Chapter 177 A gentleman is said to be righteous, and a villain is meant to be benefited! (Second update)
Zhang Yu stood there.
Looking at groups of people coming over happily.
He was still very confused.
Didn’t the common people hate military service the most in the past?
Xia Zhibai called them here, it was obviously a different kind of service, and this "service" could not reduce the future labor service. This kind of thankless effort was completely in vain. Why would the people be so willing to do it?
Zheng Yuanqing didn’t care so much.
He ordered Mei Jiu to organize these people and prepare to start the formal construction.
Everyone is here.
Of course you can’t do it standing up.
After a period of hard work, Xia Zhibai wiped the sweat from his forehead. After this period of hard work and the efforts of more than a dozen people, they have successfully dug a large pit one foot deep. This is to prepare for the subsequent construction of public toilets. of.
Zhang Yu came over.
He looked at Xia Zhibai with a puzzled face and asked: "Xia Zhibai, why can you persuade these people?"
"They don't know what's going on in the city with you. "Related."
The purges in Peiping during this period were always dominated by Zhu Di, and Xia Zhibai was not publicized at all. No one knew about it except the soldiers who were present at the time, and most of these soldiers are now. While serving, it was impossible to publicize these things, and the reputation in the city during this period belonged to Zhu Di.
It has nothing to do with Xia Zhibai.
But why can Xia Zhibai attract so many people?
This shouldn't be the case.
Xia Zhibai licked his dry mouth and said with a smile: "Zhang Huowei, didn't you ask someone just now? He should have given you a reason, but you just don't want to believe it. And I guess it’s not that you don’t want to believe it, but that you can’t understand it.”
“In a word, why not eat minced meat.”
Zhang Yu frowned.
Xia Zhibai continued: "Most of the people who came today are homeless and beggars in the past. I have come into contact with these people. It is true that the imperial court allocated fields to them and rented food to them. But one thing you overlooked is that they will not be rent-free for a few years.”
“Because they are not reclaiming wasteland, but directly allocating land that can be cultivated.”
"That's the problem."
"By next year's autumn harvest, they will not only have to pay back the high-interest rented grain, but also pay land rent, land tax, and other exorbitant taxes. After all, the grain in their hands will be reduced. There isn’t much left, not even enough to support myself, and I really didn’t provide them with any other benefits.”
“But I can feed them for more than a month.”
“This saved food will greatly increase their survival pressure after next year’s harvest.”
“Furthermore "
"I started out as a salt seller."
"I can't guarantee anything else. I can guarantee that they won't have any shortage of salt when they work here, even these. The homeless beggars who have worked here for more than a month have consumed as much salt as they did in the past year.”
"You actually discovered it."
"Most of the people who came here are former homeless and beggars, and some people with ragged clothes and poor family backgrounds."
"Because they are the only ones who are here. It’s a ration of food.”
“The work is very hard and tiring.”
“But it can survive!”
"The rations they saved for more than a month are enough for their family to survive the long winter. I called these people over and asked them to do 'forced labor'. Even the 'forced labor' I asked them to do, It takes longer and is harder than what the court requires, but they have no choice.”
“Because they are the lowest class of society.”
“They want to continue living.”
“The reason why you are confused is because the people in your mind are different from the actual people. The people you see are the citizens in the city. Although they cannot eat three meals, they still have two meals. Food and clothing are barely enough, but most people in the world are not like that. "
"More people wear one set of clothes per household, and when winter comes, they live by counting grains. "
"As for the use of salt, it is even more stringent. If you can't use it, don't use it. You can even scrape off the salty mud and eat it. This is the current situation of most people in the world. You used to be an official of the Yuan Dynasty and a scholar. People, so you can't understand it, and you can't understand it."
"Since you have read the book, you should also read the Analects of Confucius."
"There is a sentence in it.
“A gentleman means righteousness, and a villain means benefit.”
“That’s what I do.”
"Officials of the Ming Dynasty are all gentlemen, but now the world is declining. Every 'gentleman' in the world is seizing the advantage, and in turn, they want to let the 'villains' do the 'righteousness'. People's hearts are not ancient, and the world is in trouble."
Zhang Yu's face turned green and red.
He knew that Xia Zhibai was ridiculing himself and not eating the fireworks of the world.
Xia Zhibai said indifferently: "Your vision is too high. You can only see the prosperity of the world, but you cannot see the suffering of the people."
Xia Zhibai has rested enough and continues to go. Arrived in the crowd.
Looking at Xia Zhibai's figure merging with the people, Zhang Yu's lips trembled slightly, and finally he let out a long sigh. Some of the remaining dissatisfaction and complaints in his heart also turned into smoke at this moment.
He understood why Yuan Ting was driven away. Because the officials of the Yuan Dynasty looked up to the sky from top to bottom.
I have never experienced the local people at all.
But Ming Dynasty was different.
The officials of the Ming Dynasty finally made decisions for the people. He finally understood why Xia Zhibai had done so many deviant things and so many dissatisfying things, but he could still be alive and kicking because Xia Zhibai could not die. .
