Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 325 Deep into the Grassroots

The emperor's gaze, like that of an eagle surveying its territory, swept across the map.

"The pivot is the bone, and the transit is the blood vessels; I already understand this. However, the health of the human body lies not only in the strength of the bones and blood vessels, but also in the capillaries that are distributed throughout the body and are omnipresent. Although they are tiny, they can transport blood and qi to every inch of the skin."

Without this, even the strongest bones and veins are merely an empty shell, ultimately leading to the risk of limb necrosis. Minister Huang, you are in charge of the land routes; how will you construct the capillaries and blood vessels of this empire?

This question is extremely insightful.

Huang Daozhou, who was in charge of land route planning, perked up upon hearing this. He had just received some advice from His Majesty regarding the matter of Tianxia Ke, and he had been pondering it repeatedly. Now that he heard the inquiry, he dared not be negligent.

He stepped forward, bowed, and said, “Your Majesty’s decree is like a sudden awakening! I have been pondering this matter deeply. Main roads are certainly important, but without these branches that spread throughout the fields, the Emperor’s grace is like rain from heaven, nourishing the mountains and rivers but failing to reach the crops in the fields. I dare to propose that these branches be designated as ‘Public Offices for All Directions’!”

"The Four Directions Office?" Zhu Youjian repeated the term, looking at him with great interest. "Tell me, how do you plan to make it public to all four directions?"

"Your Majesty, this office will not be established in major cities, but rather scattered like dandelion seeds throughout the prefectures, states, and counties of our Great Ming, as well as in bustling towns, densely populated mines, and even border trading places like Zhangjiakou and Datong."

His voice was filled with enthusiasm: "In my opinion, the purpose of this public office lies in the four words 'government is effective and benefits the people,' which is how our Ming Dynasty governs the world and reaches down to the grassroots level!"

"Within the government office, there shall be a 'General Bureau of Postal Service'. Wherever such a postal service is located, a bronze plaque with the design of a 'dragon and horse carrying a map' shall be uniformly hung. This plaque shall be the source of the credibility of the imperial mandate."

Ordinary people who wish to send a letter home or a winter coat; merchants in the city who wish to transport local produce to neighboring counties for sale—all can entrust their needs here. Prices are clear and transparent, and there is no deception of the young or old. Though the profits may be small, they can accumulate into a large sum, and more importantly, they can ensure that the hearts and minds of the people are bound to our headquarters.”

"Next to the post station, a 'Baochao General Bank Counter' was set up. People could send letters and remit money here without having to use heavy silver coins."

Simply deposit money at the counter and you can get a 'Dragon Ticket' voucher.

With this note and the token, distant relatives can redeem the money at a local money exchange; this is a small-amount remittance.

In the future, the salaries of employees under my headquarters can also be drawn from here. In this way, the network of the Baochao Headquarters can truly flow to villages and towns.

Upon hearing this, Bi Ziyan stroked his beard, smiled, and nodded repeatedly.

Huang Daozhou usually only knew classics, history, philosophy, and literature, but unexpectedly he also had such profound insights into economics and mundane affairs.

Seeing that no one objected, Huang Daozhou became even bolder and continued, "Thirdly, and in my opinion the most important point, is to establish the position of 'Recorder of Folk Customs'."

In my opinion, the head of this public office should be selected from retired soldiers who have rendered some military service and are literate, or from impoverished scholars who have failed the imperial examinations but are of good character.
They live among the common people and know their sentiments best!
The imperial court must issue a decree that these officials must personally write a "Record of Rumors" every month, providing detailed reports on local rice prices, public sentiment, any strange or unusual events, and even folk songs and prophecies circulating in the countryside.

If their report contains extraordinary merits such as warning of impending disaster or correcting current abuses, the imperial court should not hesitate to reward them with silver or promote them beyond the usual ranks to demonstrate their loyalty!

To ensure its safety, this record will not go through local government offices, but will be sent directly to the capital, Andu Prefecture, via our internal mail system, sealed with specially made sealing wax, and the identity of the person recorded will also be hidden with a code.

This is the court's intelligence network, a matter of vital importance to the nation. All details of its dealings are top secrets of the court. Any leaks will be severely punished from top to bottom, without exception!

"Hiss..." Tian Ergeng gasped as he listened.

As the governor of Andu Prefecture, he was in charge of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, whose elite cavalry were sent out to investigate the entire country.

Compared to Huang Daozhou's vision, his few spies were nothing but fireflies and the moon!
If this can really be accomplished, then wouldn't His Majesty have complete control over every little thing happening in the world?

Huang Shizhai looks like a righteous but somewhat pedantic Confucian scholar, but I never expected that his mind would be so profound and formidable!

