my steam dam

Chapter 3

Ying Tianfu.

Hence the name Jiankang, which was renamed Jiqing Road after it was captured by the northern barbarians 50 years ago.

After the uprising, Emperor Hongwu personally led his troops in three groups to break through Jiqing Road in ten days, changed the name of Jiqing Road to Yingtianfu, and established the capital here.

Peng Ke didn't personally experience that battle, but he heard from his father that his grandfather was one of the generals who followed Emperor Hongwu into Yingtian Mansion.

The one who killed them at that time was called a dark day, and only less than [-] of the [-] troops were able to stand still.

Four sets of the first-generation steam-powered armor that Peng Ke's grandfather was wearing at that time were broken before he conquered Ying Tianfu.

Later, because of the valuable experience of this tough battle, the Mohists also carried out a major equipment upgrade for the Ming army. Only then did they truly establish an equipment advantage over the northern barbarians, and drove them back outside the Great Wall in one go.

If Li Yunlong's bombardment of Ping'an County was the turning point of World War II, this battle of Yingtianfu was the turning point of the founding of the Ming Dynasty, which is extremely important.

It's a pity that Peng Ke came so many decades late, and missed this battle that was enough to be recorded in history, so he couldn't witness it with his own eyes.

At this time, Peng Ke was walking in the houses and shops in the southern part of Yingtianfu City, and all he could see was the prosperity and excitement.

After Emperor Hongwu established Yingtianfu as his capital, he divided the old city surrounded by the walls of Yingtianfu into three parts.

Military barracks in the northwest, imperial city in the east, and residential shops in the south.

The southern part of the old city is centered on the Confucius Temple, east to west to the city wall, south to Zhonghua Gate, and north to Baixia Road. It is the most densely populated area in Yingtianfu and the most prosperous place.

From time to time, civilians who brought fresh vegetables, eggs and fruits from the countryside outside the city would find a vacant seat in the market and set up a stall to sell their own farm products.

There are also many small vendors who live in the city and specialize in making a living as snacks for tourists to eat, and are selling along the street.

"Delicious and inexpensive meat buns, one penny each!"

"Every wonton filled with meat, served while it's still hot, three liters a bowl!"

"Candied haws, candied haws made from authentic Mi County hawthorns, one penny, sweet and sour!"

"Pies! Delicious and oily big pies, two for a penny!"

As soon as he entered the city from the Zhonghua Gate, the constant cries of street vendors on both sides attracted Penke's attention.

Smelling the constant fragrance, Peng Ke, who hadn't eaten anything on the train, suddenly felt a little hungry.

"Azhu, go buy some meat buns to cushion your stomach."

Peng Ke waved his hand, and A Zhu trotted to the steamed stuffed bun stall, bought seven or eight big meaty steamed stuffed buns and handed them to Peng Ke.

After randomly distributing a few to Ah Hu who had been standing behind him to protect him, Peng Ke took a bite of a big steaming steamed bun, and the fat that was full immediately exploded in his mouth.

"This is a lot of material!"

Peng Ke's mouth was full of flavor, but he ate a bun in just three or five mouthfuls, and sighed contentedly.

Such a steamed stuffed bun, it is estimated that ordinary people can eat four or five buns, which is enough to satisfy their hunger. After calculating it, they only need to spend four or five renminbi to have a full meal, and there is a lot of oil and water.

"It's better to be in Taiping year. I would rather be a dog of peace than a person in troubled times." Peng Ke said with some satisfaction holding the buns.

Yingtianfu has been away from the war for more than 30 years, and the people's livelihood has long since recovered, which has the charm of the old Song Dynasty.

Compared with the situation during the war years, when two taels of silver could not buy a stone of rice, the price of goods has already become parity.

Now one tael of silver can buy two stones of rice, and one stone of rice weighs nearly 95 kilograms.

You can buy a catty of high-quality pork for two cents, one catty of high-quality mutton for one penny, and a whole live fat chicken for four cents.

Even beef can buy five catties for only seven cents and five cents.

In the Ming Dynasty, one tael of silver was worth ten qian, one qian was worth ten cents, one cent was worth ten cash, and one penny was the smallest monetary unit, which was worth one copper coin.

