After discussing the household registration issue, Han Jiang and others left in a hurry. They really had no face to stay here.
I'm not afraid of god-like opponents, but I'm afraid of pig-like teammates.
But Su Che's mind was not on this. In fact, the household census was also good for the government. These were all political achievements. Those officials were just looking for trouble. It was all their own fault. Instead, he was more concerned about the clan system mentioned by Zhang Fei. After Han Jiang and the others left, he asked, "How does Judge Zhang plan to improve the clan system?"
Although he was a staunch supporter of the public security, procuratorial and judicial systems, he was also a supporter of the patriarchal and local legal systems. He believed that the people must have power to check and balance the government, and that the government could not have the final say in everything. If local officials caused chaos, the court would have no way of knowing about it. The public security, procuratorial and judicial systems also belonged to the government, and the principle was the same. Although the patriarchal and local legal systems had problems, nothing could make things worse.
Zhang Fei was very clear about Su Che's political stance on this matter, and said to Li Si: "Li Si, bring up a piece of wood."
"yes."
Soon, Li Si came up with a piece of wood and hung it on the screen.
Fu Shichun and Cao Dongdong also stood up and gathered around.
Zhang Fei held the charcoal and said, "My improvement of the clan system is actually very simple. It requires clear personnel arrangements and clear obligations and responsibilities for each person. Therefore, I will require each village to set up a township committee."
"Village Committee?"
Su Che frowned.
"good!"
Zhang Fei nodded, then used a charcoal pencil to draw a few small circles on the wooden board. "Assuming that these are villages, it is impossible for the Royal Police to set up a branch in every village, so the police station will generally set up a branch in the middle of a group of villages.
At the same time, a township committee was established in each village, and it was responsible for organizing the people's farming and sericulture, disaster prevention, mediating disputes, mobilizing for war, as well as medical care, construction, education, etc.
In simple terms, government orders are ultimately passed down to the village committee, and the village committee can also report the difficulties in the village directly to the police station.”
As he spoke, he drew out a simple political structure with just a few strokes.
Su Che nodded and said, "Actually, this is the case now. It is composed of the head of the household, the head of the village, and the gentry, but the tasks and responsibilities are not so clear."
Zhang Fei nodded and said, "That's what we have to do. We must determine which matters are under the jurisdiction of the township committee and which matters must be reported to the police station. Of course, we will also issue relevant regulations to clearly tell the police station how to cooperate with the township committee."
Cao Dongdong said depressedly: "I don't want to cooperate with those old masters, it's too difficult."
Zhang Fei said: "But you have no choice, because the Royal Police cannot manage every village. If you want to do this, there must be at least 30,000 Royal Police in Hezhong Prefecture alone, which is simply unaffordable."
Fu Shichun said: "Yanei, this is a good thing. It can reduce the burden on the police station."
"Master Fu is right. The disputes among the lower classes are the most numerous and complicated. If we don't stay in the villages all the time, we can't control them at all."
Zhang Fei gave Cao Dongdong a helpless smile and said, "At the same time, the number of people in a township committee and who will be in charge must be clearly defined so that accountability can be pursued in the future."
Su Che asked: "How is this regulated?"
Zhang Fei said: "I plan to regulate from two aspects. First, those privileged people in the village. Anyone who enjoys privileges and tax exemptions must bear the responsibilities of the township committee."
Su Che said: "But these people may not be able to manage the countryside well."
Zhang Fei said: "I have to say something that Chief Prosecutor Su may not like to hear."
"I'm all ears." Su Zhe nodded slightly.
Zhang Fei smiled and said, "Compared to morality, I actually believe in interests more. If the tax exemption privileges are linked to the responsibilities of the township committee, I believe they will work hard to manage it."
Su Che smiled slightly and did not comment.
If you do this, they will definitely be encouraged. This privilege is too important nowadays. Even the Commissioner of Taxation dare not touch it. It is a golden rice bowl!
Zhang Fei said: "The second is that he is highly respected. In my opinion, highly respected means what the people want. Choosing a person who is deeply respected by the local villagers to preside over the township committee will make the work of the township committee go more smoothly."
Su Zhe asked with a smile: "Didn't Judge Zhang say that he believed in interests more than morality?"
Zhang Fei said: "When you reach a state of high moral standing, reputation is also a benefit."
Su Zhe was speechless in rebuttal, and bowed slightly, saying, "Thank you for your advice!"
It all comes down to rules.
The imperial power may not extend below the county level, but the rules must extend below the county level. Villages must operate according to the court’s regulations and have clear responsibilities and obligations.
Although there were heads of households and village heads before, they were unable to control the elders in the village, so they were not a group of people.
