The prince is more stable

Chapter 844 New Emperor and New Policies
For Zhao Xiaoqian, being the emperor was a new job, and now that he was starting his new job, he had to get right into it.

Having been used to being a beast of burden in my past life, I've developed muscle memory in this one. I always feel that if I immediately throw myself into a new job, I'll gain the appreciation of my superiors and bosses, who will be pleasantly surprised to find that I've indeed hired a strong and healthy beast of burden, who eats everything except excrement.

The coronation ceremony was somewhat rushed. Zhao Xiaoqian didn't care about these formalities. He wasn't particularly vain. The main thing was that after talking with Zhang Dun, he suddenly realized that there were troubles and problems everywhere in and around the Song Dynasty. If these problems weren't solved, his descendants might become the unlucky rulers of a fallen country in some generation.

For an example of the fate of a monarch who lost his country, look to Emperor Chongzhen.

The senior officials, including Zhang Dun, naturally did not understand Zhao Xiaoqian's anxiety and urgency.

The court officials witnessed today's enthronement ceremony. It can be said that thanks to Zhao Xiaoqian's meddling, the Song Dynasty staged a lightning-fast enthronement, and then immediately summoned the important officials for a meeting.

This was something that these old ministers, who valued etiquette, were actually somewhat dissatisfied with. However, since the new emperor had just ascended the throne and was not yet familiar with each other's personalities, everyone had to try their best to suppress their tempers and keep the emperor and his ministers dignified.

Zhao Xiaoqian didn't care about all that. He didn't have time for these empty formalities. As long as he put on the imperial robes and accepted the homage of his ministers, his legitimacy as emperor would be recognized, and that would be enough.

The awe-inspiring scene of thousands of courtiers kneeling and shouting "Long live the Emperor!" may indeed give one a taste of the pinnacle of power, but it does nothing to address real-world problems.

Only when the problem is solved and the country is stable and secure can one enjoy the worship of one's subjects with peace of mind and accept it without guilt.

Zhao Xiaoqian's opening remarks were somewhat of a failure; he hadn't expected to leave the Minister of Rites with such a psychological scar.

He had only caused a minor mishap during the ceremony, and he couldn't even handle that? Minister Zhang was far too fragile.

"Later, I... well, I will have Zheng Chunhe bestow some precious medicinal herbs upon Minister Zhang, the kind that nourishes the heart, as a token of my apology."

Zhang Dun stroked his beard with a smile: "Your Majesty is benevolent and virtuous, and is the hope of the people."

"However, I believe that Your Majesty's actions against the Liao and Xia envoys at the grand ceremony today were more beneficial than harmful."

"Today, thousands of court officials inside and outside the palace have heard about the Emperor's deeds. Most of them are very encouraged. On the very day the Emperor ascended the throne, he demanded the return of the annual tribute, washing away the century-old humiliation of the Song Dynasty. This move has greatly inspired the people and given them more confidence in the Emperor's future rule over the country."

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded; he certainly knew whether what he was doing was beneficial or harmful.

Nobody's crazy. Nobody would disrupt their own coronation ceremony for no reason. There must be something to gain, which is why Zhao Xiaoqian made the decision on the spur of the moment.

In retrospect, the court officials' reaction was indeed more positive than negative.

As for whether he would be impeached by those annoying, talkative censors in the future, Zhao Xiaoqian didn't care.

Now that I'm the emperor, do you think you can impeach me until I'm ashamed enough to abdicate?
"I have gathered you all here today because there are some matters that need to be discussed with you..." Zhao Xiaoqian said earnestly.

The high-ranking officials present all sat up straight, their expressions solemn.

Zhao Xiaoqian slowly said, "Former Privy Councilor Zeng Bu is involved in treason. I have ordered the Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Censorate to jointly investigate this case, with the Imperial City Guard assisting in the investigation. Zeng Bu has been dismissed from his post, and the position of Privy Councilor is now vacant..."

"I have issued an edict summoning Xu Jiang back to the capital to assume the post of Privy Councilor. Do any of you have any objections?"

Several high-ranking officials present shook their heads, indicating that they had no objections.