One thousand copper coins is worth one tael of silver.

As for an ordinary citizen of Ming Dynasty, it is normal to earn 20 taels of silver a year. It is not uncommon for butchers and small vendors selling food to have a net income of 30 taels of silver a year.

A servant in Peng Ke's family's Huaininghou Mansion gets 20 taels of silver flowers a year, and the groom even gets 40 taels of silver.

Not counting the various rewards from the host's family during the holidays, and with all food, drink and lodging in the mansion, their salary is already enough for the whole family to live well.

Although it is impossible to eat meat every meal, it is not a problem to eat meat every three to five meals.

This was unthinkable in the era when the northern barbarians defeated the old Song Dynasty 50 years ago and the mountains and rivers were in turmoil.

Now ordinary farmers with a family of seven or eight only need to work a little bit harder to farm the land, and do a little research to make a living. Not to mention eating and drinking enough, it is not a problem to build a high-quality brick and tile courtyard house in a few years.

Moreover, as an emperor who rose from the people, Emperor Hongwu knew that it was not easy for the poor, and he had good governance for the homeless. In the huge Yingtian Mansion, there was not a single beggar or tramp.

After Emperor Hongwu came to the throne, he issued an edict to set up a charity house to collect the unsuspecting and give them food every month.

Set up the Louze Garden to bury the poor, and set up cemeteries in prefectures and counties all over the world.

He also carried out the policy of providing for the elderly, and conferred titles on people over eighty years of age.

Re-issue the imperial edict to support the soldiers and civilians in distress.

According to the system, each county has a nursing home to take in homeless tramps and beggars for free, and each person is given three buckets of rice in Taicang a month, and a piece of cloth in Jiazi Kubu at the age of one year, so as to maintain a minimum food and clothing. If there is a problem, it can be rescued.

The condition for admission to the Nursing Home is that the old, sick, lonely and poor inside and outside the capital city should be recruited based on their age.

Even because of the good treatment in the nursing home, some people will not leave even if they are well-off, or there are quite a few people who have food and drink and go to the nursing home to pretend to be a part of the relief.

There is no way, as long as there is good governance, there will be people who take advantage of loopholes.

As the commander of Jinyiwei, Peng Ke has seen too many related reports, but none of them can effectively prevent this kind of thing from happening.

However, the Ming Dynasty is strong and can tolerate these people who take advantage of loopholes. In order to prevent them from taking advantage of loopholes, it is absolutely impossible to directly ban the Nursing Home.

"Hey"

Thinking of this, Penke sighed a little melancholy.

Emperor Hongwu was good to ordinary people everywhere, and he could be called a hero and Mingjun.

But for officials like them, it is a completely different attitude, so harsh that it is outrageous.

He is a dignified third-rank military officer, and his monthly salary is only 35 shi of rice, and his annual salary is 420 shi. Not to mention comparing with the old Song Dynasty, even the strong men 2000 years ago are not comparable.

In the Han Dynasty, Jiuqing still had a salary of two thousand shi a year!

And his 420 stones are not real yet!

The full payment of rice as salary to officials was only maintained for a period of time in the early Hongwu Dynasty.

Up to now, the ratio of rice in officials' salaries has been declining, replaced by silk, cotton and other real things.

Although silk floss is indeed a good thing, it can be exchanged for money.

However, the conversion rate given by the Ministry of Households is not based on the market price, but paid at a very low rate artificially set!

The silk floss distributed by the Ministry of Households is only one-tenth of the market price!

What I actually get in one year is only worth about 200 shi, equivalent to only 100 taels of silver!
A senior official of the third rank!The salary he got was only equivalent to two and a half grooms!

There are dozens of people in Huaininghou's mansion, but they all depend on Peng Ke and his father to support them!
If it weren't for his father, as a Marquis who retired with the country, he would have other incomes, and Peng Ke himself has been thinking about making a living in private in recent years.

Dozens of people from Huaininghou's mansion have to go to the street to drink the northwest wind with them!

It is not easy to be a Beijing official!

(End of this chapter)