Xue Xiang was a lay official, but because of his low background, his understanding of economic laws was better than that of ordinary court officials. He was similar to Zhang Fangping and Su You, and was quite "modern".

He is good at financial management and is good at using economic laws to solve problems. He was highly recommended by Su You and Wang Anshi. Although he was repeatedly blocked by the censors, he still reached his current high position by chance.

Zhao Xu appointed him as a member of the Tongzhi Privy Council this time. This was Su You's recommendation to Zhao Xu and Feng Jing. He was inseparable from sorting out and solving the problem of redundant troops in the capital.

Xue Xiang came out and bowed: "Exactly, this system was actually initiated by Su Mingrun. I don't dare to take credit. I just followed Xiao Gui."

Wang Gui was very sensitive to this statement: "Su Mingrun has never been in the government. This metaphor is overstated."

Xue Xiang's background was too low, and he couldn't compare with Wang Gui, the emperor's little vest. He was frozen there for a moment, not knowing whether he should continue.

After Wu Chong was cheated by Wang Gui, he was quite disgusted with him. As the prime minister, he said: "Let's talk and listen. Let's discuss the matter as it is and don't get into details."

Only then did Xue Xiang dare to continue speaking: "Yes."

"This system actually started in Shaanxi. Su Mingrun was developing water conservancy projects in Shaanxi, and most of the people he used were Xiang troops. After acquiring the land, he ordered the Xiang troops to farm on the spot. After the fields were ripe, the Xiang troops were willing to turn to civilian owners and let them do it.

…”

Wang Gui asked: "Is the Xiang army willing to give up their food money?"

Xue Xiang cupped his hands and said: "Your Majesty, the Xiang army is so heavy that it is difficult to return. The biggest reason is that they gathered together and did not disperse."

"Whenever floods and droughts occur, and refugees occur everywhere, the imperial court selects young men and women to be included in the Xiang army to consolidate the good policies of the ancestors and the true heart of loving the people."

"After they were gathered together, apart from the monthly payment of basic salt, vegetable money and rations, there was no other management method. Military discipline was quite loose. To put it bluntly, they were just a bunch of prisoners under military law."

"As time went by, the Xiang army was idle, and the monthly food money was given out, but most of it was spent on buying and selling, and then they either became gangsters, harassing the place, or became servants, unable to stand on their own feet."

"Once there is something to use for it, the court has to spend a lot of money to arrange it, and often it cannot be used."

"Su Ming's method of running Shaanxi is to teach them to work first and let them get used to labor; then order them to work in the fields and learn farming methods; in the process, reward them generously and teach them to save."

"After a few years, when the fields are cultivated and the Xiang soldiers have some savings, and the government sells acres of land, livestock, and domestic seeds and farm equipment, of course the Xiang soldiers are willing to change their jobs."

Wu Chong had some questions: "How will Su Mingrun solve the annexation problem? I'm afraid that if the Xiangjun land is obtained, he will still be inactive and sell it to rich households."

Xue Xiang said: "This problem has indeed occurred. The solution is very simple, which is to make detailed records and grant the land to the Xiang army. It cannot be resold within ten years."

"This problem in Shaanxi is mainly caused by familiar Tibetan households. After they were granted land due to their military exploits, they like to sell it to the Han people for short-term profits."

"In order to anchor them to the land, Su Mingrun invented and popularized the method of raising livestock in green reserves, and then developed wool spinning. After the benefits of settlement for the Tibetan people exceeded the benefits of nomadism, this phenomenon gradually disappeared."

Wang Gui was displeased: "In the final analysis, I am still a minister who talks about profit. You must know that you can lure him with profit today, and you can rebel against him tomorrow."

Xue Xiang bowed and said: "That's true, but Su Mingrun said that Canglin knows etiquette and justice in a real way. What he did in Shaanxi was just to solve the first step, and then he talked about the second and third steps. Otherwise, he would be too ambitious.

It’s hard to do.”

Zhao Xu nodded: "It's good to be able to take this first step. Shaanxi has not bothered the court much in recent years, but can it be implemented in Bianjing?"

Xue Xiang said: "Bianjing City is a little more difficult because there is not so much land around Bianjing City."

"But fortunately, there are many labor services around Bianjing City."

"It started with the Bianqu Project a few years ago, followed by the Luoshui Water Conservancy Project, then Weishi, Dongming, and Zhongmou County Construction Projects, road projects, and only recently the Bianjing City Wall Renovation Project."

"These projects are huge but the people don't complain. What's the reason? There's nothing more than using more Xiang troops to make enough money."

Cai Que came out and said: "This is not Su Mingrun's contribution, this is Shu Guogong's way of exempting himself from military service."

Xue Xiang bowed: "Yes, Bianjing's method is basically based on Shu Guogong's method of exempting himself from military service."

