The northern provinces were extremely noisy because of the supervision of censors throughout the last year. The provincial examinations in spring and February even changed the cages and changed the birds, causing great changes in the officialdom.
According to the conservative estimates of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the official vacancy in the nine northern provinces, except Suiyuan, and the remaining eight provinces and one prefecture reached 40%, which almost overturned the entire imperial rule.
Two batches of provincial examinations last year and this year, plus the promotion of juren officials, were able to barely stabilize the place without any mistakes.
However, it is precisely because of this that the officialdom of the northern provinces has been renewed, and the implementation of government orders has been strengthened.
Of course, this was just what the emperor thought. In fact, for the officials, they thought that Emperor Shaowu would follow the rules, but it turned out to be true.
In the Ming Dynasty system, we are afraid of taking everything seriously.
From this, everyone naturally became obedient and serious.
The policy of reducing rents and interest rates is being implemented smoothly in the north.
As for the foundation for success, in addition to the refreshment in the officialdom, the reality is also very important - lack of people.
War, drought, and plague have left people in northern provinces in dire straits. Sixty-seven out of ten of them have lost their household registrations. Landowners even lack tenants to farm their fields.
Because there was so much wasteland and the imperial government had exempted it from taxes for many years, many homesteaders chose to open up wasteland, leading to a labor shortage in the countryside.
Under such circumstances, rent reduction and interest rate reduction are natural and logical, with little resistance.
However, in a game of chess across the country, starting with the North, the South cannot avoid it.
The two provinces that have been most successful are Huguang and Jiangxi, Anhui, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang, and there is little resistance.
Because of the abundance, the population grows very quickly. Once there are too many things, they are worthless, let alone the population.
The pressure to survive in the south is extremely high, and so are the pressures on scholars.
For example, in Zhejiang, where there were many scholars, there were many masters; in Jiangxi, there were many fortune tellers; in the two southern provinces of Zhili, there was a prosperous literary style, and many people worked as Qing guest aides.
Needless to say, Fujian has eight mountains, one water, and one farmland. It is customary to be a maritime merchant and go to Southeast Asia.
It is precisely because of this that land rent in the north is basically around 50%, while in the south it is as crazy as 70% or even 80%.
Although there is a reason for double-cropping rice in the south, the greed of the landowners is still outrageous.
Gu Yanwu bluntly said: "The people in Wuzhong own one tenth (one-tenth) of the land, and those who are tenants are nine-tenths (nine-tenths)... And the private rents are as high as two or three bushels per stone, and as little as seven or eight bushels. The tenants work with all their strength for a year and work with excrement. The fee for an acre is only one bushel, but the income is only a few bushels. There are people who pay the rent today and beg for money tomorrow."
After paying the rent today, you have to go to the landlord's house for a loan tomorrow.
Coupled with the high interest rates, it has been difficult for tenants to escape for generations.
Therefore, when the rent and interest reductions spread to the south, they were resisted by most landowners.
The land rent cannot exceed 30%, and the interest cannot exceed 30%, otherwise the third generation will not be allowed to participate in the imperial examination.
This is tantamount to poaching their interests alive, how can it be so exciting.
Zhangjia, Shaoxing, Zhejiang.
The Zhang family is well-known in Shaoxing. Their clan lives on both sides of the Toushi River. There are more than a hundred families in the family, and the number of people, including servants, reaches thousands.
The Touji River connects to the Fu River in the west and the Miao River in the south. After flowing through the Shaoxing Prefecture Academy, it turned into a large bay. In the 21st year of Jiajing, the Zhang family collectively invested money to level the large bay and it became the Zhang family's property. Inland river.
His wealth attracted Shaoxing's attention.
Zhang Dai has long hair, wearing a loose robe, and wooden clogs on his feet. He is reading a book leisurely. Not to mention how beautiful he is.
At this time, a burst of footsteps sounded, "Fourth Master——"
Zhang Dai didn't even need to raise his head to know that this was his younger brother Zhang Min.
"The pace is hurried, what's going on?"
Zhang Min, who was in his thirties, was out of breath. Looking at his brother's leisurely look, he couldn't help but laugh and said, "You are not in any hurry when your two sons take part in the examination?"
"If you fail the exam, just try again!" Zhang Dai shook his head: "They are still young, so it doesn't matter if they try one or two more times."
"Seeing how hurried you are, you definitely don't care about your nephew.
, what are you here for? "
"The East and West are discussing matters. Father asked me to invite you!"
Zhang Min said angrily.
"With my father here, what do you want me to do? I might as well read a book!" Zhang Dai then turned around and waved his hand.
"Brother, this is not up to you." Zhang Min sat down and said, "It concerns the entire clan. All adult men must discuss it in the ancestral hall. This is what the clan leader said."
"With so many people, what can we discuss?"
Zhang Dai had no choice but to put down the book.
