White-robed Minister

Chapter 230, Chapter 0228: [Xu Lai's Attitude Towards the New Law]

The official boat entered through Yongshun Water Gate and docked outside Tianbo Gate.

They unloaded their belongings from the boat and hired more than a dozen donkey carts. Xu Lai, Gong Dingchen, Liao Zhenggu, Yu Shanyuan, Ding Zhengchen, and others moved their entire families into the Daxiangguo Temple.

This was because they had no place to live at the moment, and the Daxiangguo Temple was close to various government offices, making it convenient to submit petitions and report to the authorities.

Xu Lai and Gong Dingchen were court officials, so they could stay temporarily at the Chaoji Academy. Liao Zhenggu, Yu Shanyuan, and others were not eligible, so they all stayed together at the Daxiangguo Temple.

The next day, the officials went to report to different government offices according to their rank.

Xu went to the court of judicial review.

"Lord Xu, His Majesty has ordered that after you have been appointed to your post, you should go to the palace as soon as possible to meet with the Emperor and report to him."

"must."

"Also, His Majesty has bestowed upon you a house; you must go to the Housekeeping Department to collect the keys."

"A house bestowed upon him?"

"Yes, a mansion."

"Thanks for reminding me."

After leaving the court, Xu Lai went to the shop and residence office, where a clerk took him to see a house.

"This was bestowed upon me?" Xu Lai was somewhat surprised.

It occupies a huge area, and its location is amazing!

It is approximately 6000 square meters.

To the south is the Imperial Ancestral Temple, to the west is the Iron Buddha Temple, to the northeast is the Jingde Temple, to the southeast is the Shangqing Palace, and to the east is the Peach Blossom Cave.

Especially Peach Blossom Cave, the most upscale entertainment venues in Kaifeng, are all concentrated in that area. If Xu Lai wanted to find the top courtesan in Tokyo for a drink, he could just take a short stroll and he would be there.

His house was surrounded by temples, Taoist temples, and red-light districts.

A little further on, you'll find the Xiangguo Temple, Panlou, and other landmarks. Even entering the imperial city, it's only a short walk; reaching the Donghua Gate takes at most ten minutes.

After thinking it over, Xu Lai decided not to bother with seeking fame or engaging in any petty tricks of declining.

They immediately completed the formalities, received the keys, and then took their family to see the apartment.

After leaving Daxiangguo Temple, cross a street, walk more than ten steps, cross a bridge, and walk more than ten steps again to reach the side gate of Xu Lai's house.

Upon seeing their spacious new home, Pianpian, Yu'er, and Dingxiang were all overjoyed.

The whole family familiarized themselves with the house together.

As the mistress of the house, Pianpian first determined the purpose of each courtyard, and then directed the servants to tidy up the house.

In fact, the shop's maintenance department had already sent someone to clean it up, and even the overly lush flowers and trees had been pruned by the gardener.

Lilac, leaning against the railing under the eaves, couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow, this house is huge!"

Yu'er, however, was arrogant and worldly-wise: "The Guangdong Military Command's residence and gardens are quite large; they were originally the Southern Han imperial palace."

Dingxiang complimented, "I've heard so much about the East and West Gardens of the Guangdong Military Command since I was a child. But I haven't had the good fortune to see them with my own eyes, sister."

Upon hearing this, Yu'er felt somewhat smug, and her hostility towards Dingxiang lessened a bit.

She walked back and forth, observing the layout of the house, and said with a smile, "I like the back garden the most. I can plant flowers and grass there."

The damselfly skipped and hopped around, and there were so many rooms for her to choose from that she was already spoiled for choice. She was satisfied with every single room.

Pianpian said to Dou Niang, "You're a young lady now, we should pick out a maid for you. Tomorrow we should find a matchmaker to hire some; this house is too big, we need enough servants."

Xu Lai's salary is quite high now, and he also receives many allowances, so he can afford to support his servants.

In addition to servants, we also need to buy furniture, bedding, and other daily necessities.

When those royal relatives moved out, they took everything they could with them, leaving not even a bed frame or a wardrobe behind.

