Shangji, to put it simply, is a traditional system for local officials to regularly report their work to the imperial court, which has sprouted in the Western Zhou Dynasty.

In "Shuli Dazai", the calculation is divided into an annual plan and a triennial plan, and the plan at that time was probably limited to oral reporting.

It's just that the results of the Zhou Dynasty's official Shiqing Shilu will not have a decisive impact on the political status of these clan officials.

In the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the princes and kings appointed people on the basis of merit, and the officials were no longer all their own blood relatives, and the demand for their accountability was also strengthened.

Later, Qin Shi Huang carried forward this system, starting with October every year, and ordered local officials to report the financial and tax situation in their jurisdiction to the central government in writing.

This written report is for the "book".

After the books of the upper counts from all over the country gathered in Xianyang, the imperial historian of the Qin court led a number of Zhuxia Shi to conduct a unified audit of these written reports, and reported the results to the emperor to decide on rewards and punishments.

Zhang Cang, who was the history of the Qin Dynasty, is very clear about this whole set of up and down processes.

According to the principle of hierarchical management, the officials in charge of each county and township will go to the administrative office of the county to which they belong with their accounting books, live in the county residence, and receive examinations from the county officials.

Unlike Qin, in the early Han Dynasty, the county states were parallel, and there were counties in the territory and vassal states with different surnames.

Therefore, the county-level accounting books should be submitted separately depending on the circumstances.

For those counties directly under the control of the Han Central Committee, after summarizing the statistical data of the counties and townships under its jurisdiction, they will send the upper accounting officials to Luoyang with the county's upper accounting books to accept the imperial court examination supervised by Xiao He, Xiangguo.

For vassal states such as Zhao that are not directly under the direct control of the imperial court, the number of counties under their jurisdiction needs to be sorted out again, and then the senior officials of their own countries serve as the upper officials, and report to the central government on a national basis.

Although Zhang Cang is not very old, he is a qualified veteran and has rich experience.

Many grassroots officials in Zhao Di, from the county to the county guard, to the county order, would come to him for advice if there was anything they were not sure about.

And Zhang Cang always showed the greatest enthusiasm and took the trouble to give detailed guidance.

After a period of time, among Liu Jiyuan's group of veteran heroes, Zhang Cang, who had the best background and the highest official position before entering the Han Dynasty, with his unique charm and affinity, actually became familiar with the middle and lower-level petty officials of Zhao State.

***

At first, these officials of Zhao Di thought that at the beginning of the founding of the country, the books submitted to the central government this time were just like those years of war and chaos at the end of the Qin Dynasty, and only a few simple books and a few volumes could be hastily handed over.

Unexpectedly, under Zhang Cang's continuous conditioning, the content of the above documents became more and more, and the category entries became more and more detailed-

It not only covers the performance and number of governance in each county in the past year, such as household registration, land reclamation, money and grain tax, water and soil management, and arrest of thieves.

It also includes territory, cities, maps, and terrain.

When several county officials came to Zhang Cang to complain with a bitter face, he always persuaded them in a serious way that the increase in these contents was based on evidence.

According to the gossip he brought from the imperial city of Luoyang, the imperial court was ready to carry out a drastic reform of the previous dynasty's system of accounting, and in the future, information such as the geography of mountains and rivers, customs and products would be added to the annual accounting book.

"It's going to be added sooner or later, so it's better to do it all this year.

In this way, your name will be placed in front of Xiao Xiangguo in Luoyang, and it will also leave a good impression on his old man. ”

Zhang Cangshen said mysteriously, and the county magistrates were convinced.

If it really enters Xiao He's eyes, I am afraid that the future situation will not be limited to Zhao Guo.

After appeasing the grassroots officials, Zhang Cang did not forget to appease his peers at the same level.

He deliberately hinted to Zhao Xianggao that the reason why the emperor sent him to assist was that he planned to use Zhao's plan this year to set an example for other vassal states and let the world follow suit.

"So, the king is both a princess and the king of Zhao, which can be described as close and expensive.

You elders must help him to be perfect, and also fight for Zhao Guo's face. ”

Zhang Cang's face was full of sincerity, and he thought about Zhang Ao from the bottom of his heart.

Such a complicated and detailed plan has already touched the nerves that Guan Gao, Zhao Wu and others have always been tense.

But Zhang Cang was an important person of the emperor, and he had the authority to say everything in this matter, so the monarchs and ministers of Zhao discussed it, and they had to try their best to do what they said.

***

"Have you ever thought that in addition to handing over the imperial court book, Zhao Guo can also hand over one thing?"

Lu Shizhi looked around at the drunken crowd at the banquet and asked Zhang Cang casually.

"What else?"

Zhang Cang was puzzled, in the book this time, except for the flying in the sky and buried in the ground, he did his best to write down every grass and tree in the rest of Zhao Land.

"There are still people. Zhao Guo can still hand over people. ”

"Who? Aren't there enough people in the imperial court? ”

"It's different.

There are more people handed over to the imperial court, and there are fewer people in Zhao Guo himself. ”

Lu Shizhi winked at him, picked up a piece of peeled Changshan Zhending pear, put it in his mouth, and praised it as "so sweet".

Zhang Cang thought for a moment, guessed the meaning of his words, suddenly raised his head, and stared at him with a solemn expression,

"This trick can be called a salary draw from the bottom of the kettle."

Yes, this trick of drawing salary from the bottom of the kettle was the idea of my sister Lu Pheasant.

***

Before leaving Luoyang, Lu Shizhi went to the North Palace to visit Lu Yuan, and by the way, he bid farewell to the queen.

The queen and he stood under the tall green tree in the courtyard, and the breeze passed through the huge and dense leaves, making a slight rustling sound, mixed with the cicadas, like a vibrant early summer scene.

After a while, the queen opened her mouth first,

"Second brother, this is going to Zhaodi, there are thousands of things, there is no way to talk about it, everything depends on you."

"Yes, I have my own discernment.

Regardless of anything else, the most important thing is to open up the post road, so that the news of Zhao Di can reach Luoyang Palace in time. ”

The brothers and sisters of the Lu family are not in the pool, and the tacit understanding they have cultivated since childhood is unmatched.

The post road in Lu Shizhi's mouth is a safe post document delivery system that is not interfered with by the Zhao people.

"This, you can use Lu Yuan's name to think of a way from Zhang Cang's side.

There may have been such an arrangement between him and His Majesty. ”

Lu Pheasant replied, looking up at the lush and tall green green tree, reaching out to caress the gray-green tree trunk, thoughtfully,

"Unexpectedly, the plane trees in Luoyang also grow so well.

The phoenix is singing, and it is in the high hill. The sycamore is born, and the sun rises in the sun. ”

These are two sentences in the "Book of Songs", which are the sycamores on the high hill and the phoenix under the morning sun are melodious.

"Second brother, the sycamore tree in Luoyang City has grown, it's time to attract a phoenix."

She turned her head suddenly, with a smile on her face, but the light in her eyes was faint and faint, and she could not be forced to look.

"What do you mean—"

"Yes, I want to draw out the phoenix step by step from all over the country, especially from the vassal states."

The phoenix she thinks of can be divided into two categories, one is a virtuous talent, and the other is a wealthy family.

"How?"

"I've been thinking about it for a long time, and I need to go through two methods, one is called chaju, and the other is called migrating the rich people."