Guide to Traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty.

Chapter 233 0228 [donate official]

When he arrived at the Dezhou Yamen, Zhu Ming went through the formalities for his appointment first, and then let all the officials disperse, and only took Huang Gui to the backyard of the Dezhou Yamen.

There are four counties in Puzhou, one is Wang County, two are Shang County, and one is Jin County.

The Golden State has five counties, two middle counties and three lower counties.

After comparison, you can see how poor Jinzhou is, let alone Wang County, there is not even an Shang County.

However, Jinzhou's state government is more magnificent than Puzhou!
The area of ​​the state city is very narrow, and the area of ​​the state government is huge.Together with other yamen, as well as places such as state schools, tribute colleges, and schools, official institutions accounted for a quarter of the city.

In addition to the government, most of the city is shops, rich households and middle class, and the people at the bottom basically live outside the city.

Zhu Ming asked Zheng Yuanyi to serve wine, and invited Huang Gui to enjoy the scenery and have a drink in the garden.

After drinking a few glasses, Zhu Ming asked, "I'm new here, and I'm not very familiar with Jinzhou, please tell me something about it, brother Meiying."

Huang Gui put down his wine glass: "The difficulties in Jinzhou are due to the small area and poor people, the heavy donations, and the large amount of local tribute."

"Tugong?" Zhu Ming really didn't expect it.

Huang Gui said in detail: "The tributes of Jinzhou include bran gold, musk, aurantium citrus fruit, Eucommia ulmoides, white glue incense, and amur cork tree."

Six tributes, five of which are herbs or spices.

In Puzhou, where Ju Ming was in charge before, there was only one kind of tribute: silk cloth.

They were already so poor, and there were as many as six types of tributes. The burden on the people of Jinzhou can be imagined.

In order to distinguish the tribute from foreign countries, the tribute from the domestic state capitals, also known as "earth tribute", has a quota every year.

Huashigang is not a tribute, it is called "Jinfeng".

Huang Gui said: "Taking musk as an example, the annual tribute is five catties, but there are extra charges, and even I don't know the exact amount."

The amount of tribute in ancient times was set very reasonably by the imperial court, which not only would not disturb the people, but could stimulate the local economy.

but!

Tribute-collecting officials often "take extra money", collect as much tribute as they want, and lower prices as much as they want.

For example, Bao Zheng served as the magistrate of Duanzhou, and the local area was rich in fine inkstones, which were listed as tributes.Bao Zheng's predecessor charged dozens of times every year.However, Bao Zheng only collected tribute according to the quota, and the reputation of incorruptibility spread everywhere.

Zhu Ming asked, "Where does the local tribute from Jinzhou come from?"

Huang Gui said: "Conscripts, buy."

There are four sources of tribute, purchasing, government-run, tribute households and slaves.

Procurement means that the government buys from the private sector, often at low prices and by force.

The government-run ones are provided by state-owned enterprises, such as the Royal Tea Garden and the government-run silver farm.

Gonghu is a special household registration, such as the snake catcher in "The Snake Catcher".

Conscripts means forcing common people to produce. The most disgusting example was during the Shaoxing period of the Southern Song Dynasty.Zhao Gou moved south with a hundred officials, and needed a lot of luxury goods for enjoyment.In order to quickly make up the Shu embroidery tribute, even a ten-year-old Sichuan girl was detained to embroider day and night.

Bran gold, one of the tributes of Jinzhou, is gold that is as thin as wheat bran.This kind of top-grade alluvial gold is generally not smelted, and its price is more expensive than ordinary gold.

Therefore, not only Cai Jing, the transfer envoy, the criminal envoy, and the general judge will share the spoils of the gold in Jinzhou, but Song Huizong will also pay a tribute.The gold production in each quarter is definitely more than 80 taels, because too many farmers are enslaved to go gold mining, and more than 80 taels is really not enough.

Zhu Ming laughed suddenly. He had already found a suitable reason for the few catties of gold he had seized.

Since bran gold is a tribute, Zhizhou has the right to expropriate it, because the collection of tribute is the power and responsibility of Zhizhou!
Zhu Ming asked again: "Are there any famous families in the five counties of Jinzhou?"

