If we follow the way Ming Dynasty usually responds to disasters, Gao Pragmatic's achievement of this step is already perfect, but as he has always believed in the early years, the Ming Dynasty's ability to respond to disasters has been very poor since its establishment. Even this time Achieving 100% of the Ming Dynasty's performance was still far from satisfactory in Gao Pangshi's eyes.
As a country with many disasters, the effective famine relief measures summarized by Ming Dynasty are basically three: first, tax reduction and exemption, which can directly reduce or reduce taxes, change taxes, postpone taxes, etc., which directly reduces the pressure on farmers; second, let rich people contribute money For disaster relief, they will be commended by the government, thereby gaining greater rights and honors; third, they will directly use money or food to relieve the victims, which is also the most direct and effective way.
However, from Gao Pragmatic's point of view, these three are actually just covering up, that is to say, trying to ensure that the victims do not starve to death. Other than that, we are sorry, and we don't care - because we simply don't have the ability to care.
In his previous life, as a grassroots cadre of the Red Dynasty, Gao Pragmatic had a lot of experience in dealing with disasters. He also personally experienced the great floods in the Yangtze River Basin two or three years before the turn of the century. Although there is no comparison between the two eras, after seeing high-scoring responses, I will naturally feel that Daming's response is unacceptable, and I hope to make some improvements within my ability.
This disaster is caused by Huang Fan, which can easily cause epidemics, and epidemics can cause setbacks in spring plowing and autumn harvests. When combined, it will become more severe. Therefore, Gao Pragmatic found that even though the cash and banknotes he brought seemed to be a lot, after careful calculation, , promoting relief and post-disaster recovery and reconstruction according to his own ideas is still far from enough.
Moreover, the law of economics is that investing too much money into the private sector at one time will lead to inflation. Considering that food in the disaster-stricken areas is already in short supply, and it is also difficult for outside food to enter the disaster-stricken areas due to difficult road transportation and possible epidemics, just throwing money at it may not be possible anymore. It can achieve good results.
In other words, money still needs to be spent, but food is also needed, and both of these are currently insufficient.
In response to the shortage of money and food, the Ming Dynasty's consistent approach was to persuade the people to donate, and Gao Pragmatic did not mind doing this, so he discussed with Zhang Yiyuan: "Fujun, the food relief funds are gradually insufficient, but aid to North Korea and the southwest have also been frequent recently. Asking the emperor to allocate money and food cannot be saved. Even so, the household department still has a little surplus, but it is very troublesome to mobilize to Henan at this time. It will probably cost 70% or more on the way. It is admittedly not good, so I plan to persuade the people to donate and attract merchants to sell food."
Zhang Yiyuan did not object, but he felt that this was not strong enough. He hesitated and said: "If the people don't donate, what can they do? Time waits for us. Instead of wasting words, it is better to force the wealthy people to donate. Violators will be punished. What does the cabinet think?"
Gao Pragmatic shook his head slightly and said: "First of all, I would like to advise Shang Yi. The people of Shang Yi can be virtuous and powerful, but not powerful. Only through this can donations be prosperous. If you only rely on intimidation and get meager gains, it will not only be useless, but also corrupt." The credibility of the court and government.”
In the end, it was Gao Pragmatic who had the final say. Although Zhang Yiyuan was not optimistic at the bottom of his heart, he could only say "I see you, Mr. Gao."
So Gao pragmatically issued a notice, which said: "...After repeated famines, the mansions are in ruins, and the hungry people are in need of food. The world is crying for it, the emperor is tired and sick for it, and neighbors and villagers need to join hands to tide over the famine."
