Chapter 275 Selling an official position
In the last ten days of the first lunar month, Li Ling, the Imperial Household Officer, and Guo Chang, the General of the Central Army, left the capital for Bashu to organize the army and prepare for war. All the necessary instructions had been given, and the rest was up to these two.

Although Li and Guo left Beijing, the city remained the same and would not change because of anyone’s departure.

Liu Ju still has to do what he wants to do.

Although he vaguely realized the reason why his emperor father was too anxious and aggressive, what could he do?

Could it be that the diligent Liu Ju immediately changed his personality and began to indulge in alcohol and sex, engage in promiscuity, and do all kinds of evil things?
This is stupid behavior.

Then, the reality became very uncomfortable. Knowing that the emperor regarded him as a backup, Liu Ju not only could not give up, but also had to work harder to patch things up!
Just to avoid inheriting a mess…

Ugh.

There was no other way. Liu Ju often consoled himself in his heart, “Who made me so responsible and so outstanding?”

Ahem, enough joking around, let’s get down to business.

Prince’s Palace, Jiaguan Hall.

Since the court affairs were divided into two parts, namely the Weiyang Palace and the Prince’s Palace, there were too many affairs to handle, and it was inevitably inconvenient to handle them in the attic. As a result, Liu Ju worked in the main hall downstairs, which was equivalent to half of the Chengming Palace.

“Your Highness, the Minister of Agriculture and the Captain of Grain Search have arrived.”

“please.”

Young Eunuch Wei bowed and responded, then went out of the hall to lead the way. After a while, Wang Heng and Zhao Guo came in together, “Greetings, Your Highness.”

“No need to be polite.”

Liu Ju motioned for the two to sit down, then picked up a memorial on the table and said, “I have seen the land tax in Guanzhong this year, and it is 20% higher than in previous years.”

“The Daitian Method has been very effective, and Zhao Guo, you have made an indelible contribution!”

Zhao Guo, who had just sat down, immediately raised his buttocks upon hearing this, and said with a folded hand, “I dare not take credit for it.”

“Eh.”

Liu Ju said jokingly, “It’s your contribution, so you don’t have to be modest in front of me. I have already requested the credit for you, and the reward will be issued soon. Keep up the good work!”

Zhao Guo leaned forward again and said gratefully, “Thank you, Your Highness.”

Liu Ju nodded, raised his hand to support him, and continued: “The Minister of Agriculture has been busy with taxes recently and probably has no time to take care of other things. As for farming…”

talking.

He looked at Wang Heng, the Minister of Agriculture, and said, “You should catch more. The Daitian system has been proven to be effective in the Guanzhong experiment. I plan to implement it in the northern counties and kingdoms after the beginning of spring this year.”

“Take advantage of the winter and send agricultural officials to various places as soon as possible to guide local farmers in farming.”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Guo and Wang Heng both looked serious.

“only.”

Wang Heng accepted the offer with a bow, thought for a moment, and then asked, “During the Yuanding period, I was ordered by Your Highness to promote curved plows and rice in the southern counties, and the results were also very good. I wonder if we can also gradually promote it in the northern areas with sufficient water resources and good irrigation?”

Liu Ju raised his eyebrows, and then heard Wang Heng add: “Of course, there are many dry lands in the north, and rice cannot be grown everywhere…”

As he spoke, he looked at Zhao Guo who was sitting next to him.

Zhao Guo understood and took over the conversation, “Your Highness, rice has a high yield and can be popularized in the south. After repeated research with the Minister of Agriculture, I believe that a crop with a higher yield can also be promoted in the north, wheat.”

The staple food of the Han people at that time was millet and sorghum, that is, yellow rice and millet.

Wheat is also one of the staple foods.

But what Wang and Zhao meant was obviously that the imperial court should guide the people to grow more wheat and make it the main crop.

“Millet, sorghum, and wheat are all drought-resistant crops, but wheat tastes better, and most importantly, it has a higher yield.” Zhao Guo said as he thought and wanted to explain further.

Never thought.

Liu Ju, who was sitting at the main seat, waved his hand and stopped them, saying, “First, professional matters should be left to professionals. I can trust you to do the work.”

“Secondly, since you said that the output will be higher, I support it, and the court will also support it.” Liu Ju first gave the two of them a reassurance, and then said:

“I just want to say that farming is related to people’s livelihood and whether they can have enough food to eat. Any changes should be carefully considered before implementation.”

“I hope you two will be cautious!”

Zhao Guo and Wang Heng looked stern. They both clasped their hands and bowed deeply: “Yes!”

“You two can make decisions on farming matters and report regularly.” Liu Ju stood up and helped them up. With a smile on his face, he said with satisfaction:

“Having the help of you two wise ministers can help me and the court share a lot of pressure. If there is a shortage or need for cooperation in the future.”

“Come and see me, I will grant you your permission!”

After hearing this, Wang and Zhao were so grateful and happy that their faces turned slightly red and they could not suppress their emotions.

