Chapter 276: The era of everything being inferior has passed?
Chapter 276: The era of everything being inferior has passed?
After being away from the capital for more than three years, Wei Bin returned.
The palaces and pavilions of the Forbidden City remained the same, but Wei Bin was still surprised by the busyness of the previous dynasty.
Only an old man like him in the palace is more aware of the difference between now and then.
The Wenhua Palace area in the southeast of the Forbidden City now has three major functional areas.
The courtyard of Wenhua Hall is no longer used for holding sutra banquets and is now used exclusively by the cabinet.
The original Wenyuan Pavilion has been converted into a central shelf and library, and the carved room and shrine to the east of Wenhua Hall have been converted into offices for officials who serve the cabinet.
The area of Wenhua Hall is larger than that of Wenyuan Pavilion. Now, each cabinet minister has a small independent office building here. The first assistant and second assistant live in the back hall, and the other four cabinet ministers are on both sides, and in the center
The main hall is the conference hall where cabinet meetings are held to discuss important matters.
To the south of the Wenhua Hall and to the north of the south wall of the Forbidden City, there are four courtyards. In addition to the Youguo Hall dedicated to the "God Xuantian", there are also the famous inner transport warehouse.
Now, the internal transportation warehouse has been moved to the Si Li Supervisor area on the north side of Renzhi Palace, and that area has become the area where the internal supervision and government offices are concentrated.
The four courtyards to the south of the Wenhua Hall now serve four important departments serving the emperor and the cabinet: the General Affairs Department, the Sixth Section, the Imperial Palace, and the Mingbao Office of the Ministry of Rites, located south of Donghua Gate.
This area was originally an incense warehouse, and there is also a general library for ancient and modern books.
But now because it is close to the water, the row of houses to the south has become the publishing room, the row of houses to the north has become the editorial office, and the warehouse to the east is closest to Donghua Gate. This kind of planning has its own purpose.
The last functional area in the Wenhua Palace area is centered on the Wen Building, and also includes many corridors in the area that were originally the Hanlin Academy History Museum, the Zhongzuo Gate, and the East Corner Gate. The cabinet and various ministries have many small offices here.
meeting room.
The ministers of the six ministries or so who can now stay here all have another title: Wenlou Xing.
If a minister wants to go one step further and become a minister, it will be very difficult without this experience.
The Wuying Hall opposite the Wenhua Hall is obviously preparing for the same structure now. The buildings are still under renovation, but Wei Bin knows that the Wuying Hall and the Wu Tower will probably have a great effect.
Complementing these new changes are the number of internal and external ministers from the previous dynasty today.
Wei Bin accompanied Zhu Houcong as he walked from Yangxin Hall to Jinshen Hall, praising him repeatedly: "What I have seen in the past half day since I entered the palace is that the courtiers are single-minded and diligent and work far better than before."
Zhu Houcong said with a smile: "You are a first-class smart person, you know that this is still far from enough."
Wei Bin didn't look old, but gained a lot of weight.
Instead of being nervous around Zhu Houcong, Wei Bin seems to be very well-educated in Guangdong.
"How is Liang Shuhou's health?"
"There is no serious illness, but after all, he has aged a lot." Wei Bin paused after hearing this, "I'm afraid he only has a few years to live at most."
He didn't say it to death, but since the emperor asked him personally, he still had to give his own judgment.
Liang Chu had lived in seclusion in his hometown for more than four years after resigning. Now when he heard what Wei Bin said, Zhu Houcong just nodded.
He could not curse people, so Zhu Houcong lowered Liang Chu's life expectancy a little further: he might only be able to survive another two or three years, or he might even die at any time.
Among the active veterans at the beginning of his succession, Yuan Zonggao and Zhou Zhao were the earliest. From now on, more and more veteran ministers will pass away intensively. After all, they have all passed the age of seventy and even approached the age of octogenarians.
According to the life span at this time, they are already quite old.
