Chapter Four Hundred and Twenty Six Reform Road Guide System and Daily Notes
Because the emperor issued an edict, the ministers of the regent must follow the order and conduct the court promulgation.
Therefore, shortly after the edict of exemption from labor service was issued, the cabinet issued another edict to reform the road-guiding system.
The imperial edict stipulates that people are allowed to work and migrate across the country, and their children can also enroll in school locally with their parents, but they must bring their household tickets.
When entering the city and staying in inns and stations, you need to use this to prove that you are a registered citizen of the Ming Dynasty so that the government can check your identity.
Although the road-induction system has long been in name only in the Ming Dynasty.
However, this system still has restrictions on the free labor and freedom of migration of the people in many places. For example, fleeing military households and people are still unable to be registered as households because they are afraid of being punished. However, now people are allowed to work and move abroad. Fleeing military households and people do not have to worry about being punished for fleeing, but can become households again in other places.
Fangshan County, Shuntian Prefecture.
The local people who were arranged to dig canals in Liuli River were serving here at this time.
They have been serving here for two months.
But with the arrival of the new year of the ninth year of Apocalypse, they are now home and are all thinking about going home as soon as possible and reunite with their families.
However, what desperately arises that their corvee service will not end until the beginning of next spring.
Therefore, they now have to hide this longing and continue to work for the government for free.
"Mr. Huang, the Dian Lie, is here!"
While they were working hard for the government, the sound of Chai Ding came from the north of the canal, and they were so scared that they had to work harder. After all, if the county government found out that they were lazy, they would be beaten.
Not long after, Huang Dianli of Fangshan County came here and shouted to these people who were in labor service: "Stop your work and listen. Just now, the county has obtained the above decree. The emperor has given mercy and ordered the world and prosperous dynasties to give up the grace of heaven. Therefore, the labor service will be abolished forever. The servient people can choose to receive two yuan silver coins as travel expenses and household tickets to go home, or they can sign a contract with the county to hire workers as the county government. The employed silver will be determined by the magistrate of the county to complete the corresponding project. The magistrate of the county has decided to hire three cents per mile."
As he said that, Huang Dianli pointed to the left: "If you want to go home, just stand here."
Then, Huang Dianli pointed to his right again: "Those who want to work for the county government office, come here."
The villagers were overjoyed after hearing this.
"Really, Mr. Huang?"
"Forever abolishing corvee service means that no one will have to do it in the future?"
"I thought I would have to delay the service time, but I didn't expect to stop serving!"
...
The villagers started talking about this.
"How can the imperial edict be false?"
"That's right, everyone will no longer have to perform labor service in the future, unless the world wants to change the emperor. However, even if the emperor is changed, I feel embarrassed to ask the people in the world to perform labor service again."
Huang Dianli said impatiently: "Make a decision quickly, I will go to the next construction site to announce the imperial edict."
"The government gave the money, so I'd better make money before going back. There was no farm work to do when I went back, and staying at home would be useless."
"I'm the same, I'll work until the Chinese New Year is approaching before going back."
As Emperor Zhu Youxiao expected, most of the people at the bottom were indeed hardworking. When they heard that the government gave silver, they still started digging water canals, and there was not much to get the travel expenses to go home.
However, the enthusiasm of the people to work has increased a lot.
Official projects are much more efficient than before.
It’s just that the project payment is spent a lot more.
But for the current Ming Dynasty, the extra project funds spent are nothing.
"Your Majesty suddenly issued an edict to abolish the world's corvee labor service forever. This is really unexpected! Looking at the past and present, even Emperor Wen of Han and Emperor Taizong of Tang, such a wise lord could not do this. But in fact, what our Majesty did was not similar to these wise lords. They punished ruthless laws, criticized gentry, forced taxes, and even set up a special Western factory to collect taxes. They also used elite border troops to collect taxes. So far, they have raised commercial taxes to an unprecedented level! Then, they are forever exempted from the world's corve labor service. In the opinion of the public, is this kind of government order worthy of being recorded in history?"
Zhu Youxiao issued an edict to exempt the world from labor service forever, which also caused a great sensation among the court officials.
At this time, Liang Tingdong, the Right Assistant Minister of the Ministry of War, talked about this matter to Li Jiantai, a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy.
Li Jiantai also frowned and said, "In theory, such good policies are worth leaving in history, but the benevolent lords in the past have not had such good policies. Even if there are light taxes and low taxes, they dare not exempt them from labor service. If this matter is recorded in history, will the kings of later generations believe that only by implementing strict policies can the country be prosperous and no longer need the people to serve?"
"It is precisely this principle that the Hanlin Academy should not record this matter, so that future generations really want to use this as a reason to not think of this person now."
Liang Tingdong said this and pressed his voice down a little, saying, "Don't think that this emperor is a tyrant and tyrant now!"
Li Jiantai nodded: "When I return to the Hanlin Academy, the Hanlin Zhu Qingliu said in private that the Hanlin who was studying history would not remember this matter for the sake of saints, and that future generations would not know that His Majesty had abolished the world's corvee service now!"
"That's right! Mr. Li's move is very just! Now that he wants to use this to regain his reputation in future generations, he pretends to abolish the world's corvee labor forever. However, the government's expenses will undoubtedly increase. It will not last a few years. After a few years, the corvee labor will still be restored, at least the corvee labor of the common people will be restored. In this way, the court will return to the same before officials and gentry pay the food together. Now the so-called abolishment of corvee labor is just a gesture."
Liang Tingdong said with a smile.
...
"Forever abolishing corvee service is not a pretentious manner. I ordered the governors and governors of all provinces to strictly investigate prefectures and counties that do not seriously implement exemption. If you let me know who is violating the imperial edict and still forcibly recruiting the people to serve, you must strictly deal with it! The crime of resisting the order of disobedience!"
Zhu Youxiao was also talking to the ministers of the Political Affairs Hall about the follow-up of the exemption of corvee labor in the world, and emphasized that he was sincerely determined to exempt corvee labor.
Then, Zhu Youxiao continued: "This is the general trend. When commercial taxes and tariffs have become the main taxes, the cost of corvee for the people is no longer worthy of justice. Instead of letting them serve the government, there is no profit to make them go to factories and exchange the excess labor force for money, which not only makes business more prosperous, the court has more taxes, and also makes them more income themselves. Therefore, this matter must be carried out seriously, do not act like a gesture, and also write a lot in history to let Chongwen Temple promote it. There is no need to just promote it. You should also have such merits, especially Yuan Fu Yuan Aiqing, who is my intention. I will be awarded the title of the Earl for this matter, and I will add the Three Dukes. The Ministry of Rites discusses it, and the Earl will be given the title."
"Your Majesty, I am ashamed of this."
Yuan Keli hurriedly refused and thought to himself: "I impose a commercial tax on my own and ban the brothels in the world. Isn't this a Count for me now? Isn't this putting myself on fire?"
Zhu Youxiao obviously intended to stimulate the people of the world, so he said, "Why not dare to take this? Looking at the past and present, how many people can assist the king and have such a merit in the country? This is abolishing the world's corvee service! Benefiting billions of people in the world! Or do you think this is nothing, and I don't do this thing?"
Zhu Youxiao asked Han Du as he spoke: "Han Aiqing, can Yuan Aiqing afford to do this?"
Han Du smiled bitterly: "Your Majesty, you can naturally afford it!"
Chapter completed!