diymy Chapter 030 Fulfilling Promises and Improving Welfare
Chapter 030 Fulfilling Promises and Improving Welfare
Chapter 030 Fulfilling Promises and Improving Welfare
After leaving Shandong, we entered the territory of Beizhili.
What Chen Ying found unbelievable was that, despite the favorable weather and lack of disasters in Beizhili during the third year of the Tianqi reign, the number of refugees had increased dramatically.
After passing through several prefectures, the situation was almost identical: refugees selling their children were everywhere. Chen Ying was not in office and did not concern himself with politics. As the twelfth lunar month approached, braving the cold wind, Chen Ying and his party finally arrived in Shuntian Prefecture.
However, within the territory of Shuntian Prefecture, Chen Ying had an even more eerie feeling. This place had nothing to do with the prosperity of later generations. Everywhere he looked, there were fields overgrown with weeds, some even taller than a person.
The villages we encountered felt like we were in Africa. We saw corpses from time to time, and while fetching water, we also saw a large number of drowned female infants in the river.
"well……"
Chen Ying also knew that people in ancient times valued sons over daughters. In an era without safety measures, abortion was impossible, and the only option was to give birth. However, the cost of raising a child was too high, so they had no choice but to resort to this cruel method.
Is this under the emperor's nose?
Song Yanniang sighed and said, "I thought Yongcheng was poor enough, but I didn't expect this place to be even poorer than Yongcheng..."
Things will get better!
Will it be alright?
"Yes, because we're here!"
Chen Ying was very clear that the arable land of the Ming Dynasty could no longer support such a large population. According to the population in the 28th year of Wanli (1600), the average arable land per person was 5.83 mu.
This only includes registered residents, not unregistered residents. In order to evade taxes, many people became migrants or unregistered residents and were not included in the statistics. This means that, in reality, the average arable land per person in the Ming Dynasty was less than five mu, or even less.
Many people think that even if five mu of land yields two or three hundred jin per mu, that's only 1,450 jin of grain, which is enough to eat. But the problem is that there was no chemical fertilizer in the Ming Dynasty, and the land could not be planted every year. In the era without chemical fertilizer, the land needed to be left fallow.
Since the Western Zhou Dynasty, a system of fallow land rotation has been adopted, which means that after a period of land cultivation, the land is left fallow to rely on natural vegetation regeneration to restore its fertility. Typically, the cycle is 1-3 years of cultivation followed by 1-2 years of fallow.
So, with an average of five mu of land per person, about one-third would be left fallow, meaning only two or three mu of land would actually be cultivated. There are also various agricultural taxes and miscellaneous levies. In the dry north, a family of five would need at least twenty-two mu of land to have enough to eat.
During the Tianqi era, the situation was actually far below this level. To put it bluntly, the peasants of the Ming Dynasty were on the verge of being executed; the slightest problem would result in their immediate slaughter.
The problems facing the Ming Dynasty were far more than just simple financial issues; the most critical problem was the transformation of the nation's industries.
Simply put, there was a severe oversupply of agricultural workers, and the surplus labor force needed to be released. The best way to achieve this was through industrialization. Unfortunately, the Ming Dynasty was deliberately interrupted at the most critical juncture.
Just as the sun was about to set, Chen Ying and his group finally arrived at their destination, the Shahe Garrison Command in Shahe, Changping. Of course, there wasn't originally a garrison command here.
Emperor Zhu Youxiao directly changed Gonghua City into Shahe Garrison Command, serving as the residence of Chen Ying and others. It should be noted that Gonghua City was originally the Yongle Emperor's temporary palace, which was later destroyed by a flood and abandoned for more than a hundred years.
In 1540, the construction of the square city surrounding the imperial palace was completed. This city was named Gonghua City, signifying the mission of consolidating China.
From then on, Gonghua City stood at the northern gate of the capital, protecting the capital to the south, guarding the imperial tombs to the north, resisting the attack from Miyun to the east, and controlling the strategic pass of Juyong Pass to the west, thus becoming an important town in the north of the capital.
The original garrison had been withdrawn. Gonghua City, not the current Shahe Garrison Command, was an independent small city, but it was larger than an ordinary small city, and its city walls were 36 feet high, even exceeding the city walls of a prefecture-level city.
The original Gonghua City Garrison Commander's Mansion was very grand, but it has now been converted into a thousand-household residence. The thousand-household residence is a three-courtyard mansion, covering an area of more than 2,000 square meters, and also has a back garden, rockery, pavilions, and terraces.
Looking at the magnificent mansion, Song Yanniang exclaimed excitedly, "Is this our home?"
"That's right!"
Chen Ying pointed to the more than one hundred adopted sons and daughters and said, "Boys will live in the front yard, girls in the back yard. Yongren, you take your brothers and assign them rooms. Don't make a mess of it..."
"yes!"
Chen Ying didn't even have time to look around his new home before he began to inspect the small town, which was only one square kilometer in size. The town's military fortress was complete with granaries, stables, wells, barracks, armories, weapons workshops, and so on.
