The layman watches the excitement, while the expert sees the details.
Fu Bi, who had been studying Zhang Fei's case law in the Legislative Council, knew very well that Zhang Fei's success in Hezhong Prefecture was not as simple as everyone imagined.
It’s not about how wonderful the review or judgment is, but about the final execution.
Everyone knows that those cases were the fault of the government, and the government should bear the main responsibility. The most reasonable way is for the government to make compensation, but there are few people in the world who dare to ask the government to make compensation, including Fu Bi.
Because he understood that even if the verdict was made, the government would not be able to pay compensation. It would be too much to ask the court to pay the money.
If they cannot pay compensation and you make such a judgment, then the public security, procuratorate and courts will be finished.
But Zhang Fei did it.
The trick is to spend money before it is earned and issue salt debts and salt notes.
Fan Chunren knew this very well. He also wanted to spend money before it was earned, but the amount of sea salt in Qingzhou was so small that it was difficult for the province to be self-sufficient and it was impossible to issue salt debts.
Therefore, he suggested cutting down on officials. As long as he could reduce next year's expenses, he could have enough food for the next year, and it would have far-reaching significance for the Song Dynasty.
...
...
But the problem is, who dares to touch this piece of cake?
Zhang Fei only reduced the military in Hezhong Prefecture. He did not even dare to touch the privileges of officials. He threatened not to settle old accounts, which actually meant that he would not hold officials accountable. All the responsibilities were put on the government.
Of course, this also helps Yuan Jiang's reform. If it is a people problem, then just get rid of the people. As long as it can be proved that it is an institutional problem, there is a reason for reform. Those officials also know that if it is not an institutional problem, then it must be my problem, forcing them to support Yuan Jiang.
Wen Yanbo, Lu Gongzhu, Sima Guang and others all believed that the basis for cutting down officials was not in place at present.
Whoever wants to lay off officials will be making an enemy of all officials. The reformists over there are trying to win over the hearts of the people. If you do this at this time, you will be giving them a big gift.
But if he doesn't do this, Fan Chunren will not be able to follow Zhang Fei's precedents, and those cases cannot be tried. That would be just as Wang Anshi said, the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs cannot function without the support of the new policy.
The only solution is to call Zhang Fei back quickly.
You have set the bar a little too high. Your precedents must be followed by other judges, so it is up to you to resolve this issue.
So Sima Guang and Fu Bi acted separately.
Sima Guang stepped up the dispatch of personnel to Qingzhou, while Fu Bi went to discuss with Zhao Xu. In the past two or three years, the imperial court of Hezhong Prefecture has created hundreds of cases based on the rule of law. Many cases are controversial. I can't handle it, and I need Zhang Fei to come back in person to explain it. It just so happens that Zhang Fei's three-year term is about to expire.
Zhao Xu agreed readily.
But the matter soon spread, and more than 20 memorials were submitted that day to prevent Zhang Fei from returning to Beijing.
He said that Zhang Fei had done a very good job in Hezhong Prefecture, and that the public security, procuratorate and courts had not yet completed the construction on Shaanxi Road, so his task was not yet completed, and he would be called back later.
The powerful people in the capital had a simple idea. Since Shaanxi Road had already been ruined by Zhang Fei, he should not come back to trouble us. They would just use that piece of land to encircle Zhang Fei and slowly wear him down.
In the past, that kid was a bully who could make them anxious and worried. Now he is the president of the court. If he comes back, no one will have a good time.
The key point is that the current situation is very favorable for them.
Fu Bi was also very shrewd. He said that there was no need to remove Zhang Fei from his post as the chief judge of Shaanxi Road. His return was just a requirement of the Legislative Council because these precedents, once passed by the Legislative Council, would need to be popularized throughout the country. This was no trivial matter and we must not lose the big picture for the small.
In the end, Zhao Xu adopted Fu Bi's suggestion and ordered Zhang Fei to come back first to cooperate with the work of the Legislative Council.
Establish regulations offices in the two prefectures.
