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

Chapter 279 A sage ruler for all ages, whose virtue rivals that of Yao and Shun, and whose achievements surpass those of the Three Sovereigns!

The first day of the ninth month in the fifth year of the Xifeng era.

Cotton, education!
Two decrees, one long and one short, were issued from the Secretariat.

In just half a day, the news had spread throughout the capital.

And through the newspaper, it spread like wildfire, from one person to ten, from ten to a hundred, until it reached the whole world.

From top to bottom, whether officials or commoners, everyone was in uproar.

Nothing more than semi-free education!

No books or food are required; students only need to provide tuition fees to begin their studies.

Such a policy was so "dreamlike" that it caused quite a stir.

Especially among students from impoverished families, many knelt down, kowtowed, and wept, calling him "sage ruler," "sage prime minister," and "the rule of a sage."

The reaction was quite exaggerated!
However, this is not surprising.

Since ancient times, studying and learning have been a rather "arduous" and even luxurious activity.

Its luxury attributes stem primarily from two sources:
Firstly, the Four Treasures of the Study and books are all valuable items.

The value of the Four Treasures of the Study lies primarily in their ability to flow steadily over time.

This is something that is "consumed daily," and it is continuous.

The value of books has existed since ancient times.

From the Qin and Han dynasties to the Sui and Tang dynasties, pages and printing technology were not yet widespread, and books were mainly "handwritten," limiting their dissemination.

Thus, books inherently possess scarcity.

Scarcity naturally leads to high prices!

Especially during the Eastern and Western Han dynasties, the selection of candidates for the civil service examination based on filial piety and integrity, as well as the opportunity to study, were almost exclusively reserved for members of prominent families. Children from non-prominent families generally had no chance to study.

Since the founding of the country by Emperor Taizu, printing technology has been promoted to a certain extent, which has reduced the "scarcity" of books to some extent, but increased their "widespread availability".

From the Qin and Han dynasties to the Sui and Tang dynasties, books were scarce and knowledge was not widely disseminated, so there were naturally few scholars. One might have the opportunity to become an official simply by understanding a book.

However, since the popularization of printing, there have been more and more scholars, and they have become increasingly pedantic. If one really wants to pass the imperial examinations, without the knowledge of a dozen or twenty classic books, there is simply no chance of getting a position.

A classic book can fetch a hundred or so coins on the market.

Classic books typically start with five or six volumes, which costs around one string of cash.

Twenty books, which is equivalent to twenty strings of cash.

Generally speaking, the fruits of an ordinary person's labor in a year are only three or four strings of cash.

In other words, the cost of books alone is something that most institutions cannot afford.

Secondly, studying and writing likely means "taking time off from work".

Students who truly have the opportunity to study, even those from farming families, will not have to do too much physical labor.

Otherwise, after a day of work, it's really hard to have the energy to read and study.

This is still a student who is "self-taught".

Students who actually have teachers might go to the city to study in order to find a suitable teacher, and they would almost completely leave their jobs to study.

When able-bodied men are taken off their jobs, it means that the family loses a laborer, and they still have to prepare food for them.

In feudal times, it meant leaving one's job!
From this perspective, isn't this a "luxury" behavior?
In addition, the scarcity of teachers is also a major challenge.

Now, the government has issued a decree exempting students from books and rations; they only need to pay tuition to the schoolteacher to continue their studies.

This solves the two major problems of books and off-the-job training, allowing students from poor families to focus on their studies and strive to enter officialdom through the imperial examination!

Judging from the implications of the decrees, there are signs of a reorganization of official schools.

What is this behavior?
A sage ruler throughout the ages, whose virtue rivals that of Yao and Shun, and whose achievements surpass those of the Three Sovereigns!

A wise and virtuous prime minister throughout the ages, whose achievements rival those of Guan Zhong and whose wisdom surpasses that of the Duke of Zhou!

As a result, from top to bottom, the air was filled with endless praise and eulogy.

In particular, Su Shi, the Minister of Works, unusually did not compose any poems or lyrics. Instead, he wrote an article praising the achievements: "One year to quell the rebellion, two years to rectify the government, three years to save the people, four years to strengthen the army, five years to establish new policies, and six years to bring peace to the world."

