Time flies and it’s early September.
After many days of psychological struggle, although he was still a little entangled, Jiao Xun decided to go to northern Jiangsu to have a look. This was mainly because he had long admired Wang Zhong's knowledge and reputation. Jiao Xun made up his mind to run away immediately if things went wrong.
Estimating that it was almost time to leave, Jiao Xun asked his wife Ruan not to tell anyone, not even to the servants in the family; if anyone asked, just say that he went to Jiangning to wait for the results of the provincial examination.
On the first day before Jiao Xun's departure, Hong Liangji also set off from Changzhou. He is a man who travels all year round and has friends all over the world. His wife asked him where he was going, and Hong Liangji said he was going to the capital to find Ruan Yuan.
Ruan Yuan is from Yizheng, Yangzhou, and is twenty-six years old this year. In the spring of this year, he was ranked twenty-eight in high school, ranked third in the top two in the imperial examination, and was awarded the title of Jinshi. This person was a famous Confucian scholar and official in the mid-Qing Dynasty. The most famous person in history was the person who proposed banning opium earlier than Lin Zexu. When he was the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, he adopted a stricter policy against British businessmen and built new forts. He also wrote to Jiaqing, believing that the British should be treated with "power, but not with virtue and appeasement". However, Jiaqing did not take it seriously at the time.
By the way, Jiao Xun's wife's surname is Ruan, and his father-in-law is Ruan Yuan's uncle.
Early in the morning, Jiao Xun walked out of Tongsimen with only a baggage. When he arrived at Dongguan Pier, several people from Yaxing gathered around him.
"Sir, are you going to Gaoyou, Baoying, and Qingjiangpu? Our boat is big and comfortable."
"Our ships go to Suzhou, Changzhou, and Nanjing. Master, I will choose the best ship from our family."
Jiao Xuandao: "Is there a boat to Huai'an Mansion?"
A Yaman answered loudly: "Yes! Yes! That's the boat. It will arrive in nine days."
Just as Jiao Xun was about to ask about the boat fee, he heard someone behind him laughing: "Hey, isn't this the wise brother in the hall?"
"Litang" is Jiao Xun's name. He turned around and saw that he was an acquaintance. Seeing that the other party also had a baggage on his shoulder, he quickly cupped his hands and said, "Cousin Zheng? Are you going out too?"
The man called "Cousin Zheng" has a surname of Jiang Mingfan and a courtesy name of Ziping. He is also from Yangzhou. Zhengtang is his nickname. He is twenty-eight years old this year.
Jiang Fan stepped forward, looked behind Jiao Xun, and said, "Brother Litang, where are you going? Why don't you bring any servants with you?"
"Hey, um, I'm planning to go to Jiangning..." Unexpectedly, before Jiao Xun finished speaking, the man next to him said again: "Sir, the boat to Huai'an Prefecture will leave soon. Is there a seat reserved for you?"
Jiao Xun's face suddenly became extremely embarrassed, and he said in his heart that the old saying is true: cars, boats, shops, feet and teeth, even if they are innocent, they deserve to be killed.
Jiang Fan had a bold personality and said with a wink, "What a coincidence. My brother is also going to Huai'an Mansion. Why don't you and I go together?"
"This..." Jiao Xun was hesitating when he saw Jiang Fan approaching and whispered: "As expected, Mr. Rong Fu..."
Jiang Fan's friendship with Wang Zhong was earlier than that of Jiao Xun. He became friends with Wang Zhong when he was a teenager. He studied under Yu Xiaoke and Jiang Sheng when he was young. He was a disciple of Hui Dong, a great classics scholar.
"Shh!" Jiao Xun looked at the other party's indifferent expression, and then nodded slightly.
The two of them had negotiated the boat fare with Yaren, and just as they were about to board the boat from the gangplank, they heard someone behind them ask loudly: "Is there anyone going to Huai'an Mansion?"
