Chapter 60 Section VII

Qionglin Court.Zhao Xu and Shi Yue were sitting on the ground, talking with their hands. The emperors of the Song Dynasty, especially the emperors of the Northern Song Dynasty, grew up with scholar-bureaucrats, and most of them were well-educated. They were proficient in piano, chess, calligraphy and painting.Although Zhao Xu is not famous for his literary talent, he knows everything about poetry, Fu, Danqing and calligraphy.Especially like playing chess.Shi Yue was very lucky to play bad chess. Even if he fought against Zhao Xu desperately and tried his best, he still lost more than he won. This kind of level just barely made Zhao Xu like to find Shi Yue as an opponent very much.Unfortunately, in this battered country, there is not much time left for this young monarch who wants to make a difference.

"Your Majesty, I have lost again." Shi Yue threw the black stones in his hand into the chess box, admitting defeat again. "No, Qing didn't lose, this time I lost." Zhao Xu sighed, and threw the white pieces in his hand into the chess box. Shi Yue was startled, looked at the situation on the chessboard again, and found that he had indeed lost, so he couldn't help but look up at the emperor.Zhao Xu was wearing a snow-white silk robe today, with nine black dragons embroidered on it, with teeth and claws, symbolizing authority in the world, but he seemed a little absent-minded.

"Shi Qing, the disadvantages of the market exchange law and the horse protection law are exactly as you said, and you didn't use your words at the beginning, alas..." Hearing Zhao Xu's sigh, Shi Yue was really surprised, Zhao Xu The emperor rarely showed such regret. Shi Yue knew that people in later generations, for various purposes, always said that Zhao Xu did not firmly implement the new law in order to defend Wang Anshi, and regarded this as an important reason for Wang Anshi's failure in reform.This kind of putting the cart before the horse is actually very unfair to Zhao Xu.Because even after Wang Anshi stepped down as Prime Minister, Zhao Xu still firmly implemented the new law until he died.If you think about the tremendous pressure that Wang Anshi's new law brought to the young emperor, it is really valuable for him to persist until his death.

Zhao Xu's real shortcoming, which is also the most fatal shortcoming, is that he lacks the talent of a hero like Li Shimin, not that his will is not strong enough. Facing Zhao Xu's exclamation at this time, Shi Yue answered no, and no answer. "Shi Qing, there is no one else here today. I hope that you can talk about the pros and cons of the new law based on the friendship between me and your ministers. It has been more than four years since the reform, and the court is still noisy. Could it be that Is the reform really wrong?" Zhao Xu was really troubled. Shi Yue suddenly sympathized with this peer in front of him, even though he was the emperor.He knew that the emperor's trust in him had once again strengthened. This was the strategy he and Pan Zhaolin had thought up at the beginning.But for some reason, he didn't feel very happy. At this time, he just followed the strategy that he and Pan Zhaolin had made long ago to deepen the emperor's impression of him step by step.

"Your Majesty, there is nothing wrong with the reform itself. The Exemption Act is an example. Before Prime Minister Wang made the reform, Han Qi and Sima Guang, two people who opposed the Exemption Act, had written a book and tried to explain the disadvantages of the Exemption Act. Sima Guang's "Ya Lianchen has also read the former Zhazi. It can be seen that the original method of labor has really reached the point where it must be changed." "Then why did Han Qi and Sima Guang oppose the exemption law so fiercely? If it is said that the officials in the implementation were not good, which led to the new law being out of shape, with their talents, if they were in charge of a state and county respectively, they should be able to eliminate those shortcomings. Overcome. If there are more competent officials to carry out the execution, wouldn't the so-called malpractice of execution be minimized?" Zhao Xu said what he had kept in his heart for a long time.

Shi Yue thought for a while, and carefully explained Sima Mengqiu's views on the immunity law in the north and the south, and the pros and cons of the immunity law.Zhao Xu listened intently, seemingly shocked.Indeed, except for Shi Yue, no one will talk to him about these political situations. "That's it. Why didn't Shi Qing say this when he was in the court? If there are so many problems, they can actually be amended. The remaining money can be exempted, and the service money can be reduced for fourth- and fifth-class households." Zhao Xu always thought it was an edict Many problems can be solved.

