Follow Zhu Yuanzhang to conquer the country

Chapter 44: Not active in confiscating homes and having ideological problems

Zhu Yuanzhang was silent.

Zhang Cheng added here: "Just now, the superior asked how to win over the gentry who are willing to work with us to drive out the Tartars and restore China. My suggestion is to first raise shares to establish this government-run trading company. This is much better than using land to win over."

"how to say?"

Zhu Yuanzhang became keen as soon as he heard about land.

Zhang Cheng said: "In order to win over some gentry, dividing business is beneficial to them, allowing them to earn money, and then annexing land and people is always better than directly allocating fields to them and letting them annex directly through the rent collected from the fields. The fields and population are better.”

"After all, for the people of the world, the most fundamental thing is the fields."

"Whether the trade is prosperous or not, and whether the commercial profits belong to the court or the government, are not that important to the people. Generally speaking, it is good for the people in the world to be self-sufficient. If they have enough money to trade goods, they still care about the quality of the goods. People are generally not ordinary people anymore, at least they are from middle-class families.”

"What's more, in my opinion, we should try our best to distribute the land equally to the people from the beginning. In this case, the people will have the greatest chance of not being hungry or cold, and the government's taxation and corvee will be easier to carry out, even on trade routes. It can also be more prosperous.”

"After all, the more people of the Han family who have fields to cultivate, the more diligent and thrifty the people of the Han family will be, the more people will be able to accumulate wealth and be able to trade within a few years, and the more people who are willing to trade, the more merchants will be able to trade. The road will be more prosperous.”

"And if the trade routes become more prosperous, they will be able to attract more gentry and then expand further, achieving the goal of restoring China as soon as possible."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, smiled slightly and said: "There are so many benefits to daring to divide the land and promote business!"

Zhang Cheng continued here: "Anyway, the benefits of the world lie either in the land or in the trade. It is up to you whether you choose to use land to win over some gentry, or choose business to win over some gentry."

"We are from commoner backgrounds, and we know that what the people want most is to have their own land."

"If we had our own land back then, we wouldn't be chased and bitten by vicious dogs just to stutter!"

Zhu Yuanzhang answered without thinking, and when he talked about wanting to gain his own land, he was a little red-eyed, and said: "Just do what Mr. Zhang did and use business profits to win over the gentry who are worthy of being wined over!"

As stated before.

Zhu Yuanzhang can be said to be ruthless in his methods, but he cannot be said to be conservative.

An emperor who could think of using the Kaizhong method to solve the border grain problem in history, that is, letting ordinary merchants use grain to earn profits from the salt industry, would stick to opening a government-run trading house?
  "That!"

Zhang Cheng replied after Zhu Yuanzhang agreed, and then said: "Actually, there don't need to be too many people buying shares. Let the superiors set a threshold based on actual needs! After all, in the beginning, it only involved the sale of grain and cloth, and the benefits were still visible. There are too many participants, and if the income is not as good as lending and rent collection, there is no value in attracting people.”

"That is to say, only important officials need to be given official benefits. Unimportant officials only need to be rewarded enough, and there is no need to give them official benefits. They can also make them have the desire to make progress. They know that only by working hard and getting promoted can they be successful. There is a greater good.”

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded: "Then it will be you three first, and we will ask the other brothers next."

"it is good!"

"Thank you for your superior's care."

After Zhang Cheng nodded, he said: "Then I will first invest 500 taels as a share."

"I don't know, you two?"

Zhang Cheng asked Li Shanchang and Feng Guoyong.

At this time, Li Shanchang tried his best to restrain his inner excitement, and only pretended to be calm and said: "Although the subordinates are rich in wealth, they are not obsessed with seeking profits, and joining the superiors is just for the sake of the world and personal ambitions, but if it is for righteousness and gain, , I am willing to do Tao Zhu's deeds, and I am grateful for the grace of my superiors, but I don't dare to compete with Mr. Zhang, and I would like to pay three hundred taels first."

