Zhu Ying has been implementing the recommendation to raise officials' salaries.
Zhu Yuanzhang was able to agree this time, naturally because the treasury was full, and also because Zhu Ying had given hints from various aspects before, and had said it many times.
Only today has it been truly implemented.
It is said that during the Hongwu period, both the officials and the people suffered.
The salaries of officials during this period could be said to be just on the edge of the subsistence line.
Some officials are really not kidding you when they say they haven't had food for two days.
Starve to death or be greedy, choose for yourself.
Therefore, Zhu Yuanzhang always killed corrupt officials without stopping.
Think about it, this man was hungry for two days, and then he couldn't help but exercise a little power. Not only did he have a full meal, but he also had a lot of fish and meat. Even a fool knows how to choose.
According to the current salary, a ninth-grade official's annual salary is only sixty shi of rice, which is converted into thirty taels of silver, while a first-grade official's annual salary is one thousand and forty-four shi, which is converted into thirty taels of silver.
There were five hundred and twenty-two taels of silver, which seemed not too little.
But who is Zhu Yuanzhang? He was born in poverty, and more than just poverty. He was basically a beggar, with nothing. The lower the people were, the harder they had to struggle for life, so the dark side they saw was even more cruel.
He saw with his own eyes that at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, corruption was rampant and the common people were being exploited. He attributed the corruption problem of officials to officials' extravagance. If officials could no longer afford luxury and everyone could barely eat, then why would they want to be corrupt?
Therefore, he said: "Government should be based on virtue and virtue first, and virtuous people are the hope of the world. However, when a man of commoners is newly entrusted with government, he must cultivate his integrity and then blame him for his success."
That's all.
The standard of the salary system in the early Ming Dynasty was calculated based on lumi, but the problem was not all the rice used, but also the conversion of rice into money, silk cloth, hematoxylin, pepper and other items.
As for how much silk a stone of rice can be exchanged for, it all depends on the court's wishes. It is worth whatever the court says it is worth, regardless of the market's wishes.
Moreover, from the tenth year of Hongwu to the twentieth year of Hongwu, due to famines, salary arrears continued to occur.
Originally we were on the verge of starving to death, but now that money and food are no longer distributed, we are about to starve to death.
If you are not greedy, you will only starve to death.
At this point, it is indeed the court's fault for its officials, and there is nothing wrong with it.
How does Zhu Ying plan to change it?
He plans to change the previous Lumi system into a Baochao system.
In other words, in the future, the salary will no longer be issued with rice, silk cloth and other items, but will be replaced by treasure notes.
This binds officials to the national credit system.
Because the current Ming Dynasty treasure banknotes, after more than half a year of development, and the Qunying Chamber of Commerce continue to spend money to fill the vacancies, are almost the same as the value of silver.
The biggest thing among them is that Zhu Ying already has enough reserves.
When a chamber of commerce formed a monopoly in the Ming Dynasty, and with the guidance of Zhu Ying who had past life memories and the same cheating methods, the speed of collecting money was really unimaginable.
On the capital side alone, a large amount of goods are handled every day. Relying on the decree of His Highness Taisun, the lower-level officials gave the green light to the Qunying Chamber of Commerce.
Don't talk about buckling. You don't even have the dignity to intercept. Instead, you have to smile with a smile on your face to please, and occasionally you can get some rewards.
Goods in the capital are sold cheaply, but there is still a profit. The cheaper they are, the more people will buy them, which will boost the overall economy.
In the past, people who had some money always saved it, but they were reluctant to eat or use it.
However, being greedy for petty gains has been a common phenomenon since ancient times. For example, if you don’t buy rice at 10% off today, will you grab it tomorrow at 20% off?
Nonsense, no fool would snatch it away, this is food.
Fine.
Cloth is also on sale today, and oil and salt are also on sale tomorrow.
What else can I say? Buy, buy, buy. If you buy, you will earn.
Even like Di Yusen's wife, Qin Lixue, who has been living in the world for many years, she would like to break a copper coin in half and spend all of Di Yusen's half-month salary just by going out on the street.
It is enough to show that the current model of Qunying Chamber of Commerce in the capital is very successful.
By constantly collecting money, Zhu Ying had enough reserves, and both the people and officials were increasingly recognizing the Ming Dynasty treasure banknotes.
Besides, banknotes are indeed more convenient to carry than silver.
One pound is ten taels, one hundred twenty pounds.
A few hundred taels of silver, that's a few dozen kilograms.
If you are doing a slightly larger business, carrying dozens of kilograms on your back every day will be quite tiring for you.
The Ming Dynasty treasure banknotes have hundreds of denominations, hundreds of taels, and a few pieces of paper are carried in the pocket. They are light and airy, not to mention how comfortable they are.
Comparing the two, naturally everyone knows how to choose.
Zhu Ying and Zhu Yuanzhang discussed the issue of how many treasure notes to issue.
