Do You Know?: I, the Little Cabinet Elder, Regent of the World.

Chapter 242 The Grand Court Assembly for the Annual Ceremony!
Running into banks and driving up grain prices are heinous crimes.

Tea merchant, criminal!
One is incredibly wealthy, the other is universally despised.

This enormous life-changing turn can happen in the blink of an eye.

From the highest levels of society to the common people and the government, the discussion was incessant.

The Imperial College's newspaper alone sold over 100,000 copies in just twenty days, demonstrating the widespread discussion.

Around the 30th day, the confiscation of the homes of tea merchants and salt and iron officials was completed.

Twenty-three million strings of cash!

This was a considerable sum of money, almost equivalent to half a year's taxes from the imperial court.

For a time, this made the imperial court "wealthy," giving them a rare illusion of "financial freedom."

The tea merchants' investigation and confiscation were completed in early November.

The reforms and innovations continued to be implemented day by day.

November, December, January.
The third day of the first month of the third year of the Xifeng era.

Chui Gong Hall.

On the steps of the imperial palace, a wooden table lay across the floor, upon which lay dozens of documents. Emperor Zhao Ceying picked up one and began to ponder.

Below him, high-ranking officials of the third rank and above, wearing purple ribbons, stood solemnly with their tablets in hand, arranged in an orderly queue.

Occasionally, there were also a few officials in red robes, standing cautiously and solemnly.

At a glance, the officials in the procession were either chief officials or assistant officials of various departments in the capital, such as the Three Offices, Five Directorates, Six Ministries, Nine Temples, Hanlin Academy, and Censorate, or important officials of a region, such as prefects of border towns and military generals on the frontier.

Without exception, they were all top-tier figures with real power.

This is the annual grand court assembly!
The so-called annual grand court assembly is a large-scale political meeting held once a year, similar to an annual summary.

The vast majority of the officials attending the meeting were high-ranking officials of the third rank or above. Occasionally, some ministers from special important towns might receive an imperial edict to enter the capital to report on the relevant achievements and administration of the government and to participate in the annual budget.

Generally, during the annual grand court assembly, the emperor would review relevant documents on political achievements and raise questions about matters of concern, to which his officials would be required to provide specific answers.

If the answer is no problem, then you've passed the test.

If you weren't named, then you're lucky.

Of course, generally speaking, all three departments and six ministries would be named, while those not named were mostly government offices with moderate or insignificant powers, such as the Hanlin Academy and the Nine Courts.

Occasionally, certain special departments will announce their major plans for the new year.

Among them, the six Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet usually act as referees and are not required to report on political affairs.

Even when it was necessary to report on government affairs, Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet would usually report one-on-one with the Emperor, rather than in court.

Overall, the annual grand assembly can be considered one of the highest-level parliamentary assemblies.

Compared to regular court meetings, the annual grand court assembly carries more weight.

The annual grand assembly was larger in scale than the cabinet meetings.

Even Jiang Zhao was attending for the first time.

In fact, according to common sense, a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet must have had experience as a third-rank official and must have participated in the Grand Court Assembly, but Jiang Zhao is different.

During the reign of the late emperor, Jiang Zhao spent at least 80-90% of his time expanding the territory.

To avoid problems on the border, the late emperor naturally did not allow him to enter the capital.

After all, the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works have a clear understanding of the specific consumption situation on the frontier, so there is really no need to go to the capital to report on one's duties and shake up the hard-won territory.

Afterwards, the late emperor passed away, and Emperor Zhao Ceying ascended the throne, making Jiang Zhao even busier.

In the fourth year of the Zhiping era, he was summoned to the capital and soon went to the border to guard the frontier, taking charge of all border affairs in Xihe and Shaanxi, thus initiating a national war and missing the grand court assembly.

In the first year of the Xifeng reign, he entered the capital in February to support the new emperor in seizing power and held a grand imperial examination. Unfortunately, someone acted recklessly, and he was ordered to investigate and oversee fourteen circuits in the two capitals, thus missing the grand court assembly once again.

They both missed the grand court assembly without any bias. What can be done about it?

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

Nine drumbeats followed, bells and chimes rang out, and the chime bells sang a long, drawn-out note.

The entire place was filled with a solemn atmosphere.

After about a hundred breaths, the bells, chimes, and chimes all disappeared.

In an instant, the entire hall fell silent.

Grand Chancellor Han Zhang stepped forward, holding his tablet, and respectfully said, "Your Majesty, the second year of the Xifeng era has come to an end. As is customary, all officials have reviewed the affairs of the empire and are preparing to discuss the annual plan. Is it appropriate to summon him for an audience now?"