It’s said that they have been in officialdom for quite some time and have long passed the age of passionate youth, but every time they come to the Prince’s Palace to report on government affairs, they always feel excited.

Hey.

A gentleman dies for his friend, nothing more than this…

Zhao Guo and Wang Heng were ordered to leave. Liu Ju returned to his original seat and began to summon the next minister.

Since we are mending things for the imperial court, at the moment, we cannot do without money and food.

The food has been delivered.

As for money, Liu Ju also had an idea. In fact, when the emperor announced the ancestor worship a few years ago, Liu Ju had the idea. If there had not been some problems in the middle, he would have started to implement it long ago.

And for now, we can only focus on the incident caused by the imperial court…

“Greetings to Your Highness.”

“No need to be so polite, please take a seat.”

Compared with Wang and Zhao, Liu Ju was much more polite in his words to the middle-aged man who entered the palace at this time, but he was not too distant or overly polite.

The Order of Ouguan, Shi De, was the son of Prime Minister Shi Qing.

He was the eldest son of Liu Ju’s teacher, and also an official in the Sinong Temple who was responsible for following up on the liquor monopoly. He was involved in both public and private matters, so he had the same attitude as Liu Ju at that time.

After Shi De sat down.

Liu Ju went straight to the point, “I summoned you here to ask about the alcohol prohibition. Are there any twists and turns?”

Of course, otherwise he wouldn’t have asked specifically.

Shi De cupped his hands. Due to the relationship between his father and the crown prince, he was not ambiguous in his words. He said in a hoarse voice, “Your Highness, please understand. There are indeed some problems.”

The edict prohibiting the people from brewing wine was issued at the same time as the order to send troops to the Southwestern Yi. At that time, the response caused by the latter was so great that it overwhelmed the former.

It seems that the official sale of liquor is no longer important.

however.

After all, this matter involves people’s livelihood. When the dispatch of troops was a foregone conclusion and Li Ling and Guo Chang embarked on the journey, the intensity of the war declined. At this time, the reaction of banning people from brewing wine arose.

“There are many people who are making noises, and those who are competing with the people for profits are relatively quiet.” Shi De said with difficulty: “Some people even say that the court is plundering without limit and is too harsh.”

“Right now, the wine officials have not yet been sent to the local areas, but many complaints have already appeared in the counties…”

“Ugh!”

Shi De, the chief officer, was clear about this, and Liu Ju, who reviewed memorials every day, was even clearer about it.

The local governors and county magistrates did not directly submit memorials of opposition, but instead wrote about the problems in detail, such as the fact that winemakers had lost their livelihoods and that restaurants and inns were having difficulty selling wine.

Some officials even pointed out directly that they were worried that the wine officials would become as corrupt as the salt and iron officials, and that the court would suffer more losses than gains.

“The complaints of local officials can still be suppressed, but some civil unrest is difficult to suppress.” Shi De glanced at the prince, and hesitated to speak.

It’s hard to suppress it, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be suppressed!
What do you think the Imperial Court does for a living? Why do so many cruel officials under the emperor have nothing to do? Liu Ju looked reserved. He knew what Shi De was thinking without him saying anything. He just said calmly:

“As for the people’s unrest, I will call the governors of each county to see if they are willing to listen to me and appease the people, or wait for the cruel officials and embroidered clothes to come to their door.”

The cruel officials and the women in embroidered clothes came to the door.

They must have received the emperor’s order. At that time, with their style, the clamorous people would be suppressed forcefully, but the local officials would also suffer heavy consequences!
“Thank you, Your Highness…”

Shi De secretly breathed a sigh of relief, glad that the prince took the matter into his hands.

The local commotion was still submitted through memorials from officials such as the county magistrate. It is obvious that they were deliberately indulging themselves in the unrest.

The people were clamoring and restless, and the wine-brewing families who had lost their livelihoods did not try to make up for it, but instead reported everything to the court!

If the imperial court has to take care of everything, what else do they need to do?
The local officials deliberately indulged themselves and even reported it to the imperial court. In the final analysis, it all comes down to one thing: profit!

To make wine, you need grain.

After all, individual folk winemakers are a minority, and most of the market is occupied by large households who have plenty of grain and can make a lot of wine for profit. They are closely connected with local officials, and Shi De cannot manage them at all. Only the crown prince and the emperor can put pressure on them.

“Banning private brewing can save some grain.” Liu Ju tried to pick out the best words and sighed, “The court… can also relieve some pressure.”

talking.

He looked at Shi De and said, “If you have any other questions, please raise them and I will handle them for you.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.” Shi De’s expression eased a little, and he thanked him again and again, then he bowed and said, “Government-run winemaking will most likely affect the interests of local powerful families. I am worried about collusion between officials and businessmen.”

“Please allocate some successful candidates for the imperial examination.”

The ban on private brewing of alcohol is exactly the same as the government-run sale of salt and iron. The troubles that occurred with salt and iron will most likely be repeated when the government takes over alcohol.

Shi De is also preparing for a rainy day.

