Follow Zhu Yuanzhang to conquer the country

Chapter 33 Zhu Yuanzhang is too radical
  Zhu Yuanzhang took a deep breath, then solemnly nodded and said: "Mr. Zhang is absolutely right! It is right to want more women and children, and to want the people to live a good life! Fortunately, we got some advice from Mr. Zhang, and we understand this truth better. .”

then.

Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at Hua Yun, Tang He and other rebel brothers, and said sincerely: "But we still hope that the brothers can think more about the people. After all, we are all born in poverty. We know what it is like to be hungry, and we also know how to watch. What does it feel like to have your loved ones starve to death one by one?"

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes turned red when he said this.

Hua Yun and others also felt a little embarrassed.

Li Shanchang then echoed: "The superior's benevolence and love for the people will surely move heaven."

Zhu Yuanzhang therefore smiled at Li Shanchang and said: "Same goes to you, Shanchang. Although you ask me not to kill people indiscriminately, I will tell you the truth. In fact, the ambition that Mr. Zhang and I have determined to realize is not just to prevent chaos." Kill people, but try to prevent the people from being hungry and cold again."

Li Shanchang was shocked when he heard this, and immediately bowed to Zhu Yuanzhang: "The superior ones can be Yao and Shun!"

"Shan Chang, what are you doing?"

Zhu Yuanzhang was so shocked that he didn't know what to say.

Then, Li Shanchang stood up again, bowed his hands to Zhang Cheng, and said with a smile: "Mr. Zhang's ambition is also admirable, but Shan Chang can't match it. Only when we see the wise, think about each other, work together, and serve the people of the world." It’s just my humble ability to not be hungry or cold.”

Zhang Cheng smiled and returned the salute: "You don't have to be so polite."

"Yes, you are good at what you do. You are always so broad-minded and broad-minded. In this regard, we are not as good as you."

Zhu Yuanzhang said with a smile.

After Li Shanchang heard Zhu Yuanzhang's words, he felt a little uneasy and said with a smile: "The superiors are ridiculous, but the subordinates are just sincere."

"You!"

Zhu Yuanzhang pointed at Li Shanchang, and then sighed: "You are so loyal!"

Then, Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at Zhang Cheng again. He had to admit that although Zhang Cheng was not as loyal as Li Shanchang showed, Sheng Zai was willing to tell the truth and was more knowledgeable. Fortunately, he could hold back because of the five hundred taels. The anger in my heart did not explode.

The more Zhu Yuanzhang thought about it, the more he felt satisfied, so he took the initiative and said: "Actually, Mr. Zhang asking the brothers to sing songs together and talk about what they think is better than getting together to gamble and eat wine before."

"So, keep singing."

"But, Mr. Zhang, come with us."

As Zhu Yuanzhang spoke, he took Zhang Cheng out of the school grounds and walked to the main hall of Qianhu Yamen.

Li Shanchang and Feng Guoyong, whose face was half swollen, naturally followed.

Zhu Yuanzhang asked Zhang Cheng at this time: "We would like to ask, why don't you let the gentry and the common people reward the army?"

Zhang Cheng informed Zhu Yuanzhang that there was a possibility that the right to tax would be invisibly taken away by the gentry, and said:
  "The gentry organized the common people to donate money and food to feed the army. It seemed that the army had no worries, but the gentry had the final say in how much they donated."

"What the people actually donated and what was actually donated to the army were often decided by the gentry. Even if they only accepted a donation once, they would no longer accept donations in the future. They would only raise troops through taxes. In order to rest with the people, the levy Taxes can only be postponed until after the following year.”

"In this case, the gentry still took advantage of the new owner of Chuzhou City to take advantage of the people. So instead of doing this, it is better not to accept donations from the beginning and only trade fairly. How much money and support it takes to raise soldiers, officials and people is clearly stated. On the surface, a system is formed, which is beneficial to the people and also beneficial to strengthening the army."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded after hearing this, stopped and looked back at Zhang Cheng, and pulled Zhang Cheng aside and whispered: "Mr. Zhang, Mr. Zhang, since you know that accepting donations is helping the gentry to seize the opportunity to benefit the people, then the Li family's donation before Liang, why don’t you dissuade us?”

Zhu Yuanzhang pointed at Zhang Cheng as he spoke: "You!"

But because Li Shanchang was also here, Zhu Yuanzhang didn't say much.

Only late at night did Zhu Yuanzhang come to Zhang Cheng in person and wake him up.

Zhang Cheng had to yawn and asked: "I mean the superior, if you don't sleep, I will still sleep!"

"If we don't ask, we won't be able to sleep."

"Calm down, I've asked you to work overtime, and I'll give you extra money as per the regulations."

As Zhu Yuanzhang spoke, he placed a silver bean in front of Zhang Cheng with a smile.