Those who are willing to donate money or millet for relief will be registered and reported. Those who produce millet will be sent to the porridge factory, and those who produce silver will be distributed to their own families. They are not allowed to be mixed with government funds. The officials are innocent, the people are free from prostrate, they check according to the records, and rewards are given based on the amount of donations:
The best ones will be awarded with plaques and ribbons, and will be exempted from corvee service; the best ones will be selected from ten households, and will be rewarded with inscriptions written by the Ministry of Pavilion as a reward; the best candidates will be selected from three households, and the Ministry of Pavilion will present their names to the Holy One. Please give me Yubi Shudan's praise. Those who run the porridge factory will receive the same reward. "
This incentive measure is not cheap. It basically means that the three companies that donated the most will be praised by the emperor with his own inscriptions, and the next ten companies will be praised by his pragmatic inscriptions. Although it is not stated explicitly, naturally the rewards will be given one level at a time from the governor down according to the amount of "contribution".
Although these praises are all "in vain", the wealthy officials and gentry of the Ming Dynasty have always been very fond of this trick, because it is not only an honor, but also a way to show off their status and strength. There are actually many benefits - just like many small bosses in later generations. It's the same reason that you have to drive a luxury car when you go out to discuss business, but a plaque written by an imperial pen or a high-ranking official is more effective and has more uses.
Under such extraordinary encouragement, Gao pragmatically issued several announcements and invited students and village representatives from various places to publicize it. Soon after, donations from wealthy businessmen and wealthy households increased day by day.
As the work of attracting merchants to sell grain is progressing, because the ban on selling rice at high prices has been lifted, grain merchants from surrounding provinces have begun to arrive one after another. Grain ships and grain trucks stretch for more than 50 miles, but grain prices are decreasing day by day because of this. Gao Pragmatic is worried Inflation has been eliminated.
Gao Pingshi listened to the report from his subordinates in the economic office: "The price of rice in the disaster area was originally about five taels per stone. After the grain price was liberalized, grain merchants from all provinces were attracted. Countless people were transported, and they continued for dozens of miles. Everywhere. Grain and rice are concentrated in Zhongzhou. No matter how difficult it is to transport, rice prices have become competitive and have now dropped to an average price of eight yuan per shi."
Gao pragmatic breathed a sigh of relief, rarely showed a smile, and said: "Very good, I will give you my order again. Governments in various places must strictly check. Grain dealers are not allowed to falsely report the weight, are not allowed to falsify steelyards, and are not allowed to bribe officials and people."
At this time, Zhang Yiyuan, the governor of Henan Province, was really convinced and praised: "Using the liberalization of high prices to attract grain merchants, he actually made them lower the price of rice independently. The talents of the cabinet are really well-qualified, and the subordinates are convinced. In this way, Henan no longer has to worry about grain." It’s not enough, I just ask the Cabinet for advice on what to do next.”
Gao Pragmatic waved his hand and said: "Fu Jun is serious. This method is not original to me. Fortunately, there are precedents. Now that the disaster situation has initially stabilized and food and money are no longer worries, the next step should be to treat the epidemic and restore the livelihood of the victims as soon as possible. To resume farming, our government should use work as a substitute for revitalization and gradually restore order in cities and towns in various places. We will discuss the details of these matters later." Zhang Yiyuan praised it.
At the same time, the victims also began to spread the praises of Gao Wu's practical deeds. Some people said: "This Gao Nanning was originally a great scholar from Henan. In the past, he was carefully taught and taught by the two chief ministers Gao Wenzhenggong and Guo Anyanggong, and then he cleared his father-in-law's land. , inspect the corvee, improve the inn...what is not praised by others?"
Someone answered: "It's not just that. When Gao Nanning was in Guangxi, whenever there were wealthy and powerful people who harmed the people, they were clearly aware of the details and punished according to the law. The people could farm with peace of mind and have abundant rice. Later, many buildings were built for Guangxi. Industry, most of the white sugar, brown sugar, brown sugar, malt sugar, etc. that we buy on the market today are Guangxi sugar!"
"Yes, yes, I heard that people in Guangxi have been prosperous and prosperous in the past ten years. Although it is still not as good as Guangdong, it is no longer necessary for the court to fill the deficit of more than 100,000 taels of silver every year."
