Chapter 797: My Money

Xizhou.
The new year has begun, but the border of Xizhou has become even more chaotic.
Based on the verdict of the Grand Court and Wang Shao's encouragement, merchants along the Xihe River can come and go as they please, making them even more emboldened, and smuggling has become more profitable.
However, the edicts of the Political Affairs Hall have raised another issue.
According to the edicts from the Political Affairs Hall, the common people in the Xihe region, who initially held temporary household registrations, automatically received Song household registrations. The common people are certainly very happy, and the incoming merchants are also satisfied, as they can obtain Song household registrations as long as they reside here for a few years and pay residence taxes for a few years.
Although this residence tax is the first time the Xihe Government has imposed a tax on the local populace, they are all very willing to comply because Wang Shao issued an administrative order stating that all the collected funds will be used to protect commercial trade.
However, the Xihe Imperial Court ruled that the smaller tribes of Tubo, Qiang, and Dangxiang that later submitted to the Song Dynasty were not included.
Those chieftains and village leaders came to seek out Wang Shao.
Have we not surrendered?
Our territory is now fully governed by the royal police; why can't we obtain citizenship?
What are we?
Orphans?
They are very anxious because they are now completely relying on the protection of the Song Dynasty.
Wang Shao was very annoyed about this, so he ran to find Lu Dajun and Fan Zhen.
“They have already submitted, and they even brought territory and population, so why can't it be counted?”
Wang Shao hates seeing those two the most in this life, as communication is impossible.
Lv Dajun said: "This is the responsibility of the Wang Xuanfu envoy; your memorial did not mention them, and the imperial edict only includes the six states that the Wang Xuanfu envoy previously recovered."
This matter of household registration and territory must be governed by law; it is not up to Wang Xuanfu to decide who receives it and who does not.
Wang Shao said: "They are coming to join us one after another. I can't write about it just yet. I will soon submit a report to clarify this issue, but we can grant them this for now to avoid any resentment, as we must prioritize the overall situation."
Lu Dajun and Fan Zhen stared silently at Wang Shao.
The meaning was clear: no discussion.
"Alright, alright!"
Wang Shao angrily said, "I don’t need your help."
After saying that, he left in a fit of anger.
However, this small matter could not trouble Wang Shao; he immediately explained to the chieftains that it was all his oversight for forgetting to include them. He would write it down right away, and in the meantime, he could utilize his administrative power to sign a preliminary allegiance agreement with them.
```htmlAs long as you are attacked, no matter who the opponent is, we will definitely send troops to protect you. We are one family; your matters are my matters.
In the Xihe region, the contract holds unparalleled status, and everyone adheres to it because here, among the merchants, not following this means that whoever has stronger influence gets to decide. Today, the strongest here is the Song Dynasty, and they are considered an alien race, as they support law enforcement more than the Han people.```
This is how he calmed these people down.
Just after sending off the chieftains and clan leaders, Ma Tianhao and Lu Bin suddenly arrived.
"What brings you two here?"
Wang Shao asked very enthusiastically.
Although he also comes from a civilian background, he would rather discuss late into the night with Ma Tianhao and Lu Bin than spend a second with Fan Zhen or Lü Dajun.
Ma Tianhao and Lu Bin exchanged glances. Ma Tianhao chuckled, "Governor Wang, we just received some news."
Wang Shao asked, "What news?"
Ma Tianhao replied, "The West Xia has closed trade, which has caused discontent among some merchants and nobles in their territories, such as Liangzhou, Ganzhou, and Suzhou. Most of the merchants from the Western Regions still want to trade with our Song Dynasty, so now those Western Region merchants are taking a more southern route, and this is also affecting the finances of those areas."
Wang Shao asked, "Are you trying to take the opportunity to sow discord between them?"
Ma Tianhao chuckled, "It's not that simple. We can use our spies in Xixia to advise against Liangzhou and Ganzhou, urging them to send troops from those regions to disrupt our trade with the Western Regions. Everyone should keep in mind that we could even force merchants to continue on their own paths."
Wang Shao was startled and asked, "What do you want to do?"
Lu Bin quickly said, "Wang Xuanfu, please don't misunderstand. In fact, this kind of strategy isn't hard to think of, but why haven't places like Liangzhou and Ganzhou implemented it temporarily?"
Wang Shaodao said, "Because the tribes over there are dependent on them."
