In the third year of Hongwu's reign, Zhu Yuanzhang finally decided to implement the household allowance system throughout the country.
Since it was implemented nationwide, not only was the scale large, but the production standards for household stickers were naturally much stricter. In addition to the original items, the new household stickers also increased the number of slaves and maids in the gentry's homes. In order to be fair and just,
Zhu Yuanzhang ordered all officials who produced household stickers, no matter how big or small, as long as they participated in the supervision process, to sign and stamp on the household stickers to prevent some officials from taking advantage of others.
Thus, the Ming Dynasty’s household allowance system was officially born.
At least at the beginning of its birth, the household allowance system helped the Ming Dynasty suppress land annexation, increase the court's tax revenue, and thereby enhance the country's economic strength. It was a policy that made the country rich and the people strong.
However, no system can remain unchanged, otherwise it will become a shackle that restricts social development.
Zhu Qizhen knew that if he decreed the abolition of the household subsidy system, he would definitely be opposed by hundreds of officials. They would not even think about whether the household subsidy system should be abolished. They would just say that the ancestral system cannot be violated, so he jumped
Come out and oppose.
However, some things must be done, and no matter what kind of difficulties you encounter, you can only keep going.
Even if I, the emperor, overthrew the Ming Dynasty with my own hands, it would still be better than being rebelled by others.
Zhu Qiyu frowned. He didn't understand why the emperor's brother became more and more radical.
In the past year or so, what the imperial brother has done is really shocking.
He personally led an army to attack Mobei and quelled the Japanese pirates, showing the air of a wise king through the ages.
However, he always changes the ancestral system and arrests court officials arbitrarily, but he has the image of a domineering tyrant.
Sometimes, he is very confused, what should he do?
Nowadays, everyone in the south of the Yangtze River is in danger, and it has even affected the capital. The gentry officials of the Manchu Dynasty have shown great dissatisfaction. They are worried that one day, the emperor's willful behavior will eventually lead to backlash.
Now, will the household allowance system that has been used for centuries in the Ming Dynasty also need to be changed?
If there are no household allowance restrictions, how to control the movement of people?
If all the farmers go to work in the workshops and no one grows the land, what will happen to the food?
More seriously, if military households also go to work and no one is a soldier, what will happen if a war breaks out?
Zhu Qizhen seemed to see his doubts, and said with a smile: "The New Deal involves all aspects, and there are many details that I can't explain in just a few words. If my brother wants to know the answer, he might as well go to Yu County in person."
"Yuxian County?"
"That's right, it's Yu County, and it's just the right place to be with Yu Qian."
"Master Yu is also in Yu County?"
Zhu Qizhen nodded and said: "Yuxian County is the experimental point of the New Deal. In the past year, Shang Ren has done quite well. Only when you go there in person will you understand what the New Deal I am talking about is.
What kind of world do I pursue?"
Zhu Qiyu nodded in understanding. Now he was eager to know what the new policy that made the emperor spare no efforts, even at the expense of going against the whole world, look like?
At this time, Huaien came to report, and the cabinet ministers Cao Nai and Zhang Yi asked to see him.
Zhu Qizhen suddenly became a little confused. It is conceivable that these two brothers must be full of complaints, especially Zhang Yi. It is said that he personally traveled to Mobei and suffered a lot.
However, I couldn't ignore it, so I waved my hand and said: "Let them come over!"
Zhu Qiyu stood up to say goodbye. Cao Nai and Zhang Yi came to the study and kowtowed.
"The two nobles are exempt from courtesy!"
Zhu Qizhen tried his best to smile and put on an amiable look.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
The two stood up, and Cao Nai couldn't help but say: "Your Majesty, you, you... alas!"
Zhu Qizhen raised his hand and said with a smile: "Cao Qing's family, don't be anxious. If you have anything to say, please speak slowly. Huaien, go get some tea!"
Cao Nai shook his head and said: "Your Majesty, please go out and tell us. It is really inappropriate for me to have no prior knowledge of such a big matter!"
He wanted to shout, I am the chief minister of the cabinet, I am the chief minister!
Zhang Yi followed up and said: "The emperor suddenly left without saying goodbye. The ministers and others were very uneasy. Later, they chased to Mobei with Kuang Ye, the Minister of Rites, and only saw Tang Xinggu..."
When Zhu Qizhen heard this, he suddenly realized, yes, where is this guy Tang Xinggu?
The New Deal is about to be implemented across the country, and it is necessary to have people under its command. Now many of the capable subordinates are not in the capital. For example, Zhang Mao is temporarily living in the Duke of Guizhou. Yes, in fact, he did not go to Annan at all. He only went to Yunnan and stopped.
Come down.
