Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 440 A New Policy That Satisfies All Parties?

In any case, the most challenging aspect of this new policy has been implemented smoothly and unexpectedly.

In many places, landlords and gentry had previously made harsh statements in private, claiming that they would fight to the death to resist the new policies of the imperial court and never let them take root.

But when the time came to hand over the land deeds in exchange for stocks, they were more eager than anyone else, scrambling to be the first to comply, afraid of falling behind.

In their eyes, the new policies not only did not harm their fundamental interests, but also demonstrated His Majesty's benevolence and tolerance.

Using stocks as compensation gave them a smooth road to new wealth.

Many people secretly rejoiced, and even whispered among themselves: His Majesty is indeed kind-hearted and treats us well.

In contrast, the impoverished people, though envious of the wealthy merchants and gentry who made a fortune in the stock market, were quite satisfied with the new policies themselves.

After all, the gentry making money is their own destiny, and has nothing to do with them.

These gentry have amassed wealth for generations; their current prosperity is merely a continuation of their past glory.

What truly moves the poor is the tangible benefits that this new policy brings them.

Especially those who were once confined to the lowest social class.

Now, the imperial edict to abolish their status has sounded like a thunderclap in spring, and their fate has suddenly been reversed, naturally filling them with ecstatic joy.

The sound of firecrackers rose and fell, and the deafening sound of gongs and drums filled the sky, immersing every household in a joyous atmosphere.

It should be understood that before this, it was virtually impossible for someone of low social status to erase the marks of humiliation.

Abolishing the status of "lowly" was their deepest wish, a luxury they dared not even dream of.

The shackles of low social status not only bind their current families, but also entangle all their descendants like a curse, preventing them from ever escaping this fate.

Who would willingly allow their bloodline to forever bear this lowly mark, unable to hold their head high as a human being?
If they could exchange their own lives for the "lowly status" of their family and descendants, they would not hesitate for a moment, nor would they even blink!
But that's just wishful thinking.

Once the status of a person of low social standing is established, it becomes an ironclad rule, unbreakable, and there is no possibility of breaking free.
Who could have predicted that His Majesty the Emperor would issue an edict in a single day, shattering these shackles completely!
For them, it was like falling into the most beautiful dream on earth, and they still couldn't believe it when they woke up.

At that moment, they asked for nothing more.

At least for this brief moment of joy, their wishes have been fulfilled.

The new policies were like timely rain, nourishing their long-parched lives and igniting their hopes for the future.

Therefore, this group of people who were once trampled underfoot by the world have now become the most steadfast supporters of the new policies.

For ordinary citizens who constituted the vast majority of the Ming Dynasty's population and were neither wealthy gentry nor of low social status, the implementation of the new policies also won their widespread approval.

Admittedly, the legend of the gentry becoming rich overnight in the stock market made them envious, and the sight of the lowly people suddenly "turning over a new leaf" inevitably made them feel somewhat indignant.

After all, this means that the "lower class" that they once trampled underfoot will no longer exist.

They can no longer find solace and balance by comparing themselves to those who are more humble.

However, these emotions are at most just some grumbling and dissatisfaction.

It only stirred ripples in my heart.

The new policy did not harm their vital interests; on the contrary, it brought them tangible benefits.

This is what they truly care about.

For example, the new policies of "integrating the poll tax into the land tax" and "abolishing corvée labor" directly benefited these people like a spring breeze.

From then on, the taxes they had to pay were significantly reduced.

Those poor households who had no land to cultivate were completely exempted from taxes, and did not have to pay a single penny.

The removal of the heavy burden of corvée labor brought immense joy to countless farming families, who spread the news far and wide.

In implementing these policies, Zhu Yunwen did not stop there.

He also took the opportunity to introduce tax cuts, and the reductions were quite substantial and encouraging.

One reason for this is that if corvée labor were converted into silver, the amount would be astonishingly high. If it were not reduced or exempted and was forcibly collected, many people would simply be unable to afford it.

In the past, they could compensate with labor service, but now they can only pay in cash. If the compensation is not reduced appropriately, it will only exacerbate the suffering of the people and run counter to the original intention of the new policy.

With reduced taxes and exemption from corvée labor, life became easier, and the people's gratitude towards the imperial court grew like spring grass.