"Change a pair of shoes!" Zhang Min said helplessly, "Although it's just a formality, in the end it's a matter of public discussion!"
Later, the two brothers came to the ancestral hall.
The prosperity of the Zhang family in Shaoxing can be clearly seen in the ancestral hall.
The ancestral hall covers an area of more than ten acres, with more than ten halls, large and small, to worship ancestors who have lived for hundreds of years. The land for worship alone exceeds 500 acres.
This is enough to accommodate thousands of people gathering.
When the two brothers arrived, the place was already full of people, but there were not many noisy ones, and most of them looked solemn.
Zhang Dai's great-great-grandfather was a Jinshi in the 26th year of Jiajing, his great-grandfather was a Jinshi in the fifth year of Longqing, his grandfather was a Jinshi in the 23rd year of Wanli, and his great-uncle was a Jinshi in the 41st year of Wanli.
Only his father, Zhang Yaofang, was more shameful than him, because he was only born in Juren.
It is precisely because the ancestors are so powerful that they are at the forefront.
Sixty-year-old Zhang Yaofang was sitting in the main seat. When he saw his two sons coming, he stared at Zhang Dai with unkind eyes.
The latter could only give up after begging for mercy.
His great-uncle Zhang Rumao has now become an official. He is sitting in a high position in his seventies. He smiled at Zhang Dai and said that he has become the patriarch.
After waiting for another half an hour, everyone arrived.
Zhang Rumao then said, "Today I want to talk about rent and interest reductions. Last year, the imperial court issued an edict requiring local governments to reduce rents and interest rates by no more than 30%."
"This is benevolent government. Who in the Ming Dynasty dares to say so?"
"I have changed the lease a long time ago for the sake of my children and grandchildren, but there are still some people who don't follow the rules."
As he spoke, his eyes widened, and with the support of his grandson, he said loudly: "If someone reports him, his descendants will not be allowed to take scientific examinations for three generations. For the sake of a small profit, he will ignore his relatives and friends. He should really I dug my heart out and fed it to the dogs.”
"You can do it yourself. This will ruin the reputation of our Zhang family. How will we get married then?"
"The reputation that our ancestors have worked hard to accumulate must not be destroyed."
"From today onwards, anyone who violates the law again will be expelled from the Zhang family and will not be included in the family tree——"
As soon as this statement came out, everyone was in an uproar.
After being expelled from the Zhang family, without the support of the clan, studying, doing business, and even weddings and funerals will be greatly affected, and you may even be reduced to a slave.
There are countless Jinshis in the clan, and even the prefect does not dare to act arrogantly. With so many benefits, who wants to leave?
Zhang Dai clapped his hands with the paper fan and praised: "My uncle's move is brilliant. For the reputation of the Zhang family, a small profit is not worth it."
Zhang Min said softly: "It is clever, but for some people, this is suffering."
"In Zhejiang, for the sake of reputation, our Zhang family charges 50% of the rent, which is quite satisfactory. If it is less than 20%, we will lose nearly half of the income, which is very uncomfortable."
Zhang Dai was stunned when he heard this.
A wealthy family like his can earn a lot of money just by relying on the Zhang family's reputation, and rent is nothing.
But for ordinary people, it is indeed fundamental.
"It seems like a double reduction. There is a lot of resistance in our south!"
"That's not true. The policy is a good policy, but the key is that it is difficult to implement." Zhang Min sighed: "I hope it doesn't end in an anticlimax!"
Next, Zhang Rumao said tremblingly: "Now, the county government has sent a document..."
As he spoke, another person stood up and read aloud the document sent by the county government. Then he called the person who didn't read much and explained:
"Anyone who has a good reputation in his family will not
We can live together for three generations, and father and son can live together, so we can separate and establish a separate family——"
"What about those without fame?"
"It's still the same-"
"Wouldn't that mean leaving the Touji River?" "There's no need for that."
"It's just a family separation——"
Those who have read basically don’t ask many questions, while those who haven’t read much only have questions.
Zhang Dai has long understood the fundamental reason for his long-term subscription to the "Daming Gongbao".
Although it is said that families should not be separated when parents are alive, the imperial court requires that families with high status must be separated and counted as a separate household.
This is not only a matter of dividing family property, but also represents household registration. In name, he and his brothers are no longer a family.
At the end of the discussion, everyone with merit and honor stayed.
At a glance, there are actually more than 20 people who have been promoted to scholars.
Although it is a gathering of three or five generations, it is enough to show how terrifying the Zhang family is.
"You all understand that imperial edicts cannot be violated."
Zhang Rumao said in a deep voice: "I just went to the county government office to fill in the household registration book. Although I didn't go there, it would be nothing on weekdays, but you all have merit."
"Sooner or later, you have to go into officialdom and pursue a career. It would be bad if someone takes advantage of you."
"Let's go, everyone."