Ha Ming, Chen Mao, and Jing Yuan, these capable generals, guard the northwest and northern defense lines respectively.
Among the civil servants, the most reliable one is Yu Qian, followed by Bei Lin, Shang Ren and others. There are too few and far from enough.
There are many enlightened people among the young Hanlin, but these people have not grown up yet, and their words are less weighty.
Tang Xinggu is a good candidate. The biggest advantage of this guy is... he knows current affairs!
Since being slapped, this person has completely transformed. The last time the ministers discussed the opening of the sea, Tang Xinggu almost used his own power to fight against the entire court.
Zhang Yi kept chattering on the side, while Zhu Qizhen only smiled and nodded from time to time, but could not listen to a word.
The two of them were like grudges, complaining for a long time. In short, if a similar situation happens next time, please tell our cabinet, okay?
Otherwise, Nanjing will be shaken up, but the cabinet will not know anything about it. Our cabinet doesn’t want to lose face, right?
Not to mention, the cabinet bachelor was arrested at will, and his family was also confiscated, and we didn’t know beforehand!
If the situation continues like this, I won't be surprised if I wake up one morning and find that my home has been ransacked...
Zhu Qizhen did not refute, but always smiled and listened to what they said.
The two of them didn't say goodbye until their mouths were dry and they had nothing to say.
Zhu Qizhen told Huaien: "Go and call Tang Xinggu for me!"
Tang Xinggu was on duty at the Metropolitan Procuratorate. When he heard the emperor's summons, he almost jogged all the way to the imperial study.
"I, Tang Xinggu, send my condolences to the Holy Spirit!"
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"I'm safe!"
Zhu Qizhen smiled, and he suddenly felt that the censor was actually not that annoying, and even somewhat appreciative.
"Tang Qing's family, how was the trip to Mobei?"
Tang Xinggu said calmly: "Back to the emperor, I have been deeply touched by this trip to Mobei!"
"Oh? How do you feel? Tell me!"
"Yes!"
Tang Xinggu paused, seeming to be brewing something.
"Since the Ming Dynasty, although the former Yuan forces have retreated to Mobei, they have always been eyeing the Ming Dynasty. Ever since Emperor Taizong launched the Northern Expedition..."
As Zhu Qizhen listened, he realized something was wrong. Just when he wanted to praise this guy for being sensible, he immediately started talking nonsense.
Tang Xinggu's words perfectly explain what nonsense literature is. The whole article is eloquent and there is nothing wrong with it. The only problem is that it is all nonsense!
Zhu Qizhen suddenly thought that this guy seems to have great potential to be a spokesperson!
I'll send him back to Honglu Temple, where he will be responsible for receiving foreign guests, presiding over court ceremonies, and serving as a spokesperson or something. He's a good candidate.
Tang Xinggu talked for half an hour. In fact, he could sum it up in one sentence: You destroyed Beiyuan, you are very embarrassed!
Zhu Qizhen dozed off as he listened. Finally, when he finished speaking, he waved his hand and said, "I have something to tell you!"
He doesn't want to talk any nonsense now, and even the words he uses are as concise and clear as possible.
"Your Majesty, please give me your orders!"
"A lot has changed over the past hundred years in the Ming Dynasty. Some of the rules set by Emperor Taizu should be changed. What do you think?"
Tang Xinggu said almost without thinking: "I think the emperor is right!"
Zhu Qizhen asked: "Okay, tell me how to change it?"
Tang Xinggu immediately replied: "I will change whatever the emperor says!"
Zhu Qizhen suddenly realized that this guy didn't seem to have any ideas of his own, but he just didn't know how well he could execute them?
"I am going to change the household registration and allow people to freely choose their jobs and move freely."
Tang Xinggu nodded: "I deeply agree with liberating the people from the land!"
Zhu Qizhen said: "I am going to reform the army, abolish the farmland system, and replace it with a recruitment system!"
Tang Xinggu nodded again: "Farming has led to a serious lack of combat effectiveness in the army. I agree!"
Zhu Qizhen said: "I am going to change the official system and set up tenth, eleventh and twelfth-grade officials below the ninth grade, and those who are outstanding in the assessment can be promoted from officials to officials. In the same way, the evaluation of officials is relatively
Those who are bad will be demoted to officials!"
Tang Xinggu's expression changed, but he still said: "I think it's feasible to be able to mobilize the enthusiasm of officials by being able to move down and up!"
Zhu Qizhen continued: "I am also planning to reform the imperial examination. In the future, I will not only test the Four Books and Five Classics, but also test astronomy, geography, physics and arithmetic!"
Tang Xinggu gritted his teeth and said with difficulty: "Your Majesty, this is really not possible!"
"Oh?"
Zhu Qizhen smiled instead and asked: "Why not?"
