The next day, Zhuge Liang came to Situ Mansion early and followed his servants into the mansion. Before dawn, everyone had already gathered in the front yard and was busy. Cao Cao was still roaring as usual. Zhuge Liang went to pay homage, and so did Cao Cao.
He waved his hand impatiently and asked him to work quickly. The other officials in the East Palace looked particularly tired at this moment. Among the crowd, he also saw Cao Pi, who was also captured by Cao Cao.
Zhuge Liang also joined their ranks, and not long after, other officials arrived one after another and started another day of busy work. In the evening, everyone slowly got up, and Cao Cao appeared in front of them again, smiling and saying
: "I've really troubled you all, why don't you stay here today? I'll treat you well, how about that?"
"No, no, thanks to Mr. Cao, we should go back and rest, thank you!!" Everyone said in fear. They have been doing this for two days, and naturally they know that if they want to finish it all, it will take a lot of time.
time, and now they are already exhausted. If they stay any longer, I'm afraid they will all go to see Emperor Renzong Xiaokang tomorrow!!
Seeing how they looked like this, Cao Cao was not embarrassed. He nodded and said, "Okay, just have a good rest tonight. I'll wait here when you come back tomorrow!"
Everyone said sorry, and then walked out of the mansion.
"Are you guys busy since last night?" Zhuge Liang asked in surprise. Sima Yi raised his head tiredly, looked at him, and said helplessly: "Don't ask anything, I will get married tomorrow.
If I want to get married, I would rather be worried at home like you than to be tortured by this guy again. This guy is simply crazy. One night, we only slept for an hour. The thing in the hand of Captain Hua, for some reason
No more talking about it in his hands, no more talking"
Sima Yi dragged himself, step by step, towards his mansion.
Zhuge Liang shook his head helplessly and had no words.
Late at night, Cao Cao was sitting in his study, with candles burning around him, which could illuminate his surroundings. Cao Cao couldn't help but be surprised when he looked at the statistical results in front of him. He stroked his beard and fell into deep thought. Strangely, throughout the building,
Although the number of household registrations has been rising during the Ning years, it is far from as high as that of Xiping. Especially in the sixth year of Xiping, the number of newborns born in this year has almost caught up with the sum of the previous six years!
In the sixth year of Xiping, Cao Cao frowned and thought, isn't this a period when Xiping's benevolent government and low-level official learning were being implemented on a large scale?
Can official education improve household registration??
Or, Xi Ping’s benevolent government?
Cao Cao thought about it and suddenly realized that there were not many newborns in the past. Unfortunately, the death rate of newborns was extremely high. It was not easy for ordinary people to let their children grow up safely. After the implementation of benevolent government, temples provided relief to poor people.
, we cannot let them live a wealthy life, at least we will not let them starve or freeze. In this way, the survival rate of newborns will be greatly improved. At least people who have money can call doctors and feed their children.
Cao Cao nodded, and he thought of one more thing. Household registration has always been an important matter for the country. The more household registrations, the more powerful the effect on the country, whether it is corvee, taxation, military strength, etc., it affects countless aspects.
Country, and the more household registrations, the better. If we can enrich Ningzhou, Hezhou, Xinzhou, Jiaozhou, Jingzhou, Xizhou, Liangzhou and other regions, the development of these regions will be no worse than those in the Central Plains!!
Newborn children undoubtedly affect the number of national household registrations. In this case, should the state take care of and protect these newborn children? The emperor established a relief office to relieve the poor and weak in various counties. Can we add protection for newborns here? What about the decree? Cao Cao thought, if every country provides money for newborn babies, the national treasury must not be able to support such a burden, but if it provides a period of relief to those sick and extremely poor newborns, It still seems feasible.
Cao Cao stroked his beard. He was not in a hurry. We still have to look at the results of other aspects. The statistics of cultivated land have not yet been completed. However, the current results can still clearly see that the area of cultivated land has experienced a huge increase during the Jianning period. This Naturally, due to the system of farming, there has never been much progress in Xiping. It was not until about the tenth year of Xiping that Cui Gongshi marched to the army and turned all the border guards into farmers, which ushered in a large-scale increase.
It seems that the border garrison affairs must continue, especially in terms of reclamation. Can the people of the frontier be organized to carry out large-scale reclamation?
The temple provided utensils and even food, allowing them to cultivate and then give part of the cultivated land to the people.
When Cao Cao remembered something, he quickly wrote it down. Until dawn, he was still crouching in front of the document, busy like crazy.
The next day, when the officials from the East Palace arrived, what appeared in front of them was the energetic Cao Cao, who was yelling at them, asking them to go to work quickly and not to be lazy. They were used to it, and they quickly started to get busy. During lunch time, Cao Cao also sat here and ate with many officials. The food he ate was the same as them. There was no difference. At this time, people like Zhuge Liang actually admired Cao Cao.
