Volume 2: Soaring! The Overlord of the Region Chapter 307: The 45th Year of Wanli (I)
"Your Highness, at the Ministry of Works, the Beijing-Zhangjiakou and Beijing-Shanhaiguan highways were completed last month. The three highways of Luotaiyuan, Taitong, and Luoxi'an are nearly 80% complete. The Beijing-Luoyang and Beijing-Jinan highways are only 40% to 50% complete due to the complex terrain and long distance.
In view of the above situation, and the fact that spring ploughing has already begun, I ordered the officials of the Ministry of Works two months ago to gradually dismiss the laborers on the construction sites. Let them return to their hometowns and start preparing for this year's ploughing. In short, in the 45th year of the Wanli reign, except for the two highways of Beijing-Luoyang and Beijing-Jinan, which still need more than 200,000 laborers, all other laborers who work in exchange for relief can go home. "
"In the Ministry of Justice, the new version of the Ming Code has been revised. According to your Highness's opinion, and with reference to the Roman legal system and the spirit of the Qin bamboo slips found at Shuihudi, the new Ming Code is more detailed in its provisions, and detailed provisions are made in advance for various possible situations. In this way, the authority of the judges is significantly reduced. If such laws can be clearly enforced, I believe that there will be fewer unjust, false and wrongful convictions in the Ming Dynasty in the future."
"In the Ministry of Revenue, Your Highness, everyone, due to the locust plague that swept across the north last year, the court exempted all northern provinces from taxation. Therefore, the revenue of the Ministry of Revenue in Beijing last year was only 18 million yuan. This income is definitely not enough for expenditure. In addition to using up all the surplus from the previous year, 3.2 million salt mine fees were also raised.
Last year's locust plague has come to an end. In terms of losses, all crops for the season were lost. The court spent more than 23 million shi of grain and 15 million silver dollars for disaster relief. As of April this year, the Ministry of Revenue received data showing that more than 32,000 people died in the five northern provinces due to famine caused by the locust plague. While the Ministry of Works gradually allowed the victims who participated in the work-for-relief program to return to their hometowns to farm, the Ministry of Revenue's new yellow book showed that there were still about 70,000 people lost. This, with so much effort from the country, there are still so many refugees. It is our Ministry of Revenue that has not done a good job. I apologize here."
"Hey, Grand Tutor, you don't have to blame yourself. There are more than 20 million disaster victims. How can we take care of everything? I can totally accept this. But the Ministry of Revenue needs to issue a notice, and local governments need to quickly investigate where these more than 70,000 refugees have gone. After the investigation, you need to arrange personnel to take them back to their hometowns as soon as possible."
"Yes, I obey your command." After saying this, Xu Honggang stood up again: "Although the locust plague this time is very large and many people are affected. But after the large-scale work-for-relief, the completed Beijing-Zhangjiakou and Beijing-Shanhai highways have brought the court 200,000 yuan in tolls in the first four months of this year alone. Together with the Beijing-Tianjin Highway, which also started to charge tolls this year, the fee has reached 350,000 yuan. If the other highways are all connected and start to charge tolls, although the princes such as the King of Shu and the King of Fu will share in it. But I roughly estimated that the country can get at least 8 million yuan every year."
"Hiss~~!" After Xu Honggang reported this number, all the ministers present sighed. Of course, Zhu Youdong, who was sitting in the main seat, had no expression.
This is the business tax! But this is just the tip of the iceberg! If I could really collect business taxes nationwide, I could get at least 20 million just from this!
"In addition to the roads, the state has also organized manpower to build ponds, reservoirs, ditches, etc. in various places during this work-for-relief program. With these things, as long as local officials work effectively, unless there is a drought that occurs only once in a century, the northern provinces will not suffer a total crop failure due to insufficient rainfall in the future!
