Sima Guang believes that the wealth of the world has its own fixed number, and Xue Xiang's view is much more advanced than Sima Guang's.

In the hundred years of peace within the Great Song Dynasty, the border troubles can only be regarded as ringworm if you really talk about it in detail, but the population is almost reaching the limit of the land allowable, and the growth of the fields is also about to reach the limit, and industry and commerce are still only supplemented. In such a society, the wealth produced each year is basically a slight upward line, and most of the growth is offset by the same increase in population, and even because the population growth is even larger, the per capita income is faintly declining.

Although industry and commerce were developed at this time, it was still an out-and-out agricultural society in terms of the composition of the imperial court's taxes. The so-called germ of capitalism is only a bud.

Wang Anshi vaguely saw this, but due to his own limitations, he created many new laws, in addition to the farmland and water conservancy law, other policies related to financial planning, such as convenient loans, the law of equal loss, the law of market ease, the law of exemption from military service, and the law of equal taxation of square fields, in essence, all of them are redistribution of social wealth. From the hands of the gentry, the income that they used to hold in their hands was nationalized. For the development of the national economy, it does not help much.

What Sima Guang and Wang Anshi are fighting for is whether this income should be given more to the state or left more to the gentry class.

As for the small people, the foolish people, the common people, and the common people, that is, the people at the bottom of society, in the confrontation between the old and new parties, they have always been just a pretext.

Whether it is before or after the change, there is not much difference in their income. The exemption law allows fifth-class households to also pay the exemption money, which is not as good as in the past, and those who went bankrupt before becoming a government are all rich households above the third-class households. However, the convenience loan has given the homesteaders at the bottom less exploitation and more hope of keeping their land - the local big households can collect the land of the debt-indebted homesteaders can pay off the debts, and the local officials generally do not dare to do this on a large scale, causing chaos, and they will inevitably be impeached and punished.

Compared with the policy of the imperial court, the amount of rain has a greater impact on the living standards of the people.

The first year of Yuanfeng is a rare harvest year since Zhao Ji's accession to the throne, because the amount of taxes is generally fixed, the financial income of the imperial court has not changed much, relatively, the people have left more money and grain in their hands than in previous years.

In order to make up for the consumption of the continuous disasters in Xining in the later period, all roads are open to collect grain this year, and at the same time, the stability of the grain selling price is also ensured, and there is no situation where the grain is cheap and hurts the peasants in the bumper year.

But in a disaster year, the relief of the imperial court is still indispensable, whether before or after the change, the common people have no ability to survive the difficulties with their own savings.

While Sima Guang and Wang Anshi both focused on the distribution of wealth, Xue Xiang could figure out how to increase his wealth – and not just in agriculture – which was the difference between dividing a cake and making a cake.

The smooth flow of logistics can naturally bring about the prosperity of commerce and will inevitably promote the development of industry, which is the change that Hangang wants to see the most. But not all courtiers liked Xue Xiang's statement, and the idea that agriculture is the foundation of the country and that commerce is harmful to agriculture is deeply rooted in the minds of scholars.

And it's not completely unfounded. In previous years, the winter was extremely cold, and Taihu Lake froze. Citrus growers on the islands of Taihu Lake starved to death because the boats carrying grain were blocked by ice and could not get to the island, becoming the latest weapon used by the courtiers to attack commercial farmers, who at this time only included grains and vegetables. As for growing fruit, it is part of commercial production and has nothing to do with farming.

Han Gang could see that Wang Qi and Yuan Jiang's brows were furrowed, but neither of them had the intention of coming out to refute them. Because Zhao Ji is nodding and smiling now.

The Son of Heaven was not very aware of the insight implied in Xue Xiang's words—I am afraid that Xue Xiang himself did not have a clear understanding—and was not surprised by Han Gang, but he was very satisfied with Xue Xiang's answer. Commerce is booming, and natural finance and taxes have increased greatly, and as for whether it will interfere with agricultural affairs, it is not too late to consider this matter when it really appears.

"The Fangcheng track was opened, transporting travel, and transposing civilian commercial goods, and in less than a month, it was put into storage for 20,000 yuan. However, at the beginning of the construction of the track, it was temporarily used before the completion of the channel, and now the track transfer is not transported by water, whether this channel should continue to be excavated, I would like to ask Xue Qing your opinion. ”

Xue Xiang glanced at several Zaizhi and Han Gang, and saw the indifferent expressions on their faces, and he had a bottom in his heart. With their status, as well as Han Gang's right to speak on this matter, if they were willing to make a decision, it would not be the turn of the Son of Heaven to consult him about the matter of the Fang Cheng Channel.

After thinking about it for a while, Xue Xiang said: "In the opinion of the minister, the track is easy to repair and use, so why waste public money?" Even if there is damage, it can be repaired in a few days at most, which is much less economical than the manual labor used to dredge the canal. ”

None of the deacons were willing to make up their minds, and even Han Gang was silent for various reasons, but Xue Xiang was different, he had always been brave in doing things, and he had to be brave in doing things.

Xue Xiang, who is just a shadow supplement official, is regarded as an alternative in the court because he is one less Jinshi and first. His situation is not much better than Di Qing back then.

