After Ming Dynasty

Chapter 28 Governance
Zhang Xiucai's nickname is Zhang Lin. He passed the Xiucai examination at the age of 16, and his ranking was high.

Those who have a little knowledge of imperial examinations can understand that at such an age, being able to pass the imperial examinations naturally has a bright future and is limitless.Zhang Lin also once thought that he could be a Jinshi in high school, enter the court as an official, help the country, and then make some achievements, honor his ancestors, and leave a name in history.

But then it seemed to be cursed, and he failed in repeated trials, not to mention Jinshi, and he couldn't even pass the exam.

At first Zhang Lin thought that his knowledge was not enough, so he buried himself in studying hard, visited famous teachers everywhere, and delved into stereotyped writing.

It's just that he has been busy for ten years and still has nothing, so he should fail the ranking or fail the ranking.

It was only later that Zhang Lin gradually realized that at that time, the Ming Dynasty's officialdom was in decline, and officials from all over the country were vying to form cliques to seek fame and fame. Knowledge alone was not enough, and many students like him had nowhere to serve the country.

You have to find someone first, such as Donglin, such as Eunuch, and no one recommends asylum, and you still want to squeeze in, isn't that whimsical?What's more, even though they both have the surname Zhang, he still has a bit of a disagreement with Zhang Zhifa and Mr. Zhang Ge.

Although the old man would not pay attention to him as a scholar, but it is very difficult to take a step forward.

Zhang Lin, who was busy until the age of 30, finally gave up the plan to continue the exam.Relying on the fact that the family still has some property and has a reputation as a scholar, let's live a stable life.

Time flies, Zhang Lin is almost at the age of [-], most of his life has passed, and he still has nothing to do.

He was brilliant in his early years, followed by a long period of sinking. The fame of a scholar is not only his pride, but also the source of his pain.At that time, Zhu Yiyuan said that there was nothing special about being a scholar, and that he had to hand over the extra land. He was furious.

But what Zhu Yiyuan did and said these days seemed like a formidable person.

That being the case, then take a gamble, if you succeed, you will be glorious forever, and you will be famous in history, if you fail...don't even think about anything if you fail.For the rest of your life, you cannot die with the grass and trees!
After much deliberation, Zhang Lin finally made up his mind.

First, gather all the farmers in Dazhuang Village, and then register according to the population of each household.

"Listen up, big guy. Report the number of people in your family truthfully, because the land is distributed according to the head. If you want to get more, others will get less. Big guys are all from the village, and you can't deceive anyone by lying."

Everyone nodded and said impatiently: "Okay, we all understand, Zhang Xiucai hurry up."

Zhang Lin nodded, brushing like flying all the way, and quickly registered for the big guy, but facing an old man, he couldn't help but stop writing, rolled his eyelids, and looked at this man with a wry smile.

"Third uncle, your family is a big family, with five sons and more than a dozen grandchildren. Our Dazhuang Village has a large population in your family. Everyone knows this. Why do you report four people?"

Other folks also asked: "That's right, Mr. Zhang, you have a lot of family members, so you have to report it truthfully. You also said that if you have more children, you will be blessed even if you die!"

"You fart!" The old man scolded angrily, "I'm not a fool, a family of up to [-] acres, you want to starve our family to death? Divided, all divided, the eldest, the second, the third, the fourth, all After being separated, only the fifth child who is not married and the old girl who is not married are at home, counting our old couple, there are four people, and there is no one more."

Who said that the common people are ignorant and ignorant, and they have a relationship with their vital interests, they figured it out clearly, and it is common to see family separation overnight.

Zhang Lin secretly nodded in admiration, Zhu Yiyuan's strategy of dividing the land, many big households took the initiative to divide their families.

Now that the family is separated, even brothers will gradually drift away.

Just like this Mr. Zhang, he has five sons and more than a dozen grandsons. When something happens, he doesn't need other relatives. Just pulling these people out is enough to be domineering in the village.

But at this time, in order to share more acres of land, the four big ones live in separate households, and each family has a pot, which is no longer the same as before.

Over time, it will definitely be alienated.

From a large family to several small ones, the cohesion among the clans has gone down, but Mr. Zhu's control has undoubtedly increased.

The purpose of splitting up the big households is to better control the place.

Zhang Lin can naturally taste the power of it. Just like the Tweet Order, it is an aboveboard conspiracy. Not only will the villagers not object, but they will actively cooperate.

