The first county-level "imperial examination" (formally known as the official selection examination) in Shizhu County finally ended successfully under the auspices of the prince Zhu Hexing, whose pseudonym was Zhu Yun.
Of course, the process is a bit messy!
There was a zombie incident during the exam, but luckily there was no danger... Finally, after inspection, it was found that the zombie was not a real zombie, but a misunderstanding. In the end, the candidate Li Jinxue, who was mistaken for a zombie, also passed the Shizhu Imperial Examination (the first in the county examination is called the Chief) and was awarded the rank of ninth grade official.
There are also a dozen candidates living in the eastern part of Shizhu County who disappeared on their way to the exam or on their way home... Because they were traveling in groups, there was little chance of them being caught by tigers or other ferocious beasts. Big, most of them were harmed by the bandits on Gale Castle!
In addition, there were four elderly scholars who failed the martial arts test and fainted in the examination room. After rescue, three survived, and the other one could not be saved... and became a martyr in the examination room!
Li Jinxue's coffin and shroud came in handy. They were purchased by Zhu Hexing for the old scholar who passed the exam, and he was given a grand burial - it was really a grand burial!
The Crown Princess wrote the memorial text, and the Crown Prince read the memorial text in person, and she was buried in a beautiful tomb next to the Confucius Temple (Zhongxian Temple) in Shizhu County that was about to start construction...
After paying the loss of more than a dozen people missing and one person dead, the imperial examination in Shizhu County finally produced thirty-seven ninth-grade imperial officials!
It may seem like a lot, but it’s actually still needed.
Because Ma Wanchun brought few subordinates from Zunyi, they were a county magistrate, a chief registrar, and two county captains, namely, military commander and judicial officer, for a total of four officials. The remaining officials had to be taken out through this imperial examination. According to the current local official system of the Ming Dynasty, Shizhu County still needs at least four county captains, including Si Li, Si Hu, Si Xue, and Si Gong, as well as two town mayors and There are eleven township heads, a total of seventeen officials.
In addition, Shizhu still needs to recruit local heroes, and it is inevitable to appoint a group of officials.
As usual, Xiangyong is under the jurisdiction of the Sibing County Lieutenant. There is no fixed number of officials who can be placed under the Sibing County Lieutenant. There is only a rough ratio of officers to bravery. About 200 township warriors can be set up as a team sergeant. The township warrior brigade sergeant is not awarded a military rank, but is awarded literary qualifications from a ninth-grade official, who can be selected through examinations or specially appointed by the county magistrate. However, the Xiangyong team specially appointed by the county magistrate can only serve in Xiangyong and cannot be changed to other positions.
This time Ma Wanchun planned to recruit 4,000 rural braves, so he set up 20 rural brave team members and recruited them all through examinations.
In addition to the leader of the Xiangyong team, each Xiangyong team (200 people) can also have a team deputy, who has no official rank, but can be paid according to the standards of the ninth grade, and can be promoted to the team leader (special appointment) in the future.
And these 15 people were not selected from the examination, but local talents recommended by the 37 ninth-rank officials who were selected from the examination - this was Ma Wanchun's idea again!
After all, Ma Wanchun was an old county magistrate for more than ten years, but his ancestor was Bailihou for hundreds of years. He couldn't figure out other things, but he was definitely an expert on how to manage a small and remote county.
He knew that it was impossible to find out all the most proficient people in a county by relying on the imperial examination, because many of the most proficient people did not necessarily know how to read.
At this time, it is necessary to let the officials who have passed the examination be recommended! If we name all the leaders in various fields and ask them to help organize group training, 4,000 people can still pull it together.
But in order for these 4,000 people to really work hard, it's not enough to have a leader to suppress them. They also need to have something that is the most enticing thing for ordinary people - land!
When it comes to land, the Dashun Dynasty really shot itself in the foot - the land problem in Sichuan was originally a huge confusion. Zhang Juzheng was so capable at the time, but he could only inventory more than 13.4 million acres.
And the ownership of the land on these books is even more confusing. If Dashun Dynasty hadn't overturned the table directly, it would have been difficult to find out.
Moreover, even if it is found out, it cannot be easily changed. Even if it can be changed... the conflict of interest involved is too great!
