Rebirth: Overthrow Song Dynasty

Uh……

Hearing this, the members below were all stunned.

"Sovereign, I don't know how much the imperial court allocates to the palace every year?" A member of the assembly stood up and said.

"Only 150,000 taels of silver." Zhao Ji said.

what!

The congressmen below immediately started talking, and many people showed incredible expressions on their faces.

"Master Li, you used to serve in the Military Aircraft Department. I wonder if the imperial court allocates so much money to the palace every year?" a member of the Diet asked immediately.

"I don't know very well, but the annual cost of the palace is not very high, and the number of maids and guards in the palace is also very small, less than one-tenth of what it was in the Liao Dynasty." Li Chuwen said.

"This thing is absolutely true! As the Supreme Emperor, I only had six maids to serve in the palace, and there were only ten dishes at noon every day. It would be impossible for me to ask for more! I personally asked the king that day. Shu, Wang Shu told me that the royal palace spends 150,000 taels every year! This is too little! When in Kaifeng that year, when did you not need a million taels?" Zhao Ji said angrily.

When I was in the Kaifeng Palace, the number of eunuchs alone exceeded 2,000, and the number of concubines and maids in the harem of Zhao Ji totaled more than 2,000. Zhao Ji himself spent a lot of money, and every meal required countless dishes. Picking for himself, he likes all kinds of flowers and stones, and every year he transports a large number of flowers and stones from Jiangnan to Kaifeng! What he said about spending millions of taels only refers to the expenses inside the palace, not to mention the various imperial gardens he built outside and so on.

"One hundred and fifty thousand taels, that's too little! A prime minister's mansion in Kaifeng that year spent more than that every year!" Zhao Ji said.

The Song Dynasty implemented a system of high salaries and honesty, and the salary of first- and second-rank officials was extremely high. As for the prime minister's house, there were many members and related expenses were provided by the court. Of course, after Zhao Chen's system reform, the Military Aircraft Department replaced the former court ministries, and there was no such expense anymore.

"One hundred and fifty thousand taels, I really can't imagine it!" Li Chuwen nodded.

"And I heard Wang Shu said that the reason why it cost so much is to repair the Yanjing Palace! After the Yanjing Palace was occupied by the Jurchens, it has not been repaired for many years, and there are many broken places inside! It may be after the next year. , The palace consumes less gold and silver every year! Everyone, the palace is the place where the imperial court works and where the emperor of the Song Dynasty lives. Why shouldn’t it be a bit decent? A mere 150,000 taels, it’s a shame to say it! Song manages thousands of miles of rivers and mountains, countless people, and the emperor of Song Dynasty wants to live such a life, how can this be?" Zhao Ji said.

"The Emperor Taishang is right. One hundred and fifty thousand taels is too little. I am willing to donate three hundred thousand taels of silver to your majesty to fund the palace." A Khitan man in his seventies stood up and said.

This Khitan is a well-known rich businessman in Yanjing, with a wealth of wealth, and he likes to help poor people on weekdays, so this time he was also elected as a member of Parliament.

"We need to allow the court to allocate funds and cannot take your money." Zhao Ji said.

"Since the Supreme Emperor has said this topic today, let's discuss it." Li Chuwen said.

At the moment, these dozens of congressmen are discussing this matter in the Palace of Parliament. It took only half an hour before they reached a "consensus." Zhao Ji was going to write a letter to the Military Aircraft Department as the "President" and ask the Military Aircraft Department to allocate funds to the palace. Increase to five hundred thousand taels.

After finishing this thing, Zhao Ji is triumphant! Since returning from the north, he was so happy for the first time, he seemed to see the right beckoning to him again.

"Next, we are going to discuss the constitution of the Advisory Council! Your Majesty asked me to wait for political participation. I want to think about how to participate in politics, right?" Li Chuwen said.

The members of the Council of Parliament began to discuss again, but this time everyone had no clue.

This advisory board is a new thing that has just appeared. It is truly unprecedented. There is no such organization abroad. No one knows how this organization should operate. The parliamentarians are not even clear about their identity. They don't know whether they belong to officials or the people? Let them discuss the constitution of this advisory board at this moment, and they are all in the fog.

All morning, they did not discuss any results.

They took a short break at noon and continued to discuss the constitution of the Consultative Council in the afternoon. However, after one afternoon, there was still no result.

"Master Li, this advisory board was built by your majesty's order, and your majesty must have his own considerations, and we still need to ask your majesty!" a member of the Diet said.

"Yes, without your majesty's instructions, I really don't know what to do?" Another member said.

Li Chuwen nodded, he himself was a little confused, and he couldn't think of why.

By the time that night, many congressmen had already dispersed. They agreed that they would gather at the Conference Hall in the morning before dawn, just like the officials in the early court, while Li Chuwen came to the imperial study room and begged to see Zhao Chen.

After Zhao Chen let him in, he first reported something that had happened in the Palace of Parliament today, saying: "Your Majesty, the Advisory Bureau is going to propose to the Military Aircraft Department that the annual appropriation for the Imperial Palace should be increased to 500,000 taels of silver."

