"Budget?" Li Di was silent for a moment as he recited these two words.

After hearing Xu Ping's detailed explanation, no one sat in Chongzheng Hall spoke, and all lowered their heads and thought.

After handing over with Chen Zhizhong, Xu Ping officially took over the three departments. While arranging personnel, he proposed the future route of financial reform and formally submitted a memorial. Today, the ministers gathered in Chongzheng Hall to discuss the outline of financial reform.

The fiscal budget system is the first step. Without a clear and reasonable fiscal budget, or as before, how much money Curry spends, there is no way to discuss the subsequent reforms. In order to cope with various temporary expenses, the three departments are exhausted. Where can they still have the energy to coordinate the fiscal operation? Without plans and coordination, the three departments will be the same as before.

Finally, Chen Yaozuo broke his silence and said to Xu Ping: "This matter sounds complicated at first, but it is not difficult to make sense. All the money and food in the world are in the Three Divisions. If you have to make a budget, it is also the Three Divisions to do it. It's good to report to the Political Affairs Hall in the Times. As long as the various yamen work according to this budget next year, don't make any decisions in a temporary manner, it's easier to do things!"

Hanlin scholar Cheng Lin said: "Young Master said this well. It is indeed not difficult for the minister of the Central Secretariat to do this, and it is not difficult for each yamen. In fact, it is not difficult for the three departments to do it. The difficult ones are not here, but in the Privy Council."

Speaking of this, he looked at Zhang Shixun sitting next to Zhao Zhen and kept silent.

For normal administrative agencies, it is indeed not difficult to make a budget. The three departments are in charge of the world's money and grain, but now what's the point of adding a budget system? It's easy for everyone to do things!

But what's the use of this? The big part of money and grain is not here, but is raising troops and military expenditure. Whether the budget is good or not depends on whether the administrative yamen cooperates or not. No one can oppose the three yamen. The difficulty lies in the imperial guards. Whether the three yamen is willing to make the finance transparent, let the budget system penetrate into the army, and make the military expenditure clear. This is the real difficulty.

In the peaceful era, the world's money and grain collected by the Sansi were almost six to seventy points to support the army. In addition, the internal warehouse revenue, which accounts for one-sixth of the Sansi's income, basically used military expenditure, and military expenditure accounts for about 70% to 80% of the total fiscal receipts. If there is a war, this proportion will easily exceed 80%, and it is not surprising that it accounts for 90% at extremes.

Sometimes Xu Ping had a feeling that the Song Dynasty was a warlord regime that dressed himself up as a civilized country. The great princes in the court spoke out about the country and the world, and the civil servants shouted that the rule of sages was actually just to collect military expenses. The major affairs of the world were decided by these civil servants, on the premise that the military expenses for raising the army were collected. The civil servants could not take care of the military expenses, and 80% of the money and food in the world were spent first. Is there any major affairs in the world?

The Privy Council is in charge of military orders, and according to the system, they should be in charge of the use of military expenses, but in fact what they can do is to pay the money in full according to the Sanya's version. As for whether there are so many people on the Sanya's list, whether the money is distributed to the soldiers who receive the salary, how the money is spent, and where it has been spent, I don't know anything.

The Imperial Guard was actually the Imperial Guard of the Five Dynasties when he was the warlord of the Five Dynasties. However, before the Song Dynasty, they collected military expenses themselves, and now the country has raised a group of civil servants to help collect military expenses. In the past, the Imperial Guard took his sword and went to the people to collect it. Now he carried his sword and forced the civil servants to collect it. If this is called civil servants, this kind of civil servants is just used to decorate the storefront.

The country spent money to support soldiers. This army was used to fight, but this army could not fight. The biggest ability was to steal their own people. This problem was a big deal. From the time of Taizu, the unification strategy of first south and then north was determined. The military and political goals were at that time. The separatist regime in the south was almost like autumn wind sweeping away leaves, and basically completed the unification of the Central Plains. Taizong succeeded to the throne and defeated the Northern Han Dynasty. When he defeated the Khitan, he was defeated again and again, and almost all of them were defeated against Dangxiang and Jiaozhi. By this time, the interests of the army gradually drifted away from the national interests, and the contradictions became increasingly greater.

Civil officials gradually gained the initiative, and there was a process. The so-called power was the most important of all, personnel and finance, and the change in initiative was also centered on these two aspects. When Taizu was Taizu, the army itself controlled the financial power and personnel power. Later, the military power was released with the power of war, and the decision-making power was gradually received by the emperor. When Taizong was Taizu, it reached its peak. At that time, the commander and commander in the imperial guards led hundreds of officers, all of whom were personally inquired about martial arts and appointed by the civil servants, and there was no way to ask about it.

After arriving at Zhenzong, the human rights were gradually transferred to the civilian government. The most obvious thing was that the Privy Council began to use civilian officials and gradually dominated civilian officials, and became a regular system. However, this human rights were only the right to suggest, and the right to decide was still in the hands of the emperor.

Xu Ping proposed the budget system to move the financial power of the army. The absolute majority of the finance lies in military spending. The money in the hands of the army cannot be moved. Reform is just a child playing house. Thinking of this, he remained silent.

Seeing that everyone was looking at him, Zhang Shixun had to say, "There is no big disaster here in the Privy Council. There are all versions of the articles available. The cost of raising troops over the years is nothing more than that. In total, it is handed over to the three departments."

Xu Ping said: "The envoy, if you have a budget, you will inevitably have a final account. At the end of the year, whether the money is spent according to the budget, how it is spent, and where it is spent, we need to find out."

Zhang Shixun shook his head: "According to previous years, the Privy Council cannot do these things. How to spend money is always a decision by the commander of the army. There are many people who are illiterate in the army. How could they do this?"

Yan Shu said: "It is not a solution to continue like this. People in the imperial guards who are in high positions have their servants, including silk, satin, and even silk shoes, silk and stockings, which are extravagant than wealthy people. However, ordinary soldiers are often deducted money and food, and there are many people who do not keep their food and clothing, and they complain. If they use the budget and final accounts proposed by Xu Ping to spend money where they should be spent, it is a virtue policy."

Zhang Shixun hugged his hands and hung his stomach in front of his belly, and said lightly: "My deeds are naturally moral deeds, but I am powerless. This matter must be discussed with the three commanders of the Imperial Guards. Only when they agree can things continue."

Li Di said in a deep voice: "We don't take precautions against the country's government. We just settle down and let them do it. Why bother to discuss it!"

Zhang Shixun closed his eyes slightly and stopped talking. He thought to himself, what's the use of being cruel to me? He has the ability to talk to the person holding a knife. The court spent money to buy a loyalty of the general, and he would not let them deduct military expenses. If something happened, would you be responsible?

At this point, a deadlock was formed. Without the budget and final accounts spent by the imperial guards, Xu Ping's financial reform actions were actually small-scale moves. No matter how much money he made, it still fell into the hands of the imperial guards' commanders. Moreover, military expenditure was originally intended to support soldiers, but in fact most of the money fell into the hands of officers at all levels. The soldiers who were really short of money were still out of food and clothing, and even those who sold their wives and women were sold, and all kinds of chaos were caused.

Should we buy officers at all levels in exchange for stability of the imperial guards, and at the cost of declining combat effectiveness, we should directly use military expenditure to truly support the army, win the morale of the army, and thus ensure combat effectiveness. As the emperor, Zhao Zhen had to make a choice.
Chapter completed!