The reason why Zhang Fei was so bold in speaking was because he was just talking. This was the Legislative Council, not the Imperial Court. He did not have the authority of the Hezhong Prefecture to make the final decision. So no matter how bad or good what he said was, the final decision was made by the Legislative Council.
The pressure is all on the Legislative Council.
But isn’t this the original intention of Fu Bi to arrange Zhang Fei to go to the procuratorate?
In the capital, your authority and qualifications are not enough to convince the public, and your judgments will inevitably be questioned by many. Therefore, the Procuratorate is more suitable for you, and the real power should return to the Legislative Council.
As the saying goes, the greater the power, the greater the responsibility.
Next comes the test for the Legislative Council.
At this time, Fu Bi ignored his headache and came to Zhao Xu and asked, "Does the emperor have anything to say?"
Zhao Xu shook his head and said, "I have not been able to fully understand Judge Zhang's explanation at the moment. If there is any result in the legislation, Lord Fu must come and explain it to me."
What I mean is, I don't want to take the blame for this, you guys can handle it yourselves.
Fu Bi could only bow and say, "I obey your orders."
...
...
Zhao Xu stood up and said, "I will return to the palace first."
"This old minister respectfully sends you off."
Zhao Xu immediately got up and left.
The ministers all looked at Zhao Xu, hoping to understand a little bit of the emperor's will from his back.
After Zhao Xu left, Fu Bi announced that the legislative session for the day was over.
Of course, the Legislative Council cannot be in session for only one day. It will continue until before the New Year. There are many issues to be discussed, but today is Zhang Fei’s special session.
As soon as Zhao Xu left, two large groups immediately formed on the scene.
The reformists gathered around Wang Anshi, while the conservatives gathered around Sima Guang.
Everyone's face was filled with worry.
Because Zhang Fei's theory touches upon the interests of everyone. It is not just a problem of redundant officials. Also, in normal times, if one wants to collect more money, it may not be possible. Then what is the point of being an official?
"Master Sima, what Zhang San said is very dangerous. Don't try it lightly."
"What he said makes sense, but it will offend a lot of people."
"That kid just keeps talking, but we are the ones who are offended. He is really cunning."
In a word, in short, it is inevitable that human relationships exist. This precedent will make the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs tread on thin ice, and will inevitably lead to more people opposing the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs.
"What if it's a last resort?"
Faced with everyone's dissuasion, Sima Guang suddenly asked back.
As a last resort?
Everyone suddenly realized a very serious problem.
Sima Guang glanced at them and said, "You all know what's going on in Qingzhou. They are the ones who have forced us to this point. Do we have to bow our heads and admit defeat?"
As soon as these words came out, everyone suddenly realized, hey! Isn't this the solution to the Qingzhou problem?
Core conservatives such as Liu Shu immediately demanded that the Qingzhou government directly restructure its debt.
Yes, they forced us to do this.
Moreover, if you don't do this, the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs in Qingzhou will be in a dilemma.
The situation in Qingzhou is now very serious. Under the manipulation of Lu Huiqing and others, the government has been tearing down the east wall to repair the west wall, and has become heavily in debt. If there is no debt restructuring, or the court does not rescue, the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs will definitely be finished, and there will be no way out.
But the imperial court would not be able to save him. Even if the emperor was willing, Sima Guang would not be willing, because as long as the imperial court took action, the Qingzhou Rebellion would be entirely blamed on the public security, procuratorial and judicial departments, and the careers of Fan Chunren and others would face a great blow. Sima Guang would not let Fan Chunren and others bear the responsibility.
Only by restructuring the debt and starting over can we control the situation, avoid the destruction of the public security, procuratorial and judicial systems, and reduce the burden on the government, increase future finances and turn defeat into victory.
More importantly, the most vulnerable to this debt restructuring are the government officials, because the majority of redundant officials are concentrated in the government. After all, the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs have just been established, and it is impossible for redundant officials to appear. They are the ones who are causing trouble, so isn’t debt restructuring just giving them a taste of their own medicine, letting them reap what they have sown?
This feels good just thinking about it. Although it will affect their interests, if it fails, the consequences they face will be even more serious.
The party struggle has reached this point. We must not be merciful. We must survive first.
