Chapter 245 Development and Inheritance (please vote, please subscribe)
Huguang in March is full of spring, with warm winds blowing slowly. After several months of being wet and cold, the muddy ground has begun to dry up, making it easier for merchants to travel together.
The cuckoos were chirping non-stop, and several new swallows were flying happily with scissors in their tails.
On a road overgrown with weeds, an ox cart was moving slowly, protected by hundreds of cavalry.
Zhu Yixi looked at the tired Sun Xuan'er and couldn't help but smile: "If you are tired, just take a rest!"
"It's nothing!" Sun Xuan'er hurriedly picked up her thighs and started beating them carefully to help His Highness Prince Yu relieve his fatigue.
Seeing this, Zhu Yixi said nothing more.
From patrolling the army to going to places, traveling and working hard, the hardships involved are beyond words.
"It's time to repair the official ways."
Through the curtains, the slightly bumpy oxcart made King Yu quite irritable.
Starting from the Chongzhen period, local officialdom became more and more obsolete, and with the gradual cancellation of post stations, communication between various places became even more blocked.
In the huge Ming Dynasty, messages were conveyed from the central government to the localities very easily, relying on post stations and post soldiers, otherwise the central court would be deaf and blind.
This makes the place larger.
In addition to abolishing the post stations, Emperor Chongzhen also abolished the system of eunuchs supervising the army and let literati supervise the army.
The prestige of imperial power gradually dissipated in the army.
The more he thought about this, Zhu Yixi became a little irritated. Emperor Chongzhen had done too many tricks.
"Your Highness, we are here!"
Outside the car, Thirteen called softly.
"Um!"
Stepping out of the bullock cart, a spring breeze blew in my face.
Looking over, I saw a farm with fences on all sides and dozens of soldiers with limbs and arms standing upright, lining up at the door to welcome them.
"I humbly bow to His Highness the King of Yu—"
The leader, with red eyes and tears, shouted loudly.
"Thank you!" Zhu Yixi nodded, looked at the man, and patted his shoulder.
This is one of the largest military camps in Xiangyang Prefecture, with a thousand prisoners, a hundred remnants, and 50,000 acres of land.
Of course, it is also the largest supply of grain and grass near Xiangyang City.
The man's name was Zhu Mancang, one of the clan members of the Qin dynasty and one of the few clan members in the army. He was deaf in his right ear and had two broken fingers, so he was simply sent to the military camp.
"Your Highness, we are preparing to raise rice seedlings in the village. They will be planted in two days."
Zhu Mancang said happily: "There is no shortage of water and no shortage of people. This summer, the village will be able to turn in at least 20,000 shi of grain."
"good!"
Zhu Yixi nodded.
Farming, especially military garrisons, is part of the process of accumulating grain and is an indispensable measure in troubled times.
A large number of prisoners who were like dregs were forced to camp and farm. Not only could they be properly resettled and tamed, but they could also accumulate food for the shogunate.
Looking around, I saw the prisoners with dark skin, timidity and fear in their brows, and their harsh aura had dissipated.
Nodding with satisfaction, Prince Yu said softly: "It's not good to suppress too much. Tell them to stay there for five years and they will be free by then."
"Isn't this too cheap for them?"
Zhu Mancang said hurriedly, looking a little panicked.
In fact, he was even more worried. If there were no prisoners, what would they, the retired veterans, do?
"There will be prisoners, don't worry."
King Yu said noncommittally.
As he walked slowly, his expensive moccasin boots touched the ground and splashed a little mud. He ignored it and continued to step on it.
Not far away, bean sprouts are densely packed, stretching for thousands of acres, and you can't even see the edge at a glance.
"The Chief of Staff asked us to grow it," Zhu Mancang said, "It was said to be ground soybean oil and bean dregs. Everyone in the military camp wanted it, so we were asked to grow a lot of it."
"Did you give money?"
"The Chief of Staff wants it for free."
"Yes!" King Yu nodded: "The account books must be kept well, and all transactions must be recorded."
There is no need to worry about fertilizers. In Huguang, which is now a sparsely populated area, it would be good to plant wasteland.
Looking up, I saw waterwheels and barrel trucks all beside the river, and the water mill was whirring around, shelling the rice.
On the other side, fruit trees are growing vigorously and producing brightly colored flowers, which look particularly beautiful.
Sun Xuan'er looked at it, feeling a little crazy for a moment.
"The fruits are used to make wine." Zhu Mancang explained: "Not only can wine be made in the village, glutinous rice can be grown to make vinegar, and soybeans can also be made to make soy sauce."
"The military camp has become a manor."
Zhu Yixi smiled and sighed: "If you continue to develop like this, the military camp will not only be self-sufficient, but it will even make a lot of money!"
Firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar and tea are basically all provided except tea and salt. This military village is really eye-opening.
The benefits are obvious. It can boost the market and increase supply, thus making the market more abundant.
But the disadvantages are also great. If it continues like this, the interests of the military camp will be too great to be shaken off, and it will become a profit-making tool for some people.
Obviously, the General Staff Department needs to conduct more detailed management of military camps.
In my impression, the fixed thinking that military villages can only produce grain is not necessary.
Agriculture is indeed the foundation. Once it matures, commerce will naturally develop.
After a quick look, Zhu Yixi left the military camp.
Military camps, large and small, were dotted around Xiangyang City. According to the estimates of the General Staff Department, the summer harvest in the first year of Hongguang could provide at least one million shi of military rations.
With Huguang in disarray, the military garrison was the largest source of income for the shogunate.
Back in Xiangyang, His Royal Highness Prince Yu, who had worked hard for several days, was lying on his back and asked casually: "How much tax can Sichuan pay this summer?"
"After deducting local expenses, there will be about a million stones."
"What?"
Zhu Yixi straightened up in an instant. He was really shocked: "There are millions of stones in the army, and there are millions of people in Sichuan. How can it be so small?"
"Your Highness, you are exempted from three wages. It is good to have these."
Zhao Shu said helplessly: "During the Chongzhen period, Sichuan could only collect one million dan per year. If the summer tax can collect one million dan this year, it would be a high price."
"Sichuan's taxation also needs to be reformed."
Zhu Yixi raised her head and said angrily: "Thirty-seven points, it must be thirty-seven points, and we must not let it happen."
In the Ming Dynasty, taxes were collected by local governments, and the expenditures for the coming year were calculated in advance, and the budget portion was retained, and the rest was turned over to the national treasury.
It is very flexible and is very friendly to local governments, but it is very difficult for the central government because the tax amount is uncontrollable and it is easy to overspend.
The Huguang area has been reformed, and the shogunate and local governments are divided into 30/70, which is barely fair.
Of course, this is suitable for relatively wealthy areas such as Huguang, but Yunnan, Guizhou and other places are already poor. Not only is it not enough, but it also requires government subsidies.
"Then it will be implemented this autumn!" Zhao Shu said softly: "The summer harvest cannot be delayed."
"Wang Yingxiong should know what's interesting."
Zhu Yixi smiled slightly meaningfully.
"By the way, has Zhang Shenyan agreed?"
"He has agreed, but I don't know how His Highness plans to arrange for him."
"Place it?" King Yu thought about it, looked at Zhao Shu's calm expression, and said softly: "There is no high position in the shogunate, so let's just place it in the palace."
"Chief Zuo of Prince Yu's Mansion, please consult with me."
"It's just right." Zhao Shu breathed a sigh of relief inexplicably, showed a smile, and said flatteringly.