Excitement gleamed in Zhu Youjian's eyes.

This is exactly what he wants!

He wanted to break down the layers of bureaucratic barriers so that his voice could reach the common people, and the voice of the common people could reach the ears of the heavens!
He slammed his hand on the table: "Alright! That's how it'll be done! This matter will be jointly managed by Andu Prefecture and the Transportation Bureau. Li Ruolian, you've got it!"

Li Ruolian, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, felt a chill run down his spine and quickly stepped forward to reply, "Your subject obeys the decree!"

Huang Daozhou's expression remained unchanged, as if this were just an ordinary suggestion.

He continued, "Fourth, we set up 'Imperial Edict Walls' and 'Enlightenment Bookshelves'."

The latest imperial decrees, such as tax reductions and water conservancy projects, cannot be implemented solely based on vague notices from government offices.

My lord needs to set up a wall displaying the imperial edict in the most conspicuous place. Not only should the original edict be posted, but it should also be accompanied by a plain and easy-to-understand explanation compiled by the Hanlin Academy, so that even the most humble and common people can understand His Majesty's benevolence.

In a corner beside the wall, a bookshelf could be placed—this was the "enlightenment bookshelf," displaying the newly published *Da Ming Yue Bao* (Great Ming Monthly), as well as some introductory books on agriculture, mathematics, and medicine, for passersby to read quietly. The power of education should be subtle and pervasive.

Upon hearing this, Ni Yuanlu clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Brother Shizhai, your plan is brilliant! There is nothing better than this to enlighten the people. In this way, our Sifang Public Hall will not only be a place for the circulation of goods, but also a hub for government orders and education. Its merits will benefit the present and future generations!"

"Finally," Huang Daozhou concluded, "besides the public office, we also need to set up the 'Yuelai Carriage and Horse Service Center.' This time, unlike the main store in the hub, we don't seek luxury, but only three things: cleanliness, safety, and fair prices."

Whether they were traveling peddlers from the north or south, or scholars on their way to take the imperial examinations, they could all find a place to rest in peace and a stable to house their mules and horses.

All prices are clearly displayed on the beam, and no instance of a large shop bullying its customers or raising prices arbitrarily will be tolerated. In this way, travelers from all over the world, upon seeing my "Dragon Horse Carrying the Map" sign, will feel as if they have returned home and find peace of mind.

After finishing his words, Huang Daozhou bowed deeply and returned to his original position.

He described the functions of this "Four Directions Guild Hall" in such detail and so enticingly that it was as if an invisible hand had cleverly woven together the five threads that were closely related to people's livelihoods: postal service, remittance, field research, education, and food and lodging!
Zhu Youjian was overjoyed upon hearing this. He stood up and paced back and forth in the hall, his excitement overflowing: "Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! Cui Erjin's hub is the pillar of the nation; Ni Yuanlu's water transport is the lifeline of the nation; and Huang Daozhou's office is the foundation of the nation! With the pillar, the lifeline, and the foundation all in place, our Great Ming Transportation Bureau can finally be considered a complete and living entity!"

At this point, the organizational structure and three-tiered network of the Transport Bureau were fully clear.

From the heart of the central hub to the main roads of regional transit, and then to the branches of the local government offices, a three-dimensional and vast imperial logistics and information network has already emerged on the page!
Zhu Youjian didn't keep them in suspense and directly pointed out the core issue: "This final and most important set of rules is to clarify how the General Bureau of Transportation, the Bank of China, and the various departments of the court should divide their work and cooperate to form an invincible force!"

He held up three fingers and waved them in front of everyone: "I call this the 'Three Horses Driving Together' strategy!"

"Let me ask you first, what is the court most afraid of when it undertakes major tasks, such as a northern expedition, suppressing bandits, or developing water conservancy projects?"

Without a second thought, Bi Ziyan replied, “Your Majesty, I fear two things most. One is the lack of funds and provisions, and the other is the embezzlement at every level.”

"That's right!" Zhu Youjian slapped his thigh. "Then today, I will use this 'three horses pulling a cart' strategy to completely solve these two stubborn problems!"

His voice became impassioned, as if he were not discussing matters, but issuing a battle proclamation:
"The salaries for the work-for-relief program will be paid! In the future, for all large-scale projects undertaken by the imperial court, the list of workers will not be handled solely by local officials, but will be jointly verified by local officials and personnel dispatched by our Transportation Bureau."

Each worker was issued a unique identification badge or document. Their wages were determined by the Ministry of Revenue. The most crucial step was that the wages no longer passed through the hands of officials at various levels; instead, the head office of the Treasury directly dispatched specialists to the construction site, carrying the money and personally distributing it to each worker one by one, based on their identification badges and documents!

