Outside Jinling Mansion and Jiankang Palace, another group of so-called common people cried for help and left in disappointment. Zhang Hao was not at all disturbed in his heart.
There are only a few real common people who can go outside Jiankang Palace to cry and beg. Even if there are real common people, most of them are instigated by the local wealthy families.
Otherwise, real common people, let alone knowing where Jiankang Palace is, would be considered knowledgeable if they knew how to get to the county seat after leaving the village.
The root cause of all this was that Zhang Yan began to take advantage of the big families of Southern Tang and Wuyue.
To put it bluntly, in the two countries of Southern Tang and Wu Yue, including the powerful kings like Li Min and Qian Liu, their overall governance was very rough, or their administrative power was not improved at all.
The Southern Tang Kingdom occupied Huainan, Jiangdong, Jiangxi and the northern part of Jiangnan, that is, most of Jiangsu and the entire Anhui in later generations, and Jiangxi would also add part of the land of Hubei.
Such a top nurturing land in the Tang and Song Dynasties had only less than 5 million registered households in the country, and only 14 million acres of land where taxes were paid on the books.
This is simply a joke, the average per capita is less than three acres, considering the yield per mu at this time, and the fact that there are still a large number of wealthy families who want to live a good life and powerful wealthy families occupy more land.
Wouldn't it mean that among these five million people, at least close to four million are completely landless tenants?
Then the scenes of crowds of people, such dense population, such prosperous commodity economy and developed handicraft industry that I, Zhang Shengren, saw in Jinling Prefecture, Yangzhou Prefecture, Zhenjiang Prefecture and other places, are all fake?
As for the Southern Tang officials' explanation to him that commercial taxes accounted for a large proportion of the Southern Tang's taxes, and the number of account books over the years to prove it, Zhang Gao immediately scoffed.
Without a considerable amount of Ueda and Takata products, is it possible to feed so many people?
Without so many people, how could such a developed commodity economy be possible?
Without such a developed commodity economy, why would you charge a lot of business taxes?
I, Zhang Shengren, don’t even have to look at it to know that there must be a lot of tricks in it. If there are too many business taxes, it is just to fool Li Jing.
No! Li Jing couldn't fool him. He had no choice or ability, so he could only hold his nose and admit it.
The Wuyue Kingdom is similar. You must know that the current Wuyue Kingdom is not only Zhejiang in later generations, it also has two super-rich prefectures, Suzhou and Songjiang, plus Fuzhou.
Moreover, from the end of the Five Dynasties to the beginning of the Northern Song Dynasty, the Wuyue Kingdom did not know how to fight for decades. Several generations of Qian kings built water conservancy, reclaimed wasteland, and encouraged production. It was a paradise in troubled times.
Among them, Hangzhou Prefecture is known as the most beautiful state in the southeast, the capital of the Three Wus, the richest in the world, and the first state in the southeast.
Needless to say, Suzhou Prefecture, although it is slightly worse than Hangzhou, is still crowded with people at this time.
In such a wealthy town, the data obtained by Zhang Yan only had 2.17 million registered households and less than 6 million acres of land.
Zhang Hao vaguely remembers that during the second brother Zhao period, which was less than thirty years ago, after Wu Yue donated his land, Zhao and Song officials conducted a population census and found that the total number of households in Hangzhou was more than 81,000, and that in Suzhou was 39,000.
More than a thousand households.
This is still a rough result obtained by not conducting a detailed population census in Wuyue during the Northern Song Dynasty. In fact, there should be more.
But according to the information in Zhang's hands, there are only about 21,000 households in Hangzhou and just over 7,000 in Suzhou.
This is a separate census of main customers, among which main customers account for the vast majority. In less than thirty years, no matter how many children there are, it is unlikely that the number will increase four to five times.
Huh! It seems that someone bullied Zhang Shengren, who had been in the Central Plains for a long time, and didn't know that the southeast had developed, so he was competing with the country for household registration and farmland, right?
Punishment, really punishment!
The furious Zhang Shengren directly ordered the pro-army and imperial troops to block the three prefectures of Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Zhenjiang, and conduct a population census using military law.