Lu Bin nodded and said, "But previously, through the negotiations between Envoy Wang Xuan and those tribes, the northwest tribes have been cooperating with us in trade. After all, they benefit from it. In the past, many merchants did not go that way. If Xixia sends troops, it will inevitably drive those tribes towards us. At that time, Envoy Wang Xuan can unite the western tribes under the pretext of protecting trade, which will not only weaken Xixia but also force Xixia to deploy heavy troops in the west, thereby alleviating the pressure on our side."
马天豪道：“此后我们还可以借此离间甘州、肃州与他们朝廷的关系，那边商人的也都是求财啊！”
王韶目光急闪，过得一会儿，他哈哈笑道：“你们这主意不错。哈哈。好好好，就这么干。”
As he spoke, he suddenly seemed to remember something, "You guys wait a moment."
He turned and went into the back room, quickly taking out a few articles, "Take these to be printed, and then have the merchants deliver them into the Western Xia territory."
Ma Tianhao knew at once that it was a promotion of the public security, prosecution, and legal system. They were already using smuggling as a cover and were secretly promoting it with some Xixia merchants.
After all, merchants do like this system.
Wang Shao is indeed of literary background and prefers this strategy; during his free time, he also writes a few pieces himself.
Da Ming Prefecture.
Upon their arrival, Su Shi and Fan Chunren first met with Song Shouyue, the commander of the Palace Front Division who was reorganizing the troops here.
“The governor should be aware that the Ministry of Revenue has just issued a directive to change the household registration,” Fan Chunning said.
Song Shouyue nodded, but confusion lingered in his eyes; how was this related to him?
Fan Chunren said again: "Our procuratorate will take this opportunity to conduct a comprehensive investigation of the various banned troops in Hebei."
Song Shouyue slightly frowned and said: "This is your responsibility; why are you telling me?"
Su Shi laughed and said, "This is to avoid misunderstandings. When the current chief judge was serving as the chief judge in the river province, he established an unwritten principle that new laws do not address old matters."
We are very clear about the situation in the military camp, so we hope that the commander will explain to those generals in advance that we are only conducting a re-examination, and we will not pursue any previous matters.
This refers to the empty payroll.
Fan Chunren said, "However, if it happens again, we will definitely investigate thoroughly."
Song Shouyue nodded, but in his heart he thought, these two prosecutors are indeed not to be trifled with, just arriving here and already planning to establish authority over the Imperial Guard.
But in fact, he has his share of credit in this. Fan Chunjun and Su Shi are not fools; if it weren't for Song Shouyue converting many elite troops into royal police, they wouldn't have dared to investigate either!
This time there was a problem.
Although the court has issued several military arrangements, especially calling for strengthening military preparedness in the Hebei region, it cannot be said to have changed the overall strategic direction of the country.
Because this is all focused on defense, rather than preparing for troop deployment.
However, in the eyes of the chancellors, starting from this year, it is necessary to prioritize both internal and external matters; after all, the tree desires stillness, but the wind does not cease.
It is said that "first time is unfamiliar, second time is familiar." After a year of adaptation to the new system with Grand Minister Da Ting, Wen Yanbo and the others quickly got used to it, which requires taking initiative. In fact, the power of the Council of State is even greater than they had initially imagined.
Today, Wen Yanbo suddenly visited the Han residence to see Han Qi.
“How is your health, Han Gong?”
“Still the same as always!”
Han Qi looked at Wen Yanbo, who was about the same age as him but was vibrant and full of energy, feeling a wave of envy. He then asked, “I wonder what brings you here today, Kunfu?”
"Liao Kingdom."
Wen Yanbo replied directly.
Han Qi was not surprised; although he lived a secluded life, he was still aware of the affairs of the court and said, "My strategy for dealing with Liao is still the same: to reorganize our military preparedness, strengthen defenses, but at the same time, do our best to maintain friendly relations with the Liao Kingdom."
Wen Yanbo asked, "Is it still the case now?"
Han Qi nodded and said, "Although the nation's strength is rising and I know that the king has arranged for the palace guards to borrow the name of the royal police to rectify the military discipline in Hebei. However, I believe we still do not have the capability to annihilate the Liao state or reclaim the sixteen cities of Yanyun."
To organize such a large-scale war, a capable and experienced commander is needed, yet currently, our dynasty lacks such a person. Additionally, we do not have warhorses, making any offensive action extremely risky. A slight misstep could lead us to repeat past failures, and our Song dynasty can no longer afford such losses.