Although they might occasionally grumble bitterly about the good fortune of the rich in the fields, teahouses, and taverns, or feel slightly uncomfortable about their lowly status being lifted, these petty complaints ultimately couldn't outweigh the sense of security and hope that the new policy gave them.

In their eyes, His Majesty's benevolent rule was like a timely rain, nourishing their harsh lives and lighting a faint but warm lamp for these thousands of good people.

On the other hand, Zhu Yunwen's move also had its own far-sighted considerations.

He intentionally lowered agricultural taxes to encourage farming, ensure national stability and abundant food supplies, keep food prices low, and make the people's food supply more secure.

In this era, ordinary people could barely fill their stomachs and struggled to make ends meet.

Their standard for measuring the quality of life was not like that of later generations who chased after cars, houses, designer clothes, bags, cell phones, and watches.

Using the amount of a house that one year's salary can buy as a benchmark for income level.

For the vast majority of ordinary people in this era, their perception of income level depends entirely on one simple and unpretentious matter.

That is, after a day of hard work, the money earned could buy a few pounds of coarse grains to fill one's stomach.

The standard is simple and blunt, yet so real that it is deeply moving.

Just a few years ago, most landlords paid their long-term laborers with a certain amount of grain per year.

Although the system has now been changed to direct cash payments, people still subconsciously use the amount of grain that money can buy to measure their income level.

As a result, after the implementation of the new policy, driven by the myth of wealth creation in the stock market and large-scale capital investment, the demand for labor surged, and the income of people who did manual labor rose again.

These tangible benefits are far more appealing to them than the sudden wealth of the gentry or the liberation of those of low social status.

From the time Zhu Yunwen took power to his ascension to the throne, and up to the present day, the income of ordinary people has been steadily increasing.

Compared to a few years ago, the amount of grain that the people of the Ming Dynasty can earn in a day of hard work is now almost three times that of the past!
This is not just a cold, hard number, but a tremendous change that is truly awe-inspiring, carrying behind it the real transformation of the lives of countless ordinary people.

It is precisely because of these earth-shaking changes that ordinary people feel that their lives are becoming more and more hopeful, and their living standards are rising steadily.

In their simple and sincere hearts, Zhu Yunwen has already been revered as the greatest sage ruler of all time.

Is there any emperor more wise and virtuous than him?

Who else can make people feel the hope and dignity of life so deeply?
Zhu Yunwen was fully aware of this and understood the will of the people.

Therefore, he doesn't need to worry too much about fluctuations in other prices.

With the booming economy, the financial landscape has expanded rapidly, and the amount of currency in circulation has surged like a flood, making inflation inevitable.

But he ruthlessly locked in the price of grain, determined not to let this vital lifeline of the people be shaken in the slightest. He wanted every farmer sweating profusely, every woman toiling in the fields, to truly feel the impact.

Today's hard work has yielded more rice than yesterday.

Tomorrow's life will be brighter than today's.

This sense of solid happiness, like a gentle spring breeze and nourishing rain, permeated the hearts of countless citizens of the Ming Dynasty.

To stabilize grain prices, Zhu Yunwen had his own set of swift and decisive measures and long-term plans.

First, they spared no expense to purchase grain from overseas, even knowing it was at a loss, with the imperial court subsidizing it, to ensure the granaries were full and that the people would not suffer from famine.

At the same time, he ordered the large-scale development of farmland irrigation, the construction of reservoirs and dikes, gradually turning barren land into fertile fields, so that the land would no longer be subject to the weather and could guarantee a harvest regardless of drought or flood.

On the other hand, we should promote the research and development of pesticides and fertilizers, use scientific breeding methods to cultivate better seeds, and teach people various advanced planting techniques to increase the yield per unit area.

In addition, high-yield crops were introduced from overseas, expanding the scope of agriculture.

In addition, Zhu Yunwen ordered the construction of granaries throughout the country to stockpile surplus grain for unforeseen needs, regulate the market, and stabilize grain prices.

……

All of these measures are numerous and interconnected.

Therefore, although the prices of other things were rising and people's incomes were soaring, the price of grain remained unchanged, as stable as Mount Tai.

Lowering land taxes is naturally a brilliant move in this grand strategy.

With the rapid development of science and technology and the booming economy, tax revenue from other sectors is growing rapidly, which is not only enough to make up for the shortfall caused by the reduction of land taxes, but also has the capacity to make the national treasury more abundant.

