When Shanxi merchants Chang Qianli, Hou Xiyu, Cao Youshan and others entered the Wuying Hall, Huang Zicheng, Xie Jin and others showed surprise.
Immigration is, after all, a policy of the imperial court. It is understandable to seek support from the Governor's Office of the Fifth Army. Why should we seek businessmen?
What businessmen are good at is just buying and selling.
Buy or sell?
Xie Jin had a flash of inspiration and looked at Zhu Yunwen. He couldn't help but be impressed. If he really brought businessmen in, he could save the court a lot of trouble.
Huang Zicheng, Yu Xin and others did not see through it, but remained silent in confusion.
After Zhu Yunwen saluted the Shanxi merchants, he said: "Today I summon Shanxi merchants to the palace to discuss two things with you. The first thing is that the imperial court is planning to immigrate 500,000 people from Shanxi this year to North Zhili, What do you think about Shandong, Henan and other places..."
The eight major Shanxi merchants couldn't help but be shocked.
Chang Qianli and Hou Xiyu are no strangers to immigrants from Shanxi.
In June of the third year of Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang adopted the strategy of strengthening the walls and clearing the wilderness in response to the "Four Kings" of the Mongolian and Yuan Dynasties invading Datong, Wuzhou and other places, and relocated residents in northern Shanxi on a large scale.
In September of the sixth year of Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang moved more than 8,000 households in northern Shanxi and nearly 40,000 people to the Central Government (ie Fengyang Mansion) on the grounds that they were "repeatedly plundered by barbarians". This was also the first time in the early Ming Dynasty that the sub-large-scale immigration.
In the 25th and 28th years of Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang moved more than 100,000 Shanxi residents to northern Shanxi, southern Inner Mongolia, and northwest Hebei for the sake of military service.
However, these two immigrations were due to military needs, and the scope of immigration was mostly concentrated in Shanxi Province.
The real large-scale immigration in the Hongwu Dynasty was carried out out of the need for economic construction. It took place in the 21st year of Hongwu. After that, immigration continued until the 28th year of Hongwu. From Shanxi's Zhangde, Weihui, Guangping, Daming, etc. The government has more than 400,000 immigrants.
Most of these 400,000 people are scattered in places such as Beizhili and Henan.
Such a large-scale and long-term migration only resulted in the relocation of less than 500,000 people. Zhu Yunwen actually plans to achieve 500,000 immigrants within this year?
This was enough to make Chang Qianli and others tremble.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me for speaking frankly. I'm afraid it will take longer to immigrate 500,000 people. One year is definitely not feasible."
Chang Qianli is well aware of the pain of immigrants.
Immigration in the Hongwu Dynasty was not peaceful, although Zhu Yuanzhang gave many policies. Before immigration, banknotes were issued to each household, and officers and soldiers were escorted on the road. Farm tools were given to local places, and they were tax-free for three years.
But those are just records in books. Real immigration is accompanied by blood and tears.
You must know that most of the immigrants are poor people. They have no carriages or donkeys, and can only walk on two legs. The short distance can be more than 500 miles, and the long distance can be more than 1,000 miles.
After twenty or thirty days of trekking, sleeping in the wind and frost, some people died of illness on the road, some died of exhaustion on the road, and some would rather escape than go to a strange place.
The moon is bright in my hometown, and it’s hard to leave my homeland. Who is willing to leave my homeland?
But I can’t go.
There were too many people running for their lives and they could not meet the immigration quota, so the people at the bottom took out ropes, tied the immigrants up, and drove them out of Shanxi in an "escort" manner.
Many immigrants had their arms tied for a long time, and their arms gradually became numb. They later left a habit of walking with their hands behind their backs, and this habit has remained in the bones of the descendants of immigrants from Shanxi.
Because they are being escorted, if someone needs to urinate on the road, they need to report to the officers and soldiers and shout something like "Officer, please relieve yourself, I need to pee."
Over time, it evolved into the idea that "relieving one's hands" is equivalent to "peeing".
Shanxi merchants who traveled all over the country were deeply impressed by the hardships and difficulties of immigrants. They knew that it was inappropriate to refute Zhu Yunwen, a young British master, but they still put forward their own opinions.
Although he is a businessman, he still has a conscience.
Huang Zicheng looked at Zhu Yunwen, still thinking that the pace of five hundred thousand a year was a bit too big. It could be seen that Zhu Yunwen's expression had not changed at all, so he did not say anything more.
Zhu Yunwen said to Chang Qianli and others: "I know that it is difficult to immigrate 500,000 yuan a year, but you also need to know that there are always more methods than difficulties. This is the policy I have drawn up for new immigrants. Please read it before you reply. "
Shuangxi transferred the document to Chang Qianli. After Chang Qianli and others read it, their sad expressions suddenly changed and they returned the document with a relaxed expression.
Chang Qianli straightened his clothes and said solemnly: "Your Majesty, if this policy is followed, the Shanxi immigration plan will be successful. Some grassroots people have relatives in Taiyuan Prefecture. I wonder if the immigration plan can include Taiyuan Prefecture?"
After hearing this, Huang Zicheng and others couldn't help but
Shaking his head and smiling bitterly.
Zhu Yunwen also relaxed.
This group of people is worthy of being businessmen. They saw the benefits and immediately wanted to get involved.
However, this also proves that the businessmen are moved, and those who are somewhat conscious among the people will definitely participate in the immigration.
As for those who are not aware, it doesn't matter. We have experience in propaganda and brainwashing.
Enlightenment can be spoken...
"I welcome you if you want to immigrate. But this is not the purpose of calling you here. To immigrate 500,000 people, the materials needed will naturally be tens of millions. If you only rely on the imperial court to do it, it will be difficult to prepare it in one year. . I hope Shanxi merchants can assist the government and complete the feat of immigration."
Siluke
Zhu Yunwen said seriously.
Huang Zicheng's expression changed, and he was about to step out to object, but stopped again.
Although immigration protection work should be left to the Ministry of Household Affairs, local envoys, prefectures and counties, etc., the total number of officials in some counties is only a few dozen. If they are asked to prepare tens of thousands in just a few months, it will be more than a dozen. It may be feasible to provide supplies for a population of 10,000, but it will definitely disturb the people extremely, and there may even be places that use the excuse that the imperial court needs supplies to rob people's property.
Thinking about it this way, we might as well let the merchants prepare supplies through buying and selling, while the household department only needs to control the money and food.
Chang Qianli looked at Hou Xiyu and others, who were even more surprised.
If this is done, Shanxi merchants will directly establish a line with local officials, and even change the court's view of Shanxi merchants. It will be much easier for Shanxi merchants to do things in the future.
"The grassroots people are willing to work hard for the immigration policy."
Chang Qianli, Hou Xiyu and others knelt down and said in unison.
Zhu Yunwen nodded slightly, glanced at Xie Jin, Huang Zicheng and others, and said: "Shanxi merchants will be responsible for the material support of the immigrants. The Ministry of Household Affairs will pay the corresponding amount and arrange for the supervision of court officials and local envoy officials. How about it?"
"Your Majesty is wise."
Xie Jin, Huang Zicheng and others chose to support.
At this time, Zhu Yunwen finally finalized the immigration strategy, and then said to Huang Zicheng: "The number of immigrants this time is the largest in our dynasty, and the cost of money and food is huge. I know that the household is in trouble, and I plan to bring businessmen from Nanyang." Some of the treasures taken from the land were delivered to the Ministry of Household Affairs, which sold them into money and grain to support the immigrants."