Finally, the city of Hangzhou was obtained, with 54,030 households and a population of more than 267,000.
Suzhou City has more than 18,400 households and a population of more than 110,000.
Zhenjiang City has more than 16,500 households and more than 97,000 residents.
As soon as the data came out, I, Zhang Shengren, was furious.
These bitches dare to conceal their population by two or three times in Tongdu and Dayi. Between the counties and countryside in various places, it goes without saying that they can't just take off from the same place?
So, when there was a fight between the river and the plateau, and Bai Congxin killed hundreds of thousands of people in one breath, I, Zhang Shengren, was not idle either, he was also punishing people.
As for the officials, Pei Yuan could not move for the time being, so Zhang Yan transferred He Ning to Jinling Mansion in the name of discussing state affairs.
Along with He Ning, there were also younger generation civil servants such as Wei Renpu, Tao Gu, and Zhao Pu.
In addition, a large number of talents who were skilled in calculation and familiar with Zhang Zhoutian's tax laws were recruited from the Zhangtai Hanlin Academy of Zhongshu Province and the Qionglin Academy of Shangshu Province.
At the same time, Zhang Yan also has a trump card, which is the Jinyi Guards Fine Examination Department.
This is the accounting and taxation review agency that Zhang Zhang personally controls. There are a large number of Sogdians from Anxi and Hezhong. They are professionally qualified.
These people were based on the volunteer army that Zhang Gao had formed when he was in Anxi.
At that time, Zhang Zhi took in a total of more than 300 orphans who had lost their parents in Anxi, Hezhong and Suiye.
Dozens of them had no talent and were gradually eliminated and became ordinary people. There were also more than a hundred people with average talent who were released to serve as minor civil and military officials in various places.
There were only more than 130 people left, and Zhang Hao personally taught them arithmetic using the mathematical knowledge he still remembered in later generations, plus the mathematics books at that time.
Nowadays, these people have no other abilities, but they are quite good in accounting and taxation.
A few years ago, there was a problem with the Hexi Chamber of Commerce's account books, which they came up with during a surprise review. Now they have been transferred to Jiangnan, and they are suitable for use.
To be honest, I, Zhang Shengren, still lack a ruthless character like Brother Zhao.
Of the two people currently available, Pei Yuan's status is already too high and he is easily agitated.
Zhao Pu still hasn't studied enough. Although he has done well with his extraordinary talent in terms of major political policies, he still cannot satisfy Zhang Shengren in lower-level and more detailed work.
Judging from the actual results in history, Brother Zhao is a ruthless and immoral person, but he has insight into people's hearts, is good at leveraging others' strengths, accomplishes big things at a small cost, and can also build a political framework.
Well, as long as he is not allowed to be in charge of the army, his talents are still good. Although he was a piece of shit in history, he can be trained in this time and space and he is still a good candidate for minister.
However, now, Pei Yuan cannot move, and Zhao Pu can only be used as a half-person, so only I, Zhang Shengren, can take action personally.
And there are four 'good helpers' around him who can be used.
Li Jing, Sun Sheng, Han Xizai, Li Quanjin.
Why is it a good helper?
It's very simple. For Li Jing, if he could mobilize all the national power of the Southern Tang Dynasty, Zhang Yan would not be able to fight so easily.
You must know that the size of the Southern Tang Dynasty is similar to that of Zhang Zhou after excluding Hexi, Longyou, Guanzhong, Shuzhong, Hunan and Hubei.
However, because Hexi, Longyou and other six places were far apart or had recently been conquered, when Zhang Gao conquered the Southern Tang Dynasty, except for Hubei, the rest of the places could not count as much help.
In this way, if Li Jing could mobilize the power of the whole country like Zhang Yan, he would not be able to destroy the Southern Tang Dynasty without mentioning Zhang Zhou, but it would definitely be very difficult.
You said that Li Jing is going to live in an apartment in Tokyo now. How can he not hate those moths below and not want them to be beaten with an iron fist just like him?
Li Quanjin also understood it very well. After he defected from the Later Jin Dynasty to the Southern Tang Dynasty, he successively served as military governors in various places, and suffered the disdain from these Southern Tang native factions.
