On the bustling streets of the capital city, a wide four-wheeled carriage was speeding.
Huang Dongping smiled and said enviously: "Brother Qiao, the carriage produced by your Longchang is so comfortable to ride on.
The speed is very fast and there is no bumpiness.
Nowadays, the officials of the imperial court prefer to ride in horse-drawn carriages instead of human-powered sedan chairs.
Brother Qiao, you can participate in the coronation ceremony of the new emperor as a representative of the merchants.
You are already in the heart of the Emperor.
If you make some meritorious deeds in the future, you will be able to surpass the family of merchants and become the family of officials, just like the Qian family."
The change of dynasties had little impact on Huang Dongping.
Many merchants who were hoarding money were arrested by the Shuntian government office.
A conscientious businessman like him was not affected.
Instead, he sold rice bran at a fair price and saved many people. He was awarded a plaque by Shuntian Mansion.
With the change of dynasty, their previous relationship with the Huang family will be useless.
My brother-in-law is only a minor official in the Ministry of Etiquette, and I can't count on him now.
Huang Dongping could only rely on family connections to establish relationships with the new dynasty's upstarts.
Most of the upstarts in the new dynasty were from the northwest and southwest.
The Huang family has some distant relatives. The status of a businessman like Huang Dongping is too low, and others don't like to talk to him.
Huang Dongping could only settle for the next best thing and get involved with Qiao Zhen, vice president of the Federation of Industry and Commerce.
Their families were married three generations ago.
Later, when the Qiao family declined, the relationship declined, but there was still contact and friendship could be established.
He did not attend the coronation ceremony of the new emperor, but his brother-in-law Qi Bojia attended the event.
It is a great honor to see Qiao Zhen, as a representative of businessmen, carrying the imperial seal for the new emperor.
Qiao Zhen listened to Huang Dongping's words, but he was not proud.
Although this matter was ordered by the emperor, it had nothing to do with him.
This is an honor that his son-in-law Li Daguo won for him.
The son-in-law followed his teacher and studied something called a steam engine.
He made some breakthroughs and was rewarded by the new emperor.
The son-in-law used the reward on him.
The carriage slowed down and Qiao Zhen glanced out the window and said: "There are so many carriages on the road, we are almost there.
Today is the day for public trials of distinguished officials and distinguished officials in Dali Temple Yamen.
At the same time, Dali Temple held an auction for the properties of some nobles and officials.
I want to buy a house and a few shops in the inner city, and this is the right time."
Huang Dongping nodded and said: "If the conditions are right, I am also planning to buy a few shops to expand my grain store."
Qiao Zhen and Huang Dongping stood outside the gate of Dali Temple, looking at the majestic Dali Temple Yamen.
Today, many people came to the gate of Dali Temple Yamen to watch.
Officials from the Yamen of Dali Temple pressed down an old man with disheveled hair and walked out of the Yamen.
They took the old man to the execution ground and prepared to execute him.
The officials of Dali Temple also posted the name of the prisoner and the crime he committed on the notice board outside the government office.
"Anyone who is literate can tell me who this prisoner is."
"This is Jiading Bo Zhou Kui, the father-in-law of Emperor Chongzhen of the former Ming Dynasty."
"The cash found in his house amounted to more than three million taels.
Rumor has it that Emperor Chongzhen of the former Ming Dynasty asked dignitaries and officials to donate money.
He only donated more than one hundred taels of silver."
"This is really stingy. I have so much money in my hands and only donate a little bit.
I heard that this man was one of the people who had been entrusted by Emperor Chongzhen of the former Ming Dynasty, but he sacrificed the prince directly.
Even so, he was not forgiven of his crime."
The people watched as the nobles and officials of the Ming Dynasty were pushed out one by one.
They all applauded when they saw these people's crimes.
With the sound of gunshots, these corrupt officials and nobles of the Ming Dynasty all ended their criminal lives.
Maoxiang, Chen Zhenhui, and Fang Yizhi left the Yamen of Dali Temple.
