Wei and Jin Cooks

Chapter 1225 Resignation

Wang Xuan and Zhao Shen were silent. Zu Ti also took the time to look back at them and said with a smile: "With such a talent, he should not disappoint the ladies. He should get married as soon as possible."

Zhao Hanzhang also turned around, nodded and said: "We are getting married. The population is small now, they are in their prime, and they are not short of money. How can they not set an example?"

Wang Xuan and Zhao Shen looked stiff. They had never considered starting a family.

The two of them looked at each other in unison, wanting to kill their fellow Taoist rather than being a poor Taoist. Their eyes met with piercing eyes. After thinking about it, they felt that bickering might not be able to suppress each other, but would instead hurt both sides, so they suppressed their words.

The two of them turned away at the same time, and when no one was paying attention, they took off the flower branches and petals on their heads and threw them away.

Zhao Shi and other young people sighed with regret when they found out. There were many people and the sound was loud, which echoed in the palace. They may have also discovered something was wrong, and they blamed each other and started fighting. The atmosphere was extremely cheerful.

Sometimes the chamberlain on the side reminded them in a low voice that the palace should be solemn, but his voice was drowned in the laughter, and few people heard it.

The chamberlain carefully looked at Zhao Hanzhang who was walking in the front. Seeing that there was no anger on her face, he knew that she agreed, so he lowered his head and followed silently without any further persuasion.

Zhao Hanzhang didn't look back at them until he reached the steps of the main hall. With a smile on his face, he said softly, "It's solemn in the palace."

The young generals stopped, adjusted each other's robes, and followed her up the steps with respectful expressions.

The chamberlain waiting outside the palace saw them going up the steps, and immediately turned around and ran to find the little emperor sitting on the threshold, "Oh, Your Majesty, why are you sitting down again? The general and ministers have already come up. Come and greet them quickly." .”

The little emperor sighed, stood up on his knees, raised his hand to let someone sort out the heavy crown and complicated clothes, took the person's hand and walked forward a dozen steps, standing at the edge of the steps.

 As soon as he lowered his head, he could see Zhao Hanzhang and Zu Ti leading hundreds of civil and military officials walking up from the side.

 Yesterday, as soon as Zhao Hanzhang proclaimed himself King of Yu, people came to him crying, as if they thought his life was not long.

At this time, few people thought that Zhao Hanzhang would return the power to him because she tried her best to teach him how to handle government affairs and learn the skills of Confucianism, but they also did not allow him to be lazy.

You still have to read the books you should read, read the official documents you should read, and you will still routinely ask him for his opinions at court meetings.

 He showed a disappointed expression when his study and answers were not satisfactory.

The little emperor became increasingly angry and couldn't help but sneer at him. If he could do it, they would be unable to eat and sleep at night, and they would be more eager to kill him than Zhao Hanzhang.

Zhao Hanzhang led the civil and military officials up. The little emperor was reminded by the chamberlain before he raised his smile and said a welcome speech, encouraging Zu Ti and others.

Zhao Hanzhang led his ministers to salute him. Seeing that his brows were full of fatigue and there was a look of injustice in his eyes, he glanced at the chamberlain beside him, respectfully held his hands in his hands and said: "Your Majesty, please move to Deyang Palace. The palace banquet has been prepared." .”

The little emperor was also impatient to see these generals, especially Zu Ti. He could feel Zu Ti's displeasure towards him, or in other words, Zu Ti didn't like anyone with the surname Sima.

 He looked down upon all the royal families with the compound surname Sima equally.

The little emperor led everyone to Deyang Hall.

 Because it was the unification of the north and the south, King Langya also attended the palace banquet.

 The palace banquet is not just about eating and drinking, at least the palace banquet hosted by Zhao Hanzhang is not. The New Year is approaching and the court will seal the New Year. Zhao Hanzhang invites Zu Ti to stay for the New Year.

Zu Ti agreed and said: "Since Jiangnan and Jiangbei have been unified, can you ask the general to exempt some of the labor service in Jizhou and release some soldiers to return to their fields?"

 Zhao Hanzhang thought for a while and then nodded, "Yes."

She glanced around and said to the ministers: "Although I wish I could raise thousands of mansions overnight to protect the people, build thousands of roads to benefit the people, and dig thousands of ditches to facilitate farming, but I cherish the power of the people even more. Over the years, the people have It’s too hard, and it’s time for them to take a good rest. Except for urgent matters such as rivers bursting their banks, from the first day of the first lunar month next year to the Double Ninth Festival, everyone everywhere will rest and recuperate, and they will not be forced to work if they can.”

“In the future, when localities are required to collect labor service, each household must pay one ding per year for half a month during the slack season. The county’s levy must not exceed 30% of the county’s levy, and the county’s levy must not exceed 30% of the county’s levy. Sixty percent of the servants."