Tang Xinggu shook his head vigorously and said: "To your Majesty, scholars are the foundation of Ming Dynasty, and the imperial examination cannot be touched!"
Zhu Qizhen asked back: "I'm here to ask you, the imperial examination is for selecting talents, isn't it?"
"Yes!"
"If the selected talents cannot meet the needs of the imperial court, do you think this imperial examination is still reasonable?"
Tang Xinggu shook his head again and said: "I believe that the talents selected through the imperial examination are already the top talents in the Ming Dynasty. If these people are not qualified, then no one can be qualified."
Zhu Qizhen smiled faintly and said: "Okay, I will ask you a simple question, can you make a flintlock gun?"
"This..."
Tang Xinggu hesitated for a moment and said: "I generally know some principles..."
"I'm just asking you, if I ask you to make a flintlock gun now, can you do it?"
"I...can't do it..."
"I ask you again, is the weight of a flintlock gun important?"
Tang Xinggu could only nod his head and said: "It's important!"
"How important is it?"
"This... is related to the overall military strength of the Ming Dynasty, so it is naturally very important!"
"Okay, tell me, who can make it?"
"The craftsmen of Wang Gong Factory..."
Zhu Qizhen put away his smile and said slowly: "Such an important thing can be called a sharp weapon for the country. You, an imperial scholar with a Jinshi background, cannot make it, and it is worse than a craftsman. You still think that you can only use the Four Books and Five Classics to select talents.
Is it reasonable?"
"This, this..."
Even though Tang Xinggu was eloquent, he was at a loss for words and didn't know how to respond.
Zhu Qizhen looked solemn and continued: "What I want is not to hold the Analects of Confucius every day, before and after Confucius. What I want is someone who can really do things, who can make flintlock guns, make flying tiger cannons, and can
Do you still think the imperial examination is reasonable for people who can build roads and bridges and build treasure ships?"
Tang Xinggu's expression slowly changed and he said: "I understand!"
"It's good to understand. I will issue an edict on the first day of the new year and announce the implementation of the New Deal across the country. At that time, some people will jump out to oppose it. What should you do? I don't need to say more, right?"
Tang Xinggu nodded, "Isn't it just quarreling? I'm good at it!
This is what a censor does, we are professional!
However, what we will face this time will be a tough battle, and we need to do some work in advance, and we cannot fight an unprepared battle.
"Can your Majesty please elaborate on the various provisions of the New Deal? I would like to know more about it."
"That's very good. I'm preparing to send it to Hanlin to sort it out. I'll let you ghostwrite it!"
"Yes!"
Tang Xinggu sat on a chair nearby, picked up his pen and started recording.
Zhu Qizhen sorted out his thoughts, and then stated all his ideas. Tang Xinggu wrote them down one by one. Next, he needed to go back to the Hanlin Academy to polish them, and then the cabinet voted and the Chief of Ceremonies stamped them.
Then you can tell the world.
Tang Xinggu carefully put away these papers and was about to leave. He seemed to have thought of something and said, "I would like to say one more thing. The land reform mentioned by the emperor just now, especially the reduction of rent, may be difficult to achieve.
”
Zhu Qizhen waved his hand and said: "I have made up my mind, no matter how difficult it is, I will push it forward!"
Tang Xinggu looked confused and said hesitantly: "I have something to say, I don't know whether I should say it or not..."
Zhu Qizhen said impatiently: "Say!"
Tang Xinggu seemed a little hesitant, thought again and again, and finally plucked up the courage to say: "Seventy percent of the world's land is in the hands of the gentry, of which... Huangzhuang accounts for a large part..."
Having said this, he did not continue.
The meaning is obvious. In the Ming Dynasty, the emperor was the largest landlord. Don’t you want to change the land and lower the rent? Come on, start with yourself!
If you don’t do it yourself, wouldn’t the so-called New Deal become a piece of waste paper?
Zhu Qizhen suddenly fell into deep thought. After a while, he said: "I know!"
Tang Xinggu bowed, turned and left.
Zhu Qizhen fell into deep thought again. These words reminded him that he was only looking at the gentry and officials, but he forgot that he was the biggest landlord.
"Wynn!"
Wynn hurried forward: "My slave is here!"
Zhu Qizhen said: "I want to visit Huangzhuang. You can choose a village close to the capital and come with me early tomorrow morning!"
Huaien was stunned for a moment and thought to himself that for so many years, the emperor has never cared about the affairs of Huangzhuang. What happened today?
However, since it was the emperor's order, he immediately responded: "I will go and prepare now!"
Zhu Qizhen then got up and went back to Qianqing Palace to rest.
I haven’t seen Queen Qian for more than two months, I miss her so much...