Conservatives have supported Zhang Fei's remarks.
Wen Yanbo and Lu Gongzhe saw it all and had a general idea of Zhang Fei's approach. This was indeed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
On the other side, reformists such as Deng Wan and Pei Wen were also advising Wang Anshi not to trust Zhang Fei, as this guy had a lot of evil intentions.
If we lay off officials, the resistance will be so great!
Who will support your reform?
You have to think about this clearly.
Wang Anshi stroked his beard and laughed, "Why not listen? It's well said! It's really well said!"
Deng Wan was puzzled and asked, "Where did Master Wang get the idea from?"
Wang Anshi said, "Just now Zhang San has been emphasizing that it is natural to pay back debts and that debts cannot be delayed. The government should do so, and the people should do so even more. In Qingzhou, the government owes the people money, but in other prefectures in Jingdong East Road, it is not the government that owes the people money, but the people that owe the government money. If we use this logic to explain, the chaos in Jingdong East Road is not due to the new policy, so why not let them help us get it? Whether we get it or not, we will win."
Everyone's eyes lit up.
They only cared about the fact that the government owed money, but they didn't think that the same might be true for the people who owed the government money.
Once you understand this principle, everything will become clear.
Let the public security, procuratorate and courts go and get it. If you can get it without causing unrest, that is your ability. But they all think that the situation on Jingdong East Road is very serious and it is unlikely to be obtained.
If he cannot get it, it will prove that Zhang Fei's theory is invalid and will be self-defeating.
Deng Wan suddenly asked: "What about the Qingzhou issue?"
Meng Gansheng glanced at Sima Guang and immediately said, "The other party will definitely ask Qingzhou to restructure its debt based on Zhang Fei's precedent."
The others looked at Wang Anshi again.
Debt restructuring is scary.
Wang Anshi frowned and said, "Yes, they will definitely do so, and then take the opportunity to eliminate our people, but the premise is that they must solve the problem of Jingdong East Road's debt. This precedent must be treated equally."
Having said that, everyone still looked very solemn.
If they really solve it, won’t we all have to go back home and raise pigs?
This is the Legislative Council, not the Government Affairs Hall. It is not about resolving a political dispute. Once what Zhang Fei said becomes law, it would be terrible.
Many people looked at Fu Bi at the same time, and at this time Fu Bi was talking to Zhang Fei.
"Oh, you kid really makes me worry!" Fu Bi couldn't help but said earnestly.
It has to be said that Zhang Fei's theory exceeded his expectations. It was much more ruthless than cutting officials because it would touch upon the unique exploitation system of feudal society. Regardless of whether there were redundant officials or not, debt restructuring could be carried out as long as there were financial problems.
Zhang Fei smiled and asked, "How about comparing it to Master Wang?"
Fu Bi was stunned for a moment, stroked his beard, thought for a while, nodded and smiled, "But you have to understand that Wang Jiefu is not unaware of the root cause of the three redundant talents. It is precisely because he dared not touch this issue that he proposed the idea of not increasing taxes on the people and making the country more wealthy."
Zhang Fei nodded and said, "I know."
Fu Bi asked curiously, "Even Wang Jiefu is afraid, aren't you afraid?"
Zhang Fei said: "But I am not advocating for the reduction of officials. I also know that this will encounter great resistance. I am still seeking to consolidate the law of the rule of law, the public security and procuratorial organs, and to truly achieve the rule of law."
Fu Bi said, "Do we truly govern the country according to law?"
Zhang Fei nodded: "I have faced many problems in Hezhong Prefecture, but I have never held the relevant officials accountable. Of course, on the one hand, I don't want to intensify the conflict, but on the other hand, I also consider their difficulties. Because many of these problems are caused by the financial pressure on officials to break the law. Why is this so? There is no final solution mechanism.
As long as the court has financial problems, it must be transferred to the people, which will inevitably violate the law, and eventually the officials will force the people to rebel. Although this has happened many times in our dynasty, there has never been a solution mechanism to avoid this problem in the long run.
More importantly, this will eventually lead to the judiciary being constantly under attack. As the old saying goes, you can’t have your cake and eat it too. If you want finances, you must undermine the judiciary. If this problem is not solved, the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs will not be able to survive.”