But the Dashun Dynasty not only investigated Zhu Cihong's land situation in Sichuan, but also turned all Sichuan people into tenants! Now Emperor Zhu can get the support of all Sichuan people if he wants to redistribute the land in Sichuan - no matter how it is divided, the Sichuan people can always get something, right?
Because of this, Zhu Cixiang had to get a share...even if he knew that most of the small farmers who were allocated land would eventually lose their land!
But now in order to defeat Dashunguo, he still needs to score points!
So while Zhu Hexing and Ding Yuying were busy taking the imperial examination, Zhu Cixiang, who had arrived at Yong'an Palace, officially promulgated the edict of "Sichuan people have Sichuan fields" and announced that the land in various parts of Sichuan would be redistributed so that the farmers in Sichuan would all have their own fields. own land.
...
"It's good now! Your Majesty has issued the 'Edict of Sichuan people to own Sichuan fields', we can freely divide the fields!"
In the Shizhu County government office, Ma Wanchun took the document from the Eastern Sichuan Festival Department that he had just received and smiled at Zhu Hexing, Ding Yuying, and three or four officials: "Everyone, we can make good use of the rare land allocation this time." Use the opportunity to divide the fields to mobilize the village warriors, and pull up all the 4,000 village warriors in Shizhu County!"
Although Shizhu is a lower county (it is a lower county according to the tax and grain quota), it has a large population and a large area, so it is more than enough to recruit 4,000 Xiangyong. If we work hard, 10,000 people can mobilize.
But Ma Wanchun knew that paying the fee in Dafengbao was a protracted battle, requiring endurance rather than explosive power. Therefore, he was unwilling to recruit too many people at once to put too heavy a burden on Shizhu County.
He paused and then said: "What I mean is that the families of these 4,000 Xiangyong will all be divided into paddy fields on both sides of the three rivers. A family of five will be divided into at least 20 acres!"
As soon as Ma Wanchun finished speaking, Zhu Hexing interjected: "Only 20 acres? Is it a little less?"
This is a bit shocking again!
20 acres of paddy field is still too little? The paddy fields here in Shizhu are quite fertile. If the weather is good, one acre can produce 3 shi of rice a year, and 20 acres can produce 60 shi of rice! If it were put out for rent, based on the land rent here in Sichuan, the landlord could get at least 30 shi. After deducting the land tax, the income would be 20 shi!
If divided among a family of five, one mouthful would be worth 4 shi of white rice!
"Tongzhi," Ma Wanchun said with a smile, "Sichuan is no better than the Southeast and Central Plains. It has always had narrow land and dense population. Shizhu is still considered a wide county. If you include those narrow plain counties, it is simply impossible to have 4 acres of land per capita in central Sichuan. 2 acres There may not be..."
"Not even 2 acres?" Zhu Hexing was a little surprised, "How can you eat enough?"
The mainland of the Ming Dynasty (including Northeast China, Jin'ou, and Xiyang), excluding Sichuan, has a population of about 180 million to 200 million, and the registered cultivated land is about 1.5 billion acres, and the per capita cultivated land is about seven to eight acres. In this way, a lot of grain has to be imported from Siam and Annam every year.
The average person in Sichuan may not even have 2 acres, so how can there be enough to eat!
Ma Wanchun said with a smile: "It is precisely because they don't have enough food to eat that the rogue bandits cannot stabilize the situation! I think when they first came, the population in central Sichuan was not as large as it is now, and the rogue bandits' army did not expand to 600,000 households. Sichuan people But it’s been a long time since I was at ease!”
As he spoke, his eyes swept across the county government lobby coldly. Many "from the ninth grade" in their twenties and thirties present unconsciously lowered their heads... They, or their parents , they all met King Chuang, but they didn’t expect such a result.
Ma Wanchun continued: "There are only so many paddy fields in Shizhu, and they are all given to Xiangyong's family. A family will be given a maximum of 20 acres. Even if the population exceeds 5, they will not be given more, but will be provided with additional slope land. That's it... ..Everyone, please tell me below. Anyone who is willing to follow us can come and join Xiangyong. Xiangyong can recruit up to 4,000 people. If you want to join us, hurry up.
As for everyone else, they will all be divided into sloping terraced fields, with four acres per person, and the fields will be distributed to each household! Don’t be too little, this is all you need if you don’t have the guts to bravely kill the bandits!
In addition, no matter whether you are allocated paddy fields, terraced fields or slopes, you must pay grain! "