These few words spread at an astonishing speed.

Even Jiang Zhao and Zhao Ceying couldn't help but hear it, and the two of them were immediately embarrassed.

Of course, there are also rumors that the emperor Zhao Ceying would laugh uncontrollably in the middle of the night, and occasionally laugh for no reason, overjoyed.

This is definitely fake; don't take it seriously!
The Secretariat, the Hall of State Affairs.

A small wooden table, about ten feet long, was set up with dozens of documents laid out one by one.

Grand Chancellor Jiang Zhao held a document in his hand, his eyes closed, his expression slightly somber.

Below him, on the left and right, stood chairs, with the five Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet all sitting solemnly with their arms around each other.

"despair--"

"despair--"

A lotus-shaped water clock, about a foot long, drips water gently.

One breath, ten breaths, a hundred breaths.
As the chairperson of the cabinet's deliberations, Jiang Zhao, engrossed in his documents, seemed to be fast asleep and remained silent.

Judging from his expression, he seemed to be slightly angry.

Several Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet realized something was amiss and quickly exchanged glances.

Both are Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet, and both are cunning old foxes with exceptional cultivation and skills.

The eldest son's anger could mean one of two things:
First, the eldest son was so furious that even his self-control could not conceal it.

Second, the Grand Secretary was deliberately "showing the cold shoulder" to the Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet.

In any case, the core reason is definitely related to the document he was holding, and it is most likely that the problem was caused by the content of the document.

The fact is that whether it's intense anger or "showing a cold shoulder," both are serious political issues.

In particular, the act of "showing a cold shoulder" could potentially affect Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet!
this.
What has disturbed you, sir?

The Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet looked at each other.

All documents submitted to the Cabinet have always been assigned to specific individuals for marking.

Apart from the Grand Chancellor, the other five Grand Secretaries only possessed one-fifth of the truly official documents.

Therefore, only one of the five people might know some of the inside story.

"Ahem~!"

Grand Secretary Yu Jing of the Eastern Pavilion narrowed his eyes, coughed lightly, and seemed to understand.

Several people looked over.

Yu Jing shook his head and sighed slightly, glancing intently at Han Jiang and Yuan Jiang.

Ok?
Han Jiang and Yuan Jiang were both taken aback, exchanged a glance, and were both puzzled.

Did the two of them offend the Grand Master?
at this time
"Ugh!"

With a long sigh, Jiang Zhao opened his eyes.

Several Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet all turned their attention to it.

Jiang Zhao shook his head, his face dark, and placed the document in his hand in a corner, picking up a new document instead.

"Recently, there have been four important documents that involve the use of red paper."

After a cursory glance, the document was passed down.

Jiang Zhao lowered his hands and said calmly, "Firstly, there is a document jointly submitted by the Privy Council, the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of Revenue. It mainly concerns a summary of the expenses incurred in the southern expedition to Jiaozhi."

"That's over four and a half million strings of cash!"

The document was passed down and read by several people in turn.

war!

The word "brief" has different meanings for different people.

For ordinary people, this means the requisition of grain and fodder, and grain prices may rise temporarily.

For soldiers, this meant both danger and opportunity. If they were unlucky, they might lose their lives, but if they were lucky, they might gain wealth, land, or even an official position that could be described as "defying fate."

For officials, this meant increased administrative efficiency, with everything serving the war effort.

This is looking at the issue from a "human" perspective.

However, from the perspective of "the state", the meaning is quite different.

An army of 100,000 men marched south to conquer Jiaozhi!
This is not something that can be accomplished simply by shouting a few slogans.

Behind this lies the change in people, wealth, and land, namely, the decrease in population, the change in territory, and the loss of money.

The population and territory were essentially determined from the moment of the great victory in the southern campaign. However, the financial losses were only statistically analyzed after the officials entered the capital.

This is mainly because the "inspection along the way" process after a great victory also consumes a lot of food and fodder.

On the surface, the southern expedition was victorious in just fifty or sixty days.

