Qiming 1158

Chapter 646 Demonstrate the sincerity of the Song Dynasty

The team that greeted and escorted Xin Qiji went all the way from the border of Chuzhou to Jiankang.

Along the way, the entire team encountered snow for three days, and the snow was quite deep, making the road difficult.

In order to make Xin Qiji reach Lin'an faster, Wang Lun decided to take the waterway if he could.

If the water surface is thick with ice, and it is really impossible to walk through the waterway, then call the officials of the states and counties along the way to send laborers to sweep the snow, remove all the snow on the official road, and strive to make the convoy escorting Xin Qiji unimpeded and not hindered. In snow.

Seeing those laborers who were wearing thin clothes, covered in snow and shivering from the cold, Xin Qiji couldn't bear it, and proposed that they don't need to make them work so hard, just come down and walk for a while.

"This is normal labor. It is the labor that the locals have to undertake every year in line with the laws of the Song Dynasty. They are not allowed to sweep the snow, and there are other things to do. Sooner or later, it is inevitable."

The accompanying officer said with a smile.

Xin Qiji was silent after hearing this.

The accompanying officials thought that Xin Qiji did not understand this, so he also explained some content to him.

The people of the Southern Song Dynasty not only had to bear heavy taxes, but also had to undertake free labor for a period of time every year, and were responsible for doing some engineering projects or other things for the government.

Officials are only responsible for managing meals, not giving money.

Of course, the quality of this meal is conceivable, as long as they can eat something and not starve to death.

The relevant officials in charge of this part only need to have a little conscience. Those without conscience don’t care about the life and death of the laborers.

Originally, the official food expenses for the laborers were the hardest hit areas for relevant officials to make money. They tried every means to get some cheap goods to deal with the laborers.

The Ming Dynasty is not like this.

Although the Ming Dynasty also had regulations on exercising public participation in labor, it not only managed meals, but also gave money. If local finances were tight and they couldn't get money for a while, they would follow the old practice of the previous Restoration Army and give white strips.

This white note can not only be exchanged for money when the government has sufficient funds, but if you don’t want to change money, you can also use the white note to deduct taxes.

When the tax collectors came to collect taxes, they handed over this white note to the tax collectors, which could offset the corresponding taxes, and that part of the tax money would not be given.

This provision has been implemented for a long time since the era of the Restoration Army.

From the current point of view, in many places, there are cases where farmers take tax credits for the white slips they got from working for the Restoration Army before, and the taxation department also collects them in full.

So this white strip is very reputable among the people.

When the government proposed to use white strips to pay the laboring people, the people were willing to accept the white strips, and sometimes even if the two parties involved in the transaction in the market could not get the money for a while, they would use officially certified white strips instead of money and goods. Transactions can also be recognized.

This is the embodiment of Baitiao's credibility.

As for the food of the working people, there are also clear regulations.

It is necessary for the project responsible party to use the funds to provide meals to the people participating in the labor service. The meals are stipulated at three meals a day, and at least one dry meal is required. will be great.

Xin Qiji passed through several construction sites for small-scale water conservancy projects on his way south, and personally visited the labor food at these construction sites, but he did not find that there was any personal enrichment.

But what he saw now made Xin Qiji sure that the people of the Southern Song Dynasty who were swept by the harsh cold wind and snow must not be able to get enough food to satisfy their hunger.

The Ming envoys, including Xin Qiji, were never short of three meals a day during the journey.

Every meal is not only full, but also good. No matter where he is, even on official roads far away from towns, as long as it is meal time, Xin Qiji can eat hot soup prepared by local officials.

The taste is also very good, the ingredients are also very good, there is no shortage of chicken, duck and fish, and the dishes are quite exquisite, completely restaurant-style.

So Xin Qiji raised a question.

"Is this too expensive? It doesn't seem to be close to the town. Are these officials and cooks here early?"

Wang Lun smiled.

"His Majesty said that only by making the guests from the Northern Dynasty feel at home can they demonstrate the sincerity of the Great Song Dynasty. Even the mere meals cannot be satisfied by the coming of the Northern Dynasty, and the Great Song Dynasty is too ignorant of hospitality."

"Are all the expenses?"

"The local government has its own arrangements, so don't worry about this, President Xin, can't Da Song even afford a few meals?"

Wang Lun smiled and drank the delicious fish soup from a bowl with a happy expression on his face.

Xin Qiji looked at the cook who served them fish soup and hot rice and hot dishes, and saw that their faces and hands were flushed, there were many cracks on their skin, and there were many blood marks.

Xin Qiji looked at the bowl of fish soup in his hand again, sighed slightly, and drank the bowl of fish and fish soup without a drop.

The taste is very delicious, the soup is very rich, and it is very delicious. These cooks are obviously not ordinary cooks, and the treatment of this meal is not ordinary.

Xin Qiji couldn't help but think that he didn't have this kind of treatment when he went all the way from Central Capital to Haizhou.

After Su Yonglin established the country, because of the huge expenditure in various aspects and the financial constraints of the imperial court, the places that can be saved will definitely be saved.

He will also rack his brains to save any cost that can be saved and use it on other official projects that cannot be saved. To this end, he also convened several meetings with officials of the Ministry of Finance, and reviewed many expenditure items that were previously available. rectification.

Su Yonglin took the lead to start the operation on the royal family's expenses, and cut the royal family's expenses for clothing, food, housing, transportation, celebrations, sacrifices, etc., which was greatly reduced compared to the previous dynasties.

First chop a knife at yourself, set an example, and then start with other parts, so it looks better.

The emperor has set an example and slashed at himself. Can't you ministers keep pace with the emperor?

As a result, a comprehensive plan to reduce public expenditures began to be implemented, and many rectifications were made, including various expenses for officials when they traveled on business.

The various expenditures incurred by officials in the past dynasties on business trips were all out of public funds, and officials did not have to pay for their own business trips on business trips.

He also stipulates that officials can eat and stay for free in designated post houses on designated roads for official business trips. The whole process does not require officials to spend their own money, and all of them are financed by the state.

But from the actual situation, there are still many difficulties in the business travel system changed by Su Yonglin.

For example, due to various force majeure reasons, they cannot arrive at the inn within the specified time. For example, it is too early or too late. The cooks at the inn have rested and no one will cook.

It is very helpless to be unable to make it to the post station at meal time, and to be so hungry that there is no food to eat.

And even if someone arrives at the station on time and someone cooks, Su Yonglin also stipulates a certain level of detail for each station to eat and drink with public funds.

That standard is comparable to what Xin Qiji saw when he was eating a big pot of rice in the army.

One-dimensional, even the ingredients are stipulated, and the amount of ingredients used for a dish is stipulated within a range, which is not allowed to exceed. It can be said that it is extremely strict to limit the space for officials and inn managers to seek personal gain.

In order to further save money, the Ministry of Finance has also set up a post station management department. Every post station on each official road is recorded on the record, who is the manager and who is the staff member.

In addition, the department is also responsible for reviewing the financial expenditures of each station, and strives to calculate every account in place. Whenever there is a problem, the station manager will face a serious review.

As a second-rank officer, Xin Qiji only had three dishes and one soup for a meal when he was on a business trip.

According to their respective grades, the rest of the officials also have two dishes and one soup and one dish and one soup, but they are always meaty.

Of course, the amount of food is not large, but the meal is full, and no matter how hungry you are.

But it is the taste of the dishes that most embarrassing officials on business trips.

PS: Ask for a monthly ticket~~~
(End of this chapter)