Chapter 414: A Good Cat Is One That Catches Mice

In the autumn of the eleventh year of Tianbao, on the day of Ji Ge's birthday, the Tang Emperor, already in his sixties, issued a new imperial decree: a comprehensive reorganization of the Imperial Guard!

Further reduce the Southern Palace Guard's personnel and structure, rendering it completely hollow, turning it into a force that exists only for symbolic purposes, its function shifted to a "recruitment office" nature, a useless chicken‑rib that can no longer take part in military operations.

Then cut all the numerous flashy but impractical unit designations of the Northern Palace Guard, reorganizing it into a single entity divided into two parts.

One part, called the "Hall Front Department", commands the Silver Spear Filial Piety Army, whose military commander is Fang Chongyong.

And the newly formed Black Cloud Long Sword Army, commanded by Cui Qianyou.

The two armies stand side by side, each with a strength of ten thousand men.

Each army controls five "units", each unit comprising two thousand men.

The Black Cloud Long Sword Army was formed by absorbing elite troops from a division of the Divine Strategy Army. The expansion of the Silver Spear Filial Piety Army continues to recruit elites from the border forces.

These two forces are stationed respectively: the Silver Spear Filial Piety Army at Xuanwu Gate in Chang'an, and the Black Cloud Long Sword Army at the Daming Palace, rotating periodically to guard the capital.

The other portion of the Northern Palace Guard is called the "Guard Department", overseeing eighty thousand men, divided into four "armies", each army commanding twenty thousand men.

These four armies are: Dragon Swift Army, Iron Cavalry Army, Tiger Swift Army, Controlling Crane Army (not the one under Fang Youde, whose establishment was never formally granted by the court); each army is further split into a "Left Wing" and a "Right Wing", each wing commanding five "units", each unit two thousand men.

The Imperial Guard's flattened structure is coordinated centrally by Gao Lishi. Gao Lishi is an extension of Ji Ge's hands and ears, so it can be said that Ji Ge serves as the new commander of the Imperial Guard.

Because of a massive personnel shortfall, Ji Ge issued an order to draft brave and valiant soldiers from the border armies into the Imperial Guard.

The reform period is one year: within six months the army's skeleton must be visible; within a year the entire reorganization must be completed.

Personnel, funds, and equipment needed for the reorganization are to be coordinated respectively by the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of Works among the Six Ministries, ensuring every request is met.

The long‑march veterans transferred from the border armies into the Imperial Guard have their military registers moved to the Guard by the Ministry of War.

The resulting vacancies are to be handled by the military governors of each border town themselves—either by downsizing the border forces' structure or by recruiting and supporting troops on their own; in any case the court will no longer provide money, food, or equipment for the missing personnel.

Simply put, once a border soldier from a certain unit is transferred to the Guard, they no longer belong to their original border town unit. As for the vacancy left behind, the court does not care.

The court's funds and provisions are guaranteed only to reach the transferred individual.

When the border forces lose men, they must find their own way to recruit and supply their troops; how they do so is the responsibility of the military governor.

After the imperial decree was issued, the court and the realm were shocked, undercurrents surged, and such a massive reform signaled a major shift in military strategy.

At present, the elite of the Tang forces reside in the border armies, leaving Guanzhong hollow. The purpose of the reform is clearly to strengthen Guanzhong's military strength, cut back the border forces, and remedy the current situation where the branches are thick but the trunk is weak.

This is the report Zheng Shuqing submitted after becoming Right Prime Minister, following Ji Ge's directive to "strengthen Guanzhong". Zheng Shuqing himself does not wish to be troubled, but Ji Ge does not care about his thoughts.

The sudden mutiny of the Silver Spear Filial Piety Army and the Divine Strategy Army's impressive yet ineffective appearance made Ji Ge reflect deeply and resolve to bolster Guanzhong's armaments.

If Guanzhong had a hundred thousand Imperial Guard troops holding the line, there would be no longer a few thousand Silver Spear Filial Piety soldiers causing petty trouble in Chang'an.

