Zheng Chen entered Zhao Gou's study and saw that there was only a small yellow door standing aside and no one else, and he couldn't help but feel nervous.

Walking forward, Zheng Chen saluted Zhao Gou.

Zhao Gou smiled and said, "Sit down, Chief of the Pavilion."

Zheng Chen was startled and said hurriedly: "Where is there a small place to sit in front of the official family?"

Zhao Goudao said: "Today is special. Chief, please sit down and talk. There are no outsiders here, so just relax."

Where did Zheng Chen dare to sit? He thanked him again and again and stood carefully aside.

Zhao Goudao said: "This time the cabinet minister and Master Hu went to Xijing. It was a hard journey."

Zheng Chen hurriedly said he didn't dare. He came to Dongtou to worship the officials and brought royal equipment, and he was always with Zhao Gou. Today Zhao Gou was suddenly so polite to him, and Zheng Chen knew in his heart that he should be asking about his trip to Luoyang this time.

The great victory in Shaanzhou, where more than 20,000 Jin soldiers were killed in one battle, was a huge shock to the court. Everyone wanted to know what kind of person Wang Xiaolie was. Especially the prisoners presented this time were Li Yanxian and Wang Xiaolie.

Without coming, Zhao Gou would inevitably be suspicious. The more than 20,000 Jin troops, based on the situation before Shaoxing, were enough to penetrate the entire Song Dynasty.

People of this era, unlike people of later generations who read history books, only look at 100,000 people here and 200,000 people there, and don’t think much of the 20,000 Jin Army. In fact, a real battle would allow the Jin Army to invest 100,000 troops.

, extremely rare. Zhao Gou has experienced so many ups and downs, and he understands the strength of the Jin army very well and will not misjudge. Wang Xiaolie can kill more than 20,000 Jin soldiers in one battle, which shows that the current armies of the Song Dynasty are very different from Wang Xiaolie.

Far.

Regardless of whether he likes it or not, Zhao Gou must try his best to win over the current Wang Xiaolie. Losing people like Li Cheng and Kong Yanzhou will not hurt the Song Dynasty. If Wang Xiaolie is lost at this time, the situation of the Song Dynasty will be

It would be very bad. Zhao Gou knew this very well, so he did not hesitate to give Wang Xiaolie a very generous reward. Even for Li Yanxian, Zhao Gou also gave him special courtesy.

Looking at Zheng Chen, Zhao Gou asked with a smile on his face: "The cabinet minister is going to Xijing this time to see what kind of person Wang Jieshuai is?"

Zheng Chen was silent for a moment. After thinking about it, he carefully replied: "When I went to Xijing when I was young, it was just after the war. Wang Jieshuai was very busy, and I only met him twice. From my little experience, Wang Jieshuai was kind to others, and there was no such thing as

Very cool and easy to get along with.”

Zhao Gou nodded and suddenly said: "You came to Xijing after the great victory in Shaanzhou. Why didn't Wang Jieshuai come with you to offer prisoners?"

Zheng Chen said: "Wang Jieshuai said that the war ahead was busy, and the Jin army might not be willing to fail, so they did not dare to leave without permission."

Zhao Gou said: "Is what the cabinet minister saw and heard really true?"

Zheng Chen saw Zhao Gou's smiling face with a gaze like a knife, as if it was piercing his heart, and he couldn't help sweating on his forehead. He carefully replied: "From what I saw, Xijing was very busy at that time, indeed no more than usual. Could Jin Jun

If we raise troops to attack again, the little ones will not know."

Zhao Gou nodded, lowering his head as if thinking about something. Suddenly he raised his head and said: "The Jin army has to wait until the autumn is high to start a war. Now it is about to enter the hot season. Why does Wang Xiaolie think that the Jin army will attack again?"

Xijing?"

Zheng Chen said: "If we say that in the past, it was indeed the case. But Wushu, the fourth prince of the Jin Kingdom, seemed not to care about the autumn weather. In the fourth year of Jianyan, he just searched the mountains and inspected the sea during the hot summer. When he arrived in Shaanxi, Wushu came again.

He has launched many wars in the summer. He is different from others."

"It makes sense." Zhao Gou nodded. "Then the cabinet chief thinks that Wang Jieshuai didn't come because he was afraid of the Jin army coming to attack?"

Zheng Chen said: "To be honest with the officials, I have only met Wang Jieshuai two or three times. I don't know who he was before. How can I dare to guess his thoughts?"

Zhao Gou didn't speak, but just looked at Zheng Chen. It wasn't until beads of sweat rolled down Zheng Chen's forehead that he said slowly: "Pavilion chief, don't be nervous."