Zhang Fei wants to change this and let those who enjoy power serve as the township committee. The more power you enjoy, the more responsibility you must bear. At the same time, these people are often capable and are very suitable candidates.
At the same time, a person of high moral character and prestige represents public opinion, and this public opinion can check and balance those privileged people because their interests are different. Even if this person of high moral character and prestige is also a privileged person, these people often care more about reputation.
With just a casual question, Zhang Fei came up with such a detailed plan. Su Che knew that his guess was correct. He had already thought about how to resolve the conflict between the law and the clan system.
He also admitted that this is indeed a problem that must be solved, otherwise the Royal Police will come into conflict with them.
... ...
Although the Q&A session had ended, most people were still staying where they were, discussing the content of the session with each other. They were mainly discussing the household census.
This was because many people concealed their household registration in order to evade taxation and corvee labor, accounting for almost a quarter of the entire Hezhong Prefecture, or even a third.
This is a big deal!
But originally, this is not a big problem. Our purpose is to evade taxes. We just want to make a living. How could I possibly register
But now the taxation and corvée systems have changed. The exemption law has turned many corvées into hired labor, and tax collection has become a voluntary declaration. Don't say that you don't have a household registration. Even if you have a household registration, you don't have to pay taxes. On the contrary, if you don't have a household registration, I will still check your taxes. The tax commissioner said it very clearly, I don't care where you are from, if you live in Hezhong Prefecture, you must pay taxes.
At the same time, this voluntary declaration has eliminated all exploitative means such as conversion and transfer. The tax rate for poor farmers is only 5%, so there is no need to be afraid. After all, there are still many inconveniences in concealing their household registration, and they dare not speak out when being bullied.
This makes the people very conflicted.
On the one hand, they want to obtain a household registration with a given surname, but on the other hand, they are afraid of getting into trouble.
The officials left quickly, discussing in low voices.
"The public security, procuratorate and courts are really going too far. If they also take away the household registration rights, what else can we as the government do?"
"Didn't Han Sishi and his men come to settle accounts with them? With Han Sishi here, they will definitely not be allowed to succeed."
"The right to household registration is secondary. The key point is that this question-and-answer session is scary. If the public security, procuratorate and courts do this, it will definitely lead to the people asking our government to do the same."
"Then we should do the same. We can't let the public security, procuratorate and courts steal the limelight."
"Once you say it, it's like spilled water on the ground. You said it, but can you do it?"
... ...
When the voice faded away, two old men came out from the Legal Aid Department. They were Fan Zhen and Lu Xiaosheng.
Lu Xiaosheng asked, "Do you think the government would hold this kind of Q&A session?"
"Definitely not."
Fan Zhen said with certainty: "For officials, the clearer they are, the more they will be constrained and the less power they will have. It is best to be vague about everything. That way, they can thrive."
Lu Xiaosheng nodded slightly and asked, "Then why did the public security, procuratorate and court hold this Q&A session? Doesn't what Brother Fan said apply to the public security, procuratorate and court?"
Fan Zhen shook his head and said, "No, this certainly applies to the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs as well."
At this point, he sighed in shame, "I am far inferior to him!"
Lu Xiaosheng nodded slightly and said, "This person is indeed extraordinary. We misunderstood him before."
As he was speaking, he saw a group of people walking out of the south gate of the imperial court. They were Han Jiang, Cai Yanqing, Wei Yingfang and others.
Although Han Jiang came, there was not much difference from the past. The officials still left the imperial court as if they had lost their parents. Not once did they leave with their heads held high.
This was different from what they had imagined. Han Jiang did not reverse this phenomenon, which made Wei Yingfang and others very disappointed. They exchanged glances and asked Han Jiang why he wanted to reconcile with the other party, saying that the power was in our hands.
Just as they were about to ask, Han Jiang suddenly stopped, turned around and looked at them angrily.
"How many more of these stupid things have you done?"
All the officials were stunned and looked at Han Jiang blankly.
Han Jiang said angrily: "According to the system, the purpose of the existence of the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs is to cooperate with our government, especially the police station. They are replacing the yamen runners and must be dispatched by us.
They handed over their suggestions, and whether you agree or not, you should at least give them a reply. You are doing nothing, so aren't you just giving away power
I give you the power to command the police station, but you don't command it. You complain all day long. I really don't know how you are in this position. This makes me angry. "
After saying this, he angrily got on the carriage and drove away, leaving Wei Yingfang and others in disarray, without even the courage to defend themselves.
That's the truth.
If this matter is brought to the court, they will definitely be the ones to die.