"Accurate."

On the steps of the imperial palace, Zhao Ceying gently placed the document down, looked down, and said calmly, "Let's start with the Six Ministries."

"promise."

Han Zhang bowed, glanced at the records on the tablet, and slowly said, "Personnel, Revenue, Rites, War, Justice, and Works. The chief officials and assistant officials of the six ministries can be listed in this order."

After speaking, Han Zhang took a step back and joined the train.

In the blink of an eye, Yuan Jiang, the Minister of Personnel, Chen Jian, the Left Vice Minister, and Li Chang, the Right Vice Minister, walked out one after another.

Among them, Li Chang, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, was a member of the Han faction. At the age of fifty-eight, he could be considered a typical pragmatist among the scholar-officials.

"Your subject Yuan Jiang, on behalf of the Ministry of Personnel, respectfully reports on the administration of officials in the second year of the Xifeng reign."

Minister of Personnel Yuan Jiang bowed and said calmly, "Last year, the Grand Secretariat promulgated the Performance Evaluation System with the aim of 'purifying officialdom.' The Ministry of Personnel has carefully followed the imperial decree, presiding over the capital inspection, rectifying the selection process, and filling vacancies in local positions. The details are hereby reported."

"Last year was a year of major planning. The Ministry of Personnel, together with the Censorate, conducted a total of more than 50,000 officials in circuits, prefectures and counties across the country, and more than 400,000 minor officials."

"More than 11,000 officials were deemed competent, of whom more than 3,700 were recommended for promotion; more than 35,000 were deemed average and were ordered to work harder next year; more than 6,000 were deemed incompetent and were to be demoted or dismissed. Of these, more than 2,100 were to be dismissed."

In addition, over 2,300 elderly officials have retired, and all have done so. All appointments and removals of officials of the third rank and above have been strictly in accordance with His Majesty's decree; the Ministry of Personnel has not acted rashly.

"The above is a summary of the Ministry of Personnel's major achievements and administration in the second year of the Xifeng era. Detailed information has been submitted in the 'List of Officials and Dismissals,' and we respectfully request Your Majesty's wise decision."

As soon as he finished speaking, the three chief officials and their assistants from the Ministry of Personnel bowed in unison, their faces solemn.

Several Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet all appeared to be deep in thought.

On the steps of the imperial palace, Zhao Ceying frequently flipped through documents, nodding repeatedly.

Yuan Jiang, the Minister of Personnel, had previously served as a Vice Minister, and the documents he submitted were quite detailed.

Zhao Ceying looked down and asked calmly, "Are there any priorities for improving official conduct this year?"

Minister of Personnel Yuan Jiang hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, there are two key focuses for improving official conduct this year:"
First, there is the issue of governance in border regions. There is a shortage of talent in border areas, and the level of governance among grassroots officials is relatively low. It is proposed to encourage those with outstanding performance to govern the border regions.

Secondly, local governance was too lax, to the point of causing the serious problem of the burning of the imperial envoy's house in Zhejiang. A plan was drafted to urge high-ranking local officials to focus on good governance and maintain stability in the country.

"Ah."

Zhao Ceying nodded, looked at the Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet, and asked, "What are your thoughts, Grand Secretaries?"

"How many minor officials will be dismissed?" Jiang Zhao pondered for a moment before asking calmly.

While officials could be demoted, minor officials were almost never demoted; the only option was to be dismissed.

"Of the more than 400,000 minor officials, more than 15,000 have already been dismissed." Yuan Jiang's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly responded.

Jiang Ge Lao!
This man is practically the "number one minister," and if he doesn't approve the Ministry of Personnel's application, the Emperor certainly won't approve it either.

Jiang Zhao nodded.

In one year, more than 2,100 officials were demoted, which was about one-twenty-fifth of those with official titles, and 15,000 minor officials were dismissed, which was also about one-twenty-fifth of the 400,000 minor officials.

Such a probability of exemption from dismissal is actually quite reasonable.

If the salary were higher, it would lead to excessive turnover of officials, causing panic among officials of all ranks.

If the threshold were lowered further, it would result in too little turnover among officials, making people feel no sense of urgency.

Not too much, not too little, it's quite suitable.

Of course, the term "appropriate" mainly refers to the period of reform.

In reality, the probability of being exempted from dismissal is not low; it can be considered a relatively "high-intensity" dismissal.

If the political situation stabilizes in the future, he can dismiss about one percent of the officials in a year at most, which is about four or five hundred officials and three or four thousand minor officials.

