Do You Know?: I, the Little Cabinet Elder, Regent of the World

It's not that we don't want to respond, but the timing is inappropriate.

After glancing at the memorial a few times, Zhao Ceying fell into deep thought.

political reform!

In fact, he had the intention to implement reforms only a few dozen days after ascending the throne.

At that time, the financial memorial submitted by the Ministry of Revenue was truly astonishing.

The annual tax revenue was about 30 to 40 million strings of cash, half of which was spent on border troops and officials' salaries, amounting to about 20 million strings of cash.

In contrast, the two humiliating treaties, the Qingli Peace Treaty and the Treaty of Chanyuan, cost only about two million strings of cash a year, which was less than a fraction of the cost of redundant soldiers and officials.

From this perspective, the "three redundancies" are truly appalling.

Therefore, Jiang Qing and he, as ruler and subject, discussed the issue of reform.

Unfortunately, he had only been on the throne for a short time at that time, and Jiang Qing advised him to wait it out, citing that his "foundation was not stable".

"Tsk~!"

Zhao Ceying put his hands behind his back and began to pace back and forth.

Originally, it was indeed necessary for a new emperor to endure a period of hardship after ascending the throne.

But plans can't keep up with changes. In just one year, through the expansion of territory and the abolition of the empress, he had completely seized military and political power.

This time, the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, acting on behalf of the Emperor, made an inspection tour and severely punished the Liangzhe Circuit, which further intimidated all sides.

Reform doesn't seem like an impossible task, does it?

After some contemplation, Zhao Ceying made up his mind and slowly walked towards his desk.

Pick up the pen, put down the pen.

Before long, a letter was written.

"Send someone to inform Jiang Qing," Zhao Ceying instructed.

Wang Anshi merely reminded him of the reform movement.

If we really want to implement reforms, we still need Jiang Qing!

In fact, whether or not to implement reforms should be a serious consideration of Jiang Qing's opinion!

"Yes, sir." The chief eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonies quickly responded.

Chapter 229 Newspapers, Inspections, Entering the Capital!

July 11th.

The Anfu Division of Liangzhe East Road.

Jiang Zhao held a letter in his hand and read it word by word.

[I, the Emperor, hereby instruct Jiang Qing:]

I, having received the Mandate of Heaven to rule over all nations, rise early and retire late, thinking only of the well-being of the people.

The excessive number of soldiers and officials consumes half of the annual revenue, a situation even more dire than the annual tribute system. This has been a long-standing problem. Recently, a minister submitted a memorial to reform the system in order to eliminate these abuses and promote beneficial policies. After reading it, I was moved and wrote this letter to seek your advice.

In the past, the emperor and his ministers advised each other that reforms must be approached with caution, and the foundation must be solid. Now, the governor has appointed officials to govern Zhejiang and Jiangsu as a warning to others, and to subdue any villains. I have now grasped power, and the military and government are loyal to me; no one dares to disobey. This is the time!

However, the reform policy is a chronic disease that concerns the very foundation of the nation. A single move can affect the whole situation. Only you can make the decision and cure it. I dare not make a hasty decision.

I am writing to ask you: Is it feasible to implement reforms at this time?

If you think it's unacceptable, I will abandon this idea and discuss it again at another time; if you think it's acceptable, I will discuss the details with you and gradually move forward.

My questions for advice come from the bottom of my heart. I hope you will prioritize the affairs of the state, speak your mind frankly, without reservation or concealment.

Admire this! 】

"political reform?"

Jiang Zhao was surprised.

Perhaps it was because of the excessive number of soldiers, officials, and expenses that Zhao Ceying suddenly had the idea of ​​reforming these long-standing problems.

The purpose of writing this letter was to convey my desire for him to preside over the reform.

Of course, if reform is truly not feasible, one can refute his desire for reform and let Zhao Ceying endure it a little longer.

Jiang Zhao understood, pondered for a moment, and paced back and forth with his hands behind his back.

Throughout history, for reforms to succeed, there are essentially three requirements:

First, internal order is stable and external pressure is controllable.

Only in this way can there be an opportunity to coordinate reforms.

In years of major disasters, wars, or popular uprisings, the primary task is to maintain stability, not to attempt reforms.

Second, the absolute support of the authoritative core and the stable execution of the bureaucratic system.

Generally speaking, this means the support of a monarch with real power, and occasionally it may be the support of a regent.

The Sinicization of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty and the reforms of Shang Yang were examples of monarchs with real power supporting the reforms; the establishment of the Zhou Dynasty's system of laws and the reforms of Zhang Juzheng were examples of monarchs with regents supporting the reforms.

For any reform to succeed, the monarch's attitude must be unwavering; otherwise, failure is almost certain.

A typical example is the Qingli Reforms, in which the late Emperor Zhao Zhen sometimes supported them and sometimes hesitated and was indecisive.

As soon as they see any flaws in the new policy, they immediately turn to opposing it.

With that kind of temper, even the Duke of Zhou would be rendered useless.

In addition to the stable support of the monarch, the execution at the county and prefecture levels is also an indispensable part.

No matter how good a policy is, if it is not implemented, it is just empty talk.

