Daming 1805

Chapter 443 The Imperial Court Lets You Enter the City

Zhu Jingyuan arranged tasks for several officials in the northwestern provinces and let them go back.

Several provinces have no dedicated staff and no offices in Xi'an.

However, Zhu Jingyuan had someone arrange a special telephone line and assign a special operator.

The chief officials of several chief envoys can directly call this line, and let the special operator directly connect to Zhu Jingyuan.

The few tasks arranged by Zhu Jingyuan seem to be just a few tasks, but the actual implementation is complicated.

It is impossible for Zhu Jingyuan to complete the two-year term of office. It would be good to see initial results when Zhu Jingyuan leaves.

It will take several months to a year to build new industrial areas around the selected cities and build new large-scale concentrated residential areas.

It may take another year for the personnel to be trained and the factory to be put into production.

The point is, before that, the people scattered on the grasslands and plateaus must be sent to the cities where the factories are located.

This is also because Daming already had grassroots ruling institutions on the grasslands and plateaus.

Since the time of Emperor Shizu, a unified management organization has been established on the grasslands and snowy plateaus, assigning relatively fixed pastoral areas to each tribe, and arranging special management and liaison personnel within the tribe.

At the same time, the abolition of slavery in the Ming Dynasty was also carried out on the grasslands and plateaus.

The serf system on the plateau ended 100 years ago.

Without these foundations, Zhu Jingyuan's orders cannot be carried out at all.

After Zhu Jingyuan sent away several chief envoys, he first wrote a report to his father.

Clearly write down the plans discussed by yourself and officials in several provinces, and at the same time clearly list the policies that require the cooperation of the central court.

There are also requirements for cooperation from various aspects including the central court and the royal consortium.

Then I contacted the management personnel of Daming Airlines and asked them to contact the government offices of several provinces on the grassland and plateau.

Provide them with off-road mopeds, cars and airplanes suitable for use on plateaus and grasslands.

On the grasslands, Gobi, and plateaus, there is not enough traffic network, and it is impossible to build railways for large and small cities. Even Daming cannot afford that kind of cost.

In the past, most remote areas could only be communicated by horse teams, but now mopeds, cars and airplanes can be used.

The relative maturity of the internal combustion engine industry is also an important condition for the Northwest of Daming to complete Zhu Jingyuan's task.

At the same time, Daming Airlines and its subsidiary machinery companies are required to invest in opening new factories in Xi'an, Lanzhou, Yili and other places.

Emperor Zhu Jianyan of Ming Dynasty frowned after reading his son's report.

Then instinctively took a pen and paper and scratched in front of him:
"This kid's tone is too big. He is engaged in industry in the Northwest, engaged in the construction of large cities, and engaged in large-scale immigration...

"The logic is very reasonable, and the goal can be regarded as relatively clear.

"Concentrating people from various ethnic groups scattered on the grasslands to the nearest big city to become new workers is indeed the best way to completely integrate these marginal populations.

"But the question is, how much will the imperial court spend in this process..."

Of course, the reform proposals proposed by Zhu Jingyuan cost money.

Of course, the products of the imperial consortium and Daming Airlines cannot be used by government offices at all levels for free.

At most, give a wholesale price slightly lower than the market retail price.

Concentrating on the construction of new urban areas, the construction of government-run factories, and the migration of the population itself all cost money.

The tax revenues of the northwest provinces are low, and Zhu Jianyan feels that even if all the taxes paid by the localities are returned to the original route, it may not be enough for these measures to consume.

The imperial court must allocate additional funds to implement it.

Zhu Jianyan pondered for a while, and finally accepted all his son's requests directly.

Instruct your secretary to write the order, and after showing yourself that it is correct, distribute it to the corresponding departments and institutions.

The current financial situation of Daming is relatively good, which is also the basis for the implementation of these reforms.

It will be relatively easier to do anything during the rising period of the dynasty...

Daming Airlines and its subordinate machinery company, faced with Zhu Jingyuan's direct boss's order, of course they couldn't refuse.

Although going to the northwest to build a factory is definitely not as convenient as going to Jiangnan, Central Plains and other places, but there are also special markets in the local area.

For the northwest region, airplanes and cars can even be regarded as rigid needs.

In the next few months, the Ming court, imperial consortium, Daming Airlines and other institutions began to gradually transport materials, funds, and personnel to the northwest, and cooperated with officials of the Northwest Chief Commissioners to implement Zhu Jingyuan's plan.