Although the offense is insufficient, strengthening soldier training and improving military discipline would be more than enough to defend against the Liao State's southward advance. Therefore, going to war with the Liao State would ultimately lead to a mutual destruction of both sides; what would be the point of that?
Wen Yanbo said, "Does Lord Han still remember that during the campaign against the Western Xia, Lord Fan once proposed a strategy that yielded remarkable results?"
Han Qi pondered for a moment and replied, "Building fortresses and adopting an active defense to defeat the enemy?"
Wen Yanbo nodded, "Indeed, the current situation in the Liao kingdom is turbulent, while our nation's strength is on the rise and the government is honest. If both sides suffer heavy losses, as long as we can endure in the end while they cannot, then they will face destruction."
Han Qi said: "However, Fan Gong's strategy only weakens the Western Xia, but does not lead to its destruction. Additionally, in the northwest, they can rely on the terrain to build defensive works, whereas in Hebei, the land is flat and open. It is impossible to stop the Liao cavalry from entering, even if we can hold key strongholds, it would still cause significant harm to the people of Hebei."
Wen Yanbo said: "The failure to annihilate the Western Xia is also due to Fan Gong's strategy not being executed thoroughly. As for the people of Hebei, if we do not recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, the people of Hebei will never know peace. Furthermore, now we can use the national financial resources to support Hebei."
Han Qi said, "I don't think it's the right time yet."
Wen Yanbo replied, "But we must be prepared for this. The Liao State is continually making gains, increasing the tribute, and encroaching on our territory. With such a relationship, I believe it won't last long; we need to make alternative plans."
韩琦捋了捋胡须，“但这只是中策。”
文彦博道：“如果能够拖垮辽国，这就是上策。”
从韩府出来后，文彦博又去到政事堂，而下面的官员，将王韶上书递给文彦博。
Wen Yanbo thought for a moment after reading and said, "You go and invite the Minister of Revenue and the Controller of the Three Departments."
"Yes."
Royal Court.
“I never expected that the Grand Court would be so easy; the day's work was completed in less than an hour.”
Xǔ Zhǐqiàn put down her pen and stretched lazily.
Zhāng Dàtíng, who was grinding ink nearby, said, "Isn't it better to relax a little?"
Xǔ Zhǐqiàn replied, "Then I might as well stay at home."
"Alright!"
Zhang Fei put down the tools in his hands, "Time to clock out, going home to see my son."
Xu Zhiqian gave him a pointed look, "How can you think like that?"
张斐笑道：“我再行，也就是一人之力，是掀不起半点水花的，国家要强盛，还得依靠制度，如今公检法已经是日趋完善，也是他们发挥的时候，而不能事事都依靠我一个人，我也没那个能力。”
Xu Zhiqian said, "I can't argue with you; you always manage to come up with some twisted logic to refute me."
At that moment, a clerk stood at the door announcing that Lord Zhao requested an audience.
Xu Zhiqian suddenly jumped up and stepped aside to stand there.
Zhang Fei chuckled and then had the clerk invite Zhao Bian in.
After a moment, Zhao Bian entered the room, and they exchanged greetings. Zhang Fei again asked Zhao Bian to take a seat and inquired, "I wonder what brings you here, Sir Zhao?"
Zhao Bian said, "Dengzhou submitted a lawsuit, and what they based it on was the recent judgment by the Chief Justice regarding the merchants from Xizhou. The old man has the intention but lacks the strength; it still requires the Chief Justice to make a ruling."
After speaking, he handed over a lawsuit.
Xu Zhiqian immediately stepped forward and handed the lawsuit to Zhang Fei.
Zhang Fei opened it and saw that it was about a case involving weapons.
The Denzhou Song Safety Bureau recently uncovered a case of strong crossbow trading, and the purchasing party was a maritime merchant. The advocates they hired used the ruling of the chief judge regarding the protection of merchants in Xizhou as an example, arguing that the risks of maritime transport were extremely high, and that equipping themselves with strong crossbows was merely a means of self-defense.
Zhang Fei said, "If I remember correctly, our dynasty has relatively loose regulations on weapons."
Xu Zhizheng rolled her eyes secretly, how embarrassing!
Zhao Bian said, "In the past, the regulations were relatively loose; sticks, knives, bows, and short spears could all be traded, but in Kyoto, the common citizens are not allowed to privately possess weapons."
However, with the proliferation of police stations, the temporary laws regarding this aspect are quite strict. Although trading is still permitted, both merchants and buyers must register. Regardless of whether it was before or now, crossbows and armor are strictly prohibited.