And he knew the actual situation in various places. With him as the leader, he could accurately find the rebels within Southern Tang Dynasty.
Sun Sheng and Han Xizai are more suitable, because they were from the north and fled south, that is to say, they went from the Central Plains to the Southern Tang Dynasty.
Although he holds a high position, he has no deep-rooted interests to take care of in Southern Tang Dynasty.
Moreover, these two people's ability to govern was pretty good, and they had been officials in the political arena of the Southern Tang Dynasty for a long time, so they knew the situation very well.
As long as they are willing to work and assist Zhang Yan in his actions, they will definitely get twice the result with half the effort.
However, Li Jing and Li Quanjin are easy to talk to, and asking them to help is just a matter of words.
But Sun Sheng and Han Xizai are different. Their loyalty to Li Jing or the Southern Tang Dynasty is really not false.
Historically, when Sun Sheng was sent as an envoy from the Southern Tang Dynasty to the Later Zhou Dynasty, Guo Rong was very kind to him and often gave him gifts in person. However, when asked about whether the Southern Tang Dynasty was true or not, Sun Sheng kept silent.
In the end, Guo Rong was angered and threatened to behead him, but Sun Sheng still just tidied up his clothes, bowed to the south and said: "I would like to die to serve the country."
There was no hesitation at all, and he didn't even lower his head until he died. This is evident from the hardness of his bones.
And now, since Li Jing donated his soil, the two of them have been staying at home claiming to be ill. Zhang Gao summoned them several times, but they were blocked, making it clear that they would not cooperate.
Zhang Yan was leaning on a long couch with a headache. Now that people have come to plead outside the palace, it actually proves that he made this gesture. It just made these wealthy families in the Southern Tang and Wuyue feel a little dangerous, but they haven't arrived yet.
To the point of breaking your muscles and bones.
In short, half of their actions were pleading, and the other half were threats.
It is conceivable that if Zhang Yan really wants to touch them, there will be more troubles in the future, and there will be an even greater shortage of helpers like Sun Sheng and Han Xizai.
Otherwise, it will all be hosted by people from the north. They do not know the local situation, and they are not necessarily so honest and honest, and they will do their best. There is a high probability that it will only cause two consequences.
First, there is basically not much progress. It can deal with three or two kittens or one or two outstanding birds, but it cannot change the basic situation.
The second is to cause turmoil in the southeast and arouse large-scale opposition among the people, which will eventually need to be quelled by force.
No matter which one of these two consequences, they are completely contrary to Zhang Yan's plan to quickly use Jiangnan's material resources to complete the eastern expedition to Japan.
There were gentle footsteps behind him, and then there was the gentle touch of a small fist tapping on his shoulder.
Without looking back, Zhang Hao knew that Dazhou Zhou Xian must be here. On normal days, Zhang Hao might have teased her a little, but now he was completely out of mood.
At that moment, Zhang Hao wanted to put a knife directly to the necks of Sun Sheng and Han Xizai, force them to do things, or simply kill them.
But when I think about it, I know that I can't do it like this. Not to mention whether working under the threat of a knife is reliable, even from a moral perspective, I can't do it.
Although Sun and Han made Zhang Yan feel a bit stuck in his throat and even a little disgusting, they were truly loyal ministers!
You have been preaching your loyalty for more than ten years, and then you killed someone for not cooperating. Isn't that clearly telling others that Zhang Shengren's previous propaganda was all false?
If all the people in the court were to betray the monarch as soon as a powerful enemy came, waiting for the high-ranking officials and well-paid ministers of the new dynasty, Zhang Xi would not be able to sleep.
The influence of these two people on Zhang Yan was negative and disgusting, but from the perspective of the whole world, they were loyal ministers worthy of respect and the moral benchmark for ministers.
Therefore, not only should Zhang not be treated roughly, but he must also show great respect and appreciation.
However, perhaps it was little Zhou Xian's gentle kneading that made Zhang Xuan's mind start to calm down. After some calm thinking, Zhang Shengren realized that in order to drive such loyal ministers, they still have to start with their most cherished reputation.