Fu Bi nodded slightly. Anyone who has read the precedents in Hezhong Prefecture knows that most officials use financial issues to provide legal support for their illegal acts, which is also the biggest problem Zhang Fei faces in Hezhong Prefecture.
If it weren't for Yuan Jiang's policies, Zhang Fei's fate would have been unsure.
This is also the reason why many people question the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs.
They believe that the public security, procuratorial and judicial systems will undermine the administrative system because the root cause of many problems lies with the imperial court. If the government is held accountable, it will be difficult for the government to do anything and the finances will face a greater crisis, which will not be worth the cost.
The success of Hezhong Prefecture is entirely dependent on personal ability, which does not mean that other prefectures can also succeed.
If we want to replicate the success of Hezhong Prefecture, we have to introduce a bankruptcy bill, which will have very strict requirements on the abilities of officials.
But since you can't get money from the people easily, you have to think of other ways.
Zhang Fei continued, "Even ordinary people know that if their income decreases and there is no way to increase it, their expenses must be reduced. The same should be true for the country. This precedent is not for cutting officials, but for protecting the country from destruction. We have no other choice but to do this. It is better than forcing the people to rebel."
This bill can be done without, but it cannot be absent. Without it, the government will inevitably force the people to rebel.
Fu Bi nodded and asked again: "What you said makes sense, but do you think the Legislative Council can pass it?"
Zhang Fei smiled and said, "One should not interfere in other's affairs if one is not in the position to do so."
Fu Bi laughed and said, "It's really a good idea to not meddle in other people's affairs if you are not in the position to do so!"
This sentence also applies to him, because he cannot make the decisions in the Legislative Council alone, it requires the consent of many people.
If it were any other time, I would definitely not be able to make it.
But if the current situation cannot be overcome, the problems facing Jingdong East Road will not be solved.
However, most people do not want the problem of Jingdong East Road to be solved. They just want the reformists and conservatives to perish together. Moreover, they do not support the debt restructuring plan.
Although Wang Anshi believed that he could use this precedent to help the Ministry of Revenue collect money.
But they are not stupid. The problems on Jingdong East Road are only temporary. But if this bill is passed, it would be like putting a rope around their necks, ready to take their lives at any time.
Therefore, after the legislative meeting ended, many ministers immediately submitted memorials to impeach Zhang Fei for spreading false information and misleading the people, attempting to undermine the ancestral laws, and directly requested the emperor to bring Zhang Fei to justice.
In fact, they also knew that it would be difficult to punish Zhang Fei at present, because Wang Anshi and Sima Guang both supported him. They just wanted to tell the emperor that he must not do this, because if he did so, the consequences would be very serious.
However, at this critical moment, two waves of refugees from Jingdong East Road entered the capital city without anyone noticing. What was even more terrifying was that they directly surrounded the residences of Wang Anshi and Sima Guang.
Although the imperial guards arrived quickly and captured all the refugees.
But this still caused great panic.
In ancient times, it was very difficult to leave one's hometown. Although it was relatively easy in the Song Dynasty, these two groups of refugees, totaling nearly two hundred people, managed to silently pass through numerous obstacles, appear in the capital, and even surrounded the prime minister's residence.
The people were all dumbfounded!
Is this the opposite?
However, the ministers in the court had already heard the rumor that some people would come to the capital to file a complaint, and they had secretly supported them so that the counties and cities along the way would not stop them.
Because these two waves of refugees came from Qingzhou and other prefectures and counties in Jingdong East Road.
The people who surrounded Wang Anshi were the people from Qizhou and Dengzhou. The Qingmiao Law was your idea, and it ended up destroying my family.
Those who surrounded Sima Guang were the government officials and grain transport soldiers from Qingzhou. It was because of your judicial reform that we lost all our military pay.
Although the Song Dynasty's imperial guards were not very powerful, they could not be allowed to escape. As long as they were not blind, they would be able to find out. So there was only one reason, that someone must have secretly escorted them in.
The person who has this power must be the prime minister, and it is not just one person, but definitely a group of people.
Originally, many opponents of reform were looking forward to this day, but it happened after the Legislative Assembly, which is, well, a bit subtle.
