Jiajing Chengming

Chapter 47 Jiajing New Deal
The third day of May in the sixteenth year of the Zhengde reign.

In the Gyeonggi region, the sky is clear and the summer breeze is warm.

The Jiajing new policy of clearing land has been carried out in full swing for several days.

Under the blue sky.

The rows of yellow fields were measured and registered and distributed to each household along with the grain seeds allocated by the Ministry of Households.

Although the powerful and wealthy in the capital gnashed their teeth and stamped their feet in anger, many common people cried inconsolably while holding their bags of grain and the new yellow book.

Wei Changgui also held his sister Xiulian's hand, looked at the land allocated to him by the government with tears in his eyes, and whispered to the sky: "Dad, Mom, our family finally has our own land again!"

Xiulian was eating the fried rice in the bag with her other hand, looking intoxicated, and asked Wei Changgui: "Brother, is this really our farm from now on?"

Wei Changgui smiled and said, "Those officials read out the imperial edict in front of us, saying that the emperor would clear out the untenanted farmland in these places and distribute it to us. Naturally, no one in the world dared to disobey the emperor."

"Your Majesty is so kind!"

"Even the fried rice was distributed a lot more."

Xiulian didn't know that because of the need to clear the fields and pacify the people, they were no longer a burden to the court, but a new productive force to increase tax revenue for the court. Naturally, when the court provided relief to them, it would not just keep them hanging on from starvation, but would start issuing more official grain to ensure that they had enough labor to farm, providing relief in a way that allowed them to have enough food.

The six-year-old girl only knew that after the emperor issued an order to clear the land and divide the land, he gave them more food.

Wei Changgui just smiled slightly, let go of his sister's hand, and couldn't wait to loosen the soil with his hands at the edge of the field.

Although he was only sixteen years old, he had followed his parents in farming since he was a child, so he was no stranger to farming. He knew how to farm and was very skilled.

However, the government had not yet had time to distribute farm tools, so Wei Changgui could only pull out the weeds with his bare hands.

By the way, the brave soldier Zhang Bin also came here with the team that was clearing and dividing the land, intending to see how this good policy that was truly for the country and the people was being implemented.

Zhang Bin now once again rekindled his beautiful expectations for the Ming Dynasty court, especially since the new emperor had just ascended the throne and had actually started the policy of revival that he had hoped to see.

Zhang Bin, who was born into a family of ordinary military officers in a hereditary garrison in Xuanfu area, cared very much about the destiny of the Ming Dynasty. Precisely because he cared so much, he was very disappointed before, and naturally he is very happy now.

After all, as long as the Ming Empire existed, his family's hereditary official position would be there. Although he was not the heir to that hereditary official position, he also knew that his family could always be stable and prosperous because of the country's kindness.

Therefore, when he learned that the new emperor was willing to clear the farmland and provide farmland to the people for the sake of the Ming Dynasty's revival, he truly felt a sense of joy that could not be described in words.

It can even be said that as a man who had only wanted to make contributions to the Ming Dynasty since he was a child, he suddenly felt that life had meaning.

However, the land was not allocated to him, but to refugees whom he did not know at all.

of course.

As a result, Zhang Bin could not help but believe even more that the new emperor was a truly wise ruler. He did not bring hundreds of thousands of refugees to Beijing for show, otherwise he would not have had such courage. At the beginning of his reign, he was really willing to do the land clearing task, especially when Yang Tinghe, a minister who was famous both at home and abroad, claimed to be ill.

Zhang Bin stood with his hands on his waist, looking at the people who were working hard in the fields under the rising sun. He suddenly felt the motivation to continue to protect these people and the Ming Dynasty with his life, instead of being a saboteur and using his superb riding and archery skills to rob and plunder.

At this time.

Zhang Bin saw Wei Changgui weeding in the field after he was given the land. Seeing that he was young and had no one to help him, he strode into the field:
"Boy, let me help you!"

As Zhang Bin spoke, he used both hands to help Wei Changgui loosen the soil.

Seeing this, Xiulian also put down the rice bag and helped dig the hardened soil with her hands.

And not for a long time.

Dai Yi, a general under Gui Yong, came here with his personal soldiers for inspection. When he saw Zhang Bin, he couldn't help but pull the reins and shouted to Zhang Bin, "Are you Zhang Bin who served in the Weiwu Camp and participated in the Yingzhou battle?"

Zhang Bin came over and saluted: "General, I am Zhang Bin, a former sentry officer of the cavalry of the Weiwu Camp."

"I didn't expect to meet you here."

"Your Majesty is benevolent and kind to military academies, so you have issued an edict that all military academies who are laid off and unemployed should be given land. In addition, because they have served the king, they will be given land according to their positions. Those with families will be given double the amount. There will be no investigation for what they did after being laid off."

"If you can call back the scattered soldiers, you will be rewarded two taels of silver for each person you call back."

"Do you know the whereabouts of your former campmates? Call them back and let them accept the land grant from the court."