So, after careful consideration, Zhang Yan began to send people to his door every two days to invite these two people to become officials.
Each time they refused, Zhang Gao's reward was larger than the last time. By the fifth time, the reward had reached a considerable amount of five hundred guan.
This made Sun Sheng and Han Xizai really unable to stand it, because Zhang Yan's approach would make outsiders think that they were pretending to be loyal ministers on the surface, but in fact they were asking for a price. If they refused the five hundred coins, others would be at risk.
The probability is that they are too low.
Sun Sheng originally wanted to accept the five hundred strings directly and distribute them to the poor people in Jiankang City, but as soon as he made this proposal, the whole family of more than thirty people, including his old wife, looked at him in horror.
Especially Sun Sheng's old wife, Mrs. Gao, who was the daughter of the famous Huainan King Gao Pian in the past, was extremely unforgettable about the tragic situation after the family was broken up. She spoke frankly to Sun Sheng.
"The saints today treated Lang Jun and Han Xizai so favorably, even during the Zhenguan and Yonghui years, they were extremely tolerant.
It's fine if the prince doesn't accept it. If you still distribute the rewards to the people, you are obviously spitting on the king's face. It is also showing to outsiders that you cherish your own reputation more than the loyalty you show.
If the great man insists on distributing the rewards to the people, then please kill his wife and children first to show his loyalty by cutting off his retreat!"
Sun Sheng was shocked by his always docile old wife Gao, and did not speak for a long time.
Obviously, he dared to decide to be a loyal minister because he felt that an emperor like Zhang Yan would not kill his whole family just because he was in trouble.
This magnanimity of my saint, Zhang, has been recognized by the whole world.
On Zhang's side, when he saw Sun and Han, they did not dare to refuse or accept the reward. After being a little timid, he immediately summoned Zha Wenhui, whom he had not taken a liking to before, to enter the palace to perform a duel.
Previously, the struggle between the two forces in the Southern Tang Dynasty was very fierce. Zha Wenhui was a party that agreed with Song Qiqiu, and had been tit-for-tat with Sun Sheng and others for almost ten years. As soon as Zhang Yan summoned Zha Wenhui, other members of Sun Sheng's party could not sit down.
Living.
Sun Sheng's in-law Li Deming rushed to Sun's house overnight and said to Sun Sheng: "Now that the master has surrendered, he has been treated generously and treated like a prince. The public rebels here and considers himself a loyal minister. Doesn't he want to harm the king of Wu?"
Moreover, Zha Wenhui and others have no moral character. Once they take power, it would be fine if the saint is in Jinling. But once the saint returns to the north, the people in Jiangnan and Jiangxi will definitely be harmed by him!"
The people of Jiangnan and Jiangxi are bound to be harmed by it. It is obvious that Zhang Shengren was forced to re-employ Song Qiqiu and Zha Wenhui's party. They, people from Sun Sheng's party, will definitely be harmed by it.
People! They are caught tightly in the big net of society. Everywhere is tied up and there are interests and dangers everywhere.
Sun Sheng's original intention was indeed to be a pure and loyal minister, and to never serve in an official position again after the fall of the Southern Tang Dynasty.
But the court is like a river and lake. How is it possible to come in and still want to wash your hands in a golden basin without any cost?
Having no choice, Sun Sheng drank and got drunk, and then had to write a letter to Zhang Yan. Although he said that the servant was too stupid to be driven by the emperor, Zhang Yan understood what it meant.
So he personally issued an order to commend him, Han Xizai and other officials of the Southern Tang Dynasty for their loyalty, and ordered Li Jing to write a letter in person to persuade them to serve the new dynasty.
When Li Jing personally wrote in the letter, "The cycle of heaven coincides with the rise of Holy Week in Helong. I am also willing to go to Sheji for the country. Why do you have to be so stupid?" The drama about how to show loyalty ended
At the end, it is also the most suitable node.
Zhang Yan showed his magnanimity, Sun Sheng and others showed their loyalty, and Li Jing also showed his face in a small way. It can be said to be a win-win-win-win situation.