What they expected was that these people would come to file complaints, but both sides would be unable to resolve these problems, and then the emperor would inevitably succumb to the public resentment and at least give each side fifty lashes.
But now there is a way to solve it, it just depends on whether both parties are willing to cooperate.
This actually becomes an opportunity for cooperation between the two sides.
After learning about this, Zhao Xu immediately issued an order for the public security, procuratorate and courts to thoroughly investigate the matter.
This immediately caused panic.
Zhang family.
"Dad, what's going on now?"
Seeing Xu Zun coming back, Xu Zhiqian immediately went up to him and asked with concern.
Xu Zun glared at her and said, "You should focus on your pregnancy and stop asking about these things."
Xu Zhiqian pursed her lips and looked at Zhang Fei aggrievedly.
Zhang Fei smiled and asked, "Father-in-law, how is the investigation going?"
Xu Zun sat down. "This situation is a bit complicated. According to what the people said, if we really want to investigate, it may implicate many officials."
Zhang Fei asked curiously: "Is it so serious?"
Xu Zun nodded and said, "This involves forcing others to borrow money, raising interest rates through conversion and loss, and seizing more land to repay loans, etc. If we really investigate, it may get out of control."
Zhang Fei smiled and said, "That's what my son-in-law thinks. No matter what, the procuratorate must enforce the law impartially."
Xu Zun hesitated and said, "You are trying to force them to accept debt restructuring."
Zhang Fei chuckled and said, "I am just providing two ladders for Wang Xueshi and Sima Xueshi."
Palace.
"Teacher, there's a letter from Zhang Zihou."
Lu Huiqing hurriedly handed a letter to Wang Anshi.
Wang Anshi took the letter, but before he opened it, Lu Huiqing couldn't wait to say, "Officials in Jingdong East Road all know that people have come to the capital to file a complaint, and now they are all panicking and asking Zhang Zihou for help. They all said that they only fully support the Qingmiao Law, so they hope that Master can save them this time."
After hearing this, Wang Anshi was too lazy to read it, so he threw the letter aside and said, "Do they really support the new policy, or do they hope to kill someone with a borrowed knife?"
Lu Huiqing smiled and said, "But they will definitely support cooperation with the other party now. Although debt restructuring is difficult for them to accept, if this matter is not handled properly, they may face imprisonment."
In fact, the officials of Jingdong East Road had not expected such a big commotion and had long been unable to bear it. Now the people have even brought the case to the capital, and they are now only seeking to protect themselves.
No matter what the conditions are, they will agree to them. Being laid off is better than going to Qiongzhou to cut wood. Besides, the financial situation of Jingdong East Road is far from the point of debt restructuring.
The officials of Qingzhou have nothing to do with us. I would rather die than let my fellow Taoists die.
This is equivalent to providing support to Wang Anshi and thus shutting up officials such as Meng Gansheng.
Many officials involved in this case have submitted memorials in support of Zhang Fei's ruling. Their reason is that we officials are all benevolent and righteous. The people have no money to repay their debts. If we do not force them, we will be derelict in our duty. If we force them, it will lead to public resentment.
Give us this precedent and we will be able to make a judgment according to the law.
Must support.
Wang Anshi nodded and said, "Go talk to Xu Zhongtu and see how much evidence the procuratorate currently has."
Lu Huiqing said: "Students know."
The procuratorate has not yet conducted an in-depth investigation. All we know for now is the one-sided statements of the people. Xu Zun also informed the emperor of the origins of these people. At the same time, he said that the situation in Jingdong East Road was already quite serious and needed to be dealt with immediately.
Zhao Xu also convened a meeting immediately.
Chuigong Hall.
"What on earth is going on?"
Zhao Xu took a memorial, slammed it on the table, and questioned the ministers.
Sima Guang was the first to speak up. "What happened in Qingzhou today is exactly what Judge Zhang said in the Legislative Council that day. Because of the long-term arrears of military pay, those soldiers and government officials came to the capital to appeal. I implore Your Majesty to urge the Legislative Council to quickly pass a debt restructuring case so that the government can have a response plan."