However, many times a large ship cannot turn around.

Now the Tang's situation is such that Ji Ge cannot achieve immediate results simply by doing as he wishes.

……

"No money, the court is really too poor! Censor Fang, you must help me think of a solution; I still have to serve as Right Prime Minister, I want to resign, but the Sage won't allow it."

In a private room of the Apricot Blossom Hall, the largest tavern in Chang'an adjacent to Zhuque Street, Zheng Shuqing could not help but complain to the ever‑eating Fang Chongyong.

"The court lacks funds; the Right Prime Minister should consult the Minister of Revenue."

I previously told you that Liu Yan is a financial prodigy; the court has already recalled him to Guanzhong, so just ask Liu Yan. Then advise the Sage to make him Minister of Revenue to manage the money; that would solve everything, right?"

Fang Chongyong set down his chopsticks, squinted, and said he wasn't going to take on this matter at all. The court's current shortage of funds is obvious without asking.

"It's not that simple; I've already spoken to Liu Yan about this."

Liu Yan does indeed have a way to increase the taxes collected by the Ministry of Revenue.

If the reform were spread over ten years, a steady trickle could gradually fill the gap.

But can the Sage wait ten years?

Zheng Shuqing sighed helplessly.

How can the suddenly expanded Guanzhong Guard generate the necessary money and provisions?

When the military governor system was established, the court had already transferred the fiscal authority of border prefectures to the local deputy governors. Now the deputy governor works in the same office as the military governor, sharing a single breath.

In some border towns, such as Hebei, the deputy governor and the military governor are the same person.

The prefectures from which the court actually receives taxes are far fewer than the figures shown on the Ministry of Revenue's books; much of the money goes to sustain troops in the border towns.

Expanding the Guard is an extra expense that will greatly increase the court's fiscal pressure. Since the court has recalled troops from the border towns, it should, in theory, also reclaim some of the tax‑administration rights over those prefectures.

But according to "historical experience", once central fiscal authority is granted out, it is hard to retrieve, and the border towns can evade with all sorts of excuses.

When the troops under a military governor shrink, they will fill the shortfall themselves; no one will voluntarily downsize. Without downsizing, they naturally will not relinquish any portion of fiscal authority.

Thus, in theory, the taxes that should be reclaimed end up unattainable, while the tax burden of the new Guard is transferred entirely to the central government.

The central treasury was already short of funds, and now it is even more so!

But returning to the point, isn't the direct cause of the semi‑autonomous fiefdoms the weak military strength in Guanzhong, unable to deter the regions?

So, what's the problem with expanding the Guard?

It seems there's no real issue.

A few days ago, Fang Chongyong presented Zheng Shuqing with a "military reform" plan, which Ji Ge found satisfactory. Now the newly appointed Right Prime Minister is crying poverty again; Fang Chongyong will not indulge such a greedy habit.

"I know everything you're saying, but I still can't conjure up money; telling me that doesn't help."

Fang Chongyong sighed helplessly, spreading his hands to show his powerlessness.

Seeing that Old Zheng showed no sign of giving up, he retorted irritably, "If it truly can't work, the Right Prime Minister could sell offices and titles."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Shuqing quickly shook his head, replying irritably, "Since the Wude era, when the High Ancestor reigned, the court has been selling offices and titles. Today those positions are worth less than rotted wheat in the fields. If selling offices could raise money, would I still need to ask you?"

So selling offices and titles is no longer possible?

Fang Chongyong was startled.

Zheng Shuqing explained, "The court has always treated the wealthy yet not noble as fools, tricking them into donating money to buy offices. Yet once they purchase a position, it's of little use; they cannot eat, drink, or receive a salary. Even a fool, after being duped for a hundred years, should have some wisdom left."

In the Tang, selling offices was a 'low‑margin, high‑volume' practice; a few dozen strings of cash could buy a meritous post. Even if one truly wanted an office, paying a bit more could, in theory, actually secure the position.