There are only 20 scholars in each county in each session. In places like Zhejiang, there are almost hundreds of people competing for a spot, and the competition is extremely stressful.
They are not afraid of the Yamen, but they are afraid of being reported by their opponents.
If your career is hindered and your official career is blocked because of such a trivial matter, it will be more of a loss than a gain.
Although the group was reluctant in every possible way, they could only admit the reality.
"The imperial court is taking more and more actions."
On the way back, Zhang Dai said thoughtfully.
Zhang Min echoed: "Compared to the previous dynasty, the emperor loves the people more and more. This is not a good thing for wealthy people like us."
"With the Jiashen Incident, how can the emperor not have a long memory?"
Zhang Dai sighed.
He used to be so leisurely, a prostitute, a maidservant, a flying eagle and a lackey, enjoying the glory and wealth for half his life.
But in the Jiashen year, everything changed.
The imperial court is gone, so is King Fu, and so is King Lu, who oversaw the country in Hangzhou.
Under the turmoil, the order of the court collapsed, and the Zhang family gradually became unstable.
In Jiangsu and Zhejiang, there is even an anti-rent movement.
Many tenants were encouraged and began to raid their owners' homes on a large scale, demanding rent reductions and exemptions, and in the end even openly robbed them.
The Zhang family was inevitably affected. They were in turmoil for a while and did not dare to go out. They did not receive rent for half a year.
With today's accession to the throne in Nanjing, order has gradually stabilized.
Only then did Zhang Dai understand that if the nest is overturned, how can there be any eggs?
He had a profound enlightenment and washed away the impetuousness of the past.
"Brother, you are only in your forties, why not go to Beijing again?"
Zhang Min said with a smile: "Looking at the way you care about the country and the people, you are most suitable to join the officialdom and fight for the world."
"I can't do it anymore." Zhang Dai smiled bitterly and said, "I can still make fuss. It's too difficult to govern the people. You can't be a county magistrate who only knows how to talk, right? Wouldn't that harm the people?"
Zhang Min smiled, "Afraid of losing face, take the same course as your son!"
He didn't say this.
Since it was the examination, the place was quite stable, and there were no cultural associations. Many people were praying for their children, nephews, relatives, and friends, and the major temples and Taoist temples were full of incense.
The Confucian Temple is even more anticipated.
But in Xiaoshan County, between Hangzhou and Shaoxing, a civil unrest broke out.
But it was said that a scholar named Qin Heng, who only knew a few hundred Chinese characters, lived in the countryside and rented ten acres of land to make a living.
When I came to the county seat, I heard that the gentlemen were talking about the Ming Dynasty Gazette and talked about double reduction.
When he thought about it, his family rented ten acres of land. If it weren't for
I am afraid that I would have starved to death if I saw how busy I was.
If it is really only 30% of the rent, we can make ends meet.
So he gritted his teeth, bought a communiqué, went home and publicized it, and then summoned up the courage to tell the landlord about the 30% rent.
This time, the owner's family was immediately offended. Not only did they beat him half to death, they also took back all the rented land and were not allowed to plant it again.
This immediately caused an uproar in the countryside.
In addition to the fact that he was beaten, there was also news about rent reduction and interest rate reduction.
In Zhejiang, ten farmers and nine tenants are farmers. This policy cares about their interests. An extra mouthful of food can save a person's life.
Not to mention reducing the rent by nearly half.
At this time, Qin Heng incited his clan members to publicize the matter in the countryside, causing a stir in Xiao County.
Then hundreds of people gathered and broke into the owner's house. Not only did they loot, but they also took back IOUs from previous years, which won a lot of support.
At this time, Xiaoshan County could no longer sit still and immediately dispatched a patrol camp to capture the man. He was beaten half to death again, then the case was closed directly, a death sentence was reported, and he was sent to Shaoxing Prefecture.
At this time, public opinion was boiling, and people in the city and countryside were discussing the matter, and everyone believed that his crime was worthy of death.
Many scholars from lower-class backgrounds sent a large number of letters demanding a retrial of the case.
Now, it’s Shaoxing Prefecture’s and Hangzhou’s turn.
Following public opinion, this matter spread to the entire Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions.
When Zhang Dai heard this, he was also indignant: "He is obeying the state affairs, and bad people try to resist. Even if he violates the rules, it is excusable. How can he be guilty?"
After saying this, he actually wrote directly to Hangzhou, requesting a retrial of the case.
An inspiring letter is worth a thousand words.
Following Zhang Dai's lead, many scholars and officials also wrote letters, causing a lot of excitement.
For a time, Zhang Dai's reputation spread far and wide, and everyone knew him.
Seeing this, the provincial government in Hangzhou had to think twice before acting and thought about it for a long time.
A few days after the governor of Zhejiang suffered from a headache, the emperor's edict arrived in Hangzhou, shocking the entire Zhejiang province and causing great upheaval in the officialdom.
