Because of the Donglin Party's prejudice against Prince Fu, even though Emperor Hongguang had ascended the throne, Zhang Shenyan still looked down upon him.
Because of the support of others, Emperor Hongguang was extremely dependent on Ma Shiying, and Shi Kefa fled to Yangzhou. The huge cabinet was almost controlled by him.
"I hope the King of Hanyang will not disappoint anyone."
After getting off the boat, Zhang Shenyan was just about to inspect the scenery of Xiangyang City when he was stopped:
"Old sir, you need a guide."
At the exit, more than a dozen clerks were sitting on chairs, constantly registering something.
Zhang Shen was stunned. He hadn't heard of Lu Yin for a long time.
The so-called road guide means that the Ming Dynasty stipulated that whenever you go a hundred miles, you will have a road guide, and most people will have long armor.
However, recently, the rules have been broken and there are almost no inspections.
"I didn't!" Zhang Shenyan said awkwardly.
"No? I'll give it to you!"
After saying that, the subordinate asked about his name, place of origin, purpose, and appearance, and then filled it out in handwriting. After a while, it was finished.
Three road signs don't even cost a penny.
Zhang Shenyan clicked his tongue in surprise.
When you get out of the pier, you have to cross the moat.
It's about tens of feet wide, which is really surprising.
After getting on the awning boat, Zhang Shenyan asked, "I heard that the King of Hanyang loved his people as his own sons. Is this true?"
"Is there still a lie?" The old man tilted his head and gave a thumbs up, and said proudly: "In those days, we boatmen could not earn three melons and two dates, and we had to be skinned by the local gangsters."
"Nowadays, whenever I encounter an idle person, I will report it to the yamen and go directly to build a road. He will not be able to come back within two or three years."
As he spoke, he picked up a sheepskin wine bag from his waist and shouted happily: "I have made some money in the past few months, so I want to save a dowry for my daughter."
"In these days, if you don't have a dowry, you might be bullied when you go to your parents' home!"
"Dad, why are you talking about this!"
At the stern of the boat, the girl riding the oar blushed with shame and stamped her feet: "How can you say nonsense in front of outsiders?"
"Why am I talking nonsense?" The old man tilted his head and said hurriedly: "You girl, are you still thinking about that husband? We are not the same people, so it is better to marry you off as soon as possible."
Zhang Shenyan smiled dumbly after hearing this.
He glanced at it casually and saw that the wine bag was particularly exquisite: "Shipman, how about taking a look at the wine bag with me?"
"Look!" The old man tilted his head and said with a smile: "This was given to me by a handsome husband before, and I couldn't bear to throw it away!"
Zhang Shenyan took a closer look.
It is made of sheepskin and tied with hemp rope. It has a picture of Du Can, the god of wine, and a wine poem on the surface. It is very delicate and well made.
“What a wineskin!”
Zhang Shenyan smiled and returned: "If this were in Jiangnan, it would be sold for two or three taels of silver!"
"Two or three liang?" The old man tilted his head and was surprised, and then said with great joy: "I didn't expect that I really bumped into a noble person."
"Daughter, when you get married, I will use this as your dowry to see who looks down on you!"
"I'm not getting married!" the daughter snorted coldly, twisted her waist, and rowed her own boat.
The old man tilted his head and was so angry that he told him that he couldn't help his father.
The boat passengers laughed and joked all the time.
After getting off the boat, Zhang Shenyan looked at the bustling Xiangyang City and was filled with emotion: "It has only been a few months since the intruder left, but it has become so prosperous."
Just as he was about to enter the city, he saw a group of people surrounding him outside the city gate.
He was curious and quickly looked around, only to see a piece of paper posted on the huge city wall, with three huge words, dazzling in the sun:
Order to seek talents
Zhang Shenyan took a closer look and immediately saw the key point: regardless of fame or place of origin.
There was a sudden wave in my heart.
Without fame, why should I be an official?
He was about to step forward to argue, but suddenly stopped because he was recruiting private military staff such as the Military and Political Department and the Transportation Department.
Besides, why can he object? The idle former Minister of Civil Service?
However, these three words, the order to seek talents, made him think a lot.
There have been orders to seek talents in all dynasties, such as Qin Xiaogong, Han Taizu, Cao Cao, etc., all of them sought talents as human kings, but how could King Yang of Han do this?
The promulgation of the order to seek talents caused a sensation throughout Xiangyang.
Throughout Huguang, people's hearts surged.
Who doesn't know that the Secretary of Military and Political Affairs is the supreme emperor of all Huguang officials? A close aide of the King of Hanyang.
Once you join, it will be no less than a chicken or a dog ascending to heaven.
Zhao Shu was also very busy because of this.
Logically speaking, the dozens of people in the Military and Administrative Department are barely enough.
However, Zhu Yixi did not think so. He wanted the Military and Political Department to become the cradle of training officials and gradually eliminate local bureaucrats.
Not being limited to fame and fortune, this differentiates them from bureaucrats who have Jinshi origins, thus allowing them to compete.
However, the gap is even greater in the transshipment department.
Yan Chongxin came to the Military and Administrative Department and complained quite a bit: "Sir, they have all gone to the Military and Administrative Department. There is a huge gap in my Transportation Department. You have to find a way."
"Who doesn't know that your transshipment department is a tax-collecting yamen, and what can be done about it according to what people want?"
Zhao Shu smiled and helplessly spread his hands.
"This is not okay!"
Yan Chongxin said hurriedly: "Now that the land tax has been confiscated, it is all supported by our commercial tax. If there are fewer people, the commercial tax will also be reduced."
As he spoke, Yan Chongxin said with some temptation: "Last month, the commercial tax amount was more than 100,000 taels. This month, as long as we have enough manpower, we can double it."
"Two hundred thousand?"
Zhao Shu was shocked and stood up quickly.
He really didn't expect that the business tax was so high. In this way, wouldn't it be two to three million taels a year?
You know, Ming Dynasty only has five million taels a year!
"Mostly it's the salt tax."
Yan Chongxin said truthfully: "The Huai salt flowing into Huguang is nearly 100,000 stones a month, and there are also some silks and porcelain."
"In other words, everything leaked out?"
Zhao Shu was even more shocked. He snorted coldly: "We fought against the intruders, and all the money gained by the Western thieves flowed into Jiangnan."
"no way!"
Yan Chongxin sighed: "Jiangnan has been like this since ancient times, especially Huaiyan, which cannot be left."
"Don't worry, once His Highness conquers Sichuan, you can eat well salt."
Zhao Shu sighed, got up and walked around, thinking about it.
Before the land tax is received, commercial taxes are the biggest support, so the expansion of the transshipment department cannot be slowed down.
After thinking for a while, he said in a deep voice: "I will secretly spread the news that after half a year of training in the Military and Political Department, I will also go to the Transportation Department."
"Similarly, after half a year of experience in the Transportation Department, he will also come to the Military and Political Department."
"In this way, after one year, we can transfer it to other places."
"This method is very good!"
Yan Chongxin clapped his hands and said with a smile: "In this way, those who cannot pass the examination of the Military and Political Department will naturally flow into the Transportation Department."
"Moreover, after two rounds of training, we have selected elites who are superior in governing the people and serving as officials."
Zhao Shu nodded and said: "After experiencing the Transportation Department, I also have an understanding of the amount of local taxes."
The two looked at each other and smiled, quite happy.
As soon as the recruitment order was issued, thousands of people signed up, which truly showed how powerful the King of Hanyang was.
And this, for the first and second leaders of the civil service, they understood that following the King of Hanyang, the future would be even more limitless.