When he turned around, he saw that it was Zhong Huai, with a young man following behind him. Needless to say, this man was also from Yangzhou, and he was still a good friend with Jiao Xun. The young man he brought with him also knew Jiao Xun. His name was Huang Chengji. He was smart since he was a child and had extensive knowledge. He was an outstanding figure among the younger generation of scholars in Yangzhou.
Jiang Fan looked at it, smiled at Jiao Xun, and then waved to Zhong Huai. Zhong Huai actually felt that the figure behind him was familiar just now, so he deliberately spoke loudly this time. After the four people boarded the boat, they exchanged pleasantries and whispered. Except for Huang Chengji, they all rushed to Huai'an Mansion after receiving Wang Zhong's letter. Huang Chengji was summoned by Zhong Huai, saying he wanted to pay homage to the celebrities.
Okay, Jiao Xun broke out in a cold sweat when he heard this, thinking that Mr. Rong Fu didn't think the movement was big enough!
In fact, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the news of the Qing court's defeat in Jilin spread to Jiangnan. Although Qianlong tried his best to block the news, the question is how could such a thing be blocked?
The imperial court was beaten to disgrace by Beihai Town time and time again, losing troops and generals, and even the Green Battalion began to transfer north. At this time, the literati in Jiangnan began to turn their attention to the north, paying attention to the regime under the banner of Zhu Ming.
In addition, among the salt merchants in Lianghuai and Huaihe, besides Hui merchants, they were also Shanxi merchants, so news about Mobei also spread to the south along the tea route of Shanxi merchants. For example, people like Jiang Fan and Hong Liangji, who like to travel and pay attention to the world, take a look at the map and immediately gasp.
Beihai Town, which they thought was just a small group of thieves, now spans thousands of miles from east to west and thousands of miles from north to south. Although it is located in a remote and barren area, the territory it governs is one of ten in the world.
Especially Jiang Fan, who not only has outstanding literary talent, but also has the boldness and boldness of the ancients. Thinking that Beihai Town can conquer the Rakshasa in the west, capture Beihai (Lake Baikal), and expand the territory thousands of miles away, I can't help but feel my mind racing, and I want to defend Huo, and I can't wait to find out.
It's not far from Yangzhou to Sheyang Lake. You can reach Huai'an by boat along the canal 340 miles north, and then change boats to transfer to Wusha River. At this time, although the transportation period of the water ships from various places has passed, the water ships going south from Beitongzhou will stop at Huai'an Prefecture and Yangzhou to sell the goods brought from the north. Coupled with the fact that the soybeans produced in Huai'an Prefecture are sold in the south of the Yangtze River, there is an endless stream of ships traveling from Yangzhou to Huai'an.
When there are too many ships, the speed cannot be increased. The speed of canal shipping in the Qing Dynasty varied depending on the upstream and downstream flows. Because traveling north is along the current, it is stipulated that the maximum daily voyage cannot exceed 58 miles; coupled with the inspection of ship locks along the way and the loading and unloading of passengers and cargo, the actual daily voyage is only 40 miles.
The four great talents from Yangzhou had nothing to do on the boat, and they talked about everything along the way. Among the four, Jiang Fan was the most knowledgeable and the oldest, so the other three mainly listened to what he said about what he saw and heard in various places.
"For example, when it comes to grain, we can divide it into positive rice and depleted rice."
"The 'real rice' that brother Ziping mentioned is what the government collects according to the fish scale book, right?" Jiao Xun, Zhong Huai, and Huang Chengji usually study and learn, and they don't know much about water transportation. .
"Yes. Each of our provinces has a total grain collection of 4 million shi per year. The rice transported to the capital for storage is called Zhengdui rice, and the rice transported to Tongzhou for storage is called Gaidui rice. Just like Yangzhou Prefecture, the annual Zhengdui rice is 93,600 shi. The exchange rate is 46,990 shi. Since the Holy Emperor has been in power, he has received 80% every year and is considered a pass. However, due to the use of troops in the north, I heard that it will rise to 90% next year. "
Gu Quanjiang fan pursed his lips and said: "In addition to the main items, there are also light items."
