"Your Majesty, are these officials' salaries you have ordered too much?" In the main hall of Luoyang Palace, after discussing some major events, Wei Yunqi took an official document, which was re-drafted by Yang Shidao, Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, according to Yang Tong's request.

salary system.

The salaries of officials at all levels under Yang Tong's rule are generally high. If the monthly salary is converted into grain, the position of a sixth-grade official is about one hundred dan. If calculated based on the price of grain before the troubled times, this is already a third-grade official with one thousand dan.

They are not much different from the Twelve Guards Generals and the ministers of various temples.

But it is different downwards. In the era of Emperors Wen and Wu, a county magistrate was divided into the upper county magistrate from the sixth rank, the middle county magistrate from the seventh rank, and the lower county magistrate from the eighth rank, that is to say

, they are both county magistrates, but not only their levels are different, but their salaries are also different. The annual income of the county magistrate of Xia County is 600 shi, which is about one stone and six dou per day. According to the calculation of one stone and ten dou, it is about 50 shi per month.

When it came to Yang Dong, the prefects and county magistrates abolished the distinction between upper, middle and lower, and eliminated the top and bottom. The prefects were unified into the fifth rank, and the county magistrates were unified into the seventh rank. Salaries were also calculated based on grades. Officials in the Sui Dynasty

They were all promoted from poor people. Before this, more than 90% of them had no official experience, and no county officials were demoted. When salary reductions occurred, there would naturally be no voice of dissatisfaction;

Calculating the price of food, everyone's salary has been greatly improved. Because of this, Wei Yunqi felt that this new salary system was high.

"Is it high? I think it's a little short."

"Isn't that enough?" Wei Yunqi's eyes almost popped out of his head.

"Zhongpu She might as well think about it from another angle."

Wei Yunqi racked his brains and thought for a while, then said with a wry smile: "I am a humble minister, please give me a clear explanation!"

Yang Tong said: "Take the county magistrate as an example. He is in charge of the people's livelihood of a county. In the past, many people said that corrupt officials were mostly county magistrates. This is not to say that county officials are not corrupt, but that county magistrates are closest to the people.

"What the county magistrate looks like is what the court looks like in the eyes of the people! Therefore, the reputation of the county magistrate determines the image of the court."

After everyone heard this, they all woke up. County magistrates are grassroots officials. If they do not implement policies properly, even if the court has elixirs, they will not be able to cure the chronic diseases of a place.

"But brother Huang! If the county magistrate is greedy, stupid, and inactive, he can just let the Ministry of Punishment and the Ministry of Justice punish him according to law. What does this have to do with a high salary?" Yang You asked everyone's thoughts.

"A county magistrate has to resolve civil disputes and care about people's livelihood every day. To the people, the county magistrate is the sky!" Yang Tong looked at everyone's confused looks and continued: "But what is the county magistrate's salary? A month's income

, you can barely buy 50 shi of rice! This is enough for ordinary people! But the county magistrate cannot always wear official uniforms when he goes out, and he also has to attend some celebrity gatherings and so on, so he must have decent clothes. Also

The issue is the safety of the county magistrate. Although there are county soldiers in the county, they belong to the Ministry of Armed Forces. Their salaries are issued by the imperial court and they are members of the imperial court. The county magistrate is not qualified to mobilize them to protect themselves. The county magistrate is satisfied when resolving disputes.

The wishes of the honest people have offended the unruly people. In order to prevent these unruly people from being beaten and assassinated, the county magistrate has to pay for several of his followers. In addition, there are several servants at home to serve him.

Money is also needed. A county magistrate has dozens of people to support, and his salary is not enough. He can only use the power in his hands for personal gain, and then step by step towards the abyss of depravity."

"Corruption has been a drawback since ancient times. In the past, the control of corruption was mainly based on suppression, but I believe that it is better to block it than to remove it. We need to find out the key to the problem, and then start from the root cause, increase officials' salaries, so that they will not

As for embezzling for livelihood, why do officials still embezzle when their salaries are so high? If they continue to embezzle, then the problem will be huge. To put it mildly, it is a matter of a person's morality, but to put it more seriously, it is because he wants to

More money is used to recruit troops and plot rebellion. Therefore, when high salaries become more common, any corrupt official will lose the reason to be sympathetic and worthy of pardon. Anyone who commits corruption and fraud will be severely punished. If the circumstances are serious, they will be punished as treason."