Shi Yue smiled wryly, and said: "Your Majesty, it's not that I'm worried about anything, but these things. I don't have any evidence to speak of when I'm in the capital, but I heard from the people. If there is no evidence, how can I convince Prime Minister Wang? What's more, the exemption money Now it is the main source of military expenses in the Northwest, and the surplus money and service aid money are an important part of the exempt money. Your Majesty, think about how many fourth- and fifth-class households and customers in the north. Although these people pay little money, they accumulate little money. In fact, it is more than the money paid by first-class households.”

Hearing that Shi Yue mentioned the Northwest military expenditure, Zhao Xu couldn't help being stunned. Knowing that the emperor would have a difficult choice, Shi Yue did not continue this topic. He changed the topic and continued to talk about the pros and cons of the new law to Zhao Xu. It is good governance, and one day the country will benefit from it, but the random construction of water conservancy must be prohibited; the establishment of general laws and the reduction of the number of banned troops are also worthy of recognition.The advantages and disadvantages of Baoma Law and Baojia Law are difficult to know, but the places where they are implemented are limited, as long as they are cautious, they will not cause serious harm.The Market Change Law is not beneficial at all, it is harmful, and it should be abolished... He has been a Chinese book reviewer for many years, and many data are quite detailed. Zhao Xu asked and he answered, and the monarch and his ministers deliberated carefully , completely forgetting the passage of time.

"I asked Wang Anshi to investigate Lu Jia's questioning about the Shiyi Division in detail, and there is still no follow-up. The people who suffer from the Shiyi Law, I already know that this law will be abolished." Zhao Xu gritted his teeth lightly, and said with a pursed mouth. However, Shi Yue knew that things couldn't be so simple, so he said calmly: "Your Majesty, the Market Change Law must be abolished, but it cannot be abolished." Zhao Xu couldn't help being startled, this statement is too contradictory. "Zengsheng must be abolished, but can't be abolished?"

"The Market Change Law is of no benefit to the people, so it will naturally be abolished. But I would like to ask Your Majesty, if the Market Change Law is abolished, what will Prime Minister Wang's reaction be?" "This..." Zhao Xuzhen was stopped by the question, and Wang Anshi most likely wanted to resign. Knowing that Zhao Xu had no way to speak out, Shi Yue continued: "Prime Minister Wang regards the reform of the law as very important, and what he wants is prestige. If the Market Change Law is abolished, it will encourage those who oppose the reform, and they will Attack the rest of the laws harder. This is Prime Minister Wang's biggest heart disease. He knows all kinds of disadvantages of the Market Change Law, but he has no way to turn back, because he is afraid that if a hole is missing, the flood will destroy the entire levee. And if His Majesty abolishes the market Changing the law will make people mistakenly think that His Majesty no longer trusts Prime Minister Wang, and that Prime Minister Wang will be afraid of losing his position when the time comes."

