Chapter 18: Power Acts as a Gyeonggi-style Civilian
Feng Dao reported that this year's tribute ceremony was going to be held, and everything was approved. When it came to candidates for the tribute ceremony, he recommended: "Zhao Shanggiao, the minister of the Ministry of Rites, has always been talented, upright, capable and sensible, and knows the inside and outside of the system. He can take up this position."
Just when Guo Wei was about to nod, Wang Jun hurriedly left: "Zhao Shangjiao is of a loose nature, and some scholars are sour and corrupt. It is difficult for him to use this national code. Your Majesty, please think twice."
Guo Wei had no choice but to swallow his words and asked him: "Who in Xiufeng knows about the tribute ceremony?"
Wang Jun thought for a while before replying: "Yan Qu, a scholar of Duanming Palace, is a kind-hearted elder and a senior scholar. He can know about tribute."
Yan Jun was sitting at the end of the seat and gave Wang Jun a somewhat sad look. He was just a minister of the Ministry of War in name only, acting as a bachelor of the Ming Palace. He had no ability to interfere in such a matter.
He was anxious and wondering how to refuse without offending, when Guo Wei decisively spoke: "The tribute examination is a matter of the Ministry of Rites, so let Zhao hand it over."
Yan Chan breathed a sigh of relief, and Guo Zongyi, who had been staring at him, noticed that his originally stiff body softened instantly.
Guo Zongyi had to re-evaluate his weight and position in his mind as someone who could be recommended by Wang Jun for tribute matters. However, seeing that he was so cautious and fearful, he felt that he was not very useful.
Wang Jun wanted to speak again, but was blocked by Guo Wei.
He returned to work angrily and gave Yan Qu a hard look, making him nervous again.
At this time, I heard Yuan Ao play again: "Years ago, Zhongshu issued a document saying that the walls of the capital city need to be repaired. The Kaifeng Prefecture requested 50,000 young people from nearby towns to repair the city walls to strengthen the defense of the capital city."
Guo Wei asked: "How many days will it take to repair?"
"If we have enough people, we can accomplish it in ten days."
"Where are the civilian men recruited?" Guo Wei asked again.
Yuan Ao slightly raised the high tablet, glanced at the small characters on it, and replied: "Two thousand people in Yanjin, two thousand people in Yuanyang, one thousand people in Changyuan, three thousand people in Fengqiu, and one thousand people in Zhongmou, Xiangfu
One thousand people, 3,000 people from the Wei family, 5,000 people from Qixian County, 5,000 people from Yanling, 6,000 people from Fugou, 4,000 people from Taikang, 4,000 people from Suixian County, a total of 37,000 people, and another 5,000 from Zhengzhou.
One thousand people, eight thousand people in Chanzhou are enough."
Just as Guo Wei was about to nod in agreement, he suddenly saw Guo Zongyi stand up.
"Your Majesty, I don't think it's possible to use a household from the Gyeonggi area."
Yuan Ao's expression froze, he opened his mouth, but in the end he did not make a sound. Instead, Wang Jun began to tease: "Your Highness, this is a matter of the Kaifeng Prefecture. The Yuan Prefecture has its own concerns, so why should you overstep your authority?"
Guo Wei glanced at Wang Jun with dissatisfaction: "Xiufeng is serious. Brother Yi is also your junior. Listen to the opinions of your descendants. We will point out the shortcomings to help grow. This is what we should do as elders.
Well."
Wang Jun was refuted by Guo Wei for the first time since he became the Privy Councilor. He was a little embarrassed for a moment, but he couldn't get angry in front of the ministers, so he had to keep a straight face and go back to class silently. If it was in private, he would scold him if he couldn't say it.
.
Guo Wei ignored him and looked at Guo Zongyi gently: "Brother Yi, tell me, why can't we use people from Gyeonggi Province?"
When Guo Zongyi saw that Aweng was in charge, he was no longer cautious. He coughed and said loudly: "The Shura City Wall is not in a hurry. However, the Yuan Mansion recruited people from all walks of life at this time in order to complete it before spring plowing, so as not to delay the people's farmers."
Sanba?"
Yuan Ao nodded repeatedly and said happily: "That's right, Your Highness is the one who knows me."
Ignoring his flattery, Guo Zongyi asked again: "But the army is about to be sent to quell Yan. Where should the civilians be recruited for the work of transporting food and equipment?"
Yuan Ao was silent and didn't answer. The Shura Wall matter was drafted by Kaifeng Mansion years ago, and the Pingyan matter was just agreed upon. There was a New Year's holiday in between. He couldn't make arrangements in a hurry, so he could only press it according to the plan. The original plan was carried out.
