Zhao Si then met with the representatives of Xiangzheng Lizheng, Xiangdian and Baozheng of Xinjiang County one by one.
These are the chief officials of the villages and the peace officers.
After chatting for more than an hour, Zhao Si signaled to lead the senior squires, Xiang Zhengli Zheng, Xiang Dian Baozheng and Xinjiang County officials out to rest in another place and wait for dinner time.
Zhao Si used his own money to set up a banquet to entertain these people.
Except for Chang Anmin, Li Fu, Xue Tao and other county and state officials, those left behind were all Huang Xingguo and a dozen other nearby county magistrates.
"As a pilot county for the new official system, Hedong County is at the forefront of the reform of the three-level official system of counties, prefectures and counties. Not only has the three-level official system been fully rolled out, but a lot of thought has been spent on the merger and establishment of new counties and prefectures.
Summed up a lot of experience.”
Zhao Si glanced at the people sitting at attention and spoke first.
"Previously, I have been seeing these results and data in reporting documents. This time, I went to Hedong for a trip. Although I only took a preliminary look at some places, I was able to confirm these results and data."
"More importantly, I see that Hedong County has taken the lead in the reform of the new official system and the examination and accountability system. The floods in Jishan County that destroyed the river embankments have happened countless times in various states and counties in this dynasty. How to deal with it?
What's the result? It can be as minor as if nothing happened, or it can be as serious as being dismissed from office."
"In the summer of the sixth year of Yuanfeng, there were heavy rains and floods. The Si River overflowed and broke down the dams in Xia County and Xianyuan County. Thousands of people drowned, tens of thousands of acres of fertile farmland were washed away, and tens of thousands of people were left homeless.
Return. The imperial censor found out that it was nothing more than Yanzhou and the two counties using their hands to embezzle money and food from the river."
"The result was that the magistrates of Xia County and Xianyuan County were dismissed from their posts, and the magistrate of Yanzhou was fined for one year. Thousands of lives and countless property losses were simply ignored. Our court treated civil servants favorably.
It was a good thing, but it was overcorrected and turned into connivance. The civil servants of our Song Dynasty became the best officials in history, but they were a disaster for the people of our Song Dynasty!"
“‘The people are the foundation of the country, and the foundation is strong and the country is at peace’!”
Zhao Si's voice grew louder and louder, reverberating like a bell in the hall.
"I know that it is not easy to be an official. In the past, there were the provincial examination, the provincial examination, and the palace examination. Now you have to complete twelve years of school education and then go to an institution of higher learning for two to four years before you have the opportunity to take the national examination and then be recruited as an official.
Official. Then he was transferred to Mokan, and he climbed up the ranks step by step... Being an official is not easy. It is very unfair to these scholars to be dismissed or even punished for trivial matters!"
Zhao Si's words were full of sneers, with a sneer hanging from the corner of his mouth.
"These arguments are bullshit! It's not easy for you to be an official, but it's easy for the common people? It's easy for them because they lost their fortunes and even their lives because of your foolish thoughts and laziness? You didn't pass the exam, and there was no accountability. Many of them
Officials don’t realize the responsibilities they shoulder.”
At this point, Zhao Si hesitated to speak. There were still many things he wanted to say in his heart, but he knew very well that speaking these words was just his own temporary venting at the moment and would not help.
His eyes were fixed on Chang Anmin, his eyes complex and solemn. Chang Anmin felt the heavy expectation and nodded slowly.
Zhao Si breathed a sigh of relief and continued the topic.
"Hedong County is at the forefront of the reform of the official system at the county, prefecture and county levels. As a pioneer, it should continue to have the courage to explore and try in the reform of the village level. I took a look today and found that Hedong County should explore some ways in this regard.
Come experience."
Having said this, he pointed at Huang Xingguo and asked: "Is Xiangzheng the person in charge of the first township?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. The township is the head of a township, and the official rank is eight grades from Zheng. Its official office is the township office, which is a unit dispatched by the county government. There is one member of the township who is in charge of the general affairs of the township; two to three members from the left of the township are responsible for household registration.
Land tax, civil affairs and other matters; Xiangdian is a member of the township police, who is the township peace officer, dispatches personnel to the county police station, and leads the township police station. The above are all officials, and they are the ninth grade of Congzheng."
Huang Xingguo explained.
"Towns were established in wealthy places, the township office became the town office, the township police became the town leader, the township left became the town left, the township police officer became the town police officer, and the township police station became the town police station. The rest are as follows."
"Where is the village chief and the village police chief?" Zhao Si asked.
"Yes, Your Majesty. These people are not officials and are not included in the imperial staff. They can only receive some allowance every year."
