New Shun 1730

Immigration is of course a good thing, because the self-cultivating farmers in North China of Dashun, in this era of change, face a completely different situation from the farmers in Europe.

The reality faced by European farmers is how to transform in this era of change.

The reality faced by the self-cultivating farmers in North China of Dashun in this era of change is survival.

Population growth, large population and small land, feudal corvée, local taxes, plus the problem of copper coins and silver exchange, have made the self-cultivating farmers in North China unable to hold on.

The small peasant economy in North China of Dashun is already quite fragile.

This fragility is reflected in the fact that at the beginning of the founding of the country, more than a hundred years ago, the self-cultivating farmers did not have to farm and weave for men, and the average person had 25 mu of land. At that time, farming was not bad. There was surplus food to enter the field of commodity exchange and circulation.

Now, it is not 25 mu of land per person, but 25 mu of land per household is considered a good self-cultivating farmer group. Generally speaking, for a family of five or six people, the per mu yield is there, and the per capita share is not much.

There are all kinds of oppressions on us. Let's take the most inconspicuous one: we have to pay taxes in silver, but we have to use copper coins in daily life. The water is very deep when copper coins are converted into silver.

Theoretically, copper coins are small-denomination coins of silver, and there is an official exchange rate.

But in fact, copper coins and silver are local currency and foreign currency, and the official "exchange rate" is useless.

This point was discovered by someone in the Ming Dynasty. It is said that the relationship between silver and copper coins is not the relationship that silver is a big coin "worth a thousand coins", but it is equivalent to the court giving the right to issue banknotes to merchants. The previous dynasty knew that this was the relationship between local currency and foreign currency, not the relationship between large-denomination local currency and small-denomination local currency.

This prompted each family to find ways to do some side jobs. These side jobs naturally include weaving.

Weaving is not just for personal use. In addition, women have to weave and exchange money to pay various taxes, fees, labor, etc.

The money from selling grain can starve the whole family to death.

It is impossible not to weave.

That's why it's said that the self-cultivating peasant economy in North China has already gone wrong. It's no longer possible to survive just by farming.

This is also why Dashun is so resistant to the unified national market, the abolition of the currency gate, and the abolition of internal tariffs.

If textiles from developed regions such as Songsu and Su really flow into North China, the self-cultivating peasants in North China will have no choice but to rebel.

For Europe, this is a transition issue.

But for Dashun, this is a real survival issue.

This is also one of the reasons why it is so difficult for Liu Yu to do things in Shandong: the Yellow River flows through the doorstep, which also means that there will be more labor, heavier burdens, and greater dangers than before.

Not to mention the risk of possible embankment collapse, just say that the maintenance of the river embankment will increase local expenditures and increase the burden on the people.

This is the situation. Who will bear the burden? Naturally, it is the self-cultivating peasants. The tenants can't squeeze any oil and water, and it is relatively easy for the landlords and gentry to escape the burden.

Before the second wave of immigration was about to start, Liu Yu came to Anshan Lake in the western Shandong region. This place does not exist on the maps of later generations, because the Yellow River burst and Liangshan Lake reappeared here.

And now, this place is embarrassing.

Before the rise of Dashun shipping, this place was very important and was one of the "four major water tanks" of the Grand Canal.

The so-called water tank means that when there is a shortage of water, water is released to the Grand Canal; when there is flooding, the Grand Canal releases water to Anshan Lake.

Starting from the ninth year of Yongle, large-scale water conservancy construction was carried out here, and everything was prioritized for water transport.

But obviously, the construction was not successful.

In the 16th year of Wanli, the chief official Chang Jujing, Xinghe restored the Anshan Lake to retain water, built an earthen embankment of more than 4,300 feet, and built a gate, one at the north mouth of the lake and one at the south mouth of the lake, because it was dry and overflowed to store and discharge.

In the 17th year of Wanli, the chief official Chang Jujing reported that Anshan and other lakes were set up between Dongping and Jining, which were called water tanks.

In the first year of Taichang, Wang Zuo said that the water tanks of various lakes had been restored, and Anshan Lake had been restored for 55 miles, which would be beneficial to the transport of grain.

In the 14th year of Chongzhen, Zhang Guowei submitted six strategies for transportation, and the first one was to restore the water tank of Anshan Lake to Jibei Gate.

In the context of the late Ming Dynasty, Anshan Lake was related to the transport of grain and the safety of the empire. There were many plans to repair the important canal water tank. But in the end, either there was no money or the lake was silted up and it was difficult to repair, so it was left unfinished.

Time passed, and the moment Dashun finally decided to give up the canal transport, the status of Anshan Lake became completely embarrassing.

And when Liu Yu decided to take a gamble and dig the Yellow River, the status of Anshan Lake became even more embarrassing.

The lower reaches of the Yellow River need a reservoir, a lake, to regulate the water level.

Otherwise, given the Yellow River's hot temper, it would burst in the western Shandong region in just three to five days.

Therefore, all the land cultivated by the lake during the early period of abandoning the canal transport and the Ming Dynasty... must be abandoned.

People moved away.

Land was flooded.

Not only Anshan Lake, but also the surrounding depressions within a hundred miles must be abandoned, as important regulating lakes after the Yellow River is diverted in the future, that is, a replica of Daye Lake and Liangshan Lake.

The local governors and county magistrates followed Liu Yu, and their faces were not very good. This is not a matter that can be solved by simply flattering the superiors. Whether it is the governor or the county magistrate, these things can not be done by themselves, but the troubles have been continuous since the moment the court decided to solve the danger of the Yellow River flooding north.