"Mr. Yuan, Prefect Cai, what should we do now?" He Chunlin looked at Cai Yanqing and Yuan Jiang aggrievedly.
Cai Yanqing tilted his head to look at Yuan Jiang as usual.
Yuan Jiang sighed, "Maybe we are really wrong." He took the responsibility on himself first, after all, he was the one who had been against the imperial court. He then looked at them, "But in the future, we should not pay too much attention to the public security, procuratorate and courts. We should take care of our own affairs first. This way, we can ensure that our power is not encroached upon by the public security, procuratorate and courts, and that we can occupy a dominant position and let the public security, procuratorate and courts cooperate with us."
Everyone nodded.
If they don't care, the public security, procuratorate and courts will take care of it. The more they fight and the less they care, the greater their power will be, because the public security, procuratorate and courts can really take care of it. But if they take care of their own affairs, the public security, procuratorate and courts will protect them.
They are now becoming more and more aware of this problem. Now that they are no longer in an advantageous position, they must first defend their own rights and must first learn how to use the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs.
... ...
Putting aside the acting skills, what Han Jiang said is actually right, and he is really thinking about the government.
Power does not equal opposition.
Power does not mean rejection.
The purpose of power is to govern the country and share the worries of the emperor. One should not be like a possessed person, running against the imperial court every day. If one fails to do so, he will feel that power has fallen into the wrong hands.
This is outrageous!
Only in the process of governance can you use power. If power is not used, it is equivalent to having nothing. Only in this way can you suppress the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs.
For example, the game between Wang Anshi and Sima Guang was not a simple opposition and opposition. Sima Guang never ordered Zhang Fei to oppose the Qingmiao Law. He only asked them to build public security, procuratorial and judicial organs and enforce the law, because he knew that in the process of law enforcement, he could check and balance the Qingmiao Law.
Wang Anshi did the same thing.
Finally, under Han Jiang's mediation, Cai Yanqing took the lead in issuing a notice to the public, announcing that Hezhong Prefecture would conduct a household census and replace the new household registration, and this matter would be carried out by the police station.
After this notice was issued, the police station posted a notice announcing how to conduct a household census. At the same time, they formally submitted an application to the government. After all, the land, scale, and design of the prison had already been prepared.
After all, the government is in charge of finances and land. If the police station wants to build a prison, it still needs money and land from the government.
The government did not make things difficult and approved it directly. In order not to delay the construction of the police station, the Transportation Bureau directly paid salt notes as funds for the construction of the prison.
This is actually normal operation.
The police station cannot have the power to decide whether to conduct a household census. This must be decided by the government, because household registration is one of the most important tasks of the government, and the police station is only an executor.
However, there is a saying that goes, the dog that bites doesn't bark.
After the question-and-answer session, everyone felt at ease and was not afraid of the police, procuratorate or courts. Instead, it was those who did not speak that were frightening.
Taxation Commissioner!
It is a pity that the Director of Taxation did not participate in this Q&A session.
After the tax commissioner's operations at the beginning of the year, he immediately disappeared. No one knows what he is doing now. Anyway, if someone comes to pay the deed tax, they will accept it. But if you don't come, they won't ask. They just act as if it's up to you to pay or not.
In order to test the waters, some people sent people to pay the deed tax, and then deliberately pretended that they had brought the wrong contract, saying that they would go back to get it, but in the end they did not go, just to see if the tax commissioner would come to urge them. As a result, half a month passed, and the tax police did not even show up.
Come and ask me, let’s chat.
You are so scary for pretending to be deaf and dumb.
No matter how well or how fair the public security, procuratorate and courts spoke, the powerful and wealthy people in Hezhong Prefecture were still uneasy, and their eyes were always focused on the Commissioner of Taxation.
They still have a large number of white deeds in their hands and are trying to find ways to circumvent them.
As the saying goes, you should counter each move with your own.
But the opponent refuses to make any move, how can I counter his moves
This is really torture!
As time went by, this anxiety became more intense.
Not only the landlords are anxious, but the officials are also anxious!
So they found an excuse and asked Cai Yanqing to invite Chen Ming to the government office.
You see, the tax collection period is coming soon. Can the tax commissioner handle it? If he fails to collect the taxes, it will be a big problem. The finances are already so tight and there is no surplus. If you fail to collect taxes, you will have to lie low next year.
In addition, we have to exercise our power in all aspects. The Commissioner of Taxation collects taxes for us, so we also have to supervise him.
Cai Yanqing thought it made sense, so he invited Chen Ming to the government office.
"Tax Collector Chen, how is your deed tax collection?" Cai Yanqing asked.
Chen Ming said: "I checked the account last month and I collected about 1,200 strings of cash."
