Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 303 The weather is bitterly cold, and the inkstone is frozen solid.

The wind and snow howled and swirled between the rooftops and passageways of the examination hall, whipping up the loose snow on the ground and pelting against the reed curtains of the examination rooms with a "plop plop" sound.

The chill was penetrating everywhere. Lu Beigu wrapped his green fur cloak tighter around himself, and his breath instantly dissipated into the cold air.

After checking the transcription, he turned his attention to the second question.

"In recent years, the number of vacancies has been limited, while the number of those waiting in line has been large, and the cost of government salaries has been increasing daily, yet the administration has not been cleaned up. The court has repeatedly proposed to reduce the practice of hereditary privilege and to establish clear performance evaluations. We request that you carefully consider the current situation, put forward a detailed explanation of the problems of redundant officials and the methods for improvement, and strive for practical results to meet the court's desire for good governance."

After pondering for a long time, Lu Beigu picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and let the brush tip fall on the paper, which was frozen and somewhat brittle.

"The Zhou Rites established official positions with the key being the selection of capable individuals; the Han Dynasty, in its reforms, rigorously examined the candidates' qualifications. The current system of redundant officials suffers from three problems: First, the abuse of favors and privileges obstructs the path to officialdom. Families of meritorious officials bestow positions upon their servants; the positions of prime minister require dozens of recommendations. Titles are easily granted, and the waiting list is endless, with some officials spending their entire lives without receiving an appointment. This causes talented individuals to be overlooked, while mediocre ones fill positions. Second, the evaluation process is inaccurate, blurring the lines between the wise and the foolish. The assessment is based solely on the length of time." The highest officials are ignored in their duties, those who hold office without merit enjoy promotions, while the diligent and conscientious are often suppressed. Without encouragement and punishment from officials, how can one expect any meaningful work? Thirdly, high-ranking officials sit idly by, while their posts are filled with redundant staff. The Three Departments and Six Ministries are filled with empty positions; the Imperial Academy, the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and the Bureau of Imperial Sacrifices are filled with redundant officials wasting their salaries. With fewer official posts and more high-ranking officials, it's like a festering sore, draining the nation's coffers. These three problems combine to cause a daily increase in government spending and a decline in the effectiveness of governance. The people's sorrow and lamentation truly stem from this.

To achieve effective reform, three measures are necessary. First, strictly enforce the hereditary system to eliminate its source. An imperial edict should be issued to the relevant officials to revise the hereditary appointment system. Those eligible for hereditary appointment must be over twenty years old and given a written examination on the classics and simplified laws. Those who pass will be granted honorary official positions awaiting vacancy, while those who fail will be sent back to their hometowns. Physicians, servants, and other undesirable officials will be permanently barred from hereditary appointments. This will close the door to those who rely on luck and open the path to integrity. Second, conduct thorough evaluations to verify merit and abolish the corrupt practice of "promotion without fault." The evaluation of local officials should be based solely on population growth and decline, tax fairness, the complexity of legal cases, agricultural abundance and scarcity, and the development of education. At the end of the year, prefectures and counties should submit their reports to the supervisory authorities, who will review and determine the rankings before reporting to the Ministry of Personnel and the Secretariat. Those who rank highly will be promoted, those who rank moderately will be promoted based on merit, and those who rank poorly will be demoted. The Censorate and the Transport Commissioner should report on rumors and impeach those who are deceitful, so that the virtuous will be encouraged and the unworthy will be deterred. Thirdly, the number of senior officials should be reduced to eliminate redundancy. An imperial edict should be issued to the Secretariat, the Privy Council, and the Three Departments to thoroughly review the duties of all departments in the capital, merging or abolishing those that can be merged. The number of officials assigned to posts inside and outside the capital should be strictly determined, and no replacements should be made unless there are vacancies. Those who are dismissed should be given appropriate pay and allowed to return to their hometowns or be transferred to positions with ancestral stipends. In this way, the cost of living for senior officials can be reduced by 30-40%.

The method of establishing order and transparency is fraught with difficulty. The court must maintain its resolve and act decisively, without fear of the resentment of meritorious officials or the complaints of redundant bureaucrats. Within a few years, the official path will be clear, and honest and capable officials will advance; government expenses will be reduced, and governance will be improved. This truly aligns with the court's deep desire for good governance and is the best plan for the long-term stability of the nation.

After answering the two questions, Lu Beigu paused briefly to move his fingers, which were a little numb from the cold, before looking at the third question, "Current Affairs Policy".

"The nation maintains a million soldiers, which accounts for seven or eight tenths of the nation's annual expenses. However, there is a shortage of elite troops, border defenses are lax, and the treasury is increasingly depleted. Recently, court officials have repeatedly proposed reducing the number of soldiers and merging camps, as well as training soldiers more rigorously. Please explain the current problems of an overabundant army and the methods for reorganizing and strengthening the military."