Many well-informed businessmen thought that the Ming court was going to engage in the "Northwest Development". Some businessmen were eager to consider whether to follow them to invest in the Northwest, and some followed directly.

What Zhu Jingyuan asked the chief ministers of the Northwest to do can indeed be regarded as the great development of the Northwest in a sense.

Although Zhu Jingyuan and Zhu Jianyan, father and son, actually don't want to develop the Northwest.

After the previous communication, the two have unified their thinking and will not build in places where the environment is not suitable.

However, there are exceptions where there are actual strategic needs.

Most parts of the northwest region can be left unused, but the key lines of communication must be guaranteed.

Therefore, Daming's northwest development operation started quite lively when the emperor himself was actually unwilling.

…………

At the foot of Tianshan Mountain, on an open pasture, a family of herdsmen is grazing their livestock.

The morning sun was shining on the earth, and after lunch, several children rode ponies around the flock of cattle and sheep.

Amidst the neighing of cattle and sheep, there was a faint and strange sound of chug in the distance.

Soon, two engine moped cars appeared in the herdsmen's field of vision.

The children were very interested in these "iron horses", and carried their ponies forward slightly to greet them.

But adults don't have much of a liking for these things.

Herdsmen in this era are far from the state of driving and grazing.

Cars and mopeds have just been invented not many years ago, and herdsmen in remote areas have not seen much of this kind of thing.

Most of them are only seen occasionally when shopping in the city.

But their appearance has indeed affected the sales volume and price of horses.

Traditional herdsmen are still in a state of "workers resisting new machines" for the time being, so they don't have much affection for cars and mopeds.

But they also wanted to know who it was that drove up to the ranch.

The two mopeds soon arrived at the place where the herdsmen were, and the herdsmen finally got a clear view of the person coming.

Two men in their 30s, both officers of the county government, came to the village to count household registration information for their children.

But the herdsman couple still didn't understand why the two officers came to the village at this time.

It seems that no one in the village has recently given birth to a child but has not yet registered.

A tall and thin male officer stopped the moped, greeted the herdsman on the horse with a smile, and explained the purpose of his visit at the same time:

"Lao Wa is herding sheep. There is a new arrangement from the court, and the village needs to be notified. Is your village head at home?"

The male herdsman Lao Wa casually said:
"Maybe not at home now, but I will go back tonight..."

The officer seems to have anticipated this situation:
"Okay, then I'll wait until night."

Seeing this situation, Lao Wa asked curiously:

"Is there something important? Can't you tell me directly, just ask me to shout when I go back to the village?"

The secretary thought about it, anyway, it's only afternoon now, and it's still early in the evening.

And I can go to their village with this herdsman, so I explained to Lao Wa casually:
"The imperial court wants you to go to the city, and not to our county, but to Yili directly.

"This time, it was directly arranged by His Royal Highness Prince Dashi to let all the herdsmen under the Tianshan Mountains go to live in the city...

"Your Highness Prince Dashi, do you know? He is the most important prince of our Emperor.

"Now he is the governor of our entire Northwest, and all the chief envoys have to listen to him."

When the children heard that they were going to Yili, they cheered subconsciously.

Regarding the identities of Prince Zhu Jingyuan and the governor, although they don't quite understand what they can do.

But everyone knew that he was definitely a very big official, and he was still a prince.

After hearing this, Lao Wa said with a sad face:

"We don't know anything except herding. What can we do when we go to Yili? We don't have a place to live in the city, and we can't make money..."

The officer immediately explained to Lao Wa:
"No, you can learn it. Now the work in the factory is very simple, as long as you are not a fool, you can learn it.

"Even if you really can't learn well, you can go to Yili to raise cattle. You will always raise cattle, right?"

When Lao Wa heard this, he almost laughed out loud:
"My lord, are you kidding? Why do we go to Yili to raise cattle? Isn't it the same to raise cattle here?"

The secretary seemed to feel that what he said was not clear, so he immediately added:
"It's not the way you used to raise cattle, it's not driving livestock to graze on the grassland.

"Instead, they are raised together in captivity, directly fed with concentrated feed for milk and meat production, and raise cattle like a factory.

"One person can raise more cattle and sheep, grow faster, and it is convenient to sell near big cities.

"You should have heard of it before, the Royal Ranch is doing this now."