There's some pressure, but not too much.

Jiang Zhao pondered for a moment, then asked, "Have you compiled statistics on those who have entered officialdom in recent years?"

"In the fourth year of the Zhiping era, there were 3,800 people; in the first year of the Xifeng era, there were 3,900 people; in the second year of the Xifeng era, there were 3,100 people; and this year, the number is planned to be around 3,100 people."

Yuan Jiang reported, explaining: "In my opinion, the problem of redundant officials can be addressed by reducing the number of officials to around 35,000 and the number of minor officials to around 300,000. That would be a more suitable situation."

If, at that time, the number of officials retiring or being dismissed each year is roughly equal to the number entering office, the problem of redundant officials can be resolved. Around three thousand new officials entering office each year would be a suitable number.

Jiang Zhao understood and nodded.

Yuan Jiang's views, however, coincide with his own.

Many were demoted, but few entered officialdom.

Once the demotion is appropriate, the difference between the number of those entering officialdom and those being demoted or retired should be kept as close to zero as possible, or maintained at a relatively stable level. This would allow the number of officials in the Great Zhou Dynasty to enter a relatively "healthy" state.

In this way, the inflow and outflow cancel each other out, thus solving the problem of redundant officials once and for all and for a long time.

The number of three thousand people Yuan Jiang set for entering officialdom was also quite reasonable.

It was said to be three thousand, but if it continued for one or two decades, there was a high probability that only two thousand or so would survive.

Firstly, many of them entered officialdom only when they were already quite old.

Secondly, illness and accidents can also take the lives of some people.

Of the more than two thousand people who entered officialdom, about two thousand retired within a year. The influx and outflow of officials offset each other.

As for being exempted from office?

Mass dismissals are, in essence, not conducive to political stability at all.

Once the political situation stabilizes, the movement of officials will mainly rely on retirement rather than large-scale dismissal.

Removing officials from office is merely a bonus, meant to deter them from taking advantage of others.

Jiang Zhao couldn't help but look over.

What are like-minded people?

These are people who share the same ideals!
If Yuan Jiang had not cared about reform, approved of reform, and actively undertaken reform, he would never have had such thoughts.

Jiang Zhao, holding his tablet, openly praised him, saying, "Such insightful views truly demonstrate great talent."

To be precise, this was the first time he had publicly praised someone else.

For Yu Jiangzhao, the more people like Yuan Jiang who share his reform ideas, the better.

A single word of praise drew the attention of all the civil and military officials.

Even the official Zhao Ceying couldn't help but become somewhat interested.

Yuan Jiang's views do indeed share some similarities with Jiang Qing's.

Talent!
"How old are you, Yuan Qing?" Zhao Ceying laughed heartily. Yuan Jiang was startled and quickly bowed, "Fifty-one."

"Okay!"

Zhao Ceying nodded repeatedly, commenting, "A talent to be reckoned with!"

As soon as he said that, many people were startled and exchanged glances.

It should be noted that Yuan Jiang was the Minister of Personnel, a second-rank official.

Is this what you call "talent cultivation"?

What position requires a rank of second grade as a reserve talent?

It's obvious, a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet!
Yuan Jiang was overjoyed and quickly forced himself to bow, saying, "Your Majesty, I am terrified. I only wish to do my best to repay Your Majesty's grace."

Zhao Ceying nodded.

Several Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet exchanged glances from time to time, their eyes all glancing at Jiang Zhao.

Without Jiang Zichuan's praise, the emperor would never have uttered the evaluation of him as "a talent to be nurtured by the nation."

Is it really that outrageous that Jiang Zichuan, with his favored status, could be considered a "national talent" with just a sliver of his remaining influence?
Is there no one who can compete with Jiang Zichuan for the Emperor's favor?

"What do you think, Grand Secretaries?" Zhao Ceying asked calmly on the imperial steps.

"can."

"It's okay."

The remaining five Grand Secretaries responded in turn.

The Ministry of Personnel has always been in charge of personnel matters, but several Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet routinely inquire about personnel issues, so there is really no need to waste time asking them questions.

With the year-end assessment completed, the high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Personnel breathed a sigh of relief, bowed, and withdrew.

A short while later, Minister of Revenue Feng Xu, Vice Minister of the Left Li Qingchen, and Vice Minister of the Right Chen Zheng walked out together.

Among them, Li Qingchen, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, was a member of the Han faction.

Feng Xu, the Minister of Revenue, had experience as a high-ranking official in charge of a region, having served in Huainan East Circuit.