Otherwise, with over sixteen hundred counties in the Tang, where could one find that many county magistrates and prefects? Even with the annual imperial examinations plus gate‑privileged candidates, how many people could there be?

In the imperial examination, an average of only twenty‑seven jinshi were selected each year, and the total number of respectable candidates making the list was just a little over one hundred.

Thus many people bought their way into office, which is one of the main reasons for the uneven quality of officials across the regions.

But purchased officials are discriminated against on one hand, and cannot freely profit on the other. Moreover, the court conducts assessments, so without ability they cannot survive.

On the other hand, the jobs they can obtain are miserable postings, forcing many to leave their homes for remote, impoverished regions.

Those who can afford to buy offices are either extremely rich or noble; who would want to endure such hardship!

Over time, the sale of offices became a buyer's market.

The court refuses to sell important posts, and even relatively good prefectures and counties—county magistrates and county commanders—are reserved for examination appointments.

Unimportant posts, however, cannot be sold at all; the market is severely saturated. Those fools have already been scammed for experience, and no one wants to throw money into the water for nothing.

Official posts are unsold; please help us!

After hearing Zheng Shuqing's introduction, a ridiculous idea flashed through Fang Chongyong's mind.

"Minister Yan, could you also say something? We're here today to discuss great matters, all for the court."

Zheng Shuqing looked at Yan Zhenqing, who sat silently and was only eating his vegetables, and asked with a slightly dissatisfied tone.

During the Bailu Incident, the opportunists were not limited to Zheng Shuqing. Even Yan Zhenqing reaped a windfall; after Fang Guo's downfall, Yan was lifted by the civil officials, promoted to the front, and thus appointed Minister of Works.

That is the result of political power struggles.

Militarily there are strong branches but weak stems, financially revenues cannot meet expenditures; faced with such a dilemma, many court factions have had to temporarily join hands to cope. This is the main reason Yan Zhenqing is here now.

Resolving otherwise intractable issues over a banquet is a tradition of the people "since ancient times."

"Impose a salt tax on Hebei, set up more checkpoints in Two Huai and Jiangnan, collect customs and commercial taxes. In short, the imperial guard must be expanded; we cannot be hamstrung just because the Ministry of Revenue fails to collect taxes."

Yan Zhenqing set down his chopsticks and said gravely.

In his view, finances are secondary; first the imperial guard must be strengthened to change the current strong‑branch weak‑stem situation, then other matters can be discussed.

As for taxing more and burdening the people, we can only make the people suffer a little first.

The Yinqiang Xiaojie Army went to the Western Regions once, and returned transformed, a single unit now capable of ten.

Yan Zhenqing could not imagine how ferocious those border garrisons' night‑and‑day sword‑sharpeners, the Qiu Ba, would be.

Even without factional support, he himself firmly backs the expansion of the imperial guard.

Yan Zhenqing believes that although Ji Ge is old and often does unreliable things, this time Ji Ge's edict was not mistaken.

The Guanzhong imperial guard is weak and needs reinforcement. This was the consensus of court and officials with the Son of Heaven after the Bailu Incident.

Otherwise, progress could not be so swift; even the endless bickering between court and officials would give Zheng Shuqing a headache.

"If we levy a salt tax on Hebei, we naturally must levy it on Guanzhong, on Two Huai and Jiangnan; this cannot be avoided."

Fang Chongyong shook his head and continued: "The livelihood of the people is hard; adding taxes will only backfire."

"Minister Yan is absolutely right; we indeed must raise the salt tax."

Zheng Shuqing gave a slight nod, evidently thinking that the salt tax is a good way to raise money.

"But this is not enough to address the urgent crisis."

He sighed again, his face sorrowful.

Collecting a salt tax is not a simple matter. To actually gather the money, a series of tax offices, dedicated tax officials, and corresponding central agencies must be established.

These newly created components of the state machinery must be continuously refined, discarding the unsuitable. The whole system will not bear fruit within three to five years.

"If it truly doesn't work, we could sell imperial examination quotas."

Fang Chongyong abruptly interjected.

Huh?