However, the actual operating period was from January to the end of August, which is about 240 days.

Moreover, this deadline is being extended continuously!
Every day that troops were stationed in Jiaozhi involved the long-distance transportation of provisions.

The only difference is that the 50,000 troops stationed in Jiaozhi can get some of their food supplies from Jiaozhi, so the consumption is lower than that of a real long-distance expedition.

About half an incense stick's time later, the document was returned to Jiang Zhao.

Several Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet all looked rather solemn.

More than 4.5 million strings of cash!
This is the cost of the 100,000-strong army's southern expedition, mainly including the consumption of food and fodder, military equipment, logistical expenses, as well as rewards and compensation.

The major expenses consist of three parts: food and fodder consumption, rewards, and pensions.

The grain supplies for the southern expedition were not requisitioned from the capital region, but rather from several major grain-producing areas that were closer to Guangnan West Road—Jiangnan West Road, Jiangnan East Road, Huainan West Road, Liangzhe East Road, and Liangzhe West Road—in order to reduce transportation losses.

In terms of transportation distance, it is only about six or seven hundred miles on average.

Even so, the loss of grain and fodder was about 50%, with a total consumption of three million shi (a unit of dry measure), equivalent to more than 1.7 million guan (another unit of cash).

As for the rewards, they mainly consisted of the promises made by the officials during the oath-taking ceremony:
A reward of twenty strings of cash will be given for each headheaded person.

He was beheaded three times and given twenty mu of land as a reward.

He was beheaded ten times, granted a hundred acres of land, exempted from taxes for three years, and promoted three ranks.

Generally speaking, an ordinary person's annual earnings would amount to about three or four strings of cash, while a craftsman would earn about seven or eight strings of cash.

A beheading of a person is rewarded with twenty strings of cash, which is equivalent to two or three years of labor, so it's no wonder that it has the effect of boosting morale.

According to statistics, the expenditure on the rewards amounted to one million strings of cash and over six thousand acres of farmland.

Compensation, also known as death benefits.

Regarding the compensation, the compensation for soldiers who died in battle was a one-time payment of 10 strings of cash, that for junior commanders was 100 strings of cash, and that for generals was nominally 200 strings of cash. However, the higher authorities would usually give them additional land, money, and even posthumously grant them official titles and honors to their descendants.

According to statistics from the Privy Council, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of War, this portion amounted to over 300,000 strings of cash.

A single southern expedition cost over 450 strings of cash, which explains why some unambitious emperors opted for annual tributes and gifts in order to secure peace.

After all, the annual tribute and gifts amounted to only about one million strings of cash.

Compared to war, the cost is undoubtedly much lower and the cost-effectiveness is quite high.

"Do you have any doubts?"

Jiang Zhao lowered his hands, looked down, and asked calmly, "If there are no doubts, then I will take up my pen and write in red."

“Yuan has no doubts.”

"Yes."

"The same applies to Zhang."

Several Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet nodded in agreement.

Such large-scale compilation of documents may occasionally involve minor acts of corruption, but these are generally common practice. Unless the corruption is excessive, there is no need to investigate it further.

"Secondly, the Privy Council, the Ministry of Works, and the Bank have submitted a report on the amount of silver to be refined at the Iwami Silver Mine, and the results have been obtained."

The document was passed down, and Jiang Zhao slowly said, "As of now, the amount refined in the fifth year of Xifeng is 1.13 million catties."

"To appease the nobles, the remaining amount was divided 30/70, with 339,000 catties allocated. The remaining 791,000 catties were deposited in the bank."

The mining of the Iwami Silver Mine is not expected to yield results until the end of the year.

In fact, the voyage from Fuzhou to Japan usually had to take into account the influence of the monsoon.

If the monsoon is utilized effectively, navigation can be achieved in as little as six or seven days, or as long as twenty or thirty days.

Conversely, going against the monsoon will not only be less efficient, but may even lead to the risk of capsizing.

The Great Zhou and the Eastern Ying Kingdoms have always had frequent exchanges, and their summaries of relevant navigational patterns are quite thorough.

Generally, they return home in September or October, taking advantage of the northwest monsoon.

