At this time, Lu Kun looked at the excited people kneeling on the ground and said with a smile: "It's true! Your Majesty has issued an edict. People who move to other places will no longer be regarded as fugitives. All property is considered legal income and is protected by the government; only the taxes and fees paid will be collected by the local government office, and the tax will be exempted in the first year to encourage reclamation and new development."
"Thank you, sir!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
At this time, some refugees and common people began to kowtow and thank them.
Seeing this, Lu Kun couldn't help but smile slightly, and then said: "Get up, there is no need to thank this court! The main reason is that your Majesty advocates benevolent government, loves the people like sons, and does not want to take away your food and make it impossible for you to live."
"However, you must also be kind and observant of etiquette, and be diligent and thrifty in running your home. You must not belittle yourself, or even be stubborn and deceive the benevolence of the court. If you have some money left after working hard, you should send your children to study instead of gambling and drinking. If you squander your money, you will be able to have heirs who will become talented in the future and become pillars of the country, and you will be worthy of His Majesty's kindness to you today."
"Yes! The great master said so!"
Some people responded with a smile.
Therefore, Lu Kun really asked Xu Shengwen and other officials to loosen the bonds of these refugees, return the copied papermaking tools to them, and start to order the book office to register them.
"My name is Chen Jiuzhu. I was originally from Shitang Town, Qianshan, Jiangxi Province. Because my small paper mill was robbed by Mr. Pu, a squire, I had to come to Huai'an to join my cousin. Then I saw that there were not many paper mills here, but there were also many Chu Hemp, just start making paper here again.”
"My name is Fang Mian. I was originally from Zhanglin Town, Wuxi, Changzhou. I was a craftsman who printed copper calligraphy in Wuxi. I offended the Gu family, a local eunuch, so I fled to Huai'an."
…
Suddenly, when the governor's office began to count these people and issue residence checks, Lu Kun suddenly came up with an idea and called the registered refugee Chen Jiuzhu over and asked:
"You just said there aren't many paper mills in Huai'an?"
Chen Jiuzhu replied: "Returning to the Fuyuan Master, there are indeed not many."
"There are many wealthy businessmen in Yangzhou. If Huai'an can make paper, there will be no shortage of sellers."
Lu Kun murmured to himself, and then said to Chen Jiuzhu:
"If this court in the name of Governor Fengyang allocates five thousand taels of benefits to the people, you must teach them your papermaking skills and be allowed to recruit local poor people as apprentices and use them as hired workers, and you will receive a share of the tax. Are you willing to benefit Chief Secretary Fengyang?"
Chen Jiuzhu hesitated for a moment.
"You can think about it, how much money can you make from paper made by just a few of your own members?"
"I'm afraid I can only sell it in Huai'an City and make a small profit; but if I run a government-run workshop for the Chief Secretary, I can use the Chief Secretary's name to sell the paper to Yangzhou without having to worry about being exploited by the customs officials. There are huge profits there. There are so many wealthy businessmen in Jia, so your income is certainly not small, and you don’t have to worry about tycoons taking away your property after you become big.”
Lu Kun said.
After Chen Jiuzhu thought for a while, he knelt down and kowtowed: "Xiaomin is willing, thank you so much for giving me wealth and honor, the eldest master is Xiaomin's reborn parent!"
Chen Jiuzhu started crying as he spoke.
He knew the benefits of this very well, so he was very grateful to Lu Kun for his willingness to fund his business expansion in the name of the government.
Only the commander-in-chief Xu Shengwen had to say to Lu Kun: "Proprietor, although the imperial court only allows local governors to ask the cabinet to invest in supporting business and support the people, it does not allow the government to run business on its own!"
"But the court didn't prohibit it either!"
"Most of the wealthy businessmen are the pawns of the powerful gentry. Few are willing to develop large-scale industries that can support a large number of small people. They only devote themselves to the lucrative salt industry, maritime trade, and border trade; few are really willing to benefit the people. , so that there are not many wealthy businessmen who are willing to listen to the call of this court and are willing to work hard on setting up papermaking, porcelain making, making exquisite instruments and agricultural tools, etc., and even few are willing to build ships. They all just want to make easy money. In this way, the government can only organize skilled people to build practical projects!"
Lu Kun said.