Zheng Shuqing and Yan Zhenqing were both stunned. Can examination quotas really be sold?

"No, no. Raising more taxes is conceivable. This, however, is absolutely out of the question."

Yan Zhenqing quickly shook his head.

"The court could dispatch Envoys of Consolation to Two Huai and Jiangnan to sell quotas for the Mingjing Examination. Hmm, they would be called Tong Mingjing graduates, and later could be selected for office by the court."

As for whether to select or not, and who to select, that remains in the hands of the Ministry of Personnel.

If you don't want to be selected for office, then stay out of it; there are plenty of people who want to take part.

If this still doesn't work, there's an even simpler method.

All Buddhist temples in Guanzhong would be ordered to secularize half of their monks. Whoever wishes to remain a monk thereafter must purchase an ordination certificate from the court, i. e., a formal ordination document. Anyone without such a document would be deemed a fake monk or fake nun.

Charging two thousand per person, Guanzhong has at least several hundred thousand monks. At a headcount of a hundred thousand, that amounts to several hundred thousand strings of cash, easily obtained.

After finishing Guanzhong, there remain Hebei, Two Huai, Jiangnan; we could easily collect a million strings of cash.

Fang Chongyong said nonchalantly, taking a sip of wine.

This method will do!

Yan Zhenqing nodded: "Selling Tong Mingjing graduates is indeed improper, but for those monks who do not engage in production, the court's collection of this money is justified, so it's worth a try."

Seeing his obstinacy, Fang Chongyong couldn't help but retort:

"Nowadays the imperial examination is a sham; everyone knows how it works. Whoever has a back‑door, whose back‑door is willing to act, who pays the most money, that person can pass."

Since those unspeakable people take all that money, why can't the court take it?

If the court uses the money to recruit soldiers, what are those people doing with the money they collected?"

Fang Chongyong's pointed criticism of the examination's corruption left Yan Zhenqing speechless, even feeling ashamed.

After all, he himself is the 'unspeakable' person Fang Chongyong mentioned, also playing the 'manipulating the examination' game.

Yet Yan Zhenqing previously believed he had not accepted any benefits from examinees; he was merely 'recommending talent,' and he thought he had done nothing wrong!

Yan Zhenqing does not recommend candidates, but others will; what crooked melons and rotten dates would those people recommend?

Thus he has always regarded himself as a 'pure stream.'

The civil official group, after all, weaves a network of connections in this way, helping each other; that's how everyone plays.

It's somewhat like saying, "The master leads you to the door, but cultivation depends on the individual."

Passing the imperial exams is all about connections; there's nothing much to say about it.

How one is appointed to an office after passing, and how one performs in that post, is the life path that belongs to each successful examinee.

Fang Chongyong's point is simple: since the imperial examinations have already been exploited by many for personal gain, we might as well hand them over to the state to sell at a fixed price—at least that could raise some military funds.

Since it's already broken and hard to fix, why not make use of the waste?

"This is a major matter; I dare not say whether we should do it or not, but let's first start collecting money from the monks to ease the urgent need."

Yan Zhenqing let out a light sigh and said. Fang Chongyong is cutting off the roots of those who came up through the exams; short of a life-or-death situation, Yan Zhenqing could never compromise on this issue.

He cannot betray his own group; otherwise he would be bringing about his own destruction, and no outsider would need to clean up after him.

"Since this move won't work, I still have another method."

Fang Chongyong said without changing his expression.

"What method?"

Zheng Shuqing and Yan Zhenqing, both looking surprised, asked.

"This… I dare not say, for the ministers and secretaries at court always hesitate, fearing to offend; if I spoke, it would be pointless."

Fang Chongyong mocked Yan Zhenqing with a sarcastic, backhanded remark.

Yan Zhenqing gave an embarrassed laugh, patted his chest, and promised: "Don't worry, as long as this isn't a matter of corpses overturning a boat, I won't oppose it again."

"Then I'll really say it—don't scold me, you two."

Fang Chongyong chuckled.

(End of chapter)