"Grandpa Huang is wise!"
"My grandson, on behalf of the millions and millions of people in the world, I would like to thank Grandpa Huang for his kindness."
Zhu Yunzhen was relieved.
The abolition of corvee was definitely a crucial step in his reforms.
This will release a large amount of free labor and lay the foundation for the development of the commodity economy.
"This is all your credit, but you can't put it on our heads."
Lao Zhu told the eunuch next to him: "Go and draw up an edict. It must be clearly stated that it is requested by His Highness Taisun. He has pity on the people of the world and asks for an edict to abolish corvee in the world."
"In this way, all the people in the world will be grateful to him. If he inherits the throne in the future, the country will be more stable."
Zhu Yunzhen was moved for a while.
No matter what time Lao Zhu thinks about, he will always think about the country, the country, and future generations.
…
Wenhua Hall.
Advisory Office.
The ministers who received the imperial edict were so shocked that they could not close their mouths.
Although His Highness Taisun had discussed this matter with them before and explained the reasons and benefits of doing so, it was still a bit difficult for everyone to accept it.
after all.
The impact of abolishing corvee is too great.
This has never happened since ancient times.
Only Taisun dared to do this.
If it were them, they wouldn't even dare to think about it.
It would be great if it could reduce the corvée.
Complete abolition, how is it possible?
His Highness Taisun really gave up on his word, what a great courage!
After receiving the order, Yang Jing took a deep breath.
Unlike other ministers.
He is the Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs and is in charge of the money bag of the Ming Dynasty. After the abolition of corvee service, the funds for various construction expenditures from the central to local governments will immediately increase several times.
Fortunately, today's Ministry of Revenue is not short of money.
It's just that the speed at which money is being spent makes Yang Jing a little frightened.
"His Royal Highness Taisun has already explained how to act, so let's follow the instructions before."
Yang Jing said.
Zhu Yunxuan's request was that after the abolition of corvee service, new treasury should be established from the imperial court to local governments.
The People's Bank of China manages the national treasury.
All income is paid into the national treasury and cannot be withheld, spent or kept for oneself.
When money is needed for expenditure, it is withdrawn from the treasury.
In the past, in order to promote the RMB, the People's Bank of China was established in various places. The People's Bank of China and the National Treasury were all implemented vertical management and were directly under the jurisdiction of the imperial court.
A modern financial management system has begun to take shape.
…
"Big news, His Royal Highness Taisun is requesting Your Majesty that from next year, corvee service will be abolished in the Ming Dynasty."
"Big news, His Royal Highness Taisun is requesting Your Majesty that from next year, corvee service will be abolished in the Ming Dynasty."
…
The People's Daily published an article and quickly spread the news throughout the country.
For a time, the world was boiling.
You know, compared with corvee labor, taxes are so light that they can be ignored.
Moreover, except for the royal relatives, officials and scholar-bureaucrats who were exempted from service, corvées were collected on a per-capita basis.
The family did not have any land, but they still had to perform very heavy corvee labor.
For poor people, the burden is particularly heavy.
Furthermore, the regional distribution of corvee labor was also very uneven.
For example, in border areas or areas near rivers, because of the need to build border defenses and repair rivers, there are particularly many corvees.
For this reason, many people fled to other places.
Now, with the abolition of corvee, all this has become history.
"Is this true? The corvee has been abolished?"
A common man who was plowing the land was in disbelief.
"It's absolutely true. It has been published in the People's Daily. Your Highness Taisun is kind-hearted, sympathizes with the suffering of the people, and abolishes corvee in the world."
"But without the corvee, who will build the rivers? Who will build the city walls? Who will do all the government affairs?"
"That's right, it can't really be abolished, right?"
"Can this still be false? The newspaper said that from now on, the government will pay to hire people to do these things, and there will no longer be free corvee."
"How much will it cost?"
"This is nothing for us ordinary people to worry about. His Highness the Grand Sun has his own solution."
"No more corvées, no more corvees!"
Someone yelled wildly.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, Your Majesty for your grace."
Some people knelt on the ground and bowed to the capital.
The same scenes were staged throughout the Ming Dynasty.
The people were moved to tears.
The officials were stunned.
"Since the Three Yellow Emperors and the Five Emperors, we have only heard of light corvee and low taxes in ancient times. I didn't expect that His Highness Taisun would abolish corvee directly."
Many officials lamented that it was hard to believe.
At the same time, in accordance with the requirements of the imperial court, a large number of people began to be hired.
After all, what needs to be done must be done.