"If not, go to Eunuch Zhang and Governor Gui to register for the land."

Dai Yi said this with a smile, and then spoke loudly to Zhang Bin.

Zhang Bin was even more delighted after hearing this and asked hurriedly, "General, are you serious?"

"How could I lie to you!"

"Notices are being posted on important roads everywhere. If you don't believe me, you can come with us and take a look."

Dai Yi said this and ordered someone to give Zhang Bin a horse and let him leave with him. Half a quarter of an hour later.

Zhang Bin led the horse to a notice posted at an intersection and read it carefully.

One time
A seven-foot-tall man burst into tears because of this.

At this moment, he naturally realized that the new emperor had not forgotten their military academy, and did not really want to abandon them, and did not care whether they were thieves or not.

This also made him suddenly realize that he was willing to die for the new emperor and swear allegiance to him until his death.

Even though he had never met the new emperor before.

Although the new emperor only asked him to farm and did not tell him to enjoy the salary.

But this already made him feel that he should repay the emperor's kindness.

Dai Yi understood Zhang Bin's feelings. He knew how it felt to be ruthlessly abandoned by the ruling civil servants in the name of the emperor and father, but then to be cared about by the emperor and father again.

Therefore, Dai Yi patted Zhang Bin on the shoulder and said, "Farm well and don't forget to practice. Your Majesty is talented and intelligent. Since you have not ignored us, you will definitely make the best use of our talents and resources. There will be no worries that you will make great achievements in the future."

Zhang Bin nodded solemnly.

The land clearing and distribution was still going on. Xia Yan and Fan Jizu were very excited when they saw that people were beginning to reclaim large amounts of wasteland and many disbanded military officers were beginning to come out of the forests and mountains to farm.

"Thanks to your Majesty's diligent efforts to govern the country, I, Xia, have been an official for so many years. I finally have the opportunity to do something practical for the people."

"In this way, even if I cannot become a noble official, I will be able to comfort my parents when I return home in the future, and I will also be able to boast to my children and grandchildren!"

Xia Yan also felt emotional about this.

Fan Jizu followed up and said, "Yes, we are fortunate to have met a holy ruler and become the pioneers of the new policy of rejuvenation, all thanks to your majesty's ambition to revive the country!"

Qingtian Anmin was indeed a great encouragement to the civil and military officials who still cared about the country and the people.

Because this is indeed a policy that truly benefits the country and the people, and it is also a policy that requires the monarch's determination and courage. After all, clearing the manors is a blow to the interests of the powerful, and it is also the emperor himself making concessions to the country and the people.

For a time, word spread throughout the capital that farms had been cleared to accommodate the refugees.

Many bureaucrats and scholars who cared about their country and the people also ordered the emperor to be praised for his virtue and concern for the people, which showed signs of a revival.

Therefore, it was not just Xia Yan and Fan Jizu. Zhang Cong, who was the first to propose clearing the fields to solve the problem of these refugees, was also ecstatic after seeing the notice about clearing the fields and ensuring the safety of the people and the abolition of the military academy.

Although the task of clearing the fields was not accomplished by him, the fact that it was accomplished gave him a great sense of accomplishment.

Zhang Cong could not help but say to his good friend Jiang Ruobi and others:

"I said, Your Majesty is not just pretending to love the people, but really wants to let these refugees who followed him to the capital live and work in peace and contentment in the capital. His benevolence and wisdom are beyond the reach of ordinary rulers. It's a pity that I didn't pass the imperial examination earlier and become Your Majesty's right-hand man!"

Jiang Ruobi had become accustomed to Zhang Cong's bragging and basically would not laugh at him.

But this time he not only did not mock, but also said: "Yes, it's a pity that even the imperial examination we participate in will not be held until May 15th. I really wish I could see the Holy Emperor right away and become his disciple!"

Zhang Cong nodded. He also wished he could enter the court as an official as soon as possible and take the imperial examination immediately to become a minister of the Jiajing Dynasty as soon as possible.

Wash your hat with clear water and wash your feet with turbid water.

Obviously, for ambitious scholars like Zhang Cong, the current Ming Dynasty is already a peaceful and prosperous world in their eyes.

……

Forbidden City.

"Your Majesty, the cabinet has reported that 23,620 acres of farmland have been cleared!"

"Your Majesty, the cabinet has reported that 12,100 people, 9,205 people, and more than 3,700 households have been registered!"

"Your Majesty, the Cabinet has reported that 5,764 people from the disbanded military academies have been recalled and resettled!"

Zhu Houcong also listened to the cabinet's reports on the progress of land clearing conveyed by the Imperial Household Department from time to time, and therefore felt a sense of accomplishment in implementing the new policy.

But Zhu Houcong didn't want his sense of accomplishment to just exist as a sense of accomplishment. He wanted to make something out of it.

"Mr. Xuan, come to see me!"

to this end.

Zhu Houcong decided to summon Yuan Zonggao.

(End of this chapter)