Third, the reform policies were sufficiently precise.

Reform, in essence, is about readjusting the distribution of interests through the use of power.

This process is bound to affect the interests of a certain group of people.

If the interests of a small number of people are harmed, then there is no need to pay attention to it.

However, if the interests of a considerable number of people are harmed, then the issue of "compensation" arises, and compensation must be provided from other aspects.

Ultimately, through institutional adjustments, the majority of people were aligned with the new policy.

If this continues for a long time, lasting for decades, it will become an "ancestral system," and reform will be successful.

After a while, the pacing sounds disappeared.

"Tsk~!"

Jiang Zhao stood with his hands behind his back, gazing outwards.

It seems like it's not impossible.

Now, the Western Xia is in decline, and the Tibetan Empire has retreated, leaving only the Zhou and Liao dynasties in a covert standoff, with their national strengths being roughly equal.

As for external pressure, it is absolutely controllable.

There may be minor frictions between the two sides, but there will absolutely be no "national war".

After all, a conflict between two countries is not a game where you can just start over after losing one round.

Both sides will be cautious about the foundation laid by their ancestors and will not easily start a war.

Internal order is also a typical stable phase.

Since the founding of the dynasty by Emperor Taizu, the dynasty has lasted for a century. It is a typical mid-dynasty period. There may be some minor disturbances, but overall, it can be considered very stable.

The support of key figures in power is not a problem.

Now, a year has passed since the new emperor ascended the throne, and the core power holder has gradually shifted to Zhao Ceying.

Generally speaking, when a new emperor ascends the throne, all he has to do to gain real power is wait out the inevitable passage of time and gradually consolidate his control.

However, Zhao Ceying is indeed an exception.

He pacified the border regions, expanded the territory, and in one fell swoop, he seized military power and established a core group of military officers.

The new generation of military commanders, led by Gu Tingye, Zhang Ding, and Zheng Xiao, are the representatives of military nobles.

Since the emperor and his ministers had received such favor, the nobles naturally wouldn't dare to oppose the emperor.

The two political upheavals of remonstrance and the deposition of the empress led to the demotion of Grand Secretary Ouyang Xiu and Vice Minister of War Lü Gongzhu, as well as the deposition of the empress.

During this process, Zhao Ceying's tough stance was truly rare, making the vast majority of civil officials wary of him and dare not act recklessly in the slightest.

This time, the severe punishment imposed on Liangzhe Road has shocked the entire country and shaken both the court and the public.

In just one year, an external threat, an internal crisis, and the suppression of a rebellion easily helped him establish his authority and seize power, thereby greatly enhancing his imperial prestige and subduing the officials.

In terms of the real power he wielded and the ability to subdue the officials, Zhao Ceying far surpassed the late Emperor Zhao Zhen.

After all, the late emperor was too benevolent and often gave in.

Zhao Ceying, on the other hand, is almost never willing to back down.

Compared to a kind persona, a tough persona undoubtedly makes people more wary.

The power of a ruler lies in making his subjects think twice and intimidating them!

Given Zhao Ceying's tough personality, he was definitely a staunch supporter of the reform movement.

As for the implementation of the bureaucratic system, that is even less of a problem.

We should implement reforms gradually and proceed slowly.

Theoretically speaking, it really does have all three, except for the east wind.

Jiang Zhao raised his eyebrows, having made up his mind.

Since the emperor wants to reform, then let him reform!

Once the imperial tour is over, you can try to change things up.

In any case, his governing philosophy has always been to implement reforms gradually and over a long period of time.

Coincidentally, Liangzhe Road was targeted in a crackdown, so it can be used as a pilot area.

"Seventh Brother, grind the ink," Jiang Zhao waved his hand and ordered.

“Yes, sir.” Zhong Shidao bowed and hurried over to grind the ink.

There has been a saying about observing politics since ancient times.

The Empress Dowager ruled from behind a curtain, and the young emperor observed the administration.

Scholars and their disciples could also take the opportunity to observe politics while their teachers were in power in a region.

In the past, when Han Zhang was in charge of a region and served as a high-ranking official, Jiang Zhao had five years of experience observing the government.

This time, the emperor was on a tour of the two capitals and fourteen circuits, which was a rare opportunity to observe the government. Zhong Shidao accompanied him with the respect due to a disciple.

In no time, the ink was black and glossy. Jiang Zhao spread out the Xuan paper, walked over, picked up the brush, and began to write.

A letter of a thousand words was completed.

"Have it presented to the Imperial Palace," Jiang Zhao instructed, blowing away the ink.

"Yes."

Zhong Shidao bowed, picked up the letter, and went to make arrangements.

"clatter."

After cleaning the brush and setting it aside, Jiang Zhao lowered his head, unusually lost in thought.

Since the decision has been made to implement reforms, thorough preparations must be made for this.

Reform! Reform! Everyone's saying we need reform!

Reform, as the name suggests, mainly involves changing government decrees and redistributing the distribution of interests.

Having served in office for twelve years, Jiang Zhao naturally had some unique insights into how to implement reforms.

But where exactly should we start?

Eliminating redundant staff, reforming systems, performance evaluations, or even corruption in border regions?