a long time, but what he thought about was not the matter of borrowing food, but how to promote the form made by Shen Jia. In this way, he doesn't have to spend so much effort to read the ledger.

"What is this grid called?" Zhao Zhang asked curiously.

"The table is to fill in the relevant data under the relevant items in a vertical and horizontal manner. Various functions can also be added, such as summation, difference, and growth rate. You can know at a glance how much this year has increased compared to last year, and there is no difference. Difficult, anyone who can count can do it.”

"It's easy?" Zhao Zhang glanced at him, laughed and said, "Maybe it's easy for you, but not necessarily for others."

Shen Jiazhen didn't think highly of them, but the ordinary tables are really simple, and they can be taught. Every official in the household department is very proficient in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, but it's just a different way to present the data.

"It's better for the emperor to learn it first. If you can learn it in an hour, it must be easy, right?"

"Then what are you waiting for, start now, what do you need to prepare?"

"Take any ledger, pen, ink, paper and inkstone, and then there is the abacus. Does the emperor know how to do abacus?" Shen Jia looked at him suspiciously. As an emperor, have you ever learned how to do abacus?

Zhao Zhang patted his head, "Don't underestimate me, it's just a plan, it's very easy."

The things were ready soon, and Manager Du brought the detailed ledger of the harem's expenditures for the previous month. It was a big thick book, and the abacus was actually made of pure gold. It was very wealthy.

Shen Jia taught Zhao Zhang to make a watch. The first thing he made was a summary of expenses. "Daily expenses can be divided into many categories. For example, clothing and clothing expenses can be classified into one category, and food and beverages can be classified into one category. Restoration falls into one category…”

Zhao Zhang first heard him say a lot of things. He had never seen Shen Jia in charge of the household affairs before, but he seemed to be born with a special understanding of these things. The accounts of the second selection, the fourth division, and the eighth bureau are clear at a glance, instead of looking at them one by one.

Zhao Zhang said with emotion: "I should hire you to be the queen. With such a good queen, the harem will definitely not be chaotic."

Shen Jia raised her eyebrows, leaned next to him and said with a smile: "Although I can't be your queen, I can teach the queen how to manage the harem, but Queen Wei is from a family background. He is very proficient, and when it comes to intrigue in the harem, women are better at it."

"There is only one queen in my harem, where is the intrigue coming from?"

"Then you underestimated those court ladies and eunuchs. Those who can survive are not fools. Smart people naturally have ambitions, and they can't do well without ambitions. Once they have ambitions, competition is inevitable. "

"I am going to change the general election to the palace once every ten years, and the number of servants will be reduced by half. They are physically handicapped, and they will have no heirs to take care of them after they are released from the palace. Life is not easy, so it is better to stay in the palace. The palace age limit should be brought forward so that they don't become old girls and cannot get married."

"The emperor is merciful." Shen Jia really felt that Zhao Zhang was completely different from those emperors in the history books. Although he was a monarch, he knew how to respect people of every class, which was very valuable.

"I can't talk about kindness, but I just don't want to waste manpower. When the Great Jin was passed on to me, I always wanted to let the people live a good life, and I always remember what you said."

"Which one?"

"You said that everyone has their own mission and responsibilities when they come to this world. Even a small screw can play a big role. Although I don't understand what a screw is, it is true that everyone has their own. usefulness."

Shen Jia rubbed his nose, planning to give Zhao Zhang a gift with screws and springs another day. At this time, the carpenter's craftsmanship was exquisite, but it was definitely not as efficient as the modern assembly line. Screws can indeed replace those cumbersome things. splicing process.

"Come, come, don't gossip, since the emperor already understands the classification of expenditures, then I will draw a form, and the emperor will try to fill in the data from the ledger."

One hour is enough for a monthly expenditure summary table. After Zhao Zhang finished it, he felt that he was very good, and when he looked at the table again, he immediately discovered the problem in the account book, and immediately called several father-in-laws in charge. When I came to question, I found out a few bosses who were pocketing their own pockets, which caused panic in the harem for a while, and those who used their power to steal money and money all stopped thinking.

After dealing with these trivial matters, Zhao Zhang realized that the serious matter had not been discussed yet, so he kept Shen Jia and prepared to talk at night by candlelight.

It's not that there were no ministers who stayed in the palace before, and there was also a palace for ministers in the palace. Director Du picked a little eunuch who was similar in stature to Shen Jia, put on Shen Jia's cloak, and sent him to the palace. As for the real Shen Jia, Naturally, he stayed in the emperor's bedroom.

After the two had an intense exercise, Shen Jia lay down on the bed and asked, "What is the purpose of your idea of ​​lending food?"

Zhao Zhang put his hands behind his head, and the pillow on the bed was replaced with a double pillow stuffed with cotton. The pillow was soft. Zhao Zhang was not used to it, but he felt quite comfortable. He said: "I pity the poor people. They should be able to live a life of food and clothing, but relying on annual food distribution alone will not cure the root cause. Once a disaster occurs, the people will either wait for the government to provide relief, or they will starve to death. They are too passive. Borrowing food can at least stimulate their survival motivation. In order to repay the food, they must work hard. Still willing to listen to the opinions of the courtiers."

Shen Jia understood what he meant, "It would be great if there is a way to increase the grain output. You have to give them some hope, knowing that you can repay the grain through hard work, so that you will be motivated. But as far as I know, the fertile land in Dajin Most of them are in the hands of powerful and powerful landlords. Ordinary people either live on a few acres of Susukida or work as tenant farmers. The life of a tenant farmer depends entirely on the kindness of the owner. In my opinion, the first step is to solve It should be a land issue."

"With the population of Dajin, the arable land per capita can be doubled. Many places are left uncultivated. If the people have enough land, they are willing to cultivate it no matter how hard it is."

