Later, Zhang Rui finally figured it out.

In the final analysis, the Manchus did not treat China as their own country.

Although the Manchus have occupied the Central Plains, they have no idea. After all, it is almost impossible for a small number of Manchus to suppress the huge Han people, and there is a Mongolian Yuan in front of them.

Lessons from the past.

Therefore, they are naturally exploiting the people living on this land, so how can they go to such troublesome construction?

In fact, the old Buddha behind also understood this, so he dared to say it shamelessly: measure China's material resources and make the country happy. Such words.

However, although the Manchus and Qing Dynasties were not good at building a country, they exerted their talents to the extreme in controlling the people.

This control mainly comes from the economic aspects of life.

At that time, the daily wage of ordinary peasant day laborers (also known as temporary workers) was about ten cents.

In the 21st year of Qianlong's reign, Lu Kuiyuan from Tanghe County, Henan Province worked as a long-term laborer for the local Zheng Tianlu family. The salary was 2,500 cash per year, and he earned an average of 200 cash per month. During the Qianlong period, one tael of silver was equal to one thousand copper coins.

, that is to say, an ordinary peasant part-time worker can only earn less than three taels of silver a year. However, ordinary people who work as long-term workers for landlords have a relatively higher income, about four taels of silver. 1

An ordinary owner-peasant (poor peasant) who owns land can earn about 20 to 25 taels of silver from farming a year; an ordinary tenant farmer (a farmer who makes a living by renting land) can earn about 8 to 9 taels of silver from farming a year.

However, an ordinary person's basic expenses need at least five taels of silver a year. If there are four people in the family, they will have to spend at least twenty taels of silver a year.

A middle peasant family owns quite a lot of land, and they can earn about thirty-five taels of silver a year. However, the minimum annual expenses of a middle peasant family are about thirty-eight taels of silver.

In other words, after working hard for a whole year, they still have to borrow about three taels of silver to survive, and there is no production surplus at all.

And their situation will continue in the years when there are no natural or man-made disasters. If a famine occurs, many peasant families will go bankrupt, sell their sons and daughters, eat tree bark, and dig Guanyin soil. 2

A seemingly simple three taels of silver was enough to make the people below work hard and work to death for their basic life. Naturally, they had no energy to resist the rule of the Qing Dynasty.

It is undeniable that the Manchu Qing Dynasty was really good at enslaving the people, but the whole country they produced were just weak, selfish, indifferent, and insensitive slaves.

If the people of a country lack self-esteem and creativity, how can it develop?

It is said that when you have enough food and clothing, you know honor and disgrace.

Therefore, if we want to change the people who were enslaved by the Manchus, we must give them food, clothing, and a place to live, give them freedom, and give them honor.

And the most basic thing is to let them have money. Let them make money and save money.

As the saying goes: if the king regards his ministers as his hands and feet, then his ministers will regard him as his heart and soul; if his ministers regard his ministers as dogs and horses, then his ministers will regard him as a fellow countryman; if his ministers regard his ministers as earth and mustard, then his ministers will regard him as a bandit.

Only by using practical actions to make them feel that you are sincerely good for them, so that they have food to eat, clothing to wear, a spacious house to live in, and freedom of speech, will they truly accept you, support you, and protect you.

you.

In fact, in the areas occupied by the bandit suppressing army, farmers who farm do not need to pay other taxes except agricultural taxes.

As for those excessive taxes and miscellaneous taxes for unknown purposes, the anti-bandit forces are not allowed to collect them. Anyone who dares to collect taxes indiscriminately can go to the local procuratorate to report it. Officials will naturally come down to deal with it.

Zhang Rui even abolished corvee service, which had not changed for thousands of years. Nowadays, most of the army's food transporters are auxiliary soldiers, and as for the civilian men, they are all hired with money and food.

It is precisely in this way that the people occupied by the bandit suppression army felt that happiness came so suddenly, and they all supported the arrival of the bandit suppression army. At the same time, they gave unconditional support to the work carried out by the bandit suppression army.

The people who benefited all shouted that the world must be ruled by the King of Han. Only when the King of Han became emperor would he treat the Han people in the world as his subjects, instead of being like the Manchu Qing Dynasty, who only regarded the Han people as people who could be exploited.

slave.

Even in the area occupied by the anti-bandit army, if anyone dared to speak ill of Zhang Rui in private and was heard, others would immediately spontaneously attack him in groups.

Zhang Rui doesn't know what the people think.

The reason why Zhang Rui ordered that a family with an annual income of more than fifty taels does not need to pay taxes is because he felt that he did not want to be embarrassed.

Because in England during the same period, an ordinary farmer should be able to have less than twenty or thirty taels left every year, except for necessary expenses. And if the hard-working people under his rule, after excluding the basic necessities of life, would have no money at all.

If there is nothing left, doesn’t it mean that you have failed too much?

Of course, this is not just an element of grudge, but more importantly, Zhang Rui hopes to change the fate of the people who are exploited.

It is precisely for this reason that in the area occupied by Zhang Rui, people often joke: If you can't even pay taxes, why do you think your family is rich?

Even if someone marries a daughter, the first step is to see if his family can produce a tax stamp issued by the government to his family.

Although the area occupied by the bandit-suppressing army was short-lived, the people were constantly changing without realizing it.

Before, they were more confused and helpless about the future, but now they are looking forward to the future more and more.

Some people among the people also asked, what if the bandit suppressing army was defeated by the Qing army? Can we still go back to live under the rule of the Manchu Qing?

In this regard, someone answered this way: As long as the King of Han is there, the bandit-suppressing army will not be defeated. Whoever dares to confront the Han King, I dare to risk my life to kill him. As long as the bandit-suppressing army needs me, I will always be ready to fight against him.

Go to the battlefield with your sword and spear.

Although I don't know if what this person said is sincere, but I also reflected from the side that in areas occupied by the bandit suppressing army, it is difficult for the people to adapt to being slaves again after they have tasted what it is like to be a human being.

"King of Han, what's wrong?" Looking at Zhang Rui who suddenly fell silent, Chen Deyun thought that his words had stimulated him, and couldn't help asking worriedly.

Although Zhang Rui's actions were often incomprehensible to others, in Chen Deyun's mind, the King of Han truly treated their old brothers well. It was precisely because of this that Chen Deyun respected Zhang Rui from the bottom of his heart.

Note 1: Records from "General History of China".
Chapter completed!