Fang Xuanling smiled and said: "This move by Your Majesty, in addition to these, can also increase the attraction of talents."

Yang Tong said: "A country only has so many officials. The country can afford to support it. No matter how poor it is, it will not be short of this little money. What's more, the Sui Dynasty was not short of money, so there is no need to treat everyone badly; and it is not easy for the country to train a talent.

, I don’t want them to take risks due to the pressure of life and eventually embark on a path of no return.”

"My dear brother, please be taught!"

"Weichen can be taught!"

Everyone was convinced.

Corruption has been difficult to eradicate in all dynasties, but it is undeniable that Yang Dong's high-salary policy to support integrity has undoubtedly opened up a new path. While using high-salary to improve the sense of belonging of civil and military officials, it is supplemented by severe criminal laws to restrain corruption.

Shi Jiguo said that measures such as "one person's crime affects three generations" can indeed curb corruption to a large extent.

.............

While Yang Tong was discussing matters with the ministers, the concubine Lu Qinghua came to Xiuye ​​where her sister Pei Yuehua lived. Pei Yuehua was afraid that her "adopted father" Li Mi would marry her to someone she didn't like and didn't know, so he sent Yang Xifang to the big house.

After the Sui Dynasty, she stayed in the Sui Dynasty. Not long after she moved from Yecheng to Luoyang, Yang Tong gave her a small house with an area of ​​only about two acres, but it was enough for her and several servants to live.

When Lu Qinghua arrived outside the back hall, she heard bursts of laughter from the hall. Looking from a distance, she saw her father Pei Min sitting in the middle, and her sister Pei Yuehua sitting at the bottom. The father and daughter were chatting and laughing.

Feelings of parting.

But as Lu Qinghua walked into the lobby, the hall suddenly became quiet. Pei Min and Pei Yuehua looked at her together. Lu Qinghua quickly stepped forward and knelt down in front of his father. Tears flowed out and he choked: "My daughter kowtows to her father."

!”

"My child, I've suffered so much for you!" Pei Min also became sad and quickly helped her up. Seeing that her face was radiant, far from what it was before, he couldn't help but sigh: "My child, after I heard that you were 'killed', your mother was in agony.

Here, Yuehua told the truth."

"My daughter is unfilial and makes her parents worry." Lu Qinghua wiped away her tears. Only now did she know why her sister invited her here. It turned out that her father had arrived.

"As long as you live well, your mother and I will feel relieved." Pei Min felt happy and sad at the same time. Suddenly, he thought of his quirky granddaughter, so he asked: "By the way, where is Fang'er?"

?”

"I don't know if my father is here, but my daughter didn't bring Fang'er." Lu Qinghua glared at her sister, but Pei Yuehua was not afraid and smiled, "Don't I want to give my sister a surprise?"

Pei Min asked with concern: "Tsinghua University, are you, Emperor Shengwu, treating you well?"

This question only made Lu Qinghua blush, but now that the matter has come to this, what can she do? She lowered her head and whispered with shame: "Husband, the Holy Father treats my daughter very well. He not only canonizes her as a lady"

Concubine, I also canonized Fang'er as Princess Wu'an."

Speaking of this, Lu Qinghua asked: "Is father still working for Li Mi?"

Pei Min also knew his daughter's embarrassment and didn't want to say anything more, so he took advantage of the situation and said: "My father used to be an official of the puppet Wei Dynasty because he had no choice but to do it. In anger, Emperor Shengwu assassinated countless officials of Li Mi, more than 90% of them."

Many local officials became dead souls, and the officialdom of the pseudo-Wei Dynasty was paralyzed. Pei Shiqing's family also suffered a disaster. Most of their family was killed, and only some women and old people survived. All the men and children with Pei's blood were killed.

Jue, the casualties were very heavy, even Pei Shiqing was killed, and his family property was looted. My father took the opportunity to resign from his official position because he was afraid of revenge."

Pei Min has always harbored hatred for Pei Shiqing, who had to sell his two daughters several times, and he only had two daughters, so he was not sad about what happened to Pei Shiqing's family.

