It can be seen that the effects of exempting gentry and exempting common people are different.
Therefore, the imperial court is not incapable of granting exemptions and exemptions, and it is not allowed to take corvee lightly and underpay taxes.
It's just that these privileges and exemptions and frivolous gifts must be used in the right place.
When used in the right place, it can promote the development of productivity and increase the total wealth of society.
The imperial court undoubtedly needs to play the role of a water pump to counter the law that wealth is often concentrated in the hands of a small number of people. It collects large amounts of money and food and puts it where it should be put, allowing it to flow, so that society can become more prosperous. .
Zhu Yijun knew that his own Ming court also had to play this role, so he agreed to Hai Rui's request without hesitation.
"Your Majesty is as benevolent as heaven, and I would like to thank you on behalf of the people of the world!"
Zhang Juzheng and others also knelt down and performed a great ceremony.
Zhu Yijun smiled slightly.
Whether the ministers who were kneeling down to him in front of the hall were really happy for the common people or pretended to be happy for the common people, he didn't feel very sad at this moment.
You must know that it is not easy to cancel the preferential exemptions and exempt the common people from the corvee service of more than 650,000 taels of silver on the basis of increasing the national funds.
It almost didn't work.
In the end, he, the emperor, did not hesitate to break the crown to get it.
It can only be said that reform is not easy.
But it is actually easy to say, as long as those in power are determined, they can succeed.
As long as those in power are determined, the so-called landlords and gentry will eventually be unable to resist the centralized Ming court.
Zhu Yijun dared to throw down his crown, Zhang Juzheng did not choose to back down when his ancestral grave was dug up, and Hai Rui was almost assassinated but still launched a large-scale democratic movement in Nanzhi without hesitation. These are all manifestations of the determination of the rulers.
"It's Chinese New Year!"
"It's Chinese New Year!"
Directly south to a village in Huizhou Prefecture.
The crackling sound of firecrackers resounded among the white walls, black tiles and clear water, and the golden fireworks kept rising into the sky at this time, making the entire village as bright as day.
In the pool surrounded by the horse head wall, a large number of golden flowers seemed to bloom all of a sudden, making it even more joyful during the New Year.
The policy of reducing rents and interest rates was implemented. In addition, the imperial court exempted a large number of poor self-cultivated farmers in Southern Zhili from paying taxes due to the government and gentry paying grain and taxes. As a result, the small people in the village of Huizhou Prefecture were in Wanli. During the tenth New Year, I had a lot of extra money, so I was able to buy all the lanterns, firecrackers and fireworks from the nearby stores, and thus had a more lively New Year.
Only four acres of new land were cleared, and old man Chen, a widower in the village who had just transformed from a landless man to an ordinary farmer, also spent money to buy some peach charms and some meat, which his daughter Xiaozhi was stewing in a pot.
At that time, old man Chen was standing on a stool, pasting vermilion peach charms on his bamboo door, and smearing rice lake on the back of the peach charms bit by bit, and pointing at the bamboo door, with a smile on his face He shouted: "Xiaozhi, come and see if it's crooked or not!"
"Why!"
Xiaozhi, who was cooking meat in the house, agreed, jumped out of the threshold wearing a new pair of embroidered shoes, stood in the fenced courtyard, raised his head with a new headband, and looked through the corner of the fireworks: "It's not crooked." !”
Only then did Old Chen stick the peach charm on it with satisfaction.
"Dad! Little sister!"
At this moment, a shout appeared outside the door.
Chen Xiaozhi and his father couldn't help but look back and saw a young man wrapped in a soap-colored kerchief standing in the pavilion with a pale face. Although he was breathing heavily, he was smiling.
"Brother!"
Chen Xiaozhi shouted with a smile.
Peng!
The bowl containing Mihu in Old Man Chen's hand also fell to the ground, and he couldn't help but ask: "Da Cai, why are you back?"
"It was my old parents (the county magistrate) who let me back. They said that the emperor had given me a great favor and exempted me from the small people's corvee this year. The first person to be exempted was the only son of a poor family who was serving in the labor force, so they let me back and gave me The labor service performed this year is converted into silver coins, which is about three cents and five cents."
Chen Dacai, the eldest son of Chen, hurriedly knelt on the ground and replied.
Old man Chen hurriedly ran over to help Chen Dacai, and suddenly tears burst into his eyes: "It'll be good to come back, it'll be good to come back!"
Chen Xiaozhi on the side couldn't help crying with joy.
Chen Dacai gave the money to Old Man Chen.
