Qin Shuhuai's new policy of governing officials is mainly based on three points.

First, high salaries and incorruptible pensions.

Second, there is a separation of political power, military power, and judicial and criminal trial powers.

Third, the introduction of assessment standards.

In addition to the third point, the other two points surprised Chongzhen and Sun Chengzong.

However, with the surprise of "Wai Tian Fu", they will not be as stunned as they were just now.

Chongzhen asked, "Brother Qin, the first point you said is to have a high salary and be honest, but I don't think so. You know that human nature is greedy, and even if I give them a high salary, it will not be possible to destroy their corrupt hearts. Besides, as soon as you open your mouth, you want to double the salaries of the officials in the world, which is too much, right?"

"Your Majesty, do you know why everyone in the Ming Dynasty is greedy?" Qin Shuhuai asked.

Chongzhen said, "Isn't it due to the erosion of officialdom?"

Sun Chengzong stood aside, smiling bitterly to himself and not saying a word—he naturally knew the real reason.

Qin Shuhuai said, "Your Majesty, the so-called erosion of the atmosphere is just a symptom, the real reason is that the officials' salaries are too low, so low that they have to be corrupt in order to maintain their basic life as officials, and even their dignity." ”

Chongzhen frowned, "The official's salary is too low?"

Qin Shuhuai looked at Sun Chengzong and said, "Otherwise, this question will be answered by Elder Sun Ge?"

Sun Chengzong smiled bitterly again, and said, "The minister is old and frail, and he doesn't eat much, and the emperor has 87 stones for the moon, which is indeed more than enough." However, the emperor forgave the old minister bluntly, if the Qipin county order is changed, the monthly salary is only 7.5 stones, and forty percent of them may be replaced with silk, cotton or some impractical small bits and pieces, to feed the family, it is indeed ...... It's a bit stretched. ”

At the end of the Ming Dynasty, a stone of rice was about 1.2 taels of silver, which means that the Qipin County Order was 9 taels in January, which was higher than the general miscellaneous labor.

However, forty percent of the officials at the end of the Ming Dynasty would be converted into silk, cotton and other impractical things - at that time, silk and cotton were no longer hard currency, and it was not so easy to discount them.

In this way, the actual money in hand is only about five taels.

If it is equivalent to the RMB on the earth, it is probably less than 2,000 yuan.

Moreover, it is impossible for all of these five taels of silver to be used by the county order, because he still has the officialdom to welcome and send it, whether it is official banquets, private favors, or travel expenses, they all come from these five taels of silver.

In the Ming Dynasty, there was no such thing as reimbursement at public expense.

So you can imagine how difficult it was to be a Qing official in the Ming Dynasty.

This is still a county order, and it is more or less a seven-grade, and if it is an eight-rank or ninth-grade official, it will be even lower.

Most of the officials in the Ming Dynasty were scholars, and the scholars were all decent. After decades of hard study, he finally became an official, but he couldn't even eat enough, where is the decency?

This is called "what kind of system".

So, how can they not be greedy? When everyone is greedy, how can anyone come to fight corruption?

Qin Shuhuai told Chongzhen about these in detail, and Sun Chengzong made some additions.

Chongzhen is not ignorant of official Yulu, he originally thought that a county order was 9 taels per month, which was a lot more than ordinary people, but after Qin Shuhuai and Sun Chengzong broke it down, they had to admit that this income was indeed too small.

"However, Brother Qin thinks that improving their salaries can really make them honest and honest?" he asked again.

Qin Shuhuai said, "Although it may not be, at least it can allow officials who really want to be honest to have honest capital." In fact, the minister believes that there are countless scholars in the Ming Dynasty who have ideals in mind and want to be a good official. ”

The way of the heart, compared with the materialistic and faithless later generations, the current scholars are at least purer, and there are more people who really have ideals than the later generations.