To put it bluntly, you are the local shepherd and county magistrate. With a population of more than 100,000, the land that people rely on for a living and that their families have accumulated for hundreds of years will be flooded and dug up. Even if there is an army to control the land, will this county government survive?

Liu Yu's words were unquestionable, and the people below him couldn't breathe.

"There are two most difficult things about the Yellow River."

"The first is the seaside salt industry. I have the foundation of Lianghuai Salt to handle these things, so it's easier to talk about it."

"The second is around Anshan Lake. This is the place with the most immigrants. It's not elsewhere, based on the river area, but it's hundreds of miles away. All of them have to be relocated. This is the largest wave of immigrants."

"This matter must be done even if it is not done."

"Even if we say, if we don't do it today, we don't want to return to Liangshan. Then who can guarantee that the Yellow River will not be cut open in the future? As long as there is a small cut, all the lowlands like this will be flooded."

"If you don't move today, people will die in the future, and it will be a great disaster."

"It's not the Yellow River embankment that I dug up. If it floods, it has nothing to do with me and I won't be able to see it, okay? It's better for a gentleman to use it sparingly when he is far away from the kitchen."

"I know it's difficult for you to handle, but we will handle the most difficult things like review, screening, investigation, and suppression. But some things still require your intervention."

"I'm trying to make a fool of myself, but to put it bluntly, when Anshan Lake was built as a water tank, any reclamation of wasteland was illegal, and the court did not recognize these cultivated lands at all."

"But you can't always be a bad person. Someone has to be a good person and state the pros and cons. Firstly, the overall situation is important, and secondly, it is also good for them personally. If you immigrate to Fusang, it is not a bitter cold land in Guandong, and there is no flood from the Yellow River. With less corvee and more land, it is actually a hundred times better than here."

"Things have their own priorities. If there is going to be trouble, I will lead troops to suppress it. Don't think about making trouble and the court will retreat. It is absolutely impossible and impossible. In any case, the North Yellow River Road must be dealt with become."

Dongping Prefecture Mu said helplessly: "Your Majesty, as officials of the imperial court, we know that matters are of great importance. But this matter... I will speak frankly, please don't blame your Majesty."

"Abolition of water transportation will make small farmers happy, but water transportation will be hated by industrial and commercial merchants."

“The small farmers hate digging river channels.”

"The Duke has already offended the farmers and merchants, and now he wants to hate the small farmers. The people here have always been strong and strong, and it is also located on the edge of the canal, where the White Lotus and Green Lotus and other religions are rampant."

"Of course people must be relocated. But...but those who have not been relocated in the first wave must be organized into teams to dig river embankments, build berms, and expand lakes... When these people gather together, white lotus, green lotus, etc. will inevitably breed. . I am afraid that one man will cause chaos and the river bank will shake."

"Even though we, the local officials, have the responsibility of educating people, like White Lotus and Green Lotus, we can go deep into the people, which is not what we are good at..."

When water transportation was abandoned, Dashun officials severely cracked down on these chaotic religions. These religions spread along the canals. After the attack, they did not disappear, but went underground one after another.

Judging from the experience of later generations, drawing small farmers into the army will make the exchange of ideas a hundred times faster.

By the same token, now these people who were originally dissatisfied have gathered together to dig rivers, and there are many groups recognized by the court as cults among them. If a one-eyed stone man or something happens, it will be a big deal. .

Is it difficult for Dashun to win the "Seven Years' War"?

Or is it difficult to complete river excavation and complete immigration?

Undoubtedly, the latter is much more difficult.

As for the former, Liu Yu had been preparing for nearly thirty years, laying the groundwork.

The latter is not something that can be taken slowly.

The former, over twenty or thirty years, accumulated strength bit by bit.

The latter, the longer it is delayed, the more people will be involved and the greater the trouble will be, and it is not something that can be done in one day.

Liu Yu was betting on this matter with everything, including all the fame and prestige he had won before.

He is not young anymore. If he doesn't get this started, once the old emperor dies, the Yellow River incident will basically be forgotten.

This is not just as simple as looking down on the prince, but even if there are people who want to do things and want to achieve them, they cannot withstand the counterattack of opponents.

The story of the three Bian Que brothers has always made sense.

If the Yellow River really bursts, whoever can successfully control the flood within ten years will have a great achievement.

But the Yellow River has not yet burst, and anyone who wants to move people, immigrate, or dig river channels is a bad person. People will not be grateful. Not only the gentry will oppose it, but the common people will also oppose it.

When things have reached this point, Liu Yu's worries are basically finished, and he is just doing the last thing based on his conscience. Because Australia can ensure that sooner or later it will be Han Chinese; if the news about the gold mines on the west coast of North America is released, even if he dies immediately, the division of North America will be completed, and the Chinese on the west coast will definitely gain the population advantage in North America in fifty years.

Only the Yellow River thing really has the meaning of fighting against heaven and earth. Liu Yu himself also knew that if everything goes well with the Yellow River, the success rate may only be half.

Maybe it was easy to dig here, but the next day the new water channel broke open and became silted up. That's also unknown.

It's just that he has come this far, and he doesn't want to retreat. Even if it comes to bringing troops to suppress it, this must be done.

At the very least, if all these people are removed, even if the river fails in the end, it would be okay to leave a potential river no-man's land of more than ten miles wide and a low-lying lake no-man's land with a radius of more than a hundred miles.