The number of participants in the imperial examination in the first year of Yuanfeng far exceeded that of the first imperial examination, and the number of successful candidates admitted by the court increased accordingly. He was obviously keeping an eye on these people.

“Many of the successful candidates are from humble backgrounds, have no connections in the local area, and are new to the officialdom. They still have a lot of enthusiasm and are more reliable than officials selected by the local government.”

Shi De said earnestly: “I would like to allocate 10 to 20 people, no more is needed, one chief officer per state will be enough.”

nowadays.

Successful candidates in the imperial examinations were all highly sought after. Not only were they needed in the Crown Prince’s Palace, but they were also in short supply in the Weiyang Palace, so they were arranged to be stationed in various places.

Liu Ju frowned and thought for a moment, then said in a serious tone, “I will try my best to even it out for you.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

After Shi De bowed, the matter should have been settled and he could leave, but Liu Ju picked up a memorial and read it for a while. When he looked up, he saw Shi De was still there.

“Anything else?”

His question made Shi De, whose face was tense, fall down from the couch.

The middle-aged man struggled for a moment, then suddenly stood up, waved his sleeves, bowed to Liu Ju and said, “Your Highness, my father was summoned to the palace yesterday and learned that Your Majesty was planning to sell official positions and titles!”

His voice was heavy and sad, even with a tearful tone.

just.

Shi De acted aggressively, but Liu Ju remained calm after hearing it, looking indifferently at the man who had been kneeling for a long time.

First of all, Liu Ju’s kindness and generosity were not cheap.

When it came to reporting state affairs or important matters, if there were any problems, he would indeed approve them with a wave of his hand, but other matters were another matter.

Secondly.

The words “selling official positions and titles” sound scary, as if the imperial court would be doomed to collapse if it did so. But in fact, it is not the case.

Hasn’t the emperor done this before? Yes, Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing both did it. The only difference is how they did it and how they ended it.

Liu Ju was not affected by Shi De’s sad tone. He put down the memorial and asked slowly, “Do you think it is inappropriate for you to report to me?”

“Exactly!”

Shi De straightened up, his face firm and demanding, “Your Highness, His Majesty has instructed my father not to sell the title this time, but to sell the official position directly.”

“As long as you donate a certain amount of grain, money, cloth, etc. to the court, the Prime Minister’s Office can directly arrange an official position for you. The key is…” Shi De said sadly:

“Your Majesty has authorized the Prime Minister’s Office to supervise the matter, but he has not issued a formal edict!”

Hear this.

Liu Ju’s calm expression suddenly became solemn. Without an imperial edict, the decree was given full authority to the Prime Minister’s Office?
For a moment, there was silence in the hall.

A few years ago, the emperor sold official positions and titles. To be precise, he sold titles, which were a set of eleven levels of martial arts titles.

By spending a huge amount of money and buying the corresponding title, one can become a candidate official and have the power to be appointed to an official position in advance.

but.

Later, the emperor ruined this system. The rich could buy titles and be appointed to official positions quickly, but the emperor’s cruel officials could kill people even faster!

After several years of turmoil, there were other extremely frightening examples such as the case of Zhuo Jin taking away the title of marquis at will. Even the most dull-witted people would come to their senses.

After that, the title of Wugong became a thing of the past.

This is also a specific example of “selling titles” mentioned by Shi De, and as for “selling official positions”, it is obvious that the emperor has changed his tactics this time.

There is no empty talk or indirect nonsense about titles. It is done in one step. Just give money and food and you will be assigned an official position immediately!

A real official position!

Logically speaking, even if the emperor used such a trick, the wealthy businessmen should not be fooled again after learning from their mistakes.

but.

People all have a mentality of hoping for luck and endless greed. If we add the above two factors to a successful case of the “new method of selling official positions”,

Then, there are definitely quite a few people who are willing to trust the emperor again.

What are the success stories?
Imperial Censor, Bu Shi!
The Bu family was originally a large breeder with considerable wealth. After donating money to the imperial court several times, they were finally able to hold a high position.

No matter what special time Bu Shi chose to donate, outsiders can see that what they are willing to see under the trend of interests is –

He donated money and was directly appointed as an official, and now he is one of the Three Dukes!
in the past.

Examples like Bu Shi’s are rare and very special, and each one was specially approved by the emperor himself. But now that the emperor has relaxed the restrictions, how can people not be tempted?

Someone must be moved, and then someone will take action…

……

Prime Minister’s Mansion, west side door.

This side door was opened when Gongsun Hong was the prime minister. He built it in order to attract guests and talented people to discuss matters in the government office.

After that, the prime ministers changed one after another, and the new prime ministers did not make any attempt to recruit retainers, so this side door was closed.

Until recently.

It was opened again.

“Have you heard that those wealthy merchants in brocade clothes who come in and out are all here to buy official positions?”

“How could I not have heard of it! Hey, look at this lively scene, it’s just like the days of Prime Minister Tian Fen…”

“Hey, Tian Fu…”

(End of this chapter)