Zhang Cheng collected the money and said, "Okay, I believe you are not someone who doesn't want to sleep, nor is you someone who doesn't take money seriously."

"That's right, we also believe that Mr. Zhang is not someone who wants to hide things from us." "Even if Mr. Zhang doesn't stop us from accepting donations from the Li family, it's an expedient measure, but there's always something to remind you. Well, after all, we are not inflexible people."

After Zhu Yuanzhang said this, he put his hands on the table and looked at Zhang Cheng.

Zhang Cheng nodded: "Actually, it's mainly unnecessary!"

"No need?"

"Why is it not necessary?!"

Snapped!
  Zhu Yuanzhang slapped the table, stood up directly, put his hands on his hips, walked in the atrium, and said: "We don't want them to take away the interests of the people in our name, let alone let them invisibly take away what you said. That taxing power!”

"It can be said that this is necessary!"

"We have already promised Brother Xu Da that we will not let our brothers conquer the world, only to end up conquering the world for Confucian scholars and bleed for those corrupt officials!"

Zhu Yuanzhang continued.

After Zhu Yuanzhang said this, he looked at Zhang Cheng seriously.

Zhang Cheng winked, held his forehead with his hands, yawned and said: "Sir, no matter what, you should admit that most of the talented people in the world are Confucian scholars, and most of them hope to rule the world with etiquette. The heroes of the world can only rely on them to win the world and secure the world! So, if you don’t really want to follow the Confucian scholars in the world and return the courtesy and the law, make them willing to pay taxes to the court, and be willing to appease the common people for the court, so that the world will be long-term and peaceful. , then they will not support you and will support other heroes, even if this hero is from a foreign race!"

"So, it would be meaningless for me to dissuade you from accepting Li Shanchang's donation, because if you don't accept it from the Li family, the Li family will donate the food to your opponents, such as Zhao Yongjun or Zhang Shicheng who just started the uprising. "

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled coldly and disagreed with Zhang Cheng's statement. He only said: "Mr. Zhang, we don't agree with your statement. In this world, it is never them who choose heroes, but heroes who choose them! Without bureaucrats and gentry like them, maybe We can live better!"

Zhang Cheng was startled after hearing this.

Then, Zhang Cheng couldn't help but give Zhu Yuanzhang a thumbs up: "As expected of you, Zhu Chongba, for saying such heroic words."

"We are serious."

"Mr. Zhang, let me tell you the truth. After traveling around and gaining some knowledge over the years, I have always believed that tax collection is not inseparable from officials and gentry. It might be better to do without officials and gentry!"

"Taxation can be done by the villagers themselves, and the households are numbered as A, and then the villagers in the first class will take turns as grain chiefs every year. The grain chief will organize the villagers to pay the taxes to the treasury, without letting the officials interfere, and the gentry does not need to help. .”

"This way we can avoid the problem of officials withholding and discharging taxes when they collect taxes, and we don't have to worry about the poverty of the people and the country. It can also prevent large gentry families from having the opportunity to collude with officials to evade taxes."

"What do you think of our idea?"

"It is up to the villagers themselves to pay the grain and taxes, and there are no officials and gentry to take advantage of it. Wouldn't it benefit both the country and the people?"

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhang Cheng proudly and asked.

Zhang Cheng glanced at Zhu Yuanzhang with a complicated expression.

"Mr. Zhang, we know that you must also want to do this. Let the villagers become grain chiefs themselves. You also want to increase civil rights and protect the people from the exploitation of officials and gentry. Otherwise, you would not let the three hundred people invade with you. The rebel brothers in the city treat the people as human beings and ask them to guard against being bribed by the gentry."

Zhu Yuan then spoke again, waiting for Zhang Cheng to pay homage to him, so he raised his eyebrows and looked at Zhang Cheng.

Zhang Cheng sighed at this moment.

Because he regretted it.

He regretted letting the 300 nominal troops who followed him into Chuzhou City to implement the three major demands and eight points of attention he put forward, and also regretted letting the 300 nominal troops reject the donations from the gentry.

After all, Zhang Cheng had to confirm now that Zhu Yuanzhang was too radical in terms of tax policy design, more radical than he imagined, and more idealistic than he imagined.

What he needs to do is not to let Zhu Yuanzhang speed up, but to let Zhu Yuanzhang brake.

Because he really didn't expect that Zhu Yuanzhang already had the idea of ​​​​implementing the grain chief system in the future, completely leaving aside the officials and gentry, and allowing the people to pay taxes directly to the court, thus eliminating the need for intermediate links.

"Mr. Zhang, you are talking!"

Here, Zhu Yuanzhang became a little anxious.

Because Zhang Cheng didn't respond to him for a long time, he was worried that Zhang Cheng was about to fall asleep, so he spoke a little loudly.

(End of this chapter)