"Master, they are asking for Zhang San to be transferred back this time, it must be for Qingzhou."
Lu Huiqing said, "I heard that Fan Chunren and his men encountered a lot of trouble in Qingzhou. They had agreed not to use Zhang San in this matter. Although they were only transferring Zhang San back to the capital, once Zhang San became the chief judge of Bianjing, he would have the right to govern Qingzhou. They were simply cheating."
Wang Anshi nodded: "Of course I don't know, but we have tried our best. Besides, this matter is publicly announced, and it is nominally the Legislative Council, so I can't refuse it. However, I believe Zhang San is still loyal to me."
Lu Huiqing said: "Although Zhang San has always been loyal to his mentor, his achievements today are all due to the public security, procuratorial and judicial systems. If the public security, procuratorial and judicial systems are abolished, it will not benefit him at all. My mentor must be on guard against this."
Wang Anshi asked, "So what do you think we should do?"
Lu Huiqing said, "Master, please write a letter and ask him to come back later. I don't think Fan Chunren can hold out for much longer. The longer he delays, the better it will be for us. Besides, if he comes back later, he won't be caught between Master and Sima Xueshi and be in a dilemma."
Wang Anshi thought for a while, nodded and said, "Okay! You can write this letter yourself."
"yes."
"but.."
Wang Anshi suddenly became thoughtful.
Lu Huiqing asked, "But what?"
Wang Anshi said thoughtfully: "But this matter can be used to annoy Sima Junshi."
"???"
The next day.
Sima Guang had just arrived in the imperial city when he met the person he least wanted to see.
Wang Anshi.
"hehe.!"
When he saw Sima Guang, Wang Anshi burst into laughter.
As soon as Sima Guang saw Wang Anshi's despicable look, he knew what he was trying to say, so he ignored him, pretended not to see anything, and walked straight inside.
Wang Anshi was not willing to give up, so he chased after him and said with a chuckle, "I've said long ago that your judicial reform cannot be separated from Zhang San. Without Zhang San, your public security, procuratorial and judicial organs would be in a mess."
Sima Guang said: "The government transferred Zhang San back, that was just a normal transfer, don't take advantage of this and make innuendos."
Wang Anshi laughed and said, "Really? Qingzhou just encountered trouble, and Mr. Fu here suggested transferring Zhang San back to the capital. How could it be such a coincidence? Let's just ask someone and see if they believe it."
Sima Guang was also driven into a corner by this fellow. "That's better than you. At least I didn't break the original agreement. I just transferred Zhang San back to the capital instead of transferring him to Qingzhou. You are a villain who confuses right and wrong, steals the credit of others, and is still shameless here."
Wang Anshi immediately said, "This incident in Qingzhou can prove who is stealing whose credit. In the same case in Hezhong Prefecture, the trial by the public security, procuratorate and court became effective because of the cooperation of the new policy and the issuance of salt notes and salt debts. But now in Qingzhou, there is no cooperation of the new policy. I want to see how you can try these cases."
Sima Guang didn't know how to refute this remark, so he just said, "Let's wait and see."
Wang Anshi smiled and said, "Do we need to wait and see? This is obvious. In the final analysis, these problems are all caused by the fact that the national finances are insufficient to cover their expenditures. If we don't solve this problem, no other problems can be solved. Why don't you understand this?"
Sima Guang said, "You are right. It is precisely because the government is unable to make ends meet that the government is desperately exploiting the people, which leads to these problems. As officials, we must solve these problems. And your approach is to continue to increase the intensity of exploitation and collect more wealth from the people to solve the financial problems. Is this your way to solve the problem?"
Wang Anshi said, "You are so superficial. I am not increasing the exploitation of the people, but reducing their burden. For example, the Qingmiao Law, if we really want to exploit, is to take grain from the landlords. Their income will decrease, the burden on the people will decrease, and the government's finances will increase. Isn't it wonderful? If you have the ability, you can let those officials and landlords spend more money to solve the financial problem. If you can do this, I am willing to work like a cow and a horse for you."
