The three civil servants seem to be very satisfied with their new home. The place is big enough for them to run around as they please.
Previously, she was kept at Uncle Wang's house, and Song Ling'er was responsible for taking care of her. She even made the female cat next door pregnant.
"Second brother, everyone is here." Zhou Chong ran over and said.
Dozens of servants gathered outside the house. Wang Yuan went out with the cat in his arms and asked, "Who has read the book? As long as you can read and write, come forward and let me see."
Two men and one woman came out in response, with a literacy rate of 5%.
Wang Yuan asked again: "Who can write his own name?"
Four more people came out.
Wang Yuan said: "The three of you who can read and write will be my laboratory assistants from now on. The four of you who can write your own names, Zhou Chong, you can make arrangements, and you will be the housekeeper from now on."
"Hey, I will take care of my family well." Zhou Chong was overjoyed.
Wang Yuan warned: "Remember, no matter who it is, no one is allowed to go out and do evil in my name! If anyone is honest, obedient and loyal, I will wash away the slave status of his children and provide them with money."
He makes a living by reading to them!”
The previously indifferent servants suddenly became energetic now, and they all looked at Wang Yuan with doubt.
If you directly promise to remove the slave status from your servants, instead of being grateful, they will feel panic and fear. Because they will have no living space if they leave here, and not being a slave means that they will not be able to survive.
But to cleanse their children of their slave status and send their children to study, although they are definitely not qualified to take the imperial examination, it symbolizes unlimited future and hope.
"Don't believe it?" Wang Yuan said with a smile, "I recruit six students a year and teach them to read in person. I will recruit the first batch tomorrow. There are children at home, aged above six and below ten, regardless of boys or girls.
Anyone can come and take the test. As long as you become my student, I will cover all your food, clothing, housing and transportation. Zhou Chong!"
"Here!" Zhou Chong responded quickly.
Wang Yuan ordered: "Go and tell the tenants what I just said. Boys and girls with suitable conditions can come to take the test tomorrow. It is all voluntary and not forced."
"Yes." Zhou Chong accepted the order.
In the Ming Dynasty, like-minded people like Gu Yingxiang were rare, and Wang Yuan could only cultivate them himself.
We don't expect these children to spread scientific ideas after they finish their studies and just be able to cooperate with Wang Yuan in experiments. It would be better if they could conduct experiments independently and improve the scientific system.
Zhou Chong led the others away, and Wang Yuan asked the three literate people: "What are your names? What did you do before? Answer one by one from left to right."
The first guy was chubby and about thirty years old. He smiled and said, "To tell you what, my name is Hong Laifu. I also studied for a few days before and planned to take the scholar examination. I am a local.
The family had twenty acres of thin farmland, all of which was occupied by Liu Jin. The younger one also became Liu Jin's domestic slave, and was previously responsible for managing the Liu family ancestral hall. Liu Jin was beheaded by His Majesty, and this place became the Imperial Manor, while the younger one continued to manage the warehouse.
.”
"How can you still laugh when your land is occupied for nothing?" Wang Yuan asked.
Hong Laifu flattered him and said: "How can a young man be lucky enough to follow the master if he is not occupied?"
Wang Yuan narrowed his eyes and sneered: "Of the thousand acres of fertile land your Majesty gave me, twenty acres should be yours, right? Do you hate me in your heart?"
Hong Laifu immediately knelt down and kowtowed: "I don't dare. Being able to dedicate my family land to the master is a blessing that I have cultivated in my life. What's more, even if I want to hate him, I should hate Liu Jin!"
This is obviously a slippery and cunning person, but Wang Yuan doesn't care about it, as long as he can be used.
Wang Yuan smiled and said: "Let's set a period of ten years. You will be the head of my laboratory. If you work hard within ten years without making any major mistakes, then after ten years, I will cleanse you of your slave status and make you a slave."
How about giving you thirty acres of fertile land as a gift?"
Although Hong Laifu didn't know what a laboratory was, he still kowtowed and said, "I can share my worries with you, and I don't ask for anything in return."
"Stand up!" Wang Yuan shouted.
Hong Laifu stood up immediately, forced a smile on his face, and looked at Wang Yuan uneasily.
Wang Yuan said: "I, Wang Erlang, talk and do things, and I never fail to fulfill my words. I said that after ten years, I will remove your slave status, and I will definitely remove your slave status and give you a gift."
Thirty acres of fertile land. If you violate this oath, you will be punished by heaven and earth!"
Swearing poison to a slave?
Not only Hong Laifu, but the other two were also dumbfounded.
