After Zhu Youxiao ascended the throne, all government affairs transitioned smoothly.
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye, and the selection work for the three major corps of the Beijing Army was coming to an end.
The first management selection period was very short, and those who were not selected had a lot of opinions. After further training and inspection, a small number of the selected personnel were found to be unsatisfactory, and most of the people who were unsuccessful made significant progress in subsequent training and discipline. Zhang Weixian, Sun Chengzong, and Yang Sichang studied and explained the situation to Zhu Youxiao. Half a month later, they conducted a second selection, and the number of garrisoned troops increased significantly.
More than 40,000 people were selected from the original Beijing camp to join the three major corps, and most of them entered the garrison corps. More than 5,000 people and more than 1,000 southern troops formed the military police regiment and became the emperor's imperial guard.
More than 2,000 people including Huang Degong and 6,000 Zhejiang soldiers and white pole soldiers formed a expeditionary corps. This corps is the field elite that Zhu Youxiao is most looking forward to, and it is currently beginning to be reorganized and trained together.
The three corps are all building a tycoon system. Although tycoons at all levels have no actual command power, they are responsible for learning, publicity and daily communication, and strictly obey the orders of their superior tycoons.
Zhu Youxiao, the chief executive, also asked everyone to strictly call him chief executive when he held a meeting of three-level tycoons.
The meeting of giants made it clear that the army should implement the idea of fighting for the country, and give full play to the enthusiasm and ownership spirit of everyone, and build a relationship between ordinary soldiers and giants. We implemented the learning of gunpowder, firearms, and artillery operations, and organized night schools to learn literacy.
The barrel of a gun is so important.
Zhu Youxiao is now hard-lined, not only because he is the emperor, but because the palace has been calmed down, the imperial family in Beijing has been abolished, and the Beijing army is completely his own strong army.
Only in this way can falling into the water and rebellion become a thing of the past.
The ministers are also much more honest.
There may be many people who secretly work as foreigners and work in secret, but on the surface, including Yang Lian, they are all honest.
In the first month of Tianqi Dynasty, the situation is very gratifying.
But what is the real situation?
Zhu Youxiao knew that the prosperity in the imperial court did not mean that the people lived and worked in peace and contentment.
There are definitely limitations to just sitting in the palace and doing things. It is easy to lose touch with people's livelihood and be deceived by officials and lose touch with the truth.
It’s time to conduct a private visit in the capital incognito, explore the actual situation among the people, see the initial results of the reform, and then deepen it in a targeted manner.
Accompanied by Wei Zhongxian and Liu Qiao, Wei Liangqing was asked to serve as a guide, and they secretly investigated the east of the city and visited the Guijie Hotel to see how the people accepted this catering, culture and tourism industry.
Then he inspected the Ministry of Industry Armor Factory and Wang Gong Factory, which were being reorganized.
The private visit in private is not just for fun. If it is for fun, then why not go to Jiangnan to have fun. Nanjing City and Qinhuai River in the late Ming Dynasty were much more prosperous and lively than during the Manchu and Qing Dynasties. It was considered the peak period of Jiangnan culture and entertainment.
For landlords and literati, this is the best era, with rich fame, preferential treatment, fame, entertainment, novels, and various ideas. They can also talk freely about state affairs and even be respected as famous teachers because of it.
It’s so cool.
But for farmers, if they don’t go out to work, or there are no cities suitable for working near their hometown, it will be the worst time.
There are large landlords at the bottom, who exploit farmers as tenants. At the top, the government pays taxes and demands money for various purposes.
Without the convenient transportation of later generations, the farmers in Shaanxi and Henan would not be able to work in large numbers like the farmers in Jiangnan and Northern Zhili. Moreover, without the high-quality land and abundant water resources in Huguang, relying on farming would only lead to poverty as they grow.
Zhu Youxiao walked on the streets east of the capital, from the Drum Tower to Guijie Street, it was a prosperous place.
