Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 260 Outsiders Joining the Stream
“Taking ‘official funds’ as an example, turning the hidden into the explicit and establishing regulations to constrain them is a way to break the deadlock.”

Ouyang Xiu pondered for a long time before slowly speaking.

"However, this policy has far-reaching consequences. By explicitly listing items under 'cost-saving items,' it is as if another piece of the already strained budget is being carved out. It is hard to say whether other unforeseen events may arise as a result."

In the Song Dynasty's finances, revenue items or categories such as special funds and taxes were collectively referred to as "category names," which were divided into categories such as provincial funds and goods, non-provincial funds and goods, sealed funds and goods, unsealed funds and goods, and funds and goods without quotas for tribute.
The term "revenue from the provinces" originated in the mid-Tang Dynasty. At that time, the regional military governors would independently reduce their tax revenue and not hand it over to the Tang court. Emperor Xianzong of Tang took advantage of the favorable situation of suppressing the regional military governors and stipulated that "the taxes of the country should be divided into three parts: the first is the tribute, the second is the tribute sent to the envoys, and the third is the tax retained by the prefectures," thus implementing a three-level quota system for fiscal revenue.

The so-called tribute was the budget revenue of the central government of the Tang Dynasty, which was provided and remitted by the prefectures and counties; the tribute to the envoys was the budget revenue of the military governors and inspectors of various circuits, which was also provided and remitted by the prefectures and counties; the tribute to the prefectures was the budget revenue of the prefectures and counties.

Unlike the Song Dynasty, which used a dedicated fund system for military expenses, the military expenses at that time were not allocated to specific revenues such as salt revenue. Instead, military expenses were uniformly covered by the Ministry of Finance. This led to the emergence of the term "Xi Sheng" (系省), which in the Song Dynasty evolved into a complex fiscal budget item specifically referring to local retained expenses.

The reason why the "three-level budget system" of the Tang Dynasty and the "all expenditures of the country were handled by the three departments" of the Song Dynasty were naturally due to the system established by Emperor Taizu of Song.

Emperor Taizu of Song initially established transport commissioners to seize local financial power, abolished the "transportation commissioner" process, and then tightened control over the money and goods retained by the prefectures. He issued an edict stating that "all public funds and goods previously belonging to the prefectures shall be transferred to the provincial government and shall not be used for any expenses." This meant that no money or goods were left for the local governments. After Emperor Zhenzong, although the local governments gradually gained some financial power as fiscal restrictions were loosened, they still found it difficult to break free from the highly centralized fiscal management system of the Three Departments.

Therefore, although it is simple and easy to allocate a portion of the "provincial funds" for the expenses of clerks, from a financial perspective, there is a certain risk of triggering a chain reaction.

"Go on," Wang Anshi urged.

"Secondly, the fact that clerks are 'capable of ruining families' stems from their control over the circulation of documents and their real power to collect taxes, while supervision is lacking. Therefore, in key areas such as tax collection, land measurement, and register compilation, officials should review and sign off on the documents to ensure their validity. At the same time, various departments should send groups to conduct inspections periodically. If any omissions are found, officials and clerks should be held jointly responsible. Only in this way can we limit clerks from acting arbitrarily and making private deals, so that even though they have 'capabilities,' they dare not use them arbitrarily."

Yes, it's the inspection team...

"Thirdly, the hereditary status of clerks and officials, who regard the government office as their private property, stems from the fact that they have no way to advance in their careers and are stuck in the 'clerk' category for generations, which is vastly different from 'officials'. Therefore, their descendants can only inherit their profession and follow their path, and the accumulated problems have become a chronic disease."

Lu Bei looked around at everyone and said, "I dare to say that if we want to break this age-old problem, we should follow the example of the Tang Dynasty's 'entering the mainstream from the sidelines' policy. If we can select those in the prefectural and county government offices who are knowledgeable in laws and regulations, skilled in general affairs, have served for a long time without making mistakes, and have excellent performance records, we can allow them to participate in a special examination that focuses on practical skills. If they pass, they can be granted an official position. Even if it is a position that is not in the mainstream, it is still a path to heaven! Once this door is opened, it will be like opening a window in a dark room, letting them know that diligence will be rewarded and that the future is promising. In this way, we can truly motivate their ambition and restrain their evil deeds, injecting a living source of vitality into the administration."

The term "entering the officialdom from outside the system" refers to one of the three ways officials entered officialdom in the Tang Dynasty. The other two were the imperial examination and hereditary privilege.

This refers to the fact that clerks and clerks serving in central or local government offices were originally outside the official ranks, meaning they were not included in the formal official ranks. However, after serving a certain number of years, they could pass an examination and participate in the selection process at the Ministry of Personnel, where they would be granted the title of official or honorary official and enter the "inner ranks," which is the formal official ranks.

