Kai Fu Han

Chapter 220 Private Visit 7
"The lunch we ate was too greasy, so we'll have some porridge to slow down in the evening. After we finish our meal, we'll ask the steward here to find a place for the two of us. After we say hello tomorrow, we can eat with the guards here. , the food will be better than this." Jiang Bin said after taking a sip of porridge.

Xu Han looked at the brown rice porridge in the bowl. It was very thick. If it had less water, it could be used as dry rice.

"Can all the refugees eat such thick porridge for free?" Xu Han asked.

"No way, if they all eat in vain, our Xinghan League will not be able to survive even if we have gold and silver." Jiang Bin explained: "Each refugee who defected to the Xinghan League will only be provided with free food for one day, so that they have time to understand After learning the various policies and rules of the Xinghan League, you must choose your own resettlement direction, either to open up wasteland and farm land, or to join factories and various construction teams, to catch up with the recruitment of new soldiers, or to join the army."

"Then if they have no savings, what will they eat during the lean years?" Xu Han asked.

"The government will provide loans with a monthly interest of only one cent (one percent)." Jiang Bin replied

"Can they return it?"

"As long as you are not lazy, you can pay it back. The Xinghan League has completely abolished corvées, whether they are servants or husbands. In the past, the work of servants was left to the recruited officials, and laborers were hired to complete the tasks. These refugees who migrated here , you can apply for government employment during the off-season, and the money you earn can basically feed and clothe your family and repay the loan. It is even easier for those who join the factory, and a part of the monthly salary will be directly deducted every month to pay off the debt."

The taxes of Zhao State were divided into taxes, taxes and corvees.Tax refers to grain, so it is next to the word "禾", tax refers to money, so it is next to the word "贝", and corvee refers to the labor services that people from all walks of life are required to perform for free, including repairing canals, roads, city walls, etc.

In terms of corvee service, Zhao State is much better than the previous dynasty. At least Zhao State's troops recruit soldiers, so the people do not have to perform military service. The burden has been reduced, but the remaining labor service is not a small burden.

The current service laws in Zhao State include servant service and husband service.The servant service refers to the official service performed by the landlord, and the husband service refers to the peasants who are dispatched to perform labor service by the court.The servants were held by head households, wealthy households and landowners, and received no salary but some money.The servants were held by yeoman farmers, semi-owner farmers and tenant farmers. The husbands were only given food, which was very hard.

The Xinghan League abolished corvee service. Although it increased government expenditure, it also revitalized the private labor force. Paid labor greatly improved the work efficiency of hired labor.

Liu Xinqi came from a later generation and knew that only when money circulates can it be called GDP, so he would find ways to get the Xinghan League government to spend the money, and then get the money back through the production of industrial products, taxes, etc., and the cycle repeats.

Only when money circulates can the economy be revitalized and develop healthily.

"I increasingly don't understand your Xinghan League's policy strategy. The government has to spend money to do everything, and the food tax is so low. How can we balance the budget?"

"If you can't cut costs, you can only increase revenue. This is why our alliance leader personally ventured out to Korea and Japan to open up trade routes. 'Know and be cautious, a gentleman will not stand under a dangerous wall'. The vast sea is changing rapidly, if not How could you take risks if you have no choice?" Jiang Bin answered Xu Han's question in a heavy tone. "'Practice is close to benevolence'. No wonder all the Xinghan League officials I saw are so dedicated to their duties. No wonder you have been able to resolutely fulfill the regulations of your Xinghan League today, even on small things." Xu Han praised.

Practicing forcefully is close to benevolence. It comes from "The Book of Rites: Doctrine of the Mean": "To ask questions is close to wisdom, to act with force is close to benevolence, and to know shame is close to courage. If you know these three, you will know how to govern yourself; if you know how to govern yourself, then you will know how to govern others."The excerpt from Xu Han's words "Practice is close to benevolence" means that Liu Xinqi's actions can be called benevolence and set a good example for his subordinates. Only then can the people below follow his example and ultimately achieve the purpose of "governing people".

The two chatted while eating, and the bowl of thick porridge quickly reached the bottom.

"Let's go, let's go find the person in charge of this resettlement site." Jiang Bin stood up, returned their empty bowls and chopsticks to the cook, and led Xu Han towards the west of the resettlement site. And, asking questions as he walked,
When we arrived at the west gate of the resettlement site, there were several tables outside the door. There were refugees standing in front of the tables, and behind the tables sat officials from the Husi, who were conducting basic registration, issuing temporary identity certificates and one-day free meal stamps to these refugees.

Jiang Bin walked straight towards the female clerk behind a table. He had just asked the people in the resettlement site and she was the person in charge of the settlement site.

"Ms. Wu, I am Jiang Bin, an official of the Department of Ceremonies. I am bringing Xu Han, a guest of the Department of Ceremonies, here on official business. It will get dark soon. Can you arrange for us to stay here tonight?"

The word "Ms." comes from "The Book of Songs: Ms. Li'er" and "Kong Yingda Shu" of the Tang Dynasty: "Ms., refers to a woman who is a scholar", which is a metaphor for a woman who behaves like a man.

"Mr. Jiang, you are welcome. You can call me Wu Shiyu. I will take you to the residence after I register this household." The female official promised,
When the Xinghan League recruited officials, three women took the exam, and they persisted until the end and were admitted.One of them is a widow whose husband has died, and two are ladies of the family. One of the ladies is Wu Xinggong's daughter, Wu Shiyu, Fang Ling.

At that time, Liu Xinqi arranged for all three of them to work and study with his mother Lu Congxue. After the reform of the Xinghan League Department, Lu Congxue was in charge of the Finance Department, Liu Xinqi's wife Li Lian was in charge of the Household Department, and Liu Xinqi's fiancée Zhou Yue was in charge of the Academic Department.Lu Congxue arranged the three people in the Finance Department, the Household Department and the Academic Department respectively in order to have a close confidant for the three people after they entered the Ministry.This is how Wu Shiyu entered the Husi and became an official.

Jiang Bin and the other two stood nearby waiting for Wu Shiyu to register this refugee household. The registration was very detailed. In addition to their place of origin, the number of people in the family and their respective names and whereabouts, it also included each person's skills and characteristics.Notes were made on the appearance and height of the registrant.

Less than a quarter of an hour later, after registration was completed, Wu Shiyu assigned the refugees lined up in front of his table to the queues in front of several nearby tables, and then led the two of them towards the resettlement site.

Although she is a woman, Wu Shiyu must have participated in military training. Her walk does not have the graceful charm of a woman. Instead, she feels heroic and like a woman, not inferior to a man.

"It's a good time for you to come. The work here has been straightened out. The above arrangements have reduced some of the guards. These guards were just withdrawn two days ago, leaving a few empty tents. You can live in one of them without having to fight with those The refugees are crowded together." Wu Shiyu
(End of this chapter)