Huang Gui shook his head: "Jinzhou has not had a Jinshi for a hundred years. Although this place is rich in gold, there are no people who get rich with gold. The few rich merchants are also tea merchants. Since the tea introduction system, even tea The merchants are also deteriorating. The land here is barren, and the enthusiasm of rich merchants to annex land is not high, and they only buy a small amount of land along the river valley. The richest man in the state is only a millionaire."

It's really poor, and the richest man has a lot of money.

Zhu Ming thought for a while, and then said, "Of the six kinds of tribute, medicinal materials accounted for five. There should be a lot of medicine merchants here, right?"

"There are many medicine merchants," Huang Gui said, "but the tributes are over-purchased, and even other medicinal materials are listed as miscellaneous tributes. The government buys and sells medicines by force, and the medicine merchants are miserable. Many of them go bankrupt because they cannot make ends meet."

Zhu Ming already understood that before his arrival, the Zhizhou made money from tributes, and the Tongjuan made money from mining gold.

Take what you need and don't interfere with each other. It's a bad rule for yourself.

After chatting with Huang Gui all afternoon, Zhu Ming went back to his study to write a governance plan——

First, comprehensively promote corn and sweet potatoes, so that the five counties of Jinzhou, which have scarce flat land, can make more use of mountainous land to grow food.

Second, focus on the development of tea planting and processing. He can't control the heavy tax imposed by the Tea Horse Division, but the private column (toll station) in the territory must be abolished.

Third, focusing on the development of the medicinal material industry and canceling the private column header is also improving the competitiveness of pharmaceutical companies.

Fourth, first use one year to improve your prestige, and next year you can organize the people to build water conservancy projects.

Fifth, encourage the development of the shipbuilding industry, focusing on building small and medium-sized inland river vessels.Firstly, it can revitalize the Jinzhou water transportation business, secondly, it can promote commercial development, and thirdly, it can prepare for the future construction of the Hanjiang Navy.

Sixth, encourage the development of the iron smelting industry.

Before that, the government must be rectified!
In the evening, Zheng Yuanyi walked into the study: "Sir, it's time to eat."

Ju Ming put away the pen and paper, and asked, "Is the back house settled?"

Zheng Yuanyi said: "We recruited a few servants, and they were all handled by Bai Sheng."

Zhu Ming led Zheng Yuanyi to dinner, and called Bai Sheng after the meal, "I'll find a carpenter tomorrow."

Two days later, Zhu Ming came to the gate of the state government with his entourage.

"Stay farther away from the main gate to avoid the sight of the guards." Zhu Ming commanded.

Zhang Tong held a wooden box in his arms, and Li Bao held a hammer in his hand.The two found a wall and nailed the box to the wall.

Zhu Ming said again: "Zongru, go and write."

As a secretary, Liu Shiren finally received his first assignment.

On the wall, he first wrote the words "public opinion box".

He also wrote: Knowing people is a philosophy, and being able to judge people.If the people are safe, it will benefit, and the people will cherish it.The people of the five counties of Jinzhou, those who have a strategy will enter, and those who have grievances will complain.You can put the book in the box, and the prefect will read it every day.The signer first, the anonymous one later, the words of Xinar et al.

Zhu Ming said: "Bai Sheng is in charge of the key to the public opinion box, and Liu Shiren is in charge of unpacking, sorting, and summarizing the letters."

Zhu Ming brought people back to the state government office, and the officials heard the news and came to check it out. Soon even the county government officials came, whispering around the public opinion box.

"Don't call for the money!"

Zhu Ming returned to Huangtang and immediately ordered his subordinates.

Chang Shi, Sima, and Bie Jia are all subordinate officials of Zhizhou, without any actual positions, and are usually used to accommodate relegated high-ranking officials.

Zhu Ming flipped through the official directory and found that there was actually a driver under him.

Qian Chen is watching the public opinion box. He comes from the Qian family in Liangzhe.It was a common surname, and it was divided into many branches in the Wuyue area. Qian Chen's family was engaged in business.

