What responsibilities did the first Song fiscal intendants have?

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Taizu The Taizu emperor, founder of the Song dynasty, detail of a portrait; in the National Palace Museum, Taipei

The first fiscal intendants established by the Taizu emperor were tasked with supervising local functionaries. These officials served as the forerunners of the Song dynasty's "circuit" system, which was part of the emperor's broader effort to strengthen the control of the central government over local administration.1