“A household is exempted every three years, and servants are not allowed to be transferred from one household for three consecutive years.” Zhao Hanzhang paused, but did not expect to be more specific, so he turned to Ji Yuan and asked Ji Yuan, “Is there anyone else among the Ji Shi?”

Ji Yuan: "In counties and counties, when repairing government offices, mansions, and other projects that benefit officials, civilian labor is not allowed. Instead, migrant workers are hired out of their own resources. It is also recommended to hire workers for projects that benefit the people, such as repairing bridges, paving roads, and water conservancy."

Zhao Hanzhang nodded, and King Langya surrendered. Before Wang Dun died, they had already agreed that they would rest with the people in the next two years and arrange as little service as possible.

Since it is necessary to reduce the amount of labor levy, what should we do in this world that is in dire need?

Naturally, the court had to spend money, as did the provincial governor's office, county governor's office, and county government offices. Originally, this national policy was going to be released after the New Year. Since Zu Ti asked about it, he had already finished talking about it, so he simply said it. The publicity they had discussed before also allowed all civil and military officials to prepare.

Zu Ti had no objection, but Zhao Cheng felt that she was just using another method to exploit the people's power, so he said unhappily: "Since the general wants to rest with the people, he should stop these constructions that will consume the people's power. Employ the people." Aren’t they both required to work during construction and levy labor? What’s the difference between the two?”

Zhao Hanzhang: "There is still a big difference. One has money to take it, and the other has no money to take it."

Zhao Cheng was stunned, and then said after a while: "Now the imperial court is very popular with the people. As long as the schools and yamen explain it carefully to the people, I think they are willing to build roads, bridges and water conservancy without charging money. Since it requires the people to work hard." Okay, so why bother bothering the national treasury and local government agencies?"

"Nowadays, the national treasury and local government offices have no money. The money they have to pay to migrant workers also comes from taxes, and taxes come from the people." Zhao Cheng felt that Zhao Hanzhang's left hand and right hand were not only complicated but also wasted. The human resources of the imperial officials were limited, so he proposed: "You can impose labor servitude, but reduce or exempt certain taxes."

In this way, the tax reductions and exemptions are kept in the homes of the people, which is equivalent to paying them wages, and it also saves the process of turning it over to the Yamen.

Even though paying taxes is just a process, the expenses involved in this process are huge.

Yamen are required to collect taxes, transport them, put them into warehouses, then collect them, send them to the capital, keep them locally, and then take them out of the warehouses and put them in various sections, and finally distribute them to migrant workers according to their work. Every step requires manpower, and there will be loss.

 In Zhao Cheng’s view, this part of the loss can be avoided.

Zhao Hanzhang understood what Zhao Cheng meant. In fact, he was right. Operating as he proposed can indeed reduce losses and benefit the people;

However, the value created by circulation will be higher. Naturally, the expansion of losses is inevitable, but the psychology of getting wages from working is completely different from the government's tax reduction and exemption to leave some extra food at home. This psychological difference brings about Consumption concepts will be completely different.

Furthermore, Zhao Cheng is too idealistic. Who can guarantee that the loss of this operation will be less than that of transferring taxes and paying them to migrant workers?

 The most important thing is that not all servants will apply for migrant workers, and not all migrant workers are servants. They must leave a path for advancement for those who dare to venture, and those who are diligent and smart.

Who can say that this is not an opportunity? But how could she explain this kind of thing to Uncle Cheng, who was like a gentleman?

Zhao Hanzhang thought for a long time and then turned to the little emperor and said: "Your Majesty, I see that there are several books in the new reading list for students in the school that have different contents, and I see that the students are not very old, so there is no need for them." If the necessity puts too much pressure on his study time, it is better to reduce the list of books and order Dr. Taixue to compile new textbooks, so that this situation can be reduced in the future."

“In addition to books, students must also focus on rituals and music. Should we increase these emphasis, why not add more rituals and music to them?”

 The little emperor nodded obediently.

Zhao Hanzhang smiled and said: "Your Majesty's classes should also be changed after them. There will be one less Confucian class and one more class on etiquette and music."

 The little emperor became slightly more energetic, nodded and said: "Yes."

Zhao Hanzhang added: "I see that His Majesty has been very diligent recently and has made progress in his studies. This year, he has to attend court meetings even when he is sick. It is really hard. As an emperor, you should balance work and rest. I think the homework in the future will still be Less, so that the tutors can make the lessons easier to understand."

"It is still difficult for Your Majesty to study "The Great Learning" and "The Doctrine of the Mean" at your age. From now on, you can leave the court meeting for an hour early every morning, and it is up to you to make your own arrangements. If there are important matters in government affairs, I will send someone to ask you to attend. business."

When the little emperor heard this, his eyes lit up, his drooping head suddenly lifted up, and his whole body became high-spirited and excited, "Really?"

 Zhao Hanzhang nodded with a smile, "Really."

