I served as an admonisher in the Song Dynasty

Chapter 99: A gift of a few days is comparable to a full year, are you tempted?
The governor of the state sits on the official road, and the general magistrate guards the post house.

This move created a series of butterfly effects.

First of all, it attracted a large number of foreign merchants to come, which wiped away Qizhou's bad reputation of "the folk customs are strong and the people who cut the path are numerous".

Some villains and gangsters in Qizhou couldn't help but return to their serious jobs after learning that outsiders were praising Qizhou.

Secondly, when trade prospers, everything prospers.

The inns, teahouses, and wine shops in Qizhou City were full, and the goods hoarded by the people were exchanged for cash.

At the moment, Qizhou is as lively as Qingzhou.

Once a virtuous cycle is formed, it will be of great benefit to the people.

Finally, and most importantly, Qizhou’s commercial taxes were greatly increased.

Commercial tax is the most powerful evidence showing the overall strength of a place.

at the same time.

The chief officials of surrounding states were also anxious.

The prosperity of Qizhou's trade will naturally lead to the loss of merchants from other places, but they dare not do what Wang Anshi and Sima Guang did.

Su Liang was very happy.

Fortunately, I met Wang Anshi and Sima Guang who were in their 20s.

If it had been ten years later, it would have been impossible for the two of them to stand on the official road and recruit businessmen as scholar-bureaucrats.

……

And this time.

The most lively place is not Qizhou, but Bianjing.

In the vertical arch hall.

A debate is taking place.

Censor Zhongcheng Wang Gongchen stared at his eyes and said loudly: "Guan family, the face of our scholar-bureaucrats has been completely lost by Wang Anshi and Sima Guang! I do not oppose Qizhou's reform, but the magistrate of the state is in the official position, and the general magistrate guards the post. The museum is used to attract businessmen, just like a promiscuous woman in the hook bar, posing and beckoning to attract customers, which I despise!"

"Where is the majesty of the scholar-officials? Where is the etiquette and honor of the court? These two have ruined the dignity of all the scholar-officials in our court. Using such shady tricks to attract merchants is actually opportunistic, seeking reputation, making people laugh, and not punishing them severely. It’s not enough to clear away the unhealthy tendencies in the court!”

Immediately, Xia Song stood up.

"Su Liang, the supervisory censor, and Zhang Mao, the chamberlain, were ordered to inspect Qizhou. During their supervision, such scandals occurred in Qizhou. They should also be guilty of consecutive imprisonment!"

Chen Zhizhong also added: "Every walk of life should perform its own duties. Wang Anshi and Sima Guang created gimmicks to attract foreign businessmen. Such methods are not the behavior of a gentleman, let alone what a scholar-bureaucrat should do!"

At this time, Tang Jie stood up.

"Officials, with all due respect, I really don't know what Wang Jiefu and Sima Junshi did wrong!"

"They recruited businessmen to Qi, enriched the people, enriched the merchants, and the state government also received higher business taxes. What crime is there in doing this?"

"What's the crime? They have lost the dignity of scholar-officials and the court's face!" Wang Gongchen looked at Tang Jie.

"Yushi of the Tang Dynasty, an official stood on the official line and bowed down to show kindness to a businessman. Do you think this is right? Where is the backbone of the scholar-bureaucrat? This is bowing to the smell of copper! This is eating the food that comes!"

Wang Gongchen felt that he had stood on the moral high ground and immediately amplified his voice.

Swish!
Ouyang Xiu strode out and looked at Wang Gongchen.

"Wang Zhongcheng, I, Ouyang Xiuzhen, did not expect you to be so narrow-minded. Officials are also servants of the people. If we can make the people in the world free from hunger, I, Ouyang Xiuzhen, will not say anything about eating the food that comes with grumbling. I will be a pig or a dog!"

"Wang Jiefu and Sima Junshi, in just half a month, washed away the stigma of Qizhou's path-cutters. This move is beneficial to Qizhou. There are such officials in the court who pursue profits for the people regardless of their personal reputation. , it is truly my great fortune to be a great Song Dynasty!"

