"No corvee?" A minister stood up and asked, "What does the family mean?"

"Of course all the labor is paid for!" Liu Che replied with a smile: "For example, a certain section of the project is contracted to someone at a certain price. After the completion, the Shaofu will send officials to inspect the quality and then pay..."

Hearing what Liu Che said, the eyes of the ministers in the hall suddenly shone.

There isn't a fool here.

They quickly understood what Liu Che meant.

Even the Emperor Liu Qi sat back on the imperial couch and chuckled in his heart: "It's interesting!"

Although it took a while, Liu Qi still couldn't understand Liu Che's thinking.

However, with a high degree of political acumen, Emperor Liu Qi immediately grasped the central idea of ​​Liu Che's plan.

Obviously, this is a big picture.

The total budget was as high as one hundred thousand yuan, equivalent to a quarter of the Han Dynasty's fiscal revenue.

All the nobles in Guanzhong, even relatives, landlords, wealthy businessmen, and even big businessmen in Guandong will go crazy about this.

No one can give up such a good opportunity to make money openly.

Even Liu Qi himself couldn't help but feel a little moved, let alone others?

Sure enough, immediately a Chehou who had been silent all the time suddenly came out and asked: "My lord, I am stupid, please tell me in detail, what is the contracting method of this contract? Who can contract?"

Others, especially the ministers of the Marquis of Che who were just playing tricks, were also staring at Liu Che intently at this moment.

As for the chief officials of the yamen at the Jiuqing level, they also let go of their reserve at this time.

Everyone is short of money!

Everyone knows the benefits of having money!

At this moment, when Liu Che throws out a pie worth one hundred thousand yuan, even those who originally had opinions about Liu Che because of the protective price of grains, now they want to kneel down in front of Liu Che and want to hug this person tightly.

Thighs.

There is no other reason.

It is true that they are the protective umbrella and backer behind Guanzhong businessmen.

However, they are not businessmen and do not understand business. The reason why they have opinions about Liu Che is because they feel that the prince is blocking their way of making money.

But at this moment, when a big pie worth one hundred thousand dollars hits my head.

Anyone who is not a fool knows that as long as they operate it properly, they can make a fortune that they will never be able to spend all their life.

In this case, the small filial piety of the businessmen is insignificant.

Liu Che glanced at Marquis Che and the ministers.

He smiled slightly and explained: "Those with the title of Grand Duke or above can participate in the contracting. The price and qualification requirements for projects on different road sections are also different. For example, a project costing 30 million yuan will naturally have corresponding guarantees...

…For example, you must pay at least a security deposit equivalent to 10% of the project cost to the Shaofu, and at the same time, you must also have the guarantee of a Chehou or a minister of two thousand dan!"

In fact, Liu Che knew it very clearly from the beginning.

If the Baoxie Road project is to be excavated in this era, technical and financial difficulties are not a problem.

As long as you make up your mind, there is nothing the Han Dynasty cannot accomplish!

However, as a time traveler, Liu Che knew very well what the price of large-scale construction projects was in ancient China.

Because of the existence of the corvee system, every time the ruling class conscripted people on a large scale was actually an overdraft for its future.

For example, Qin Shihuang built the Afang Palace, built the imperial mausoleum, and built the Great Wall, which overdrawn the future of the entire Qin State and directly led to the Chen Sheng and Wu Guang uprisings.

Another example is that Emperor Yang Guang of the Sui Dynasty built the Grand Canal and went on an expedition to Goguryeo, which overdrawn the future of the entire Sui Dynasty, leading to the rise of heroes and chaos in the world.

The reason for all this is that large-scale construction projects and wars will inevitably lead to increasing burdens on the people.

When the people can no longer afford it, a peasant uprising will definitely occur, and a change of government will naturally occur.

However, at a certain period in Chinese history, no matter how the rulers deployed large-scale troops or carried out large-scale construction projects, the people at the bottom honestly paid taxes according to regulations, obeyed the laws, obeyed orders, and worked hard without complaining.

This was the Warring States Period of more than two hundred years before Qin Shihuang unified the world.

Throughout the Warring States Period, since Shang Yang's reform, the Qin people used an extraordinary endurance and determination that would not be seen again for the next two thousand years to continue foreign wars and carry out large-scale water conservancy projects at home.

During the Changping War between Qin and Zhao, the entire Qin State and even the whole country were mobilized. From the 80-year-old man to the 18-year-old child, as long as they were able to move, everyone participated in the war.

Why can the people of Qin be patient?

Why, after reunification, could they not endure a more relaxed rule than the Changping War?

The answer is simple.

All the bustle in the world is for benefit, and all the hustle and bustle in the world is for benefit.

During the Warring States Period, before unification, the military merit system made every Qin citizen automatically a part of the Qin State's war machine.