But there is not much time left for Zhu Houcong to cultivate new blood who are dedicated to promoting reform with him.
In another five years, only 70% to 80% of the Ming Dynasty’s fourth-grade and above people will have to be replaced.
So Zhu Houcong has really become the "first teacher" now.
In addition to speaking to the craftsmen at Huangming University, he also needed to speak to many people.
The people we are going to "lecture" today are the first batch of Ming Dynasty imperial merchants and government business executives who had their charter compiled by Zhu Houcong himself.
Therefore, Wei Bin was called back, and naturally he was the "assistant teacher".
Among the three main halls of the previous dynasty, Fengtian Hall was used for holding court meetings, Huagai Hall was a place where he took a temporary rest while participating in many ceremonial activities in Fengtian Hall and court meetings, and Jinshen Hall was basically only used for changing clothes and preparing.
Now, Jinshen Hall has been used as a classroom.
This was probably the most "advanced" classroom in the entire Ming Dynasty, because the eunuchs who worked in the imperial study were very familiar with some of the methods the emperor would use.
The Internal Affairs Department already has a more professional team of eunuchs and secretaries than the Nei Shutang. Teaching aids, courseware, teaching materials... Huang Jin can handle everything arranged by Zhu Houcong.
At least at this time, "slideshows" can be used in Jinshen Palace.
On the huge wooden shelves are those large scrolls that have been specially made - only the most critical contents will be made like this by the internal archives department.
The small pictures are drawn directly in the teaching materials and distributed to the lecturers with more detailed content to facilitate their listening and learning.
At this moment, nearly a hundred people lined up on the cloud platform outside the hall between Jinshen Hall and Huagai Hall.
Among this group of people, there are three people with the most prominent status.
One of them was Zhu Rangxu, King of Shu. After Gao Kewei caused chaos in Sichuan, Zhu Rangxu supported all the emperor's requests without hesitation. With the reputation of the King of Shu in Sichuan for more than a hundred years, Xue Lun, Marquis of Yangwu, and Fei
Hong quickly stabilized the situation in Sichuan, which allowed the selected forwards from the Fifth Army Battalion who were supposed to go to Sichuan to stay in Huguang.
The other one is Xu Yande, the son of Ding Guogong Xu Guangzuo. Xu Guangzuo first welcomed the emperor in person, then went south to support the emperor in Guangdong, and then rushed back to Beijing to temporarily supervise the capital camp. Now, Xu Guangzuo is seriously ill, and Xu Yande is here.
The first-term Duke of Dingguo.
The third person is a newly-confessed earl, but his origin is very complicated—Liu Yu, the sixth-generation grandson of Liu Ji, the sincere uncle.
There are three people, one is a prince of the clan, one is the son of a long-time Duke, and the other is an honorary minister whose title was renewed by the emperor of the new dynasty.
Among the rest of the people, there were eunuchs, many civil servants, and some civilians in civilian clothes with restrained and excited expressions standing at the back.
These civilians are businessmen.
They were selected from a large list after recommendation.
Just like the craftsman Zheng Kui, they did not expect to have the opportunity to attack the emperor, or even go to the Jinshen Palace to listen to the emperor's lectures in person.
In a solemn atmosphere, Huang Jin walked out of the palace door: "Your Majesty has arrived, and all the subjects entered the palace and took their seats."
Many desks and chairs have been set up in the hall, and there is a small wooden sign on each table with everyone's name written on it. Those businessmen are the top ones.
The name is placed in the Jinshen Hall. This is an important event that can be discussed carefully after returning, including the genealogy and the ancestors!
It was still after they all found their positions that Zhu Houcong arrived here.
Some rituals cannot be broken. After all, we are in the Forbidden City.
But what they were asked to do today was to pay homage to Mr.
Disciple of the Emperor!
The four big words popped up in the hearts of these businessmen again, and they felt even hotter all over their bodies.