"Uncle Ouyang Yong, please don't try to replace others with others. It is the duty of officials to consider the livelihood of the people, but officials have their own official methods. If you are pursuing profit and abandoning your reputation and integrity, then wouldn't you read the books of sages in vain! "Xia Song retorted.

"Compared with the interests of the people in the world, honor and integrity are insignificant. If you don't put the people first in your heart, pursuing honor and integrity is just to protect your career!"

At this time, Wang Gongchen said angrily: "For Bachelor Ouyang, honor and integrity may not really be important, but it is very important to us."

Hearing this, Ouyang Xiu was immediately angry. Wang Gongchen was still insinuating that his personal ethics were lacking.

Du Yan was worried that the two of them would quarrel, so he quickly said: "Wang Anshi and Sima Guang did this, which is indeed beneficial to Qizhou, but it destroys the rules of the world. If all the officials in the world follow this move, and everyone is trying to gain fame, what will happen to the world? It's not a mess!" Ouyang Xiu puffed up his chest.

"If I, the officials of the Song Dynasty, can give up their status and learn Qizhou's strategy of attracting investment, I feel that not only will the world not be in chaos, but the prosperity of the Song Dynasty will be expected!"

……

"That's enough!" Zhao Zhen rubbed his head, "Scholar-officials have the responsibility and honor of scholar-officials. This matter will be discussed later after Su Jingming and Mao Ze submit a memorial to explain the situation!"

After the meeting.

Ouyang Xiu's thoughts were not yet finished, so he immediately wrote an article called "On Official Servants".

Its core is: officials are servants of the people.

When a scholar-bureaucrat loses his reputation and integrity for the benefit of the people, it is an act of neglecting self-interest and sacrificing his life for righteousness.

And if the interests of the people are harmed because of reputation and integrity, it is because of selfishness and neglect of public affairs, and it is a villain's behavior.

This "official servant theory" was not originated by Ouyang Xiu. Liu Zongyuan once said that officials should be public servants of the people, that is, officials are people's servants.

But this theory has not been widely spread.

Ouyang Xiu's literary talents are unparalleled. As soon as "On Official Servants" was published, it attracted people to copy and read it.

People were naturally delighted after reading this article.

But after seeing it, many officials thought that Ouyang Xiu was doing it for the sake of fame.

Scholar-officials are the ones who govern the people, how can they act like oxen and horses for the people!

In Bianjing City, the discussion was lively.

Because what Wang Anshi and Sima Guang did was unprecedented, it caused great controversy.

And this moment.

Su Liang's memorial was presented to Zhao Zhen.

Su Liang could guess what the officials in the court would argue without even thinking.

He knew that no matter how hard he argued, it was useless.

Especially people like Wang Gongchen.

Even if Su Liang said that the moon is round on the [-]th, he would retort that the sun is not round?

It is useless to argue.

So Su Liang went directly to the data.

In his memorial, Su Liang directly suggested that the whole Song Dynasty should implement the strategy of attracting investment by "knowing the state and being an official, and passing the magistrate to guard the post house".

The chief officials of each state show their talents and gather momentum for local trade.

Then, Su Liang didn't make any big sense.

He calculated how much tax revenue this investment strategy could bring to the court.

"A gift of a few days is as good as a full year."

When Zhao Zhen saw these eight words, his eyes instantly lit up.

this moment.

The so-called honor and integrity of scholar-bureaucrats are no longer important.

Today's national treasury is almost unable to make ends meet, and there are too many places to spend money.

What is lacking most is this strategy that can make money.

Immediately, Zhao Zhen distributed this memorial to the two government departments, three departments and other yamen. He wanted to see the reactions of the ministers.

　I'll update these today. I really can't write anymore. I still owe you 5000 words, which I will make up on the basis of [-] words per day. Thank you for your support. The first order is not bad. I will write it down well. Good night!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)