After being reminded by him, the ministers also realized that peace and prosperity could not wait. If we had to build the wall at this time and conduct two campaigns at the same time, it would be too much work for the people. Recruitment elsewhere would also cause chaos.
When Guo Zongyi saw that Yuan Ai didn't answer, he took advantage of the victory and pursued him: "There are many Dingkou registered in the Gyeonggi area, but if you want to do both things at the same time, resentment will inevitably breed during the labor. Once someone takes the lead, there will be chaos. This is still a small matter, and I am most afraid of it." This is because the people's families do not have enough labor to do the spring plowing. After the summer and autumn taxes, there is no food left in the household, and the next year will be another year of great hunger."
The ministers present were quite shocked when they heard this. Prime Minister Feng Dao was an heir to the farming industry and knew the pros and cons, so he asked Yuan Long directly: "How many young men are there in the Gyeonggi area?"
Yuan Ao made a reminiscence, but could not answer for a long time. Seeing that General Guo Wei was angry, Li Gu had to go out and answer: "In the counties of Kaifeng, there are more than 160,000 registered Dingkou, in Zhengzhou, there are more than 20,000 registered Dingkou, and in Chanzhou, there are more than 160,000 registered Dingkou." There are more than 40,000 people. If the two campaigns are carried out at the same time, it will really overtax the people. Your Majesty, please think again."
Guo Wei then nodded with satisfaction and praised: "Li Qing has learned a lot and has a strong memory. He is worthy of being the prime minister of the government."
"It's my duty as a minister." Li Gu said modestly.
Guo Wei looked at Feng again and said, "What do you think, Mr. Feng?"
Feng Dao cupped his hands and said, "I think that the Shura Wall matter can be postponed until peace comes."
Wang Jun was speculating on the boy's intention to oppose local conscription. At this moment, he saw that the wind was going in the wrong direction, and immediately said: "Yanzhou cannot be unjust, but the Luo Wall is related to Tokyo's city defense, and it should not be left unused for too long. His Highness Shicai only said that it is not appropriate to conscript the capital." The young man did not express his opposition to building the wall, but after hearing the implication, he came up with a plan to get the best of both worlds?"
It will take a year and a half for Mr. Ping Yan to do this. He originally proposed the Shura Wall project years ago. The doctor of the Ministry of Industry received a lot of money from the stone dealer because of it. If he mentions it after Ping Yan, can it still be considered his? If you don't fight hard and just stop when you say it, won't you lose your prestige in front of those followers?
Furthermore, he didn't believe that a mere boy could be two-faced. He himself didn't have any, so he could only continue to suffer the people.
Guo Zongyi was secretly delighted when he heard this, and secretly thought that he was really good at flattering people. He was really afraid that the imperial court would not build a wall, so there would be no reason to mention the matter of appeasing the refugees again.
With a smile on his face, he said: "I do have an idea, which needs to be decided by Your Majesty and the ministers."
Wang Jun was startled, took a deep breath, and sat back with a livid face.
The three prime ministers Fan Zhi, who was hiding in the last seat, and Yu Dechen, the chief censor, looked at each other with smiles in their eyes.
"Speak quickly." Guo Wei urged.
Guo Zongyi did not answer but asked instead: "Last year, hundreds of thousands of refugees from Youji and other places returned home with their families in need. They migrated to the Central Plains and scattered in the counties of Hebei. Did the court hear any reports?"
Guo Wei nodded and said: "This is indeed the case. We have already ordered all states to arrange it properly."
"I feel that there may be more than hundreds of thousands of refugees, and they are not limited to the Youji area. This incident happened in October last year, but I still encountered hundreds of people in clothes on my way to Chanzhou after the Spring Festival. There were tattered refugees begging along the road. I talked with them and learned that many of the officials in the puppet Han Dynasty, Liu Chong, were lawless, and during the years of famine, many families had fled."
"From this, I believe that there are many refugees, and it is not a good year in Hebei. The local states and counties may not be able to resettle properly. It is better to order the states in Hebei to send the refugees to build the city based on their own volition, and provide them with work instead of relief." , and secondly, to enrich the population of Gyeonggi.”
After hearing this, Guo Wei frowned slightly: "Most of the refugees have been resettled, and moving to the capital is a lot of trouble. Moreover, if the refugees gather in large groups, if you are not careful, the refugees will turn into mobs. Wouldn't the capital be in danger by then?"
Seeing that he did not agree, Guo Zongyi continued to advise: "Every town has nothing to do, so he ordered them to send people to the capital. The money and food spent on the way will be allocated to them after peace and security. The temple only needs to do its best to care for the refugees.
