Follow Zhu Yuanzhang to conquer the country

Chapter 82 Confucian scholars fight against each other, Zhang Cheng and Zhu Yuanzhang laugh at each other

At this time, Wang Guangyang raised his hand to Zhang Cheng and said, "I dare not hide anything. It is indeed true. Small people should not get rich suddenly. Sudden wealth will easily lead to laziness!"

Zhang Cheng smiled faintly, looked at the common people coming and going outside the door, and said no more.

He thought to himself that he no longer regarded these skilled craftsmen as human beings.

He has tried his best to treat these craftsmen in a more black-hearted way than the most hateful capitalists in later generations.

That is to say, they only provide the craftsmen with adequate meals and do not pay them wages. They also make them work from day to night, and the workload is far more than five hours a day.

In fact, Zhang Cheng asked them to manage them through rewards if they wanted to have some residual wealth.

result.

What Zhang Cheng didn't expect was that in Wang Guangyang's opinion, what he did was still too much, and it was not conducive to allowing craftsmen to actively build firecrackers, and was not conducive to the prosperity of the manufacturing industry.

Zhang Cheng tugged on his clothes and grinned, feeling an inexplicable irritability suddenly arise in his heart.

This feeling of irritability was due to the fact that he suddenly felt unfit for the world and felt unfit for the low level of civilization in this world.

Although he has personally experienced many tragic situations in this world that are unacceptable to modern people.

But now, he still felt a sudden feeling of inadequacy in his heart that the bottom line of this world was so low that it was unbearable.

This is really not Zhang Cheng's benevolence.

Zhang Cheng really felt that no matter how much he lowered his bottom line, he still seemed to be unable to fully integrate with the world.

As a result, the reward system that he thought would appear to be very clever and black-hearted in later generations seemed particularly ridiculous and benevolent in front of so-called famous ministers in history like Wang Guangyang.

In short, Zhang Cheng, who is not a good person in the modern world, is unknowingly even more good than a good person here.

"Therefore, in the end of the Ming Dynasty, only those who are good at longevity and have vast oceans can be called prime minister."

This is the evaluation of Wang Guangyang by later historians.

It can be said that Wang Guangyang can be regarded as a capable minister in internal affairs in history.

In Zhang Cheng's view, this Wang Guangyang was indeed a famous and capable minister in history, and he had to be convinced by his views.

Zhang Cheng also had to admit that in this world, he was still inferior to people like Wang Guangyang in terms of management.

Because they are the ones who are more familiar with this world and have more experience.

After all, it was such a person who could be regarded as an outstanding prime minister of the Ming Dynasty in the future. He discovered that the clever methods he thought would only make the craftsmen want to become landlords or loan sharks instead of engaging in industry.

"You're right. Once craftsmen obtain enough surplus wealth, they may become complacent and want to become landlords who only collect rent and lend money."

"You can even lower your desire. After all, building equipment is indeed harder than collecting rent and lending money."

"Although I know that people want to be safe, I still forget that people in this era have less money to be safe."

Zhang Cheng started talking and turned back to Wang Guangyang: "Then how should I remedy it now?

Wang Guangyang said: "An official must not be unfaithful. Without faith, there is no prestige. Since Mr. Zhang has promised to reward these six craftsmen, he will naturally reward them, but he cannot reward them with twenty stones. He only gives them a token reward." That is, it is better not to reward gold, silver, grain, or cloth, but to reward yourself and your family with a feast."

Zhang Cheng nodded after hearing this and said with a smile: "You do know how to supervise manufacturing better than me, but if these craftsmen make the least number of firearms or have the most unqualified firearms, it would be too cruel to behead them directly. This kind of The method of eliminating the last ones is almost the same as treating them as slaves. Let’s just fine the last ones! If they really don’t cooperate, then a punishment with a rod will be enough.”

"Mr. Zhang is certainly kind, but there will be a problem, that is, several groups of them may deliberately be lazy together and control the quality of the qualified firecrackers they have made. They may also criticize each other. Although they dare not comment on the formulated The officials who fined them for this rule are dissatisfied, but they still have the courage to complain and even fight against each other, and it may be serious, and even kill people."

Wang Guangyang replied.

"I don't want them to be killed because of their incompetence. Is it that difficult?!"

