People in the Song Dynasty were lawless

Chapter 440: Out of the capital for inspection, kill less

Zhao Jun had a long conversation with Wang Anshi, from which not only Wang Anshi gained a lot, but Zhao Jun also did the same.

Because after the ideological education, Zhao Jun asked Wang Anshi whether he had found any problems in the local area and how the state was being governed.

Although Wang Anshi was only the governor of a place, the local situation in Shezhou did not represent the same situation across the country.

But some things are universal.

For example, the old problems of corrupt officials and evil forces.

There is a saying that goes well.

When you find a cockroach in your home, it means that there may be a cockroach nest in your home, or even more than one.

Obviously, we cannot wait until our house is full of cockroaches to fight corruption and eliminate crime.

So Zhao Jun is paying attention all the time.

Wang Anshi reported everything to Zhao Jun truthfully.

Thanks to Zhao Jun's attention to supervision, and with the coordinated supervision of the Imperial City Administration, the Censorate, and higher-level departments, the problems of corruption and abuse of power by officials have improved a lot.

In addition, the imperial court divided the power among local officials and subdivided their responsibilities, so that now it is rare to see a county magistrate who ruins a family or a prefect who wipes out an entire clan.

However, although the incidence of corruption among officials of all kinds has been greatly reduced, the problem of grassroots civil servants remains a serious problem.

Officials only serve for three years. In the first year, they must understand the situation of the entire county and state, and conduct in-depth investigations to find out what is happening locally.

The administration began in the second year.

Once the policy is halfway implemented, it will have to pack up and leave in the third year.

This resulted in county and state government officials still having to rely heavily on grassroots clerks, making the grassroots clerks still very powerful.

Even though the court paid them salaries and established civil service examinations to give them room for advancement, only a minority could pass the examinations. Most civil servants could not pass the examinations at all and were not even eligible to take the examinations.

Therefore, after a period of calm following the initial implementation of the new policy of civil servant reform, in recent years many grassroots civil servants have returned to their old ways, oppressing the people and accepting bribes.

In particular, the runners of the county government are now under the jurisdiction of the police department. There are many cases where grassroots runners are arrogant and rude, demand protection fees from vendors, and beat and bully the people.

When Wang Anshi was in Shezhou, he discovered that this situation was prevalent in all counties, so he severely punished many grassroots officials, but he was unable to completely eliminate it.

After hearing Wang Anshi's words, Zhao Jun felt that they were very constructive.

In fact, in recent years, there have been a number of officials who have written to the court, expressing their hope that the court could change the issue of term limits.

However, Zhao Jun had been too strict in preventing officials from engaging in corruption and abusing their power, and he kept making a fuss about terms of office, supervision, and powers, which ended up restricting officials too much.

Now that I think about it, we should indeed consider and deliberate on loosening the ropes for officials and untying their bonds so that they can display their talents.

However, the improvement of the specific plan still needs to wait until Zhao Jun finishes his investigation at the grassroots level.

By then, we will collect problems and phenomena from all over the country, conduct unified analysis and research, and formulate targeted solutions, and then we will be able to implement a new round of new policies.

Early March is late spring and the air is full of spring. According to the Gregorian calendar, it is already April, with flowers blooming and the temperature being just right.

Amid the prosperous scene in Bianliang, Zhao Jun's trip was officially put on the agenda.

Compared to the last time when he brought with him an army of more than a thousand and was able to mobilize troops from all over the world at any time, this time the movement was much smaller, with only more than three hundred people.

However, the combat effectiveness is vastly different.

Because these more than 300 people were fully armed, all of them were equipped with the latest type of striker rifles and had pistols on their waists.

Since these are the latest weapons and equipment developed last year, even the Imperial Guards have not yet eliminated and replaced them on a large scale, so the combat effectiveness of these 300 people is comparable to that of one or two thousand musketeers without artillery.

As for the enemies with cold weapons, even if they had ten thousand of them, they would be useless.

