Zhu Yunwen was extremely eager to increase the population. The Ming Dynasty, which had a vast territory, only had more than 60 million people at full calculation. In later generations, this would only be the population of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
It’s just that giving birth is not about making dumplings. Make the noodles in the morning and have them ready at noon. It takes time.
Zhu Yunwen can give Daming time and take his time.
But I can’t give Nanjing time.
As the capital of the Ming Empire, Nanjing's current population is less than 600,000 (not counting the three major camps). Compared with the Song and Yuan Dynasties, this number is extremely shabby.
Bianliang in the Northern Song Dynasty had a population of 1.5 million, Lin'an in the Southern Song Dynasty had a population of 1.2 million, and most of the cities in the Yuan Dynasty had a population of more than one million.
Prosperity is supported by people.
But now Nanjing...
With great difficulty, they managed to recruit more than 40,000 people by taking advantage of the disaster victims' move to the capital. They worked hard to arrange employment and education in order to allow them to stay in the capital and convert local rural household registrations into Nanjing urban household registrations.
If all these people go back to farm, many projects will be stopped.
Zhu Yunwen continued to persuade: "Li Laosan, what does your father do? Oh, tenant farmer, where is grandpa? He is also a tenant farmer, what about you... Look, everyone was born as tenant farmers and became farmers over the years. You want your children to continue Are you a farmer, or do you want your children to have other options?”
"Other way out? What way out can there be?"
A farmer murmured in a low voice.
Li Laosan had a straight face and was about to get up to scold him, but Zhu Yunwen stopped him with his eyes, and then said to the farmer: "When you return to your hometown, the only way to make a living is through farming, right? But if you stay in the capital, your children can go to school. If you are successful in your studies, you can also enter an official career."
"Even if you can't enter an official career, you can still read and write, be a bookkeeper, sell some goods, enter a library, and become a craftsman... Let me tell you, it is up to the children to choose which path they want to take."
Li Laosan looked at Zhu Yunwen in surprise, let him choose?
Doesn’t this violate Taizu’s household registration system?
But thinking about this person, he seems to have never taken the ancestral system seriously...
"For the sake of the children, I am willing to stay!"
One farmer said.
"I'll stay too!"
"We'll stay too."
Some users expressed their opinions.
Zhu Yunwen nodded happily and looked away.
The farmer asked, "What's your name?"
"Go back, go back to the emperor, Liang Bao."
"But what's the difficulty?"
Zhu Yunwen asked kindly.
A bit of panic appeared on Liang Bao's dark yellow face, and he lowered his head and replied: "I, my father is sixty-three years old this year. His legs and feet are not very good. He has been talking about going home..."
Zhu Yunwen remained silent.
The old man wishes to return home. The power of this wish is powerful and difficult to stop. The attachment of the ancients to their homeland is unimaginable to many wandering people of later generations.
Deciding to die in their hometown is their last obsession in their lives.
Zhu Yunwen turned sideways and ordered Gu Sanshen: "Go and ask an imperial doctor to come and show Liang Bao's father a look. Well, we will also arrange a carriage. If your legs and feet are not good, don't rush back."
Gu Sanshen agreed and called someone over to give instructions.
Zhu Yunwen looked at Liang Bao and said, "I am very pleased that you are a filial person. Whether you stay or go back, I am proud of you and people like you."
Liang Bao was so moved that he couldn't help crying after whimpering. Others were also moved by Zhu Yunwen's care.
This is a good emperor who truly loves his people like a son.
Soon after, this incident spread among the victims. Countless victims saw the imperial doctor treating Liang Bao's father, saw the carriage tied at the door of Liang Bao's house, and saw the notice posted by Zhu Yunwen.
This should be the shortest notice in Ming Dynasty:
Tell the people:
Stay, I welcome you.
If you go back, I will see you off.
The people who were originally arguing and hesitating whether to go or stay made a decision at this moment:
stay!
Even Liang Bao's father changed his attitude, not for anything else but to repay his kindness.
The kindness given by the emperor is greater than heaven.
Afterwards, the Ministry of Household Affairs reported that there were more than 46,000 victims who entered Beijing and more than 4,000 who left Beijing. Zhu Yunwen did not break his promise and went to see off the victims personally outside the city.
The imperial court used a naval fleet to transport these people to the north bank, and had its own carriages and horses to support them.
On this day in the court, Xia Yuanji of the Household Department asked: "Your Majesty, the victims of the disaster have not left the capital, so what should be done with their cultivated land in the county? Should it be taken back to the court and distributed separately, or should it be left to be abandoned?"
Zhu Yunwen thought for a moment and said: "Tell everyone in Beijing
For the victims of the disaster, their fields still belong to them. However, the fields should not be left uncultivated. Instead, we could learn from the Chinese law and arrange for merchants to farm the land. The grain harvested could be converted into salt and remain tax-free for three years. "
When Xia Yuanji heard this arrangement, he said nothing.
Zhu Yunwen frowned and said: "I heard that there is still a large population in Shanxi, and there are many people with thalassemia, and nearly half of the people have problems eating. How about moving another 500,000 people from Shanxi, filling up 300,000 in Peiping and 100,000 in Kaifeng? Let the others be scattered in the desolate land.”
Huang Zicheng was a little worried and went out to say: "Your Majesty, it may be difficult to immigrate this year. The expenditures of the Ministry of Household Affairs have been divided, and the remaining money and food are not enough to support such a large-scale population migration."
Zhu Yunwen looked at Huang Zicheng and said confidently: "Soon, the Ministry of Revenue will have money and food."
Only by spreading the branches and leaves can the reproduction of the population be accelerated.
It is not an option to gather more than 4 million people in Shanxi. There are only 300,000 people in Peiping now. Without adding more people, it will be difficult to develop anything.
After the Beiping Tundian business was sold, many merchants were worried about finding staff, and even went hundreds of miles away to recruit people. Now send them some people to cultivate the land and open up wasteland, so as to accumulate popularity for moving the capital in the future.
The Ministry of Accounts has no money?
Not urgent.
Someone comes to send money and food.
The twenty-third day of the first lunar month.
Dongshui Pass is more lively than ever.
The caravan that sailed to Nanyang finally arrived in the capital. Zhu Zhi, Shen Yiyuan, Huang Facai, Wang Zhongfu and others walked out of the cabin and stood on the bow of the ship, enjoying the moment of everyone's attention.
In addition to the people, there were countless businesses surrounding the pier.
There are treasures in Nanyang, these merchants all know it, but many people have only "heard" about the wealth and treasures in Nanyang and never "seen" it.
Now, if you have the opportunity to see it, who is willing to miss it?
King Yan Zhu Di, King Min Zhu Geng, King Zhu Gui and others were dressed in casual clothes and stood at the front of the pier, looking at Zhu Zhi waving with a smile on his face.
Shanxi merchants Chang Qianli, Hou Xiyu, Chang Baiye and others were standing not far from the vassal king, staring intently at the cargo ships, so densely packed that they couldn't even see their tails.
"It seems that these people have gained a lot in Nanyang."
Hou Xiyu said with emotion.
Chang Qianli took a deep breath and said: "We are not the only ones who are good at building momentum. The man next to King Liao is Shen Yiyuan, a Hui merchant, right?"