Pei Wen immediately stood up and said, "Sima Xueshi is wrong. Before the police, procuratorate and court arrived, Qingzhou had been doing fine. How do you explain this?"
Sima Guang said, "Why didn't Censor Pei say anything? As soon as the public security, procuratorate and courts went to Qingzhou, thousands of people appealed. It can be seen that the problem in Qingzhou is urgent. I also know what the Censorate was doing before."
Wen Yanbo immediately stood up and said, "I am guilty."
After all, Wen Yanbo is the boss of the Censorate. He has admitted his mistake, so Pei Wen does not want to say more.
Zhao Xu immediately said: "This is not the time to ask for punishment, but to solve these problems immediately."
Sima Guang said: "Your Majesty is wise. The public security, procuratorate and courts in Qingzhou are only enforcing the law impartially. This unrest is not caused by an unjust case. Fortunately, the public security, procuratorate and courts have gone. Otherwise, in another year or two, the government may force the people to revolt."
What nonsense!
Many ministers knew that Sima Guang was exaggerating. If the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs did not intervene, it would be unlikely that the people would revolt against the government in ten or twenty years, let alone one or two years.
Because this unrest was all secretly manipulated by them.
Otherwise, it wouldn't have caused such a big fuss.
Meng Gansheng immediately stepped forward and said, "The problem needs to be solved, but that does not mean we have to resort to debt restructuring. This is absolutely not feasible. It will make the court lose the support of the people. I hope Your Majesty will be cautious."
Xie Yun echoed, "Many places are already in financial difficulty, and the government offices are so dilapidated that they are worse than civilian houses. This is not because the officials are incompetent, but because they are trying to meet the needs of the capital. It is really unfair to judge the ability of officials based on finances!"
Suddenly many people stood up to support Xie Yun.
These people already knew what Wang Anshi and others were thinking. Now they could only rely on themselves to save themselves and they had to prevent this precedent from being passed.
Moreover, these words also have a threatening tone. It means that the capital's demands are too high, which results in local officials having no choice but to demand from the people. If you do this, you will be killing the donkey after it has done its work. Who among the local officials will help you make money in the future?
Sima Guang stood up and refuted: "But if the debt is not restructured, there are only two ways. Either the government will refuse to pay the debt, or the court will allocate money to rescue the city. But if the court allocates money to rescue the city, the consequences will be even more disastrous. Many local governments will follow suit, squander their finances, and then wait for the court to rescue them."
Liu Shu and others immediately stood up to express their support.
This is all your own fault. If you hadn't instigated those people to appeal, would Qingzhou's debt have become like this?
Zhao Xu suddenly looked at Fu Bi and asked, "Mr. Fu, what does the Legislative Council think about this?"
Fu Bi said: "Your Majesty, the Legislative Council held an anonymous vote on this case, and the majority of people supported this case."
Meng Gansheng was surprised and asked, "How is this possible?"
Fu Bi said: "This is the fact. If you don't believe it, you can go and investigate."
Meng Gansheng quickly realized that there were many candidates in this legislature. Candidates were seeking to get promoted, and they were all self-important. If you don't come down, how can we get up?
Of course, young people pursue the principle of "the competent shall get the job", because if seniority is the basis, then they can only wait.
In addition, most of the officials in the Legislative Council are middle and low-level officials, and they do all the dirty and tiring work. It is precisely because of this that he is confident that he can get promoted based on his ability, which is also in their interests.
In addition, most of the officials are conservative. After all, Fu Bi is in control of the Legislative Council. They will definitely protect Fan Chunren and others, and are very dissatisfied with the practices of the reformists.
What's funny is that some officials on the reformist side also want it to pass, especially the judicial officials on Jingdong East Road. They now want to protect themselves. Based on these reasons, it will definitely be passed by the majority.
Zhao Xu asked again: "What does Mr. Fu think about this?"
Fu Bi said bluntly: "I support it."
Zhao Xu said, "Really?"
Fu Bi nodded and said, "Because Judge Zhang's ruling was based on a very serious situation. Many rebellions in history books were caused by local financial difficulties, a vicious cycle that eventually led to officials forcing the people to rebel. The court then sent troops to suppress them and allocated money to appease them, which in turn made the finances worse and even put the country at risk of extinction.