We need to get everything ready before we can officially move in, and we'll have to stay at the Xiangguo Temple for a few more days.

The next day, Xu came to the palace to meet the emperor.

"Your Majesty, I, Xu Lai, pay my respects!"

"Quickly, offer me a seat. Sit closer; place the chair next to the imperial desk."

Zhao Xu was very happy to see Xu Lai, and chatted with him about his daily life. Then he asked about the Xihe matter.

After a long silence, Zhao Xiang presented a military reform plan: "Please take a close look at it. What aspects need further improvement?"

Xu Lai examined it carefully: "Is that all?"

Zhao Xu lamented, "Not only these, but other items have also been left untouched or delayed due to overwhelming opposition."

Before Chen Xu (Chen Shengzhi) fell out with Wang Anshi, he proposed that the number of imperial guards in Kaifeng was too large and their combat effectiveness was lacking, requesting that they be reduced in number.

Chen Xu's plan was to demote the Kaifeng Imperial Guards over the age of forty and those who failed the assessment to local Imperial Guards, local militias, or civilian households, and relocate them all to the Huainan region, depending on their circumstances.

This plan was met with strong opposition from Lü Gongbi, Sima Guang, Chen Jian, Li Chang, and others.

Moreover, somehow the plan leaked out, and its contents quickly spread throughout Kaifeng, causing a large number of imperial guards to riot. Wang Anshi was forced to abandon the plan.

The proposed plan adopted Sima Guang's suggestion: allow imperial guards over fifty years of age to voluntarily retire, and transfer unqualified guards to reserves and logistics units. They would remain in Kaifeng and not be relocated elsewhere.

The number of central imperial guards did indeed decrease as a result.

But it doesn't hurt or itch.

Upon hearing this, Xu Lai couldn't help but say, "Why not select the unqualified Imperial Guards and relocate them to Chen in batches?"

"In Xu, Deng, Ying, Cai, and other prefectures, send their entire families to reclaim wasteland and cultivate the land. This will replenish the population of those areas."

The prefectures of Chen, Xu, Deng, Ying, and Cai are not far from the capital. However, some areas are surprisingly sparsely populated. The population devastation caused by the wars of the Five Dynasties period has yet to recover.

Displaced farmers preferred to work in the city or become tenant farmers for landlords rather than respond to the government's call to reclaim wasteland. Moreover, the phenomenon of hidden land and land annexation was extremely serious in these areas.

This is a clear case of local governance spiraling out of control!

Zhao Xu expressed his concerns: "The imperial guards in Kaifeng don't know how to farm, and their families' relocation could lead to a mutiny."

Xu Lai said, "If they don't know how to farm, they can learn. If they're afraid of mutiny, they can come in batches. We can't keep them all in Kaifeng and waste money and grain."

"I really don't know why so much land in the Runan area you mentioned has been abandoned." Zhao Xu was very puzzled.

Xu Lai analyzed, "There are only two possibilities: either the common people would rather be tenants of landlords than cultivate wasteland. First, even if the tenants cultivate the land, they won't be able to obtain a land deed. Second, after the landlord or tenants cultivate the land for several years and it becomes arable, it will be inexplicably taken over by the landlord. Moreover, it will be taken over without any reason; the landlord will simply point to a certain piece of land and claim it as his own."

Zhao Xu asked, "Are you confident in governing the country?"

Xu Lai said, "I can govern, but I need sufficient power. I want to control all military, political, and financial power in these five prefectures."

Zhao Xu hesitated for a moment: "You have just returned to the capital, and I really cannot bear to send you away immediately. How about you stay in the capital to support the reforms?"

Xu Lai stated bluntly: "I do not agree with some of the new legal provisions. For example, the Green Sprouts Law. If I remain in the capital, I will certainly oppose it; if I am sent to a local area, I will certainly implement it with all my might."

"Why?" Zhao Xu asked in astonishment.

Xu Lai explained, "The Green Sprouts Law was originally well-intentioned, but if the administration is not rectified first, its implementation in the localities will inevitably lead to chaos and may even become a harmful law that oppresses and harms the people. As I remain in the central government, I will naturally oppose the Green Sprouts Law. However, if I go to the localities, I will personally supervise those officials and make them implement the Green Sprouts Law in accordance with Your Majesty's original intention."