I really have to obey.

If the Ming Dynasty had this ability, how could the country be subjugated!
After Zhang Lin sighed, he worked harder. After he registered all the villagers, he then calculated the number of plots to be divided...

From a single person's five-mu field to a family's maximum of twenty mu, the number of households in each grade is clear.

Then, ten old farmers who are recognized by the villagers as the best at farming are asked to divide the fields.

Zhang Lin was not directly involved, but only supervised from the sidelines.

After the old farmers were properly divided, Zhang Lin asked each family to come and draw lots.

This lottery is not a competition for which land, but a competition for the order of selection.

Whoever is lucky and ranks higher will go to the selection first.

Because Zhu Yiyuan made it clear that the number of acres he requested was not dead.

The situation of each field is different, some are fertile, some are barren, some are easy to irrigate, and some can only rely on the sky for food.

If it is divided in this way, if it is five mu per person and the cap is twenty mu per household, then the difference will be too great.

Therefore, when the old farmers divide the land, they take care of the condition of the field. If it is a good fertile field, each person can get four acres of land, and the upper limit for each family is sixteen acres.

On the contrary, if it is an inferior field, the upper limit may be relaxed to [-] mu per household.

In other words, the output of each piece of land must be basically the same.

Even so, it will be much easier to get the first-class field.

So being able to draw the top position, take the lead in choosing, and get the land you want, is simply happier than anything else, just like Chinese New Year.

And those who are less lucky and can only choose later, they can't help frowning.

Especially those old farmers who divided the fields, their faces were even darkened.

Because Zhang Lin told them directly, you can't draw lots, just wait for the folks to finish the selection, and then give you the remaining few dollars.

Several old farmers quit directly, "What are you talking about? If we had known this, we would not have divided the fields."

"Yes, we have worked hard to divide the land. If we are unlucky, we will admit it. Why don't we let us draw lots. Didn't Mr. Zhu say that it should be fair? What kind of fairness is this?"

These people all turned their anger on Zhu Yiyuan.

But Zhu Yiyuan didn't rush, he rushed over with a smile, and after listening to the complaints of several old farmers, he said: "Don't be too busy, all of you, dividing the land is only the first step, the most important thing for us next is to protect the land. So I decided to choose the most respected in the village to be the three elders... The three elders I said are not only three, ten, or even more, it is also possible. The village three elders are the head of a village, and they can get extra money every year It’s not a lot of money, so it’s a reward for the big guy. Just treat it as doing something for the folks.”

When these old farmers heard this, they suddenly woke up. It turned out that they were still hiding this trick!

The old farmers who cooperate with the proper division of the land are highly respected and selected as the three elders of the village, and the three elders of the village are between Zhu Yiyuan and the villagers, linking the past and the future.

If the villagers have any issues, they respond upwards, and if Zhu Yiyuan has any requests, they also convey them downwards.

Usually, they have to organize the common people to work. They belong to the most grassroots personnel, and it is very hard work.

They don't receive a monthly salary, but a subsidy of two taels of silver every year, which is really not much money.

It's just that after these old farmers heard it, it was completely different.

Because in the past, it was the big gentry and the educated village sages who had the final say in the countryside.

They control the place, the imperial power does not come down to the county, and the county has the final say.

It's these people who are talking about.

Zhu Yiyuan destroys big households and brings scholars to the same level as ordinary people... It's refreshing to do this, but the question is what should the local government do next?
If you break down and then build up, you have to stand up, and someone needs to be in charge, connect the past with the next, and mobilize the people.

Zhu Yiyuan's arrangement is to let these old farmers come forward.

"That Mr. Zhu, are we considered to be officials?" An old farmer rubbed his hands and asked.

Zhu Yiyuan smiled, "It doesn't count."

The old farmer was puzzled.

Zhu Yiyuan continued: "You are indeed officials under my rule. In the future, when our career grows, the best among you will be promoted. It is not a problem to manage a county, a mansion, or even a larger place. But ..."

"As an official, we can't be the same as before. Don't be greedy for ink, don't bully the people, but really do things for the people, serve as an official, and benefit the folks. Everyone is watching!"

When these old farmers heard this, they looked at each other and nodded in unison, "Understood, Mr. Zhu thinks highly of us, we can't let the folks poke our backs, we'll take this job."

(End of this chapter)