There are double-storey houses of various wealthy families, busy shops selling goods, and an endless stream of people wandering around, most of them with slightly lazy and happy expressions on their faces.
Zhu Youxiao felt that these people were difficult to meet outside cities such as Beijing, Nanjing, and Suzhou. After walking around, he asked Wei Zhongxian: "Aren't they ordinary people?"
"Your Majesty, most of them are the children of officials and scholars who are temporarily staying in Beijing to study. They are indeed not ordinary people."
Of course Wei Zhongxian knew it. He had played with these people for so many years, thinking that by hanging out together and making connections, he would have a chance to climb up in the future.
Approaching an intersection on Guijie Street, some people gathered at the corner.
Zhu Youxiao and others looked through the gap and saw that they were ordinary buskers and vendors.
There are monkey performers who are very lively and attract people to watch. After the monkey show is over, they ask for some reward money.
There is also a place where many people are watching.
"Sold my daughter..."
As soon as he heard this, Zhu Youxiao's heart skipped a beat. He had heard of it but never seen it before, and this time he met him at the foot of the Imperial City.
A man who is clearly in his forties, looks like he is working hard as if he is in his sixties, with a little girl who is as clean as possible but still has messy hair.
The little girl looks about ten years old. She knows that she is going to be sold, but she is very sensible and does not cry or make trouble.
From time to time, the man would shout, "I'm selling my daughter," and many of the onlookers were talking and pointing. They all seemed to think it was not good, but no one stopped them.
"How much does it cost? My doctor still needs a maid."
A man who looked like a butler came out and said he was buying a maid for the family doctor.
"Thirty taels."
"Thirty taels! That's the price only a maid with good looks and a good family background can get. Yours is only fifteen taels!"
"I won't sell it for fifteen taels." The old man refused decisively and pulled his daughter behind him. His daughter didn't cry or scream, her eyes were dull and she let them.
The housekeeper said with a cruel smile: "What are you pretending to be? It's impossible for your daughter to sell for thirty taels. You can get into my master's house for fifteen taels. You won't be able to afford it in the future, and you don't know how to cherish it now!"
Some of the steward's followers also said that the doctor was no longer a minor official, and those who could associate with such an official family would be honored for a lifetime.
Others encouraged me by saying: If the maid does well in serving the young master, she will be able to benefit the family in the future.
The two sides started arguing and refused to give in.
But after all, those who sell their daughters have less money than those who buy their maids.
The housekeeper and others tried hard and soft, but the old man burst into tears. He persisted for a while and looked at his daughter. She just looked at him blankly and nodded with a sensible attitude far beyond her years. p>
The old man sighed and was about to agree.
"Wait a minute."
Wei Liangqing shouted to stop him.
When everyone onlookers took a look, someone recognized him as Wei Liangqing from Guijie Hotel.
After being reminded by the entourage next to him, the butler knew that Wei Zhongxian, the imperial eunuch, was behind Wei Liangqing. He immediately smiled and said: "We are all our own people. This old man is really short of money and selling his daughter. Behind me is Wang Langzhong, who can negotiate the money."
You won’t lose a cent of my father-in-law.”
Wei Liangqing took out his fan, and said with some pride like a rich man: "I know this, and I'm not competing with you to buy a maid, but I can't bear to watch your fifteen taels of silver."<
/p>
"Can't you stand it?" The housekeeper actually felt very guilty. Recently, the court has been strictly investigating, and a doctor has a lot of power, but he dare not make money, lest he pick up sesame seeds and lose the watermelon.
Fifteen taels of silver is the upper limit he can pay.
"Then if you don't buy it, don't make trouble. People will agree to it. Your love for me is none of your business."
"Yes, everyone agreed."
"Chef Wei, let's not interfere with the water of the well."
Wei Liangqing smiled: "Come to our Guijie Hotel, Xin Dongfang Skills School, and learn while making money. You can make fifteen taels in three years, which is not much better than selling your life~"
"What? What is Xin Dongfang Skills School!?"
The old man and his daughter jumped up together and exclaimed and asked questions.