After Ming Dynasty

Chapter 24 I am a scholar of Ming Dynasty

Looking at the hordes of refugees, Zhu Yiyuan was overwhelmed with emotion. What he needs most now is time, to settle these people down, to select soldiers who can fight, and to build a base.

Only in this way can we resist the next siege of the Qing army.

He also didn't know how much time Xie Qian could buy, maybe ten days and a half months, maybe three to two months, Xie Qian might be defeated, and then he would face the Qing army by himself.

"I can't wait for the time!"

Zhu Yiyuan sighed, turned around and called his father over, "Others are busy, so don't be idle, go and register the refugees and send them to the village."

Father Zhu was startled, I am the commander of the capital, why do you use me as a scribe?

But Father Zhu didn't dare to stare at his son. On the contrary, he knew very well that the time was really tight and there was no delay.

It is said that he is a father and son in battle, and he, a father, can't really sit back and enjoy his success... Hurry up and pick up a pen and paper, and register the refugees... All the refugees who register and make records can receive fifty catties of food.

These grains were also obtained from the big households in Zichuan, and Xie Qian swept away the grain in the treasury.But as we all know, the mess left by the Ming Dynasty, the imperial court was as poor as an old dog, and the rich were rich.

Therefore, Zhu Yiyuan obtained more than five thousand shi of grain from several big households.

Each refugee was given [-] catties of rations, and the land was granted after the autumn harvest... The reason why the land was not granted immediately was the result of discussions between Zhu Yiyuan and Mr. Pang.

At this time, there is still a little more than a month before the autumn harvest in August. The villagers have worked hard for several months and are waiting for the harvest. If the fields are divided at this time, how will the crops in the fields be counted?
Undoubtedly, it will cause conflicts between the refugees and the villagers. Before things can be done, there will be chaos first.

Therefore, Zhu Yiyuan's strategy is divided into two steps... First, tell all the villagers that this season's crops are all theirs, and there is no need to pay land rent and taxes, and the past arrears and loan sharks will also be exempted.

Let the people get the benefits first, and after the crops are harvested and the number of acres is verified, the fields will be divided according to the situation.

If you work alone, you can get five acres of land. For a family of five, the upper limit is twenty acres. Others who have made meritorious service can increase it as appropriate.

All in all, this is just a very rough plan.

But there is one thing, Zhu Yiyuan asked that all the books of Zichuan County and the land deeds copied from several big households be sent to the villages, and they should be destroyed in front of the common people, which means that the old shackles no longer exist, and everything Restart.

Zhu Yiyuan knew very well that the success or failure of this matter would determine whether his team could grow rapidly, so he decided to take a trip himself.

The first test site was Dazhuang Village, where the Zhang family was originally located.

It's interesting to say that Zhang Zhifa's family is not polite to other villages, but their own Dazhuang Village still has some sympathy, and there are dozens of self-cultivating farmers.

They were even allowed to record the land in the name of the Zhang family to avoid tax.

Therefore, when Zhu Yiyuan led the Qingshiji Rebel Army and hundreds of refugees arrived, Dazhuang Village had already been divided into two camps.

Almost [-]% of the tenant farmers are on Zhu Yiyuan's side, eager to get a share of the land.

The other self-cultivating farmers hated the rebels and resisted the division of land.

Zhu Yiyuan didn't say anything, but stood in front of everyone and chatted with the big guy.

"Our two villages are not far away. In the first few days, the folks in Qingshiji got their own land, and because of exempting exorbitant land taxes, exorbitant taxes, and various debts, on average, one person can pay more Get two hundred catties of grain."

Hearing this, the tenant farmers in Dazhuang Village's eyes lit up.

They don't understand anything else, but they know very well what two hundred catties of grain means.An ordinary family of three rents and grows the land of the landlord. The weather is good all year round. Half of the grain harvested is handed over to the land rent, and then some exorbitant taxes are paid. The rest is distributed to each person on average.

Almost every household eats porridge during the slack season, and is willing to eat some dry food when the farming is busy. In addition, they have to take out good food and replace it with brown rice and beans. The method, to be able to barely starve to death, is already blessed by the ancestors.

With [-] catties of grain added all of a sudden, wouldn't everyone be able to eat enough, and can eat dry rice every meal!
People who have never been hungry will not experience the pain of having an empty stomach, being tortured by stomach acid every night, and being unable to sleep.

