Brother Song Taizu

Chapter 163 Welcome to the Newborn
Zhao Guangmei controls this trading company, and the trading company controls at least the merchants in Kaifeng City, and even most of the traffickers. Even if he is not as well-informed about many information as Zhao Guangyi, it is definitely not far behind.

After special inquiry, Zhao Guangmei soon got the exact news. Zhao Pu's daughter and Li Chongju's son had indeed been privately engaged for life. In all likelihood, they had even tasted the forbidden fruit and done good deeds.

This kind of thing was not a big deal in the early Song Dynasty. In the early Song Dynasty, the matter of parents ordering matchmakers was not taken so seriously. In fact, it was a very common thing for boys and girls from ordinary families.

But who makes their fathers both prime ministers?

Originally, the relationship between Zhao Pu and Li Chongju was actually good. Although Li Chongju was not an official of the Guide Mansion in the later Zhou Dynasty, if he was not an official of Zhao Kuangyin, how could he have soared to the position of Privy Councilor so soon after the founding of the country? .

This kind of collegial relationship is indeed easy to develop into a family friend. The children of the two families should have known each other as early as the later Zhou Dynasty. If Zhao Kuangyin hadn't been wearing the yellow robe later, Zhao Pu and Li Chongju would not have been able to achieve such a position. In that case It is probably normal for children from two families to have sex or become sworn brothers, and it is even something that is encouraged by the family.

It can only be said that these two prime ministers are not the kind of cruel people. If they really encounter such cruel people and force them to force them, the two children will have to be separated.

Especially Zhao Kuangyin, who was very afraid of this kind of thing. He was the child of a general, and his ability to become emperor depended on his large network of generals. The entire Taizu Dynasty was extremely sensitive to sworn vows and marriages.

Are you afraid of ghosts knocking on your door if you do something wrong?

Zhao Guangmei simply thought about it for a while, then put down the unnecessary thoughts for the time being. On the same day, she went to visit Zhao Pu and chatted with him all day about the New Deal reforms, but she didn't mention anything about his children at all. Zhao Pu He was indeed very interested in the New Deal, and even took the initiative to propose that Xue Juzheng must be called back immediately, and he must be made the third secretary-general.

"But Your Highness, I also agree that the matter in the northwest should be slowed down first. Don't be anxious. The essence of this matter is not about Tubo, but the game between Song and Liao. Hmm... I wonder if Your Highness has paid attention to the trading houses of Liao recently?"

"Liao Commercial Bank? Han Derang? He..."

Zhao Guangmei couldn't help but blush.

Because he slept with his fiancée, Han Derang had been in Kaifeng for so long, but he had barely met him, let alone got to know him in depth.

"As far as I know, Han Derang recently bought a lot of things with the help of a trading company and returned to the Liao Kingdom. As far as I know, he has been looking for some outstanding craftsmen trained by you to send to the Liao Kingdom. Go, by the way, he should have already got one of your foot tables for making arrow shafts."

Zhao Guangmei said in surprise: "The export of that thing should be strictly prohibited, right? How did he get it?"

"Yan Guo still leaves traces. How is your thing made? Can you really keep it a secret? Find some skilled craftsmen and figure it out yourself. You can't hide the design at all. I can't hide that thing either. I’ve seen it, the real difficulty of this thing is casting, but casting, to put it bluntly, is just a craftsman, if you put a little bit of work here and there, a little bit of work here and there, you can always make it.”

Zhao Guangmei frowned at first, then nodded helplessly.

Indeed, there is no so-called industrialization and standardization in this era. Zhao Guangmei has actually studied machine tools for a long time, but after repeated research, the only result is the machine for cutting arrow shafts.

In fact, the design is very simple. It is just a small round hole with a circle of extremely sharp blades inside. By stepping on it like a sewing machine, a very thick wooden stick can be cut into the thickness of an arrow. In addition to ensuring that the cut is straight. In fact, there is no redeeming feature. He got the inspiration from the pencil sharpener he used when he was a child.

Or is this just a large pencil sharpener?

There is no technical content in this thing, and there is no design precision at all. Every key component is made by the hands of experienced masters.

There is not much demand for this thing. Even with the number of imperial troops in the Song Dynasty, there are more than a hundred or so units that can be used to meet the needs of daily training and combat.

So since the Song Dynasty could rub it by hand, the Liao Kingdom could also rub it by hand.

The various master craftsmen are the real wealth of the trading company, which is basically equivalent to the previous level [-], seventh, or even eighth-level technicians. The company can develop so fast, to a large extent, it is their contribution.

However, it is indeed impossible to keep any secret that has no threshold.