"Huang Ming Ji, Huang Ming Medical Nursing Home, Imperial General Supervisor, Military War Bureau, Weaving Bureau, Mingbao Branch of the Ministry of Rites, Baoyuan Bureau of the Ministry of Revenue, Baojin Bureau, Baoyan Bureau, Ordnance Supervisor of the Ministry of War, Tongyi Bureau,
Construction Bureau of the Ministry of Industry, Treasure Ship Supervision, River Transport Bureau, Maritime Transport Bureau, Qunmu Supervision.”
Zhu Houcong looked at the sequence one by one and named sixteen names.
"Starting next year, you will change many industries in Ming Dynasty."
What Zhu Houcong said is true.
Huangmingji has already changed the entire "ecology" of maritime trade and even corvee labor in Guangdong, and now, huge changes are brewing in more fields.
It even includes coinage, salt production, mining, relay transmission, water transportation, horse administration and many other fields that are related to the lifeblood of the Ming Dynasty.
"Whether the new law can really enrich the country and strengthen the army, you are the key." Zhu Houcong wanted to let them understand the importance of this first. "As the leaders and senior executives of the first batch of sixteen large enterprises in the Ming Dynasty, you are clan members."
Those who are relatives or ministers can understand that I entrust you with the important responsibility of the Ming Dynasty and can achieve great achievements; those who have official status will still retain their grade-level official salary, and can still be appointed to other positions in the future, and even sit on the national policy council; those who do not have official status
, I will be appointed and appointed from today on."
These words included everyone present.
The most excited ones are still the businessmen who will serve as directors of many "big companies", which means that they can wear brocade and silk publicly in the future!
"But I want to warn you first: This is the Jinshen Palace, and you should keep it in mind. I am watching over you, there are laws and regulations in the middle, accounting regulations, the Ministry of Accounts, Audit, Cleaning Department and the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and there are all the places below.
If an official or a common citizen commits corruption, perverts the law, commits adultery, evades taxes, or oppresses business people, I will not forgive him lightly!"
Zhu Houcong paused for a moment and then said: "You are half a government agency and half a trading company. What I grant you are some privileges related to the foundation of the Ming Dynasty. What you need to keep in mind is that your first task is not to make money.
How much money you make, how much merit you make, how big an official you are promoted to, but what each person is responsible for means to the foundation of the Ming Dynasty and to the new law. Now, I will explain it to you one by one!"
Sixteen very large "state-owned enterprise" groups, each with monopoly resources.
Huang Mingji, whose relatives are shareholders, has monopolized maritime trade privileges and is now establishing a new system in the labor service and land transportation fields.
In the field of water transportation, Zangfeng and Ma Cheng have each taken the lead since then. One is in charge of canal water transportation, and the other wants to "Dai Sin" to develop sea transportation.
Baoyuan Bureau already existed, but from this moment on, Zhu Houcong began to take back the minting rights step by step, laying the foundation for the future banking and financial system.
After the mining and manufacturing of many key products such as salt fields and mines are consolidated and integrated, these areas will involve changes in many fields such as the salt introduction system.
The group of livestock supervisors will take on the task of raising horses in the form of an enterprise. To this end, Ming Dynasty will need a number of specialized "state-owned horse farms".
The Imperial General Bureau, Construction Bureau, Treasure Ship Bureau, Weaving Bureau, etc. will be based on the huge amount of craftsman resources already owned to both generate income and demonstrate.
The Military War Bureau and the Ordnance Supervision are more specialized in the research, development and manufacturing of military equipment. With the authority of the emperor, ministers, honorable ministers, and civil servants will simultaneously participate in this major matter related to the Ming Dynasty's armaments. Combined with the procurement method, the equipment
There are new regulations for production, distribution, and storage management.
As for Mingbao Bank, Tongyi Bureau, and Huangming Medical Nursing Home, they use the existing post system, Dibao system and doctor resources to generate revenue and profits in the form and efficiency of enterprises, and better implement the official treatment law.