Fang Yizhi sighed: "It turns out that this is a public trial. It does not judge their crimes one by one, but only makes their crimes public."
Maoxiang replied: "The speed of the trial is too slow. If we really have to go through the trials one by one, how long will it take? It may not be completed in several years."
Chen Zhenhui said with some regret: "Look at these nobles and officials of the Ming Dynasty, everyone is extremely rich.
They could use some of their family wealth to support Emperor Chongzhen.
When the rebels first appeared, they spent a lot of money to exterminate them. How could the Ming Dynasty be destroyed?"
Maoxiang's expression changed drastically. He looked around and saw that no one was paying attention to them.
"Brother Chen, be careful what you say.
Now the Ming Dynasty is over, and the new emperor has proclaimed himself emperor.
There are some things you should know in your heart, and don’t say them out loud, as that would harm others and yourself.”
Chen Zhenhui did not continue to discuss this topic.
When he saw the properties of these Ming officials and nobles being confiscated, he knew that the Ming Dynasty had not lost unjustly.
All the wealth accumulated by the Ming Dynasty was emptied by these nobles and officials.
Dali Temple did not announce the results of the trial of the Ming royal family.
Chen Zhenhui estimated that the assets owned by the royal family were only much more than those of these noble officials.
Ming Dynasty has been hollowed out by these moths.
When the chief minister of the dynasty, the ministers of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War took the lead in embezzling military pay, how could the Ming army win?
When Maoxiang and the other two came to the restaurant, he raised a glass of sweet potato wine and said, "You two are here because you have thought clearly.
When I was in Nanjing, I thought that His Majesty was not a creature in the pond.
I took the initiative to defect to the past, and with the changes in the new dynasty, I was promoted again in the Ministry of Personnel, and now I am the head of the Examination Department.
The imperial examinations this year and next will be your best opportunity.
Enke has doubled the number of Jinshi places, so those who have achieved fame in the Ming Dynasty do not need to take the scientific examination again.
It will be a wise choice for you to take part in this imperial examination."
Chen Zhenhui listened to Maoxiang's blunt statement, and his face was a little tangled.
He not only wanted to participate in the imperial examination and become an official, but also wanted to leave a clear name.
Maoxiang saw Chen Zhenhui's entanglement, and suggested: "Brother Chen, you don't have to be entangled, you can definitely take part in the imperial examination.
If you really make the list, you will have a chance to choose when the time comes.
If you can't pass the imperial examination to high school, you can go back to your hometown to teach students and write some books.
This year is the best year, so you must seize the opportunity.
When Enke's news spread, the imperial examination would be held in one month.
Except for a small number of people from the southeastern region, they came to the capital by sea ship.
The vast majority of scholars will never be able to reach the capital, and the competitive pressure will be very low.
You need to know the admission rules for Jinshi in the New Dynasty, which are based on provinces.
The fewer scholars from the southeast region come, the greater your chances will be."
When Chen Zhenhui heard what Maoxiang said, he was already tempted.
Fang Yizhi's purpose is very clear, he just wants to be an official.
He and Chen Zhenhui rushed upstream to the capital before Nanjing was closed.
Because Nanjing was no longer defensible, the Fang family, as a large family, sent people to various places to increase their chances of survival.
Fang Yizhi chose to come to the capital.
He received news not long ago that his father, as an official of the Ming Dynasty, was in jail.
As the backbone of the Fang family, he must win the ranking and shoulder the important responsibilities of the family.
While Maoxiang drank and ate, he explained to Chen Zhenhui and Fang Yizhi the past examination questions of the imperial examinations of the New Dynasty.
…………………………
Qufu, Shandong.
Zhou Dashi looked at the golden wheat that had just been harvested, with a smile on his face.
The Zhou family has been tenants of Mr. Kong’s family for generations.
The villagers spread word of mouth that since the Song Dynasty, the people in Qufu were tenants of the Kong family.
When the Mongolian Tatars invaded, their identity did not change.