The problem of excessive troops was a well-worn topic in the Song Dynasty, one that "no matter what you say, I will never change," and there was nothing new about it.

Song Xiang had already taught Lu Beigu the problem-solving approach.

The problems with redundant troops are primarily twofold: First, soldiers don't know their generals, and generals don't know their soldiers. The "rotation system" resulted in soldiers having no permanent generals and generals having no permanent soldiers, leading to distrust between superiors and subordinates and making it difficult to command in battle. Second, the old and weak were used to fill the ranks, making it difficult to find elite troops. Recruitment was indiscriminate, even including idle people from the streets, the old, weak, sick, and disabled. Only five or six out of ten soldiers in the camps were truly "victorious." Third, the troops were wasted, and training was neglected. A large number of soldiers were wasted in military camps in the interior, which were not strategic locations. Military discipline was lax, and training was neglected. They were called the Imperial Guard, but they had no real combat power. Finally, the troops were wasted on food and supplies, and the treasury was empty. The expenditure of a million troops became an unbearable burden on the national treasury, ultimately leading to a weak border defense, which was coveted by powerful enemies, and frequent provocations from Liaodong and Xia.

After writing all of this down verbatim, Lu Beigu was so cold that he couldn't sit still any longer.

He could only stand up, bend over with trembling hands, and continue writing.

Fortunately, the imperial examination did not consider calligraphy skills. As long as the characters were written large and clear enough for the person copying them to recognize, it didn't matter if they were ugly, as it wouldn't affect the examiners' grading.

"Since the alliance at Chanyuan, the four borders have been relatively peaceful. However, the annual accounts of the three ministries are always insufficient, and the people are exhausted. Some argue that 'the people's plight is due to redundant troops and excessive spending.' I request that you thoroughly investigate the source of the financial shortage, clearly explain the reasons for the excessive spending, and offer essential strategies for enriching the country and benefiting the people, and for adapting to change and remedying the abuses." This fourth question might be difficult for others, but for Lu Beigu, it was extremely simple. Moreover, he could refer to the second and third questions he had just written.

He conceived of it in his mind.

"This question should be addressed from four perspectives. The root of the financial crisis lies first in the excessive military, with a million soldiers costing seven or eight tenths of the nation's annual expenses—this is the greatest waste. Second, there is the excessive number of officials, with excessive favoritism, numerous high-ranking officials, and high salaries, which drain the national treasury. Third, there is extravagance, with the daily increase in palace expenses, royal salaries, and rewards for suburban sacrifices, which depletes the people's wealth. Fourth, there is the uneven distribution of taxes, harsh and detailed commercial taxes, the annexation of land by powerful families, tax evasion, heavy burdens on farmers, and numerous customs checkpoints that inhibit circulation. Therefore, the policy of enriching the country and benefiting the people must begin with reducing expenditures and eliminating unnecessary expenses."

By the time he finished the fourth question, the wind and snow had intensified, and the temperature had dropped so low that even the ink had frozen.

Lu Beigu put down his pen and fiddled with it for a long time, like pounding garlic, barely managing to keep the ink in the inkstone in a semi-flowing state. Then he quickly dipped his pen in the inkstone so he could continue writing.

At this point, he felt his fingers were extremely stiff and he could barely hold the pen.

Lu Beigu rubbed his hands vigorously, breathed out a few puffs of hot air, and turned his gaze to the last policy document.

"In recent years, Sichuan and Shaanxi have experienced currency shortages and commodity price increases, leading to widespread illegal minting that cannot be stopped by law; the Yangtze and Huai River transport systems are exhausted, causing frequent complaints from soldiers, and reports of plundering are frequently received. Both of these issues deeply harm the nation's economy and seriously disrupt the people's livelihood. I request a proposal to quell these problems and bring peace to the people."

The two major pain points are the cash shortage in Sichuan and Shaanxi and the abuse of power in the Yangtze and Huai River basins!

Lu Beigu's spirits lifted. He had already systematically discussed the former, and the latter was also a problem he was familiar with.

Amidst howling winds and snow, inside the examination hall, he wielded his pen with incredible speed, sustained only by a surge of passionate spirit within his heart.

When the last stroke was finished on the current affairs policy document, Lu Beigu quickly put down his pen and vigorously rubbed his numb fingers to immerse himself in the experience. Only then did he understand what the line "The weather was extremely cold, the inkstone was frozen solid, and my fingers could not bend or straighten" in the "Preface to Sending Ma Sheng of Dongyang" really meant.

"when--!"

Before long, the sound of the gong signaling the end of the examination pierced through the wind and snow, echoing throughout the examination hall.

(End of this chapter)