This gave Zhu Yunwen the confidence and ambition to reduce agricultural taxes.

Moreover, the newly implemented graded tax system has already divided land into different grades, with those owning less land paying less tax, making tax reductions and exemptions a logical consequence.

While families with more land theoretically bear a heavier tax burden per acre, those gentry and powerful clans have long since converted their land into stocks, leaving them with no land of their own, so the tax burden is naturally out of the question.

In this way, the tax reduction policy can be implemented smoothly, benefiting the people without harming the national foundation.

Zhu Yunwen orchestrated all of this with the demeanor of an emperor.

Food is the lifeblood of the people and the foundation of the nation.

As long as grain prices remain stable, the people's hearts will be as unbreakable as iron.

And he was the wise ruler who supported this land for all people, looking down upon the common people and being supported by them.

In addition, there was another thing that made the people happy and applaud.

After the landlords and gentry handed over their land to the "bank," the bank did not leave it idle, but instead entrusted it to a specialized land leasing agency for management.

After the new policy was implemented, ordinary people could easily rent land to cultivate by paying far less rent than the gentry had previously demanded.

What is even more gratifying is that the leasing agency established by the imperial court adhered to the principle of fairness and acted impartially and selflessly.

Every household that was willing to work in the fields was allocated land.

The land that each household can rent is divided equally among the population, and the lease term is long-term and stable, as if the imperial court has personally bestowed upon them a piece of land that belongs to them.

Although it was nominally a "lease," in reality it was no different from "land distribution" to them.

Of course, if someone voluntarily gives up their rented land, the imperial court will not force them to.

After all, there are many who want to farm, so there's no need to force anyone to pick up a hoe.

Those who are unwilling to farm are not without options.

Most of them choose to go to the city to make a living, or devote themselves to massive projects such as road construction, bridge building, and reservoir construction, relying on their physical strength to support their families.

At this time, the Ming Dynasty was in dire need of countless free laborers, as all industries were waiting to be revitalized.

Whether working in the fields or struggling in the city, the opportunities brought by these new policies have allowed ordinary people to truly reap the benefits.

With such favorable treatment before them, how could they not support the new policy?
How could we not be grateful?

Even the yamen runners were no exception; they welcomed Shenzhen's policies very much.

The imperial court implemented the ironclad rule of "separate lines for revenue and expenditure," strictly ordering all income to be deposited into the national treasury, thus completely blocking their previous avenues for extortion.

At first glance, this undoubtedly cuts off their profits and their means of making money.

However, His Majesty was kind and benevolent, and actually issued an edict to include the yamen runners in the same management system as the officials!

If they can pass the assessment and become official, they can transform into legitimate "officials".

Although they no longer held official ranks, this was a world of difference compared to their former lowly and unworthy status as servants, enough to stir their hearts.

In the past, although they could extort some money by taking advantage of their power, that was only a helpless move forced by the court's failure to pay salaries.

Even so, these petty benefits are often used by superiors as an excuse to take action against them, making them scapegoats and punishing them mercilessly.

Now, however, they have the opportunity to receive their salaries from the imperial court with dignity, to sit on equal footing with the officials, and to be respectable "officials".

How could anyone not yearn for such a taste?

Back then, they were like gangsters in some countries in later generations, outwardly arrogant and powerful, but in reality living a miserable life.

Those high-ranking officials were the "constables" who controlled the "gangsters," ordering them around and treating them like dirt.

In their heyday, they were like chamber pots for the master to use at night, something he could just grab and use whenever he needed to.

When it is no longer useful, it is abandoned in a corner, where it gathers dust and rusts.

But now, there is a glimmer of hope for a permanent position!

Although it cannot be accomplished overnight, but requires a period of observation and tempering, as long as there is hope ahead, there is something to strive for.

In order to seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the yamen runners all restrained their usual arrogance and became well-behaved.

They no longer oppressed the people at will; instead, they worked diligently in their official duties, fearing only that they might make a mistake and ruin their future.

In a short time, the atmosphere of government offices in various places was completely renewed.

The former smog and miasma have been blown away by the gentle breeze, replaced by a solemn and righteous atmosphere.

The new policies were like a powerful medicine, not only curing the people's suffering but also cleansing the corrupt practices in officialdom, bringing vitality to every corner of the Ming Dynasty.

……

(End of this chapter)