Wang Yuan's reforms were not only in local areas, but also in the dirty capital city. He was fed up with the ruined city appearance of Beijing!
There is definitely no human and animal excrement. It is high-quality fertilizer, and I don’t know how many people are rushing to pick it up. But domestic garbage can be seen everywhere, and the water in the ditch is smelly. If there is a sandstorm and then it rains, the mud can flood the legs.
The functions of the Five Cities Military and Horse Division are too many and too complex. They are responsible for many functions such as civilian police, criminal police, patrol police, fire alarm, urban management, environmental sanitation, etc. There are only so many people, how can they take care of them?
Take the environmental sanitation department as an example. The Five Cities Soldiers and Horses Division does not sweep the floors themselves, but instead lets the guards do it regularly.
These servants are a type of corvee and are arranged in units of "workshops". That is, ordinary people take turns cleaning and cleaning for free according to the community. The advantage is that the administrative expenses are low, but the disadvantage is that the cleaning is done every once in a long time.
Therefore, Wang Yuan gave an order to the Military and Horse Division of the Five Cities, asking them to arrest beggars and self-eunuchs living outside the city. Organize these people, issue uniforms, and turn them into sanitation workers, responsible for
Clean the public areas of Beijing City. The Ministry of Household Affairs will issue rations and monthly salary, and it will still be under the control of the Military and Horse Department of the Five Cities.
Catch every beggar you see in the city!
Some professional beggars are so frightened that they go begging outside the city. Some poor people deliberately go to the city to be beggars, waiting to be caught as sanitation workers.
Wang Yuan is the chief minister of the cabinet, and he does not run a charity. After the quota of sanitation workers is reached, if there are still beggars caught, they will be sent directly to Xishan to burn charcoal, burn lime, and make cement.
In less than half a year, the capital city took on a new look, and the beggars disappeared from under the Emperor’s feet.
The Wucheng Military and Horse Department has also been rectified and divided into departments such as burglary room, fire room, and room patrol. Some are responsible for public security, some are responsible for firefighting, and some are responsible for patrol... The rights and responsibilities are clear, and the responsibilities are clearly defined. Where to go wrong?
Good to hold accountable.
The original personnel are definitely not enough, so we need to select and supplement them from the soldiers in the Beijing camp. Anyway, there are still many idle men in the Beijing camp.
It’s not that no one thought of doing this in the past, but the imperial court had financial difficulties. After dividing the responsibilities, it had to expand its recruitment, which would cost too much. Now you are not afraid, the national treasury has plenty of money, but are you still worried about not being able to pay wages?
Three Indian Brahmin boys were staying in an inn outside Nancheng. They were so shocked that they were numb.
These three guys, whose surnames are Kanaishi, Trivedi and Shulak respectively, all came from a large family in the western region of South India. After the Tianzhu Cotton Society took control of national affairs, the Han people immediately became a noble race, and the distant Ming Dynasty was also said to be "
Where flowers bloom”.
The three of them were sent by their family to study abroad and learn more advanced cultural knowledge. When they return to India in the future, they will be more convenient as dogs for the Han people there.
Before they set off, they were already able to communicate in Chinese. The first port of call was in Singapore, which was no different from an Indian port. The second port of call was in Guangzhou. The vast and huge city frightened them.
Next, they docked in Hangzhou. The more than 60-meter-high lighthouse made the three Brahmin boys want to kneel down.
In the factory area east of Tianjin, thick black smoke puffs out sparks, like a monster crawling out of hell. It is said that this is where nightmares originate. It was the first to produce cheap cotton, which completely impacted the traditional textile industry in South India.
.
Arriving in northern Tianjin, the terrifying steam monster raced along the railway tracks, taking them into an even more bizarre world.
"Go to the city today and take you to the Imperial College to register." Huang Xu knocked on their door.
The three of them stood in the aisle and bowed to Huang Xu: "Thank you sir!"
More than a dozen slaves followed downstairs. Huang Xu frowned and said, "What are you going to do with all these slaves? Each person is allowed to bring only one, specifically to carry a bookcase for you."
"Yes!" The three of them obeyed obediently.
The areas outside the South City and the East City were very prosperous, and merchants from other places mostly lived in the south and east of the city. The prosperity of commerce led to the prosperity of the city. Residential buildings were everywhere under the city walls, and markets were formed outside the city.
Shulak walked to the street, looked around curiously, and saw many scholars carrying book boxes. He couldn't help but ask: "Are these all students?"
Huang Xu explained: "Those who are taking the exam will take the exam next month. If they pass the exam, they will be admitted as Jinshi and then be awarded various official positions."
Trivedi asked: "Are they all nobles?"
Huang Xu smiled and said: "Most of them are from civilian backgrounds. In the Ming Dynasty, as long as the household registration is normal, everyone is qualified to study and take the exam to become an official."
The three Indian youths looked at each other, not knowing what to say for a moment.
Suddenly, a group of official officials appeared, causing the peripheral explanation to go crazy.
Tang Xun, a doctor in the Ministry of Industry's Renovation Department, was Wang Yuan's fellow Guizhou fellow and his classmate who became a disciple of Wang Yangming. He held the construction drawings in his hand and with a wave of his hand, the scattered private houses on the outermost edge were about to be demolished.
These private houses were originally illegally built by private individuals, and the court could demolish them directly. When Liu Jin built the Xuanming Palace in the east of the city, he demolished thousands of illegally built houses without giving any compensation.
Wang Yuan naturally couldn't do this, otherwise his reputation among the people would be ruined.