"Not only in Guangxi, but also in Liaodong! Those tussah cotton-padded clothes are really good. Not only are they warm to wear, they are not expensive, but they are also very durable. I heard that many female workers in tussah factories in Liaodong can earn 50 yuan a month. , six taels of silver, which is much more than an old carpenter!"
"You are talking too far, and we have never seen it with our own eyes, but Gao Nanning has never done anything to benefit our hometown in our province. Not to mention anything else, just the Xinzheng Yuci and Xiangcheng coal mines (belonging to the Pingdingshan mining belt) How much tax do the four major factories, Huaiqing Iron Works and Zhengzhou Ordnance Industry, pay to Henan every year? It is precisely because the taxes of these four major factories are sufficient that the court has reduced the corvee in Henan several times in a row. This is all Gao Nanning's fault. What a great kindness!”
"That's right, that's right. Yu Ci won't talk about it for now. You can't do it without any skills. The coal mine, iron factory and ordnance industry are really good. In the past, if there were small disasters, the three major factories would recruit people. People, after going to these three major factories, they have no worries about food and clothing.
In the three major factories, workers are more tired, but they are paid according to work, and the more they work, the more they earn. Not to mention it's better than living on the streets, even compared to being exploited back and forth in the countryside, it's still a lot better. Isn't this all thanks to Gao Nanning? "
"When you say this, it reminds me of Gao Nanning's return to his hometown twenty years ago. When he returned to Beijing, he passed by Wei Hui and borrowed money for disaster relief, spending a full three hundred thousand taels. Now think about it They are all admirable, and the praises from thousands of families to give birth to Buddhas are not in vain!”
Dialogues like this have spread all over Henan and even Shandong, and the popularity of high-pragmatism has reached a new high.
Back to business, as Gao Pragmatic expected, major disasters are always followed by the spread of diseases, and soon there were reports of increased physical weakness and illness among victims from various places.
In fact, in the early Ming Dynasty, the imperial court established Huimin Pharmacies all over the country to regulate and regulate the pharmaceutical industry. Those who were unable to seek medical advice could obtain treatment through Huimin Pharmacies. Unfortunately, with the increasing competition for interests and the increasing corruption of the government, Huimin Pharmacy is no longer subsidized by the government.
The collapse of household registration has also led to confusion among medical households, and it has become increasingly difficult for self-financing operations to compete in the industry. Huimin Pharmacy has become increasingly desolate. Although it has experienced several times of resurgence, Ke Huimin Pharmacy can hardly regain its former glory.
Gao pragmatically discussed with Zhang Yiyuan this time: "I want to revive Huimin Pharmacy and cooperate with charity pharmacies in various places to treat epidemic diseases, including of course the hospitals and pharmacies affiliated with Jinghua Medicine.
In addition, I think Henan should allocate funds from the provincial treasury to select sites for reconstruction. At the same time, it should also purchase medicinal materials from various places and select good doctors to join the project. Oh, by the way, Fujun, since you took office last October, have you ever known who the famous local doctors are? "
Zhang Yiyuan couldn't think about it and hesitated: "There are frequent disasters and the people are scattered. I haven't heard of any good doctors so far. I'm afraid most of them died in floods and famine, and the remaining pharmacies can only do something to relieve the pain. This I am afraid that good doctors still need to be recruited from other provinces, but medicinal materials are now scarce. If medicines are imported from other provinces, the price of medicines will probably double. Can we also use market methods to reduce their prices?"
Gao pragmatically said: "Medicinal materials are not as good as food, but that is not impossible. It's just that relatively speaking, medicinal materials are easy to obtain but good doctors are hard to find. It is better to invite famous doctors from all over the world to treat the victims in the name of the provincial government, but the doctors' remuneration is low. It cannot be solved immediately, and I am afraid we can only place our hope on the benevolence of the doctor. Writing the notice requires some reason, and when a doctor comes, a little exploration is needed to prevent quack doctors from getting in."
