The Rise of Ming Dynasty 1646

Chapter 572

"This..." Feng Kang wondered, "Grandpa Wang, if this rumor comes out of your mouth and into his ears, how can we trace it to the source. It is to block a kind of rumor, and it is impossible to guard against it immediately. ah.

"As for threats and intimidation, most of them are local clans, tyrants, and even officials, who take advantage of their familiarity with the place and spend a little money to hire rogues and scoundrels to stir up trouble in the homes of ordinary people. Who would dare to provoke them? , I can only hold back my anger and come to contract Huangzhuang..."

"Why don't the local yamen get these rascals?" Zhu Lin asked, "It's just that the local officials want to protect them. Isn't there still the police? Let the Ministry of War write to arrest them!"

"Grandpa Wang, I have tried to make people arrest some rogues before, but this kind of thing is far from a capital crime, and can only be locked up in prison. The person who instigated him to pay some money to the arrested person, turned around and immediately It can attract new troublemakers. This is the case everywhere, and the police can't do nothing, just focus on whether someone threatens the contractor..."

Zhu Lin was stunned for a moment, she had only seen the clans of the Ming Dynasty controlling local power in the historical materials, even the imperial court had no choice but to meet her unexpectedly.These people don't make a big deal of it, but their small actions are enough to prevent the government's decree from being implemented.

Seeing his unkind expression, Feng Kang hesitated and said: "Grandpa Wang, I don't know if I should say something or not?"

"You said."

"This Huangzhuang has acquired a lot of land, but only confiscates very little harvest from the contractors. In this way, once the contracting of the Huangzhuang starts, the adjacent fields will definitely not be able to recruit tenants." Feng Kang said carefully, "Therefore, wherever there is land The wealthy households, no matter how powerful, wealthy or official they are, would gnash their teeth at the contracting of Huangzhuang. They didn't dare to know what to do with Huangzhuang, so they could only attack the people who contracted it.

"Actually, according to the servants' opinion, it's not difficult to ask these people not to object."

"What's your plan?"

"Just increase the collection amount of Huangzhuang, which is slightly lower than that of ordinary tenants nearby..."

Zhu Linmi fell into deep thought when she heard the words. She originally only thought about how to benefit the people, improve the agricultural production efficiency of the Ming Dynasty, and solve the problems of land distribution and annexation, but she ignored that this would touch the cake of the entire landlord class.

Under the squeeze of more than 100 million "low-rent cultivated land" across the country, the landlords must either lower the land rent together, or cultivate the land themselves, or they can only let the land go unused.But no matter what, it will be difficult for them to return to the good old days.

However, in an agricultural society like the Ming Dynasty, the landlord class still occupies a dominant position. From local wealthy families to high officials in the court, they are all landlords.If they unanimously oppose it, it may be really difficult to carry out the Huangzhuang contract.

It seems that both hands must be grasped to solve the current predicament.He thought in his heart that on the one hand, he would hit hard those who dared to contract with Huangzhuang to make an example of others, and on the other hand, he would give some benefits to the more cooperative landlords.With carrots and sticks, I am not afraid that they will not accept it!
After the Ming Dynasty started industrialization and the capitalist and handicraft class gradually became the main force of society, it would be difficult for the landlords to make waves.

After a while, Zhu Linmei looked at Feng Kang and ordered: "As you said, temporarily double the harvest paid by the contractors of Huangzhuang, and then reduce it year by year, and reduce it to the current amount in five years." The harvest of brown rice is [-] to [-] catties, which is still much lower than the land rent of ordinary tenants.

"As for those Xiaoxiao who disturb the contractors..." He smiled and teased, "Feng Kang, it is said that you servants are good at using ruthless and deceitful tricks. Why are you helpless now?"

"Grandpa Wang don't want to entertain the servants," Feng Kang said with a bitter face, "The servants have some tricks, and they dare not use them on such a big matter."

"Why don't you dare?" Zhu Linmei pretended to be serious and said, "My master said, 'Repay grievances with straightness', since they are playing tricks, why do you have to be a gentleman?
"It's really not difficult to deal with these rascals. As long as you are more ruthless, shameless, and unreasonable than him, he will naturally lose."

Feng Kang stared at Zhu Linming with wide eyes, and couldn't believe that the words were spoken by His Royal Highness the Assistant Prince.After being stunned for a while, he suddenly slapped his thigh, and said with a smile: "Since the servant has been ordered by Grandpa Wang, what is there to be afraid of? The servant promises that I will teach those who don't know how to live or die to know how powerful they are, so they don't dare to think about Huangzhuang again." !"

He smiled "hehe" again, "Grandpa Wang, this servant wants to borrow something from you, it will get twice the result with half the effort..."

Zhu Linmei couldn't help laughing and nodding after hearing him finish, "Okay, I'll call you. Let Zheng Guangying call in some Jinyiwei to help you. Some things are handled neatly by them. As for the rumors, I don't believe anyone can spread them better than the Propaganda Department." Hurry up, let Hong Si only focus on this matter recently."

"My servant, thank you Grandpa Wang for your help!"

After discussing with Feng Kang here, Zhu Linming ordered Shi Lin again: "Call the Minister of the Household Department, Zeng Ying, and the Chief of the Ministry of Officials, Zeng Jian, to come. Wait, there are Li Hongcai, Qin Banming, Jiang Sheng... ..." He read seven or eight names in a row, "I'll call all the few left over from the trial a while ago."

"Yes!"

After less than half an hour, Zeng Ying had to enter Yingtian Mansion's Yamen first, saluted, and said: "I don't know what orders does Your Highness have for summoning the officials?"

"After you go back, you will post a document in the name of the Ministry of Household Affairs. If more than half of Huangzhuang is contracted in each state and county, the tax on all local cultivated land will be reduced by [-]%."

Zeng Ying hurriedly asked: "Your Highness, is this the case in the whole country?"

"Naturally, the whole country is the same." Zhu Linmei said indifferently, "Eighty percent of the places in Huangzhuang have been contracted, and the imperial court will subsidize one and a half dollars per mu."

"This!" Zeng Ying was shocked when she heard the words, "This not only reduces taxes, but also pays money?! There has never been such a rationale since ancient times..."

Zhu Linmei smiled and said, "How much property does Mr. Zeng own?"

"Ah?" Zeng Ying was taken aback, and hesitated, "Big, probably less than thirty or fifty."

"Are you happy with the court's policy?"

"No, how can you be happy. In this way, the court tax has been greatly reduced..."

"Don't talk about the court, just talk about yourself."

"The next official...maybe I can leave some spare money."

"That's it. Go ahead, draft an order to the cabinet, and I will greet Mr. Huang Ge."

"The subordinate obeys the order."

After Zeng Ying left, Zeng Jian, head of the Department of Literature and Selection of the Ministry of Officials, followed in.

When he met Li, Zhu Linmei said first, "Master Zeng is from Juren, right?"

"Returning to Your Highness, the next official is the No. 15 in the Jiangxi General Examination in the 4th year of Chongzhen."

"What position did you hold in Jiangxi later?"

"Returning to Your Highness, the official Marquis has been absent for four years, and he had to replace the county magistrate in Ningzhou County last year."

"Well, I see that you have excellent performance in local examinations and have achievements in combating corruption, so I mentioned you to the Ministry of Household Affairs."

Zeng Jian came to his senses suddenly, knelt down and said: "Your Highness knows the great kindness, and I will swear to repay it with my death!"

(End of this chapter)