"You are deceiving yourself."
Sima Guang waved his hand and said, "I'm too lazy to talk to you."
Wang Anshi snorted: "You are stubborn and I don't even bother to explain to you."
Without Zhang Fei as the lubricant, it would be almost impossible for the two to not have a quarrel when they met.
On the other side, Wang Anshi's letter and Zhao Xu's imperial edict arrived at Hezhong Prefecture one after another.
"It seems that Qingzhou is really in trouble."
Xu Zhiqian said worriedly.
Zhang Fei laughed and said, "Finance is the root of all evil. It's not easy to get into a brothel and build a memorial archway at the same time."
Xu Zhiqian glared at him immediately.
Zhang Fei hurriedly said, "Sorry! Sorry! I learned bad things from Yanei and the others."
“I don’t know who taught whom bad things.”
Xu Zhiqian murmured quietly, and then asked, "What should we do now? Scholar Sima and the others are hoping that you will go back soon, but Scholar Wang is hoping that you will go back later."
Zhang Fei smiled and said, "Of course I will go back later. Didn't I say that we have to force them into a desperate situation before both sides can compromise? If I go back now, I will only be caught in the middle. I won't do such a thankless task."
Xu Zhiqian said: "How are we going to explain this to Scholar Sima then?"
Zhang Fei said: "The imperial edict clearly stated that I should deal with the affairs of Hezhong Prefecture before returning. In fact, we do have a lot of affairs that have not been dealt with, such as the Lantian Township Agreement and the future popularization of public security, procuratorial and judicial organs in Shaanxi Road."
Xu Zhiqian said: "Regarding the Lantian Township Agreement, it seems to be slightly different from your prediction. It did cause some divisions, but only some people moved to the city to live. There are only five villages in the entire Hezhong Prefecture that clearly stated that they were unwilling to accept it, and these five villages are all near the salt pond."
Zhang Fei chuckled and said, "Nine out of ten things in this world are not always as we wish. This is the fact, so let it be."
Xu Zhiqian asked, "Will you give up like this?"
Zhang Fei glanced at her and said, "My goal is to have them set up a township committee to facilitate the management of the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs. I am only concerned about the etiquette involved. But generally speaking, the goal has been achieved, but it is not perfect."
Xu Zhiqian also thought that this village agreement was good, but after hearing what Zhang Fei said, he became a little worried and asked, "Will this not affect the public security, procuratorate and courts?"
"To be honest, I don't really know."
Zhang Fei shook his head and said, "I originally thought that the township committee would supplement the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs. Obviously, they are unwilling to accept this position. They still want to strive for more autonomy, but they can also supplement the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs. So, whether it is good or not, we have to observe for a while and say when there are problems."
The couple was chatting when Yuan Jiang suddenly came.
Seeing Zhang Fei, Yuan Jiang couldn't help but sigh, "The government is a little too anxious. The situation in Shaanxi Road was originally very good, but your departure has added another variable."
For him, the situation was completely under his control, but the emperor wanted to transfer Zhang Fei away.
Who are you going to cooperate with from now on?
Zhang Fei smiled and said, "I think it doesn't matter whether I stay or go."
"Who said that!"
Yuan Jiang said: "At present, only Hezhong Prefecture and Jingzhao Prefecture have established public security, procuratorial and judicial organs. It is still unknown whether the taxation department can succeed in the second year. This is closely related to you, how can it be unimportant?"
Zhang Fei nodded and said, "But I have already set the rules, and everyone just needs to follow them. The key is that the finances of Hezhong Prefecture will definitely increase steadily, which can make many complex problems simpler.
For example, when taxes were collected last year, many businessmen paid taxes truthfully. It was not because they were willing to pay, but because they thought they could make more money this year and did not want to lose more than they earned. If there were to be problems, they should have waited until fiscal growth stopped. Now I am here, but I have nothing to do. "
As your wallet becomes fuller, no one will care about the bumps and bruises. On the contrary, if you walk on the main road, you will complain that the road is uneven.
