Quick Wear: I and the Female Match Share the Battle Shirt

Chapter 258: If you are not called Qingping, you can’t be happy (27)

It was not until the end of spring of the following year that the Song-Xia War finally ended.

The land of Xia was divided between Song and Liao. Li Yuanhao committed suicide for his country, and his concubines and children were all ordered to be sent to Fangzhou, a holy place for recuperation for the royal family of the Northern Song Dynasty, and were kept under guard.

Cao Danshu did not expect that the Xia Kingdom, which had caused so much trouble to the previous deceased emperors for so long, would eventually perish in her hands. Naturally, such a good thing would require a general amnesty.

At this time in the Northern Song Dynasty, the imperial examinations were not held every three years, but once a year, or once every two years, and it was very rare that they were held every three years.

Considering that the court did not hold the imperial examination last year due to the war, Cao Danshu thought of taking this opportunity to hold a special examination.

As soon as this proposal was made, Lu Changqing was the first to object.

In the Song Dynasty, in addition to the imperial examination and military merit, there were two other ways to become an official. One was "appointment by favor" and the other was "appointment by tribute."

Let's talk about this "Jinna Bu Guan". When the imperial court needs money and materials, it will actively call on wealthy people to donate money and materials. It will not let you donate in vain. It will grant certain official positions according to the amount of money donated by the rich.

To put it bluntly, this way of granting official positions is selling official positions and titles, and it is officially recognized and permitted.

With so many ways to become an official, it is no wonder that the problem of redundant officials was serious in the Northern Song Dynasty.

Lu Changqing was eager to lay off employees and drive out all those idlers who were just sitting there doing nothing, so he firmly opposed Cao Danshu's proposal to open a special department.

"Your Majesty, the current imperial court should not only stop holding imperial examinations to select officials, but should also reform the current official selection and promotion systems, especially the imperial system and recommendation system. These two systems should be restricted."

When Lu Changqing said this, all the ministers in the court jumped to their feet.

Deputy Minister Yan Shu was even more excited than Prime Minister Xia Song. "What do you mean by that? Don't you even follow the rules set by our ancestors?"

"I didn't say to abolish it, I just said to restrict it. What's the hurry, Lord Yan? Are you afraid that after being restricted, you won't be able to place only your own people in the court like Lord Wang did before you?"

Yan Shu said angrily, "Stop slandering me! I have no second thoughts about the court. Please investigate, Queen Mother!"

"Mr. Yan, do you really not know about the redundant staff problem or are you pretending not to know? If you really have no second thoughts about the court, you should stand on my side right now."

Lu Changqing was speaking to Yan Shu, but his eyes were actually on Xia Song.

When it comes to reform, Yan Shu and Xia Song were the backbone of the conservative faction.

What Lu Changqing just brought up is one of the contents of Fan Zhongyan's reform. There is only one reason why these people are so excited and oppose so actively: it threatens the interests of these powerful people.

Headache!

After the court meeting, Lu Changqing went to see Cao Danshu and calculated for her the current surplus in the national treasury.

During the past four years of the war, military spending has been ridiculously high, and so far the treasury account is already in the negative.

Cao Danshu was shocked and asked, "How could this happen?"

"Your Majesty, the military expenditure is really too high. Now that the threat from the northwest has been eliminated, the court should also reduce the number of troops."

"Downsizing? Isn't there still the Liao Kingdom?"

Lu Changqing said: "The Liao Kingdom doesn't dare to fight us head-on now, and according to my statistics, the number of the garrison troops and the imperial guards now adds up to more than 900,000, which is too many. The court can't afford to support so many soldiers, so we have to lay off the old, weak, sick and disabled ones."

Thinking of the current situation in the court, Cao Danshu was worried. "But who should be entrusted with this matter? If you are in charge, the ministers in the court will definitely not accept it, and the voices of opposition will be louder and more intense."

Lu Changqing recommended Fan Zhongyan to Cao Danshu, and it was he who did this in history.

"But isn't he in charge of the northwest border defense? If we call him back, who will be in charge there?"

Lu Changqing thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty can call him back first. As for settling the Tanguts, you can let Deputy Envoy Wen go."

"Are you referring to Wen Yanbo, the deputy envoy of the Privy Council?"

Lu Changqing nodded. "He has served as the governor of Qinzhou and Yizhou. When it comes to pacifying the people, he should not be much worse than Fan Zhongyan."

The reform process was slow. Just to confirm the policy and content of the reform, Lu Changqing and Fan Zhongyan discussed for a month. This was when Lu Changqing brought with him a cheat sheet of "Wang Anshi's Reforms".

After Cao Danshu had someone read out the content of the reform in the court, she was indeed met with opposition from most of the court officials.

Cao Danshu was furious and found a list of "crimes" against Yan Shu, dismissed him from his position as vice prime minister, and sent him to Yingzhou as the Minister of Works.

Later, he appointed Fan Zhongyan as the Vice Prime Minister on the spot and asked him to work with Lu Changqing to promote reforms.

After the court meeting, Xia Song stopped Lu Changqing and asked, "Mr. Bai, what do you mean?"

Lu Changqing looked at Xia Song in confusion and asked, "What does Mr. Xia mean by this?"

"Mr. Bai Zhiyuan is extremely intelligent. Can't he see who this reform is aimed at?" Xia Song asked.

Lu Changqing smiled and said, "Of course I know. I will reform myself."

Xia Song's expression changed, and he said in a deep voice: "Since you know this, why do you still do this?"

Lu Changqing asked: "Mr. Xia, may I ask why you became an official?"

Xia Song answered without hesitation: "Serve the country and realize my ambitions."

Lu Changqing asked again: "Besides that?"

Xia Song asked back: "What else?"

"What about the people? Don't you have the people in your eyes?

You clearly know that if the country continues to develop in the current state for a long time, corrupt officials will surely run rampant, the court will become poorer and poorer, and the people will suffer more and more. This is not what Your Majesty wants to see."

Lu Changqing put his hands behind his back, held his head and chest high. Although he was not as tall as the other, his aura was no weaker than the other.

"Reform is imperative. Lord Xia, don't forget who is responsible for your success today. Think twice before you act. Don't follow in the footsteps of Minister Yan."

"Do you threaten me?"

"No, just a kind reminder."

After saying this, Lu Changqing looked at the ministers who were gathered around him and said, "By the way, I would like to remind everyone present here that we enjoy high positions and generous salaries, so we should plead for the people and share the worries of the emperor. Water can carry a boat, but it can also overturn it. If the people are having a hard time, do you think you can have a good life?"

Someone cursed: "Scaremongering!"

Lu Changqing looked at the man who had spoken and said, "Since you can say such things, you must be the kind of corrupt official who doesn't care about the lives of the people. I will remember you. When I go back, I will write a letter to sue you and have someone investigate you!"

Everyone:...

Regardless of whether these people were willing or not, under Cao Danshu's tough attitude, the reform was slowly implemented.

There was too much resistance to reforming the official system, and there were too many conservatives who were completely uncooperative. Lu Changqing and others decided to start with people's livelihood and the military.

After conquering two-thirds of Xia's territory, the problem of horses and iron was no longer a problem for the time being. After the supply of weapons and equipment was completed, Lu Changqing began to make drastic cuts in the military.

When the Liao Kingdom heard the news and learned that the Song court was not at peace, and coupled with the large-scale troop reduction on the border, they began to get restless and were eager to try.

Lu Changqing was inspecting Hedong Road at the time. After learning from intelligence personnel lurking in the Liao Kingdom that the north was recruiting soldiers again, he immediately reorganized the army and was ready for battle.