Zhao Zhang shook his head and told him: "Land is the foundation of people's livelihood. It is so easy to change. After I came to power, I proposed to re-measure the land and register it in the register. Only this matter has not been done until now. I want to make the people open up wasteland. It’s not just government orders, once the control is not good, the uneven distribution of land among the people is the source of troubled times.”

Shen Jia thought about this sentence for a while, and then related to several major changes in history. Anything involving land and taxation is a big problem, nodded and said: "I think it's too simple, the land is difficult to change, and the food will not be for no reason. It is really not an easy task to feed the people of the whole country with limited food.” Shen Jia rested her head on Zhao Zhang’s chest, held his hand and said with emotion: “It’s really hard to be the king of a country. It's too tiring, I wish you were an idle prince and didn't have to worry about all kinds of political affairs all day long."

Zhao Zhang played with his long hair. Shen Jia's hair was black and slippery. He loved to wash his hair very much. Although his hair was not long, it was well maintained and felt very comfortable.

"I used to feel tired too, but how can the tiredness of the body compare with the suffering of the soul? As long as you are willing to accompany me, what is this little tiredness? Is it easy to be an idle prince? Look at my brothers , I have never criticized them, but they still live with trepidation, but I can't completely relax my vigilance. There are a group of people in Jinyiwei who watch their movements day and night, and they report to them every day what they say or do. I, think about it differently, are you willing to live such a life?"

The few princes that Shen Jia knew were either the cousins ​​of the first emperor or the underage younger brothers of Zhao Zhang. In the battle for the heir apparent, all the grown-up princes died except for Zhao Zhang, who was the victor. Even more ruthless, none of his own brothers remained, and only a few cousins ​​were crowned king.

"The princes are still young, and they can't see anything now, so it's hard to say what will happen in the future? Will they go to live in a fief when they become adults?"

Zhao Zhang talked to him: "According to my idea, it is best for them to live in Chang'an, live under my nose, who knows what will happen to them if they go to the fiefdom? What's more, there are How many vassal kings can really manage the internal affairs well? Most of them are either indulged in pleasure and exploiting the people, or they are ambitious, resort to war, waste the people and waste money, and I can’t manage it.”

"But the rules of the ancestors are not so easy to abolish, and the courtiers may not agree."

"Then give it a try. Is it because my arms are thick or their thighs are hard, but I'm not the kind of person who can't tolerate my brothers. As long as they are capable, they can still hold real power in the future and share my worries."

Shen Jia said flatteringly: "The emperor's heart is kind, if they don't know what to do, they are going to kill themselves."

When the two are together, they always feel that they have endless things to talk about, but the time together is always short, and Zhao Zhang is a busy person, so it is not easy to find time to talk together under the quilt at night, just like that, Most of the time they are also discussing political affairs.

The next day, when Shen Jia went to court, she was so sleepy that she couldn't keep her eyes open. When she saw the energetic emperor on the dragon chair, she always felt that the two had different body structures. Otherwise, how could there be such a big difference?

Today's court meeting went smoothly. Shi Ye checked the population in the city and found several direct descendants of the Pu family who fled. Although there is still no news about Pu Zhan, it is not without progress.

The people in the city knew that the imperial court was looking for the remnants of the Pu family, and some people came to provide clues. As a result, Jin Wuwei solved several cases in the past few days and caught many wanted criminals, which was a pleasant surprise.

Shen Jia went back to the yamen together with Feng Qiugui, the latter said enviously: "I heard that brother Shen stayed in the palace last night?"

Shen Jia said calmly: "Yes, it was too late to discuss matters with the emperor, so the emperor kindly allowed me to stay in the palace for one night, so as not to travel back and forth."

This kind of thing is not uncommon, but in the past, only ministers of the humerus were able to stay in the palace, and the fifth grade doctor was really not qualified enough to be taken care of by the emperor.

Of course, there is no fifth-rank official who can let the emperor leave alone to discuss matters, and Shen Jia is definitely the only one of his favor.

Although Feng Qiugui envied him, he also knew that this kind of thing was incomparable, everyone had their own destiny, but fortunately he thought that he and Shen Jia were good friends, so they could always get some credit.

"By the way, I saw that you and Chief Zuo were busy a few days ago, but you have finished the matter assigned by the emperor?" Feng Qiugui also wanted to join this group, but he couldn't bear to mention it.

"It's not that easy, alas..." Shen Jia was indeed stumped. It wasn't difficult for him to write a strategy for disaster relief, and it wasn't difficult for him to write a strategy for loaning food. The difficulty was feasibility, how to solve it The troubles of the emperor do not cost the people and money, and the minister of humerus is by no means as easy as modern people think.

In the past, I always thought that the traversers had more advanced knowledge and ideas, and if they returned to ancient times, they would be big figures who invaded the government and the public if they did not claim to be kings. It was not easy for officials in ancient times to fight wits and courage, and it was even more difficult to make political achievements.

"I thought it was too easy, I'm afraid I'll be scolded this time." Shen Jia joked to herself.

Of course Zhao Zhang wouldn’t scold him, but Zhou Shangshu didn’t necessarily mean it. Shen Jia was a member of the household department, and he took on this task by leapfrogging his superiors. All civil and military officials in the court were waiting to see his subtle insights. He couldn't get anything out in the end, and he lost the face of Hubu.

Zhou Qing didn't pay too much attention to Shen Jia's progress. He was too busy. The household department was in charge of the national money and grain. His position was equivalent to the modern Minister of Finance. Some of them reached out to ask him for money, so how could there be time for Shen Jia?

Even if Shen Jia was made things difficult when he first arrived, Zhou Shangshu did not do it himself. His time is very precious, and there are many people who do things for him.