Chapter seven hundred and ninety fifth forced to compromise
Song Chaofeng came to the outer hall and saw Zhang Yanshang sitting aside drinking tea. Song Chaofeng laughed and said, "Is Mr. Zhang looking for me in an emergency?"
Nanya and Beiya have always been in harmony with each other. Zhang Yanshang would not have asked Song Chaofeng if he had not been forced to do so.
He stood up and cupped his hands, "There is something urgent, please ask the court man to help me deal with it."
Song Chaofeng asked him to sit down and said with a smile: "Zhang Xiangguo is too polite. It's all business, so just say it."
"That's right. I got news that a dozen officials are leaving Chengdu and returning to Chang'an. This incident has a big impact. I hope Chaofeng will send someone to intercept them and prevent them from going north."
Song Chaofeng frowned and said, "When Wei Huan returned to Chang'an last time, didn't the Queen Mother say that officials would be allowed to return home freely?"
"The court official didn't know that this time, the Jin Palace came directly to Chengdu to recruit people, and they took away all the elite officials from various departments. Seventeen people were taken away at once, which is a huge loss for the court."
"Prince Jin's Mansion?"
Song Chaofeng's heart was agitated. He suddenly understood that the list was a warning to him not to interfere in the affairs of Prince Jin's Mansion. He changed his mind and made an immediate decision. Compared with the poaching of more than a dozen Nanya officials,
, of course, your own interests are more important.
He took a sip of tea and said for a while: "If these dozen people were kidnapped by people from the Jin Palace and went to Chang'an, I would definitely arrange for the army to intercept them without the Prime Minister asking. But if the officials are willing to go to Chang'an on their own, I think it would be best for the Prime Minister to do so."
Don't use the method of interception. In the past, Dayu controlled the floods and knew that it was better to block the floods. Why didn't the prime minister talk to them and keep them? People's hearts are full of flesh. As long as the prime minister understands them with reason and moves them with emotion.
, show full sincerity, I believe that the Jin Palace cannot poach them."
Zhang Yanshang was very angry. If Beiya had not controlled the financial power and spent all tax revenue on military expenditures, how could the imperial government be in such a financial straits? Even the officials' salaries could not be paid. If the family was not extremely poor, these
Will the officials leave?
Zhang Yanshang was actually afraid that the departure of these seventeen officials would trigger a herd effect, and that a large number of middle- and low-level officials would follow suit, so he wanted to solve this problem and take this opportunity to persuade Bei Ya to allocate part of the finance and tax to Nan Ya in a timely manner.
"Mr. Chao, I also heard that Guo Song is planning to give each of the court officials a subsidy of two guan per month, starting from this month."
"Is there such a good thing?"
Song Chaofeng's eyes lit up and he quickly asked: "I wonder if the court officials mentioned here include those in Beiya?"
"Eunuch Song!"
Zhang Yanshang couldn't bear it any longer and slammed the table and said angrily: "Guo Song is a vassal town. How can there be any reason for the vassal town to provide subsidies to court officials? The key is that Beiya must allocate finance and taxes to us in time, and we will have money to pay salaries to the officials. Starting from this year
There has been no salary payment from January to now, and the officials are almost dying. Guo Song took the opportunity to win people's hearts and poach court officials. How can this be possible?"
Song Chaofeng raised his eyelids and said coldly: "Zhang Xiangguo, we agreed at the beginning that the land tax and household tax in Bashu should go to Bei Yamen, the land tax and household tax outside Bashu should go to Nan Yamen, and other miscellaneous taxes should be used to support the army.
The Jiangnan side is extremely rich. Instead of calling for land taxes, you are staring at the scraps in the bowl of Beiya. Now you are still placing the responsibility for not being able to pay our salaries on us. Isn't it a bit too much? Otherwise?
Let’s go to the Queen Mother to argue the case, who is making trouble unreasonably?”
Zhang Yanshang suppressed his anger and said: "The small amount of taxes in the south of the Yangtze River has to support the local government and support the local army. Ma Sui and Liu Qia's tens of thousands of troops are also spending here. How much can we give to the court in the end? And the bulk of the taxes is
Miscellaneous taxes, salt tax alone is ten times the household tax, there are also business tax, mining tax, tea and wine tax, horse tax, and rack tax. The total of these taxes is I don’t know how many times the field tax and household tax are. Chao Weng, everyone
I hope that the imperial court can operate normally and that Beiya cannot go too far."
Song Chaofeng sneered, "Didn't I say it a long time ago? Both the southern and northern yamen are ministers of the emperor. They have to act like enemies and are incompatible with each other. Isn't it interesting? I still suggested it last time. If Zhang
If the Prime Minister is willing to agree, I will persuade my colleagues in the North Government to hand over the commercial tax, tea and wine tax, horse tax and rack tax to the South Government. How about that?"
The conditions offered by Feng in the Song Dynasty were not low. Nanya restored the seven-phase system, four of which were recommended by Beiya. This actually meant full control of the court. In February, he proposed this condition, but Zhang Yanshang refused.
It is said that I am a fish and meat, and others are a slave. Nanya has not received a penny for six months, and the Queen Mother is vague and always says, you can discuss it yourself.
