A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Emperor Yuan Cong

Chapter 1062: On the White Deer Plain
Chang'an,

Lantian County, Bailuyuan.

The village market was particularly lively today. Someone set up a big banner at the market to recruit workers.

Under the banner, a steward-like man wearing a sheepskin robe was reading a contract loudly.

There were many people surrounding him,
"On February 1, Dingyou year, Zhang Tiegiang, a man from Bailu Township in Chang'an, went to Luzon to farm. He was short of manpower, so he hired Ma Gui, a fellow villager from the same village, Ma Fu, to work for three years. The price was as high as one stone of rice per month. Spring clothes, spring undershirt, and a set of shoes.

The owner pays for the hoe and shovel used. If the horse is valuable and lost, the horse is valuable. If you pay it to the owner at home, you will not be displeased with the horse. If you kill an animal without reason, you should only pay the compensation as a human being.

If the horse is expensive to throw, throw it away for one day on a busy day, and draw two measures of things, and one measure of things on a leisure day.

When the two communists face Pingzhang, they are not allowed to regret it. If they regret it first, they will be punished with two stones of grain and those who do not regret it will be punished.

Afraid that people would be untrustworthy, they tied up the private contract and used it as a back-up document, and signed it for verification. "

This is an employment contract,
Zhang Tieqiang, a native of Bailu Township, was assigned to farm in Luzon. He wanted to hire fellow villagers from his hometown, Lantian, Bailu Plateau, to farm the land for three years.

The employment fee is twelve stones of food per year, plus a set of clothes and shoes.

Zhang Tieqiang invited Li Zheng and village chiefs from the countryside to act as guarantees.

Ma Gui, who was employed at the same time, also asked his brother Ma Fu to act as a guarantee.

The two brothers, Ma Gui and Ma Fu, signed the contract together and pressed their fingerprints. The village chief Li Zheng also witnessed the fingerprints. The contract was made in two copies and sealed.

Press the fingerprint,

Zhang Tieqiang also wanted to give him three shi of grain as settling-in expenses. After all, he was going so far and for so long, so he would just give him one season's wages for settling-in expenses.

Then, under the witness of both parties, another year's wages, twelve stones of rice, were paid in advance.

Zhang Tieqiang asked the Ma brothers to write a receipt and fingerprint it.

On the set, countless people watched this scene.

"Zhang Tiegiang's salary is quite high,"

"That's not unusually high. Do you know what the landlord Meng's family in our hometown paid for hiring people last year? Eight bushels per month, half wheat and millet. But in fact, they only paid ten months of food a year, which is eight dollars. Stone, two months left, clothes and shoes, and food to eat at the landlord’s house.”

The Meng family hired long-term workers to farm the land, and throughout the year, they actually had four stones of wheat and four stones of millet, plus two sets of clothes, including food and lodging.

Zhang Tiegiang hired Ma Gui to farm in Luzon. After three years, he actually received a total of thirty-six shi of grain, plus three sets of clothes and shoes, plus three shi of grain for the settlement fee.

Thirteen stones a year, five stones more than the Meng family’s eight stones a year.

It's not that the Meng family exploits people, but that's generally the market today.

Someone said, "Why did Zhang Tiequiang go to Luzon to secure land? I heard that Luzon is not the fiefdom of Wu Sikong's son. Is it overseas?"

"I heard that Luzon is a big island with abundant rainfall and lots of land, which is suitable for farming. You can make money growing sugar cane, cotton, corn, etc. there, but there is a shortage of people. So we people from the Central Plains used to farm land on a land plot, and we were tax-free for the first few years. , as long as we can hire people to come over, we can make money no matter what.”

Everyone is familiar with Zhang Tiejian. This man is quite famous in Bailuyuan. He is an old soldier. I don’t know why he wants to go to Luzon to secure land this time.
Put up a recruitment flag at this rural market,

Although everyone was a little afraid of overseas Luzon, seeing the employment conditions given by Zhang Tiegiang, they even directly gave him fifteen shi of grain first.

Many people are still very excited.

In particular, Zhang Tiequiang also revealed to everyone that there are many opportunities in Luzon. If you work there for three years, you can make money by owning the land yourself after you get familiar with it.
Bailu Township is located on the outskirts of Chang'an.

Although this plateau is relatively dry, it is outside Chang'an after all, so most of the land here belongs to aristocratic officials. Most of the people have no land, or only have a small amount of land, which is given to the landlords as tenants or as long-term workers.

