Great Song Super Scholar

Chapter 485

Early the next morning, Fan Ning came to Yingtian Mansion Yamen. As soon as he sat down in his official room, Wang Anshi, the judge, walked in quickly. Fan Ning expected Wang Anshi to come in such a hurry. It is estimated that Gongsun Xuance had given him I told you about Yucheng County.

Fan Ning would like to hear Wang Anshi's explanation?

"Mr. Gongsun has already talked to me about the matter in Yucheng County." As soon as he entered the door, Wang Anshi straight to the point.

"Sit down!" Fan Ning waved his hand, asking Wang Anshi to sit down.

At this time, the tea boy came in and served them tea.

Only then did Fan Ning calmly say: "The incident in Yucheng County happened when we met when we came back, and the description of the shopkeeper of the tea shed is only one-sided. We can't use it as a basis for judgment. However, if the facts are true, then the problem is serious. What does the judge think?"

Wang Anshi nodded, "Your Majesty is quite right. When we promulgated the Baojia Law, we made clear regulations on the expenses of Capital Baozheng, which are subsidized by the county government. There may be cases where some counties did not subsidize in time, which led to Baozheng's expenditures. Expenses are apportioned to farmers, I do not deny that."

Wang Anshi pondered for a while and then said: "I thought about it all night last night. Can we change our thinking and turn Dubaozheng into a kind of errand, which will be performed by big households in each township in turn, and the county will no longer subsidize it. The labor service of the family members and the land tax of the year are used as compensation for them to serve as the Dubaozheng and Baozheng, and then a reporting system is established. Once the Dubaozheng apportions expenses other than the land tax to the people, the people can sue the county government, or sue the judge for punishment.”

Fan Ning said with a slight smile: "The second idea of ​​the general judgment is feasible. If it is only tried in Yingtianfu, I don't think there will be a big problem, but if it is promoted in all states in the world, I think problems will arise."

"What problem does the Lord Fu think will arise?"

Fan Ning said indifferently: "The method of the judgment just now is to prevent Du Baozheng from using power for personal gain. In fact, what I am worried about is not Du Baozheng, but the county government. Once Du Baozheng becomes a tool for the county government to develop financial resources, how should we prevent it? "

"People can go to the state government to file a complaint, or even go to the procuratorate to file a complaint!"

"What should the county government do if it retaliates and sues the peasants? What if the prefectures and counties are bullied? What if the officials protect each other?" Fan Ning pointed at Wang Anshi unceremoniously.

Wang Anshi said for a while: "Everyone is an official who has read the books of the sages. Governing the country and the world is the ambition of each of us scholars. I believe that most officials are upright, and only a very few officials will be corrupt and pervert the law."

Fan Ning also felt that his tone was too blunt, so he softened his tone and said, "Brother Jiefu, it's not that I don't support the reform, but we must consider the risks of the system. States and counties have been suppressed for many years. Once the reform gives them a loophole in the system, They will not hesitate to use it, the Baojia Law is such an example, the people call Du Baozheng Baoya, which shows that in the eyes of the people, Du Baozheng has also become a kind of official with corresponding powers."

After a pause, Fan Ning said again earnestly: "We must reflect on why there is a phenomenon of protecting the yamen. Isn't it because the county government deliberately indulged in it and turned the protecting yamen into an extension of the power of the county government?"

"The Lord of the House means that the Baojia Law has failed and should be cancelled?"

"Exactly! Any reform that shakes the existing power system cannot be implemented. Moreover, the reform must not give the prefectures and counties any chance to expand their financial resources."

"If you don't try the variable method, how do you know it won't work? You have to try it first, and if you find something wrong, you can then correct it. You can't just rely on imagination, think it is a law that harms the people, and hold back, just like this. Rotten?" Wang Anshi's tone became more intense.

"Wang Tongpan, the reform must find the right entry point, and it cannot be blindly implemented in an all-round way. I said many years ago that the reform must first succeed at a certain point, so that the court can taste the sweetness, so that more people will support it. We reformed the Xiang army, reduced the army, reduced the court’s military burden, and greatly improved the court’s financial expenditure. This is a good entry point. If we win at the beginning, a virtuous circle will be formed later.”