"Your subject, Feng Xu, reports on the financial affairs of the second year of the Xifeng reign on behalf of the Ministry of Revenue."

Feng Xu bowed and slowly said, "In the second year of the Xifeng reign, the major expenditures mainly consisted of three parts:
The expenditures were as follows: first, royal expenses, amounting to nine million strings of cash; second, military expenses, amounting to twelve million strings of cash; third, official salaries, amounting to seven million strings of cash; in addition, expenses for internal and external government departments, local governance, and water conservancy repairs amounted to nineteen million strings of cash, totaling forty-seven million strings of cash. The corresponding financial ledgers have already been submitted.

"In the second year of the Xifeng reign, the revenue mainly consisted of three parts:"

Agricultural taxes collected included 33 million shi (a unit of dry measure) of rice, millet, and beans, while commercial taxes collected amounted to 29 million guan (another unit of dry measure). Among these, commercial taxes increased by approximately 5 million guan compared to the first year of the Xifeng era.

Furthermore, corrupt officials were found guilty of embezzling a staggering 23 million strings of cash, bringing the total revenue to 72 million strings of cash.

"This year, the Ministry of Revenue plans to focus on industry and commerce, conduct land surveys, and increase tax revenue," Feng Xushang reported.

The Ministry of Revenue's primary responsibility is to raise funds. Grand Secretary Jiang's reforms have been extremely effective, so we should simply follow his plans without question.

On the steps of the imperial palace, Zhao Ceying's expression darkened slightly.

Of the 72 million strings of cash, 23 million strings were confiscated property, meaning that the actual tax revenue was only 49 million strings.

Even so, there are still five million strings of cash in commercial taxes that Jiang Qing raised due to his reforms!
If we remove the five million strings of cash, it would be forty-four million strings of cash.

The key point is that the annual expenditure is 47 million strings of cash.

This also means that without decisive reforms, the fiscal deficit of three million guan would have occurred again last year.

Of course, the fiscal deficit was about five million less than the eight million strings of cash in the first year of the Xifeng reign.

Zhao Ceying's face darkened.

Damn it, that extra five million guan in deficit was saved by him!

Throughout the year, there were no major holidays, and even birthday celebrations were not extravagant, thus saving money!
"call!"

Zhao Ceying let out a long breath, looked at the document which stated "the royal family's expenditure is nine million strings of cash," and his face immediately darkened.

The royal family's expenses amounted to nine million guan?
Damn it, I have such difficulty saving money, how did the royal family manage to spend nine million strings of cash?
"What are the main expenses of the royal family?" Zhao Ceying asked with a stern face.

Minister of Revenue Feng Xu hurriedly replied, "To date, there are more than 5,000 members of the imperial clan. Of the imperial expenses, more than 6 million strings of cash are allocated to support the imperial clan, and the remaining 2 million strings of cash are used for the inner court expenses."

Very few members of the imperial family of the Great Zhou Dynasty became officials. Those with ability would do small businesses, while those without simply lived a life of idleness and waiting to die.

During the reign of Emperor Taizu, there were more than a hundred members of the imperial clan.

During Emperor Taizong's reign, there were more than 700 members of the imperial clan.

During the reign of Emperor Zhenzong, there were more than two thousand members of the imperial clan.

During the reign of the late emperor, there were more than four thousand members of the imperial clan.

Today, there are more than 5,000 members of the imperial clan.

These people are all individuals whose names are recorded in the "Imperial Family Genealogy" and who can receive "Imperial Family Salary" from the imperial court.

More than 5,000 people received top-notch treatment, which naturally cost a lot.

"Hi~!"

Zhao Ceying stretched out her hands, feeling uneasy.

I saved money honestly, saving a full five million strings of cash in a year, but it still wasn't enough to support the imperial family.
The entire hall fell silent.

The issue of the imperial clan is indeed something that needs to be taken seriously.

Otherwise, if this continues, even if the imperial court sells everything it owns, it will still be unable to support the imperial family members.

"What are your opinions, scholars?" Zhao Ceying sighed and waved his sleeve.

"can."

"It's okay."

"good."

Several Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet subsequently gave their approval.

Originally, the Ministry of Revenue's responsibility was to raise funds, and it should have been one of the key government agencies to report to.

However, judging from the data on commercial taxes, the path of heavy industry and commerce, and land surveying has great development prospects. Feng Xu, the Minister of Revenue, has already stated that he will follow the policy!
Therefore, there is no need for complicated reports about this year's plans.

Jiang Zhao lowered his hands and asked calmly, "How is the land survey progressing?"

