Chapter 233 0228 [Donate your official position and dont drive]
When he arrived at Dezhou Yamen, Zhu Ming first went through the formalities for taking office, then asked all the officials to disperse, and only took Huang Gui with him to the backyard of Zhou Yamen.
Puzhou has four counties, one is Wangxian, two is Shangxian, and one is Qinxian.
Jinzhou has five counties, two middle counties and three lower counties.
Once you compare it, you will know how poor Jinzhou is. Let alone Wang County, there is not even an upper county.
However, the government offices in Jinzhou are even more impressive than those in Puzhou!
The area of the city is very narrow, and the area of the yamen is huge. Together with other yamen, as well as the state schools, tribute colleges, schools and other places, the official institutions account for a quarter of the city.
In addition to the government offices, most of the city's buildings are shops, rich households and middle-class people, and the people at the bottom basically live outside the city.
Zhu Ming asked Zheng Yuanyi to serve wine and invited Huang Gui to the garden to enjoy the scenery and have a drink.
After clinking a few glasses, Zhu Ming asked: "I am new here and not very familiar with Jinzhou. I would like to ask Brother Meiying to explain."
Huang Gui put down his wine glass: "The difficulties of Jinzhou are: firstly, the land is small and the people are poor; secondly, the taxes are too heavy; thirdly, there are many tributes."
"Tugong?" Zhu Ming really didn't expect it.
Huang Gui told in detail: "The tributes from Jinzhou include gold bran, musk, aurantium aurantium, Eucommia ulmoides, white gum incense, and cork bark."
There were six tributes, five of which were medicinal herbs or spices.
In Puzhou, which Ju Ming was previously in charge of, there was only one kind of tribute: silk.
They were extremely poor to begin with, and with as many as six categories of tributes, the burden on the people of Jinzhou can be imagined.
In order to distinguish the tribute from foreign states, the tribute from domestic state capitals, also called "local tribute", has a fixed quota every year.
Huashigang is not a tribute, it is called "promoting tribute".
Huang Gui said: "Take musk as an example. The annual tribute is five kilograms, but the amount is demanded in excess. Even I don't know the specific amount."
The amount of tribute in ancient times was set very reasonably by the imperial court. Not only would it not disturb the people, but it would stimulate the local economy.
but!
Officials who collect tribute often "extract from the outside", collecting as much tribute as they want, and lowering the price as much as they want.
For example, when Bao Zheng served as the magistrate of Duanzhou, the local area was rich in fine inkstones, which were listed as tribute. Bao Zheng's predecessor levied dozens of times the tribute every year. But Bao Zheng only collected tribute according to the quota, and his reputation for integrity spread far and wide.
Ju Ming asked: "Where does the tribute from Jinzhou come from?"
Huang Gui said: "Servants, buy."
There are four sources of tribute: procurement, government agencies, tribute households and servants.
Procurement is when the government purchases goods from the private sector, often at low prices and by force.
Government-owned enterprises are provided by state-owned enterprises, such as royal tea gardens and government-run banks.
Gonghu is a special household registration, such as the snake-catching household in "The Snake Catcher".
The most disgusting example of enslavement is to force people to produce. The most disgusting example is during the Shaoxing period of the Southern Song Dynasty. Zhao Gou took hundreds of officials to move south and needed a lot of luxury goods to enjoy. In order to quickly collect the tribute of Shu embroidery, even the ten-year-old Sichuan
The little girls were detained and embroidered day and night.
One of Jinzhou's tributes, bran gold, is gold that is broken into pieces as thin as wheat bran. This top-grade alluvial gold is generally not smelted and is more expensive than ordinary gold.
Therefore, for gold in Jinzhou, not only Cai Jing, the transfer envoy, the punishment envoy, and the general judge must share the spoils, but Song Huizong must also pay a tribute. The gold output every quarter is definitely more than 80 taels, because too many farmers are used to go there.
Gold mining, and more than 80 taels is really not enough.
Ju Ming suddenly laughed. He had found a suitable reason for the few kilograms of gold he had seized.