As for whether there will be a locust plague this year, Your Highness, everyone, today is May 1st, and I have received reports from various places that there are scattered locusts in the fields, but no obvious gathering. So, even if this year is not a good year, at least there will be no harvest."
"Huh~" After receiving Xu Honggang's assurance, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
"As for the Ministry of Personnel, Your Highness, everyone. Last year, the five northern provinces used work-for-relief. The Censorate sent all the censors and the new Jinshi of the Bingchen year to supervise the distribution of relief grain. The result was very embarrassing. A total of 2,730 officials were arrested, including 985 civil officials and the rest were military officers."
Hearing Zhao Huan's words, Wang Xiangqian also stood up quickly and said, "I am also guilty."
"Grand Marshal, please sit down. I have specially left your Ministry of War to speak last today. You have plenty of time to speak slowly."
Wang Xiangqian sat down in fear. Zhao Huan continued, "More than 2,700 officials were arrested. As for the police, there were not many, only more than 2,000."
"Hmm..." After tapping the table with his knuckles for a while, Zhu Youdong said, "How is the Ministry of Personnel going to deal with these people?"
"All honors will be revoked and they will be handed over to the Ministry of Justice for punishment according to Ming Dynasty law!"
"Okay, Grand Secretary, I'll leave this matter to you. What I mean is, kill fewer people and focus on recovering the stolen goods! Fine them! I want to make these people lose everything they have and spend the rest of their lives in poverty!"
"Yes, I obey your order! The Ministry of Justice has already dispatched judicial officials from all over the country to Beijing to complete the punishment of these thousands of people as soon as possible."
"Well, then, Grand Chancellor, there are so many fewer officials all of a sudden, what should we do with the vacancies?"
"Well, in addition to following your Highness's advice, starting last year, all new Jinshi will start as county magistrates. I am also planning to select some Juren to fill the vacancies."
"Well, please ask the Ministry of Personnel to handle this matter as soon as possible. We must restore order and stability in the five northern provinces this year."
"Yes, I obey your command."
"Okay." After taking a deep breath, Zhu Youdong pointed at Wang Xiangqian and said, "Grand Sima, please start."
"Yes, Your Highness." Wang Xiangqian stood up with a serious face. "Let me first talk about the locust plague last year. The reason why so many military officers were investigated and punished was, on the one hand, these guys were really bastards, and on the other hand, the military towns were also severely affected by the disaster. Ordinary military households naturally survived by relying on the court's relief, and for those officers who still extended their money during the disaster, my opinion is that according to the amount of money, those who embezzled more than 500 yuan or 1,000 dan of grain will have their homes confiscated and beheaded. For the rest, their homes will be confiscated, the stolen money will be confiscated, and they will join the road construction team to serve."
"Hmm... this plan is fine. Cao Wenzhao, Li Chunzhong."
"I am here."
"Although the border situation is stressful right now, the people we are dealing with this time all have knives in their hands. Each of your two guards will send out a thousand-household team to help the Ministry of War and the Imperial Guards arrest the above-mentioned people."
"Uh... yes, I will obey your orders."
"Okay, please continue, Da Sima."
"Yes, I will continue to talk about the construction of the new army. Since the Ministry of War received the funds transferred from the Ministry of Revenue last year, with the support of the Ministry of Works, it quickly completed the recruitment of 120,000 new soldiers. As of October last year, all new soldiers, officers, and equipment were in place. According to your highness's request, the Ministry of War divided it into seven towns, which were stationed in various prefectures in Northern Zhili. Now, the six-month training of new soldiers has been completed!
In March this year, the Ministry of War selected one thousand households from each of the seven towns to conduct a joint exercise with the elite troops of Ji Town. The first time, the new soldiers were completely defeated. The second time, Ji Town was completely defeated. The reason for this situation was that the new soldiers collapsed in the face of the cavalry in the first exercise. The reason why the new soldiers won the second time was that Henghaiwei sent 300 veterans to supplement one of the thousand households..."