Listening to his eloquent talk, Zhao Xu knew that Shi Yue must have a countermeasure. He leaned forward and asked, "Does Shi Qing have a good way?" Shi Yue said with a smile: "I have a way." "Say it." "Your Majesty dismissed Lu Jiawen, assigned the Shiyi Division to the Third Division or the Kaifeng Mansion, and then did not send officials to preside over it, or the Third Division appointed a small official. The task of the Zengbu Shiyi Division was to recover the loaned capital within two years. No longer buying and selling goods, so that the Shiyi Law will not be abolished but will be abolished. After two years, this matter will no longer be sensitive, and it will not be too late to completely abolish the Shiyi Division." Shi Yue smiled slightly. Zhao Xu laughed loudly, and praised: "It's a good one not to be discarded!" The Market Change Law, which was promulgated for one year, died before the Go case in Qionglinyuan. However, Shi Yue's purpose was not just to deal the final blow to the Emperor's death sentence in the City Yifa. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Shi Yue started to counterattack Lu Huiqing. "In addition to the Market Change Law, the Arms Supervision also has considerable disadvantages." "Oh? You can tell me one by one." The emperor has always been very concerned about military weapons. Shi Yue carefully chose his words: "Did Your Majesty hear about the skill competition held by Baishuitan College last year?" Zhao Xu didn't understand why Shi Yue suddenly got involved in the skill competition, but the emperor really understood it quite well, and said with a smile: "I've heard about it too. In the thirty-six competitions, I heard that nine of them were won by scholars from other places." Let’s go. The champion of Cuju is the flying cavalry team of Guozijian.” Later, Guozijian organized four teams to participate in the Cuju competition, named after the four honors of Xiaoqi, Feiqi, Yunqi, and Wuqi, and they beat Baishuitan to the ground. , This matter is talked about by many people. Shi Yue smiled and said: "That's right. I watched the match with my own eyes, and the flying cavalry team is indeed excellent in equestrian skills. Besides, what I like to watch most is archery." "Oh, what's the result? Who is the most skilled?" Zhao Xu also likes these easy topics. Shi Yue shook his head, smiled wryly and said, "I didn't watch the final match, because in the group match, I was worried about something: the bows and crossbows used in the archery competition were all rented from the military supervisor. There were ten broken bows and seven crossbows. In one match, three bows were broken at the same time. If this happened on the battlefield, the consequences would be disastrous. Regardless of other things, the blow to the morale of the army should not be taken lightly Of." Zhao Xu was speechless. He had experienced this kind of thing himself. Once he went to the Military Weapons Supervision and did an impromptu spot check, and all three crossbows failed. "I also know about this kind of chronic disease, but there is no solution. Does Shi Qing have a good plan?" He suddenly understood that when Shi Yue mentioned this matter, most likely he would have a solution. "I believe that the Military Weapons Supervision needs to be completely reformed. I have been thinking about this matter for a long time. If I use my method, it will definitely change the disadvantages of the many inferior products produced by the Military Weapons Supervision. All weapons are qualified." Shi Yue said loudly. "Try it for me, what's the best strategy?" Zhao Xu was very interested, wondering if Shi Yue had any new ideas. "I have done the work of raising the case of the Ministry of Yu, and I am also the inspector of the military ceremonies and workshops. I have thought about the disadvantages of the military inspection for a long time, and I finally got a fool. I ask your majesty to judge whether it is reasonable or not." In this sentence, Shi Yue began to describe his long-planned reform draft of the Military Weapons Supervision, "The current situation of the Military Weapons Supervision is that under the Military Weapons Supervision, there are various workshops, and there are supervisors in various places. But no matter from the purchase of raw materials, to From manufacturing and production, to inspection of weapons, to distributing them to the army, almost all power is concentrated in the hands of the military inspector. The military inspector is not only the government's regulatory agency, but also a production organization. The minister believes that all the disadvantages are due to the Born..." Zhao Xu glanced at Shi Yue in confusion, unlike Shi Yue, he took it for granted. Shi Yue knew that the emperor couldn't understand for a while, so he said immediately: "May I ask your majesty, if Yushi Zhongcheng is under the supervision of the prime minister, and the third envoy is also under the supervision of the prime minister, what will happen?" "The power is harmful, and you cannot keep your position." Zhao Xu said without hesitation. "Then I would like to ask Your Majesty, if there is no admonisher, if there is no rebuttal, and the prime minister is obedient to the emperor, and all the power in the world is concentrated in the hands of His Majesty, what does His Majesty think will be the result?" Shi Yue continued to ask unceremoniously. "A wise lord only protects himself; a lord who is below the middle level will be stunned." Contrary to the imagination of later generations, the emperors above the middle level in ancient times had both a clear and vague understanding of the necessity of power checks and balances. "Your Majesty is wise, so I think that excessive concentration of power will cause harm. The way to govern is to make various departments check and balance each other. The ancients said that the job of a prime minister is to reconcile yin and yang, which is very important. Reconciling yin and yang, so that yin can not overpower Being above yang does not make yang overshadow yin, the two restrict each other and form the great way." "Tang Taizong was assigned to Zhongshu and under his sect, so he was very important." The person Zhao Xu admired most in his life was Tang Taizong. "Exactly. Therefore, regarding the matter of the Military Weapons Supervision, I