Feng Guoyong also pretended to frown and said: "The Master said: 'A gentleman means righteousness, and a villain means benefit'. The Master also said: 'When you see a virtuous person, you should think about it, and when you see an unworthy person, you should introspect yourself.' Now what Mr. Zhang said The purpose of advocating the raising of shares to establish government-run commercial banks is to restore China, bring peace to the world, and ensure that the people are neither hungry nor cold. How can the subordinates stop eating because of choking, but they cannot compete with the state magistrates and Tongzhi, so I am willing to give two hundred taels."

In this era, there was not much silver, so taking out a hundred taels was not a minority, which was different from the situation in the late Ming Dynasty.

After hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang didn't feel that the two people offered less. He only raised the corner of his mouth slightly and said, "We will offer a thousand taels to represent the general manager's office."

Zhang Cheng raised his hand and said yes, and then said: "As for other properties, I mean, we have to wait until the house is confiscated. The land obtained will naturally be divided among the people, but the properties obtained by then will not be the same as jewelry, silk, satin, antiques and other soft treasures." It can be sold to government-run commercial banks for profit, and the silver coins and gold, silver, copper and iron obtained can be loaned to government-run commercial banks to expand their operations, or they can be reserved for future currency issuance. As for the grain, it can be used for military pay. Or there may be too much to distribute, and you can sell it directly to a government-run trading house, it all depends on the actual situation."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, and asked Zhang Cheng and others with a straight face: "How should I copy it?"

Zhang Cheng hurriedly cupped his hands and said: "I suggest that brothers Shanchang and Guoyong be in charge of the house raids, with four brothers Tang He, Hua Yun, Feng Sheng, and Tang Shengzong as deputies. We will also allocate half of the three hundred soldiers who entered the city first and give them half! "

"The reason why the two brothers, Shanchang and Guoyong, are mainly because they come from a wealthy family and are more familiar with how these profiteers and evil gentry hide their property. In addition, they are scholars after all, and they can better control the degree of confiscation, so that the confiscation will not turn into ruin. The three hundred soldiers who entered the city first were sent to search the houses because they were good at fighting and their discipline had been tested, so they should be able to prevent the confiscation of the houses from turning into the destruction of the houses."

Li Shanchang and Feng Guoyong were shocked and looked at Zhang Cheng.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded at this moment: "Yes!"

But Li Shanchang suddenly stood up and said: "The superior, Mr. Zhang, and the subordinate are a scribe, how can they do this?"

Zhang Cheng sneered at this moment: "What are you afraid of if you copy a few scoundrels who are trying to make money for the Tatar nobles? We are also scribes. Didn't we even kill their master Daru Huashi?!"

Li Shancai didn't dare to expose Zhang Cheng or contradict him, so he had to say yes.

When Feng Guoyong secretly caught a glimpse of Zhu Yuanzhang's approving gaze towards Zhang Cheng, he swallowed the words that came to his mouth and had no choice but to follow suit. Zhang Cheng smiled slightly because of this, and then handed Li Shanchang and Feng Guoyong a list of evil gentry and profiteers who were suspected of trying to cause trouble and smearing the rebels while the rebels were entering the city. They were assigned quotas for confiscating their homes and asked them to directly After going to pick up witnesses, they started to search the house.

Zhu Yuanzhang also smiled and gave them the right to kill first and report later, and the right to control the strength of the soldiers and their families.

At this time, Zhang Cheng said to Zhu Yuanzhang: "When the house is raided, the accounting clerk should first let the two colleagues Shanchang and Guoyong choose from their own children, and then they will be selected as officials based on the review results?"

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded.

Li Shanchang and Feng Guoyong are willing to invest shares and become entrepreneurial partners with Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhang Cheng. Naturally, the lower-level officials and writers are more comfortable using the children of Li and Feng than other gentry children.