"Gentlemen, I have read through today's statistics. After the benevolent government, household registrations increased significantly. I see that newborns are still surviving, and there are not as many premature deaths as in the past. Therefore, I think that perhaps the number of temples should be increased. "Edict on the Protection of Newborns", Cao Cao ate his meal and told everyone what he had thought at night. Out of respect for Situ, everyone did not dare to eat and waited for Cao Cao to finish.
"What are you doing standing around!? You only have less than half an hour to rest! Eat quickly! Talk while eating!!"
"But this is really against etiquette and law," Zhuge Liang said hesitantly.
"Bullshit etiquette, can etiquette help me do these things? Eat quickly! Don't make any noise!" Cao Cao scolded.
Everyone just ignored it and started eating.
"Mr. Cao, I have something to say," Zhong Changtong said as he ate his meal. Cao Cao looked at him, but did not recognize him. Zhong Changtong said, "Mr. Cao said that the newborn baby died in infancy. There are many, but does Mr. Cao know who these newborns who died in infancy are?"
"Is it a poor family?"
"What Cao Gong said is true. There is another similarity. Most of them are female babies. Female babies are the most difficult to raise in the countryside. Most of the people care about males because males can help take care of the family, while females Ding Ze is going out to be a wife, which means a large number of baby girls died due to improper care." Zhong Changtong said, his expression gradually became solemn, and he said: "I know that the princes in the temple must not agree with this."
"Because women cannot perform corvee service, cannot serve as officials, and are of no great use to the country, in my opinion, this statement is absurd. In recent years, the number of men has increased, but there are not enough women. What Cao Gong did was to increase the number of women. If the household registration does not protect baby girls and does not increase the number of women, how can the household registration increase? Two men? This is impossible. Therefore, I hope that Duke Cao can also think of this when he formulates the decree! "
The topic was somewhat solemn, and the ministers were quiet for a long time. Zhuge Liang nodded and said: "This is reasonable. All these things still depend on the temple. All changes begin in the temple. Duke Cao should discuss this matter with the emperor.
, I think that as long as the household registration numbers of Jianning and Xiping can be shown to the emperor, the emperor will definitely support it. With the emperor’s support, everything can be changed."
"Yes, since Ma Jiangzuo made the damask weaving machine, people had many of them in their homes, and the emperor ordered them to be improved. Nowadays, many people in the Sili area also have this machine in their homes, and the women in the family can also further weave damask cloth.
The role that women can play will be even greater. However, I think that changes should be made in terms of taxes. Nowadays, unmarried men and women are subject to heavy taxes. I think that the tax on unmarried women can be removed and the tax on unmarried men can be increased.
tax”
"There are many people who hate women so much because they are afraid of these taxes."
It was Pang Tong who said this, and several others also expressed their opinions.
To be honest, Cao Cao was shocked. He thought he had thought deeply enough, but he did not expect that these young people in front of him actually proposed something that he had never noticed. Their suggestions surprised Cao Cao.
He was also very impressed. He had long known about the abilities of Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong and had heard about them. However, he had never seen the young man who first spoke, and he did not know his name.
He couldn't help but ask: "Jun, who are you?"
Zhong Changtong smiled and said: "I am Zhong Changtong, whose courtesy name is Wenli. He is currently in the East Palace, reading for the prince."
Cao Cao was stunned. The prince's tutor has not yet been decided. Where did this companion come from? There is no vacancy, so he can only stay by his side like this? It seems that the prince still values this person very much.
Ah, Cao Cao looked at him, nodded and praised: "You are a great talent, and the three masters of the temple will definitely have a place for you in the future!" Zhong Changtong shook his head and did not dare to say so. Cao Cao asked several people for their suggestions.
Everyone also thought hard and put forward many suggestions for Cao Cao's other ideas.
Cao Cao couldn't help but sigh, with such ministers in the East Palace, what a prosperous age the Han Dynasty will usher in after the prince ascends the throne in the future!
While everyone was chatting, Cao Cao suddenly changed his face.
"Why are you still standing there!! I've finished talking!! Why don't you get to work!!"
Everyone was busy again until evening, and then they stopped. Looking at the tired people, Cao Cao said: "These three days have really been a blessing to you. I have just arrived and I don't have enough manpower, so I have troubled you all. I feel really sorry for you."
I feel sorry for you. Please don’t come again tomorrow. Go directly to the Chancellery to find Guo Jia. This guy has been urging me for three days. He originally wanted to send people to carry out my three strategies. I want you to go there too, so I have been urging you to do so.
Refuse to let him send people"
"Just go to him directly. Remember, you are still young. Many things are different from what is recorded in the books you read. When implementing administrative orders, you should show more respect to the small officials who do practical things. Don't speak randomly or take risks.
You still have to learn their methods to act naturally. They may not have read as many books as you, but if they are in a local area, do you understand that these people can eat up you ignorant brats?"