As soon as this statement came out, the whole hall was shocked!

"Your Majesty, this... how can this be allowed?" Cui Erjin, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, even though he had been appointed as the chief administrator, couldn't help but question this earth-shattering move. "If this is done, what will become of the local government's dignity? Won't it completely undermine their authority?"

"Skipping them out?" Zhu Youjian sneered. "I intend to strip those corrupt officials who dare to reach out! My money is for the people to live and for the court to serve, not for feeding those rats! Anyone who dares to speak out on this matter is an enemy of the country and the people. My blade is swift!"

His words were filled with murderous intent, and Cui Erjin immediately dared not speak again.

Zhu Youjian continued, “In this way, firstly, it eliminates the possibility of deductions by middlemen, ensuring that the people receive their full wages. Naturally, they will work diligently, leading to social stability. Secondly, the wages of these hundreds of thousands, even millions of workers, are all handled by the Baochao Head Office. What a huge flow of money! When the people receive the money and want to buy rice or cloth, they can directly exchange it at the counters in my office, which will revitalize the Baochao Head Office's business. It's a win-win situation, so why not?”

After thinking about it carefully, everyone nodded in agreement.

Although this method is domineering, it can fundamentally solve the major problem that has plagued dynasties throughout history.

"That's only one aspect." Zhu Youjian's gaze went further. "More importantly, there's the second aspect, which I call 'industrial chain integration and financial support'!"

He stood up, walked to the map, and pointed to Liaodong: "For example, I want to build an armory outside the pass with an annual production capacity of 100,000 catties of refined iron. According to the old law, how should this be done?"

Bi Ziyan replied, “According to the old law, the Ministry of War or the Ministry of Works would issue a document, the Ministry of Revenue would allocate the silver, and then the local government would purchase iron ore and coal, recruit craftsmen, and start smelting. The procedures were complicated, time-consuming, and labor-intensive, and there were many drawbacks.”

"Indeed!" Zhu Youjian nodded. "But with this 'three horses pulling a cart' strategy, everything will be different!"

"From now on, any plans I have for supporting industries will be carried out in collaboration with these three entities!"

"First, the Ministry of Works or the Ministry of War, they are the ones who make the requests. They only need to tell me what specifications of iron they need and how much. They are responsible for setting the technical standards and accepting the finished products."

"Secondly, the Transportation Bureau of my Great Ming Dynasty is the executor, the very hand and foot of the Emperor! Upon receiving a request from the Ministry of War, the Bureau will act immediately. It will utilize its nationwide network to find the best and cheapest iron ore and coal producing areas. It will organize cavalry and fleets to transport these raw materials to the Ordnance Bureau. Once the finished products are produced, it will be responsible for distributing these refined irons to various garrisons or selling them to merchants in the civilian population who need iron."

"Finally, and most importantly, the Great Ming Treasury Bank is the lifeblood that drives everything! What if the Military Equipment Bureau doesn't have start-up capital? The Treasury Bank can provide low-interest loans!"

What if you need a large amount of cash to purchase raw materials? The Baochao Head Office can issue "Dragon Notes" to facilitate cross-regional settlements! In short, from raw material procurement to production and manufacturing, and finally to sales, the Baochao Head Office will provide full-process financial support!

At this point, Zhu Youjian's voice was already impassioned: "My dear ministers, think about it. The Ministry of Works has the technology, the General Bureau has the tools, and the paper money has the lifeblood. With these three combined, what can't be accomplished? If I want to smelt steel, I will have steel; if I want to manufacture cannons, I will have cannons; if I want to spin yarn, I will have yarn! The resources of the world can then be used by my Great Ming Dynasty with the highest efficiency!"

"In conclusion," he said, looking around at everyone, "this is a completely new government office, and an unprecedented achievement. I know that the difficulties involved are also unprecedented. But as I often say, if we stop because of fear of difficulties, then this matter will forever remain just talk on paper, and there will never be a day of success!"

"I want you to do it! And I allow you to make mistakes in the process!"

There are no perfect rules in this world.

Only through continuous practice, learning from experience, and constantly refining and perfecting our work can we truly accomplish this momentous undertaking! Only then can we create an unprecedented economic lifeline that truly belongs to us, for the people of our Great Ming and for our great empire!

The king's words, like the resounding toll of a bell, stirred up a storm in everyone's heart.

Bi Ziyan stood there, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

He looked at the emperor on the throne, who was too young yet awe-inspiring, and sighed inwardly.

Crazy!

This emperor is truly insane to the extreme!

(End of this chapter)