Emperor Hongzhi, Liu Jian, Xie Qian, and Li Dongyang were all slightly startled when they heard this. Each of these four people had read poetry and books, not to mention being rich in knowledge and knowledge. At least they should be well-read.
Been there.
This was the first time they had heard of this work-for-relief program, and they had never heard of it before.
“What is relief-for-work?”
Liu Jian thought about these four words carefully, and then asked Liu Jin after thinking about it.
"The so-called work-for-relief means that in times of famine, when providing relief to victims, we should not just distribute food, but also find ways to organize the victims to build large projects, such as building river embankments, dredging rivers, and
City defense and the like.”
"The advantage of this is that on the one hand it plays a role in disaster relief, and on the other hand, after the victims have jobs, they will be more secure and disciplined, which can reduce the occurrence of illegal things."
Liu Jin replied, "Work-for-relief is very famous in later generations. Anyone who has studied history knows it. However, in ancient times, there was no awareness of work-for-relief in all dynasties."
Relieving the victims is relieving the victims, and this major construction project is a major construction project. They have never been linked together, because the people in ancient times not only had to pay taxes, but also had to perform corvee every year. The so-called corvee means working for the court for free. What are the general
For major projects, the imperial court would recruit people to perform corvées without spending a penny at all.
"I see, this is a very novel method, and it is also very effective. In times of famine, people's thoughts are agitated. If we can organize and build large projects while providing disaster relief, this can better appease people's hearts."
"This is indeed a good idea."
Xie Qian pinched his beard and admired this work-for-relief program.
"It's true. I went to Shaanxi for disaster relief before. During the famine, I had to eat one meal but not another. Simply giving out food for disaster relief is often the least effective. It is best to supplement it with other means, such as tax exemptions.
It would be better if we were free of corvee and the like."
"In famine areas, robbers and thefts are common, and people's hearts are unstable. After food is distributed, the victims have nothing to do after they are full, which can easily breed trouble and create dependence."
"This is a very good way to provide relief through work. I don't know who can come up with such a good idea."
Liu Jian also nodded and expressed his appreciation.
“Cash for work?”
When Emperor Hongzhi heard that the two pavilion elders were very complimentary, he silently remembered it, and then thought about it and asked: "Then what should we do with these refugees in front of us?"
"Our Xishan Coal Industry is very short of manpower right now, and our briquettes are becoming more and more popular. When every household in the entire capital uses briquettes, the demand will be huge, and millions of briquettes will be burned every day."
"The people in Xishan Village in front of us alone are not enough. More manpower is needed. Now we recruit these refugees to work in our Xishan Coal Industry, feed them every day, and give them a few cents. This is the same as
Work-for-relief is almost enough.”
Liu Jin pointed to various busy areas in Xishan Village and said with a smile: "I originally wanted to discuss with you, Mr. Zhu, how we can expand our manpower, but now it is just right, which saves us from recruiting people everywhere."
"This is a good thing. Of course I have no objection. If possible, please recruit as many people as possible."
When Emperor Hongzhi heard this, he finally showed a smile on his face. There was a good solution to the problem of these refugees.
When he looked at Liu Jin, his eyes were full of admiration. The Liu Jin in front of him not only solved the problem of ordinary people's heating in winter, but now he can also solve the problem of homeless people. He also provided a good way to provide relief through work.
.
"How should I reward him?"
In his mind, Emperor Hongzhi was thinking about rewarding Liu Jin, and he solved several troubles for himself one after another. Hongzhi was not a mean and ungrateful person, and he always followed the principle of doing business if he had merit.
"It's a pity that he is still a scholar now. If he were to serve as an official in the court, he could give you several promotions."
"Let's wait until next autumn and see what happens. If he can pass high school, during the palace examination next year, no matter what, I will reward you with the rank of Jinshi."
Emperor Hongzhi was already thinking about giving prizes to Liu Jin, and he was very satisfied with Liu Jin.
"Don't worry, our Xishan Coal Industry needs a lot of manpower now, and if we have enough manpower, I will also prepare to promote this briquette to other places. The more people, the better."
Liu Jin nodded, but now there is a shortage of manpower. As for the number of people, Liu Jin is not afraid. There are various ways to get rich in his mind. He can find a way casually, such as burning cement, burning glass, etc.
There are ways to make money, but these also require a lot of manpower.
"That's good, that's good. I don't care if I spend more money. Anyway, our Xishan Coal Industry is quite profitable. As a major shareholder, I don't have any objections."
When Emperor Hongzhi heard this, he nodded repeatedly. When he went out, there were hundreds of refugees at Xibianmen, and there were probably no less at other city gates.
Adding up the gates of each city, the number of refugees is estimated to be several thousand. With such a large number of refugees, Emperor Hongzhi also estimated that Xishan Coal Industry would definitely spend a lot of money to provide work relief, so he also told Liu Jin not to
He is reluctant to spend money. As a major shareholder, he has no objection, so just spend it.
"Haha, they say it's a work-for-relief program. In fact, not only do we not spend much money, but we can also make money. We use work-for-relief programs. When they do things for us, they are helping us make money. The more people we recruit, the more money we make.
The more.”
As soon as Liu Jin heard what Emperor Hongzhi said, he immediately understood that Emperor Hongzhi still didn't really understand the meaning of providing relief through work.
"If there are too many people here, we will be poor just for food. How can we still make money?"
Li Dongyang didn't quite believe it. In this era, people are cheap and things are expensive. In an era when resources are extremely scarce, manpower is the least valuable. Everything else is valuable, especially food, especially in times of famine.
"Of course, talent is the foundation of everything. Talent has everything. Don't just look at the things people consume, but you should also see the value that people can create."
Liu Jin replied confidently.
"Talent is everything, talent is the foundation~"
"Young master Liu is indeed very knowledgeable and every word of his words is exquisite. Today's trip is truly worthwhile."
Liu Jian carefully tasted Liu Jin's words, his eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but praise Liu Jin.