If Wei Zheng in history is the mirror of Tang Taizong.
That Xia Zhibai is the mirror of the people.
It is easy to break a mirror, but it is impossible to restore a broken mirror.
When Xia Zhibai died, it was the time when the Ming Dynasty gave up on the people's support, and it was also when the Ming Dynasty officially entered decay.
other side.
Looking at the crowds of people who were still coming, Mei Jiu felt a little numb.
Too many people came.
He registered more than a thousand people, and people kept coming. What surprised Mei Jiu was that not only were beggars and refugees from the past, but also some soldiers. Households, slaves, and some lower-class people are all gathered here at this moment.
His mind is blank now.
He couldn't understand how Xia Zhibai called these people here, and how he brought these people together? Xia Zhibai has only been in Peiping for half a month. What has he done here in such a short period of time to win so many hearts?
This is crazy.
Looking at the crowd that kept coming, Hei Wa held his chest high and looked proud.
This is all his credit.
He was not idle at all in the past few days.
He has been in contact with the beggars and refugees he had contacted in the past, but he actually did not expect that Xia Zhibai had such accurate calculations about these beggars and refugees. He knew that these people would be worried about their livelihood, so he just advertised that they would provide food, shelter and salt. No matter what, if there is still a certain amount of oil and water every day, many people will be excited to come.
He asked these people to help promote it, and today thousands of people came directly.
Hei Wa approached Xia Zhibai, secretly gave a thumbs up, and asked curiously: "Brother Xia, why can you calculate so accurately?"
Xia Zhibai smiled. He smiled and said meaningfully: "Because the imperial court refused to suffer losses, the imperial court did allocate fields to them, but it would not give them tax exemption."
"The autumn harvest has just passed, which means they have to borrow food for a whole year. Throughout the year, the court's borrowing of grain is very expensive. Going out nine times and returning thirteen times is considered a sign of kindness from the court. It is not tax-free, and you have to pay back a year's borrowed grain during the autumn harvest. How can this not be a stressful life? "< br>
"Before, they had no choice but to be homeless and beggars."
"Now the imperial court has given them a way to survive, but it has also blocked this way of survival. Naturally, they have to save themselves. Winter is coming in Peiping, and the weather is very cold. , there is no other way to survive, and the people passing by will not give up these opportunities to make extra money."
"What I offer is the best option at the moment."
Hei Wa nodded thoughtfully.
Xia Zhibai looked around, pondered for a moment, pointed to a place that was not planned, and said: "We still have to save money. Most of the people coming this time have not had enough to eat for a few days in the past. My physical strength is not good, and I get tired easily from work. The food allocated by the court is limited and cannot be given unlimitedly. I must save some in other ways."
"After Yuan Wai Lang and the others leave, we will build a vegetable garden around it and plant some vegetables in it, including onions, sunflowers, garlic, and cabbage. Then I will transport some salt and make some pickles to eat with the grain. "
"As for You Shui, it just depends on the situation."
"In addition."
"Da Lu, Ma Tao and others will also move here in the future."
“The house in the city is returned.”
"I won't stay here for too long. When Tieye starts to operate normally, I will ask Fang Mo to watch here on my behalf, and you will also supervise."
Hearing this.
Hei Wa suddenly looked at Xia Zhibai and asked, "Xia Zhibai, are you going back to Kyoto?"
Xia Zhibai nodded, shook his head again, and said with a smile : "I won't be going back for a while. I want to take advantage of the fact that before the iron factory is fully put into production, I want to visit the kings of Qin, Jin, Zhou and other northern vassals. Since the court has agreed to let me integrate the northern salt market, naturally I can't It ended in a hurry.”
“Slow and steady is feasible.”
"But sometimes we have to use external forces to speed up the process."
Hei Wa had a wry smile on his face.
Beiping and Yan Wang both made Xia Zhi waste a lot of effort. There are almost a dozen vassal kings in the north. Although some have not yet become vassal, none of the Ming vassal kings is good. If you want to get along with these vassal kings and get them to agree, it will be very difficult.
Xia Zhibai touched Hei Wa's head and said calmly: "You don't have to think too much."
"It is indeed difficult to persuade these vassal kings of the Ming Dynasty, but it may not be impossible. Opportunities, and I don’t need to run to every vassal. I just need to finish running the first few vassals, and the other vassal kings will basically agree.”
"The difficulty lies with the King of Qin and the King of Jin."
"As long as we convince these two, the salt market in the north will be determined."
"You, Ma Tao and the others are here Study hard and be literate, there will be many uses for you in the future.”
“Don’t be a bit lazy in your studies.”
Hei Wa smiled awkwardly. He smiled, scratched his head and said: "Brother Xia, don't worry, I will definitely study seriously, and I will definitely look after the Zunhua Iron Smelting Plant for you."
Xia Zhibai smiled and nodded.
(End of this chapter)