The emperor was so happy that he said repeatedly, regardless of his status: "I thank you, General, for your consideration."

Seeing that the little emperor's eyes were narrowed when he smiled, and his whole state was completely different from before, not only Zhao Cheng, but also other courtiers understood.

 What you get through hard work is completely different from what everyone has.

The courtiers looked at the excited little emperor and could already imagine how he would relax after getting an hour of vacation every day;

 How will the common people who can only do coolies happily arrange the money after receiving wages from the court through hard work?

The astute courtiers had already thought about another level. They looked at the calm Zhao Hanzhang, then at the silly little emperor, and thought to themselves: Zhao Hanzhang is going to start reducing the time and rights of the little emperor to contact government affairs. When will she be completely What about replacing the little emperor?

Zu Ti also glanced at the little emperor meaningfully, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised.

After the palace banquet was over, when Zhao Hanzhang walked out of the palace, he saw Zhao Cheng walking in front of her with his head lowered and a thoughtful look on his face. He walked very slowly. It was obvious that she had stayed to talk to the little emperor for a long time.

Thinking that he hadn't figured it out yet, he stepped forward and said: "Uncle Cheng, the private property in the homes of imperial officials is also subject to taxes. This year the national treasury is empty. You said that if I tell the officials that I can't pay them, I can only reduce them accordingly." Do you think they will agree to the tax?"

Zhao Cheng, who was still immersed in his own thoughts, did not think about it carefully and said without thinking: "How can that be done? If the treasury really has no money, it can be owed first, and this method cannot be used, otherwise..."

Zhao Cheng said this for a while, and then he understood Zhao Hanzhang's metaphor, so he pursed his lips and said: "You clearly have a better metaphor, but it is useless, why do you use your Majesty as a metaphor?"

 Zhao Hanzhang: "What do you think Uncle Cheng?"

Zhao Cheng looked around and saw that there were only two of them, his uncle and nephew, on the long palace road. Guards were standing on the left and right. He was convinced that even if he said the wrong thing, it would not spread. This palace Everyone on the road should be hers.

Zhao Cheng sighed and said: "Your Majesty is just a very ordinary child. He does not have high intelligence, ambition, or military skills, but he has never had a bad intention."

Zhao Hanzhang said: "I will treat him well."

 Zhao Cheng was silent for a moment and then said: "He has some talent in music."

Zhao Hanzhang: "I have a Pipa in my home, named Hu Lei. I will give it to Your Majesty later."

 Zhao Cheng stopped talking.

Few people know that the little emperor's favorite musical instrument is not the guqin, which is often placed in the palace, but the pipa. He occasionally plays it in ritual music classes, but he plays more often the guqin. All the gentlemen say that the little emperor's The sound is good.

 Zhao Cheng also guessed that the young emperor liked pipa because he saw him looking through pipa music scores.

Zhao Hanzhang is very well-organized and can sense the true preferences of the little emperor. Either there are smart people she trusts around him, or she herself pays close attention to observing the little emperor.

Zhao Cheng walked out in silence. He couldn't hold it back when he got on the carriage, "I want to resign from my official position and go out for a trip."

 Zhao Hanzhang took the reins from Zeng Yue's hand. Hearing this, he turned to look at Zhao Cheng, who had one foot on the horse stool. He looked at him steadily for a while and then nodded and said: "Okay."

Zhao Cheng breathed out a sigh of relief, and then he supported the driver's hand and got into the car.

Zhao Hanzhang also got on his horse and followed the carriage on horseback. He escorted Zhao Cheng's carriage back to the Zhao Mansion and watched his carriage enter before turning around and heading home.

As soon as he entered the door, Zhao Hanzhang threw the reins to his guards, waved to Zeng Yue, and strode to the backyard.

Since the Chinese New Year is coming soon, Tinghe has people hang up a lot of red lanterns in the yard. In order to save lamp oil, the lanterns are lit every few times, and they are put out when she comes back.

 But at this time, the lanterns in the entire courtyard were lit, and there were still people walking around in the courtyard.

Zhao Hanzhang walked in with a puzzled look on his face. The person in the yard who was facing away from her turned around when he heard the footsteps. When he saw her, he smiled and said, "Back?"

Zhao Hanzhang paused and looked at him in surprise, "When did you come back?"

Fu Tinghan: "It's been two hours since I came back. You are at the palace banquet, so I didn't let anyone disturb you."

He looked her up and down, then stepped forward to hold her hand and lead her into the house, "Go take a shower first, it will be too cold in a while."

 Zhao Hanzhang went obediently.

After bathing, changing clothes and sitting cross-legged on the bed, Fu Tinghan asked her, "Are you in a bad mood?"

 The displeasure when he came back had long since dissipated, Zhao Hanzhang said: "No, I'm in a good mood now."

Good night

 (End of this chapter)