Huang Chengji asked curiously: "What's the point of this?"
"Light tax is also a waste of rice. When it is collected, it will be discounted in cash and handed over to the Tongji treasury in the warehouse. Some of it will be handed over to the household department as an expense for handling water affairs. The proportion of light tax in various places depends on the distance of the road. It is determined that the farther the road is, the greater the cost of transporting grain, and the heavier the amount of light dendrobium collected from grain households. For example, in Yangzhou, the amount of light dendrobium is 2 and 6 dou for every stone and square meter, which is equivalent to one cent and three cents of silver. Huguang and Zhejiang charge one cent and eight cents per stone."
Jiao Xundao said: "It is already difficult for ordinary people to make a living, so if you add light things to a good job, alas!"
Jiang Fan shook his head slightly and said, "Do you think this is all gone? There are other additional additions. For example, reed mat tax, canal gifts, and water-footed silver are all stipulated by the imperial court. In addition, the government servants are cheating and extorting money, and the various names are too many. too much."
What he called the "reed mat tax" was that one reed mat was levied for every two stones of rice, and each mat cost one cent of silver. In Jiangnan, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Huguang and other provinces, every meter and stone was taxed with corrugated pine boards, and each pine board was taxed. The price of the piece ranges from 1.7 to 2 taels of silver, and the amount of silver levied in prefectures and counties is 4 to 5 times higher.
The "canal gifts" are specially used for long-distance transport of troops, exploitation and other expenses along the way. Some places give silver and some give rice. As for "water-foot silver", it belongs to the canal consumption of silver rice. This silver rice is regarded as Subsidies are provided for transporting troops to replenish grain and miscellaneous expenses and for administrative expenses related to canal collection.
The other three were silent after hearing this, and even the sailors on the deck outside sighed. Seeing that everyone was in a low mood, Jiang Fan smiled slightly and said, "Actually, I'm a little curious about how the people in the north collect money and food. I must ask Mr. Rong Fu when I see him this time."
At this time, a businessman sitting in the corner of the cabin spoke with a Shandong accent: "Sir, what you said is really insightful. But from my point of view, leaving aside the barbaric places, where in the world is there? Don’t they all follow the royal laws of the imperial court? They’re all pretty much the same.”
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In the ninth month of the lunar calendar in 1789, Beihai Town’s annual autumn grain purchase began again.
Like later generations, Beihai Town Civil Affairs set up a general grain station, and set up reserve granaries in Beihai Town and Fuldan City. There are sub-stations in each township, which are mainly responsible for village acquisitions. At the same time, they are accompanied by inspectors sent by the civil affairs to prevent fraud. Except for the grain station, other private individuals are strictly prohibited from getting involved in the grain business.
We will not implement this system in the newly occupied areas that year. We will not implement it until the land recovery and redistribution work is completed.
In fact, the main reason why Beihai Town did this was because it was troublesome. In order to collect grain in the newly occupied areas, taxation is indispensable. To collect taxes, grain rolls are required, and the original officials must continue to be used. Once they are exploited by someone with ulterior motives and a conflict arises, troops have to be sent to suppress them, making the antagonism even more serious.
For example, there will be no grain requisition in Hunchun this year. The Beihai Navy directly posted notices explaining this and welcomed those willing to sell grain.
The land reform in Ningguta is still in progress. The biggest problem here is the division of residents. Unlike Jilin or Shengjing, the urban residential structure outside the wicker wall in the Qing Dynasty was dominated by Manchus, supplemented by exiles and refugees. Once the problem of Ninggu Pagoda is solved, the problems of other places of exile in the outer Northeast will also be solved.
Generally speaking, the land form of Ningguta is the coexistence of state-owned land and private land. Among them, Manchu state-owned land accounted for the vast majority, and private land accounted for about 10%.
The state-owned land is mainly the Eight Banners Guanzhuang, which is divided according to 120 rates (15 acres per rate, a total of 1,800 acres); the other is the station land of the post station, with each den occupying an area of 1 to 100 rates. The number of acres of land covered by the above two items is 413,920 acres.