In the Tianqi New Deal, Li Zheng is similar to a village chief. He divides a village based on the regional environment and settlement situation. There are as few as fifty households and as many as one hundred households.
Zhao Si nodded, "You are adding a level of township to the three-level official system of prefectures, prefectures and counties."
Huang Xingguo did not answer, but turned his head to Chang Anmin and Li Fu.
"Yes, Your Majesty, adding a township level is a suggestion made by Li Lvzhong. I think it is good, so I will try it out in seven counties including Xinjiang, Quyang, and Shouyang."
Chang Anmin answered loudly.
Zhao Si nodded and asked Li Fuda: "Li Qing, what do you think?"
Li Fu is in his forties, elegant and handsome, but his face is a bit dark.
He replied calmly and generously: "In response to your Majesty's words, during the Qin and Han Dynasties, there were townships, pavilions, and li below the county level. There were three elders in the township, who were ranked, stingy, and wandering around. The three elders were in charge of the education of the township, just like the township.
Zheng. A man of rank or stingy, who mediates disputes, settles disputes, collects taxes, collects corvees, travels, and patrols against thieves."
"The pavilion has a pavilion chief, and below it is the pavilion father, who is looking for two thieves. There is a lizheng, who is responsible for the affairs of hundreds of families in one li; there is also a prison gate, which is in charge of the guards of a li. What are the ten families under the li, and the five families
Work together, check and supervise each other.”
"But in the early Tang Dynasty, the imperial court focused on counties and neglected the countryside. Our dynasty followed the Tang system, and also favored civil servants and overstaffed the affairs, making it difficult for government orders to leave the county. The countryside was controlled by elders, gentry, and powerful men."
Hearing this, Zhao Si interrupted Li Fu's words: "Lu Zhong, what you said sounded a little nicer. I know something about the situation. There are many powerful country gentry in the countryside. In the homes of the Jin gentry, there are treacherous people who abuse the people.
, but there are also people who are kind and considerate to the people. If they are powerful, then there are many who bully the weak and run rampant in the countryside."
Li Fu happily replied: "Your Majesty is wise! I and others feel that the difficulty of imperial decrees reaching the countryside is one of the major problems in local politics. Most of the registered fields, grain and taxes are concentrated in the countryside. If the powerful gentry is allowed to have their hands on it, they can do whatever they want.
If it is not managed, then it is very likely that the taxes that should be paid are not paid, and all the taxes are imposed on ordinary people. The rich get richer, and the poor become extremely poor."
"That's right!" Zhao Si agreed very much, "There are few selfless people in this world, and most people care about their own wealth. If you can pay less taxes and keep it in your own pocket, why not do it. As for others who are destitute because they pay more
, the family is ruined, so what does it matter to him? When I first took charge of the secretary, I saved time and sorted out the court documents. Tragedies like this are common in all prefectures and counties."
"Especially when natural disasters come, it is the time when these powerful gentry, who are called Jin gentry, are actually carnivals of jackals. But afterward, the court will come out to recruit the poor people into the Xiang army and wipe their butts for them, allowing them to do whatever they want!"
Zhao Shi's slightly angry voice echoed in the lobby.
Chang Anmin, Li Fu, Xue Tao, Huang Xingguo and others had different ideas.
After hearing these words, they naturally thought that after the Dunyushan Rebellion, the imperial court used this excuse to sort out the powerful families of all sizes in Hebei. Hundreds of families were destroyed and their families were destroyed. Since then, the whole family has declined.
There are countless.
This turmoil also spread to Hedong at that time. However, the county governor at that time was Lord Lin Xilinzi. He was an honest man and suppressed it secretly, so it was not as violent as in Hebei.
Later, Duke Chang of the people of Chang'an took over. He was born as a legal official, and his methods were naturally different from those of ordinary civil servants. Fortunately, the storm of the Dunyu Mountain Rebellion had passed, and Duke Chang was in charge of the political affairs in Hedong.
This has passed.
Now the official personally visited Hedong and mentioned this matter again.
Will he personally take charge and build a big prison again? The political pulse of the official family can be seen to some extent now. Local powerful families are the targets of his attacks. When the New Deal is implemented in prefectures and counties, these people are the biggest resistance. Standing in front of the official
From the standpoint of the family and the court, they must be suppressed.
This is not only the case in Hebei, but also in Qinchuan County.
It's just that the incident in Hebei attracted everyone's attention because of the Dunyushan Rebellion. Qinchuan County's blow to the powerful families was completely covered up by the waves of the war in Xixia. It was silent, but still fierce.
Careful people like Li Fu and Huang Xingguo secretly speculated and calculated in their hearts. This chapter has been completed!