The emperor was very cruel this time. The officials and their husbands had to provide food for an acre of land by themselves. Yun Zheng felt that the emperor was crazy. These officials spent a lot of time doing this, which was not worth the gain. If nothing else, just
The imperial court stopped functioning for five days. Such losses are incalculable. However, no one from Pang Ji to the censor raised any objections to such a chaotic life. As for Yun Zheng's suggestions on political affairs, people have always listened to them as songs.
If the Yun family's farming is a bit tragic, Wang Anshi and his wife's farming seems a bit tragic. At the beginning of summer, Wang Anshi accidentally caught the epidemic. He only got better after having diarrhea and diarrhea. His wife, Wu, came from a scholarly family.
He doesn't know how to farm, and he's not in good health. However, Wang Anshi's family doesn't take any concubines, so they are the only ones risking their lives.
Wang Anshi coughed twice and cut the wheat twice, but Wu could only help her husband pick up the fallen wheat from behind. His family's wheat harvest was less than 20%.
Next to the fields of Huangzhuang is a huge wheat field, and the hotel where officials stay overnight is right next to the wheat field. It was originally a place of worship when the emperor was working with farmers. Now it is completely vacated for officials to stay overnight. Of course, some people don't
Those who lived in those gloomy places specially prepared military tents. For example, Shi Shouxin did this. He had too many wives.
There is a huge wheat straw stack next to the wheat field. Yun Zheng and Shi Shouxin dug a big hole in the straw stack. Now they are hiding in the straw hole drinking wine and watching Wang Anshi and his wife cutting wheat.
"Marquis Yun, I have lived for almost sixty years, why can't I understand what Wang Anshi is trying to do? He knows that the most unlucky person to make such a suggestion is himself, so why should he make himself uncomfortable?"
What Shi Zhongxin brought was wine, with ice and honey added to it. Although drinking it this way was a bit of a waste of expensive wine, it tasted very good and there was no trace of sourness. Yun Zheng liked it very much.
"He is expressing his determination to Your Majesty, and also showing his selfless side to Your Majesty. Anyone who can send people like you and me to harvest wheat should not be underestimated. If I am not wrong, the young sprout method has been spread for a long time.
It’s about to be implemented.”
Shi Zhongxin's eyes lit up and he said happily: "Hurry up and implement it. Every household is waiting for it. There is only two cents of interest on loaning loan sharks. Where can we find such a cheap thing? We just need to borrow the money back and then borrow money again."
If you put it into business, you will earn four cents of profit every year. Marquis Yun, I wonder if it is possible to borrow one hundred thousand guan at a time?"
Yun Zheng scratched his hair and said, "I probably won't lend it to you. It will only be lent to people who have land at home. The money from the Qingmiao Law is to be used to expand agricultural production, not for you to do business."
"What on earth does the man surnamed Wang want to do? He said that the people do not add taxes and the country uses enough. I understand this sentence, which is to use the dead money in the treasury as living money, and charge 20% interest after lending, so that the country does not need to use it every year.
Raising taxes can also increase income by 20%. This method is indeed necessary. Who dares not to borrow money from usury? But why don't you lend it to us? You don't intend to default on the loan?"
Yun Zheng smiled bitterly and said: "My purpose is not only to make money for the court, but mainly to revitalize agriculture, so that the Changpingcang and Huimincang of the Song Dynasty can be enriched, so that the people can have food and clothing, and improve agricultural production conditions.
This harvesting of wheat is for us to experience the hardships of farmers, thereby paving the way for the implementation of the Green Crops Law."
Shi Zhongxin chuckled and said: "My hometown is in Ruizhou. Half of the land in Ruizhou belongs to my family. Most of the money loaned by Ruizhou will definitely fall on my family. How much do you think it will be?"
Yun Zheng smiled and said: "You are considered rich. If the people can still live, they will not borrow money. The government may forcibly apportion the money. At that time, the people will not be able to live, and the people will be burdened with debts.
What's going on? If you can accept them all, I guess you will be worshiped as a living Bodhisattva in Ruizhou."
Just as Yun Zheng finished speaking, there was a thunderbolt in the sky. Shi Zhongxin and Yun Zheng couldn't help but shrink back into the haystack. God probably couldn't bear to hear what they just said.
"Marquis Yun, do you think that if we collect all those copper coins and transport them to nearby countries, and then bring the goods, or bring back the gold and silver, will the price difference fall into our own hands?"
"Are you sure you can get the money?" Yun Zheng looked at Shi Zhongxin suspiciously. At the beginning of the reform, Wang Anshi could not have thought of this.
Shi Zhongxin glanced at Yun Zheng with disdain and said: "Go and see, among all the nobles in Tokyo, whose family has less land than yours? Wang Xian's family has 100,000 acres of food, and that doesn't include his family.
The land that was purchased later, Langya, you could walk around for a day and still be on someone else's land.
If this money is distributed according to states and counties, who do you think this money will go to? We just don’t have enough money to build a big ship. If this money is in place, our shipping business can be expanded three times.
I heard that you are buying land in Liangshanbo, eight hundred miles away. This is a bit of noble courage. The money that falls into your hands this time will not be small. Why don't you invest more in the shipping business and try to get the shares?
Increase it to 10% and drive out some small shareholders. Those people will get angry just by looking at the dividends."