Lao Wa seemed to understand, and then continued to say with a bitter face:

"It is because the Han people have started to raise cattle and sheep like this, and our cattle and sheep are not easy to sell.

"Plus you're riding these mopeds, and our horses are hard to sell.

"In recent years, our life has become more and more difficult..."

When the secretary heard this, he immediately continued:

"The imperial court knows that you are having a hard time, so don't you have arrangements now?

"His Majesty the Emperor and His Royal Highness Prince Dashi, we are going to take you into the city now, and bring you together to build a new pasture.

"Of course, it's better to go to a factory. A wool spinning factory employs more people than a ranch, and earns more money.

"With the clothing firm of His Royal Highness Prince Dashi taking the lead, woolen clothing has become popular all over the world.

"When you go to work in the factory of Dashi Clothing Company, you can get at least twenty silver bills a month, and you can do better.

"Even if you two don't want to enter the factory, you can still let your eldest child enter the factory.

"In the future, they will be able to live in buildings in the city, and they don't have to follow you in the grasslands to be exposed to the wind, sun and rain.

"Isn't it more comfortable to get married and settle down in the establishment than to graze in the village?"

When Lao Wa heard the salary of [-] silver bills, heard the idea of ​​living in a high-rise building, especially the idea that his children could settle down in the city without having to continue herding with him, he was immediately moved.

However, Lao Wa instinctively feels panic and worry about all the unknown things.

Lao Wa asked with anticipation and worry:
"Can you really earn twenty silver bills in Yili? Will there be work after you go there? Where will you live after you go?"

The steward immediately said:
"According to the arrangement given above, you will be notified only when there is work available, which is also the request of His Royal Highness Prince Dashi.

"I am here this time to prepare you well, and I will arrange work for you later and then take you there.

"The place to live is also arranged. When I first went there, I lived in the dormitory of the factory.

"After you make money, you can buy your own separate house."

Lao Wa was even more tempted after hearing this, but the worries in his heart were still not completely eliminated:
"Why did the imperial court do this? Why does His Royal Highness Prince Dashi take such care of us herdsmen?"

The secretary immediately held his head high:

"Because you, like us, are the subjects of His Majesty the Emperor of Ming Dynasty.

"In the eyes of His Majesty the Ming Emperor, there are no Han people, Mongols, or Uighurs, we are all Ming people.

"Our Majesty certainly hopes that all Daming people can live a good life.

"From the perspective of the imperial court, the common people have money in their hands, the common people can earn more money, and the imperial court can also receive more taxes."

Lao Wa was a little confused, but he also keenly realized that Daming is a good identity.

The emperor is the emperor of Ming Dynasty, so the people of Ming Dynasty are the emperor's own people.

Just like the chief of his own tribe, he will take care of the people in his own tribe and go to grab the people outside together.

Of course, most of the things robbed from outside must belong to the chief, and a part of the livestock raised in the tribe must be contributed to the chief for enjoyment, just like the Ming court also collected taxes.

The more cattle and sheep raised by the herdsmen below, the more offerings the chief can receive.

Now that the people of Ming Dynasty have money, the imperial court can receive more taxes.

Lao Wa felt that he basically understood that the principles of the elders had not changed, but that the tribe of Daming was too big.

I heard that outside of the grassland, most of the land under the entire sky belongs to Daming.

I am also a member of Daming, so it is indeed quite good...

So Lao Wa nodded and said:

"Let me think about it, let me think about it, anyway, you didn't just take people away this time..."

Hearing what Lao Wa said, the secretary knew that he had already moved, and he was also slightly relieved.

Then continue to chat with Lao Wa and ask about the situation in the village.

In the middle of the afternoon, I drove the sheep with Lao Wa and returned to the village where I lived together.

Lao Wa said that he could go to the village to shout for the officer, or he could tell the matter to the village chief.

But the officer knew that Lao Wa's mouth was limited, and it was difficult to explain things clearly.

The point is that for such a serious matter, I have to go to the village and explain it to the herdsmen myself.

I also have to take a face-to-face with the village chief to confirm that my work has been done, so as to avoid any trouble later.

Most of the methods and guidelines of officials in the Ming Dynasty, as well as the bureaucratic system itself, were reshaped by Zhu Cihong.

Especially the affairs at the village and town level, which did not exist at all, are the rules set by Zhu Cihong himself.

As a result, the situation at the grassroots level in various places is very similar to the typical state of rural villages in later generations.

(End of this chapter)