Speaking of which, in this big world, it belongs to Lao Zhu's family. The grandfather and grandson discussed how much money they would make every month, and this matter was settled.
There is really no need to convene a meeting with officials.
When the official salary system was first formulated, Zhu Yuanzhang basically did the calculations alone, and then Empress Ma came up with some ideas. After the general content framework was determined, she would fill in the salary for the officials, and then it would be OK.
"Dasun, your setting is too high. No, no, no. How can a mere ninth-grade official get so much treasure? You have to change it, change it."
"Dasun, the standards of your cafeteria are not up to par, and every meal is meaty. No, if you eat so much, you will become a loser. You need to change it, you have to change it."
"Dasun, it's not okay for you to give out so many rewards on the first day of the year at the end of this year. We have given them so many treasures every month. It's a festival. Just change the meaning.
"
"Dasun, how can this official enjoy so many benefits? There are too many patrol officers. No, it has to be changed. The standard of food must be lowered. This is our treasure.
"
"How come the expenses in this palace have increased so much? Grandson, you... oh, you are really just selling your land, don't feel bad!"
"This is scraping our flesh!"
In the past few days, Zhu Yuanzhang's exclamations, scoldings, and red-faced arguments could be heard every day from the Qianqing Palace.
Grandfather and grandson really feel like they are at war.
It made everyone in this palace panic.
Every time Zhu Ying returned to Kunning Palace, Ye Yueqing would give him a few words of advice: "Your Highness, please give in to Your Majesty. I heard the noise even in Kunning Palace."
"Even Concubine Ning has come to me several times and told me not to go against His Majesty, but to go with what you want."
On the surface, Zhu Ying agreed well, but the next day, it was the same again.
For Zhu Yuanzhang, giving out so much money at once is like shaving off the flesh on his body. How can he be willing to do this?
The dispute between the grandfather and grandson soon spread in the palace, and even the ministers in the court knew what had happened.
They listened closely, and many ministers even deliberately stayed longer after the morning court in order to know some news in advance.
This is about their salary.
As the saying goes, food is the most important thing for the people, and even officials are also human beings. They cannot do without two meals a day, and money is obsessed with oil and salt.
"It is said that His Highness the Grand Sun wants to raise our salary. Now he is arguing with His Majesty. The whole palace is aware of the quarrel."
"Let me tell you, I have received news from the eunuchs in the palace. This time His Highness the Grand Sun is going to make reforms. Instead of paying rice and other things, our salary will be replaced by cash."
"Are you sure? This is good news. After receiving it every month, you still have to redeem the treasure banknotes. You know the prices on the market. The prices of rice are getting lower and lower because of His Highness Taisun's Chamber of Commerce. It is really difficult to redeem them.
trouble."
"I think it's good to issue treasure banknotes. Now in the capital, there's nothing that treasure banknotes can't buy. It's straightforward."
"Of course this treasure banknote is fine in the capital, but I don't know what's going on in other areas. Some places are short of food, and there's nothing we can do about it if we get this treasure banknote."
"That's not that simple. If you send the treasure money, you can just exchange it for food."
"This move makes sense. We had high-yielding crops in the Ming Dynasty, and now we are not short of food. This year, I'm really not used to it. I'm in the Ministry of Household Affairs, and I haven't even received news about famines.
"
"At this time in previous years, there was still a famine all over the place. Now with the guarantee of the Qunying Chamber of Commerce, the seeds of the famine have just appeared. There is already a large amount of cheap food over there. There is no need to worry at all. It is really much more comfortable."
The news about Qianqing Palace not only affects officials, but also eunuchs, maids, concubines, including many princes and grandsons, who are all thinking of ways to find out.
Liu He, the eunuch in charge of the ceremony, also became very busy during this time.
There was no way he could help it. When the grandfather and grandson were talking in the palace, he was guarding the door. He could probably hear some of the news inside.
In fact, most of the news was revealed by Liu He. This was not because he couldn't keep his mouth shut, but because he was secretly instructed by Zhu Yuanzhang and His Highness Taisun.
It can also be regarded as a kind of test for officials, eunuchs, and the palace.
This tug-of-war can be regarded as involving everyone in the capital.
During the morning court meeting, everyone tacitly agreed not to talk about it. After the court meeting, they basically stopped talking about the morning court affairs. They all talked about the salary issue.
There is no way, this is a matter of eating for yourself.
Whenever Liu He sent a message to the lower officials saying that His Highness the Grand Sun had won today, the whole court would immediately be filled with joy.
Tomorrow it was said that His Majesty had won, and immediately there were cries of mourning everywhere.
It can be said that in the twenty-six years since the Ming Dynasty was founded, it has never been as troublesome as it is now.
It really aroused the emotions of all the officials, and they were really in the sky and on the ground at the same time.
Finally, it was the morning of the seventh day.