To Chen Ying's surprise, Gong Huacheng left behind a great deal of supplies, especially the armory. When their thousand-household unit went north, they were almost empty-handed. Only the centurions and flag bearers had weapons, while the ordinary soldiers didn't even have decent clothes.
Now things are much better. The armory has no fewer than two thousand brand-new mandarin duck battle coats, as well as thousands of weapons such as spears, swords, shields, muskets, and cannons, which looks like enough to arm two or three thousand people.
There were more than 3,000 shi of grain, enough for four or five thousand people to eat until the following spring. The problem was that they were a garrison of a thousand households, and there was no military farmland for them to cultivate.
Chen Ying inspected the entire city, which was in complete chaos. Children were running around everywhere, and supplies were coming and going. Song Xianze, the garrison commander, along with a few minor officials, finished counting the supplies.
Looking at the supplies, Chen Ying breathed a sigh of relief. It could be said that Emperor Tianqi was quite generous, laying a good foundation for Chen Ying. There were 200,000 catties of pig iron, six completed blast furnaces, and over a million catties of coke reserved here.
After several days of resettlement, the fortress has finally regained some of its vitality, but the problems that followed have also become apparent.
"Greetings, Commander!"
Chen Ying frowned slightly. These soldiers were dressed in tattered clothes, with sallow complexions and their hair matted together in clumps. If you got closer, you could even see lice crawling in their hair.
The women were in no better shape; due to the long journey and lack of hygiene, many of them had an unpleasant odor.
"That won't do."
Chen Ying said to Song Xianze beside him, "With such poor sanitation, an outbreak of epidemic would be a catastrophic disaster. Moreover, the morale of the army needs to be boosted. It's not enough to just have houses to live in and food to eat."
Song Xianze nodded: "Brother-in-law is right. But... if we want to improve things, we need money and supplies everywhere. Although we have some silver on hand, we can't just sit around and do nothing."
"Money should be spent wisely; some expenses cannot be spared."
On the sixteenth day of the twelfth month of the third year of the Tianqi reign, early in the morning, the sound of war drums suddenly rang out. The soldiers hurriedly got up, dressed quickly, and ran towards the garrison headquarters.
The craftsmen listened to the drumbeats with some confusion: "Is a war about to break out?"
"What kind of war are we fighting? We're military households now, the commander is mustering the troops, and if we're late, we'll be punished..."
"what……"
"quick!"
Many craftsmen lost their shoes while running, and quite a few people bumped into each other and fell flat on their faces. However, in the chaos, the first assembly of the Shahe Garrison Thousand Households was still completed.
The Shahe Thousand-Household Garrison consisted of 1,120 registered military households, their families, over 1,300 artisans, and refugees gathered along the way, totaling 5,622 people.
Chen Ying, dressed in official robes, arrived at the drill ground.
The soldiers hurriedly bowed and said, "Greetings, Commander!"
"No need for formalities!"
Chen Ying looked at the assembled soldiers and said, "Everyone, be quiet!"
After a while, everyone quieted down.
"I, the commander, promised you brothers that I would ensure everyone lives a good life!"
Chen Ying continued, "Now is the day for me to fulfill my promise, where is the military doctor?!"
In the Ming Dynasty, the hereditary military households were like a radish with a hole in the ground. If the father was a military doctor, the son would also be a military doctor, and the family would be doctors for generations. If the father was a musketeer, the son would also be a musketeer, and the son would succeed the father.
Many people say that a county can gather all the talents needed to start a country. In fact, the garrisons of the Ming Dynasty were the same. In addition to the regular military households, there were also blacksmiths, carpenters, stonemasons, paper doctors, funeral directors, midwives, and even fortune tellers who were registered elsewhere.
"Reporting back to Commander Qianhu, this humble officer, Hu Chuanwen, is a hereditary military doctor of the Right Commander Qianhu."
"Hu Chuanwen, from today onwards, I, the commander of a thousand households, will establish the Shahe Health Center. You will serve as its director, and the ten military doctors under your command will serve as physicians, enjoying the salary of a general, a monthly grain ration of one and a half shi (a unit of dry measure), and a monthly silver tael of one liang (a unit of weight) and five qian (a unit of weight). In addition, you need to recruit thirty-nine apprentices, each provided with daily meals..."
"Your subordinate obeys!"
Chen Ying continued, "From now on, all registered military households and their immediate family members under the jurisdiction of the Shahe Garrison Commander can go to the health center for free medical treatment and obtain commonly used medicines by presenting their household registration certificate. Those with serious illnesses, difficult cases, or those requiring precious medicinal materials will receive a subsidy of more than half of the cost, depending on the circumstances."
"Free...medical treatment and prescriptions?"
A woman holding her sick child murmured, tears streaming down her face. The child in her arms had a fever and his little face was flushed.
"That's right, free medicine!"
Chen Yingdao said, "This is your benefit, but remember, this benefit is a reward from me, the commander. Anyone who disobeys orders or causes trouble will be immediately discharged from the military and expelled from the commander's office!"
"Mother, you're saved!"