After that, many old officials of the Southern Tang Dynasty who had the same idea as Sun Sheng began to come out to serve the new dynasty.
But there was one thing that Sun Sheng and others guessed wrong.
Zhang Gao summoned Zha Wenhui not just to stimulate them and give them some strength. Zhang Gao really wanted to use Zha Wenhui and his group.
Because Zhang Yan discovered that among the Five Ghosts of the Southern Tang Dynasty who were scolded as dogs in later generations, Song Qiqiu, Feng Yansi, Feng Yanlu and others actually had very good abilities, and there were no major problems with their character, and they even had something to praise.
Especially Qiqiu of the Song Dynasty. Historically, he was forced to be killed by his family by the Southern Tang Dynasty court, and he was given the posthumous title Chou Miao. He was also called the traitorous official in the Southern Tang Dynasty books.
But in fact, Song Qiqiu was a very capable person, not only good at making political suggestions, but also good at economic and financial management.
Under the rule of the Southern Tang Dynasty, Jiangnan, Jiangxi and Jiangdong became the most prosperous in the world. It was not the credit of people like Sun Sheng and Han Xizai, but the credit of Song Qiqiu.
In terms of personal ethics, Song Qiqiu can even be said to be perfect.
In his early years, when his family was in decline and could not even afford food, a private prostitute named Wei admired his talent and knowledge and used the money from selling meat to support Song Qiqiu's hard study.
Song Qiqiu said at that time that if he became successful and famous in the future, he would definitely marry the Wei family.
If it were an ordinary person, if they were really prosperous, they would definitely avoid it. Maybe in this chaotic world, it would not be unusual for people to kill and silence them.
But Song Qiqiu not only married the Wei family as promised after becoming famous, but what was even more shocking was that.
The Wei family was originally a private prostitute. Too much business in the flesh business hurt her body and she was unable to have children. Not only did Song Qiqiu not divorce his wife, he even refused to marry a concubine. He adopted his nephew without any heirs and had only Wei as his partner throughout his life.
So Zhang Yan doesn't believe it. A person who is capable and has such perfect personal ethics is really useless in politics and country governance?
Zhang Gao first ordered the Jinyi guards to secretly collect Song Qiqiu's daily words, deeds and past deeds, then summoned Zha Wenhui, and then summoned Feng Yanlu, just to determine who Song Qiqiu was.
Once the results were combined, Zhang Yan knew that Song Qiqiu, in addition to the above advantages, was also very 'dazzling' in terms of shortcomings and lack of emotional intelligence.
This person has a fiery personality and likes to take power. He always dislikes his colleagues and feels that no one in the world is as good as him. He also has little self-awareness, or he is very incompetent.
Because he actually thought that Li Min could achieve things and he took the greatest credit, so Li Min had to trust him just like Liu Bei trusted Zhuge Liang, and would lose his temper whenever he didn't get what he wanted.
He even went so far as to say that if Li Min suffered a landslide, Song Qiqiu would be the only one who could take on the important task of taking care of him like Zhuge Liang.
Well, this old man, Liu Xuande, who came from a young age, still adhered to benevolence in troubled times, was quite affectionate when he was an emperor, and was quite considerate of his ministers. In these thousands of years, not only is it unique, but it is also rare.
Just three or two kittens.
If Li Min had the ability and magnanimity of Liu Xuande, he would have really revived the Tang Dynasty long ago. How could he only build a small Southern Tang Dynasty!
Therefore, in history, Song Qiqiu still looked so embarrassed when he was in the hands of Li Min's son Li Jing, which completely annoyed the petty Li Jing.
So in the end, Li Jing not only insisted on his death, but also gave him the posthumous title Chou Miao, which was extremely humiliating. It was really strange at all.
Zhang was delighted. He now needed someone to assist Pei Yuan in revitalizing the economy of Jiangnan, Jiangxi and Jiangdong.
Li Jing can't use Song Qiqiu. I, Zhang Shengren, can still find a way to polish him before using him.
Book friends, I'm going to take a day off tomorrow. My brain is so confused that I really can't write anything. I'll take a moment.