Chapter 151 Imperial Power Does Not Go to the Countryside
Zhao Xing didn’t know whether others were satisfied or not, but he was definitely satisfied.
The Hanlin Academy is considered the emperor's secretariat, and it is indeed a very challenging job.
However, Zhao Xing could not wait for Sheng Changbai and others to train in the Hanlin Academy for a few years before using them.
He wanted to try out some of his ideas in Kaifeng Prefecture to see how much resistance he would encounter.
If he, the crown prince, cannot accomplish something himself, then he will not be able to do it even if he becomes the emperor in the future.
…………
The next morning, a dozen newly-appointed scholars, wearing ill-fitting official uniforms, came to the Kaifeng government office with their appointment documents.
A clerk took them to a public house to rest.
After waiting for about half an hour, the clerk came to the public house and led them to meet Zhao Xing.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince!" everyone bowed.
"No need to be polite." Zhao Xing waved his hand and smiled, "I didn't give you a leave to return home, and let you take up your posts. You won't blame me, right?"
"We dare not!" everyone said in unison.
Some people must have resentful about not being able to return home, but they dared not blame Zhao Xing.
"Your positions have been determined. Some of you will stay in the government office, and some will go to the counties below to serve. No matter where you are, I hope you can abide by your duties. You were all selected by me, and I cannot tolerate any grain of sand in my eyes. I don't want to deal with you personally in the future." Zhao Xing said lightly.
"We will definitely keep your instructions in mind and live up to your highness's expectations!" everyone said in unison.
"Okay, you all can leave now. Those of you who work in the government office will be taken to your posts. Those of you who work in the counties can rest for a few days. In two days, the county magistrates from all counties will come to Bian Jing, and then you can follow them to take up your posts." Zhao Xing said.
"Yes, we will take our leave." Everyone bowed.
"Pan Lun stays." Zhao Xing said.
The others bowed and left, leaving only Pan Lun standing there.
"Please sit down." Zhao Xing said.
"Thank you, Your Highness!" Pan Lun thanked him and sat down.
"You are the top scholar, and you should be appointed as a sixth-rank official. Even if you don't enter the Hanlin Academy, you will enter one of the six ministries. But I only let you be a county magistrate. Do you feel wronged?" Zhao Xing asked.
"I don't feel wronged." Pan Lun said seriously.
Zhao Xing couldn't tell whether what Pan Lun said was true or not. He pondered for a while and said, "I read your essay for the examination. It seems to have the intention of reforming the political system. Why is it written so obscurely? Are you afraid that if you write too clearly, you will fail the exam?"
"It doesn't matter whether I wrote it implicitly or directly. What matters most is the thoughts of the emperor and the crown prince," said Pan Lun.
"Oh?" Zhao Xing asked with interest, "So you do support the reform?"
"What I support is not political reform, but a strong country," Pan Lun corrected.
"Why?" Zhao Xing's smile deepened when he heard that.
"If the method of reform is right, it can make the country strong. But if the method is wrong, it will not only fail to solve the court's long-standing problems, but will aggravate the court's problems," said Pan Lun.
Zhao Xing showed appreciation in his eyes and felt like he had found a treasure.
Pan Lun’s meaning was very simple. He supported political reform, but the prerequisite was that the method had to be correct.
If the method is wrong, he will object.
This is exactly what Zhao Xing appreciates the most.
Zhao Xing pondered for a while and said, "After you take over as the county magistrate, familiarize yourself with the county's situation as soon as possible. I will leave things to you when the time comes."
"Yes!" Pan Lun replied.
"Go ahead." Zhao Xing waved his hand.
"I'm leaving now!" Pan Lun stood up, bowed, and left.
"I hope you won't let me down." Zhao Xing murmured.
He is very optimistic about Pan Lun, but people are fickle, and as their status and power increase, not many can maintain their original intentions.