Hong Laifu was stunned for a moment, his face turned red and his neck thick with excitement. He changed his previous smooth tone, kowtowed downright and said: "Xueshi Wang is so kind, my student Hong Zongru will never forget it!"
Wang Yuan asked: "Isn't your name Hong Laifu?"
Hong Laifu suddenly laughed again: "When you work as a slave to a eunuch, you don't dare to use the name given by your late father, otherwise it will be difficult for you to face your ancestors."
"You call yourself a student?" Wang Yuan asked.
Hong Laifu said: "I'm ashamed. I'm just a child and haven't entered school. I'm young, I'm young..."
Wang Yuandao: "If you have anything to say, just say it."
Hong Laifu said: "Master, I have three sons. The eldest son and the second son have both died in infancy, and the youngest son is only eight years old. Since the master wants to accept students, can he accept the dog?"
"Is your son literate?" Wang Yuan asked.
Hong Laifu said: "The younger one taught the dog himself and studied for two years."
Wang Yuan wanted to recruit literate children, so he immediately smiled and said: "Then I will accept this student. After ten years, your whole family will be deprived of their slave status. Maybe he can still take part in the imperial examination."
"I don't dare think about the imperial examination. No one is qualified within three generations. Maybe Quanzi's grandchildren can become officials." Hong Laifu said with a smile.
Wang Yuan asked the second person: "What about you?"
This man looks quite gentle and is about 20 years old: "Back to Master, my name is Zhong An. He used to be a book boy in Master Lu's family, so he is also called Lu An."
"Who is Mr. Lu?" Wang Yuan asked Hong Laifu.
Hong Laifu said: "Mr. Lu used to be a wealthy family here. When Liu Jin asked for land from Your Majesty, the first person who was unlucky was Mr. Lu. Taking advantage of his friendship with the nobles in the court, he actually used money to pay the official to report Liu Jin. As a result, the whole family
They were all arrested by Dongchang."
This kind of thing is not only done by Liu Jin, but also by many distinguished ministers.
The root of the problem started with Zhu Houzhao and his father, Emperor Hongzhi. Emperor Hongzhi had a soft ear. Once eunuchs, nobles, relatives, civil and military officials requested land, Emperor Hongzhi would definitely approve it. The land requested was "wasteland", and it didn't matter if it wasn't barren.
If you drive away the people on the ground, it will become desert. If you don't want to leave, you will naturally find a way to make them leave.
When the Ming Dynasty was founded, Zhu Yuanzhang took the initiative to give all officials wasteland to alleviate the dilemma of the court having no money to pay salaries. There were so many wastelands at that time, and officials happily reclaimed them, but they had to pay taxes according to regulations, and part of the tax was used to offset wages.
.
However, as the treasury became full, Zhu Houzhao continued to take back the land granted to him, and at the same time, he did not allow civil and military officials to ask for more land.
Lao Zhu is very sober!
It is a pity that after Zhu Di seized the throne, in order to reward those who had meritorious service and loyalty, he once again opened the door to petitioning for land. However, after stabilizing the situation, Zhu Di also began to restrict it, and subsequent emperors were more cautious.
Only Emperor Hongzhi, a sage of the generation and the master of the Ming Dynasty’s resurgence, had the abuses of Qingtian completely rampant in his hands!
There were so many refugees in the capital, and Emperor Hongzhi also contributed to it, but it was not Zhu Houzhao who did it alone.
When Emperor Hongzhi passed away, Li Dongyang was eager to try. He wanted to change the emperor to carry out reforms and solve all the shortcomings. However, when he met Zhu Houzhao, Li Dongyang was completely confused. Let alone reforms, he was thankful to be able to stabilize the political situation.
Wang Yuan's imperial examination essay is actually very appealing to Li Dongyang. Who doesn't want to be a minister of the country?
After Hong Laifu and Zhong An both announced their families, Wang Yuan asked the last maid: "What is your name?"
The woman, who was about forty years old and still charming, replied: "The slave's name is Li Wan. He used to be a slave of the Qing Dynasty. As he got older, his benefactor no longer favored him. Fortunately, he was appreciated by Master Lu and ransomed himself as a slave.
Concubine’s room.”
Wang Yuan asked: "Master Lu and his whole family were taken away by Dongchang. Why did you stay?"
Li Wan said: "Director Liu...Liu Jin knew that the slaves could sing ditties, so he stayed with the Lu family's opera troupe. After Liu Jin's death, the opera troupes were all sent to the Jiaofang Department, and only the slaves were left for the newcomers.
Internal officials sing songs."
Wang Yuan nodded and said: "Okay, I already know your background, and you will study with the children from now on. Hong Laifu is the director of the laboratory, and Zhong An and Li Wan are both laboratory assistants."