Wuying Palace.
Liu Changge held a stack of documents and delivered them to Shuangxi. Shuangxi gently placed the documents on Zhu Yunwen's desk, then quietly stepped aside and waited with his hands down.
Zhu Yunwen approved a memorial, pointed to the memorial on the side, and said to Shuangxi: "Send these to the General Affairs Department first and tell them that they cannot be moved."
"As commanded."
Shuangxi put away the memorial and arranged for people to send it out of the palace.
Zhu Yunwen looked at the information sent by the Security Bureau, his face became gloomy, and he said to Liu Changge: "The policy to curb land annexation has not been implemented yet, and someone has colluded with the Agricultural Tax Department, the Chief Envoy Department, and the Inspection Department. If this is really implemented, how can it be done? Don’t you say one thing and do another? Are you a country squire and bureaucrat like me? Do you really think I’m blind?!”
"Your Majesty, the news has leaked, and local governments are trying to find ways to deal with it. Some officials and gentry have begun to withdraw from their fields. However, judging from the news coming from southern Zhili and Jiangsu and Zhejiang, the number is not large. Most officials and gentry choose to wait and see. , some gentry, promising heavy profits, colluded with the Agricultural Tax Department, the Chief Envoy Department, and the Inspection Department in an attempt to protect their land."
Liu Changge replied in a deep voice.
Zhu Yunwen sneered. Sure enough, there were policies from above and countermeasures from below.
These people were also willing to spend a lot of money. They knew that it would not work to bribe the Agricultural Tax Department, so they simply bought the people from the Chief Envoy Department and the Inspection Department together.
Wait and see?
Keep watching, you will cry sometimes.
On February 12, three people in the cabinet, Yu Xin, Zhang Zhen, and Xie Jin, jointly submitted a letter titled "National Policy of Clearing Land Acquisitions and Tracking Land Properties to Prevent Land Acquisition and Contribution", which was approved and printed by Zhu Yunwen on February 15. Officially announced to the world.
Countless post envoys carried documents on their backs and galloped from the official road to all parts of the country.
Changzhou Prefecture, Yixing.
Wu Guang, the Agricultural Tax County Secretary, Ducheng Wanbiao of the Chief Envoy, and Meng Zhiyuan, the Inspection Secretary, together with more than 30 people, together with more than 60 people from the Qingzhang team composed of farmers, received the "Qingzhang Mu" in the fields to trace the fields to curb them. The national policy of land annexation and donation.
Under the willow tree not far away, five or six wealthy gentry gathered together. After looking at each other, they all smiled.
"But everything is done, right?"
Zhao Qipin, who has retired for three years, asked easily.
Qian Fushen tightened his belt, and the flesh on his face trembled, and said: "Of course, this is the foundation for our family and life, how can we easily separate it. Although it cost a little, we have always settled them."
Sun Funong cleared his throat and said hoarsely: "After ten years of hard work, I got help from all the elder brothers and collected some scattered fields. Now the fields are connected with great difficulty. If we really hand over those poor legs, it will not be a loss. Above, After all, you are still too young.”
"Be careful, we don't dare to talk nonsense about the things above."
Fushang Li looked around carefully and said in a low voice: "Everything is going according to plan, but we don't dare to let those tenant farmers run out, otherwise, there will be big trouble."
"Haha, don't worry. The tenant farmers are waiting at the house. They heard that there will be a reward today and will not go out, let alone know that the land will be cleared today. As long as these two days pass, we will be safe and sound."
Zhao Qipin said confidently.
Qian Fushen squinted his eyes and reminded: "Shh, they are coming."
The gentlemen stopped communicating.
Wu Guang, Wan Biao and Meng Zhiyuan asked the others to wait where they were, and then walked towards the rich gentry.
Zhao Qipin took the lead to come forward and saluted, "Thank you for your hard work, officials. I don't know when the land will be cleared. We should prepare some thin tea to comfort everyone."
With a cold face, Wu Guang took out a heavy money bag from his sleeve and threw it to Zhao Qipin. Wan Biao and Meng Zhiyuan also took out their money bags and handed them back to Fu Shen.
"What does this mean?"
