The Great Han Dynasty: From Feng Lang Juxu to the Eternal Emperor

Chapter 381 Transforming agriculture into business
Zhang Tang hurriedly came to the East Palace and found Weining.

"I see His Highness the Crown Prince."

Wei Ning waved his hand and said: "Speak directly, don't be polite."

Zhang Tang did not hesitate, he said: "I found out that it was the doctor of the Ministry of Rites who leaked the question in advance."

Wei Ning had a gloomy face, took a sip of tea, and listened to Zhang Tang continue without speaking.

Weining can rest assured that Zhang Tang will not only find this bit of information.

Zhang Tang paused and continued: "There is simply no large-scale leakage, just Zhu Damao alone."

Wei Ning put down the tea cup and said, "Why him?"

Zhang Tang said: "Zhu Damao's family is not simple. His father is the president of the Peasants' Association of six counties in Gyeonggi."

Zhang Tang has naturally investigated everything, otherwise he would not come to Weining rashly.

The so-called presidents of the peasant associations were selected by each county and represented the power of the gentry and powerful people.

Land annexation across the country was becoming increasingly serious, and imperial power did not go to the countryside. The administrative agency at the township level in the Han Dynasty was not the county government, and the county government did not have so many manpower to dedicate to management.

Each village has its own village chief. These village chiefs are the powerful people in the village. Among the peasant groups, they are the top level of power.

Li Zheng in each county secretly united. This force is very large and can rule the grassroots peasant class.

If one county is like this, the power of the presidents of the farmers' associations in six counties is evident.

Only with such great power can he collude with officials from the Ministry of Rites.

Wei Ning frowned slightly and looked at Zhang Tang with a solemn expression.

"Besides the doctor from the Ministry of Rites, is there anyone else?"

Zhang Tang shook his head and said: "No more."

Wei Ning hummed and said, "Let the Criminal Department arrest the person!"

"Here!"

After Zhang Tang left, Wei Ning also stepped to Weiyang Palace and informed Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty of the ins and outs that Zhang Tang had found out.

Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was silent for a moment and said to Wei Ning: "What are you going to do?"

Wei Ning thought for a while and said: "The doctor of the Ministry of Rites wants to kill him!"

Not killing is not enough to let the world know the importance of the imperial examination.

"and then?"

Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty looked at Wei Ning and asked.

Wei Ning said: "Father, please don't involve too many things in this matter. I haven't figured out how to deal with it and how many people to kill."

Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty shook his head slightly and said: "I want to kill the doctor of the Ministry of Rites, but the implication cannot be too wide."

"The big man is on the right track now. If he starts killing on a large scale, it will only make people panic."

"You just killed Han not long ago and said that it is not a good thing to kill someone who is too evil."

"But if you don't kill, you may not be able to deter the officials in the world."

Wei Ning asked in confusion: "Can we deter them without killing them?"

Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty said: "Let them lose the most important thing. Let them lose whatever they like."

"The money is confiscated, and the children will never be able to take part in scientific examinations in future generations, and they will be deprived of all honors and money."

The children of future generations will never be allowed to take the scientific examination, which also cuts off the possibility of being an official in this lineage. The so-called murder and punishment are nothing more than this.

Wei Ning nodded and asked Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty: "What about Zhu Damao?"

Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty said: "Let him go. The same thing is true. He will never be allowed to participate in scientific examinations in future generations." "If it is handled over the limit, it may cause chaos in the Gyeonggi region."

Zhu Damao's father was quite powerful in the capital, and Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty reminded him that the locals had united and had a vague tendency to become a big family.

This is naturally not a good phenomenon. Now Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty has to consider the influence of the Zhu family in the six counties of Gyeonggi. What about the future?
It is very simple to kill a member of the Zhu family, but the series of chain reactions caused by the murder are currently unbearable for the big man.

He still hopes that Dahan can develop steadily now, and it is best to minimize the impact of this fraud.

Now the Han Dynasty's foundation is still very thin. The wealth left by the Wenjing period has been squandered by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty in the war. Now the Han Dynasty should recuperate and let the people develop well and not do anything too outrageous.

Weining sighed. He knew that the method given by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was the safest.

After Weining left Qilin Hall, he asked the Ministry of Punishment to handle the matter according to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty's wishes.

The doctor of the Ministry of Rites was beheaded in the street, and Zhu Damao was sentenced to never participate in the scientific examination for his descendants.

Weining now has to consider accelerating business development.

But how can business thrive?
Then some businessmen need to see the benefits first.

Wei Ning sat in the East Palace and thought for a long time, and he thought of a possibility.

That night, Weining went to Weiyang Palace to meet Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty.

"Father, the water conservancy projects in the south of the Yangtze River are still under construction. The Ministry of Industry spends huge sums of money to build water conservancy projects every year. Is there anyone among them who is lining their pockets?"

Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty looked at Wei Ning in confusion. Do you still need to ask about this matter? There must be some, but the court is unwilling to take care of it. As long as the corruption is not too serious, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty will turn a blind eye.

Wei Ning said: "What if we don't need the Ministry of Industry?"

Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty said suspiciously: "No need for the Ministry of Works?"

Weining nodded and said: "For these large water conservancy and road development projects, we might as well package them all and contract them to businessmen and let them do it."

Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty became interested and said: "Why do you think this is more beneficial than letting the Ministry of Works do it?"

Weining said: "The budget given by the Ministry of Industry is very large, but businessmen may not need such a large budget."

"A large part of the budget requested by the Ministry of Industry does not benefit the people. The people are forced to work in these projects as corvees, which will only increase their complaints against the court."

"But doing it for businessmen is different. Businessmen need to hire labor, and when hiring labor, they need to pay wages."

"This way the people will have money to take."

Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty said: "Then why can't the Ministry of Industry hire people for a fee? And the step of merchants is omitted?"

Weining said: "Promote the development of business!"

"When the first batch of merchants see profits, other merchants will follow suit, and Han's business will develop."

"Now our country has no major war needs. We have sufficient food reserves and there is food supply in southern Xinjiang, which is completely enough for us to feed ourselves."

The president of the Zhu family's six-county peasant association made Weining see that the current powerful people in the Han Dynasty still regard land as their only treasure. Controlling the land is equivalent to controlling the people.

If the imperial power does not go to the countryside, the power from the upper class will have no way to reach the common people.

But if we change the social status quo and allow people to participate in business, the weight of agriculture will be reduced. When the powerful are rushing to invest in business, land will be released on a large scale, the traditional powerful will fall, and power will be transferred.

Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty asked Wei Ning: "But when businessmen control the livelihood of large areas of people, will they still threaten the court?"

Wei Ning smiled and said: "Businessmen, if there is one less, there are more people. It is as difficult as climbing to the sky to become a landowner. Isn't it easy to become a businessman?"

Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was thoughtful. He didn't know what the consequences of this new reform idea would be.

He thought for a while and said to Weining: "First try it out and show it to me."

Weining nodded heavily: "Okay!"

(End of this chapter)