Sure enough, after the proclamation was issued, although many doctors came one after another, most of them had mediocre medical skills. Among them, there were also some quacks who fished in troubled waters and were identified and dismissed.
The lack of good doctors made Gao Pragmatic and Zhang Yiyuan very distressed. The original graduates of the Department of Medicine of Jinghua Artisan School had already been assigned to practice in various places. Now, even if this group of current students are transferred, it will take a lot of time to get back and forth. Moreover, since they have not yet completed their studies, it is hard to say how much effect they can play.
While he was waiting impatiently, an urgent message came from outside: "A famous doctor is coming! A famous doctor is coming!" Gao Pingshi was shocked. He didn't know who was here, so he hurriedly led Zhang Yiyuan to check. At this glance, I realized that the visitors were the famous contemporary doctors Zhang Shouren, Yang Jishi and their disciples, as well as Xu Chunfu's Yitang Zhairen Medical Association, who came one after another.
Gao Pingshi was overjoyed and hurriedly opened the middle door to greet him personally. When he met Yang Ji, he said: "I have heard about the name of Doctor Yang for a long time. It is really admirable that you rushed to the disaster area despite your old age. I am just worried about the safety of the old doctor."
Yang Jishi replied: "Doctors do not avoid danger. I am indeed old, and there are still limits to what I can do. However, the disciples I have brought with me today have learned all my acupuncture methods, and they can be of great use."
Zhang Yiyuan said happily: "I have long heard that Dr. Yang is proficient in acupuncture. He pays attention to pulse syndrome and ginseng, examines syndromes and seeks causes, and his method of adjusting acupuncture and medicine is extremely outstanding. It is said that famous teachers produce great disciples, and this must be the case for disciples of your noble family."
Gao Pragmatic said to Zhang Shouren: "It is a real honor for Mr. Zhang to be here. Mr. Zhang is proficient in pharmacology. The 'Eighteen Arhat' he developed is especially suitable for labor-related typhoid fever and gastrointestinal diseases. It has long been famous throughout the country. There are two of them. With your help, the victims of the disaster will be saved, and Henan will be saved. On behalf of the whole province of Henan, I would like to express my gratitude to you two for your great righteousness."
Zhang Shouren quickly stepped aside and said with a cupped hand: "Don't dare to take it, don't take it. After the disaster, the epidemic will inevitably break out, and there will inevitably be panic in various places. I am also willing to help with the selection of good doctors." Gao Pragmatic was even more happy and thanked him again. .
The Yitong Zhairen Medical Association also said: "The medical association has gathered hundreds of famous doctors from all over the country. After hearing about the disaster in Henan, they came here to treat the victims and are willing to work with high public efficiency."
Gao pragmatically replied: "Since its establishment, Yiyitang Zhairen Medical Association has had strict requirements on medical skills and ethics. It has gathered famous doctors from all provinces and is well-known at home. With this help, the victims will no longer have to worry."
Later, wealthy businessmen from Beizhili and Shanxi were entrusted by the capital to donate huge sums of money and transport medicines to Henan, which made Gao pragmatic feel that he had led them to do business and make a fortune over the years, which indeed had some significance in encouraging good deeds. Thank you both pragmatically and Zhang Yiyuan one by one.
When everything was ready, Gao Pragmatic and Zhang Yiyuan used the rebuilt Huimin Pharmacy and Charity Pharmacy to help the victims, prepared medicinal materials according to the prescriptions, and sent them to various places.
At the same time, Zhang Shouren, Yang Jishi, and the Yitang Zhairen Medical Association were entrusted to select good doctors and lead them respectively. More than 20 people were selected in large counties and more than ten people were selected in small counties. Anyone who encountered the disease would be given appropriate medicines. More than 10,000 victims were treated well.
On this occasion, Gao Pragmatic went to Shang Shu again and asked the court to allow Henan to recuperate after the disaster.
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