With Xu's qualifications laid out before him, he is not only a top scholar in the imperial examinations but also has the experience of personally leading troops to the front lines. It would be most appropriate for him to return to the capital and assume the position of Privy Councilor.

Of all those present, only An Tao looked somewhat uneasy. After all, he was more senior than Xu Jiang. Unfortunately, Xu Jiang's seniority was too dazzling, far surpassing An Tao's. So, after Zeng Bu was dismissed, it was never An Tao's turn. He could only remain as the Deputy Privy Councilor.

Zhao Xiaoqian cast an apologetic glance at An Tao.

Old An is fine; at most, he's a bit arrogant because of his age, but he's a very reliable person. I remember he once spoke well of Zhao Xiaoqian in front of Zhao Xu.

Unfortunately, public and private matters are separate; in the court, official positions are held by the capable, and there is no room for sentimentality in this regard.

"Master Houqing, I will bestow upon you one hundred taels of gold and one hundred bolts of silk, which will be delivered to your residence by palace servants, to acknowledge your many years of hard work and assistance," Zhao Xiaoqian said with a gentle smile.

An Tao rose and bowed deeply: "Your Majesty, I thank you for your grace."

Zhang Dun and the other court officials exchanged knowing smiles.

Those who were to be rewarded had already been rewarded during the coronation ceremony. The fact that An Tao was rewarded separately now was naturally to appease him, since, in terms of seniority, the position of Privy Councilor should have originally belonged to An Tao.

Zhao Xiaoqian had his own considerations. An Tao was already over sixty years old and was rather stubborn and conservative in his thinking, gradually losing his ambition.

The Privy Council of the Song Dynasty was in charge of military affairs, and in the coming years, it would be waging war against the Liao and Western Xia. Only by appointing ambitious and enterprising officials could the war be maximized. Xu Jiang was a few years younger than An Tao, and more importantly, he had served as a deputy envoy in the army and was familiar with the style and combat strength of the Yan-Yun border troops. Appointing Xu Jiang as the Privy Councilor, stationed in Bianjing, to plan strategies and deploy troops was more suitable than appointing him as the chief strategist.

Zhao Xiaoqian looked at everyone and slowly said, "I plan to accumulate national strength in the next two or three years, stockpile grain, weapons, warhorses, armor, and so on. In two or three years, I will launch a northern expedition to try to destroy the Liao Kingdom in this campaign. I am informing you all in advance, and I hope that you will cooperate with each other and not fight amongst yourselves, which would only damage the foundation of the country."

Everyone was taken aback and stood up in unison in response.

"The Privy Council will be led by Mr. Chongyuan and Mr. Houqing. Now we can formulate the Northern Expedition strategy in advance. In the next two or three years, the power of the Imperial City Guard will also expand to the Liao court and the people, to gather more intelligence for the Privy Council to consider."

"The officials of the court shall each perform their duties. Mr. Zihou shall be in charge of internal affairs. He shall go back and summon the ministers of the Council of State Affairs to discuss the revision of the new policies. The policies shall not be too radical, nor shall they lack supervision. It is better to harm the interests of the court and the national treasury than to harm the interests of the common people and farmers."

Zhao Xiaoqian paused for a moment, then said in a low voice, "I can wait several years, three, five, or even ten years, to launch the Northern Expedition. I have the patience and can afford to wait. But if I impose heavy taxes on the people in order to launch the Northern Expedition, how am I any different from a foolish and tyrannical ruler?"

"Therefore, when the members of the Council of State are revising the new policy, they need not worry about the plan for the Northern Expedition. It is fine to postpone this matter for a few years. The important thing is to ensure the interests of the people. The current new policy is no good. It has too many drawbacks and the people are suffering. It must be revised immediately."

Zhang Dun rose and bowed deeply, saying, "Your Majesty's intentions are clear. I will return to the Council of State Affairs to summon my colleagues and discuss the revision of the new policies."

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded with satisfaction.

My heart-to-heart talk with Zhang Dun last time finally had some effect.

The prime minister's attitude is much more proactive than before.