Old Man Chen took the money: "With these silvers, plus the two taels of silver refunded and exempted from the house, it will be enough for you to go to the provincial capital. You can go to the provincial capital to take the examination as a patrol officer. It is being spread everywhere now. Recruiting inspection department soldiers, those who are better at reading and literacy are better. You couldn't study in private school for free in those years, so go and try it. I think it should be easier than taking the exam for your husband. I heard that you can get a lot of money after taking the exam for a month. I don't have much money at home. There are so many fields to farm, but you can’t just earn a living at home and strive to pass the exam and start a family of your own.”
"Why!"
Chen Dacai agreed.
"I met a good emperor, and I finally brought you back alive."
Old man Chen then said with a smile, but couldn't help wiping away tears for a while. Then, seeing that Chen Dacai's clothes were as tattered as a beggar, he said to Chen Xiaozhi:
"Xiao Zhi, remember to go to the market tomorrow and bring back some cloth to make a new cotton coat for your brother and one for yourself. Everything must be new in the New Year."
"Okay!"
Chen Xiaozhi smiled and agreed.
…
"In prosperous times, the people are prosperous, and the price of cotton is going to rise!"
Shangyuan County.
On New Year's Eve, Liu Quexian said something to Laidi, who was pregnant with her belly, after reading the imperial edict in Di Bao about the exemption of dingyin for poor households.
Laidi touched her belly and asked, "Why is this?"
"As the income of ordinary people increases, the demand for food and clothing will definitely increase."
Liu Quexian said with a smile: "I have to take out the large hydraulic spinning wheel of the Yuan Dynasty that was imitated by others and put it to use!"
"Uncle Shi is here."
"I thought Uncle Shi wouldn't come to our door anymore."
At this time, Wang Changgeng suddenly appeared at Liu Quexian's place, and Qilaidi greeted him with a smile.
Wang Changgeng said with a smile: "Why don't you come? How can the friendship between classmates for so many years be broken up because of him in Jiangling?"
Liu Quexian pulled Wang Changgeng over: "You came just in time. Now there is an opportunity to increase profits."
"what chance?"
"It just so happens that I need money now, because Duke Jiangling, whom you admire, canceled the exemptions and exemptions, and asked Haigangfeng to organize tenants to reduce rents and interest rates. Now that the government has cut expenses, my monthly income is not half of what it was before. The management is stricter than before, so I only found an opportunity to come out to see you when I go out to ask my classmates for advice."
Wang Changgeng started complaining after asking a question.
Liu Quexian said: "At present, Su Xiaomin is in dire straits in the imperial court. A large number of ordinary people have been withdrawn from their dingyin in the south. In addition, rent and interest reductions have been reduced, so the remaining money in the hands of ordinary people will definitely increase a lot. However, the weather is still there now." It will be cold for a long time, and if we look at the weather getting colder year by year, it will only be colder for a longer time, so there is a lot of potential for this cotton business."
】
"But instead of hoarding good cotton and grabbing the business of military cotton jackets, we should buy a large amount of inferior cotton at a low price, spin it into cotton yarn with a large water-powered spinning wheel, and use the saved manpower to weave a large amount of inferior cotton cloth and use Come and hire more sellers and peddlers to sell these cotton cloths to these people at very low prices. By then, even if the people are reluctant to part with the money, they will probably be willing to buy a few feet of cloth back."
After hearing this, Wang Changgeng nodded and said: "This is a good idea to increase profits. But you have such a big spinning wheel, can you save the cost of spinning?"
"You usually only know how to read erotic novels and don't pay attention to the art of mechanical manufacturing. Of course you don't know!"
"Didn't I mention a big spinning wheel when I was working in the prison? That kind of big spinning wheel can work more than twenty spindles at the same time, so it will definitely save money."
"You have to know that we Han people never lack skills that can be used for hundreds of jobs, but what we lack is that everyone has enough money to buy things for themselves!"
"This condition is now available."
"Rich families must care about whether the cotton is produced in Songjiang, but for ordinary people, as long as it can keep warm, it doesn't matter whether the cotton they buy is from Songjiang. Cotton made of inferior cotton is also acceptable."
Liu Quexian said.
Wang Changgeng nodded after hearing this: "I remembered, you said it."
Then, Wang Changgeng said again: "Then what are you going to do? Even if you really keep the cost very low, if you want people who are accustomed to saving money to buy your cotton cloth, you can't raise the price. If it’s too high, you’ll still be able to make small profits but quick turnover, but if you sell them one by one, when will you be able to make a lot of money?”
"I don't plan to sell them one by one. I plan to sell them in batches to the sellers and salesmen and let them sell them one by one."
"After all, once the big spinning wheel is used this time, one job can be used for dozens of jobs, and the cost savings will be considerable. The sellers and salesmen can sell dozens or even hundreds of them in batches at low prices."
"And as the people gradually have more money, they will be willing to work as sellers and salesmen, and more and more people will do business by renting storefronts, instead of just working hard at home for many years to weave some homespun cloth, and in the end they will not make much money. .”
Liu Quexian said.