"Guangdong and Shandong have set an example for the local governments in the reform of government agencies. As for how the central government will reform, you only need to care about your salary." Zhu Houcong looked at them, "Title, honorary title, meritorious title, and title are what you will have from now on.
A place where you can think about yourself.”
From the first grade to the ninth grade, the basic treatment of Ming Dynasty's eighteenth level will be determined from now on. As long as there is a grade, the basic official salary and treatment have been determined. In addition to money and food, there are also things such as housing, travel, children's education, and medical treatment.
This welfare system is being implemented with the preparation and establishment of these large enterprises and the establishment of the Huangming College system.
The honorary titles were empty civil and military titles in the past, such as a certain doctor or a certain general. But now, these honorary titles will have corresponding clear additional salary and welfare benefits, and there are even eighteen-grade rural sages among the people.
Grace title.
The titles are the honorary words added by the three gongs, three orphans and the honorable ministers and generals. Basically, each word represents certain privileges. These are basically the status manifestations of high-level bosses - at this level, they have also transcended.
Material needs are met.
The title is simpler and will benefit future generations.
"From next year onwards, those who have made meritorious services in the Ming Dynasty will be rewarded, and those who have made mistakes will be punished." Zhu Houcong said clearly, "In the Ming Dynasty, from the clan to the common people, from scholars, soldiers, merchants, workers and even farmers, everyone can be rewarded for their meritorious service.
In the Ming Dynasty, those who received honorary titles and even were conferred with titles. The titles of kings, dukes, marquises, uncles, counties, and townships can be promoted or demoted. If there is no merit, even the clan will have to be demoted and exonerated from generation to generation. "
In front of the leaders of the newly born "state-owned enterprises" in the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Houcong said this to both encourage and warn them.
Zhu Rangxu, the king of Shu, had already heard many "instructions" from Zhu Houcong. He knew the number of the Huangming Grain Reserve, the imperial general as the prisoner, and the Huangming Medical Nursing Home, three large enterprise groups in which only the clan kings had "shares".
What a weight.
Only the senior princes and princes of the clan lost the right to be hereditary as their direct descendants, but the middle and lower levels of the clan gained freedom and the opportunity to be promoted to nobility, as well as a sufficient salary guaranteed by the emperor.
Xun Qi can participate in the Huang Ming Ji, the War Bureau, the Shipping Bureau, and the Interpretation Bureau. The reason is the same. The establishment of the sixth-class earl system and the new title of Duke Jingguo made Xun Qi face the pressure of downgrade.
There is a possibility of being promoted to a noble title or even being granted the title of king with a different surname.
In this promotion of rewards for meritorious service in the Huguang Rebellion, some middle-level military generals who started as soldiers were awarded the titles of earls, county lords, and township lords.
As for civilians, in addition to being soldiers, craftsmen, businessmen, and farmers have the title of eighteen-level rural sage. Those at the lower level can work as officials in these "state-owned enterprises" and places - the prerequisite is that they must be literate, and those at the intermediate level have
With the qualification to submit a letter to the emperor and attend the Xiangxian Yuan as a non-voting delegate, the senior ones could even rely on the Xiangxian Yuan as a whole to have the authority to submit official memorials and exercise another kind of local inspection of counties and even roads as censors.
The emperor was expanding the entire official system, building more channels for advancement, and expanding more opportunities for private voices to convey and even supervise the government.
What the effect will be, the old officials who are here today are still not sure.
But there are two things that are certain.
First, after the suppression of the Huguang rebellion, no one now dares to block the wheel of the new system.
Second, look at the first batch of businessmen who came here with special grace and directly obtained official status. What are their expressions now?
They were not allowed to think too much. After the opening remarks, this round of classes that would last for several days began.
Zhu Houcong has sufficient theory, and Wei Bin has rich practical experience.
Wei Bin shared his experience on how Huang Mingji undertook various tasks in Guangdong, contributed taxes, and at the same time relied on its monopoly power to support national needs and boost the development of related industries.
