Haisheng Mingdi

Chapter 810 Ten Years
"How is the make-up exam in Henan?"

In the Wenhua Palace, Crown Prince Hongjia summoned Huanghuai Governor Chen Qianfu, and the young Crown Prince ordered the execution of Zheng Sanjun, Hou Xun, Ding Qirui and other ministers. Surprised by the young prince.

"Returning to Your Highness, some prefectures and counties in Henan have completed make-up exams for children's exams and rural exams this year due to some students' refusal to take the exams. Those who should take the exams have also been sent to the capital by bus to prepare for the exams. It will not be affected."

"How is the repair of the Yellow River embankment in Henan? The trial of the new policy of integrating gentry and gentry with errands is going well. The sage criticized Henan for recruiting river workers to pay ICBC far below the market price. Will it be corrected if it is raised to the market price?"

Chen Qianfu answered truthfully, "The embankment has been repaired since autumn, and people on both sides of the Yellow River have been mobilized to repair the embankment, and migrant workers have also been recruited from Shanxi, Jiangbei and other places to repair the embankment. The project is currently in full swing, and more than 20 people have been mobilized. , to be repaired until years ago."

"There are so many young people going to the embankment to repair the river. They must be managed well. The wages must be settled on a monthly basis, and the food must be guaranteed. In particular, corruption must be prevented, so that no chaos will arise."

"Please rest assured, Your Highness. Both the Household Bank and the Royal Bank have borrowed special funds from Henan for river repairs. The cabinet has also approved the issuance of river repair bonds by us in Henan. The dike consolidation will be carried out step by step and in stages, and the river gates, branch rivers, etc. will be repaired later.”

"We are now paid every ten days for wages, and we also have three meals a day, at least one meal a day has meat in it. The board and lodging camps also provide firewood and charcoal to ensure heating."

The prince poured him a cup of tea.

"During the flood season next year, the Yellow River embankment in Henan will not be in danger of bursting and flooding the embankment again?"

"The minister is willing to guarantee with the head of the project that such things will never happen in the flood season next year."

Chen Qianfu thanked him, and he didn't dare to underestimate the young prince. Just because he was able to handle Ding Zhenghou's case quickly when the emperor was not in Beijing, it was enough to prove that the prince was not just staying behind.If it were an ordinary person, such a big case would be difficult to deal with even if it was delayed for a long time.

And as an important member of the imperial court, he is also a favorite of the emperor, and he also knows some inside information. In this big case, it was the prince who first said that he would kill the Ding's uncle and nephew, and reported to the emperor. In the end, the prince was only planning to be expelled. Zheng Hou and several others were also killed.

"The impact of Henan's dismissal of examinations this time is very bad. As the governor, Chen Qing is also responsible for negligence. However, when the imperial court employs people, Chen Qing actively remedies them afterwards, and his performance is not bad. Gu also repeatedly wrote to the saint. Hope It can allow Chen Qing to continue to rule the Huanghuai provinces.

This year, the imperial court will abolish the governorship of the same city, the two provinces of Henan and Jiangbei, and the post of governor of Henan. The governor of Huanghuai will be renamed the governor of the Central Plains. To live up to the trust of the saint. "

Governor and governor in the same city is a problem left over from the past.

From Chongzhen to Hongguang and then to Shaotian, the governors went from imperial envoys to special posts, one governor in one province, and later more governors in one province. For example, Chongzhen had eight governors in Gyeonggi, and Zhejiang had four governors when Zhu Yihai started his army.

At that time, the situation was special, and special affairs were handled specially, all in order to strengthen the imperial court's control over the local area.

But when the world is unified, the governor will start to be cut again.

Generally, two provinces have one governor. Originally, one province had one governor. Provinces with governors also had governors. For example, the governors of Guangdong and Guangxi originally had governors of Guangdong and Guangxi. , one person with two posts.

But now, the imperial court is going to officially abolish one of the governors of the same city, only the governor will be retained, and no governor will be appointed.

There is only one governor of Guangdong and Guangxi and one governor of Guangxi.

In this adjustment, the original governor of Guangdong and Guangxi was also the governor of Guangxi, but now the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi is still stationed in Guangzhou, and Guangxi has a governor. Zhang Huangyan, the prince's father-in-law, was promoted from the governor of Guangdong to the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi. Chen Hanhui, the former governor of Guangdong and Guangxi and governor of Guangxi, He was transferred to be the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu in Chang'an.

The governor of Huanghuai was renamed the governor of the Central Plains, but he is still the governor of Henan and Jiangbei provinces. Chen Qianfu is still the governor. It can be seen that this time the incident is so big, but his status has not been shaken.

The abolition of the governor's office this time is not just about laying off a part-time job, but directly abolishing the governor's office of a province, and directly using the governor's office to manage the affairs of the province.