Zhang Fei pondered for a moment and asked, "What does Mr. Zhao think?"
Zhao Bian replied, "What the sea merchant says makes sense. It's true that crossbows are very beneficial in naval battles, but this also poses a threat to national security."
Zhang Fei thought for a moment and said, "I will send someone to consult with those naval commanders. If they can prove the necessity of the crossbow for maritime transport, and confirm that these crossbows are only used to protect maritime shipping, then I would still be inclined to find them not guilty, because out there, they can only protect themselves."
Zhao Bian said, "What about national security?"
Zhang Fei replied, "That is something the Political Affairs Hall should consider. Currently, maritime trade is contributing significantly to our tax revenue, and the court must provide those sea merchants with protection, so this policy must be changed."
```htmlAt that moment, Li Si suddenly appeared at the door and gave Zhang Fei a knowing glance.
Zhang Fei simply nodded lightly; he knew it must be someone from the palace.
Zhao Bian understood immediately, "Since the Grand Court Officer is very busy, I won't disturb you any longer, Grand Court Officer."```
Zhang Fei said, "Once this matter is clarified, we will go to the Legislative Council to discuss it with Mr. Fu."
Zhao Bian nodded.
After Zhao Bian left, Zhang Fei assigned the task to Xu Zhiqian and then hurriedly made his way to the palace.
When I arrived in the attic, I saw Zhao Xuan pacing back and forth, seemingly very angry.
“Zhang San pays his respects to Your Majesty.”
"No need for excessive courtesy."
Zhao Xuan waved his hand and continued to pace.
Zhang Fei then asked curiously, “What happened to make His Majesty so upset?”
Zhao Xu threw the memorial in front of Zhang Fei and said, "You read it yourself."
"Yes."
Zhang Fei picked up the memorial and saw that it was the memorial submitted by Wen Yanbo, which contained three suggestions.
```htmlStrategy to Destroy Liao.
Territorial Law.
Military Salary Act.
Zhang Fei asked, "Although some of these are debatable, they shouldn't make His Majesty this angry, right?"
"Can you look at things a bit more carefully?"```
Zhao Xu was so angry that his face turned red.
"Yes."
Zhang Fei took a closer look and finally discovered the hidden agenda.
The reason lay in the final military pay bill, which aimed to increase the pensions and compensation for soldiers in the frontier provinces. This money was to be provided by the Neizangku, but Zhang Fei believed that this wouldn’t anger Zhao Xu, as the Neizangku already had this function. However, one stipulation required the emperor to publicly disclose the accounts of the Neizangku to ensure that the national finances could be unified and planned during critical times.
“陛下生气是因为内藏库吧？”
“虽然近年来国力蒸蒸日上，但还有很多事未有完成，蜀地、湖广等地区尚未普及公检法，他们就盯上了朕的内藏库，可真是岂有此理。”
Emperor Zhaoxu was both aggrieved and angry.
Zhang Fei immediately said, "Your Majesty, don't bother with them. The money in the imperial treasury is none of their business."
Emperor Zhaoxu sat down and said, "These old courtiers are all troublemakers. Their demand for better treatment of border soldiers is reasonable, especially in the face of the Khitan threat. It is the time for military action, and if I don't agree, who will defend against the Khitan?"
Zhang Fei said, "Then agree to increase the military pay, but do not disclose the internal treasury accounts."
Zhao Xu waved his hand, sat down, and said excitedly, "It's not that simple; can't you see?"
```htmlZhang Fei was confused, "I I..."
He really couldn't understand.
"You have to look at this in conjunction with the first two suggestions."
Zhao Xu said: "The strategies for eliminating Liao, the territorial law, and the public account of the internal treasury actually represent a need to be tougher on the Liao, and not to retreat, while also guarding against me!"```
张斐疑惑地看着赵顼。
赵顼道：“你是真不懂，还是装不懂。”
张斐委屈道：“我是真不懂。”
"You."
赵顼道：“领土法是防着朕偷偷割地给辽国，公开内藏库是防着朕偷偷给钱。”
"Huh?"
Zhang Fei was taken aback and said angrily, "Who do they look down upon?"
Zhao Xu replied, "Isn't that the case? They are simply insulting me."
Zhang Fei said, "This is an unwarranted accusation; Your Majesty doesn't need to pay them any mind." However, he thought to himself, why are they so wary of the Emperor? It seems that the Zhao family has done such things before.