Zhao Xiaoqian continued, "There is another matter. The State Council, together with the Ministry of Personnel, will select one hundred officials from Bianjing and send them to the surrounding prefectures, counties, and villages to live and work with local farmers and investigate the taxation, farming, grain cultivation, and harvest conditions of the local people and farmers."

"The timeframe is roughly set at six months. After six months, a hundred officials will return to the capital to report on their duties. I want to hear the most authentic voices from the people, and their true suffering..."

Zhao Xiaoqian's face turned cold as he said, "If anyone returns to the capital and tells me how peaceful and happy the common people are, how they have no worries about food and clothing, and that there is absolutely no problem with them, then don't blame me for severely punishing them."

"Moreover, the Imperial City Guard will send secret agents to investigate and report on the performance of officials sent to the countryside, whether they abuse their power or prey on the local people. If any official commits illegal acts in any place, he or she will be punished on the spot and will never be employed by the court again."

Upon hearing this, everyone present, except for Zhang Dun, stared at Zhao Xiaoqian in shock.

Unexpectedly, on the very first day of his reign, the emperor made such a shocking decision.

Sending a hundred officials to rural areas to conduct on-site investigations into the real situation of farmers in various places is a significant undertaking.

Clearly, the Emperor took the concept of "pragmatism" to the extreme. He genuinely wanted to change the status quo of the Song Dynasty, making the most appropriate revisions to the new policies of the court based on facts, and finally promulgating them to the whole country so that all people could benefit.

"Not only that, but the prime ministers of the Council of State Affairs will also take turns to go down to the countryside and visit villages in various places for a period of two or three months. They will report what they see and hear to me. Only by experiencing the hardships of the people firsthand will you know how to start revising the new policy clauses so that every clause is implemented in the people and no one can take advantage of the loopholes."

"When the prime ministers are sent to local areas, I will grant them the title of 'inspector general'. If they encounter local officials who act illegally, landlords who exploit farmers, or powerful and influential people who illegally seize land, they will have the power to punish them."

The officials in the hall were even more astonished.

The decisions made by the government were very targeted, addressing the shortcomings of the new policies. Whether it was delegating to rural areas, revising the terms, or having the Imperial City Guard supervise secret reports, the entire process was carried out very smoothly from beginning to end.

Investigating, revising, and supervising—all three are necessary; this means a real and significant effort is being made to change this country.

Facing the astonished gazes of the crowd, Zhao Xiaoqian slowly said, "This matter is of great importance. The relationships among officials, nobles, merchants, landlords, and others are deeply intertwined, so we can only proceed slowly and step by step."

"Therefore, we must first open up the road from the countryside to Yanfu Palace in Bianjing. I need to open up a smooth road that can reach the Emperor directly, so that I can hear the suffering and voices of the people, and clearly see who is exploiting the people, who is taking advantage of the loopholes in the new policies, and who is deceiving the Emperor."

"Now that the road is open, the new policies can still be implemented in the future. With the central government's supervision of local areas in place, local officials will no longer be able to control everything. My initial goal has been achieved."

After talking for a long time, Zhao Xiaoqian felt a little thirsty, so he picked up the tea on the table and took a sip.

The tea had long since gone cold. Zhao Xiaoqian frowned slightly. Zheng Chunhe, with great tact, entered the hall, bowed, and replaced the tea for Zhao Xiaoqian and several important officials with hot tea. Then, he tactfully bowed and withdrew.

Zhao Xiaoqian couldn't help but glance at Zheng Chunhe's back. No wonder Zhao Xu used Zheng Chunhe so well. He hadn't changed his servant since ascending the throne. Now it seemed that Zheng Chunhe was truly impeccable in serving others.

Zhang Dun and the others remained silent. The Emperor had said a lot and arranged many things today, all of which were of great importance to the country. They were still slowly digesting and considering the impact of these changes on the court and the country, as well as how to implement them in practice.

Zhao Xiaoqian glanced at the sky and smiled, “Although I have just ascended the throne, my life is not extravagant. I also intend to reduce palace expenses to save some money for the national treasury for future northern expeditions. So… I won’t keep you all for dinner.”

The group tactfully got up to say goodbye.

(End of this chapter)