Emperor Hongwu's Northern Expedition did not change their identities.
This time when Dahua attacked and destroyed Ming Dynasty, I thought they would be the same as before.
Unexpectedly, the situation has changed drastically.
The Kong family in Qufu suddenly disappeared.
The huge Confucius Mansion was also converted into a Confucius Temple.
The new government confiscated the Kong family's land, which they distributed to tenants who rented the land.
At that time, the wheat in the field had already formed ears. When Zhou Dashi heard the news, he happily ate a white flour steamed bun.
Zhou Dashi was tying wheat when he saw a man in official uniform walking towards the field with several officials, including the mayor of the township.
He looked at the wheat on the edge of the field and suddenly became nervous.
In the past, the officials who grew wheat for the Kong family and collected taxes were very polite.
Zhou Dashi has also seen the fate of the few self-cultivated farmers in the surrounding area who met the tax collectors, and they were really miserable.
Huashansong, the magistrate of Qufu County, inspects the autumn harvest accompanied by Lu Buffalo, the head of Confucius Township.
When Zhou Dashi saw these officials approaching, he immediately knelt down and kowtowed.
"The common people pay their respects to the great master."
Zhou Dashi didn't know this person, but judging from the township chief's behavior, he must be a high official.
Huashansong immediately asked people to help the kneeling people.
"Fellow fellow, it's already a new dynasty, so you don't have to kneel down to perform this great ceremony when you meet an official."
Hua Shansong got up when he saw this big man with a face full of vicissitudes of life.
He continued to ask: "Fellow, how is the harvest in the fields this year?"
Zhou Dashi stumbled and replied: "Sir, the weather is going well this year.
Our area has not experienced military disasters.
This year's wheat output is a normal year's output.
It’s neither a good harvest nor a bad harvest.”
Huashansong glanced at the wheat beside the field.
The harvest in the fields this year is pretty good.
Hua Shansong said in a calm tone: "Fellow fellow, when I go to the village this time, I want to tell you something.
Now is the Great China Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty is no longer ruling you.
His Majesty the Emperor has issued an imperial edict announcing that from now on, farmers will only be charged a unified land tax.
The poll tax and various miscellaneous tax assessments will no longer be levied.
From now on, officials will collect poll taxes, water fees for using canals, fire consumption and other miscellaneous taxes from you.
You can refuse directly, these taxes are not levied by the imperial court."
Zhou Dashi heard the elder say this.
He immediately knelt down towards the north and kept kowtowing.
"Thank you, His Majesty the Emperor, for giving us ordinary people a way to live.
The poll tax was abolished and land was allocated to us, so my family can have more children."
Huashansong helped Zhou Dashi up. Under the leadership of Lu Shuiniu, he continued to inspect the harvests of the fields and at the same time promoted the taxation policies of the new dynasty.
Huashan pine needs to estimate the average grain yield per mu based on local harvests.
These situations must be reported to the Shandong Governor's Yamen, and the Shandong Governor's Yamen and the Shandong Provincial Taxation Bureau will delineate the taxes that need to be paid for each mu of local land.
…………………………
Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu.
Li Tianyang, the prefect of Nanjing, and a group of Nanjing officials came to greet Wei Shiming, the governor of Jiangsu.
Li Tianyang was promoted to the prefect of Hanzhong County due to his meritorious service, and the war broke out soon after.
He acted with the Fifth Army, sorted out the government affairs in Xiangyang, and managed Wuhan that was burned down by fire after the war.
"The Romance of Fairy Wood"
As an official accompanying the army, he has been managing the city since the war.
He was eventually appointed prefect of Nanjing, overseeing one of the wealthiest cities in the south of the Yangtze River.
A warship docked at the pier outside Nanjing.
Wei Shiming, the governor of Jiangsu, got off the boat.
He looked at the busy ships on the Yangtze River and smiled.
It went through a great war, but it soon regained its vitality.