Zhao Xu listened and felt a bit guilty, "This is just the reason I am angry, but there is another point that makes it hard for me to refute. When it comes down to it, this matter is all your fault."
Zhang Fei protested with an innocent expression, "Your Majesty, how is this related to me?"
Zhao Xu said, "Initially, it was you who helped me plan this, trying to direct the various local commercial taxes to the internal treasury while sending the agricultural taxes to the national treasury. Now, the finances of various regions are increasing, as if there is suddenly more."
Zhang Fei curiously asked, "Then how much more is there?"
Zhao Xu timidly fiddled with three fingers.
Zhang Fei said, "Three million guan?"
Zhao Xu replied, "If it were three million guan, would they be able to remember it?"
“Thirty million guan?” Zhang Fei exclaimed.
Emperor Zhao nodded.
“How come it's so much?” Zhang Fei asked.
Emperor Zhao said awkwardly, “When the regulations of the Ministries of War and Punishments were revoked, Prime Minister Wang transferred all the profits of the new policies from the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works to the Imperial Treasury. During these three years, tax revenues from all regions have increased sharply. Although the new tax law is based on total revenue, when taxes are reported, they will specify the source of income. Therefore, the Three Ministries and the Taxation Bureau still count all the taxes that used to belong to the Imperial Treasury as part of the Imperial Treasury. Previously, those taxes were not significant, so no one paid much attention to them. But now they have become a major source of revenue.”
Zhang Fei complained, "Your Majesty, you are so wealthy now, yet you asked me to fund the construction of the military workshop in the Northwest back then."
Zhao Xu immediately replied, "Isn't this what you requested yourself?"
“我。”张斐想想还真是如此，道：“算了，反正我要这么多钱，也没啥用，还不如献给陛下，拿去开疆扩土。”
Zhao Xu scoffed, “I save this money to expand the territory as well, not for my own enjoyment. You know that many of the ministers in the court are quite conservative and unwilling to go to war.”
Zhang Fei nodded, "Of course I understand His Majesty's difficulties, but there's not much I can do to help; the Supreme Imperial Court cannot intervene in the finances of the Inner Treasury."
Zhao Xu sighed, "If only everyone thought like you. To be fair, should I not make the Inner Treasury's accounts public?"
Zhang Fei immediately said, "To be fair, whether this should be or not should depend entirely on your own thoughts, Your Majesty."
Zhao Xu was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "What do you think of this plan to eradicate Liao?"
Zhang Fei said: "I believe this aligns perfectly with our plan and is the best strategy. Our country has always lacked warhorses, while the Liao Kingdom occupies a favorable terrain and possesses financial resources that can make up for this. The risk of an attack is too high.
War is extremely draining on national strength. Once the Liao dynasty's power is weakened, the ruler will be unable to suppress domestic instability. Coupled with our infiltration, this may be our only option.
The Han and Tang dynasties had their own advantages, and the Song dynasty has its own strengths as well. Zhang Fei has absolutely no confidence in the Song dynasty's ability to fight like the Han and Tang.
Based on past battle examples, it is common to be cut off from retreat routes and then directly surrounded and annihilated.
The war horses are still very crucial.
Zhao Xu hesitated for a while and said, "But once we make the accounts of the internal treasury public, our actions in the Western Xia will be known to them."
Zhang Fei said, "This is not a big deal. Making the accounts public does not mean that His Majesty loses the right to use them. His Majesty can allocate this portion of the tax revenue entirely to the expenditures of the Security Department of the Song Dynasty. As for the details, they can be classified as top secret, and they won't be able to investigate further."
In addition, Your Majesty can also stipulate that only the tax revenue accounts be made public, while the income from gold and silver mines and estates in various regions will remain undisclosed.
Zhao Xu nodded slightly.
Although he was extremely reluctant, Wen Yanbo, this old fox, demanded the disclosure of the internal treasury accounts under the pretext of resisting external enemies. You said that saving money was for the purpose of war, right? Well then, let’s proceed. You publish the accounts, and we’ll make a unified plan. You will transfer all the funds to the internal treasury, and the country can then formulate a unified strategy.
The key is that this collection is indeed a bit too much.
Zhang Fei suddenly thought of something, "Your Majesty, I happen to have a way to make money, and it would be best if you were to lead it."
Zhao Xu hurriedly asked, "What kind of money-making idea do you have?"
Zhang Fei said, "Trafficking in weapons."
“？？？？”