Zhang Cheng suddenly asked Wang Guangyang.

Wang Guangyang fell silent.

“Compassion does not control armies, and righteousness does not control wealth.”

"Mr. Zhang should understand that if you have the heart of a Bodhisattva, you should never enter the world of mortals."

Wang Guangyang replied, then handed over his hand and said, "Mr. Zhang is already a kind and righteous person, so there is no need to be too demanding on himself."

"I'm not being hard on myself."

"I don't want to be a Bodhisattva either."

Zhang Cheng smiled.

His unwillingness to kill the last-placed craftsmen is essentially because he comes from a later generation. He knows that in the world he lives in, many mediocre people like him will not be killed after being eliminated from the bottom. It has the power to live.

Therefore, Zhang Cheng said: "Since you have come and are willing to join our rebel army, you will supervise the production of ordnance. Except for the worst performer who cannot be killed and can only be fined, the rest is as you wish! As for what you are worried about I will think of new ways to solve the problem without having to kill the most mediocre craftsman."

Wang Guangyang raised his hand and said yes.

Next, Zhang Cheng took Wang Guangyang to meet with the presidents of the craftsmen's communities in Chuzhou City, and asked them to group the craftsmen to start learning how to make fire guns.

The presidents of these craftsmen are very happy.

Because they all know that the rebels in Chuzhou City are really giving them food when they work, and they will be fed! Unlike the previous officers and soldiers, they not only forced them to work, but also asked them to pay them back. Otherwise, they would be disloyal to Dayuan and their lives would be lost.

Wang Guangyang then really started to help Zhang Cheng with the specific grouping of craftsmen, and supervised the craftsmanship of the firecrackers.

This is indeed not difficult for Wang Guangyang.

In order to prevent these craftsmen from flowing around and being lazy, he deliberately disrupted and reorganized the craftsmen in a company, so that craftsmen who were relatives or neighbors did not work together.

But because of the rules set by Zhang Cheng, whoever made the fewest or the worst quality fire blunderbuss would have to pay a fine, otherwise he would be severely punished. Therefore, not long after, the craftsmen who finished the worst came to Zhizhou Yamen to complain, saying that It was someone else who put eye drops in front of Wang Guangyang, which made him do the worst.

and.

Relatives and friends from the company where the craftsman who complained of injustice came to Zhizhou Yamen to help him complain.

Wang Guangyang looked at the craftsmen kneeling in the yard and said to Zhang Cheng: "The disadvantages of not killing people but only fines and sticks are still reflected. They will blame others for fear of being fined, and then pull relatives and friends to intimidate the government to compromise, and because The law does not punish the public, and the government cannot do this to them. If they were killed right from the beginning, they would have no chance to blame others or even incite his relatives and friends to defend him."

Zhang Cheng knows that when competition pressure increases, the situation of mutual harm at the bottom will intensify. At this time, a new system is needed to solve the problem.

Zhang Cheng has actually been thinking about a solution to this problem during this time.

Therefore, Zhang Cheng calmly said to Wang Guangyang at this time: "You haven't seen us come to power yet, I will take you to see him."

As Zhang Cheng spoke, he ordered Qi Xiang: "Call Li Shanchang and several other assistant officials from this state and go to the general manager's office."

Soon.

Zhang Cheng took Wang Guangyang to the General Manager's Mansion, leaving only Shu Anguo to stay and appease the craftsmen.

After Zhang Cheng let Wang Guangyang meet Zhu Yuanzhang and Li Shanchang who arrived, he raised the issue of whether to treat the craftsmen as slaves, that is, whoever performed the worst would be killed.

"Can we really just kill him?"

Zhu Yuanzhang also asked this question after Zhang Cheng raised this issue.

As a peasant rebel who had started a rebellion only a few years ago, he still had simple feelings for the people at the bottom, so he was not willing to kill them easily.

Wang Guangyang replied at this time: "If we don't kill, we will always have the current problem. The people will become unruly people because they have suffered a loss. They are fond of litigation and fighting, which will make it more difficult for the government to do things. So even though loving the people is what the saints teach us." Reason is the kindness of a gentleman, but sometimes you have to treat useless people as harm and have to kill them."

"What does Shan Chang think of this matter?"

