Zhang Dun responded and asked: "Guan, what is the bottom line principle for the envoy to negotiate with the Liao Kingdom?"
"Song and Xia negotiate peace; our army is on strike; the confinement can be relaxed, quotas of grain and cloth can be transported and sold; and the Xia officials and generals who voluntarily go back can be released..."
Zhang Dun nodded slowly while listening.
If you don't make some concessions and give some benefits to Xixia, how can you talk about peace? As a "peacemaker", Bei Liao will also feel that it loses face. This matter cannot be negotiated at all. The final result is that Bei Liao uses force to promote the relationship between Song and Xia
After the peace talks between the two countries, the Song Dynasty will pay more.
"We are also willing to give some benefits to Bei Liao... However, we will not give away an inch of the land that our army has recovered; our court's 'gift of coins' to the Xia Kingdom has been officially cancelled. We will not return the captured Han vassal soldiers and civilians.
Go back. But you can verbally agree to return it, it just needs to be screened...it's nothing more than delay."
"I have remembered it. I have a suitable candidate in mind for my mission to the Liao Kingdom. I just need to think about it a little more and then submit it to Your Majesty for your decision."
Zhang Dun replied.
"Okay, thank you for your hard work, Prime Minister Zhang." Zhao Si nodded and said approvingly, and then continued, "The next thing is an internal matter. First of all, the rewards for the victorious Western Army should be distributed as soon as possible. I am not selling fake cakes.
Yes, I only draw cakes and don’t really make cakes for people.”
"According to the order!" Zhang Xiang and Wen Yi responded quickly.
"With the military reform, military ranks have been honored in all departments. Have military medals and meritorious titles been finalized?"
Cai Bian responded: "Your Majesty, the Secretary of the Province and the Privy Council have decided on the Military Medal. There will be a Loyalty and Valor Medal to be awarded to soldiers who have been injured on the battlefield. There will be a Defense Medal to be awarded to soldiers who have participated in battles with foreign enemies. There will be a Show of Martial Arts Medal and a Proclaimed Martial Arts Medal.
, the third-level medal for bravery is awarded to soldiers who have made meritorious service."
"There are three-level medals, Zhaowu, Zhongwu, and Yunhui, awarded to generals with outstanding military merits; there are two-level medals, Hussar and Champion, awarded to those with outstanding military merits. The details of the awards are as follows..."
Zhao seems to have read these drafts, and now that Cai Bian has spoken out, he has finalized the drafts in front of Zhang Dun and Wen Yi.
"Your Majesty, the title of honorary title is relatively complicated. The Secretariat, the three provinces and the Privy Council drafted the draft after several discussions." Cai Bian continued.
"The honorary position, the salary and salary are like official ranks, and the tenure is lifelong. The starting point is the same as the sixth rank, as follows. From the sixth rank, the left concubine chief, to the sixth rank, the right concubine chief, from the fifth rank, the concubine chief, to the fifth rank, the great concubine chief, from
The fourth rank is Zhongshun Dafu, the fourth rank is Zhonglu Dafu, the third rank is Ronglu Dafu, the third rank is Guanglu Dafu, the second rank is Silver Ziguanglu Dafu, the second rank is Jinziguanglu Dafu, the first rank is Zhuguo, and the first rank is Shangzhuguo."
Zhang Dun waited until Cai Bian finished speaking and raised his own question: "Your Majesty, what is the difference between this rank and the official rank?"
"The official rank only indicates how much honorary salary the official can receive after becoming an official. It does not mean that he can enjoy the benefits of that rank. The honorary rank means that the person will enjoy the same official salary and benefits for life."
At this point, Zhao Si added meaningfully, "If you are an official of the fifth rank or above and become an official, you should be given the honorary title of Zuo Shuchang or above based on your merits in official administration to show your preferential treatment."
"After hearing His Majesty's explanation, I understand."
Zhao Si continued.
"This is a title, as well as a title. Mr. Yuandu, please read it down."
"It's Your Majesty. The title of noble title is divided into three levels: count, marquis and duke. Counts are not graded. Marquis is divided into two levels: pavilion marquis and rural marquis, that is, second-class marquis and first-class marquis. There are three levels of county, prefecture and country.
The principle of conferring titles is still what His Majesty said: 'No title can be conferred if it is not for meritorious service to the country'."
Speaking of this, Cai Bian's voice rose sharply, "For these two great victories over Xia, in addition to military merit awards, medals and honors, His Majesty personally drafted it. Duke Zhang Kai Zhang was awarded the Marquis of Suining Ting, Yao Lin and Yao were awarded the Marquis of Jingrong Ting.
Liu Fa conferred the title of An Long Bo, Zhong Pu conferred the title of Zhong An Bo, Zhe Ke Shi conferred the title of Fu Ning Bo, and Liu Zhongwu conferred the title of Taoshan Bo."
Everyone can hear that the officials strictly abide by the principles of "No title will be awarded to those who have not contributed to the community" and "Officials are appointed based on ability, and titles are rewarded for merit", and they are very cautious about titles.
It is definitely not like the previous emperors who had some meritorious deeds and indiscriminately awarded officials and titles.
"Noble titles are conferred by His Majesty's Royal Book. Honorary titles are proposed by the Shangshu Province and the Privy Council, reviewed by the Zhongshu Province, reviewed by the Ministry of Menxia, and are conferred by His Majesty. Military merit medals are awarded by each army and the Privy Council; medals below Yunhui,
Awarded by the Privy Council; the Grand Order of the Cavalry and Champions, awarded by His Majesty himself."
