"The firearms, people's rations, and military administration in the five-year plan have all been decided. Now let's talk about the fourth item, taxation."
Seeing Chongzhen's question, Guo Yunhou immediately said: "Your Majesty, I just calculated the accounts with my colleagues. In the seventh year of the Apocalypse, the land tax in Shaanxi was 3.6 million shi.
However, due to drought, the imperial court decreed that the people should not collect taxes for three years. So based on the calculation of 28 million, there was a shortfall of 5.6 million shi.
Excluding the landlords and wealthy businessmen, and paying half a dou per mu, it would be necessary to release about 500,000 hectares of military settlements. Therefore, this year's goal is somewhat difficult.
But as the fertile land in the hands of the clan, gentry, and military garrison was released, the final amount could reach about 45 to 50 million dan. "
Fifty million stones, almost doubled compared to the previous year of 2300 to 27 million stones.
If the imperial court had had this land tax before, it would not have been in arrears of payment, and there would have been problems such as mutiny, desertion, and rebellion, let alone the loss of Liaodong.
"Are there no problems with the above four items?"
The ministers all shook their heads. The general direction was set, and all that was left was to work out the details. If there were any problems during the process, we would report back.
After seeing that everyone had no problem, Chongzhen continued: "Then let's look at the fifth item."
When the fifth item was mentioned, everyone frowned slightly.
If the previous content can improve the national power of the Ming Dynasty, then the fifth item is a bit difficult to understand.
The Daming Industrial Research Institute, the Daming Qihuang Research Institute and the Military Academy were established.
As if seeing everyone's doubts, Chongzhen said slowly: "Industrial Research Institute, you can understand that anything that can be completed mechanically can be called industry, and the purpose is to improve efficiency.
The main task of the Industrial Research Institute is to study various types of machinery, such as agricultural tools, smelting tools, transportation tools, self-propelled vehicles, movable platform guns, movable tongs and bells, etc. "
"You guys should take a longer view. Suppose that with the current farm tools, it takes eight days per person to plow the land. If there are new tools, it takes six days or even four days to plow the land. What does this mean?
Don't underestimate two days. One person has two days, but all the people of Ming Dynasty have saved two days?
Can you use these two days to do a part-time job? These are just farm tools.
For example, a carriage can now travel sixty miles a day. Can we improve the carriage so that the same horse can travel eighty or even a hundred miles a day?
It’s an extra twenty miles a day, an extra six hundred miles a month, and it’s more than two thousand miles from Beijing to Nanjing.
If the carriage is improved, it used to take thirty-five days to travel, but after the improvement, it only takes twenty-five days, which saves ten days and saves travel, time, etc.
I am just giving an example. The main purpose is to study various types of machinery and improve our efficiency. What I say is this, do you understand? "
Everyone looked thoughtful and their eyes were full of doubts. They wanted to ask something but didn't know where to start.
Chongzhen didn't explain much. There were a lot of economics, sociology, efficiency management, etc. behind this, and he wouldn't be able to explain it clearly for a while.
"The matter of the Industrial Research Institute is just a concept now. We will discuss it in detail with Wang Zheng after he comes to Beijing!"
"Let's put aside the affairs of Qihuang Research Institute for the time being. Let's talk about the military academy first!"
Sun Chengzong thought for a moment and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, is the military academy literally an academy for training sergeants?"
"Yes! No!"
Chongzhen nodded first, then shook his head.
"I ask you, after the abolition and merging of the health schools, what will happen to the health schools that are attached to the health schools?"
"Health science?"
Sun Chengzong was stunned, and everyone else was also stunned.
We had just discussed rectifying the military affairs and merging the guard stations, but we actually ignored the health education attached to the guard stations.
The so-called health education refers to the colleges run by health stations in various places. Since it is run by the health station, it is naturally only an academy to teach the children of the health station. For example, the children of military attachés and sergeants are enrolled in the academy to receive education.
The original intention of Taizu's founding of the School of Health was to enable military generals to "understand principles, restrain their violent temper, and understand the body of loyalty to the emperor."
The idea was good, but in the end it went astray, teaching etiquette, archery, calligraphy and mathematics.
Confucianism was still the main focus, with military knowledge becoming a supplement.
"The military academy I'm talking about...forget it, let's change it to a martial arts academy, it sounds more palatable.
There is a patrol department under the Jiangwu Hall, which is dedicated to looking for talented children over the age of twelve and under sixteen from all over the country to enter the Jiangwu Hall to receive military education.
The purpose is to cultivate commanding generals, mainly learning military art, strategy, geography, arithmetic, etc., supplemented by etiquette, martial arts and other courses.
The study time is initially set at six years. After passing the assessment, they will enter the guard station and serve as a small flag. They will be assessed once every three months. If they pass the assessment, they will be promoted to the next level. "
Everyone looked at each other, explaining the surprise in their hearts.
We can also understand Chongzhen's thinking. A thousand troops are easy to obtain, but a general is difficult to find.
From the moment children enter the martial arts hall, they receive systematic military instruction and are instilled with ideas of loyalty to the emperor and patriotism.
In the future, when they enter the army, the possibility of rebellion among these people is extremely small, and they all obey the orders of the emperor, even the emperor.
When this group of people accounts for a considerable part of the current military attaché selection system, the emperor no longer has to worry about military rebellion.
The people trained in the martial arts hall may not be as flexible and versatile as the generals who grew up in the army, but the advantage is that they can be produced in batches.
Moreover, what you learn is relatively systematic. With a little practice, you can become a qualified grassroots command military attaché. Whether you can grow into a senior general, a commander, or even a commander-in-chief depends on your own efforts and talent.
"This is my plan to talk about the martial arts hall. What do you think?"
Faced with Chongzhen's rhetorical question, everyone was somewhat silent.
Complete control of military power is a 'threat' to civilian officials, but they have no reason to object to this kind of thing.
Liu Zongzhou, the Minister of Rites, said solemnly: "Your Majesty, I think this matter may not be appropriate. We already have martial arts, and there are four methods: grassroots selection, hereditary, and civil officials' shadow. It is of little significance to add a martial arts hall."
Without waiting for Chongzhen's response, Zhongzhen Hou Qin Liangyu spoke up: "Master Liu, I think there is something wrong with what you said."
“Among your civil servant training methods, the official ones include county schools, the Imperial College, and the Hanlin Academy.
There are private academies such as Donglin Academy for training. Why can't our military attachés have our own training system? "
"Marquis Zhongzhen, what you said is wrong. Although we have many training methods, the only way is the imperial examination.
There are four paths for military attachés, and there are five paths for performing martial arts halls. "
Qin Liangyu stood up immediately after hearing this: "Are there many five roads? See for yourself how many roads are prepared for ordinary people?
Martial arts requires training in martial arts, art of war, and strategic planning. How many ordinary people do you think can practice martial arts or master the art of war?
The hereditary inheritance of generals is something their ancestors risked their lives for, and I recognize it.
What does it mean for civil servants to be overshadowed?
In the end, ordinary people can only join the military and live a life of licking blood, risking their lives to make a career.
What's wrong with having an extra road for the people now?
If you feel it is too much, you can petition His Majesty to cancel the civil service Mengyin. "
Liu Zongzhou's beard trembled at Qin Liangyu's words: "You, you... you are questioning Taizu's decision!"