He shook his head slowly and said, "I've been too busy recently to take care of him. I didn't pay enough attention to him. It's my fault. Why, how many craftsmen did he... poach?"

"It's not much, but it's definitely there. He really gave me money after all."

Zhao Guangmei muttered unhappily: "The merchants paid a lot of money. What was their treatment before? Five guans a month, eight guans, that's incredible, right? What kind of treatment are they now? Those who are really capable are rated as high-level or even The monthly salary of stunt technicians is at least [-] yuan, and they are also divided into shares of the trading company. I dare not say that it will make them rich, but at least they are well-off families in Kaifeng, right? Marry a wife and have children, or even marry two Isn’t it difficult to be a concubine?”

"If they go to the Liao Kingdom, how much can Handerang give them? No matter how much they give, they will leave their hometown and defect to the enemy country. Besides, my second brother should be very strict in this regard. If senior technicians want to leave Kaifeng City, they will have Ban Zhi following them around the clock to protect them. , so he must have sneaked out in the dark, so why bother? Oh~, it’s really hard to understand the mentality of those people who went out."

Zhao Pu said with a smile: "There is no limit to the human heart. Besides, your business can only give them money. But they can have rights when they go to the Liao Kingdom. You may not be sensitive enough to some things. It is difficult to imagine that the people at the bottom How much emphasis is placed on power.”

Zhao Guangmei still frowned after hearing this.

But it’s not that I don’t understand.

After all, there are a lot of talents in the Song Dynasty. The trading houses were born out of the original field courtyard. The field yard had already existed in the Tang Dynasty. After generations of training, there were far more people who were completely separated from the land and agriculture and specialized in craftsmanship. In the Liao Kingdom, naturally there are many masters of this type of craftsman, so the masters can naturally only be craftsmen. No matter how well Zhao Guangmei improved their treatment, they are still craftsmen, but when they arrived in the Liao Kingdom, they brought their craftsmanship with them. The knowledge and processes learned from Zhao Guangmei can be used to become a factory director or even enter the administrative system.

It has to be said that the Liao State really valued Han craftsmen. It had a tradition of giving preferential treatment to Han craftsmen since the time of Yelu Abaoji. People with special skills could also serve as officials. Many of the officials in the South Hospital were medical craftsmen. , a craftsman by background, he speculated that Xiao Siwen might simply promise that if they copied the things, they could become county magistrates in the South Courtyard or something like that.

There is nothing you can do about it, there are always some people who are very addicted to officialdom.

"I know, I will find a way, but what does this have to do with my expedition to the northwest?"

"Currently, the scale of border trade between the Liao Kingdom and our Song Dynasty has become increasingly large. More and more Liao merchants have entered Kaifeng directly. Do you know what they are selling?"

"What?"

"It's horses, and they sell them cheap."

"The Liao Kingdom is actually willing to sell horses to us in the Song Dynasty? It's actually very cheap?"

"This is the cleverness of the Liao State. If he doesn't sell it, we will buy it from the northwest. If he sells it, the northern horse will be much cheaper than the western horse. In other words, we will buy it from the northwest. The benefits that Song Neng can gain from the northwest are getting less and less." Zhao Guangmei said displeasedly: "We are not just visiting the northwest just to point horses."

"Of course, but with less revenue, the cost will naturally be higher. The Liao Kingdom is also a big country like the Song Dynasty, and they also own the Sixteenth State of Yanyun. Therefore, it is impossible for you to break the situation in the northwest in a short time. , that’s why I feel that you have been a little too radical in your recent actions.”

Zhao Guangmei frowned and thought for a long time. Although she didn't agree with Zhao Pu's words, she still nodded and said: "You are right, and it makes sense. The struggle between Song and Liao is ultimately a contest of comprehensive national strength, so we must implement The New Deal and commercial banks cannot really be a weapon to win against Liao, the New Deal is."

After that, he chatted with Zhao Pu for most of the day about the new policy.

"By the way, Brother Pu, have you ever heard of Butterfly Lovers?"

"Liang Zhu?"

"It's about the love story between a man named Liang Shanbo and a man named Zhu Yingtai during the Wei and Jin Dynasties. Have you heard of it?"

"Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai... seem to have heard of this Yuefu poem."

"Really, Brother Pu, you might as well listen to it some more. That story is quite interesting and should be good for you."

Zhao Pu couldn't help laughing and scolding: "A poem about love is good for me? You, Brother Pu, and I are older, and now I can't compare to you young people in this regard. I have no intention but no power."

Zhao Guangmei smiled and did not continue, as if it was just mentioned casually. When the serious talk was over, he stood up and left.