Xu Shengwen nodded after hearing this: "What Fuyuan said is that if there is a big paper mill in Huai'an, first of all, it will not worry about sales. At the same time, it can also allow many homeless people in Huai'an who have lost their land due to annexation to make a living again. The matter of thieves It will be greatly reduced, the population will not move out in large numbers, and the revenue of the vassal treasury will be increased. If you pass the exam, it will look better."
Lu Kun said: "That's exactly what he said!"
As a result, Lu Kun became the first frontier official in the Ming Dynasty to take the initiative to establish practical affairs.
Papermaker Chen Jiuzhu also signed a deed similar to a gambling agreement with the Chief Secretary of Fengyang the next day, promising to solve the employment problem of some homeless people in Huai'an within one year. As a result, he also received 5,000 yuan from the Chief Secretary. Two share capital.
all of a sudden.
Chen Jiuzhu went from being a refugee who was almost sent to jail as a fugitive and was deported back to his hometown, to a local official and businessman with 5,000 taels of activity funds.
Erhai Lake in Yunnan.
Xing Jie, a former Shaanxi political participant, was transferred to Yunnan due to the annihilation of Burma. He served as the right chief envoy and deputy inspector. He was responsible for recruiting Yunnan natives who were more suitable for the tropical rainforest environment as soldiers, and planned to send troops to Burma for a long time in the future.
As the imperial court lifted the ban on road production, he also ordered the Yunnan government to release the local miners who had escaped and were caught because they could not bear the exploitation of the government mines, and recruited them as soldiers.
Miner Lai Daliang thus became a soldier of the Yunnan Erhai Xie Guerrilla Corps. After a month of training, he returned home with his military pay because he was on vacation to visit relatives.
"Lai Xiaoshi has made great contributions to the country this time and helped the court catch the traitors who collaborated with the barbarians. Therefore, as usual, I will reward your family with fifty silver dollars and a bronze medal of the 'Emperor Ben Liang Family'."
When Lai Daliang returned to his home, he happened to see Qiao Fugong, the Qianhu officer of the Jinyiwei stationed in Yunnan, leading a team of Jinyiwei at his home, talking to his parents, wife, children and brothers who were kneeling on the ground.
"father!"
Lai Xiaoshi also saw Lai Daliang and ran towards Lai Daliang.
When Lai Daliang saw Jin Yiwei coming, he temporarily forgot about the joy of seeing his family again after a long separation, and looked at Jin Yiwei.
When Qiao Fu Gong saw Lai Xiaoshi calling Lai Daliang his father, he turned to Lai Daliang and said with a smile: "You have given birth to a good son. He is very clever. He really helped our Jin Yiwei discover the traitor who was pretending to be a merchant."
Lai Daliang smiled, looking a little reserved.
At this time, Qiao Fugong asked someone to bring a plate of silver coins and copper medals, and said: "You go to the north, kowtow to the emperor, say thank you to the emperor for your kindness, and wish that the Ming Dynasty will prosper forever. These silver coins and this copper medal The medal belongs to you. From now on, not to mention other officials, as long as they are Jin Yiwei, if they see any of you coming with this bronze medal, they will definitely take more care of it!"
"Why!"
Lai Daliang was a little overjoyed at this time. He hurriedly agreed and pulled his son Lai Dashi to kneel down towards the north. His parents, wife and brothers also knelt down.
After thanking him, Qiao Fugong gave them a plate of silver coins and bronze medals. He also pinned the bronze medal to Lai Xiaoshi's chest, patted his shoulder, and then asked Lai Daliang, who was wearing a fat coat: "Where are you?" Are you on duty in the camp?"
Lai Daliang replied: "I will serve as a camp soldier under Xieshou Ji Guerrilla."
Qiao Fugong nodded: "Ji Youyi is a good general who loves his soldiers as much as his son. It will be easy for you to make achievements in his camp."
Lai Daliang just smiled.
"Are you willing to work for my Jin Yiwei? You are still on duty in the camp. You are just providing some clues to our Jin Yiwei. According to the contact information we gave you, you will not only secretly guard the commander of your camp, but also keep an eye on whether there are any spies infiltrating your camp, or even If you deduct military pay, if you have done great service, the Jin Yi Guards will tell you your merits, and the reward of fifty silver dollars is a small amount, and maybe you will be granted the title of wife and son."
Qiao Fugong asked.
Lai Daliang took one look at the fifty silver dollars his son had received, and was immediately moved. He knelt down and said, "I am willing!"
】
"Then come with us and see if you are the material."