"The Military Merit Medal, the details of the standards and procedures for awarding the honors, have been compiled into a canon by the Ministry of Secretaries and will be distributed to the three provinces and the Privy Council today. As for the Military Merit Medal and the canonization of honorary titles for the officers and men of the Western Army, they have been distributed to all ministries and knights.
The edict will be issued within this month. However, it needs to be on the first day of next year. His Majesty will personally award medals to the recipients of Yunhui and above medals..."
After Cai Bian finished reading, he looked at everyone and found that he had no questions, so he consciously sat back in his seat.
"Xiang Zhang mentioned it just now," Zhao Si continued on to other topics without hesitation. Everyone was used to his style of managing politics and listened quietly.
"He asked for a moratorium on the war in Xia because the treasury ran out of money. This is a big problem."
Everyone was shocked when they heard Zhao Si mentioning financial and taxation issues.
Making money is the specialty of the New Party. Because it can fill the national treasury, the New Party can win many battles and control the government for a long time. Moreover, Zhang Dun, Cai Bian, and Wen Yi who are here have long seen that the officials are actually on the side of the New Party.
side.
It's just that many of his financial management ideas are completely different from those of the New Party.
So everyone wisely kept silent and listened quietly.
"Finance is the basis for the operation of the country, and the economy is the basis for all military and political affairs. Therefore, after military reform and political reform, economic reform is also necessary. But how to make changes must be done with caution! Confused thinking and rash actions... cause
The result is financial collapse, people suffering hardship, and the normal operation of the country being disrupted!"
"The mistakes of the past lead to the mistakes of others! Therefore, before the formal economic reform, we must be cautious and cautious, and listen to the opinions of all parties. I decided to issue an edict to summon the virtuous people from various states and counties to gather in Kaifeng to review the economic reform of the Song Dynasty.
Have a big discussion.”
"Your Majesty, do you want to imitate the 'Salt and Iron Conference' held in 81 BC, the sixth year of Emperor Zhao of the former Han Dynasty?"
Zhang Dun's heart moved and he asked quickly.
"Yes. But this time the scale is larger and more people are invited."
After listening to Zhao Si's words, Zhang Dun began to think about it.
The "Salt and Iron Conference" of the Former Han Dynasty took the virtuous literature from various places as one side and the imperial censor Sang Hongyang as the other side, and debated issues such as salt and iron monopoly, wine monopoly and equalization of output.
The greatest achievement was the Treatise on Salt and Iron, which recorded this great debate.
"Your Majesty, may I ask how you should choose the virtuous people from all over the world?" Zhang Dun asked the key question.
"In addition to celebrities and scholars from all over the world, virtuous people also need merchants, craftsmen, farmers, scholars from poor backgrounds, and traffickers and pawns from all over the world... My principle is that all walks of life that have to pay taxes now and in the future need to elect representatives.
.How to divide the various industries, how many quotas are there for representatives of each industry, and how to select them? The provincial secretariat will issue detailed rules."
"The states and counties recommend some, the Secretary and Provincial Statistics Bureau recommends some, and the China News Agency recommends some... Don't be afraid of arguments, the truth will become clearer as time goes by! Only by listening to the opinions and appeals of all parties can we formulate a suitable economic reform plan. No.
It is said that we must be comprehensive and take into account everyone's demands. But we must make the taxation truly fall on those who can afford it, so as to ensure fairness and justice to the greatest extent!"
Zhao Si talked for a long time and found that everyone remained silent. He knew that no matter what he said now, these old foxes would not express their opinions easily, so they had to wait until the conference was held to talk.
"The economic reform plan can be implemented gradually, but how to fill the hole in the national treasury as soon as possible is an urgent matter."
Having said this, Zhao Si leaned back on his seat and involuntarily revealed a faint murderous aura. This change was quickly noticed by the keen Zhang Dun and Cai Bian.
"These days, Mr. Ji Zhong of Kaifeng Prefecture told me that there are many temples in Kaifeng City that are doing illegal things. Pure Buddhism actually pledges money, lends money, runs wineries and shops, and some monks even keep concubines privately..."
"You are a thief!" Zhao Si yelled in the Chongzheng Hall, "Is this still called a monk? Is this in line with the precepts of the Buddhist sect? I have been a meritorious envoy and have been in charge of the world's monks, but I have not helped the Buddhist sect to correct the filth.
, I’m really ashamed. Mr. Yuandu, Xuanming, you two should serve as the chief and deputy envoys of merit and deeds, and take good care of me.”
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Zhang Dun, Cai Bian and others knew as soon as they heard that the officials had found a big fat sheep. However, some temples did go too far.
"Mr. Yuandu, the news agency has a backlog of monks doing illegal things and filthy Buddhism. During this period, all newspapers and periodicals, as well as preachers, have to keep up to distract the people's attention from Xixia.
It also serves to prepare public opinion for the rectification of Buddhism."
"Also, those virtuous monks who obey the law and abide by the precepts must be well publicized, and the Ministry of Rites must praise them with great fanfare. Only in this way can we know their evil and understand their good! People believe in Buddhism a lot, but they hate those who eat and drink better than them.
He is a good but bad monk who refuses to concentrate on worshiping Buddha and praying for everyone!"
Cai Bian responded quickly, muttering secretly in his heart, Your Majesty understands people's hearts better than I do.
Chapter 178 Big Fat Sheep This chapter has been completed!