"The statistics for both capitals and fourteen circuits have been compiled, and the Ministry of Revenue is currently verifying them," Feng Xu hurriedly replied.

"Can it be submitted on the Lantern Festival?" Jiang Zhao asked.

The data from the land survey is definitely a rare and auspicious event.

"Yes!" Feng Xu's eyes lit up, and he answered loudly.

Zhao Ceying glanced at him sideways, feeling a sudden surge of anticipation, as if her heart had been scratched.

Land is undoubtedly the foundation of a nation.

The question remains: how much of the land can actually be recovered?

The officials from the Ministry of Revenue withdrew, and Zhang Fangping, the Minister of Rites, Zhang Heng, the Left Vice Minister, and Zhou Cheng, the Right Vice Minister, stepped forward in succession.

"Your subject, Zhang Fangping, Minister of Rites, reports on relevant administrative matters of the second year of the Xifeng reign (1852) on behalf of the Ministry of Rites."

"Your Majesty, there were no disasters in the second year of the Xifeng reign, and no major sacrifices were held. There were three minor sacrifices: the conferment of titles upon the Empress, the conferment of titles upon the Princes, and the prayer for rain, all of which were conducted in accordance with the rites. Nineteen examiners were selected from the Hanlin Academy, the Three Departments and Six Ministries, and the Censorate to preside over the special imperial examination, which selected more than three hundred scholars for the country. There were also other administrative matters such as the revision of the rites and the handling of relations with foreign vassals. In addition, Your Majesty was frugal and diligent in your duties, and there were no major celebrations."

“This year, in accordance with the Emperor’s decree, a special imperial examination will be held, a celebration will be held, and ancestors will be worshipped,” Zhang Fangping said, bowing.

Standing on the steps of the imperial palace, Zhao Ceying looked down and asked, "What do you think, Grand Secretaries?"

“Good.” Jiang Zhao nodded first.

"can."

"That's fine too."

The remaining five people nodded in succession.

The Ministry of Rites, apart from the imperial examinations, didn't have much administrative work, so there was really no need to question it.

Compared to the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Rites was indeed much more prestigious and rarely busy.

Of course, if the Ministry of Rites really gets busy, it's definitely not a good thing.

Either the heavens are withholding rain and large-scale sacrificial rites are held frequently, or the emperor is extravagant and holds celebrations for extended periods.
In terms of compatibility, it's better to be more refined and noble.

"Your subject Zhang Heng reports on all matters concerning the bank." Zhang Heng, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites and concurrently the bank's president, bowed respectfully.

"Approved." Zhao Ceying nodded.

"To date, the bank has been established, and depositors have deposited a total of over 200 million strings of cash," Zhang Heng reported.

The bank has been established for over a hundred days and has gradually gained recognition from high-ranking officials, nobles, and ordinary people. Many people choose to deposit their money in the bank rather than in money shops.

To put it bluntly, compared to money shops, banks established by the imperial court did indeed provide a greater sense of security.

Two hundred million strings of cash!

Zhao Ceying was startled and let out a long sigh of relief.

The existence of banks undoubtedly gave the imperial court more room to maneuver.

At the very least, if another fiscal deficit were to occur, the imperial court would not need to scramble to find money.

"It is estimated that we can save more than two million strings of cash this year," Zhang Heng added.

The so-called "deposit" is actually the safekeeping fee that depositors pay to the bank.

That's right, depositors give money to banks, not the other way around!
In this day and age, it is not easy to keep money safe. Depositors usually have to pay banks a safekeeping fee if they want to deposit money.

Generally speaking, the annual interest rate for storage fees is around five percent.

That is, if you deposit 100 strings of cash, you have to pay a storage fee of 5 strings of cash per year.

Of course, banks are conscientious, trustworthy, and ambitious national institutions that only charge one percent.

Fair price!
"it is good!"

Zhao Ceying nodded repeatedly.

He finished his report in just two sentences; Minister Zhang is truly a "pragmatist"!

"can."

"That's fine too."

Several Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet nodded in agreement.

The three officials from the Ministry of Rites bowed in unison and withdrew.

"Continue!" Zhao Ceying waved his hand.

Judging from the reports from the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of Rites alone, the effects of the reforms are already clearly visible.

With the fiscal deficit resolved, the administration cleaned up, and the imperial court given a full 200 million strings of cash to ease the situation.

This is an effect of reform that even Fan Zhongyan could not achieve.

Sure enough, there are some things that only Jiang Qing can handle!
It's a family heirloom!

(End of this chapter)