Zheng Chen didn't dare to wipe his sweat, but kept saying yes.

Zhao Gou sighed softly and said to himself: "It's not easy for Wang Xiao to join the rebel army and serve the country wholeheartedly. It's really a pity that he has made such an extraordinary contribution this time, but can't see him."

.If there were one or two generals in the court who could compare with Wang Xiaolie, how could the state affairs be so difficult! Alas——"

Zheng Chen listened carefully on the side and did not dare to get angry.

After a while, Zhao Gou said: "It is very expensive to raise an army. It must be very difficult for Wang Xiaolie to raise an army of 100,000 people with only one or twenty states. The cabinet minister went to Xijing this time to see Wang Xiaolie's management.

How is the life of the common people?"

Zheng Chen said: "When I went there, it was when the Jin Army attacked Xijing. As soon as I entered Suizhou, I saw a lot of people carrying grain to the county town. I asked specifically and said that it was collected by the government.

When you get food, you give money."

Zhao Gou nodded and said: "Wang Xiaolie is in Xiangyang and prints Huizi by himself. I heard that many places like to use it. I looked for it and found that the printing is indeed exquisite and the denomination is not large. You said that the government gives money to the people

,The one given is Huizi, right?”

Zheng Chen said: "I didn't ask, but I guess it is. After passing Suizhou, except for the very small money of one or two cents, the people there use Huizi."

Zhao Gou hurriedly asked: "Huizi was printed out of thin air, and the people were willing to use it?"

Zheng Chen said: "From what I've seen, the people don't seem to object and like to use it. This thing is printed on paper, which is lighter than copper coins and easier to carry. If you do business over long distances, it will be more convenient. Daily buying and selling of goods.

, it’s also easier to use than copper coins.”

Zhao Gou couldn't help but frowned and said: "Wang Jieshuai is really a great person! As long as the people are willing to use this thing, the government can print it out in millions, so how can it be short of money? In order to cope with the war, we also print it

Huizi, why don’t the people like to use it? If they could rule as well as Wang Xiaolie, how much easier would be the government?”

Zheng Chen said: "From what I have seen, the Huizi in Xiangyang are different from us. Under Wang Jieshuai's rule, the Huizi can be used for trading, paying taxes, and depositing in banks to earn interest.

.Unlike other places, no matter how much time passes, Xiangyang Huizi will not become lighter and you can still buy so many goods."

Zhao Gou said: "Wang Xiao doesn't have many opportunities to hunt for seals? If there are less seals, what's the use of this thing!"

Zheng Chen said: "The official is a sage!"

Zhao Gou shook his head. He still didn't want to think about these incomprehensible things for the time being. He asked again: "Even though the government spent a lot of money to seal Huizi, the people suffered from it. From what you see, the people under Wang Xiaolie's rule,

Compared with other places, is life easier or more difficult?"

Zheng Chen said: "In my opinion, under the rule of Wang Jieshuai, the official family is better off than the people in other places in the world. I asked Xueshie Hu that in their place, the people only pay three measures of food for one acre of land -

—”

Zhao Gou said: "I've heard that too. Three dou per acre means the land tax is not light."

Zheng Chen said: "But under Wang Jieshuai's rule, apart from paying three measures of grain for one acre of land, there was nothing else. There were no miscellaneous taxes, no exorbitant taxes, no money and purchases, nothing else. Oh, that's right.

, there are fifty laborers per Ding. Compared with other places, the tax may seem heavy, but it is actually much lighter.”

Zhao Gou nodded and said nothing. After Jingkang, how many exiles have gone through, Zhao Gou is not an emperor who lives in a deep palace and is unaware of the sufferings of the people. The world is like this, with troops and chaos to be raised, how could it be possible without exorbitant taxes? Wang Xiaolie

Under the rule, if there were only these taxes on the surface, the people would be much better off than in other places. What the people were most afraid of were the miscellaneous taxes that they didn't know where they came from.

In fact, with the level of national strength and productivity development of the Song Dynasty, it was more than enough to cope with the war with the Jin Kingdom. Why was the people's life actually difficult and the court was still short of money? In addition to official corruption and ineffectiveness, the more important reason was that a large amount of wealth was wasted

The efficiency of the government is low. Once the money is in hand, only a fraction of it is actually used. What Wang Xiaolie does is to try to maximize the effect of the wealth collected. The burden on the people is low, and Wang Xiaolie

The money in the hunter's hands is enough, and there is even some leftover.

For the Song Dynasty to be in today's predicament, the government must bear a very large responsibility. Just not surrendering and resisting the Jin army is not enough, far from enough. The government must shoulder its own responsibility and do this well. It cannot be said
Chapter completed!