A young soldier, embracing his mother, burst into tears. Throughout history, healing has been a matter of life and death for ordinary people.
Chen Ying raised his hand, and before he could speak, everyone below fell silent.
"The Shahe Thousand-Household Garrison School will be established. The Garrison Commander Song Xianze will temporarily serve as the school's head, recruiting literate individuals to teach. All children aged six to twelve within the Thousand-Household Garrison, regardless of gender, are required to attend the school."
"Lord Commander, how much is the tuition?"
All Chinese parents hope their children can study, as education is one of the only two ways to change one's destiny. Most parents are willing to sell their possessions to provide education.
No tuition fees!
Chen Yingdao: "The school teaches literacy, arithmetic, and the common practices of the Ming Dynasty Code. The school provides writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, and provides one lunch every day."
"Girls...can they go to school too?"
Not all girls in the Ming Dynasty were illiterate. In that era, any literate woman, even if she worked as a maid, earned more than an illiterate one.
"They even provide meals?"
"Meals provided!"
Chen Ying continued, "I've noticed lately that everyone is in a terrible state of disarray, which is unacceptable. I will establish a public bathhouse with separate men's and women's areas. All military households and their families can bathe for free upon presentation of their household registration card. At the same time, I order a thorough cleaning of the entire unit, removing garbage and sewage, and burying filth. Each household must maintain cleanliness inside and outside their residence, with regular inspections by the captain and squad leaders. Anyone found disrespectful will receive a warning the first time, ten strokes of the cane the second time, and expulsion from the unit the third time!"
"Yes, sir!"
This time the voices were much more synchronized.
Chen Ying continued, "Starting this month, our thousand-household garrison will implement a salary system. All registered males aged sixteen to sixty, without disabilities, must request to work. During their work period, they will receive one shi of grain and five qian of silver per month. Female relatives will receive eight dou of grain and three qian of silver per month. For now, the salary will be distributed in a mixture of goods and cash."
"Free meals? And a bushel of grain? Five qian of silver?"
"Women also have eight bushels of grain? Three coins of silver?"
"Mommy, am I dreaming?"
"Lord Commander... Lord Commander, you truly have the heart of a Bodhisattva!"
The soldiers erupted in deafening cheers and cries.
Many veterans and their families knelt down and kowtowed in Chen Ying's direction. They had been military households for generations; when had they ever experienced such good days?
Being able to eat one's fill was a luxury, but now they can even receive real pay. Women and children have a way to survive and hope, free medical care, children can go to school, and they can even take a bath.
"This is just the basic salary; there will be additional bonuses for outstanding performance!"
Chen Ying was very clear that if you want a horse to run, you have to feed it. If you pay your employees 3,000 yuan a month, they will be a major concern for the boss. But if you pay them 30,000 yuan a month, they will be the boss's confidants. They will be willing to fight to the death if anyone dares to undermine the company or harm its interests.
As soon as Chen Ying announced the welfare benefits, the entire Qianhu Office changed instantly. The craftsmen from the former Supervising Bureau voluntarily worked overtime, restoring the smelting furnaces and setting up production lines overnight.
In addition to the Agricultural Implements Manufacturing Bureau, Chen Ying established six other bureaus.
First is the Carriage Manufacturing Bureau, which specializes in the research and production of various four-wheeled and two-wheeled carriages, with a particular focus on military supply wagons and improved passenger vehicles. This is also currently the department that can generate the most revenue quickly.
Secondly, the gun and cannon bureau, relying on its existing craftsmen, continued to improve and refine the repeating thunder cannon and began to try to improve the revolver.
Thirdly, the gunpowder bureau was specifically responsible for producing granular black powder and developing new explosives.
Fourthly, the Machinery Bureau is responsible for researching, designing, and manufacturing various mechanical equipment to improve productivity.
The fifth department was the Clothing Manufacturing Bureau, which was established to provide job opportunities for the female military dependents within the Thousand Households, and also to standardize uniforms. This department was primarily non-profit.
The sixth is the Construction Bureau, which is mainly responsible for building infrastructure. Although Gonghua City is a military fortress, in the long run, it is far from sufficient for Chen Ying to realize his heavy industry group. His plan is to place the Gun and Cannon Bureau and the Gunpowder Bureau, two classified units, inside Gonghua City, and move the other units outside the city.
This necessitates the construction of large-scale housing and staff and family housing, while also absorbing more displaced people.
Chen Ying established a clear reward and punishment system for each bureau. Those who completed basic tasks received full pay and rations, while those who exceeded targets, improved quality, or made inventions and improvements received substantial rewards. The managers of each bureau were also managed in a hierarchical system, adopting a four-tier management system of foreman, team leader, supervisor, and general manager, and they also enjoyed generous benefits.
In just three days, the entire Shahe Garrison Command was like a machine injected with powerful fuel, suddenly starting up with a roar.
"Commander Chen, where is Lord Chen?"
Chen Ying hurriedly came out of the workshop. He looked at the eunuch in front of him, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "My name is Chen Boying. May I ask what brings you here, sir?"
"By imperial decree, Chen Boying is summoned to an audience!"