"From clerk to official?! Isn't this confusing social classes and disrupting the established order?!"

Cheng Yi, his face full of disapproval, spoke up directly with dissatisfaction.

In his deeply ingrained Confucian tradition, the boundaries between "gentleman" and "petty person," and between "official" and "clerk," are like an insurmountable chasm, fundamental to maintaining social ethics.

To allow clerks, who are "doing menial tasks," to be included among the scholars and officials is simply a subversion of order and a desecration of the sacred way!
Mei Yaochen's expression also changed slightly, clearly this proposal touched upon the most sensitive and fundamental interests of the scholar-official class.

There are some things that could be done in the Tang Dynasty, but not in the Song Dynasty.

Because the ruling class in the Tang Dynasty was composed of powerful clans whose official careers were determined by blood ties, they didn't care about opening a path for low-ranking officials. In their eyes, officials from non-clan families were no different from low-ranking officials. However, the ruling class in the Song Dynasty was composed of scholar-officials. These officials were ordinary people who achieved upward social mobility through the arduous process of studying and taking the imperial examinations—a process akin to "thousands of troops crossing a single-plank bridge." Therefore, they would never allow other classes to encroach on their living space, not even for the lowest-ranking positions.

At this moment, Zhang Zai turned his gaze from the starry sky outside the window to Lu Beigu.

Zhang Zai had some experience in local governance, and he knew very well that the deep-seated problems of "officialdom" pointed out by Lu Beigu were indeed the most solid barrier between the lofty ideals of Confucian governance and the mundane realities of petty self-interest.

Reusing the Tang Dynasty's "entering the stream from outside" policy is undoubtedly an attempt to break through this barrier!
Is it feasible? What would be the cost?

Zhang Zai had no answer to this question, but Lu Beigu's courage in facing the core issue stirred his heart and made him want to applaud him, but he was stopped by the solemn atmosphere in front of him.

Through these two Qingsong Society gatherings, although Zhang Zai did not say anything on the surface, he deeply resonated with Lu Beigu's ideas, both philosophically and politically.

Zeng Gong pursed his lips, amazed by Lu Beigu's insight, yet also worried for his friend Wang Anshi, who had remained silent.

Of those present, only Zeng Gong, besides Lu Beigu, knew that Wang Anshi was not uninterested in an official career, but rather harbored profound thoughts and a strong desire for reform, though he simply did not reveal it to others.

Zeng Gong understood even better that the reason Wang Anshi was so concerned about this issue was because Wang Anshi genuinely intended to use Kaifeng Prefecture as a pilot for corresponding reforms!

So what reform would be more suitable for Wang Anshi's current post of "supervising the affairs of the counties and towns within the Kaifeng Prefecture" than reforming the bureaucracy?
You should know that all the clerks and officials in the counties and towns of Kaifeng Prefecture were under Wang Anshi's control!
To put it bluntly, Lu Beigu was merely offering a suggestion during a gathering to discuss state affairs. In the current relaxed atmosphere of the Song Dynasty, this was not a big deal at all. However, if Wang Anshi were to implement reforms within his authority based on this idea, he would really have to bear the risks.

If things go wrong, this could instantly make Wang Anshi the target of public criticism!

Zeng Gong watched Wang Anshi's stiff figure nervously, his palms sweating profusely.

Wang Anshi remained silent throughout.

For him, Lu Beigu's words were like a key, instantly unlocking countless ideas in his mind that were bound by reality, and the ten words "lacking the means to support himself, yet capable of ruining his family" repeatedly hammered at his mind.

"If this fundamental issue is not addressed, even the best laws will only become tools for petty officials to exploit and exploit us," Wang Anshi thought to himself.

In Yin County, Shuzhou, and Changzhou, how many instances of harm caused by petty officials did he witness firsthand? And how many instances of being deceived by petty officials did he personally experience?
The approach similar to "official expenses" is to bring the clandestine activity into the open. This involves allocating a fixed amount from the provincial budget, similar to "official expenses," to cover the unspoken "bureaucratic expenses" in local government offices. This would eliminate the excuse that would compel bureaucrats to embezzle funds. Furthermore, by having officials review and conduct inspections, their ability to abuse their power can be restrained. While this approach is not perfect, it is the most feasible way to break the deadlock within the current fiscal framework!

But even someone as bold as Wang Anshi dared not consider the last option, "civil servants entering the ranks."

At this moment, Wang Anshi's mind was racing, and he had already begun to deduce the details of implementing the first two civil service reforms in Kaifeng Prefecture, as well as the possible resistance he might encounter.

(End of this chapter)