…………In a few days, more than a dozen county magistrates under the jurisdiction of Kaifeng Prefecture rushed to Bian Jing.
Many people were somewhat nervous about this audience with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.
Several important officials at the Kaifeng government office resigned at the same time, and some low-level officials were arrested, including three county magistrates.
Although they did not hold high official positions, they had a keen sense of smell and could easily determine the connection.
Except for a few, most of them were not clean, so they were naturally afraid.
However, after meeting them, Zhao Xing did not express any intention of pursuing the matter.
He just told them to measure the amount of farmland in the county under their jurisdiction after returning.
In the past few days, Zhao Xing has also been looking at the land files of the Kaifeng government regarding the counties under its jurisdiction.
In places like Kaifeng Prefecture, there is basically no land to be reclaimed and the acreage of farmland will not increase.
However, the archives he saw revealed that the amount of farmland in each county was nearly 30% less than the records during the Taizu period.
When they heard the news, everyone had different expressions, but no one cared too much.
However, Zhao Xing's next words made their faces change.
"I asked you to check. Don't just give me a perfunctory report of the number of acres of land in the county. Instead, send people down to do the counting. I will then send people down to check secretly. If I find that the actual land is inconsistent with what you reported, don't blame me for being rude." Zhao Xing said calmly.
Everyone was shocked when they heard this. Even if they, the officials in charge, didn't know much about Yintian's situation, they knew something about it.
Some people even benefited from it.
But no one dared to object at this time.
"Your Highness, do the fields of noble officials also need to be measured?" a county magistrate stood up and asked.
"What? Are the nobles and officials not the common people of the Song Dynasty?" Zhao Xing said calmly, "If anyone makes things difficult for you, come and find me."
"I understand." The official who spoke bowed.
"I'll only give you one month. If you can't do it, don't blame me for being rude," said Zhao Xing.
"Yes!" everyone said in unison.
Zhao Xing didn't say anything else. He entertained the county magistrates at noon and then sent them back.
Sheng Changbai and others also took up their posts.
This was a big test for Sheng Sheng and his colleagues. They had just taken office and were not familiar with the situation in the county, but they had to complete the land clearance within a month.
"Jiefu, how many of these county magistrates do you think will pretend to obey but actually disobey?" Zhao Xing asked.
"Your Highness has made an example of someone killing a chicken to scare the monkeys. I think none of these county magistrates would dare to disobey the orders." Wang Anshi said.
"Jiefu." Zhao Xing said with a smile, "You underestimate people's hearts. Even if they are afraid, sometimes they have no choice."
"Your Highness, are you saying that the landlords and gentry will force them not to clear and measure the land?" Wang Anshi said.
"It may not necessarily be coercion, it could also be bribery. Jiefu, you have been an official in the local area, and you must have heard of the saying that imperial power does not extend to the countryside, right?" Zhao Xing asked.
The imperial power does not extend to the countryside, which means that the imperial power can only extend to the county level. Below that, management depends on the landlords, gentry, and clan elders to assist.
It can be said that if the county magistrate does not have the support of the landlords and gentry, they will not be able to collect the taxes from the imperial court every year.
Generally, a county magistrate would host a banquet for the county's landlords and gentry when he took office.
In the long run, even if there is no interest exchange between the county magistrate and these landlords and gentry, the county magistrate will favor the landlords and gentry in some matters.
Because taxation is a very important assessment of local officials, and if local officials want to build bridges and roads and achieve some political achievements, they cannot do without the support of landlords and gentry.
It can be said that the people under the real jurisdiction of the county magistrate are actually these landlords and gentry, while the real people are under the jurisdiction of the landlords and gentry.
Whether they took benefits from the landlords and gentry or did something for the landlords and gentry, the landlords and gentry had leverage over them.
The landlords and gentry would not threaten them with this right away, but it was also impossible for the county magistrates to take a tough stance.
The task of clearing and measuring the land could not proceed at all.
(End of this chapter)