Zhu Yuanzhang did not respond to Wang Guangyang, but only asked Li Shanchang at this time.

Li Shanchang stood up at this time and said: "Back to the upper position, I would like to first ask Wang Chaozong, who has just joined the Zhizhou Yamen as a rafter clerk."

"allow!"

Li Shanchang looked at Wang Guangyang and said, "I don't understand why, you so-called officials who claim to be from Hu Yuan, always like to eat people and kill people when you do things?"

Wang Guangyang couldn't help but be startled.

Li Shanchang asked Wang Guangyang again:

"Is it true that someone who dares to eat people and kill people is a minister?"

"Do the so-called ministers only know how to physically destroy the common people who are not outstanding?"

"Are ordinary people not worthy of living if they are too stupid and cannot work as quickly or as deftly as others?"

After Li Shanchang asked this question three times in a row, Wang Guangyang blushed and said sarcastically: "It's not that I don't want the people to live, I just."

"That's what you mean now!"

"Common people are human beings, not hounds and lackeys! There is no distinction between crops and weeds!"

"Hounds and lackeys can be killed and cooked if they are worthless. Weeds must be eradicated if they spoil the harvest, but humans cannot be treated like this!"

"Doing this is like treating ordinary people like animals!"

Li Shanchang continued.

Zhang Cheng smiled slightly, and he had to admit that Li Shanchang simply said what was in his heart, as if he knew what he was going to say next.

Zhu Yuanzhang also looked at Li Shanchang in surprise and said: "What Shanchang said is that ordinary people cannot live without working hard and fighting bravely even if they just want to live!"

"But now it's not a matter of whether the common people deserve to live, but how to get the craftsmen to be more active in making firearms so as not to cause trouble for the rebels and thus affect the great cause of taking over the world."

"I don't want to treat people like this, but sometimes we have to manage people in this way."

Wang Guangyang couldn't help but speak.

"Having said that, our position must be clearly understood!"

"That's what you bureaucrats from Hu Yuan are like. You keep saying that you are for the great cause of the rebel army, but you always sacrifice the common people. You are people who were raised by the people. How come your current position is that you don't treat the common people as human beings!"

Feng Guoyong also echoed at this time, and his expression was deliberately very excited.

"This is exactly the reason. If the rebels are still like Hu Yuan, wouldn't my surrender to the rebels be in vain?"

Zhang Mian also asked.

Next.

Li Menggeng also echoed: "Yes, if the rebel army really takes over the world by treating the people like ants, then my land will be divided in vain."

"me too!"

"The land that I, the Guo family, have accumulated over the years are now being distributed to the people. I am willing to share it with the people so that the people of the world will not be regarded as ants! It is also because of this that I have the honor to meet my ancestors under the Nine Springs in the future. It is said that dividing land is not a failure to uphold the ancestral property, it is an act of ancestral virtue, not a result of family ruin."

"If people are killed at will in order to achieve the so-called great cause now, how will I see my ancestors in the future?"

Guo Mengeng also spoke cooperatively and stared at Wang Guangyang with feigned resentment.

Wang Guangyang didn't know how to defend himself for a moment, so he had to take a deep breath, handed over his hands to Zhu Yuanzhang and others, and said with tears in his eyes: "Ashamed! Maybe I am not as kind-hearted as you!"

Wang Guangyang didn't know what to say now, he just felt that he was very embarrassed now.

Zhang Cheng also saw Wang Guangyang's embarrassment, and at this moment he said with a smile: "Can you be gentler to Chaozong? After all, he just came here, and he is really treating our rebels sincerely, otherwise he wouldn't say these things talk."

"What Mr. Zhang said is that we were a little merciless to Chaozong just now."

"How offending!"

As Li Shanchang spoke, he bowed his hands to Wang Guangyang and apologized.

"How offending!"

Feng Guoyong, Zhang Mian, Li Mengeng, and Guo Jingxiang also apologized to Wang Guangyang.

Wang Guangyang felt embarrassed for a moment, and glanced at Zhang Cheng gratefully, thinking: "This Mr. Zhang is tolerant and generous after all. He loves the people like his own children, and he is indeed tolerant of people like himself." , and are willing to protect the face of these new converts as much as possible."

(End of this chapter)