Zhao Pu was still thinking: "Liang Zhu? Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai? Are they related to me?"

…………

On the second day, Zhao Pu and Zhao Guangyi both stood up to take the lead. The New Deal, which had always been half-hidden by the officials of the Song Dynasty, finally came belatedly, completely revealing whether it was ferocious or kind. 's true face.

First, Jingdong and Jingxi roads are used as pilot projects. Residents no longer require road guidance to move within the region. In cities, at least Kaifeng, no city tax is levied.

In other words, from now on, ordinary people from Jingdong and Jingxi who have lost their land can come to Kaifeng to make a living. Zhao Guangmei even openly took Zhao Guangyi across the river to draw a circle as a slum construction project in the future. land use.

This alone shocked all the officials and even the old Kaifeng citizens.

But this article is already the mildest among the New Deal regulations introduced so far.

Second, the public money and money-grabbing system in Kaifeng City was officially abolished, and money banks were opened through commercial banks to absorb savings for free and lend money for a fee.

Third, the land in Kaifeng Development Zone will be divided into three categories: industrial land, commercial land, and civil land, and it will only be rented but not sold for the time being.

Fourth, increase the construction of Changpingcang, and hand over the official grain procurement task of Changpingcang to commercial banks, and set the lowest price for grain purchase and the highest price for grain sales.

Fifth, significantly increase the wages of low-level and middle-level officials, especially clerks. From now on, subordinate officials will receive royal food, and each name must be registered by the Ministry of Personnel.

Moreover, each house officer in the Kaifeng Mansion no longer has the personnel power over the subordinate staff of each house. The personnel appointment and dismissal power of the 17 subordinate staff in 810 counties, six houses, and under the Kaifeng Mansion has been officially moved up. Only Zhao Guangyi himself has the power to make the final decision on each staff. A subordinate official's promotion or stay.

And if subordinate officials have objections to Zhao Guangyi's promotion, they can also go to the Ministry of Personnel to appeal, or even beat drums to complain.

Of course, the so-called complaint definitely does not exist for Zhao Guangyi, who is bigger than the official department, but it will naturally be different for other Kaifeng prefects in the future, and even for the prefects in other regions after the implementation of the New Deal.

Sixth, Kaifeng Development Zone will be officially merged into Kaifeng Government Office. District Mayor Sun Liancheng will officially assume the post of Kaifeng Government Official, and this position will be formally and directly appointed by Prime Minister Zhao Pu. Small shareholders of some commercial banks will form an advisory council to participate in the reform. When it comes to Kaifeng Mansion's decision-making on major issues, the recommendation officer Sun Liancheng is responsible for management, communication, and coordination.

Seventh, to rectify the administration of officials, Jingdong and Jingxi, with Kaifeng Prefecture as a pilot, comprehensively abolish subordinate officials at the county level and below, reduce the number of subordinate officials at the county level, and expand the city where the government offices are located. At the same time, each county will be directly led by the Privy Council. , set up militia battalions to conduct military management of towns and below in preparation for war.

There were seven of them in total, and almost all of them were bloody. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that there was going to be a major earthquake in Kaifeng and even the entire Beijing and Dingdong Xiliang Roads. That's all. Zhao Guangmei also said that this was only the first phase. After the first phase was completed, the earthquake would begin. Push the second stage.

Zhao Kuangyin also expressed his position that all officials were allowed to object and write letters to discuss, but if anyone dared to disobey orders and deliberately obstruct the execution, he would be killed.

As for Zhao Guangmei, he has already begun to wear armor when he goes out. A group of soldiers from the old camp have begun to fully protect Zhao Guangmei's safety. There are more than 400 people in the old camp and the young camp alone.

This is already a typical example of raising soldiers, and his attitude is not even much lower than that of Zhao Kuangyin, but Zhao Kuangyin chose to acquiesce to this.

Mainly those who were in charge of all levels of commercial banks, some middle-level and junior officials began to gradually be integrated into the Kaifeng government offices and became subordinate staff of the Kaifeng government. A group of officials from the third division directly took off their official robes and entered the commercial banks.

The trading houses and the government were integrating, but the documents to transfer Xue Juzheng back were sent out at an urgent speed of [-] miles.

As soon as the news came out, the whole country was in an uproar, and memorials from civil servants all over the country opposing the radical New Deal came like snow flakes.

Of course, this was all within Zhao Guangmei's expectation.

However, what surprised Zhao Guangmei was that many officials actually submitted memorials expressing their welcome to the New Deal.

At least the attitude of the civil service group towards him was not one-sided and all opposed to him.

A brand new Song Dynasty is rising slowly like the newborn sun.

(End of this chapter)