A province with a governor no longer has a governor, and a province without a governor has a governor.

The imperial court divided the current provinces into direct-controlled provinces and autonomous provinces. Directly-administered provinces are directly under the jurisdiction of the imperial court. It is also the traditional Han Dynasty with two capitals and thirteen provinces.

Now it is Liaodong and Liaoxi, with governors of the two Liaos.

In Henan and Jiangbei provinces, the governor of the Central Plains was established.

In Shaanxi and Gansu provinces, there is a governor of Shaanxi and Gansu.

In Jiangxi and Jiangnan, there is a governor of Jiangnan.

In Zhejiang and Fujian, there is a governor of Zhejiang and Fujian,

In Guangxi, Guangdong, there is a governor of Guangdong and Guangxi.

In Guizhou, Yunnan, there is a governor of Yunnan and Guizhou.

However, the four provinces of Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong, and Sichuan did not have a governor, but each had a governor.

In fact, it now directly governs the [-] provinces of Han, plus three capitals directly under the imperial court, Yingtianfu in Nanjing, Fengtianfu in Tokyo, and Shuntianfu in Beijing.

Three capitals and eighteen provinces, seven governors, eleven governors and three prefects.

In addition to the provinces directly under the jurisdiction of Han, there are many newly established provinces, Bohai Province, Chengde Prefecture, Xuanhua Prefecture, and Suiyuan Province. These four provinces are special provinces, which govern both counties and autonomous states.

Outside this special province, there are Jimi Autonomous Provinces, such as Sanjiang Province, Heilongjiang Province, Nuergan Province, and Lingbei Province in Northeast China, Khalkha and Beihai Provinces in Mobei Province, Oirat Province in Western Regions, and Heshuo Province. The four provinces of Qingkang, Weizang, Tegu Shihan, and the newly established Gaoping Province attached to the Jiaozhi Mo clan.

There are seventeen provinces in total.

These [-] provinces belong to Jimi autonomy, that is, no taxation and no household registration. However, unlike the Old Port and the Burmese Xuanweisi, the imperial court can set up post stations in these places and build military forts integrating post and business. , can garrison troops as needed, canonize them with official titles, and they are also obliged to go to Beijing to worship and pay tribute, and even send troops to assist when needed.

The imperial court has established so many provinces, but they are divided into three categories. The three capitals and eighteen provinces in Han are naturally the core areas, and they must be fully developed to ensure complete control.The four special provinces in the north belong to the four provinces of the Ping Fan type. They are separated between the directly governed and the Ji, especially in the north of Gyeonggi. The opportunity is closer to the capital of Gyeonggi.

As for those autonomous provinces, in fact they are all guards, governors' mansions, and tribal guards. The most important purpose of the imperial court's establishment of provinces is to divide and rule them, limit the strength of a certain force, and break the regional balance.At the same time, provinces and enfeoffments were set up, and they also used the means of kinship, business and mutual exchanges, plus infiltration of post stations, commercial routes, and towns, and then in the name of protecting merchants and post stations, some military bases were built to garrison troops, and then military settlements and colonization were carried out. Slowly penetrate and expand.

The core policy adopted by the emperor was not to forcibly conquer by force, but to fortress and chain-style colonial expansion. It would no longer be a hit and go, but nailed down one by one.

Different types of provinces have different management methods.

There are seven governors and eleven governors in the Central Plains. There are no governors in the four provinces of Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong, and Sichuan. They are also located around Beijing or the core towns in the southwest.

There was also controversy before the imperial court. It was believed that Henan should not have a governor. It directly installed a governor of Henan, and then set up a governor in Jiangbei and Shandong. However, in the end, the former governor of Huanghuai was changed to the governor of Central Plains.

"Jiangbei, Henan is the Huanghuai Plain, and it is the heart of the Central Plains. It has always been a major farming and grain-producing province in the Central Plains. As long as the Yellow River can be tamed, the people in the two provinces of the Central Plains will be safe and prosperous. Suffering from the floods of the Yellow River, if the levee of the Yellow River in Henan is repaired now, the people in the two provinces will be safe, and the granary in the Central Plains will be safe.

The restoration of the old course of the Yellow River has achieved initial results. The sages had previously marked down the old course, let the inner reservoir dredge the river, and built the reservoir gate. Not only the old course of the Yellow River can still carry water and prevent floods, but it can also irrigate thousands of miles of fertile fields on both sides of the river. Not to mention that millions of acres of fertile land, as well as countless orchards and woodlands have been sorted out in the old road. "

The emperor invested a lot of money in the old course of the Yellow River, but turned waste into treasure, not only no longer harming both sides of the river, but also an important treasure land for flood control, water storage, and irrigation. The emperor now puts the old course that has completed preliminary renovation under the name of the East Palace. , became the prince's industry.