Wu Chong sneered and said: "Then why are the laws of the princes effective only in Kaifeng Mansion, but in other ways, they have nothing but disturbing people's livelihood?"

Lu Gongzhi also handed over his hand: "Your Majesty, when the prince proposed the law of exemption from military service, the ministers and others discussed it and thought it was not feasible."

"This is the savings of the collected households, used to pay off the cunning people, and to carry out the tasks of the day. It is a lot of waste and it is difficult to see the results."

"Now it seems that the method of exempting from military service was only introduced in Kaifeng, but it has not been effective in other ways. There is an old saying, 'If the benefits are not enough, the law will not change.' It is still not abolished."

Seeing that the controversy was about to arise, Zhao Xu stopped him: "Listen to what Xue Xiang continues."

Xue Xiang cupped his hands and said: "Yes, the intention of the prince's method is good, but there is a problem, that is, the people who serve... In Su Mingrun's words, they are not... professional enough."

"In the wealthy areas of the Song Dynasty, such as Sichuan, Bianjing, and Zhejiang, the people were of course willing to pay money to be exempted from labor so as not to disturb normal production. But there is a problem, after the court collected the money, who would be handed over to complete these labors? ?”

"Most of the roads are handed over to some lazy and unemployed people. These people can't complete their service at all. The government wastes money and food. In the end, they still have to work hard to establish households and serve, causing complaints everywhere."

"The Kaifeng Prefecture put the project out for bid, and the bidders were all from the Construction Department of Sitong Company, the Construction Department of Zhoutan River Canal Department, and the General Supervisor who have been engaged in project construction for a long time."

"These workshops have specialized talents who know how to undertake construction projects. Kaifeng Prefecture also sent a professional team to assess the progress and cost of the project, so everything went smoothly."

"During the construction process, a large number of idle people were absorbed. After several major projects were completed, a large number of Xiang soldiers were transformed into talented people in the project construction team."

"This is the reason why the exemption law was successful in Kaifeng Prefecture. The law is a good law, but a good law can only be implemented by good officials. So far in Kaifeng Prefecture, various urban construction and water conservancy project teams have attracted no less than 100,000 people. They work hard to gain nothing in a day, except In addition to two meals a day, I will be given three hundred coins."

"These 100,000 people have been completely separated from the cultivation of the land, building cities, roads, canals, and dams all year round. They are not cunning and lazy, but they are using them inappropriately and no one can teach them."

"Many of these people have been resettled on the newly acquired land between the Yellow River and Kaifeng, and there are still 60,000 people who are still making a living by building construction projects."

Zhao Xu nodded: "Although teaching people to fish, this method can only solve the problem for a while. Now that all the projects are completed, how to resettle these remaining people? Does the Privy Council have any intention?"

Xue Xiang said: "This brings us back to the Construction Corps mentioned by Prime Minister Feng just now. These tens of thousands of construction professionals are very rare. Hedong is now suffering from floods, people's livelihood is in ruins, and there are many idle fields and waste acres."

"The intention of the Privy Council is to allow them to change jobs freely. After all, they have accumulated savings after working for several years. They can be encouraged to immigrate to the north and south of Jinghu, the east and west of Guangnan, and even Jiaozhi and Meizhou."

"These places are vast and sparsely populated. For example, Guangnan East Road has only 200,000 ding, which is not as good as Fan Yao. In Meizhou, Shen Cunzhong even offered favorable conditions, with one ding and fifteen acres of three-crop land.

Fifteen acres of grassland, housing, livestock, farm tools, seeds, and seeds were distributed, but not even women."

Zhao Xu's face twitched: "The news from Mr. Xue was delayed. Shen Cunzhong contacted Su Mingrun, and Su Mingrun entrusted Li Daocheng to find 30,000 widows and poor girls in Jiaozhi to marry them to Meizhou folk husbands. Hahaha, they, women

Also sent."

Everyone in the palace smiled, but didn't take it seriously.

The government urged men and women of the right age to start families, which was a serious matter in this era.

Zhao Bian was in Hangzhou, and last year he gave dowries to more than a thousand poor girls to marry, and the imperial court issued a special order to reward them.

I heard Xue Xiang continue to say: "The weapons supervisor said: 'The Fifth Route State Army has added Zhuangcheng soldiers in recent years. Although they have been taught and commanded, the martial arts they have learned are completely useless.'"

"For example, the city of Damingfu is surrounded for more than 40 miles, and there are only four gunners. Others are not equipped to release gunpowder, all firemen, etc. It is old and has no teaching standards, and there are no dedicated inspection officials."

"The Daming Palace is Beijing, an important city in the world. The Privy Council wishes to follow the regulations of the capital, rebuild the Daming Palace, and improve the system of gunners..."
Chapter completed!