Tang Xun pointed to several tombs and said: "Post a notice that the tombs must be moved within half a month, and each tomb will be compensated with three yuan as compensation."
Schulak asked: "What is this doing?"
Huang Xu was also a little confused. He walked over and clasped his fists and said, "I've seen Uncle Tang."
"Who are you?" Tang Xun turned around and asked.
Huang Xu said: "Disciple Huang Xu, I studied under Ruoxu Gong. May I ask what you want to build?"
Tang Xun replied: "Building the city will start after the conference. Additional construction will be done in the east city and the south city to frame these houses, otherwise there will be too much chaos outside the city."
"That's it." Huang Xu suddenly realized.
After chatting for a few more words, Huang Xu couldn't be bothered anymore, so he clasped his hands and left, explaining to the three Indian youths.
Indian youth have become numb. The Ming Dynasty is really rich. There are so many private houses outside the city. If you want to build a city, you will build it. How much gold and silver will it cost?
In the history of Beijing, only the southern part of the city was built, and the construction was hasty because there was no money for half of the construction.
Now, the east and south of the city are being built together. Anyway, there is plenty of money in the treasury!
Moreover, labor was not collected and distributed for free, but migrant workers were all paid to do the work, allowing the people of Gyeonggi to work hard and get rich.
The city wall is built with blue bricks and cement, and the foundation is tamped with Sanhe soil. As long as it is built thick enough and is not as strong as a wall bonded with rice mortar, the construction cost can be greatly reduced.
After entering the city gate, the three young Indians took a deep breath.
The streets are so neat. Compared with cities in India, Beijing is like the garden of the gods!
Sanitation workers clean the streets in sections. If an official of rank seven or above feels that a certain section of street is too dirty, he can go directly to the Five Cities Military and Horse Department to file a complaint. If he is caught slacking off, he will be punished.
Every other section of the road, there are baskets used as trash cans. If any merchants or residents dare to litter, the "patrol police" can directly issue a ticket.
There have been several disputes caused by the random issuance of fines. Although it is unavoidable to disturb the people, the results are very good. Even the children in the capital know that garbage should be thrown into the basket, otherwise their parents will be fined.
After arriving at the Imperial College to register, they paid another 100 yuan for tuition and 50 yuan for accommodation, and the three young Indians were placed in the dormitory.
This is a quadrangle, and they thought they could have the courtyard to themselves, but unexpectedly they were assigned a double room, and there was no bed for a slave.
Fifty yuan, that's fifty taels of silver, what's the accommodation like after a year?
If you can't bear it, the worst possible outcome is to move out and rent a house.
Kanaishi and Shurak shared one room, and Trivedi was placed in another room.
There were already people in the room. Trivedi clasped his fists and said, "I've met my brother!"
The man stood up and returned the greeting: "Zhu Xing of Sulong Country, I have met my friend. I wonder which country my friend is from?"
Trivedi was surprised: "Aren't you a citizen of the Ming Dynasty?"
Zhu Xing explained with a smile: "I came from the far east and have been studying in the Ming Dynasty for almost nine years. His Majesty the late emperor also gave me the surname of the Ming Dynasty. The imperial examination in the Ming Dynasty is too difficult, and I am only a scholar until now. If
If you fail to pass the Juren exam again, you will have no choice but to go to Qintian Prison and work as a miscellaneous official."
In India, giving a surname is a big deal and can elevate one's caste.
The foreign student in front of him could actually be given the emperor's surname. He might have acquired aristocratic status. Trivedi's attitude immediately became more respectful: "Excuse me, does your country have a good relationship with the Ming Dynasty?"
Zhu Xing took out the globe, pointed at it and said: "This is the Ming Dynasty. Across thousands of miles of ocean, this is my hometown."
Trivedi asked in a daze: "Where is Ananda's country?"
"Ananda Country?" Zhu Xing searched for a while, "Your hometown is so far away from here."
Trivedi looked at the globe and was completely stunned.
Trivedi could only change the subject and asked: "Were you still not married in the ninth year of Ming Dynasty?"
Zhu Xing said: "I am married and have two children. My wife is a maid dismissed by the Queen Mother, and she is six years older than me. But she is very virtuous. I live in the Imperial College ten days a month and twenty days a month."
Living in my own home. The Imperial College is free. This is a gift from the late emperor, who even gave me a house. The late emperor was the greatest emperor in the world. In the year of his death, I fasted and became a vegetarian for three months.
"
"Aren't you going back to your own country?" Trivedi asked.
Zhu Xing said: "Why should I go back? I am already Han Chinese, I have a household registration in Beijing, and my children are also Han Chinese."
The two chatted for a while, and Trivedi felt very complicated.
Hearing a commotion in the courtyard, Trivedi went out to see his two companions, surrounded by other Imperial College students in the courtyard.
The Aryan race obviously looks different from the Han people, and the Imperial College students came to see them. They not only pointed at them, but even laughed at them as white ghosts. This made the Indian youth not understand that the skin of the Han people is also very white.
ah.
Zhu Xing also came out and said to Trivedi: "You'd better choose a Chinese name so that you can be less contemptuous. When I first came here, I was laughed at every day. I didn't even understand Chinese at that time."
Trivedi said: "Please help me get one."
Zhu Xing said casually: "Weidi is good. You can also ask Mr. to give you some words."
Suddenly, someone in the courtyard shouted: "Prince Zheng, who asked to cut down the feudal vassal, is here!"
"Let's go and see the wise king!"
The crowd of onlookers in the courtyard disappeared in an instant. The three Indian youths did not understand the situation.