Wei Shiming looked at Zhang Yuliang, the governor of the Southeast Governor's Mansion who came down with him.
"Thank you Governor Zhang, if it weren't for your light, we would have arrived together on a warship.
If I come here via the Grand Canal, I will waste more than ten days."
Wei Shiming received the news from Baotou and took a boat directly south along the Yellow River.
Originally, we followed the Yellow River and went directly south from Huai'an Prefecture to Nanjing.
When passing by Kaifeng, I got news from the General Affairs Department that he had to go to the capital to report on his work.
When going to Nanjing, Zhang Yuliang, the Duke of Fujian, also wanted to go to Nanjing.
Wei Shiming took a boat and rushed to Nanjing on a warship.
The ride on a warship is not very comfortable, but it is very fast.
Wei Shiming said goodbye to Zhang Yuliang, and he walked towards the officials who came to greet him in Nanjing.
He had heard of Li Tianyang, the prefect of Nanjing, who was good at managing chaos and was a man of high political skill.
If he can be promoted from a township head to a prefect, he will have to work harder than others without taking the imperial examination.
When Li Tianyang saw Wei Shiming, he directly talked about work.
As a well-known industrialist minister, Wei Shiming has always advocated telling the truth and opposed red tape.
"Governor Wei, Nanjing City has returned to normal.
After the war, the screening and interrogation of prisoners, as well as the work of cleaning up the gentry and dividing the land have been completed.
The imperial court has successively dispatched prefects and county magistrates in Jiangsu. Some of them arrived earlier than Governor Wei and have already started working.
Some people have not arrived yet, and the local government is only maintaining the most basic operations.
At the Jiangsu Governor's Yamen, most of the Yamen officials have arrived and can officially operate."
Li Tianyang shouldn't have intervened in the affairs of Jiangsu Governor's Yamen, but he still said something about the general situation here.
Wei Shiming was very satisfied after hearing this, and His Majesty the Emperor sent him to Jiangsu.
That is to develop industry in the Jiangsu region.
In particular, the traditional textile industry and tea industry here must be developed.
Songjiang Prefecture has opened the sea and can do business with all over the world. Jiangsu will serve as the rear area and provide sufficient supplies for transactions.
When Wei Shiming came to Nanjing City, he immediately urged all the yamen in Nanjing City to start operations quickly.
…………………………
On the flower boat on the Qinhuai River, Liu Rushi looked sad.
The mothers and nobles behind these flower boats were all captured and shot by the officials of the new dynasty.
Only the poor people like them survived.
Liu Rushi summoned Gu Hengbo, Dong Xiaowan and other sisters to discuss their future fate.
Liu Rushi frowned and said: "We are free now, and the contract of betrayal has been abolished by the new dynasty.
With the money we save, we can live a good life for the rest of our lives.
But many of the sisters in the building are already homeless.
For those of us, it is too difficult to marry as a wife, and there is no guarantee for marrying as a concubine.
The new dynasty's laws did not allow Han women to work in brothels.
Let's brainstorm and help the sisters figure out a way out."
They are very high-spirited, especially their sister Chen Yuanyuan, who has already gone to the capital to find Mr. Maoxiang with whom she has a private life-long contract.
Many of the young men they contacted before had their families destroyed during the new dynasty.
Let them marry ordinary people, but they are unwilling to do so.
We can only discuss a way out and maintain our own reputation.
Dong Xiaowan suggested: "Some of our sisters have married officials of the New Dynasty, and they have inquired about it.
There is no way to keep the brothel open, and we people don’t know any other means of making a living.
I think the flower boat can continue to operate, and it can only be a show, not a job. As long as the taxes are paid on time, the laws of the new dynasty will not affect it."
After listening to this, Liu Rushi praised: "Sister Dong's suggestion is very good. The laws of the new dynasty are strict and they also protect us."
They have always decided that the flower boat will continue to sail, and they will only show off their skills and not their bodies.
Make a name for yourself, take advantage of your prime, and marry a new noble in the new dynasty.