In the early morning of March 6, Zhao Jun went to the palace to say goodbye to Zhao Zhen.

Although they had said goodbye once during the meeting in Chongzheng Hall yesterday, Zhao Zhen was still a little worried.

There are only two points to say goodbye: one is to go early and come back early, and the other is to pay attention to safety.

Zhao Zhen is now 39 and almost 40 years old. He keeps nagging like a middle-aged woman, which makes Zhao Jun feel a little annoyed at first, but he still listens to her patiently, and then leaves with the excuse that it is getting late.

When he returned home later, his wife had already packed the clothes she was going to take and was loading them into the carriage. She was still chattering on and on like Zhao Zhen.

Only then did Zhao Jun realize something.

In a trance, I recalled what my mother said when I went north to study, and then I remembered what Zhao Zhen said. I couldn't help but fall silent, and there was only emotion in my heart.

The gambling book was so scented with the fragrance of tea.

It wasn't until I was 35 that I understood why they kept nagging.

Only those who truly care about you and love you will be so tiresome and worry about your safety.

Zhao Zhen, this side branch ancestor, cares about him more than his biological ancestor.

"Husband, go early and come back early."

Outside the newly built Qingtai Street, at the Zhao family mansion, Cao Miaoxin and her children sent Zhao Jun to the door.

There were a large number of carriages and horses waiting outside.

Jiang Dalang, Huang Sanlang and other personal bodyguards stood on one side of the carriage.

"Ah."

Zhao Jun nodded, patted Zhao Tan and Zhao Qingyun's heads, and said, "You have to listen to your mother at home, okay?"

"I understand, Father."

The two of them agreed obediently, even though they were far more afraid of their mother than their father.

"I am leaving."

Zhao Jun said goodbye to Cao Miaoxin, then turned around and got on the carriage.

The mother and her two sons stood at the door, watching the large group slowly leave, and only went back when the carriage disappeared around the corner.

The convoy went west along Xihuamen Street, out of the inner city, then continued along Liangmen West Street, went out from Luocheng Gate, and arrived at the outer city.

Then we headed north, bypassed the north city, and headed towards the north road.

The reason for taking a detour was that the Xianfengmennei Street to the north was too congested, and his home was far from Xianfengmen.

In comparison, Luocheng Gate is much closer, and taking a detour is not only faster, but also will not disturb people's travel.

Soon the convoy arrived at the road outside the north city gate.

At this moment, there was also a team outside Xianfeng Gate, but they were not a team in a hurry.

Since the opening of the canal from Huazhou to Bianliang, fewer people take the official road, and few people walk on the side roads.

When the team over there saw Zhao Jun's convoy coming, they hurried forward.

Several officials dressed in teal, between the fifth and eighth ranks, crowded forward, including two high-ranking officials wearing light red robes that only the third and fourth ranks could wear.

They walked to Zhao Jun's carriage, and when Zhao Jun got off, they all bowed and said, "Greetings, Magistrate."

"Ah."

Zhao Jun got off the carriage, looked around at everyone and said, "This inspection tour will take a long time, and the journey will be tiring. I'm afraid you will have to work hard."

"To plead for the people and to serve the court is not hard at all."

"Even the governor came in person, and we accompanied him. This is our good fortune, so how can it be hard?"

"This is the duty of a minister and an official."

Everyone said one after another.

Zhao Jun looked at everyone and nodded with satisfaction.

I plan to bring a lot of people with me on this tour and take the opportunity to train talents.

There is no talk of building up one's own power.

Because even if he didn't build up his own power, his own power was everywhere in Bianliang.

In terms of military power, all the imperial guards of Bianliang were under his command, and in times of emergency he also had the power to dispatch all the imperial guards of Bianliang.

All the chancellors of the Constitutional Council obeyed his command, and the forces to which the chancellors belonged also obeyed his orders. For example, the Lu Party and the Wang Party were all under his banner.

It can be said that unless Zhao Jun rebels, there is a possibility of those people splitting up, but even if he rebels, there will probably be a lot of people following him.

