This time, the old enemies Wang Anshi and Sima Guang formed a united front in an outrageous way.
Although their purposes were different, Wang Anshi implemented the conscription law in order to earn the difference, collect more taxes and spend less money, but there was still a critical point. He could not collect too much tax to avoid causing public resentment, but he must save as much as possible. His purpose was always to enrich the national treasury and improve finances.
Sima Guang opposed Wang Anshi before because he believed that this conscription law might increase the burden on the people. He originally hoped that Zhang Fei could be professional, save manpower, and avoid the exemption tax from placing too much burden on the people.
As a result, Zhang Fei did the opposite.
Not only will the most expensive business be handed over to businessmen, but the police force will also be expanded by 10,000.
However, before coming, the two met and "greeted" each other. Wang Anshi thought that Sima Guang was making trouble for him, while Sima Guang thought that Wang Anshi had too big an appetite and completely ignored the lives of the people.
After a quarrel, they realized that the other party was clueless and it was all Zhang San's doing, which was why they were so angry.
Damn it! You two, the vice ministers, teamed up to deal with a little traitor like me. Do you have any shame? Zhang Fei was a little nervous and smiled awkwardly, "Please sit down first, please sit down, let me explain to you two."
Wang Anshi exchanged glances with Sima Guang for a moment, then sat down and listened to his explanation.
Zhang Fei poured them a cup of tea and explained, "Yes, this 10,000 people sounds a bit too many, but it's actually not that many, because these 10,000 people are not all in the police station. I believe that Yanei has also told you that this includes tax police and court police. Their duties range from investigation, pursuit, prosecution, punishment, to collecting taxes, etc. If you count it this way, for the 16 counties of Kaifeng Prefecture, this 10,000 people is really not a lot."
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Wang Anshi bulged his eyes and said, "That is to say, your 10,000 people only involve judicial issues."
Zhang Fei nodded: "Yes."
Wang Anshi was angry.
Who is this guy from? Why is he using the money I earn to help Sima Guang carry out reforms?
Sima Guang was afraid that Wang Anshi would misunderstand him, so he quickly said, "Zhang San, you have to do everything within your capabilities. You have expanded the recruitment of 10,000 people, and you are only responsible for the judiciary. Do you know how much burden this will add to the people?
In fact, I think you can hire police officers first and then gradually eliminate police officers. You are too hasty. When you take out the tax-free money, many people will lose their families.
Your legal system is to protect the personal rights of the people. Aren't you putting the cart before the horse?"
Wang Anshi strongly agreed with Sima Guang's point of view, as he had originally planned to do so.
You have to keep the money first, but don't let go of the people completely. In this process of gradual transformation into hired labor, you can accumulate a lot of wealth.
Zhang Fei said: "I don't know about other aspects, but I think that in the judicial field, hiring people cannot be used in parallel, because any mistake in any link will destroy the entire judicial system.
I have checked the previous officials, and found that many of them, village heads and township heads, relied on the fact that the court relied on them for favors, and used all means to bully the villagers and act tyrannically. The slightly better ones just ignored everything and tried to hide whenever they could.
They are not enforcing the law, they are just maintaining the most basic stability in the countryside and assisting the court in collecting taxes. This has nothing to do with the law. If they are not replaced, it is actually meaningless to put a few royal police in the city. "
At this point, he paused for a moment, "In addition, I think it is better to do it all at once than to do it gradually. Increasing the exemption tax every year will make the people even more uncomfortable."
The imperial power may not extend below the county level, but the judiciary cannot extend below the county level. Although there are clan laws in the villages, the facts have proved that clan laws and the judiciary are completely different things. It is not that the laws are different, but that the principles are different. The judiciary must intervene, otherwise the people would not be exploited so miserably by the landlords.
He recruited 10,000 people at once in order to build out the judicial system. As long as the front line was stable, the establishment of courts and procuratorates would be much easier.
If the front line fails, the role of the court and the procuratorate cannot be played out.
This is also the worst point in ancient judicial system, that is, the grassroots are too bad and the court is unwilling to spend money on them, so it is very dependent on the ability and leadership of the county magistrate.
But when it comes to the justice system, this front line is often the most important.
This can be seen from the Royal Police of Kaifeng Prefecture. Why do the people highly respect the Royal Police? Isn’t it because they have never experienced this before?
Even now, Sima Guang could not understand the reason. His inherent thinking was to rely on law enforcement officials rather than law enforcement personnel. The reason why he procrastinated was that he was very cautious in appointing officials and he must have good character.
Wang Anshi understood the reason, but he was also very dissatisfied. "Don't I know that the more royal police there are, the better the public security will be? I also hope to have an army of 10 million to directly destroy Xixia, but is it possible? You can't ignore the current situation."
Sima Guang couldn't help but look at Wang Anshi.
Wang Anshi also noticed it and turned his head to look at Sima Guang, "Why is Junshi looking at me like this?"
Sima Guang was very curious and asked, "Isn't this the advice I always give you?"
Wang Anshi's mouth twitched a few times, and he smiled coldly: "Your suggestion is to ignore the reality of bad policies."
"you...."
Sima Guang suddenly glanced at Zhang Fei who was trying to hold back his laughter, turned around and stroked his beard, as if hinting to Wang Anshi that they should now unite to face the outside world and find a place where no one is around to have the argument later.
Wang Anshi understood what he meant, and angrily said to Zhang Fei: "If you want to pay for it yourself, I won't care about you even if there are 10,000 royal policemen, let alone 100,000. If you do this now, my new policy cannot be implemented. The ministers in the court are unaware of this and think that I am the one who ordered it."