Can."
"The people in this world are all the people of our country. All they want is food and clothing. As long as they have a chance to survive, how can they become thieves? There are enough warehouses now. It will not be difficult to help the victims in Beijing for several months. I hope your majesty will have mercy on you. And
There is a lot of wasteland in the Gyeonggi region. As long as people come, they will be given farming tools and grain, and they will be exempted from rent and taxes. In the coming year, tens of thousands of households will live in peace and contentment. With such a beautiful policy, why would your Majesty not do it?"
After saying this, Guo Zongyi put his hands forward and bowed deeply.
He spent this year recuperating among the people. He saw with his own eyes that the villagers who owned land in the village had neither enough food to eat nor enough clothes to cover their bodies. How could they be homeless?
On the short 200-mile road to Chanzhou, how many bodies were starved to death, and how many slaves sold their daughters. There are only a few words in the history books, but in reality, it is the most miserable thing in the world.
As Taoist Chen Tuan said, immortals violate the laws of nature and do not fall into hell, but they are demoted to the human world because the human world is the most miserable.
Guo Wei was silent, and all the ministers also lowered their heads and held their breaths. There was only the sound of dripping in the hall. After a long time, Feng Daochang sighed and stood up: "Your Highness has played every kind word, how can our country and our people not help them?"
Reason? I would like to ask the old minister to care for the homeless people, so that I can use this broken body to share the country's worries."
He understood clearly that this young highness may have been planning for a long time and was determined to win over the refugees in Fubei. This is good governance, so it is better to follow the good.
What's more, this matter is of great significance. It will divide the sixteen states of Youji occupied by the Khitan and the pseudo-Han. It is not just as simple as enriching the population and reclaiming wasteland as he said on the surface.
Li Gu also saw the depth, and after a brief thought, he decided to support it. He went out and said: "Your Highness has played, I think it is feasible. These refugees are not hungry people. They carry many belongings and move their families south, and they have settled in various states and counties."
In a few months, not more than half of the people are willing to come to Beijing."
"There are millions of dan of food in Tokyo and Xijing alone. Even if there are 200,000 people, it will be enough to provide relief for a year and a half. There are a lot of fortifications to be done in the capital. If we can use work as a substitute for relief, we can survive the end of the year."
During those difficult times, in the future they will be able to be self-sufficient, and the refugees will become ordinary people."
With the Prime Minister taking the lead, all ministers agreed one after another.
Anyway, it is good governance, and it all uses the money of the court. If someone mentions it, then do it. Even if you can't make any profit from it, you can still make a good name.
Wang Jun was put aside, closed his eyes and said nothing.
Seeing that no one objected, Guo Wei sighed slightly and said with a sad expression: "I was born in Caojie, so don't I know the suffering of the people? So at the request of the ministers, I ordered all the prefectures in Hebei to move the refugees to Beijing."
"Your Majesty, Holy Ming!"
The matter has been finalized, but Guo Zongyi's mission has not yet arrived. He glanced at Feng Dao, who had a gray beard, with a resentful look: "The civil affairs of Fuliu are the work of the minister. Feng Gong is the esteemed prime minister. His affairs are complex and his position is virtuous."
Gao, why don't you let me take charge of such trivial matters?"
Feng Dao chuckled and responded: "Since His Highness is in your opinion, I will not argue."
Guo Zongyi looked at Guo Wei eagerly again. Guo Wei didn't know what he was thinking. He pondered for a moment and nodded in agreement: "You have nothing to do. Supervising the refugees is a matter of good governance, so I'll leave it to you."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Guo Zongyi's brows were filled with joy, and he leaned forward to bow again.
Wang Jun instinctively wanted to refute, but when he saw that all the ministers were applauding him, and the palace was in harmony, there was no objection at all, so he couldn't speak for a while.
Then I thought about it, this kid's willingness to take on things was a good start. If he was just an idle grandson, there would be no way for me to use any means. I was either afraid that he would do it or he wouldn't do it, so I gave up my intention of playing devil's advocate.
When Guo Wei saw that the matter had been agreed upon, he walked down the imperial steps, folded his hands and declared: "The imperial edict, Sun Yi, the general of Zuowei and the emperor, has the power to engage in civil affairs in the capital, and he is sentenced to the third division, Li Gu, deputy general. With the help of officials, please listen to your orders!"
"only!"
The Yanying Conference in the first month of the second year of Guangshun came to an end as the envoy of the gate said "Nothing happened in the office".
ps: Thanks to book friend 20201208161231418 for the reward