To put it bluntly, when Di Qing heard the news that Zhao Jun was going to rebel, he had to hesitate over and over again, whether to rebel with Zhao Jun or go to Beijing to serve King Zhao Zhen.

Therefore, at this time, Zhao Jun was truly second to none in name, and in reality he was almost on par with Zhao Zhen. Sometimes, even Zhao Zhen did not dare to speak loudly to him.

So he doesn't need to build up power.

What he needs is a group of people who are easy to use and can provide him with constructive suggestions.

Those who are being taken out this time are probably the future prime ministers. When Fan Zhongyan and others retire or die of old age or illness, there will always be someone to take over for them.

Among the many officials, in addition to Wang Anshi, there was Yang Cha, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue who was promoted from the Transport Commissioner of Guangnan West Road.

Yang Gao, who was promoted from the Minister of Personnel to the Minister of Transport of Huainan West Route.

There were also the Palace Attendant Censor Zhao Yan, the Right Inspector Censor Chen Xiliang, as well as Su Huan, the Governor of Ezhou, and Li Xiaoji, the Governor of Jiangzhou, who were temporarily transferred from the local areas.

At this moment, everyone stood in front of Zhao Jun one by one, looking serious and solemn.

They were all promoted by Zhao Jun himself. Because they passed the imperial examinations, they had spent different periods of time in officialdom and held different official positions.

For example, Wang Anshi, Su Huan and Li Xiaoji belonged to almost the same period. Wang Anshi and his group were from the first year of the Kangding period, while Li Xiaoji was from the first year of the Qingli period, a difference of one year.

Normally, it is impossible for an ordinary Jinshi to become a prefect in eight or nine years. At most, he can only be a Tongpan. However, they are all Jinshi with extremely high rankings.

Often the higher the ranking of a Jinshi, the faster he will be promoted if he has a background. He may become a county magistrate after three years, a prefect after three years, and a prefect after three years. Now is exactly the ninth year.

During the Northern Song Dynasty, many high-ranking officials were promoted in this way, including Wang Anshi himself.

Yang Cha, Yang Gao, Zhao Yan, and Chen Xiliang were all Jinshi from the Tiansheng period to the first year of Jingyou. They were not very old, but they were also the backbone of the officialdom, with their ranks ranging from the third to the fifth rank.

For example, Chen Xiliang has the longest experience. Although he is only 35 years old, the same age as Zhao Jun, his rank is only the fifth-rank Right Inspector Censor. But he was a Jinshi in the eighth year of Tiansheng, and he passed the imperial examination at the age of 16. He has been in the officialdom for 19 years.

It's just that Chen Xiliang was too upright in character, and he was always suppressed and unable to get promoted. He only worked as a county magistrate for 9 years. Historically, he served as a county magistrate of the seventh or eighth rank for 27 years.

Even Zhao Yan, who passed the imperial examination four years later than him, is currently only a fourth-rank Palace Censor. This shows how difficult it is to get promoted if you have offended the powerful.

If Zhao Jun hadn't appreciated him, he would have been suppressed for who knows how long.

It can be said that the lowest-ranking people here are the prefects of a place. With the level and qualifications of Yang Cha and Yang Gao, they will basically become ministers of some ministry after this tour.

It is also a safe bet for him to enter the Constitutional Yuan in the next term.

Zhao Yan and Chen Xiliang will probably be the next in line. Anyway, they are still relatively young, only in their thirties or forties, so they have plenty of time.

As for Liu Yong and Bao Zheng, Liu Yong is too old. It is estimated that the limit for him to be a transport envoy or transferred to the central government to be a minister or a secretary of a certain department is already the limit. It is unlikely that he will be admitted to the hospital.

Bao Zheng would have to stay in Kaifeng Prefecture and wait for the next election. He could then include the Kaifeng prefect in the nomination range, and naturally he would be able to enter the Constitutional Council in the future.