Zhao Xu understood: "I see. Can you govern an entire region?"

Xu Lai shook his head and said, "No. The five prefectures are already the limit. If Your Majesty allows me to govern Runan, firstly, I can implement the Green Sprouts Act there; secondly, I can solve some of the problems with the Imperial Guards; and thirdly, I can reclaim a large amount of wasteland."

Zhao Xu was quite tempted, but still hesitated: "It's not too late to go next year. You can stay in the capital for the New Year and then we can talk about it."

Do you have any objections to the upcoming new law on military service?

Xu Lai said, "Excellent."

Xu Lai highly approved of Wang Anshi's upcoming military reform plan.

This was Wang Anshi's second round of military reforms.

Fearing military rebellions, the Northern Song Dynasty implemented a rotation system: some imperial guards remained in the capital, while others rotated to garrison in other regions. Troops from various regions were also transferred and rotated, with some returning to the capital. This system served two purposes: it allowed the central imperial guards to maintain control over the provinces, while also keeping local forces tied down in the capital. It also prevented soldiers from becoming complacent due to prolonged stationing in one place.

The results of it?

Soldiers don't know their generals, and generals don't know their soldiers. Frequent long-distance rotations also increase the consumption of money and food. Moreover, it's not a whole army being rotated; small amounts are drawn here and there, creating chaos and disorder.

The soldiers complained bitterly, and the army's combat effectiveness was greatly weakened.

Wang Anshi's reform plan was to send all the scattered soldiers from other places in Kaifeng, Jingdong, and Jingxi back to their original hometowns.

The vacancies were filled by drawing troops from the grain-producing army dispatched by the central government to local areas. Then, troops were rotated from nearby areas, and it was not allowed to draw troops in a scattered manner, but to rotate them in an organized manner.

This would reduce the consumption of money and food while enhancing the army's combat effectiveness.

Wang Anshi also used these reforms to eliminate as many of the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled as possible.

Of course, Sichuan will always be discriminated against and will still need to rotate garrisons with the central troops. Who told Wang Xiaobo to pull that stunt back then?

Xu Lai strongly supports Wang Anshi's military reform plan—but only supports the plan itself; Wang Anshi will have other unorthodox military reforms in the future.

Seeing that Xu Lai supported the military reform, Zhao Xu was extremely pleased: "Why don't you serve as a lecturer for a few months? I have always wanted to hear you explain the Confucian classics in person."

Xu Lai said, "There are many who are proficient in Confucian classics, but I am not as good as those great scholars. How about I explain border affairs to Your Majesty?"

"Border affairs are also welcome," Zhao Xu said, as he also enjoyed hearing about them. "Other civil officials have also discussed border affairs, but they often speak vaguely. I'm looking forward to hearing Mr. Xu's insightful opinions."

Xu Lai said, "Your Majesty, I request to consult the books and documents in the imperial library and speak in light of the actual situation of the Great Song Dynasty."

Zhao Xu immediately agreed: "You may freely enter and exit all the pavilions and halls in the palace."

After chatting for a while, Xu Lai got up to take his leave.

After Xu Lai left, Zhao Xu summoned Wang Anshi and relayed Xu Lai's opinions on the Green Sprouts Act.

Wang Anshi was both amused and exasperated upon hearing this.

Regarding the Green Sprouts Act, the court officials were either in favor or opposed.

Xu Lai, however, said that if he stayed in the central government, he would inevitably oppose the Green Sprouts Law; if he became a local official, he would fully implement the Green Sprouts Law. Was this opposition or support?

Wang Anshi could certainly understand what Xu Lai meant.

The Green Sprouts Act has huge loopholes and places too much strain on the enforcement capabilities of local officials. Xu Lai can implement it while overseeing it personally, but once he leaves the area, it will most likely cause problems.

Xu Lai's attitude left Wang Anshi with mixed feelings.

However, he did not completely reject Xu Lai, so Wang Anshi did not regard Xu Lai as a political enemy.

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