But there has been no good solution for such situations. I think this precedent can be ignored, and I do not recommend using it to solve financial problems, but it cannot be ignored, because it can indeed prevent the situation from getting worse in times of crisis. "
Zhao Xu nodded slightly.
Sima Guang immediately said: "The financial situation of Qingzhou has reached a very critical moment. The grain transport has stopped, and it is not certain that the tax revenue for next year will be collected. If this precedent is not used, there is a high possibility of a mutiny or civil unrest."
Zhao Xu hesitated for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Do you have any solution?"
He was answered by silence.
This problem has no solution unless there is default on debts and exploitation.
Because of their efforts, Qingzhou's problems have become very serious, but now they are regretting it to death.
They just wanted to wipe out the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs in one fell swoop. They did so without regard for the consequences and were determined to destroy Qingzhou's finances beyond repair.
After all, it is just one state. If the imperial court really wants to save it, it can still be saved.
Little did he know that Zhang Fei would propose debt restructuring, which hit him directly in the foot.
It really costs me my life!
Meng Gansheng resisted stubbornly: "The only way to solve Qingzhou's current problem is to get money from the imperial court."
Zhao Xu said: "Didn't you hear what Sima Xueshi said just now? If the court were to allocate funds, the consequences would be even more disastrous."
".!"
This time there was complete silence.
Zhao Xu waited for a long time and said, "How about this, we will implement debt restructuring in Qingzhou first. If it works, the Legislative Council will then legislate on it."
Sima Guang immediately said, "Your Majesty is wise."
Wang Anshi, who had been silent all this time, suddenly stood up and said, "Your Majesty, according to what Judge Zhang said, debt restructuring applies to the people first, and then to the government. The crises in Qizhou and Dengzhou are because the people owed money to the government and refused to repay it. Logically, this is how it should be!"
Sima Guang immediately retorted: "The crisis in Qizhou and Dengzhou was clearly caused by the government forcing the rich households to share the burden."
Although they already had a tacit understanding, they still had to confront each other.
Wang Anshi said: "The public security, procuratorate and courts are based on evidence. How can you conclude that the government forced others to borrow money? They all borrowed voluntarily. If so, the public security, procuratorate and courts can enforce the law impartially. However, if they borrowed voluntarily and were unable to repay, the public security, procuratorate and courts should also help the government recover the debt."
Suddenly a large number of people stood up to support Wang Anshi.
Sima Guang said: "Qizhou and Dengzhou have no public security, procuratorial and judicial organs."
Wang Anshi said: "That's also your fault. You are slow in popularizing the public security, procuratorial and judicial systems, but you are eager to make laws in the court. In this way, you will mess up the country."
More people came out to support it, and at the same time said that the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs are so small now, so the Legislative Council should not rush to legislate.
In the current situation, they also know that they cannot stop it. If they delay it first, and wait until this wave of crisis is over, then they will come out to stop it, and it won't be so difficult.
Zhao Xu immediately said, "Sima Xueshi, I hope you can immediately popularize the public security and judicial system in Jingdong East Road, and assist the government in recovering the Qingmiao money."
"I obey your command."
Sima Guang bowed helplessly and immediately said, "Your Majesty, according to the precedent of debt restructuring, the imperial court can only make a judgment according to the law. Debt restructuring is the power of the government. The public security, procuratorate and courts can only enforce the law impartially and cannot interfere."
Zhao Xu looked at Wang Anshi again.
After hesitating for a while, Wang Anshi said, "I think the Qingzhou Transport Commissioner can solve the problem of Qingzhou."
Zhao Xu nodded and said, "I hope you won't disappoint me again this time."
At this time, Zhongshu Sheren Liu Zhao suddenly stood up and said, "Your Majesty, the problem of Jingdong East Road is not only debt, but also tax issues."
Zhao Xu asked anxiously, "What good plan do you have?"
Liu Zhao said: "The only solution now is to arrange for the tax commissioner to go there."
Many people opened their eyes and were about to stand up to object, but Zhao Xu spoke very quickly, without even thinking, "Approved!"
Snap!
Several pieces of wood fell directly to the ground.
This is really a case of losing both the wife and the army!
(End of this chapter)
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