Many people are unable to work as long-term workers, so they can only work part-time during the busy farming season. They usually find ways to go to Chang'an City or go to the Zhongnan Mountains to find some work, whether it is carrying bags and burdens, or going into the mountains to cut wood and burn charcoal, it is always a good job. It’s unstable and very hard,
But everyone has no choice. If you have no land and no craftsman skills, you can only sell your efforts.

three years,

I went to farm in the distant overseas country of Luzon for three years.

It's a long time and far away from home.
But being able to get five kilograms more grain a year than in the local area attracts many people, especially in Gyeonggi. If you want to share the land or work as a long-term laborer, there are not many opportunities.

Watching Ma Gui press his fingerprints, Zhang Tiegiang asked someone to give him fifteen shi of grain. Ma Gui asked his brother Ma Fu to receive the grain.

This much food is enough to feed the Ma family for a long time.

Next, Zhang Tieqiang will also pay Ma Gui twenty-four stones of grain, and it is agreed that Ma Gui will be paid in two quarters every summer. After six payments, four stones of rice will be paid each time. The Ma family can also choose wheat or millet.

All the food and lodging expenses for Ma Gui on the way to Luzon were naturally covered by Zhang Tieqiang. In a few days, I will go directly to Guangzhou, and then take a boat to Luzon. The employment will not end until the end of the 14th year of Zhenguan. It is now February 2, and Ma Gui has actually lost one month of work.

Lantian County,
Chang'an County, Wannian County, Xinfeng County, Xianyang County, Jingyang County······
People are recruiting workers everywhere in Gyeonggi Province to go to Luzon to work in the fields.

The employment conditions given were all good, and countless people were moved. Many people directly pressed their fingerprints for the fifteen shi of food.

February,

Spring is the season when everything revives and flowers bloom, but it is also the season of drought. For many people, although they have survived the cold and long winter, life is still difficult.
Going to Luzon to farm for others seems to be a good choice, especially since you can get fifteen shi of grain directly, which can help the family solve the predicament in front of them.

Not to mention, there is also news circulating everywhere. It is said that in Luzon, as long as you are willing to settle down, you can get a field, and you can get a lot of it. As long as you can plant it, the field is not a problem.

Many people are thinking about being hired to farm in Luzon this time and take a look at the real situation there. If they are really that good and can adapt to the climate there, then after working for the landlord for three years, You can own land there, or settle down and divide the fields.

If Luzon is not as good as expected, he will come back after three years.

You can attack when you advance, and you can defend when you retreat.

This can be regarded as a little shrewdness of the common people. Chang'an, Xuanyangfang.

A group of senior Wu family stewards lined up to see Wu Huaiyu and report to him on matters.

"How many jobs have been hired?"

"Eighteen counties in Gyeonggi Province have recruited more than 10,000 people in total,"

"It's still too little,"

Luzon is too big and is expanding at a fast pace, but no one is following up on the development. It is useless to conquer more indigenous tribes.
The manager was sweating on his forehead. It was already pretty good to be able to recruit tens of thousands of people in such a short period of time.

But Wu Huaiyu was still not satisfied.
The Wu family is now recruiting workers all over the country, especially in the Jiangnan area. The conditions are similar. Thirty-six shi of food for three years. When signing the contract, another three shi will be given by fingerprinting, and an advance payment of 12 shi of food for one year will be given.

“How many people are willing to immigrate to Luzon?”

"Not much for now."

"How many craftsmen have been recruited from each line of work?"

The wages and benefits of craftsmen are much better than that of farmers, but it is difficult to recruit craftsmen. They have craftsman skills and their lives are not the worst. Not many people are willing to leave their hometowns and go overseas, even if they are only hired for three years. .

"If it doesn't work, then improve the conditions."

Wu Huaiyu gave the order directly. To be honest, the recruitment conditions given now are a bit high, but Wu Huaiyu is not interested in drinking. He hopes to lure people to Luzon first.
These people went to Luzon to recruit workers. When they got there, they saw the reality with their own eyes. He believed that many people would be willing to stay and settle down.

"If you can't recruit craftsmen, you can recruit more apprentices and assistants. If you set higher conditions, you can always attract people."

It is said that half-grown men live in poverty. Those teenagers can’t do much with their work, but their food is no worse than that of a young and strong laborer.

If the Wu family provides them with an opportunity to apprentice in skills, and even pay them some wages during the apprenticeship period, they will not only learn a skill for the future, but also earn some money and food for the family now to supplement the family income, and can also reduce one ration.
In the Mainland, when ordinary children go to learn a trade, they have to be guaranteed by someone. Generally, they only have food, clothing, and housing for the first three years, and they don’t get even half a wage. They are not even allowed to go home during the holidays. After three years of apprenticeship, he has to continue for another three years and three more years, during which he only earns a small amount of wages.