The prince has also studied it carefully. The investment is large, but the long-term benefits are not small. More importantly, it has the ability to turn waste into wealth, turn harm into wealth, and has sustainable development.

"When the Yellow River embankment is repaired, then the Huaihe River will be built. After the Huanghuai River is repaired, the major river systems in the Central Plains will be slowly dredged. The two provinces in the Central Plains can improve water conservancy, which will not only help transportation, but also help agriculture. , can also prevent floods, long-term planning is necessary, overall planning, you can’t do one thing and the other, Yinzi will work with the imperial court to help Henan find a way, and Chen Qing, you are in charge of the charge and control the overall situation on the front line.”

The prince also bluntly expressed his appreciation to Chen Qianfu, his father's confidant, and even stated that he would continue to support him in governing Henan.

"If the sage and His Highness can give me two ten-year terms, I will definitely repair the Yellow River, Huaihe River, and Yangtze River embankments in the two provinces of Henan and Jiangbei."

In ten years, only do these three things well, which sounds simple but is difficult to do.

Especially after these years of turmoil, these three things are not easy to do.

"I promise you alone."

However, Hongjia agreed without hesitation.

In the past few years, the imperial court has been repeatedly controversial about the term of office of officials. The term of office of officials, especially the length of office of local officials, has always been entangled between the imperial court and the emperor.

The tenure is too short to do practical things.It is even inevitable to only focus on immediate interests and short-term political achievements, and it is impossible to have long-term plans.Even if there is a long-term plan, the term of office is too short and the rotation of officials makes it difficult to ensure the continuity of policies.

It is now the end of Shaotian's sixth year.

The emperor also basically set the principle of long-term tenure, from the cabinet minister to the local county magistrate, the term of office is now every five years, and two terms can be served, that is, ten years can be served.

Unless the performance is too poor, dismissal or demotion, etc., in general, you can serve for at least five years, or serve for two terms, so as to ensure the continuity of policies, especially for those local officials, such as governors, governors, Officials such as the chief envoy, the inspector, the branch inspector, the magistrate, and the county magistrate are all in charge of the ruling party, and Zhu Yihai requested that they should not be frequently transferred.

Moreover, the officials have been in office for a long time, and the officials know that they have been in office for a long time, so they dare not deceive each other.

Officials have outstanding achievements and excellent performance. Although they are no longer quick promotion and transfer, they will also be rewarded, such as promotion to the official rank of the product, additional titles, even salary increases, and noble titles. High position bonus.

Since the mid-Ming Dynasty, a big problem in the officialdom of the Ming Dynasty is that many officials have extremely short tenures. For example, the chief officials of a county like magistrates usually only have one or two years of tenure on average. The average term of office shall not exceed three years.

Zhu Yihai also didn't want a magistrate to serve for more than ten years or even twenty or thirty years.

After all, even in the later generations, the country will make five-year plans based on a five-year period.

In fact, when Zhu Di was in power, he also summed up the political gains and losses of the past dynasties, and established a long-term tenure system, requiring officials at all levels to stay in their posts for a long time.

It's just that the oracle has long since lost its shape.

There are also disadvantages to long-term tenure of officials, especially for senior officials who have long-term tenure, which is easy to support party members and form a community of interest among the top and bottom factions between superiors and subordinates. But generally speaking, long-term tenure is better after all.

Zhu Hongjia promised to let Chen Qianfu be the governor of the Central Plains for ten years. This is not a simple encouragement and praise, it is even a very direct act of soliciting.

The crown prince is the crown prince, but the crown prince is not a king. It is actually a delicate position in the court.

His power comes from the emperor, and his subjects are both his subjects and not his subjects.

If Chen Qianfu had been more cautious, he would have pretended not to understand and would not directly accept the crown prince's blatant solicitation.Of course, if he is ambitious and wants to speculate on the prince, he can also immediately hit the snake with the stick and become a hardcore princeling.

"I thank the sage and His Royal Highness Hong En, I will not dare to let down the kindness of the sage and His Highness, and I will do my best to do good things in Henan."

Chen Qianfu's answer seemed quite satisfactory. He didn't just thank the prince, but on this occasion where there were only two people, he even brought the emperor along to thank him. Obviously, he didn't intend to become the prince's private minister. Enough respect.

The prince smiled slightly, as if he was a little embarrassed by his overly straightforward wooing, or he didn't have any deep meaning in the first place.

Chen Qianfu even wondered if he was thinking too complicated. After all, the prince was only fifteen, and he was only sixteen after the new year.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince who stayed in Beijing to guard the country may not really be able to win him over like this.

"Guding will ask the sage to guarantee you a ten-year term, but I also hope that you can fulfill your promise."

"It's still early, how about Chen Qing accompany me to visit the Henan candidates who came to Beijing to take the exam?"

Chen Qianfu did not hesitate this time.

(End of this chapter)