Yunzheng swallowed hard and said, "Who told you that my family has eight hundred miles of land? That's all for the military households."
"Forget it, you are the general. To put it bluntly, those fields are yours. Just give those people a bite of food. Those people in the Xiang army are still alive. I heard from Cao Hu that he didn't give the army anything for a year.
Households were given money and food, but those people did not starve to death... they just lost a little weight..."
Yun Zheng felt that the fire in his chest was about to ignite the firewood. He resisted the urge to strangle Shi Zhongxin alive and emerged from the grass hole with a stiff smile. He said with a smile: "You go back first, I will explore Wang Anshi's life."
Mouth."
Shi Zhongxin was overjoyed. He raised his thumb towards Yunzheng and even jumped up and down to his big tent. Now, the sky finally started to rain...
Wang Anshi's chest was panting like a bellows, raindrops had already fallen, and there was still a lot of wheat. This suggestion was made by himself. If he couldn't complete it, it would be a big joke. He could no longer care about his health.
, speeding up the harvesting, Wu shed tears and followed her husband to pick up the fallen wheat...
Wang Anshi was working hard to harvest wheat. After cutting down a piece of wheat, he strangely found that he had finished harvesting. Just now, he discovered that there was a large piece of wheat in front of him.
Standing up despite the soreness in his back, he discovered that Yun Zheng was frantically harvesting wheat opposite him, and on the other side of his wheat field, people like Zeng Gongliang and Han Qi were also helping to harvest.
"Marquis Yun, this is against the rules. I should harvest my wheat fields. I appreciate your kindness."
When Yun Zheng saw that the wheat in front of him had been harvested, he squatted next to Wang Anshi and pointed to the sky: "Hurry up and harvest. Now is not the time for you to be polite. If the wheat rots in the ground, it will be the biggest trouble."
Wang Anshi smiled and put the bamboo hat on Wu's head, pointing to the room in the distance to signal Wu to take shelter from the rain. Wu opened her mouth when her husband's eyes became sharp, and she had no choice but to watch from the side of the maid.
I helped him down to take shelter from the rain.
The raindrops were sparse but very large. If they fell on the back of the hand, a large area would be wet. They were still warm. More and more people came to Wang Anshi's wheat field to harvest, and soon the whole field was harvested.
When the wheat was transported to the field and stacked, the raindrops became denser, and in an instant the sky and the earth were filled with the color of water.
Taking advantage of the panic, Yun Zheng dragged Wang Anshi into the grass hole he had just dug with Shi Zhongxin. There were tall wheat straw stacks to protect him from the rain, so it seemed very dry inside.
It could be seen that Wang Anshi was very tired, and he gasped for air as soon as he entered the haystack. Yun Zheng took the glass bottle next to him and poured him a large glass of wine, and he took it and drank it in one gulp.
"Sister-in-law, you won't worry about you getting caught in the rain, right?"
"No, she can see that you have something to say to me. Just say whatever you have to say. Hiding in a haystack and talking is quite fun. I did this when I was a boy. I didn't expect that I would have to relive it one day.
"Although Wang Anshi was still panting, his eyes became extremely deep.
"If you want the people to be without tax and the country to have enough, to put it bluntly, you have to collect interest through lending. In this case, it will be easier for all of us. You don't have to train us like dogs to do hard work.
How much do you plan to lend? Give an accurate amount and we can see if we can divide it up. We will definitely give you two cents of interest after one year. What do you think?" Yun Zheng asked, taking a sip from his wine glass.
Wang Anshi laughed and said: "The Green Crops Law is imperative. It only plays a trivial role in creating income for the court. The most important mission is to revitalize agriculture and allow the whole world to increase investment in agriculture, thereby producing more food."
Why do you ask why Hou Yin knew it so well?"
Yun Zheng shook his head and said: "I didn't misunderstand what you meant. I was just telling you the final result of the Qingmiao Law. If you lend the money to us, not only will it be more secure, but you can also receive interest. The most important thing is to pay back the money."
It can bring an increase in the commercial tax of the Song Dynasty. I think you, the Third Secretary, should be satisfied with such a benefit."
"Marquis Yun is saying that the Young Crops Law will eventually turn into usury? I only lend money to people with fields, and they can only use it for farming, such as buying livestock, seeds, and farm tools." Wang Anshi finally understood what Yun Zheng said.
"There will be no difference. If you charge two cents of interest, the state government will dare to charge three cents of interest, and the county government will dare to charge four cents of interest or five cents of interest. In the end, it will be almost the same as a loan shark, so you might as well start from the beginning.
Just lend it to us so that it doesn’t disturb the people and everyone will have an easier time!”
"Hahaha, I am not the first to create the Young Crops Law. He has already implemented it in the previous dynasty. Historical records record that the effect is good. The country has gained income and the people have expanded their industries. Why did Marquis Yun say it was usury? Since lending money, there must be something related to it.
Once the law is enacted, who dares to violate the prohibition?" Wang Anshi crossed his legs and prepared to have a good debate with Yun Zheng.
"Oh my God, at the end of the Tang Dynasty, the warlords were fighting and the people were displaced. Everyone was extremely poor and had nothing to do except their hands. The warlords lent money and materials to the people and created the most primitive labor base for them, so they could
It had a temporary effect. How do you compare the Song Dynasty today with the late Tang Dynasty?" (To be continued)