Only your wallet can determine your attitude towards life.
Yuan Jiang nodded slightly and asked again: "Then after you leave, who should we negotiate with?"
"Cai Jing!"
Zhang Fei said: "I have sent a message to Jingzhao Prefecture, asking Cai Jing to come back immediately."
Yuan Jiang frowned and asked, "Can this person be trusted?"
Zhang Fei smiled and said, "Master Yuan only needs to discuss with him how to solve the problem, but he doesn't need to have a heart-to-heart talk with him."
Yuan Jiang asked: "What if he reveals it?"
Zhang Fei said, "This is a different time. In the past, both you and I had a hard time and had not established a firm foothold. Naturally, we had to discuss things secretly. But now it is different. The situation is very good now, and everyone is cautious. No one wants such a good political achievement to slip away from their hands. Besides, the rules have been set. When the time comes, it is understandable that Yuan Xueshi will discuss with Cai Jing for political achievements, or Cai Jing will come to discuss with you."
"That makes sense! That makes sense!"
Yuan Jiang smiled and nodded, "You are so young, but you see things more clearly than anyone else. Which famous teacher did you learn from?"
Zhang Fei said immediately: "Of course I learned this from my father-in-law. Can Master Sima teach me this?"
Yuan Jiang chuckled and said, "Next time I see Xu Zhongtu, I'll tell him the same thing."
Zhang Fei hurriedly said: "Master Yuan, you can't betray me!"
Soon, the news that Zhang Fei was returning to Beijing spread in Hezhong Prefecture.
Immediately caused panic.
The people of Hezhong Prefecture seemed unable to accept a Hezhong Prefecture without Zhang Fei.
Many wealthy businessmen also came to ask what was going on.
Nowadays, everyone firmly believes that when a good official comes to power, the government will cease to exist, because this has happened countless times. When a good official comes to power, everyone will feel relaxed for a while, but when a mediocre official comes to power next time, everyone will have to suffer.
Zhang Fei had no choice but to explain in the legal newspaper that he was not transferred, but just went back to explain to the Legislative Council about his case in Hezhong Prefecture. He was still the chief judge of Shaanxi Road and would come back when the time came. Everyone could understand it as going home to visit relatives.
The people thought about it and it made sense. Judge Zhang had been staying in Hezhong Prefecture all the time and had never been back home. It was time for him to go back and visit his relatives.
This was of course a lie, only meant to appease the people of Hezhong Prefecture. Although the imperial edict also said so, Zhang Fei knew in his heart that he would not be able to come back immediately after he went back this time. However, he believed that the people of Hezhong Prefecture would soon get used to the public security, procuratorial and judicial systems without Zhang Fei.
However, the interesting thing is that the gentry were also panicking because the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs were already established facts and there was no possibility of their abolition. Based on this, they believed that Zhang Fei was conducive to promoting rural autonomy. If someone else came to power, it was hard to say whether they would still accept the Lantian Township Agreement. If someone who supported the new policy came to power, the matter might fail.
Therefore, they hurried to the door and handed over the "Lantian Township Agreement".
Just as Da Gou and his friends had expected, almost all the villages accepted the "Lantian Village Agreement" one after another. Zhang Fei kept his promise and agreed to them one by one.
After being registered with the imperial court, the "Lantian Township Covenant" officially gained legal status.
The only few villages that did not accept it were actually all located near the salt lake. These villages were not mainly based on agriculture, but on commerce, and they preferred direct management by the public security, procuratorial and judicial departments.
From this we can see that the "Lantian Township Covenant" is mainly aimed at farming and is not suitable for profit-seeking businessmen.
Therefore, many people who engaged in business simply sold their land and moved directly to the city. After all, there were too many restrictions from ethical codes, and they all preferred the police, procuratorial and judicial systems. Moreover, if they lived in the countryside, they would not accept the village rules. Although the village rules clearly stated that this was their freedom, they would definitely be excluded.