think that it can be dealt with in this way: all workshops are independent, and raw materials are collected and produced, and production, etc., are all independently accounted for. Although they are filed in the Military Weapons Supervision for investigation, they are not included in the Military Weapons The supervision is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Industry. The role of the Military Weapons Supervision is to manage the weapons research institute, cooperate with various workshops to develop new weapons and equipment, and at the same time send people to each workshop to supervise production, inspect and accept military weapons, and formulate standardized data..." "Standardization?" Zhao Xu didn't understand. "I believe that all kinds of military accessories can be determined by the Military Weapons Supervisor. The national workshops must produce according to this specification. In this way, if one of the parts of the weapon is damaged, it can be exchanged and repaired at any time. At the same time, it can also increase the production of the workshop. The quality of military weapons. For example, if certain large-scale weapons are produced in a standardized manner, the production capacity can be enhanced. Because each component is produced in different workshops according to the standardization, it does not require many years of skilled workers to complete it, and those with rich experience Skilled workers only need to be responsible for the final assembly and the production of some difficult parts. This way, the efficiency can be greatly improved. Folk printing industry, cotton spinning industry, etc., all use this method, and the effect is quite remarkable.” The businessman is The most receptive class, the successful experience of Sang and Tang, was quickly extended to the entire industry, so Shi Yue was very confident in standardized production. "This is indeed a good prescription." Zhao Xu nodded. Shi Yue continued: "At the same time, the Military Weapons Supervisor is also responsible for studying and judging the quantity of various weapons needed by the imperial army, and then ordering them from various workshops in advance according to the needs. And each workshop will purchase raw materials and produce weapons according to the requirements. In this way, producers and The supervisors are separated, and if the producers want to cut corners, the military inspector will not agree. And the most important thing is that the producer of the workshop, the supervisor of the workshop, and the inspector of the military inspector must be engraved on each weapon. If there is a problem with the name of the author, all three will be punished. In this way, there will be no problems with the weapons of the Song Dynasty." Zhao Xu nodded frequently, raised his eyebrows and said with a smile: "It is indeed a good strategy, it is indeed a good strategy." Shi Yue sneered in his heart: This time, we have achieved multiple goals. On the one hand, we have divided more than half of Lu Huiqing's power, and on the other hand, we have reformed the weapons production system. If we succeed, we can always apply this experience to the steel industry in the future.But on the surface, he just smiled and said: "It's more than that. The current production capacity of the Military Weapons Supervision is limited. I think that many basic raw materials, some non-critical accessories after standardization, and military supplies such as cold clothes, In the future, after formulating the specifications and requirements, it can be produced by itself, or purchased from the private sector by the military inspector. The folk workshops can be allowed to compete openly and choose the one with the best price and the cheapest. This way of calculating the cost is much more economical than the imperial court’s own production. It can also be shared equally with the people, and the imperial court can extract commercial taxes from it.” Zhao Xu thought for a long time after hearing what Shi Yue said, and then said: "What Shi Qing said is very reasonable. But the reform of the Military Weapons Supervision involves the Military Weapons Supervision, the Ministry of Industry, and various workshops. I am afraid that I will see the harm before I see the merits." The emperor's worry cannot be said to be unreasonable. Shi Yue said with a smile: "Your Majesty, if you really want to do something, there are always many difficulties. But as long as you do it carefully, it will not cause harm. I recommend a few people to preside over this matter, and they will surely accomplish their merits." Hearing Shi Yue's tone, Zhao Xu couldn't help but jokingly said: "It sounds like what Prime Minister Wang said." Shi Yue smiled and said: "I dare not. I think that Su Zhe, Cai Bian, and Tang Di should be responsible for establishing the management organization of the weapon workshop in the Ministry of Industry, and Shen Kuo and Su Song should be appointed to work together with Chen Yuanfeng of the Weapons Research Institute of the Military Weapons Supervision and Research Institute. The officials of the workshop worked together to formulate standardized specifications, and Lu Huiqing continued to preside over the affairs of the military weapons supervision department. As long as the regulations were formulated in detail and prudently acted, the achievements could be made within two years. Moreover, reforms can be done step by step. Eager for success. After all, soldiers are a major matter for the country. For example, the bow and arrow workshops with the most serious problems can be separated first, and after gaining certain experience, the workshops can be separated slowly one by one. It can all be independent. Even if there is something wrong with this, the impact will not be too great." "This is the old saying of trying to seek the country. If all reforms are made at once, I really have some concerns. However, who are Cai Bian and Tang Di that Qing said? It is also quite difficult to use Shen Kuo." Only then did Shi Yue realize that he was confused, how could the emperor know about Cai Bian and Tang Di?It is inevitable to explain the abilities and talents of these two people at the moment. "...As for Shen Kuo, I think his talent in this area is unmatched by anyone. It would be a pity if he is not used."