At the same time, Huang Mingji's assets and profits were also told to them under the double-entry accounting method and during the annual accounting.
Commercial firms are not a new thing. Private commercial firms aim to make money. Businessmen with low status used to rely on establishing good relations with the government and officials to obtain the right to operate some businesses.
Now, these 16 state-owned enterprises have some business monopoly rights, or they have huge advantages directly relying on the government.
But the mission that Zhu Houcong wanted them to complete was to stimulate the potential of related industries, to take the lead in practicing commercial and tax laws, and to promote the creation and flow of wealth in Ming Dynasty.
The truth here involves a new understanding of wealth and a macro understanding of the entire economy.
"How to manage your own people in accordance with the regulations, run your respective businesses well, and how to balance the needs of the court and your healthy turnover need to be understood by you." Zhu Houcong said at the end of this class, "If ten
In twenty years, the situation I want will be realized, and you all have made great contributions. I can give you a reassurance first: twenty years from now, some of you will be crowned marquises and worship the duke. If there is anything else wrong,
It is not impossible for him to be a hereditary prince and a king with a different surname due to his merits in this world!"
The prince must start striving to achieve great achievements outside of his bloodline and become one of those special and truly hereditary princes.
Relatives with different surnames from Gonghoubo County and Township are faced with the temptation of upward mobility and the pressure of downward mobility.
But in front of the middle and low-level civil and military officials and even the common people in the world, it is possible to climb up among the four sequences of character, grace, merit, and nobility.
At this moment, in the editing room of Ming Pao, which is under preparation, are the first batch of Hanlin bachelors from the Hanlin Academy who participated in the compilation of "Jiajing Dictionary".
Lin Xiyuan was a Jinshi in the twelfth year of Zhengde's reign. His ranking was not high. His first official position was as a judge of a certain state.
After the 16th year of Zhengde's reign, amid the frequent exchanges between the imperial court and local officials, he returned to the capital and became a member of the Hanlin Academy Qingliu, which is now favored by fewer and fewer people.
Now, after participating in the compilation of "Jiajing Dictionary", he became the first batch of officials to "eat crabs" and turned to the chief editor of Ming Pao Bank, which is not in the civil service ranks.
His rank is still: fourth grade, but he no longer has civil affairs authority over other officials or the people.
He is only responsible for editing and reviewing the content of each issue of "Ming Pao" and using new simplified characters.
Now, the content of the first issue of "Ming Pao" has been almost determined, and he is watching it carefully.
The content of this issue will shock the world. It will also be the first newspaper to be sent to the entire Ming Dynasty through the post system of the Ming Dynasty and through the new interpretation bureau.
Each government office will directly issue one copy, which will be purchased by the Ministry of Personnel on an annual basis.
Other officials and citizens can also buy this newspaper through various channels.
This "front page headline" of the first issue of "Ming Pao", which will be printed on relatively large paper, is exactly what the emperor said in the Jinshen Hall.
"All officials and citizens will be rewarded for their meritorious service: Detailed explanation of the new system of titles, honors, and titles in the Ming Dynasty"
The content and writing style are different.
When Lin Xiyuan was in charge of compiling the "Jiajing Dictionary", he stayed with Zhu Houcong for a long time as a staff member of the royal study. He knew very well that the emperor valued this matter and these details, so he "abandoned politics and engaged in business."
There are more than two thousand eloquent words written by him, and there is not much nonsense.
One meaning is highlighted: the emperor's favor is so great that the Ming Dynasty is about to change. Even if a commoner is a common man who cultivates fields and pays grain and accumulates good deeds, does business and pays taxes and obeys the law, and is a craftsman who creates crafts with his heart, there will be a day when he does not receive a favor or even be awarded a knighthood.
[Everything can be of high quality, but those who have merit are the highest. It is a promise to the world that those who have merit will be rewarded.]
Lin Xiyuan couldn't help but think of the emperor's young face: in his lifetime, is it really possible to change the situation where everyone is inferior in everything but good at studying?