At this point, Hezhong Prefecture finally established a new political structure with public security, procuratorial and judicial organs.
Before, there was only separation of politics and law, but there were no corresponding rules to regulate laws and village laws. However, this is not an era of urban industrialization. The countryside is the foundation. If this issue is not handled well, the public security, procuratorial and judicial systems will not be truly established.
After dealing with this matter, Zhang Fei did not leave in a hurry, but waited for Cai Jing to come back.
"I heard that the teacher is going back to Beijing."
Cai Jing, who had hurried back, saw Zhang Fei and asked breathlessly without even bothering to greet him.
Zhang Fei nodded.
Cai Jing asked, "What happened?"
This was really too sudden, and now his career was tied to Zhang Fei. How could he not be nervous?
Zhang Fei did not hide the truth from him and said, "It is not clear yet. We will know after we return. But you must remember that Shaanxi Road is of vital importance to us. The achievements of Shaanxi Road are the greatest support to us, the public security, the procuratorate and the courts."
Cai Jing nodded and said, "Teacher, please rest assured. I will do my best."
"Of course I believe you."
Zhang Fei nodded with a smile, and then said: "At present, we have established ourselves in Jingzhao Prefecture, but our goal is to popularize the public security, procuratorial and judicial systems in Shaanxi Road. Our task has not yet been completed. Cai Bian, Shangguan Jun, Ye Zuqia and others will be responsible for the imperial court. You will be responsible for popularizing the public security, procuratorial and judicial systems. I have left you two tricks here, you can use them according to the specific situation."
Cai Jing immediately sat up straight and listened attentively.
Zhang Fei said: "The first is the tax commissioner. On the surface, the tax commissioner seems to rely on the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs, but in fact it is not the case. In fact, it is the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs that constrain the tax commissioner. If there is no public security, procuratorial and judicial organs, the tax commissioner will get more.
Finance is what the court is most concerned about. The tax commissioner has performed so well. In order to gain financial support, the court will inevitably let the tax commissioner quickly enter other states and counties. This is an opportunity for our public security, procuratorial and judicial organs.
Those powerful people must understand that without the public security, procuratorate and courts, they will be torn to pieces by the tax commissioner and will have no power to fight back. Once the tax commissioner goes, they will certainly ask the public security, procuratorate and courts to go as well. This is our opportunity.
But you have to discuss it with Cai Bian and others to see if they are well prepared. You can also discuss it with the tax commissioner, and then act accordingly."
Cai Jing nodded and said, "Student understands."
Zhang Fei added: "The next thing is public opinion, which is the situation before Jingzhao Prefecture appeared. In fact, we can control this situation. You must always observe the changes in public opinion in nearby prefectures. I will also arrange someone to assist you."
Cai Jing had already understood this move and agreed to it confidently. He suddenly asked, "Then how should we deal with the Lantian Township Agreement?"
"This matter!" Zhang Fei pinched his forehead and said, "It's very simple. You should deal with it according to the rules."
Cai Jing said: "But they are doing this obviously to resist the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs. There may be conflicts between them in the future."
Zhang Fei smiled and said, "That may be their idea, but the original intention of establishing the township committee is what our public security, procuratorial and judicial organs are pursuing."
Cai Jing seemed unwilling to give in. "But if this continues for a long time, it will still be disadvantageous to us. Once the people unite around them, they will be able to suppress the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs. In many matters, their opinions may prevail."
He still hoped to be stronger and completely suppress those gentry.
Zhang Fei said: "You have to remember that our foundation is not the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs, but the rule of law. The concept of the rule of law is to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of individuals. If we can abide by this principle, and they still want to gain the hearts of the people on this basis, they may have to make everyone selfless, but do you think they can do it?"
Cai Jing shook his head without even thinking about it.
Zhang Fei said: "So as long as we do our part, they will never win."
Cai Jing suddenly realized that what everyone cares about most is definitely their own rights and interests. This is human nature, and the public security, procuratorial and judicial systems were created for this purpose. This is exactly the opposite of many ideas of ethics. Based on human nature, in the long run, the public security, procuratorial and judicial systems still have advantages. As long as this principle is adhered to, the people will inevitably turn to the public security, procuratorial and judicial systems.