In ten years, basically there is no way to make money.

But in order to learn a craft or even have a place to eat now, many poor families can only send their children away.

Wu Huaiyu thought that he could recruit some half-year-old boys like this to Luzon.
A three-year apprenticeship is also paid. After three years, one is semi-skilled. From the seventh year, one can be paid as a skilled worker.

"I'll give you a deposit for signing the contract, and I'll give you one year's salary in advance for your family,"

If you sign a nine-year employment contract, you will be paid one-third of the full salary in the first three years, and then it will be increased. In the middle three years, you will be given two-thirds of the salary. Starting from the seventh year, you will be paid the full salary of a craftsman.

Starting from the tenth year, you can enjoy the dividends of your position and get dry shares.

In short, find a way to attract people to Luzon.

Now is the window period. The emperor and the court have no restrictions, so he must seize the opportunity.

A senior manager hesitated and said, "This will increase a lot of expenses, which is not a small amount."

"Don't worry about money. I will allocate a special fund for you. Don't be afraid of spending money, as long as you can recruit people to Luzon,"

Wu Huaiyu is very domineering,

Luzon is now a gold-swallowing black hole, but no matter how much money and resources are invested, it will be calculated, and the returns there will be greater.

Before Wu Huaiyu left Beijing,

Wielding the hoe desperately, digging at the corners of the Tang Empire,
But Wu Huaiyu didn't feel that what he did was wrong. Luzon was indeed the overseas territory of the Tang Dynasty, but it was also the Luzon Prefecture of the Tang Dynasty, and it was still the territory of the Tang Dynasty.

When Wu Huaiyu worked so hard to recruit workers and immigrate, he was also opening up territory for China and spreading Han civilization.

Wu Huaiyu took the time to visit Sanyuan Dragon Bridge.

Wubao is still a landmark building, enjoying incomparable respect in these ten miles and eight towns.
Wu Huaiyu came back to see and walk around,

There are five tall round castles, as well as windmills and mills on the bank of the Qinghe River. The Dragon Bridge has long been changed from a wooden bridge to a stone bridge, and there are even countless small stone lions on the bridge.
On both sides of the bridge, there is the Black Dragon King Temple on the north bank and the Longmen Taoist Temple on the south bank.

Huaiyu, Lao Wu, and the third brother Huai Liang spent a long time fishing on the ice in Qinghe River. When they came back, Wu Huaiyu cooked a table of dishes with his own hands.
Huaiyu actually wanted to take Lao Wu and Liu to Lingnan and Luzon. If they were willing, they could even stay in Luzon.

But Lao Wu refused, and Mrs. Liu was even more unwilling.
They have become accustomed to Longqiao. They have lived here for twenty years and it is already their home. They cannot go back to their hometown in Bingzhou, and they are not willing to go to Guangzhou or Luzon.
I just want to stay here and spend the last part of my life safely.

When leaving, Wu Huaiyu only took the third child with him.

The former fat man is now an official. He passed the Ming Dynasty examination in the spring last year and passed the four examinations in the official selection in the autumn. Finally, he was awarded the title of Xunyang County Magistrate of Jiangzhou.

Xiaopang is no longer fat, and is now a high-spirited young official. After he was elected last autumn, he actually made a special trip to Xunyang, Jiangzhou, conducted an in-depth and detailed investigation, and then formulated a plan for taking office. He also specially asked his brother Huaiyu to help him control the subsequent policy of governing as an official.

When he takes office after this year, he is full of confidence and will achieve great results.

The eldest brother is the deputy governor of Chanyu, the governor of Fengzhou and the governor of Fengzhou, the doctor Jin Ziguanglu and the Duke of Qushui County. The second brother is Situ, the prince and Taifu, the observer of Lingnan, the envoy of the four prefectures, and the Duke of Jin.

The two brothers are so dazzling, and they also have the eldest brother-in-law of the prime minister who is the Secretary of the Central Committee. His wife's family is the Wang family of Hedong, with five surnames and seven families. The third brother already has a very high starting point in life, but he wants to make some achievements even more. .

After crossing the Dragon Bridge,

Wu Huaiyu reined in his horse and looked back at the Wu family's round fort on the north bank, and at the old Wu couple waving goodbye on the other side of the bridge, as well as his aunts, younger brothers and sisters.

Miyuan Longqiao couldn't keep him after all.

(End of this chapter)