Zhao Chen was stunned, then burst into laughter, and said, "What does the palace want so much silver for? Now the palace also has four imperial concubines, two imperial emperors, more than 200 maids, and some cleaning. A person of sanitation can't really use so many silver taels."

"Your Majesty, the minister thinks that the Supreme Emperor is right. The palace is where the imperial court is and the place where the king of Song Dynasty lives. It should be a little decent! The layout of the palace is too simple now, and there are only more than 200 palace ladies, even There are not as many maids as some big families, if it spreads outside, it will be bad for your majesty." Li Chuwen said.

"I quickly like thrift, and don't like luxury and waste. The appearance in the palace is already very luxurious in my opinion. It is much more luxurious than most folks. As for the decentness, reputation, etc., I don’t think it’s great. After all, this is the first issue discussed by your Consultative Bureau. You can play on the Military Aircraft Department, but the Military Aircraft Department will not adopt it." Zhao Chen said.

"Weichen understand! Your Majesty, there is one more thing. I have no idea what to do about the constitution of the Advisory Board. I really don't know what to do?" Li Chuwen said.

"You have to discuss the election of the speaker first. You have already done this. So, Li Chuwen, I now appoint you as the deputy speaker of the Consultative Bureau." Zhao Chen thought for a while and said first.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Li Chuwen said with a surprise smile on his face.

Although the Consultative Council has been established, Li Chuwen does not have the slightest concept of "democracy". Not only him, but all members of the Consultative Council do not have such a concept! Zhao Ji can become the Speaker of the House because Zhao Ji is the Supreme Emperor! If everyone is asked to choose the vice-chairperson, it must be another Supreme Emperor Zhao Huan! However, Zhao Chen is the emperor, and Zhao Chen personally appointed Li Chuwen as the deputy speaker. No one would object.

"The Consultation Bureau needs to meet every once in a while to discuss things! In addition, a small number of people need to stay in the Consultation Bureau to take charge of daily affairs."

"Every time the Consultation Bureau meets, if someone fails to come, he must ask for leave! If someone does not ask for leave several times in a row, the Consultation Bureau can expel him."

"When the Consultative Council meets, members of the Council need to prepare bills, discuss them in the Consultative Council, and submit them to the Military Aircraft Department after discussion.”

Zhao Chen stood up from his seat, and he paced gently in the room, slowly speaking.

"Your Majesty, how is the seating arrangement in this advisory bureau? I always sit together like this, I'm afraid it's not good, right? There must be a distinction between superior and inferior." Li Chuwen wrote down what Zhao Chen said, and went on Said again.

"There is no superior and inferior in the Advisory Council! You are all selected by the people. They are all supervising the court on behalf of the people and giving advice to the court. Of course, there is no need to distinguish between superior and inferior! It is responsible for convening members and holding meetings! When you really discuss the motion, your status is exactly the same as that of ordinary members! When discussing the motion, only a few obey the majority, and no subordinates obey the superior! In addition, you need to discuss what motions and how many. People can pass, and any bill needs to reach more people before it can pass." Zhao Chen said.

"Your Majesty, do these congressmen count as officials? Does the court need to pay salaries?" Li Chuwen said again.

"Members are naturally not officials! Members can be said to be a bridge between officials and the people! Members need to visit the people frequently and understand the people's conditions. Members must not work for themselves, but need to work for the people! The court will also give them benefits. For related salaries, councillors can even hire people to understand the people's sentiments, all of which cost money." Zhao Chen said.

Li Chuwen kept nodding ignorantly.

Seeing Li Chuwen's appearance, Zhao Chen couldn't help laughing.

Except for Zhao Chen, no one in the whole country knows what the advisory bureau does? Even the vast majority of people think that this is the place that Zhao Chen gave Zhao Ji, Zhao Huan and others for the elderly! Before the people's wisdom is developed, even an official like Li Chuwen cannot understand all of Zhao Chen's intentions! Under such circumstances, Zhao Chen had to personally participate in the construction of the Consultative Bureau. He personally appointed Li Chuwen as the Deputy Speaker, and felt that he had personally worked out all the systems of the Consultative Bureau.

In the later Republic of China, even the political line formulated by Sun Yat-sen was divided into three stages of "military administration, political training, and constitutional government." Zhao Chen cannot do it overnight. He doesn't have Sun Yat-sen's "military and political" issues, and he doesn't have to worry about dominating the world, but he also needs a "political training" stage before he can slowly establish the political system he wants. The reform of the imperial education examination, the addition of real learning, and the addition of some of Zhao Chen's political thoughts, will sooner or later expand the wisdom of the people, but now it is only implemented in Yanjing, and sooner or later will be implemented throughout the country.

"Your Majesty, the Consultation Bureau will hold discussions tomorrow. When that time comes, your Majesty will personally go over and instruct me to wait." Li Chuwen said.

"Okay! I will pass by tomorrow!" Zhao Chen nodded and said.

In the morning of the second day, Zhao Chen personally came to the Palace of Parliament. He also sat in the lower position like an ordinary congressman, and the faces of the surrounding "congressmen" showed respect.