Thinking of this, he said, "However, high salaries are one thing, we still need to use the system to restrain officials, this is what the minister said, the separation of military power, political power, and judicial and judicial powers." If these three powers are in the hands of three people who are not subordinate to each other, then no matter how big an official that person is, he will not be able to cover the sky with one hand, and it will not be so easy to be corrupt. ”

Qin Shuhuai carefully explained how these three powers were separated from each other and how they restrained each other, probably the same as what he said in front of Yan Wuyue, it was nothing more than some refinement.

Chongzhen and Sun Chengzong's hearts were once again strongly shocked.

Undoubtedly, this is an unprecedented change!

Sun Chengzong immediately said, "Grandpa Guo's policy is another shocking one! You are going to cut the governors of various places, oh no, it is the power of the officials in the world!"

Qin Shuhuai nodded, "That's right." We have given them a salary increase to provide them with food and clothing, and it is only natural that we should cut their rights now. Or else? What are they doing with all that power?"

Chongzhen was silent and fell into deep thought.

Sun Chengzong said excitedly, "In all fairness, this strategy is not only groundbreaking, but also extremely wonderful. On the one hand, it can reduce the power in the hands of officials and make it more difficult to pervert the law for bribes. On the other hand, it can also put an end to the situation of the governor supporting the army and self-respect, which greatly improves the stability of the monarchy. The old man asked himself if he had been in politics for decades, but he had never thought of such a brilliant strategy for decentralization......! Has Grandpa Guo considered how the officials of the world will be in an uproar as soon as this policy comes out?"

Qin Shuhuai snorted lightly, and said a little coldly, "I have already said that the imperial court has given them food and clothing without worry, if they still want to hold on to the power in their hands, such an official is a corrupt official who wants to use his power for personal gain, right? Therefore, if there is anyone who discusses this new policy in vain, it can be dealt with by the same party in Donglin!"

Qin Shuhuai is not afraid of a backlash from officials all over the world.

Why?

Because as I said before, a large part of the officials are new now, and they are not so bold to dare to resist the imperial decrees, and there are not too many so-called vested interests that have been violated.

And more importantly, this new policy did not fundamentally touch the interests of the military, but could free the military generals from the control of the governors, so the military will inevitably support it.

So what are you afraid of?

If anyone dares to object, Qin Shuhuai doesn't mind letting him become a tragic victim of the times!

At this time, Chongzhen said, "Brother Qin is right, the new policy of separation of powers is imperative, and I am determined to push it." This government is beneficial to the court, to the people, and to the foundation of my Ming Dynasty for thousands of generations.

Chongzhen's words set the tone for this matter.

Qin Shuhuai didn't expect that none of these suggestions he made were refuted by Chongzhen.

I have to say that it is indeed commendable to be able to do this from Chongzhen's perspective.

After all, his vision was five or six hundred years away from Qin Shuhuai!

Then, the rest of the New Deal matters went more smoothly.

Reform the Department of Taxation and reformulate the tax collection method based on the VAT model.

The ban on the opening of the sea and the establishment of the General Administration of Customs.

To establish education, the imperial court built academies every year with silver to reduce the cost of studying for poor students.

......

The three of them chatted in the imperial study all day, and did not disperse until late at night.

Sun Chengzong took an old bone, and when he came out, he yawned and burst into tears, but he still couldn't stop exhaling, and he took Qin Shuhuai to Liushi Academy to sleep, saying that he still had some questions and wanted to consult him early tomorrow morning, and his eagerness was a bit like a drunken state.

As a generation of talents, he was extremely conceited, but since he met the monster Qin Shuhuai, he always felt that what he had learned in his life was at least twenty years away from others.

He felt that he was dozens of years older than Qin Shuhuai, but he had to admit that it was really a blessing in his life to be able to work with a genius like Qin Shuhuai, and it was an incomparable pleasure.

Hurry, hurry!

Qin Shuhuai is too lazy to accompany him anymore, don't go home to Liushi Academy on a cold day? Don't even think about it!

When he got out of Donghua Gate, he ran away.

was so angry that Sun Chengzong blew his beard in the cold wind in the middle of the night and stared.

In the imperial study, Chongzhen, who was still unsatisfied, was writing hard under the lamp......

The young face was full of excitement.

It is the high-spirited young emperor!