Back then, Di Qing was repeatedly oppressed by Han Qi, and he relied on him as a general to help him, because Han Qi wanted to kill chickens and make an example of monkeys, so he was killed if he found a fault. When Di Qing pleaded for his generals, he said that he had made many meritorious deeds, killed enemies for the country, and was a good man, while Han Qi said, "Those who sing as champions outside the Donghua Gate are good children, how can this be a good son." Later, when he was a privy envoy, he was attacked by a group of ministers, and he had to say sadly and angrily, "Han's official position is the same as mine, and I am one less Jinshi and Di'er."

Xue Xiangzi knew that Han Gang was unwilling to make a certain judgment on the trade-off between the channel and the track, and this was his opportunity. As an official who started as a shadow supplement, he is no more desperate and hard-working than an official who was born in Jinshi, showing his irreplaceability, and it will never be possible to gain a firm foothold in the court.

Xue Xiang is in charge of the water transportation of the Bianhe River, and it is an expert in this area, since he said that the Cao Canal is not as good as the track, he also made up his mind to Zhao Xu: "The errand of building the Fangcheng Channel should not be placed in the Xianghan Shipping Division." ”

Wang Jue took another step forward at this time: "The minister's decree." ”

After solving a matter, Zhao Ji asked Han Gang again: "Han Qing, Jingxi has built a track, and Hebei has also built a track, I don't know if Shaanxi can also build one or two." ”

"If it is around Jingzhao Mansion, until the Tongguan, there is Weishui and the Yellow River water transportation, if you want to transfer to the edge of the road, the mountains are undulating, the track is difficult to repair, and it is not as good as transporting grain on the ice and snow in winter." Han Gang turned, "But you can survey the geography first and find a suitable route." ”

Zhao Ji nodded, putting away his thoughts about building a track in Shaanxi.

"The construction of the Hebei track began, and the preparations for the various roads on the edge of Shaanxi ......"

Zhao Ji may have wanted to mention the topic of the war against Xia, but the words stopped at this point, in the Chongzheng Palace, the privy envoy in charge of the military was not there, and the privy deputy envoy was not there, only Guo Kui, who signed the same book as a military general.

The current situation is really a joke, the three in the Privy Council, now the two of them have been forced to abdicate by the imperial history, and they didn't care when they discussed the matter of the track, and now the war against Western Xia was put on the table, and without the reply of the privy envoy, his face became ugly.

The Son of Heaven's gaze turned around in the hall and fixed on Han Gang's face: "Han Qing...... What do you think about the Northwest? ”

was named, and Han Gang, who was prepared, immediately said loudly: "The power of the Western Xia country has declined, coupled with the disharmony between mother and son, civil strife is imminent. But he is often the son-in-law of the Liao lord, and in the battle of Fengzhou that year, there was a leather room army to help, and from this point of view, the Khitan should have a cold heart. Therefore, the affairs of the northwest are not in the party, but in the Khitan. The construction of a track in Hebei cannot be concealed from the eyes and ears of the Khitan, but as long as there is no war in the northwest, the Khitan monarchs and ministers will not be able to make up their minds to break the kettle and sink the boat. ”

Han Gang's words are basically the conclusions that have been discussed in the court before. After the orbit showed excellent transportation capabilities, the Son of Heaven and Zai Fu had a consensus that they would not start a war against Western Xia for the time being, and wait until the preparations for Hebei to defend against the enemy were completed, and then wave their troops to attack Western Xia. Halfway through the battle, he was forced to retreat from the front by the Khitan Chen soldiers outside Baigou.

Although Zhao Ji was anxious to exterminate the Western Xia, and then collect the Youyan clouds in the north, he would be his 'Tang Taizong', Tian Khan. But after only a year or two of building the track, he still has some patience.

After all, the threat of Khitan is too great, and Zhao Ji has always been afraid of it from the bottom of his heart, even in his bone marrow. Even if Fengzhou's victory was blown to the core, as if the Hedong Army had defeated the Western Xia and Liao coalition forces in one fell swoop, in fact, the leather room army that participated in the war was only a few hundred people, and the total number of troops mobilized by the Liao State was not a problem of more than one million, and it was really a million.

Han Gang saw Zhao Ji nodding from the corner of his eye, so he continued: "It's just that the imperial court is against the enemy, and it should be considered as a perfect concern. In the humble opinion of the ministers, the east of the river all the way, the western party item, the north is the Khitan, the east is more able to aid Hebei, and the elite soldiers should be stationed in the meantime, in case of danger. ”

When Zhao Ji heard this, he immediately looked at Guo Kui, who had been in Hedong for several years, and Fengzhou was the one he led to take back.

Guo Kui's eyebrows rose suddenly: "Your Majesty's enterprising heart, even the Liao State will not be unaware." Now the imperial court is arming on the edge of Shaanxi. Now the Khitan is tightening the strings up and down. If Hedong suddenly increases his troops, I am afraid that they will be misunderstood. Although the officials and soldiers are not afraid of the Liao, there is no unwarranted disaster, and they can avoid it, and once the opportunity to attack Xia is lost, it can no longer be made up. ”

Zhao Ji's gaze moved back again. He wanted to know what solution Han Gang had.

"Changing the law." Han Gang only has three words.