He is now the steward of the Song Dynasty. Of course he must feel uncomfortable when you spend money like this!
Zhang Fei smiled and said, "Master Wang, have you read the contents of the newspaper in detail?"
Wang Anshi said: "I have read it over and over again, and I don't think there is any misunderstanding."
Zhang Fei said: "But Master Wang must have overlooked one point, that is, those conditions are difficult for ordinary citizens to meet, and those imperial guards are relatively more qualified."
Wang Anshi asked curiously, "So what?"
Zhang Fei said, "I suggested to the lord that whenever a soldier from the three yamen comes to the police station, the grain from his original military salary should be used to subsidize the police station."
Wang Anshi frowned and asked, "Has the emperor agreed?"
Zhang Fei nodded.
After seeing this, Wang Anshi fell into deep thought without saying a word.
If such conditions exist, it would be tantamount to encouraging the imperial guards to change jobs!
The Imperial Guards are the backbone of the defense of the capital and are highly valued by the emperor.
So it is conceivable that there may be other reasons behind this.
Sima Guang also sensed something fishy and pretended to be shocked, saying, "This is simply nonsense. The imperial guards can be used to defend the capital. How can we act rashly?"
Zhang Fei immediately said: "But the Royal Police also protect the capital and everyone."
Wang Anshi couldn't help but glance at Zhang Fei, thinking, could it be that the government wants to use the police station to train another elite force?
Recall the comparison between the Royal Police and the Imperial Guards. Although the Royal Police are certainly not as good as the four upper armies in terms of riding, archery and kung fu, the Royal Police are much stronger than the Imperial Guards in terms of mental outlook and discipline. This is why many Imperial Guards soldiers came to the police station.
It would be difficult for the imperial guards with such a mental state to win a battle even if they were highly skilled in martial arts.
However, it was very difficult to raise the status of soldiers in the Song Dynasty. Doing so was not a bad idea!
Thinking of this, Wang Anshi's expression suddenly eased a lot.
The reason why he was so excited was because he wanted to use the money to train troops. Judicial reform was Sima Guang's business. He was scolded while Sima Guang benefited. This was unacceptable!
But if it was to be used for military training, he would be able to accept it in his heart. This was his dream and also Zhao Xu's dream.
To make a country rich and strong, the meaning of a rich country is to strengthen the army, which means to destroy Western Xia.
Since the Treaty of Chanyuan, the Song Dynasty hated Western Xia far more than the Liao Dynasty, and wars are still going on in the northwest today.
Zhang Fei continued: "After the Royal Police fully take over Kaifeng Prefecture, they will cancel those unreasonable local taxes, such as unreasonable over-taxation, and will respect the law and improve commercial taxes, which will also increase fiscal revenue."
By canceling excessive taxes, fiscal revenue can actually increase.
The reason is that, since the imperial court was unwilling to spend money to support officials, it gave them great convenience and levied excessive taxes to subsidize expenses.
Now that the Royal Police have taken over, tax collectors have become tax police. Tax police are paid salaries, so many taxes are meaningless.
This is actually in line with Wang Anshi's reform philosophy, which is to pay salaries to officials and lay the foundation for rectifying the administration of officials.
But Wang Anshi was also well aware of the difficulties, so he said: "As the saying goes, a powerful dragon cannot suppress a local snake. Do you think those who collected taxes were ordinary officials? They were all local gentry."
Zhang Fei replied: "Kaifeng Prefecture is the territory of dragons. If Kaifeng Prefecture can't do it, let alone other places."
A strong dragon cannot suppress a local snake, but the problem is that this is the land under the feet of the emperor, and the local gentry are suppressed by the imperial power. For example, in Dengzhou, Yangzhou and other places, the gentry in those places are real local snakes.
Based on this point, if Kaifeng Prefecture cannot be taken over, there is no need to talk about other places.
The point of contention is still at the local level. The reason why Zhang Fei expanded the Kaifeng Prefecture actually has another purpose, which is to train the royal police. Then, how will these auxiliary police be promoted step by step? In the end, let them become local police chiefs.
Break the interference of local tyrants in local justice.
Sima Guang said: "That being said, it is not as simple as you say. The power of rural clans is complicated. For example, nine out of ten yamen runners in Kaifeng County are the sons of wealthy gentry in Kaifeng County. The county magistrate recruited them into the yamen to rely on their connections to maintain law and order and collect taxes."
Zhang Fei said: "Yanei has also discussed this matter with the tax commissioner, and they said there is no problem at all."
Wang Anshi was surprised and asked, "Really?"
Zhang Fei nodded and said, "That's what Yanei said."
Wang Anshi couldn't help but look at Sima Guang again.
This tax commissioner usually keeps a low profile, could there be a hidden talent inside?
The most difficult thing in the world is collecting taxes.
If the Commissioner of Taxation can raise tax revenue without causing unrest, then...then he doesn't care.
Zhang Fei said: "But they also made demands."
Wang Anshi asked anxiously, "What is the request?"
He wants to learn.
Zhang Fei looked at Sima Guang and said, "It means changing the local Siliyuan into an imperial court as soon as possible and setting up a procuratorate."
When Wang Anshi heard this, he laughed and said, "That will probably take ten years."
Sima Guang glared at him and said, "Stop talking nonsense."
Wang Anshi asked, "Then can you please tell me a date?"
Zhang Fei also looked at Sima Guang curiously.
Sima Guang felt uncomfortable being stared at by the two men, and said in a weak tone: "If the Royal Police are already there, I will arrange for an official to go over there. How long will this take?"
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