"Only 1,200 guan?"
Wei Yingfang immediately said, "There must be more than this amount of white deeds out there. They have been piled up for years. I think there is less than one-tenth of them now. Now that the deadline has passed, aren't you going to urge them?"
Chen Ming said: "No need!"
Wei Yingfang was stunned for a moment and asked, "What do you mean?"
Chen Ming said: "To be honest, the reason why those people are dragging their feet is that they hope that our tax commissioner can't last a year, because they have no way to evade the deed tax, and those lands and houses cannot be hidden. As long as the tax commissioner is alive, they will rush to pay the deed tax in the last two months.
Therefore, our tax department has already made corresponding arrangements. Now most of the accountants are busy with other things, and only two people are sitting there collecting taxes. I will arrange for the accountants to come back and collect taxes in September."
It’s so direct and so domineering.
I have a firm grasp on their little tricks.
Wei Yingfang was speechless for a while, and said, "What if Tax Collector Chen made a mistake in his judgment?"
Chen Ming bowed and said, "Thank you for your kind words. If that is the case, our tax commissioner's bonus will increase several times next year. I hope that all our tax police can buy land in Hezhong Prefecture."
If you pay, we can only get wages. If you don’t pay, we can get bonuses. Our wealth and fortune depend on your little ideas.
Cai Yanqing and Yuan Jiang looked at each other and almost laughed out loud.
I didn't expect that this expressionless face has a humorous side.
The corners of Wei Yingfang's mouth twitched a few times, "It's really exciting."
... ... .
After Chen Ming left, Cai Yanqing suddenly said, "President Wei, although there will be no punishment for tax evasion, if someone in the government is caught, it will definitely affect his career."
Wei Yingfang's expression changed. "What does Governor Cai mean by this?"
Cai Yanqing said: "You have to manage your subordinates well. I don't want to see any officials being sued by the tax commissioner in court."
Wei Yingfang secretly breathed a sigh of relief, "Yes, I understand."
... ...
When I returned to the mansion, I saw Cao Yi and Liang Youyi sitting inside.
"President Wei, what do you think? What does Chen Ming say?"
Cao Yi asked hurriedly.
Wei Yingfang shook his head and told them what Chen Ming had just said.
Cao Yi frowned and said, "It seems that the tax commissioner is almost certain to win."
Wei Yingfang nodded, and suddenly noticed a disdainful smile on the corner of Liang Youyi's mouth, so he asked, "What do you think, Mr. Liang?"
Liang Youyi stroked his beard and smiled, "In fact, the methods used by the tax commissioner are just commonplace. There is no need to worry."
Cao Yi asked hurriedly: "What do you mean?"
Liang Youyi said: "Many people have discovered the methods of the tax commissioner. On the one hand, they recruit old tax collectors and use their experience to check taxes. On the other hand, they bribe people around the big landlords and lurk in their homes to investigate. In the end, they are using money to lure others to check taxes for them."
Wei Yingfang frowned: "Is this what Chen Ming meant by 'depending on one's ability'?"
Liang Youyi smiled and said, "A powerful dragon cannot defeat a local snake. In this area, nothing can escape our eyes and ears. They can bribe other people's servants, and the tax police can also be bribed. It just depends on who pays more. Anyway, as far as I know, many of the headmen and tax police have been bribed. They now know everything about the tax commissioner's every move!"
Wei Yingfang smiled and said, "Yes, the Taxation Bureau is not like the Imperial Court and the Procuratorate. There are all kinds of people there. If you want to deal with the Taxation Bureau, it is most effective to attack from the inside."
But after Liang Youyi left, Wei Yingfang asked Cao Yi, "Prefect Cai is right. It is better to be safe than sorry. We cannot risk going to court and join them in making trouble."
Cao Yi nodded and said, "I think so too."
Wei Yingfang added: "However, we can give it a try for the land that is not under our name. Even if we are caught, we will just be fined."
... ... .
Royal Court.
"Yanei, why are you in such a hurry to find me?"
Zhang Fei came to the small pavilion by the lake and asked Cao Dongdong, who was sitting restlessly.
Cao Dongdong glanced around.
Zhang Fei smiled and said, "Don't worry, it's in plain sight here, no one can eavesdrop."
"Is it?"
Cao Dongdong looked into the lake again.
Zhang Fei almost fainted. "Hurry up and tell me what's going on."
Cao Dongdong whispered, "This is a big deal, we can't let anyone hear it."
Zhang Fei asked curiously, "What's the big deal?"
Cao Dongdong said: "I found that someone was secretly bribing the tax police."
Zhang Fei frowned and asked, "Where did you get the news?"