Today's morning session was exceptionally quiet. After the salute, the hall was filled with civil servants and civil servants. No one uttered a sound, and not even a breath was heard.
Just because the discussion between the grandfather and grandson ended yesterday, according to the latest news from Liu He, the eunuch and eunuch, the matter has been decided.
Zhu Yuanzhang is on the dragon throne, and Zhu Ying is standing next to him.
After looking around for a week, Zhu Yuanzhang said: "Today's morning meeting, we want to announce something. I think that after so many days, all of you, dear friends, have known some rumors about this matter."
"That's right, it's about the salary of officials in the Ming Dynasty."
Upon hearing this, the eyes of the civil and military officials below began to light up.
Now that Ming Dynasty's efficiency is getting better and better, colleagues in the Ministry of Revenue are saying that the national treasury is almost full of grain, and now various places are busy building granaries and stockpiling.
Taxation has also reached a new high since the founding of the country. Of course, the salary of these officials has increased.
In the eyes of many officials looking forward to it, Zhu Yuanzhang coughed twice and said: "Let the grandson tell everyone."
Zhu Ying turned sideways and bowed, then took a few steps forward and stood in the middle of the Jinluan Hall.
"First of all, let me tell you about our situation in Ming Dynasty."
"Since the end of the 25th year of Hongwu, for nearly half a year, due to the planting of high-yielding crops, all provinces in the Ming Dynasty are now highly productive. Without delaying the planting of rice and wheat, the high-yielding crops received are more than those in previous years.
It’s more than three times the grain tax.”
"Famines in various places have basically been solved as soon as they occurred. The characteristics of high-yielding crops, which are cold-resistant and drought-resistant, are planted on a large scale in various parts of the north, solving the problem of food for the people on a large scale."
"Let's not talk about every household, but the phenomenon of starving to death can be said to have basically begun to disappear in our Ming Dynasty."
"According to estimates, in the next three years, everyone in the Ming Dynasty will have food to eat and clothing to wear."
As soon as these words came out, everyone in the Fengtian Palace nodded, and all the civil and military officials, guards and eunuchs fell on the ground and worshiped.
The mountain shouted: "Long live the Ming Dynasty, long live your Majesty!
!”
The passion of the voice and the realness of the emotion are the most intense ever.
It resounded throughout the entire Fengtian Palace, so that it could be heard clearly outside the palace. Along with the shouts in the court, all the guards outside knelt down and shouted.
The sound of mountain shouting kept coming from far away, resounding through the palace and through the sky.
The lingering sound lingers.
Zhu Yuanzhang was sitting on the dragon chair watching all this, his face was filled with obvious joy, and his eyes were wrinkled with laughter.
After the sound ended, Zhu Ying continued:
"The people of the Ming Dynasty are living a prosperous life. Naturally, we cannot forget that our ministers and ministers of the Ming Dynasty can achieve today's prosperous times. This is inseparable from the hard work of each minister in his personal official position."
"The imperial court will never forget every minister, nor will it treat every minister badly."
"Especially good officials with clean sleeves should be treated with more emphasis."
"Therefore, through discussions over the past seven days, my grandfather and I have decided to comprehensively increase the salaries of all ministers and carry out reforms."
"The first article of the reform is that the salaries of all officials in the future will be paid with treasure banknotes, and various benefits, rewards, and benefits at various levels will be established."
"Of course, the specific details of the distribution of each grade will not be explained one by one in the court."
"After today's court meeting, scholars from the Hanlin Academy, Shen Shu, the Minister of Industry, Ru Yu, the Minister of War, Zhao Mian, the Minister of Household Affairs, Zhan Hui, the Minister of Personnel, Yang Jing, the Minister of Punishment, and others went to the Huagai Hall to discuss the details."
"It will be announced tomorrow morning and will be officially implemented next month."
Having said this, Zhu Ying smiled slightly and said, "You don't have to worry. The new salary system will certainly not disappoint you."
"In the days to come, I still need you to work tirelessly and ask all ministers to serve our Ming Dynasty and the people of our Ming Dynasty."
After saying this, Zhu Ying, as the great grandson of Emperor Ming Dynasty, bowed and worshiped from a distance.
Suddenly, everyone in the court felt like a scholar.
The leader, Zhan Hui, knelt down and kowtowed: "I must serve the Ming Dynasty and work hard until my death!"
All the civil and military officials of the entire dynasty followed, shouting: "I must serve the Ming Dynasty, devote myself to the Ming Dynasty, and die!"
Zhu Yuanzhang, who was watching all this, turned his attention to Da Sun's bowing figure.
This worship is truly a return to civil and military affairs.
He knew that in the days to come, Da Sun would truly have control over his authority and people's hearts.
No matter what you do, you will get the sincere support of the officials.
The officials of Fengtian Palace were essentially an extension of the emperor's power, and only had complete control over the court.