Having worked in a company in later generations, how could Zhao Huan not know the motivating effect of money?

A pay rise is inevitable, but it can't be too drastic all at once, otherwise it would be shooting himself in the foot and sending him to his grave. The reason he wanted to raise it to five strings of cash at once was to find a way to force Xu Churen to pay more money. In the end, it definitely wouldn't be five strings of cash, at most two strings.

Of course, he had also planned to implement a so-called performance evaluation system for the private merchant caravans recruited by the Ministry of Commerce, with the principle of rewarding the most capable individuals—a timeless truth.

In fact, many people died in Hebei and Hedong due to the war caused by the Jin army's southward advance, and many fertile fields lost their original owners. The vacant fields have now been incorporated into the imperial court and are being sold along with those in Jingdong Road and Jingxi Road.

As for how to reward the laborers, Zhao Huan had no time to think about it; this question was left to Xu Churen.

He gave Xu Churen a few key points: the laborers' income should not be less than two strings of cash, that's the bottom line; if they don't have money, they should find a way to make money. Isn't Tang Ke's Artworks Bureau about to open?

Xu Churen felt a headache coming on. He had to go back and calculate again how much it would cost to invest according to the emperor's wishes. A project of this scale could easily become a bottomless pit, and he wouldn't even know how he died.

Thinking about this, Xu Churen felt even more strongly that the implementation of Jiaozi (paper money) needed to be accelerated.

While Xu Churen was pondering these questions, the emperor's thoughts began to jump around again. He looked at the planning maps of Youzhou, Yunzhou, and Jizhou, then at the map of the north, and finally opened a map of the entire Huaxia region.

Zhao Huan paced back and forth in front of the map, and the prime ministers had no idea what the emperor was thinking.

As the empire's chief planner, Zhao Huan's mind could not stop. He had revitalized the Central Plains, and the new policies on taxes and corvée labor were being implemented. The implementation in Hebei and Hedong Road was also relatively smooth, as was the Yanyun region.

The planning proposals for the four secondary capitals have been finalized, but the food problem is becoming increasingly prominent.

Zhao Huan's national plan is clearly similar to the rise of national policies in later generations, which first poured limited resources into a few cities with special geographical locations to develop the first batch of large-scale cities.

In this way, not only can a benchmark be set, but the surrounding areas can also be radiated through the cities that have developed first.

However, to solve the food problem, the food supply in big cities must keep up, otherwise food prices will skyrocket.

The problem of food supply in large cities is not just a matter of the total amount of food. As Zhou Chao said, the food in the capital city of Tokyo was basically transported from all over the country by water and land, and the transportation cost was actually very high.

Transportation costs are not only labor and energy costs, but also time costs. If the food is delayed on the road for too long, accidents may happen. Even if no accidents happen, if the food is not circulated immediately, the value generated per unit of time will be lower. This is the most basic business logic.

Therefore, to develop large-scale cities, it is not enough to simply have immigrants build cities or clear land for farming; the most basic transportation infrastructure must also be improved.

Thinking of this, Zhao Huan suddenly asked, "Has the proposal to reform the standards for officials' salaries been completed?"

Xu Churen and Zhou Chao were slightly taken aback. How did things suddenly shift from grain prices and laborers' monthly wages to officials' salaries? Emperor, could your brain be any more absurd?

Xu Churen quickly replied, "A preliminary draft has already been prepared."

"Let me see it."

Zhao Huan then ordered someone to retrieve the draft proposal on the salaries of Song Dynasty officials from the Hall of State Affairs. Zhao Huan glanced at it quickly and was very dissatisfied.

Not only did the price not drop much, but all the benefits were still in place. It seems that the emperor himself really needs to push this matter forward. Now the court wants to undertake large-scale construction projects, which will cost money in all aspects. Even the emperor himself has to start to be frugal. Money should not be poured into officials like this.

It must be reduced!

Otherwise, where will I get the money to build roads? Where will I get the money to supply the front lines? Where will I get the money to expand cities? Where will I get the money to build ships? Without money to build ships, how will I ensure the safety of maritime transport?

Even if banks issue paper money, money cannot be printed indiscriminately, otherwise inflation will occur and people's livelihoods will still collapse.

Seeing the emperor's brow furrowing more and more, Xu Churen felt that he would not give up until he had cut the proposal in half.

As expected, Zhao Huan bluntly said, "There's no need to think too much. Time is of the essence. Let's take a drastic approach: all officials will be demoted by half, and all other benefits will be canceled. Silk and charcoal will all be canceled. You'll have to buy them yourself. The court has plenty of other places where it needs money. Everyone should save money first, and we'll talk about it again when the Song Dynasty becomes wealthy."

Zhao Huan acted like a shrewd and stingy businessman, and the prime ministers couldn't really do anything about it for a while. After all, everyone was under a lot of pressure, and money couldn't be spent recklessly. Otherwise, if they couldn't complete their tasks, not only would they lose their salaries, but they might even lose their positions.

According to the emperor's plan, the court might have to spend a lot of money in the future. The money from confiscating property is hardly money. Selling land is a considerable sum, but what if that can't even last?

Especially since there's a miserly Lord Zhou here, who's extremely tight-lipped about money. If anyone else wants money, they'll definitely have to argue with him first.

After drastically reducing the salaries of officials, Zhao Huan asked, "How is the Bureau of Arts and Crafts under the Ministry of Commerce doing? It's already September."

Tang Ke quickly replied, "Your Majesty, the business will open in five days."

"Alright, I'll attend your auction with you then."

"Your Majesty is the supreme ruler..."

"I want to see how you make money. I need money now." After saying this, Zhao Huan turned to Xu Churen and said, "Minister Xu, come and take a look here."

Zhao Huan pointed to the map of the Song Dynasty: "I want to open up the main road from Kaifeng to the four capitals. It must be opened up to reduce the loss of grain transport and to be carried out in conjunction with the construction of the secondary capital."

"Yes, sir!"

After speaking, the emperor concluded: "This year and next, I do not require you to make money for the court, as long as you can balance the books. Remember, Xu Churen, Tang Ke, commercial taxes have been increased, land has been sold, the Ministry of Commerce has started selling goods, and the homes of corrupt officials have been confiscated. But the court cannot hold onto this money; it must be used and the people must earn wealth through their labor. This is what I mean by not only national wealth, but also the wealth of the people!"

"Your Majesty's teachings will be obeyed!"

After discussing matters with his ministers, Zhao Huan settled down in the palace, spending his days reading and writing, enjoying the autumn sunshine.

In ancient times, there was no environmental pollution, the sky was azure, and the autumn breeze carried the fragrance of grass and trees. The emperor enjoyed a rare few days of leisurely rest.

The day before the Art Manufacturing Bureau opened, Qin Hui scurried up to the emperor and said, "Your Majesty, the Academy of Sciences has already developed the cement you requested, according to your formula."