"Don't worry about it. This is absolutely true and there is no way it can be wrong," said Cao Dongdong.
Zhang Fei glanced at him and said, "Tell me the truth, how many spies have you planted in the Taxation Department?"
Cao Dongdong immediately said: "I didn't, don't talk nonsense."
Zhang Fei said nothing, just frowned and looked at him.
Cao Dongdong said: "Not many, only two or three."
"Yeah?"
Zhang Fei said: "I am your hired spy. It will not do you any good if you hide it from me."
Cao Dongdong hesitated for a while, then spread out his five fingers, "More than fifty."
"More than fifty?"
Zhang Fei was speechless and said, "You only handed over 500 people to the Commissioner of Taxation, but one in ten of them were yours. Do you have any shame?"
"I trained them, they have to be loyal to me, what can I do?" Cao Dongdong blinked guiltily, and then said: "Besides, the government has dozens of spies in our police station, we should reciprocate."
Reciprocity? This is clearly Infernal Affairs! Zhang Fei shook his head helplessly and said, "So they bribed your people."
Cao Dongdong nodded.
Apart from anything else, anyone who wants to bribe Cao Dongdong is really dreaming. This guy has too powerful a background. He is currently the number one foreign relative of the Song Dynasty, his father is the leader of the infantry, and he is also a rising star in the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs. Everyone is willing to follow him.
This is something that money cannot replace.
Zhang Fei hesitated for a moment and said, "Let your people accept the money and say they will complete the mission."
Cao Dongdong said cautiously, "Nothing will happen, I tell you, I have to protect them, otherwise, who will follow me in the future."
Zhang Fei nodded and said, "Don't worry, nothing will happen. I will arrange everything right away."
Cao Dongdong said: "That's fine."
Zhang Fei asked again: "But why did you arrange so many people to infiltrate the Taxation Department?"
Cao Dongdong scratched his cheek and said, "Isn't this to avoid misunderstandings?"
"What misunderstanding?"
"First of all, I didn't evade taxes. My money was all given by my father. I was just worried that if someone close to me, such as you, was found out, I would be able to notify you in time to pay the tax!"
"Thank you so fucking much."
Zhang Fei said unhappily.
Cao Dongdong chuckled, "You're welcome. You're welcome. You have to remember that you are our hired spy. Our conversation is protected by the contract. If you dare to tell anyone, I can sue you."
Zhang Fei looked at him in surprise and said, "Not bad! You've made great progress, Yanei!"
Cao Dongdong said proudly: "Birds of a feather flock together."
"Fuck you."
After seeing Cao Dongdong off, Zhang Fei went to Da Gou's restaurant.
"It's almost time to collect taxes. How are your preparations going?" Zhang Fei asked.
Big Dog said confidently: "Everything is under control."
There was indeed not enough time last year, but this year we give them a whole year, so there is more than enough time.
Zhang Fei asked, "Nothing went wrong?"
"Yes."
Big Dog seemed to have remembered something. "Someone has been bribing the traffic police, tax police, and even the tax bureau's accountant recently. Although this will not affect our tax collection, how should we deal with these people?"
Zhang Fei pondered for a moment and said, "Birds die for food, and people die for money. We can't stop them from accepting dirty money. This kind of thing will continue to happen, but it takes two hands to clap. We can stop those people from giving them money."
The big dog asked hurriedly: "How to stop it?"
Zhang Fei smiled and said, "It means allowing them to collect money."
Big Dog was surprised and asked, "Are they allowed to collect money?"
Zhang Fei said: "As long as everyone knows that these people not only take money but also do not do the work, they will even testify in court and stab them in the back, then no one will give them money. Not only that, it will force them to be loyal to the tax commissioner, because if they leave the protection of the tax commissioner, hehe, they will inevitably be retaliated and their end will be very miserable."
The big dog made a gurgling sound in his throat and thought to himself, This judge looks kind, but I didn't expect him to be so cruel. From now on, I have to be careful when I speak in front of him.
Zhang Fei suddenly turned his head to look at him, "You don't think I'm too cruel, do you?"
The big dog was startled and shook his head, "No! Of course not!"
Zhang Fei smiled and said, "If there is, it only shows that you are too kind. You need to reflect on yourself. Have you ever seen a kind person asking others for money?"
Big Dog scratched his head and whispered, "In fact, I have been trying to stop those people from investigating your taxes, President."
Zhang Fei's mouth twitched, and he said, "I don't do this, not because I'm not ruthless enough, but because this kind of thing only wants money. To me, it's meaningless. The chief judge can cost me my life."
The big dog said hurriedly: "I understand! I understand!"