This guy is an official fan. After inheriting the family property, he spent money to buy food and donated [-] shi, and finally got an official position as an individual driver.Then he threw the family property to his younger brother to take care of, and happily ran to Jinzhou to be an official.

(Note: There are three sources for the prefectures. One is to serve as a demoted official, the other is to serve as envoys of the third class over 70 years old, and the third is to serve as a person who donated more than [-] shi in famine years.)
Although he doesn't have any functions, Qian Chen is more dedicated to his work than everyone else.

He clocks in at work every day, never arrives late or leaves early, and always wears official uniforms and hats.Read the Di Bao carefully and write to Zhizhou to provide advice.

The monthly salary is not enough for his own expenses, but he is happy to give money to be an official.

"Don't drive money, the eunuch is welcome!"

Qian Chen, who was standing in the crowd, suddenly turned his head and said in surprise, "Zhizhou called me?"

The official of the state government said: "The prefect is here to invite you."

Qian Chen was overjoyed, he quickly ran back to the state government office, and when he was outside the yellow hall, he carefully arranged his appearance.

He has been in Jinzhou for two years, and it was the first time he was summoned by a Shangguan.

Even for the usual banquets, it was difficult for him to get an invitation.Even if you attend, you will sit in the corner.Even the subordinate officials always made jokes about him, took him for a fool, and urged him to treat guests to dinner.

"My subordinate, Qian Chen, pay my respects to the prefect!" Qian Chen was trembling with excitement.

Ju Ming beckoned, "Come and sit."

"Yes!" Qian Chen dragged the bench over.

"Closer." Ju Ming said kindly.

Qian Chen was even more excited, he was finally looked at.

This is a fat man, usually food should be good, but he is as fat as a toad, and his neck can't be found.

Zhu Ming asked: "Jun is not an official of the Beijing court, but he is serving as an official. You must be an official who donates food, right?"

"Pay eight thousand stones for disaster relief, and the imperial court will reward you as a farewell." When Qian Chen mentioned this, he felt inferior and bent down unconsciously.

The person in front of him is Tanhualang, Qian Chen saw it, as if he was shining with radiance.

Zhu Ming asked again: "The state does not care about practical affairs, and the salary is also very low. You have no power and no profit, why do you donate food to be an official?"

Qian Chen answered honestly: "Only when you become an official can you shine on your family and return home in fine clothes."

"Just for this? Haven't you thought about benefiting the people?" Zhu Ming said, "If it benefits the people, then the people will all admire and respect you."

Qian Chen said: "I think so too, but don't have any authority."

Zhu Ming said: "Chang Shi, Sima, don't drive, the imperial court's rule is that you can't sign official affairs without a special license. If this is the case, you can sign official business if you have a special license. This special license is not clearly stated. It can be an official charter or an official charter." Prefect charter. As the prefect, how about I allow you to sign the official business?"

Qian Chen stood up abruptly, in disbelief: "Could the eunuch be coaxing me?"

"What are you trying to do?" Zhu Ming said, "I have a disagreement with Cai Jing. If you agree to sign an official agreement, it means that you will be my person from now on, and the Cai Party may retaliate against you. You must think clearly before answering."

Without hesitation, Qian Chen said: "If you provoke the prefect, Chen will repay it with death. Chen's family has hundreds of thousands of money. Being an official is not for profit, but for the glory of the family. If it is done in practice, it will benefit the people of one side! Chen can swear to God , If there is any malpractice for personal gain, the sky will be struck by lightning, and the descendants will be cut off!"

Zhu Ming smiled and said: "Then I will give you an errand. I will order to stop the Huashi Gang and collect land tribute in a fixed amount. The decree has been passed on to the counties, and there may be some county officials who will obey the law. You will go to inspect the five counties of Jinzhou on my behalf. By the way Let's see if anyone dares to tear up the notices, especially the notices about the public opinion box."

"Chen will not disgrace his life!" Qian Chen's blood was surging, and his whole body was full of energy.

(Sorry, Calvin.)
(End of this chapter)