The premise is that you can't do anything wrong.
Zhang Fei nodded and said, "You guys work hard here, and when everything is stable, I will transfer you all to the capital."
Cai Jing was immediately overjoyed. He knew that he would definitely promote them when he returned to Beijing. He immediately bowed and said, "I will definitely live up to your kindness, teacher."
After saying that, he seemed to remember something, "Oh, right! That Master Fu also asked me to ask the teacher when they will go back? Will they go back with the teacher?"
Zhang Fei was stunned for a moment, "Didn't Yanei ask?"
Cai Jing shook his head and said, "No, the yanei seems to be quite happy over there."
It's so nice to have no dad to look after me.
Zhang Fei said: "Tell Fu Shichun that I will go back to investigate the situation first, and let them go back after the situation stabilizes."
As for the police station, Cao Dongdong and others are still needed to stay here.
Cai Jing nodded and said, "Teacher, you must be extremely careful when you go there."
"Thank you for your concern. I will pay attention to it." Zhang Fei nodded with a smile.
After explaining all this, Zhang Fei finally set out on his return journey. The family took advantage of the night and quietly left Hezhong Prefecture under Gao Wenyin's reluctant gaze.
At this time, more than a month had passed since Zhao Xu's imperial edict was received.
At this time, the first wave of people sent by Sima Guang had already arrived in Qingzhou, but it was of no avail. When Fan Chunren wrote the letter to the capital, there were only more than 700 lawsuits, but at this time, the number had increased to more than 2,000.
Loan sharking, arrears of military pay and wages are very common things. Once the public security, procuratorate and courts get involved, they become illegal.
This can't be let go!
What’s even more terrible is that this is only secondary.
"It's outrageous. Those officials keep saying they support our public security, procuratorial and judicial organs, but they are actually trying to frame us."
Liu Zhi, who had just taken office in the Procuratorate, came into the room, cursing angrily.
Fan Chunren hurriedly asked, "What happened?"
Liu Zhi said: "I just heard that the government said it would use its financial resources to fully support the decision of our public security, procuratorate and court."
After hearing this, Fan Chunren couldn't help but frown.
Qian Yi said: "But once we pay all the financial compensation to those who filed the lawsuit, Qingzhou's finances will definitely be in trouble. Isn't this just what Wang Jiefu said, the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs will only increase the financial burden."
With the lesson of Hezhong Prefecture, and with the presence of the big boss Ouyang Xiu in charge, although Ouyang Xiu had not been in charge of affairs for a long time, his seniority and status were there. This time the Qingzhou officials learned their lesson and did the opposite. No matter how much compensation you want, our finances will definitely satisfy it, until it is all paid.
It can be said that there is no limit to cooperation.
You can't blame us for this.
But if there is really no money, then it will be a big problem. No matter who is short of money, the court cannot be short of money, as the court's finances are already tight.
The public security, procuratorate and courts must bear the blame!
Liu Zhi said: "Now that they are saying this everywhere, it is like adding fuel to the fire. The people of Qingzhou are very happy. I hope our imperial court can make a judgment as soon as possible. We can't delay for too long."
Fan Chunren said: "Except for usury, all the lawsuits are related to the government. The fundamental reason is that the government needs to meet fiscal expenditures, so the only way is to find a way to reduce expenditures, that is, to lay off officials. This can not only solve the current problem, but also prevent it from happening. Unfortunately, Sima Xueshi and others are not very supportive."
Qian Yi said: "I heard that Zhang San will be returning to Beijing soon."
Fan Chunren said: "Unless he can conjure up money again, otherwise, he has no choice but to do this."
There is a geographical error in the previous text. There was no Jinan Prefecture at that time, but it was Qizhou. However, the previous text needs to be changed and an application must be made. Starting from this chapter, I will write back to Qizhou.
(End of this chapter)
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