In this era, people who can write and calculate are basically controlled by wealthy families. Zhang Cheng recruited Li Shanchang and Feng Guoyong to join the team because he needed them to join the team so that talents with some basic knowledge could be used at the beginning.

Zhu Yuanzhang also understood this truth, so he had no objection.

When Li Shanchang and Feng Guoyong heard that officials would be selected from their own children, they immediately became excited, and because they were responsible for ransacking their homes, they left the General Manager's Mansion early.

On the way out of the General Manager's Mansion, Feng Guoyong smiled at Li Shanchang and said, "Mr. Zhang, he doesn't intend for us to only divide official positions and not do any work that offends others!"

Li Shanchang nodded: "Yes, Mr. Zhang cannot be despised as a scholar! This man is well versed in conspiracy. Perhaps his greed for profit is just self-destruction so that he can further develop his talents."

"So, Ashita starts to like him?"

Feng Guo asked with a smile.

Li Shanchang smiled and said: "I like it even if I like it, I don't like it even if I don't like it, but no matter what, fortunately, he is not our enemy, but our colleague, and even more fortunately, he is our superior officer! "

"Once most people have the opportunity to be superior to others, they often want to bite off a piece of meat from others, or make them kneel and offer their own benefits. Only after he became the superior official, he wanted to take the initiative to make a big table. Not only did we not talk about the meal, but we also took the initiative to let everyone eat together.”

"Yes!"

Feng Guoyong replied with a smile and said:

"There are many things that we cannot say clearly in front of superiors, but Mr. Zhang dares to say it clearly."

"Isn't it true that where he grew up, talking about profit was not taboo?"

"Aren't you afraid of being blamed for not following the teachings of the saints, and not knowing how to use your words to benefit yourself?"

Li Shanchang nodded.

"He really doesn't care much about openly violating the teachings of the saints."

Li Shanchang also showed the same puzzled expression and said: "Perhaps the place where Mr. Zhang grew up does not regard the learning of saints as the guideline, but no matter what, we should be loyal to our duties, abide by our duties, and not mess up the distinction between superiors and inferiors. , since they asked us to search the house, let’s go and search the house!”

Feng Guoyong nodded.

then.

After resting for a night and catching up on sleep, Li Shanchang and Feng Guoyong each took more than 150 soldiers and their own children. At dusk, they took a group of officials and went to the evil gentry and merchants who had committed the crime.

As the saying goes, if you are not active in searching homes, you have a problem with your thinking.

Li Shanchang and Feng Guoyong are now fully motivated because of their investment in government-run commercial banks, and there are no ideological problems, so naturally they have no intention of perfunctory.

"Brothers, remember, when you go in later, you have to control your hands and your lower body. First of all, don't commit adultery or robbery. Just arrest and lock up everyone first. It's proper to ransack your home quickly!"

"Secondly, don't smash any pots and jars you encounter. No matter how ordinary the jars are, they may open the cellar's mechanism. If you see an eyesore, don't cut or push potted trees. They may be pointing to the location of the secret warehouse."

"Anyway."

"Since we want to raid the homes of these evil gentry and profiteers, we will conscientiously raid the homes of these evil gentry and profiteers!"

"If anyone doesn't do well, don't blame me, Shanchang, and Tang Qianhu for not being friendly!"

At this time, Li Shanchang was in front of the house of the official Yan Wuliang. He first gave a speech to a group of rebel officers, and then took the initiative to knock on the door.

Because the rebels entered the city, the Yan family's door was originally closed.

But when Yan Wuliang saw Li Shanchang, a Confucian scholar who he had visited last night, standing outside, he immediately opened the door and said with a smile: "Friend Li came to visit late at night. I don't know what happened. Could it be that the general is willing to forgive me for instigating me?" Did the slaves cause trouble?"

Snapped!
  "What qualifications do you have to be my friend?"

Li Shanchang slapped Yan Wuliang directly, then waved his sleeve: "Copy!"

Yan Wuliang, who was staring at stars, soon heard a large number of footsteps coming from beside him.

(End of this chapter)