If you perform meritorious service in war, you will definitely be rewarded.

As long as they make meritorious deeds and return alive, slaves can become freedmen, and yeoman farmers can become landlords.

After reunification, the entire country, from the ruling class to the people, lost its purpose. What's more serious is that because it can no longer rely on war to gain profits, the entire country is at a loss.

The system of military merit, land, and residence, which made the Qin people powerful and unrivaled in the world, eventually became the culprit of its destruction.

The lessons learned by the Qin people were indeed profound, but they also gave Liu Che and those who came after him a crucial revelation: whoever benefits the people, the people will follow.

As for corvee, especially the corvee in the Han Dynasty, from the perspective of a time traveler like Liu Che, from the perspective of the 21st century, there is no doubt that the vast majority of corvee in the Han Dynasty is basically public welfare.

For example, those two years of military service and half a year of guarding the border, from a modern perspective, are nothing more than an all-military service system. If in the future heaven, if you want to be a soldier, you have to give gifts and intercede?

Another example is building bridges, paving roads, and repairing city defenses. These are easy-to-understand projects for people's livelihood and national defense. Basically, in later generations, the common people in the Chinese dynasty liked such projects. Even some poor places were eager to have such projects.

However, at this time, most farmers were reluctant to serve. Anyone with a slightly better family would pay someone to do corvee service on their behalf.

Especially to guard the border. When normal farmers hear that they are going to guard the border, they cry and shout that if they can't help it, they will definitely not go!

Don't they know that if no one is guarding the border, the Huns will march straight in, ultimately endangering their originally peaceful life?

The answer is very simple. The people do not see the benefits, but have to pay the price. In this way, a fool will listen to your nonsense about nationalism, the country, and the defense of Huayi!

So what are the benefits if you serve?

For example, you can get paid for building bridges, and after you join the army and retire, you can enjoy priority in being selected as a rural tour leader, a pavilion chief, or even a county government servant?

Liu Che knew that the people would definitely break their heads over this!

Just like the celestial dynasty of later generations.

Of course, at present, the Han Dynasty's financial income at this time cannot support such large-scale expenditures and changes.

Liu Che used the Baoxie Road project just as a test.

As long as this method is proven to be feasible, he will gradually change the system of free service for service members in the future.

The reason is very simple. The free corvee system seems to mean that the rulers are taking advantage of the people, but in fact it is widening the gap between the rich and the poor, accelerating land annexation, and causing far more harm to the ruling class than the benefits gained!

Why has land annexation become more and more intense throughout the ages? Once it starts, it cannot be stopped. It can only cleanse everything and reset it to zero through a violent revolution.

The crux lies in the corvee system.

Corvee labor made it impossible for the people at the bottom to contend and compete with the landlords and wealthy merchants.

In the end, the embankment of a thousand miles was destroyed in an ant nest, and the huge political power collapsed overnight.

Liu Che naturally knew how to expand government revenue.

Right now, he has two ways to increase the Han Dynasty's fiscal revenue after he ascends the throne.

The right to mint coins was recovered and the government-operated monopoly of salt and iron was implemented.

These two new financial resources can basically ensure that Liu Che can steadily implement some policies in the first few years after he ascends the throne. However, if it involves the national issue of corvee, then the additional financial resources are completely insufficient!

He must develop new sources of income.

"In the first ten years after I ascended the throne, if I can avoid being at odds with the Huns, I will try my best not to be at odds with the Huns..." Liu Che thought to himself, he had already come to his senses.

Xiongnu and Han. There is no room for two tigers in one mountain, and there can only be one boss in this territory of East Asia!

However, he has not yet accumulated enough strength, and has not dealt with the domestic affairs well. Like Xiaozhu, he ran to fight the Huns to death despite the huge domestic conflicts. The final result was undoubtedly that the Huns were beaten.

Half dead, but the country has become a mess.

Therefore, before the internal affairs were sorted out and the country's power could not crush the Xiongnu, Liu Che would rather suffer temporarily.

Liu Che was confident that he could build a cavalry capable of crushing the Huns within ten years.

Then, defeat the Huns within ten years.

Of course, these are just ideas.

At this moment, all Liu Che's thoughts were on his pilot project.

The Baoxie Road project was implemented by Liu Che, just like the later dynasties implemented it in Shenzhen.

It can be said that Liu Che concentrated all his current political power in a desperate effort. To this end, he even sacrificed his accumulated prestige and popularity to promote it, and even spent a huge pie of one hundred thousand yuan!

Liu Che has calculated that the entire Baoxie Road, even if it adopts the plan of hiring migrant workers, calculated based on the most difficult cost, it will only cost a maximum of 30 million yuan, or even 10 to 20 million yuan.
To be continued...