This part is easy to say. We can directly take back public ownership, and then allocate 50 acres for farming according to the share of each banner household. Currently, it is levied at 30% after the autumn harvest. Due to the disaster, more than 70% of the harvest was lost (compared to the yield per mu in other areas of Beihai Town). Comparative) are exempted from agricultural taxes. If the harvest fails between 70% and 20%, the tax will be reduced in five grades. If the harvest fails by 10%, there will be no reduction.
But the biggest problem facing Beihai Town is private land. In the early Qing Dynasty, there was not much private land in the Ningguta area. Until Taining County was abolished in the seventh year of Emperor Yongzheng's reign, there were only 32 households in total. Later, they all moved to Fengtian. During the Qianlong period, natural disasters often occurred in Shandong, Zhili and other provinces. Since they were close to the northeast, many poor people fled outside the customs and entered the Ningguta area to reclaim wasteland with the bannermen. The policy adopted by the Qing government was "the bannermen should return to the bannermen, and the people should cultivate and pay for their crops." By the fifty-second year of Qianlong's reign, there were more than 50,000 acres of private land in the Ningguta area.
The current method adopted by the civil administration for private land is to redeem it, and negotiate prices based on the extent of land reclamation, harvest and grain payment data in the past three years. At present, the redemption work is nearly 30% completed, and most of the time is spent reviewing Manchu files and measuring the land.
In early September, a convoy of three carriages arrived at Xingkai Lake No. 2 Village. The first carriage carried a flag with the four characters "Beihai Grain Station" written on it. When the convoy arrived at the village entrance, Zhu Dagui and two villagers had been waiting for a long time.
"Hey, why are there three cars this time? It's always one car." The three of them murmured inwardly, but still headed towards the leading car.
When Zhu Dagui walked to the first car and said hello to the driver, and then turned to look at the second car, he saw a man sitting behind the driver wearing a badger skin hat waving to him. However, after he took two steps forward and saw the other person's face clearly, Zhu Dagui rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
"Haha, Village Chief Zhu, you haven't seen me for two months and you still don't recognize me?"
Zhu Dagui's heart skipped a beat, his knees softened and he almost fell to the ground, thinking: "God! Why is he here?!"
The man jumped off the carriage, came over, held Zhu Dagui's hand and said with a smile: "Village Chief Zhu, I am Xiao Zhao from the Civil Affairs Bureau, don't you remember?"
"Remember, remember, remember." Zhu Dagui's mouth was trembling. When he saw the other party's eyes signaling, he stammered: "Wang...Mr. Zhao, why are you here? This is causing trouble. Yeah, I'm not even prepared for this."
The man said: "What are you preparing for? If you don't get sent down from above, you will follow the people at the grain station everywhere. I always sit in the house, it's really frustrating."
"Oh!" Zhu Dagui thought to himself that this should be regarded as the private visit mentioned in the play, right?
The person opposite him was none other than Zhao Xin.
It is said that it has been two months since the Hunchun Battle ended. Although Tsarist Russia is also mobilizing troops in Irkutsk, because the communication lines are too long, it will definitely not take a year to prepare.
After Zhao Xin returned to Beihai Town, he first stayed with his wife for more than half a month, and then either went to the military camp or visited Zhao Liang every day. After visiting various places and having a general understanding of the situation, the guy thought of visiting each village again. So I planned to take advantage of the autumn grain purchase and follow the people at the grain station to see the situation in the immigrant villages below.
Although Beihai Town has been saying that no tax will be collected in the first five years after the land is divided, and only 10% tax will be collected after five years, but who knows whether they will follow suit? In the process of acquiring grain stations, are there any methods similar to those used by corrupt officials?
This kind of thing is difficult to discover without going out and experiencing it yourself. Furthermore, Zhao Xin's eyes and ears are now limited to Beihai Town, and his tentacles have not yet reached the immigrant villages in various places. Instead of waiting for the people below, it is better to have an idea first.