Since bran gold is a tribute, the magistrate has the right to expropriate it, because collecting tribute is the magistrate’s power and responsibility!
Ju Ming asked again: "Are there any famous families in the five counties of Jinzhou?"
Huang Gui shook his head: "There has been no Jinshi in Jinzhou for a hundred years. Although this place is rich in gold, there are no people who have become rich with gold. The few wealthy businessmen are also tea merchants. Since the tea introduction system, even tea has
Business is also deteriorating. The land here is also barren, and wealthy businessmen are not very enthusiastic about acquiring land. They only buy a small amount of land along the river valley. The richest man in the state only has a fortune."
He is so poor, even the richest man only has a fortune of millions.
Ju Ming thought for a while and then said: "Five of the six tributes are medicinal materials. There should be many medicine dealers here, right?"
"There are many drug dealers," Huang Gui said, "but the tribute purchases are excessive, and even other medicinal materials are classified as miscellaneous tribute. The government buys and sells by force, and the drug dealers are miserable. Many of them cannot make ends meet and go bankrupt."
Ju Ming already understood that before his arrival, the magistrate made money by borrowing tribute, and the general judge made money by mining gold.
Everyone gets what they need and doesn't interfere with each other. You are breaking the rules.
After chatting with Huang Gui all afternoon, Zhu Ming returned to his study to write a management plan——
First, comprehensively promote corn and sweet potatoes, so that the five counties of Jinzhou with scarce flat land can make more use of mountainous areas to grow food.
Second, focus on the development of tea cultivation and processing. He cannot control the heavy taxes imposed by the Tea Horse Company, but the privately-established railheads (toll stations) within the territory must be abolished.
Third, focusing on the development of the medicinal materials industry and eliminating private columns will also enhance the competitiveness of pharmaceutical companies.
Fourth, use one year to improve your prestige first, and next year you can organize people to build water conservancy projects.
Fifth, encourage the development of the shipbuilding industry, focusing on building small and medium-sized inland river vessels. First, it can revitalize Jinzhou's water transportation business, second, it can promote commercial development, and third, it can prepare for the future construction of the Han River Navy.
Sixth, encourage the development of the iron smelting industry.
Before that, the administration of officials must be rectified!
In the evening, Zheng Yuanyi walked into the study: "Sir, it's time to eat."
Ju Ming put away his pen and paper and asked, "Have you settled down in the back house?"
Zheng Yuanyi said: "We have hired several servants, and Bai Sheng is responsible for them all."
Zhu Ming took Zheng Yuanyi to dinner. After the meal, he called Bai Sheng over: "I'm going to find a carpenter tomorrow."
Two days later, Zhu Ming came to the gate of the state government with his personal entourage.
"Stay far away from the main entrance and avoid the sight of the guards guarding the gate." Zhu Ming commanded.
Zhang Bor was holding a wooden box in his arms, and Li Bao was holding a hammer. The two found a wall and nailed the box to the wall.
Zhu Ming said again: "Zongru, go and write."
Liu Shiren finally received his first assignment as secretary.
He first wrote the words "opinion box" on the wall.
He also wrote: If you know people, you will be wise, and if you are able to serve as officials, you will benefit the people and make them happy. For the people of the five counties of Jinzhou, those who have strategies will advance, and those who have grievances will cry out. You can put the letter in the box, and the prefect will open it every day
Read. The signed ones go first, the anonymous ones come last, and the words of Xinar and others.
Ju Ming said: "Bai Sheng is responsible for the key to the public opinion box, and Liu Shiren is responsible for opening, reading, sorting, and summarizing the letters."
Zhu Ming took people back to the state government office. After hearing the news, the officials came to check. Soon, even the county government officials came, whispering around the public opinion box.
"Call me the money!"
Zhu Ming returned to Huangtang and immediately gave orders to his officials.
Changshi, Sima, and Biejia are all subordinate officials of Zhizhou. They do not have any actual duties and are usually used to place demoted high-ranking officials.
Ju Ming looked through the official directory and found that he actually had an individual driver.