Last time, Gu Tingye crossed the sea to Japan and refined 570,000 catties of silver before returning in October.

This time, perhaps because the powerful and noble families were eager to know the benefits of mining silver, they returned home in September.

Several Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet reviewed the documents and nodded in succession.

"can."

"That's fine too."

Thirty-three hundred and ninety thousand catties of silver, which is equivalent to five million four hundred thousand strings of cash.

If we exclude the costs of transporting grain and supplies over six months, as well as the expenses for a range of daily necessities, we estimate that we would only have a surplus of four million strings of cash per year.

There's not much to argue about with this portion of money; it's money that had to be allocated to appease the military and noble families.

"Thirdly, Sheng Changbai, the prefect of Yunzhou, sent word that the Liao Kingdom was requisitioning grain and fodder, which seemed unusual."

Jiang Zhao waved his hand and said in a deep voice, "It just so happens that the Champa rice was harvested in June, so let the Ministry of Revenue continue to requisition grain and fodder."

"Another unusual movement?"

Yuan Jiang, a Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion, changed his expression slightly and exclaimed in surprise, "Yelü Hongji has only recently suffered a defeat, yet he dares to march south again?"

Grand Secretary Yu Jing of the Eastern Pavilion shook his head and frowned, saying, "This is a desperate gamble, a bet on the fate of the nation!"

The others were taken aback, and their expressions immediately darkened.

Recently, there has been no shortage of praise and adulation from so-called "sage rulers" and "sage ministers".

Such praise is certainly a bit of an exaggeration.

However, this also shows just how extraordinary the combination of the Emperor and the Grand Chancellor truly is.

It can be said that anyone with a bit of insight, or even those without, can see that the strength of the Great Zhou is rising step by step against the trend.

The national strength of both the Western Xia and Liao dynasties was declining.

Only the Great Zhou Dynasty experienced a genuine and rapid increase in national strength.

All of this is thanks to the reforms and innovations.

Since Emperor Xifeng opened up the borders and expanded the territory of Yan and Yun, the Great Zhou Dynasty has shown a trend of becoming the "number one" among the Three Kingdoms.

It is not difficult to foresee that once the reforms continue, the gap between the three kingdoms will widen until the Great Zhou Dynasty crushes the Liao and Western Xia dynasties and achieves unification.

Now, Yelü Hongji has clearly noticed this trend and intends to forcibly interrupt the fate of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

This is their last chance!

Once successful, the tripartite balance of power would continue, with the Liao Kingdom remaining dominant.

If they fail, the Liao Kingdom will be severely weakened.

Even Yelü Hongji might lose his throne!

"He does have guts," said Tang Jie, a Grand Secretary of the Wenhua Hall, with a solemn expression.

"Since the fourth year of the Zhizhiping period, Xifeng has expanded the border, Yanyun has expanded the border, and Jiaozhi has been destroyed."

Jiang Zhao said in a deep voice: "Three national wars in just six years!"

"I expect this will be the last time, and also the biggest."

"We must be prepared for a protracted war."

"Whether it is the Liao Dynasty, the Western Xia Dynasty, or the countries of Jiaozhi, Dali, and Dongying, we must take strict precautions against them all."

"If we win, we can then recuperate and rebuild our strength."

"If we lose."

Jiang Zhao did not continue speaking.

The group all understood and nodded repeatedly.

This time, it's a battle that truly affects the fate of the nation!
With a few words, Jiang Zhao, his face grim, picked up the document placed in the corner and looked down at it.

His gaze was fixed on Han Jiang and Yuan Jiang, making them feel uneasy.

Several Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet all turned their attention to the direction.

Apart from Yu Jing, the Grand Secretary of the Dongge Pavilion, the others were somewhat surprised and suspicious.

This is the document that the Grand Chancellor placed in the corner, and it is also the document that has slightly angered him.

It should be noted that even the Liao Dynasty's intention to invade the south did not anger it in the slightest. What exactly does this document record?
Jiang Zhao stared intently at Han Jiang and Yuan Jiang, his face grim.
Fourthly.

(End of this chapter)