But Lu Qinghua was taken aback. Of course she had heard of the uproar caused by the assassination of all the pseudo-Wei officials. However, this was the first time she heard about Pei Shiqing's family being almost wiped out. Thinking about the time when it happened,

, a sweet feeling suddenly came to my heart, and I said shyly: "Husband, Your Majesty is venting your anger on your daughter."

Pei Yuehua burst out laughing, "The beauty and the trouble are talking about you, sister!"

Pei Min also misunderstood, simply thinking that Yang Tong's "anger is the beauty", and he was very happy in his heart. It can be seen that not only was his daughter not wronged, but she was quite favored.

"Since my father is no longer an official in the Puppet Wei Dynasty, I might as well take my mother to live in Luoyang, so that our family can be reunited. Sooner or later, the Holy Spirit will unzip his troops and attack Buchen, and as the capital of the Puppet Wei Dynasty, Pengcheng will inevitably have a tragic war.

, you are very unsafe there." Lu Qinghua said.

Pei Yuehua also said: "Yes, father, they all say that 'people in troubled times are not as good as peace dogs', and the Sui Dynasty is the only pure land in the world today. Li Mi will be finished sooner or later, so you and your mother come to Luoyang! Let's live together."

Pei Xun's heart was moved, and he muttered: "Okay, when I get back, I will bring my wife to Luoyang."

"When will father return?"

"When will father return?"

"..." Pei Yan glanced at his two excited daughters speechlessly, and said unhappily: "It seems that I haven't even had a drink of water since I started. Am I so unpopular?"

"Ah! I forgot!" Pei Yuehua stuck out her tongue and ran to arrange it herself.

Lu Qinghua laughed, "Father, why don't you bring your mother too?"

"Try to explore my bottom? You are still a bit young."

"..." Lu Qinghua

"You faked your death and made my wife and I sad for a long time! Now we are relieved."

"Father!" A strong feeling of guilt flashed out of Lu Qinghua's eyes, and he choked out: "It's all my daughter's fault."

"Only in this way can you reunite happily without any troubles. This is the best result. I don't blame you." Pei Min sighed: "This matter must not be spread, otherwise it will be fatal to Emperor Shengwu and you.

"

Lu Qinghua bit her lip and said, "My daughter understands! It's just that my daughter has changed her surname..."

"So what?" Pei Min interrupted his daughter and said: "When a daughter is married into her family, she belongs to someone else. If Emperor Shengwu is not the emperor, then you are the Yang family. Mrs. Yang, isn't this also a change of surname? Why?

Even if you change it, it won't change the fact that you are my daughter."

"Thank you, father." This was Lu Qinghua's biggest heartache. With his father's forgiveness, the gloom in his heart disappeared instantly.

"This time, I was entrusted by Uncle Pei."

"Uncle Shiju?"

"Exactly!"

"Does he want to surrender to the Sui Dynasty again?" Lu Qinghua frowned.

"Absolutely." Pei Min narrowed his eyes slightly and sneered: "The Treatise on the Six Kingdoms written by Emperor Shengwu has long said that the six kingdoms were destroyed if the army was not at its best and the war was not good. The disadvantage lies in bribing Qin. Bribing Qin to gain strength.

Loss, the way of destruction...' But Li Yuan did not learn this lesson. After becoming the emperor, he became as timid as a mouse and suffered huge defeats. He did not think of a way to win a serious victory to unite people's hearts.

He came to negotiate with the Sui Dynasty again and again. In order to survive, he signed a series of treaties that were humiliating and humiliating the country, and compensated large sums of money and food. Since losing Guanzhong, the Puppet Tang Dynasty has begun to lose heart. Now it's better, in just a few years

The 'Six Kingdoms' that became 'bribing Qin' are naturally not far from being 'destructed'."

His eyes slowly swept across Lu Qinghua's face, and Pei Min continued: "Uncle Shiju is extremely shrewd, even his father is far inferior. How could such a person die for the puppet Tang Dynasty? But he was also

I was worried that the truth would be true, so I took a roundabout way and asked my father to make this trip."

Lu Qinghua was silent for a moment, and then said bluntly: "Although Your Majesty loves your daughter, your daughter will not participate..."
To be continued...