Qian Chen is watching the public opinion box. He comes from the Qian family in Liangzhe. It is a big surname and is divided into many branches in the Wuyue area. Qian Chen's family is engaged in business.
This guy is a fan of government. After inheriting the family property, he spent money on food and donated eight thousand dan, and finally got an official position as an individual driver. Then he left the family property to his younger brother to take care of it, and he happily came to Jinzhou to become an official.
(Note: There are three sources of prefecture biejia. One is from demoted officials, the second is from envoys of the third class who are over seventy years old, and the third is from those who donate more than 8,000 dan in grain during famine years.)
Although he does not have any functions, Qian Chen is more dedicated than anyone else in his job.
He clocked in to work every day, never arrived late or left early, and always wore official uniforms and hats. He read the Di newspaper carefully and wrote to the magistrate to provide suggestions.
The monthly salary is not enough for his own expenses, but he happily contributes money to become an official.
"Don't worry about the money, the prefect invites you!"
Standing in the crowd, Qian Chen suddenly turned around and said in surprise: "Zhizhou called me?"
The state official said: "The prefect has invited me."
Qian Chen was overjoyed and quickly ran back to the Yamen. Once outside the Huangtang, he carefully arranged his appearance.
It has been two years since he came to Jinzhou, and this is the first time he has been summoned by a superior official.
Even for regular banquets, it was difficult for him to get invited. Even if he attended, he would always sit in a corner. Even the subordinates would always make fun of him, treat him as a scapegoat, and persuade him to treat guests to dinner.
"Your Majesty, Qian Chen, pays homage to the prefect!" Qian Chen was so excited that he was trembling all over.
Ju Ming waved and said, "Come and sit."
"Yes!" Qian Chen dragged the bench over.
"Closer." Zhu Ming said with a pleasant look.
Qian Chen was even more excited, he was finally looked at seriously.
This is a fat man. He usually eats very well. He is as fat as a toad and can't even see his neck.
Zhu Ming asked: "You are not an official in the capital, but you serve as a chariot. You must have donated food to become an official, right?"
"I paid 8,000 stones for disaster relief, and the imperial court gave me a reward." When Qian Chen talked about this, he felt inferior and bent his waist unconsciously.
The man in front of him was Tan Hua Lang, and Qian Chen seemed to be radiating light when he saw it.
Zhu Ming asked again: "The state does not pay attention to practical matters, and the salary is very low. You have no power and no profit, why do you donate food and become an official?"
Qian Chen answered honestly: "Only when you become an official can you shine on your family name and return home in glory."
"That's why? Haven't you ever thought about benefiting the people?" Zhu Ming said, "If it benefits the people, then everyone in the area will admire and respect you."
Qian Chen said: "I want to do it too, but don't have the authority."
Zhu Ming said: "Chang Shi, Sima, please go away. The regulations of the imperial court are that no official documents can be signed without a special charter. In this case, official documents can be signed with a special charter. This charter is not made clear. It can be an official charter or a private charter. The prefect's permission. As the prefect, how about I allow you to sign official documents?"
Qian Chen stood up immediately and said in disbelief: "Is the prefect trying to coax me?"
"Why are you coaxing me?" Zhu Ming said, "I don't get along with Cai Jing. If you agree to sign official documents, you will be my person from now on. Cai's party may retaliate against you. Think carefully before replying."
Qian Chen said without thinking: "If you offend the eunuch, Chen will die in repayment. Chen's family has hundreds of thousands of dollars, and he is an official not for profit, but for the glory of his family. If he is pragmatic, he will benefit the people! Chen can swear to God. , if there is any malpractice due to favoritism, then the sky will strike with lightning and the descendants will be cut off!"
Zhu Ming smiled and said: "Then I will give you an errand. I will order the suspension of Huashi Gang and collect tribute in a fixed amount. When the order is passed to each county, there may be county officials who violate it, so you can inspect the five counties of Jinzhou on my behalf. Take a look by the way. Let's see if anyone dares to tear down the notice, especially the notice about the public opinion box."
"Chen will live up to his mission!" Qian Chen's blood surged and his whole body was full of energy.