Wang Anshi said coldly: "If the government's finances improve, I'm afraid there will be no motivation for the reform, and the reform will not go on. In the past dynasties, which reform was not forced out? If Qin was not oppressed by the six eastern countries , how could there be a reform of Shang Yang? If it weren’t for the separatism of the vassals and towns, the dictatorship of the eunuchs, and the collapse of the Tang Dynasty, how could there be the “Yongzhen Reform”? If there is a little room in the court, no one is willing to take responsibility and implement reforms. If this continues, the great Song's shortcomings will only get deeper and deeper, and it will become more and more difficult to change."

"Everyone knows the disadvantages of the Great Song Dynasty. Even the officials know that the three-redundancy problem is serious. You and I know better. I am not against the reform. The key is how to change it? Do you just use the tiger-wolf medicine to cure the disease and kill people, or do you treat it first?" Re-treatment? I have always believed that we should make the pie bigger and eliminate the old disadvantages in the process of distributing the new pie. If one day, the benefits of industry and commerce far exceed the land tax, then it is not impossible to cancel the farmer's land tax. If there is One day, the official offices of the Song Dynasty will be spread all over the world, and we will still worry about too few officials and too few troops, so the problem of redundant officials and redundant soldiers will be solved slowly?"

Wang Anshi shook his head, "Your Majesty, I am not trying to show my qualifications. I have worked my way up from the county magistrate step by step to today. I know the situation at the bottom better than you do, and I also understand the mentality of the people better. If you want to accomplish something, you must A price has to be paid, and I also admit that the reform will have disadvantages, but as long as the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, then we should persevere, keep trying, and keep making corrections. We will always find a correct path. If you look forward and backward like you, and blindly consider compromise If you think about stability, if you really can’t do anything, it’s better not to change, I firmly believe that my reform plan is the result of countless experiences, and I must not deny the entire forest by generalizing and blinding the eyes with one leaf.”

Fan Ning wanted to persuade him again, but Wang Anshi stood up and said, "I'm going to Yucheng County now, and I want to find out about that matter. If the Baojia Law has any drawbacks, I will turn Dubaozheng into a job. In short, the reform must Persevere, if Yingtian Mansion fails, I will go to another state capital to test."

After finishing speaking, he bowed his hands to Fan Ning, turned around and left quickly.

Looking at the back of Wang Anshi going away, Fan Ning was really speechless. Wang Anshi's stubbornness also taught him. Seeing that the differences between them are getting bigger and bigger. At first, they were differences of methods, but now they are gradually turning into differences of principles.

Wang Anshi was well aware of the disadvantages of the Baojia Law, but he still insisted on implementing it. Fan Ning began to suspect that Wang Anshi wanted to sacrifice the interests of rich peasants.

After a fruitless debate with Wang Anshi, Fan Ning no longer cared about Ying Tianfu's reform. The attitude of the Yucheng county government was like a mirror. It is meaningless for Wang Anshi to go to investigate Du Baozheng, who punishes Du Baozheng for apportioning without authorization.

Fan Ning didn't want to know the result either, so he put all his energy into the concentration meeting of various armies. Ten days later, Fan Ning received a notice from the Privy Council that he was allowed to lead [-] armies into Beijing cleanly. Soldiers are not allowed to bring any weapons into Beijing.

"Your Majesty, the results of Yucheng County's self-examination have come out."

The day before Fan Ning left for Beijing, Gongsun Xuance put a self-examination report on Fan Ning's desk.

"Without the consent of the county government, Luo Yuanwai apportioned the fee of 330 yuan. These expenses were privately embezzled by Luo Yuanwai, and now they have been confiscated by the county government!"

"Confiscation?"

Fan Ning sneered, "Why not return it to the original owner?"

Gongsun Xuance shook his head, "Generally, it will not be refunded. There is no precedent. Most of the county governments confiscate the money to supplement the funds of the county government."

Fan Ning asked calmly, "What did Wang Tong say?"

"Wang Tongpan hopes that this is just an isolated phenomenon, and requires all counties to conduct self-examination. Once similar phenomena are found, they must be severely punished!"

It can only be like this, Fan Ning can't think of Wang Anshi's other means to prevent it.

"Do you think it will be effective?" Gongsun Xuance asked cautiously.

"Ying Tian Mansion may succeed. After all, there are only seven counties, and Wang Tongpan can manage it, but there are hundreds of counties in the world, so the situation is different. Forget it, I don't want to persuade him, let him go!"

"Will the prince come back?"

Fan Ning shook his head, "I don't know. If the military parade is successful, it means that the military reform has been successful. Everyone who participated in the reform will be rewarded. I probably won't stay in Yingtian Mansion."

(End of this chapter)