Zhang Yanshang was forced to have no choice. If he did not compromise, the court would collapse.
"Okay! I can agree to the seven-phase system and the emperor's plan."
Song Chaofengjian laughed twice and said, "That's right! It's all for the good of the court, and we have no selfish motives. So let's go see the Queen Mother early tomorrow morning?"
"Yes, but the affairs of the seventeen court officials must be entrusted to the court official."
"Well... I can only say to try to stop them. If Zhang Xiangguo wants to fall out with Guo Song, then I will directly send troops to kill them all."
Zhang Yanshang was startled and waved his hands quickly, "It's just to dissuade, not to kill!"
"I understand. I will notify Hanzhong Pass and not let them pass, but I can't guarantee whether they will come back."
Song Chaofeng said very eloquently, I will do what needs to be done, but whether they come back or not has nothing to do with me.
"Then please leave it to the court official."
Zhang Yanshang left with a heavy heart. Song Chaofeng had already forced Zhang Yanshang to compromise. How could he offend Guo Song again and harm his own vital interests? What's more, this was just a trivial matter.
After pondering for a moment, he ordered the eunuch on duty: "Go and inform all the passes in Hanzhong that all serving court officials are not allowed to pass through and go north."
What is a serving court official? Only a person who takes out a fish charm to prove his status as a serving court official can be called a serving court official. If he has resigned, cannot produce a fish charm, or hides his identity, who knows if he is a serving court official?
This is called muddling, just like banning fugitive criminals from taking trains and planes. It sounds grand, but in fact it has no meaning at all.
.........
At Jianmen Pass, a team of ox carts was driving slowly on the narrow official road. There were cliffs on both sides, reaching straight into the sky. It was extremely dangerous. This team was seventeen officials who were going to Chang'an to take up a post. They brought their main family members and
The clothes I carry with me are thin and soft, and other servants and women can only go to Chang'an by themselves, and large items can only be checked by someone to transport them to Chang'an.
Li Weijin's family was sitting on the fourth bullock cart. They had nothing but some shabby clothes. They had sold out all the valuables, not even a piece of copper jewelry.
But they had three hundred taels of silver, so they no longer had to worry about anything. Li Weijin's illness was cured and he was full of vitality. His thirteen-year-old son Li Han was sitting in front of the window, looking at the mountains in the distance with interest.
The mountain shape here is so magnificent that my wife Yang and my concubine Achun were sitting in front of the window on the other side talking in low voices, looking forward to the beautiful life in the future.
"Husband, is our official residence two acres or one and a half acres?" Mrs. Yang asked.
"It seems that the official residences of the seventh rank are all two acres, they all say so, in the old Chang'an City."
Yang was startled, "Isn't the old Chang'an City very shabby?"
Li Weijin chuckled, "I heard that it has completely changed. All the old houses have been demolished and built into new ones. The Imperial College is also there. The scenery is picturesque. It is said that people in Chang'an are envious of those who live in the old city."
"Really? That's really exciting!"
Yang added: "I told Aunt Wu and Aunt Chang that they are not doing well now and are willing to continue to follow us. I will give them some money and let them come to Chang'an by themselves. Husband, there is no problem!"
Aunt Wu and Aunt Chang were both servants who had been with them for many years. Some time ago, the family was too poor and they were dismissed. Yang went to find them before leaving and hired them back.
"My wife has decided, I have no objection."
Just as he was talking, Zhang Jinguang rode over and told Li Weijin: "When you pass the customs later, just say that we are pilgrims who went to Chang'an Ci'en Temple to offer incense and fulfill our vows. Remember, we are not officials of the Southern Tang Dynasty, we are just ordinary people."
Businessman, you know!"
Zhang Jinguang has just received news that officials in office are strictly prohibited from crossing the various passes in Hanzhong and Jiannan to go north. It would be easy for them to just change their identities.
Zhang Jinguang handed another business card to prove his identity to Li Weijin. Li Weijin nodded and said with a smile: "We are indeed no longer officials."
In fact, as long as the generals who are guarding the gate are given enough benefits, they will basically not be embarrassed, and their identities will not be checked. As long as they do not take the initiative to prove that they are serving officials, who knows what they do?
Not long after, Zhang Jinguang completed the negotiation with the general guarding the gate, and fifty taels of silver were put into the opponent's bag. Jianmen Pass immediately opened and closed the gate to let people pass, and no one came to inquire at all.
The motorcade passed through Jianmen Pass in a mighty manner...
At the Yuzhen Palace in Chang'an, Ying Caihe packed a small soft bag, put on a black warrior uniform, and carried her long sword behind her back. She had just received a secret order from Guo Song and was about to set off again.
Disciple Jingyu also changed into warrior uniform and carried a long sword on his back. Another disciple Jingyue asked cautiously: "How long will it take for master to go to Jiangnan this time?"
"I don't know, I guess it will take a month or two! If the abbot comes to see me, just tell me that I need to retreat for three months and discuss all matters with the elders. Your task is to keep the master's secret."
"Disciple, I remember!"
Ying Caihe saw that it was already dark, so he said to his apprentice Jingyu: "The horses are outside the city, let's set off!"
The two jumped up the high wall, and their figures disappeared into the darkness in a flash.