Zhao Qipin was a little flustered.
Wu Guang said in a deep voice: "The emperor has ordered to transfer the counties to clear the land. We are no longer responsible for the land in Yixing and need to go to Changxing, Hu immediately to clear the land. The divisions in Changxing will also be responsible for the land clearing in Yixing. .”
"ah?"
The gentry's faces suddenly turned pale, and they were extremely frightened.
It took a few days, and we invited you to eat and drink. Just after we established a good relationship, you changed places?
Can the newcomers be as greedy as you?
If there is one person who is not greedy, then wouldn’t we have to break up our family?
Meng Zhiyuan looked at these rich gentry and reminded: "Don't even think about buying people from the Agricultural Tax Department, the Chief Envoy Department, and the Inspection Department. The imperial court has said that it will select one hundred best Qingzhang teams across the country. Not only can you enjoy the glory of the first batch of national emblems of the Ming Dynasty, but you can also engrave a monument outside the palace gate. It is a matter of eternal importance, and no one will give up. You should take care of yourself!"
After saying that, the three of them turned and left. Except for one person who was left to manage the Qingzhang team and pick up the people coming from Changxing, the others all found horses and headed straight for Changxing.
With no way out, the wealthy gentry stumbled back home and began to return their property. If they didn't hurry up, it would be too late.
Although the tenant farmers were illiterate, they also knew that there must be monsters when things went wrong. In the past, these gentry would either kick in the door and take away the little food they had left, or beat themselves with whips. Even if they were sick, they still needed to get out of the house. Go to the fields.
How had he ever looked at himself with a smile and taken out the land deed like today?
The tenant farmers couldn't believe this was true. Whoever dared to reach out might be dragged to feed the dogs.
The gentry sent the field deed to everyone's arms, but the field deed fell to the ground again, and no one dared to pick it up.
"Please take it back and go home, okay?!"
"Come here, give each of them a tael of silver, and each of them will take the land deed!"
"Master, it's useless even if I give them the land deed..."
"What?"
"This field deed is in the name of the master."
"Then quickly ask the middleman to write a new land deed! Go and invite Mr. Wang from the Yamen over!"
"But Sir, under the new system of the imperial court, land sales must be managed by the Agricultural Tax Department, supervised by the Inspection Department, and reported to the Chief Envoy! Now the people from the Agricultural Tax Department have left..."
"No, the master fainted."
After Hu Jun arrived in Yixing, he worked non-stop. After discussing with the Governor Yang Chengxuan and the Inspector Wang Wenfeng, he divided the Qingzhang team into three groups and began to clear the land that day.
In just ten days, 40,000 acres of land were divided among the gentry. Among them, three wealthy gentry families compensated farmers as much as 5,000 taels. After one gentry family paid 3,000 taels in compensation, they had no more money to compensate.
Hu Jun did not make things difficult for the gentry. He just valued the remaining land and transferred it to the tenant farmers at the price of silver. If this was not enough to compensate him, he would sell off his family property.
Even if you lose everything, don’t worry. First, look at how many people are in your family. If there are ten people in your family, no problem. The eighty acres of land over there are yours. The county government will provide you with cattle, seeds, farming equipment, basic rations.
Farm well and pay a tax of one for fifteen. I will never imitate you and pay a tax of two and one. As long as you work for one year, the whole family will be able to solve their stomach problems.
The yeoman farmers who obtained land and freedom spontaneously delivered eggs and food to the people in the Agricultural Tax Department, the Inspection Department, and the Chief Envoy Department. There was also an old man who killed the only old hen in his family and personally delivered it to the farmers. Tax Division.
Hu Jun ate an egg and drank a sip of chicken soup. The old man smiled happily, but the people in the Agricultural Tax Department had tears streaming down their faces.
People's hearts, this is the people's hearts!
The hearts of the people are in these eggs, in this chicken soup, and in the dark smiles of old people and farmers!
Hu Jun choked with sobs, turned around, and wrote with a splash of ink: "Your Majesty Hu Jundu came to Yixing, the national policy was implemented, and the people's support went smoothly. At this time, I realized the truth that land is easy to win, but people's hearts are hard to win..."