It's just food, there are plenty on the shelves in the supermarket, just buy it.

I'm sorry, it's only been a few decades for the common people in China to fill their stomachs. Looking back, hunger has always been like a shadow, and it never left for a moment.

This is especially true in times of war.

Li Zicheng shouted that the land should be equal and free from taxes. Even though it was so rough that it was outrageous, there were still so many people who followed him regardless of life and death.

There is no doubt that Zhu Yiyuan's account is much more detailed than that of Li Chuangwang.

"The first thing we have to do is that the tiller is entitled to the land. The land originally occupied by the Zhang family should be handed over to the folks. Every household must become the owner of the land. This is the biggest iron law. The second point is how much land each person and household can get. I roughly estimated that Zhang’s tenant farmers generally rent about ten acres, which is also the ratio of our population to land. Mu, a family of five, a maximum of [-] mu of land. There are extra acres of land, which are under the control of the commander of the capital. If the population increases, this part of the land needs to be divided equally, and it may not be possible to lease it in the future.”

"Talking about the number of acres, let's talk about the land tax. The unified rate is [-]%, and the rented land can be up to [-]%. Besides, there will be no exorbitant taxes. We have a basic principle, that is, after the adjustment, let the big guys own With more food, people can eat more and live better.”

"Do you still have any doubts? If everyone supports the new approach, I can burn the original land deeds and IOUs in public, and start all over again."

As he said that, Zhu Yiyuan waved his hand, and a soldier from the rebel army brought over a wooden box, which contained the land deed and the IOU.

The villagers present couldn't help whispering.

In fact, the troubled times are not simply a matter of more people and fewer fields. Since the Chongzhen Year, wars have continued, and the population of Shandong has decreased a lot...but the people's livelihood has not improved at all.

The tenant farmers can rent more land for planting, but the landlords cannot afford to raise the land rent so quickly!

Do you think that if you work hard and work day and night, you can live a better life?
Isn't this a dream!

A mule, if you don't die from exhaustion, you can do it for me.

I'm exhausted, I'll change again.

All in all, without mules and horses working hard, where would the Roman lord be rich in clothes and food, with flowers blooming like brocades...

Therefore, the matter of land equalization is more about adjusting the land relationship, realizing the land to the tiller, adjusting the tax ratio, so that the common people can really see the benefits.

Reuse, tenants not only have to work for their own family, but if you rent and plant other people’s land, the landlord and gentry can let you work for others, as a long-term laborer, squeezing labor... You don’t work for others?Alright, don’t plant that land anymore, I’d rather leave it unused than give you such a muddy leg.

So surrounding the land is not as simple as land rent squeeze.

The elders have plenty of ways to make every tenant struggle on the line of life and death.

Want to get rich by renting and farming land?
Laugh to death, don't insult the IQ of the old men.

Zhu Yiyuan explained the truth clearly, and there was a demonstration by Qingshiji. Soon more than [-]% of the tenant farmers in Dazhuang Village expressed their support.

"Master Zhu, hurry up and burn it."

"We all listen to Mr. Zhu."

"Young master Zhu, let us have enough food, you are really a living Bodhisattva."

……

On one side, the tenant farmers all praised it, but on the other side, those self-cultivating farmers who were relatively wealthy and relied on the protection of the Zhang family had solemn expressions.

Because according to Zhu Yiyuan's calculation, they must at least spit out dozens of acres of land, and their family has a big business and a large population, so the upper limit of [-] acres is too low.

What's more, these people are generally related to the Zhang family. In the past, they could not pay taxes and pay less taxes, but now they have to pay taxes like poor people.

"Mr. Zhu, our own land is handed down from our ancestors. I still hope that Mr. Zhu will hold his hand high." A middle-aged man said loudly: "I am not talented. I was admitted as a scholar in Chongzhen for ten years. Mr. Zhu, I have a great reputation in Ming Dynasty." readers!"

It turned out to be a scholar.

Zhu Yiyuan smiled and said: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry... Since you still miss the Ming Dynasty, I will give you two choices. First, you can find a crooked neck tree and follow His Majesty Chongzhen; Go to Fuzhou and follow His Majesty Longwu. Take a look, which one do you want to choose?"

(End of this chapter)