Zhao Jun exchanged a few more pleasantries with everyone, and seeing that it was already the end of the morning, he decided to set off.

At this moment, another convoy slowly came from Xianfeng Gate.

The convoy was flying the signs of Fan Zhongyan and Yan Shu. Zhao Jun's guards did not stop them and went straight to the side.

After the two men got off the carriage, Yan Shu complained, "Bianliang is too congested right now. The traffic jam on Xianfengmen Inner Street alone lasted for 25 minutes. I was thinking of meeting Han Long halfway, but you got there first."

Zhao Jun laughed and said, "That's because Uncle Lari you don't have any experience with traffic jams. When I was in Beijing, I saw with my own eyes that the Third Ring Road could be jammed for a whole day. It was faster to walk than to drive."

"Then how did you get here?"

"It's simple. Just take a detour. It's better to go out through Luocheng Gate than Xianfeng Gate."

"You are still smart."

Yan Shu gave a thumbs up.

Zhao Jun asked, "Didn't I forbid you to send them off? Why are you here again? Did the government give you some instructions?"

"We have to send him off. Otherwise, if the officials and the Prime Minister don't send him off when he leaves the capital, wouldn't that be undignified?"

Yan Shu smiled.

Zhao Jun rolled his eyes and said, "I wanted to leave Beijing quietly, but you guys are making such a big fuss. Aren't you afraid of exposing my whereabouts?"

"Forget it. Even if you leave Beijing now with a low profile, in a few days the news of your not attending the morning court will get out. Even if the newspapers dare not publicize it, the officials will soon know about it."

Fan Zhongyan said: "As the chancellor, countless people are watching your every word and action. This kind of thing cannot be concealed."

"That's true."

Zhao Jun nodded.

The last time he left the capital, he was not exposed until he arrived in Huainan. That was because officials at that time knew too little about him and did not pay much attention to him.

It is different now. His reputation has long spread far and wide, and everyone in the world knows him. With so many eyes watching him every day, it is almost impossible for him to hide his tracks.

Even if he left Beijing in a low-key manner, the news would have spread all over the world, and things like incognito visits would be unlikely to happen in reality.

"You don't know how long this trip will take, so come back soon."

Yan Shu added, "There are still many things for you to deal with in the court. For example, an urgent document was sent to Nanyang this morning, saying that they have conducted a lot of exploration there and found that many of them are primitive tribes who eat raw meat and drink blood. They asked us what to do."

"What can I do? Immigration, assimilation, spreading my Han Chinese ideology, you all know how to handle these things, why do you have to wait for me?"

Zhao Jun said helplessly.

Fan Zhongyan smiled and said, "You have to nod after all."

"Okay, I won't say any more to you. It's really getting late and we have to set off."

Zhao Jun turned his head and waved his hand.

"Well, then we won't go far away. Let's go early and come back early."

"understood."

"Hanlong."

Fan Zhongyan suddenly said.

"Ok?"

Zhao Jun was about to board the carriage, but when he heard his words, he turned around and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Kill less."

Fan Zhongyan said: "Sometimes I get scared when I see the people you kill in China."

"Hahahahaha."

Zhao Jun laughed and said, "That depends on what the other party has done. Okay, let's go."

He waved his hand, gave them a dashing back, and got on the carriage.

The convoy moved slowly and entered the official road one after another.

Fan Zhongyan and Yan Shu both stood there with their hands behind their backs, watching Zhao Jun leave.

Yan Shu sighed, "Do you think he will listen?"

"Hanlong is good in every way, except that he is too jealous of evil."

Fan Zhongyan also sighed.

Even as a radical he thought the conservatives were too radical.

"Well, let the officials of the world worry about it."

Yan Shu brushed his sleeves and said, "If they really fall into Han Long's hands, it's their own fault."

"Well, let's go."

Fan Zhongyan nodded.

Zhao Jun was ruthless towards corrupt officials, but he never killed innocent people.

In this regard, he is still trustworthy.

(End of this chapter)