The money in the treasury was being withdrawn like a tide.
Recruitment offices everywhere were crowded with people who came to sign up to work.
In the past, the people who were recruited to build rivers and roads often worked but did not contribute any effort.
Just to kill time and complete the corvee tasks.
Because of this kind of thing, whoever works hard is the fool!
If you don’t get paid, why do you have to work so hard?
The government had to take harsh measures, even whipping lazy people.
This caused a lot of conflicts.
But the root of the problem has never been solved.
Because the people who work have no enthusiasm and will never work when they can be lazy.
But now that it has become an employment system, the situation is immediately reversed.
The flagellation disappeared.
Not required at all.
After all, finding a job in this day and age is not easy!
Who wouldn’t rush to get a job that provides food, clothing, shelter, and a salary?
be lazy?
Do you still want to do it?
Governments in various places soon discovered that even if they only hired a small number of people, work efficiency would be doubled compared to the original.
There is no comparison at all.
These things were later reported in memorials, and many officials were puzzled.
Zhu Yunzhen didn't find it strange at all.
The magic of money!
The capitalist mode of production is certainly a qualitative leap compared to the mode of feudal society.
Although it will also embark on the road of destruction in the later stages.
But at least at this time, it's a huge leap.
…
Outside Jinling City, near the city gate.
Fang Xiaoru was riding a donkey, coming from a distance.
A large group of literati are waiting here.
Although Fang Xiaoru was not an official, he had a high prestige among the scholars.
After the executions of Huang Zicheng and Qi Tai, Fang Xiaoru was regarded by many as a spiritual leader, and his status was further improved.
Previously, Lao Zhu asked him to take up the post of professor in Hanzhong.
Later, Zhu Yunxuan followed Yao Guangxiao's suggestion and decided to recall these Confucian scholars who were "raising their reputation" outside to the capital to facilitate the court to control public opinion.
At the same time, he also took the opportunity to criticize the great Confucians and establish new ideas.
Clear ideological obstacles for Ming Dynasty's reform.
As a great scholar of the time, Fang Xiaoru was naturally among those who answered the call.
Therefore, he returned to Jinling again.
"Xizhi, you are finally back. We are all looking forward to your coming to lead the group!"
An official greeted him warmly.
Xi Zhi is Fang Xiaoru's name.
Of course, calling someone by their first name is to bring them closer together and show intimacy.
Other officials also spoke out.
Since Taisun took power, Huang Zicheng and Qi Tai were executed successively, their lives have been too miserable.
His status plummeted and he lost control of public opinion.
Nowadays, the common people in the capital will call it "People's Daily".
If what they say is not published in newspapers, no one will read it at all.
It wasn't like this before.
As a courtier and a great scholar, his every word and deed attracts attention.
And now.
Although he is still an official.
Salaries have also been substantially increased due to currency reform.
But this feeling is very bad.
Being left out and not being noticed!
When they heard that Fang Xiaoru was coming back, they all thought they had found their backbone.
After all, among the literati of the world, Fang Xiaoru was the most famous in the world.
With him here, the prosperity of Shilin in the past can be restored.
"I heard that the imperial court issued an order to abolish corvee service in the world?" When Fang Xiaoru saw them, he got off his donkey.
I didn't even have time to say hello, so I asked straight away.
He had seen the news early, but still didn't believe it.
The people in front of him were all court officials, and Fang Xiaoru wanted to confirm with them.
"That's right, His Royal Highness Taisun requested the decree from Your Majesty to abolish corvee service in the world. In the future, when the enemy invades, except for military service, the common people will no longer perform corvee service."
"It's actually true!" Fang Xiaoru was shocked.
Immediately he shouted: "A virtuous government! A benevolent government that has never been seen in the ages!"
"His Royal Highness Taisun's merits are immeasurable!"
He was so excited that he shouted wildly.
All the officials who came to greet him suddenly looked at each other.
We are waiting for you to take charge of the overall situation, and together we will fight against His Highness Taisun's oppression of the literati and resist his aggressive offensive. Why do you flatter His Highness Taisun as soon as you come here?
Was there any mistake?
For a time, many officials regretted coming to greet him.
Fang Xiaoru, you are a twenty-five-year-old boy.
You betrayed our Confucianism!
You...are a traitor!
They screamed in their hearts.
Fang Xiaoru didn't care at all.
"With such a virtuous policy, I must write a good article that will be passed down through the ages. So that thousands of years later, His Highness the Grand Sun's honorable name will still be remembered."
(End of chapter)
