Da Ming Tai Shi

Chapter 457: Court's Benevolence and Righteousness!

Pingjin Port is in full swing at the moment.

Looking at the severe winter and the twelfth lunar month, the construction period of Pingjin Port is not delayed at all.

By the wide Haihe River, densely packed folks are singing trumpets, working very hard.

Although it is said that they came to Pingjin to serve in corvée, these folk husbands from all over the country do not feel any sadness. For thousands of years, isn't it a matter of course for ordinary people to serve in corvée?
The imperial court does not pay wages, but it is much better than before to provide clothes and two meals a day.

Moreover, the current imperial court is indeed benevolent. Not only do they distribute winter and summer clothes a year, they can also eat roast meat every three to five days, and the construction period is much looser than it was many years ago.

In the past, corvée work was done to the death, but now it only works for four or five hours a day. If it catches up with today's three or nine days, it is only three and a half hours, and the work stops when it gets dark.

Thinking about it this way, even serving corvee is not so unacceptable.

Lin San is a big man from Shandong. He was a corvee in Kyushu at the beginning of the second year. The corvee period is five years. Counting the days, he will be able to go home by the end of the sixth year of Kyushu. Thinking of this, Lin San felt his heart burning.

The days are still very promising.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

A gong sounded on the construction site, which was a signal to call it a day. Lin San raised his head in surprise.

How long did it take to work, and why did you call it a day?
The worker on the side muttered: "Maybe it's because today is the New Year's Eve, the supervisor is kind enough to spare the hour."

Lin San said yes, and also thought it was such a possibility.

"Everyone returns to their place of residence in order, and no running around is allowed, hurry up."

A supervisor began to convey the order, and the peasants obeyed the order, and returned to their respective residences on the construction site honestly and dutifully.

All are large tents for 20 people.

Although the place where they live is a bit crude, but there are many people, and the weather is cold but warm.

Lin San looked at the sun, and it was far from the time for dinner, so he called his workers to play cards together in the tent.

The tiles are pebbles picked up by the Haihe River on weekdays. After polishing and smoothing, the Pai Gow ideas are engraved.

This is one of the few recreational activities on the construction site.

Of course, everyone has no money, and the court does not allow gambling, it is just a pastime.

Everyone gets together to play cards, and the loser will take on the daily work of washing the clothes and pants of the workers, which is also appropriate.

"Old Lin, today I must seek revenge from you."

The speaker's surname is Wu, and he and Lin San are fellow villagers, both from Shandong.

All the people living in this tent are Shandong men.

Each tent is the same, and they all come from the same province. The imperial court arranged this mainly because they were worried that the peasants would have conflicts and fights in private, so they tried to arrange the peasants from the same provincial government in one tent.

This way I can't fight anymore.

Lin San smiled: "What's the matter, I haven't washed my underpants for half a month, and I still want to continue washing them?"

"Ha ha ha ha."

The workers made a fuss: "Old Wu, if you continue to lose, after the end of the year's corvee period, don't you want to follow the third brother back to the hometown, move to the third brother's house and continue to wash the underwear for the third brother?"

"You are more sensible than the third brother's daughter-in-law. If you can't do it, the third brother should marry Lao Wu home. This is better than my sister-in-law."

Amidst the noise of the drums, the tent laughed loudly, and they all took great pleasure in making fun of that old Wu.

Just as they were booing, the curtain of the tent was lifted, and a young fair man walked in.

Seeing someone coming, Lin San and the others hurriedly put down the Pai Gow in their hands and stood up, politely calling Supervisor Zhou a hello.

This week's supervisor is about 20 years old and belongs to the Ministry of Construction of the imperial court. Although he is just an ordinary civil servant, after all, he is eating the imperial food. These civilians are naturally in awe on weekdays.

Zhou Zheng waved his hands, and his tone was very gentle: "Everyone sit down, you're welcome, I'm here to congratulate you all."

"Dao Xi?"

A group of people looked at each other in blank dismay, everyone is a corvee, what is there to be happy about.

Among the folk husbands, there are those who have been working for a long time, and they open their mouths when they are courageous.

"Supervisor, today is the [-]th year, but the imperial court intends to reward us with some good things."

"That's not it."

Zhou Zheng moved a small stool and sat down, looked at the peasants surrounding him, cupped his hands and smiled, "Congratulations to everyone, the imperial court has decided a few days ago to formally abolish the corvee system, everyone, it is no longer corvée."

Abolish the corvee system?

Everyone looked at each other in astonishment, seeing the disbelief in each other's eyes.

"Supervisor, this is not a joke."

No one believed it, and no one dared to believe it.

Ordinary people pay food and wear corvee. This has been the case for generations for thousands of years. In the previous dynasties, corvée was often used for 20 years. Today, the period of corvée for the imperial court is only five years. Everyone already thinks it is a great gift. But if it is said to abolish the corvee, it is a great kindness that I would never even dream of.

Zhou Zheng said earnestly.

"How can this be a joke, the official official document of the imperial court was released half a month ago, and now it has arrived in Pingjin, if you don't believe me, you will be able to see the posted imperial notice tomorrow.

At that time, literate brothers can read it to everyone on behalf of the court, and you will know whether what I said is true or false. "

Seeing what Zhou Zheng said so affirmatively, a group of people suddenly cheered.

"Thank the court, thank the court."

Lin San asked even more excitedly: "The supervisor, if you say that, will we be able to go home?"

"That can't be."

In a word, all the cheers disappeared in an instant.

If you can't go home, isn't that still a corvee?
The mood fell from the clouds to the valley in an instant.

Just when someone couldn't help but want to ask, Zhou Zheng quickly explained.

"It's like this, because the construction period of the imperial court cannot be delayed. If you all return to your hometown, how can the Pingjin Port be expanded, so we need to wrong everyone to continue working, but the corvee is indeed abolished.

In the future, you will be paid for working every day, forty Wen a day.

When there are folks who voluntarily sign up to participate in the construction of the imperial court, then everyone who wants to return to their hometown can apply to me. We will add one, and you can leave one.

In addition, in the future, your work will no longer be open all year round. Every month, you will have three days off work, and the working hours will also be clearly stipulated. The work periods in winter and summer are different.

In terms of wages, they are settled once a month. Those who want money can receive it directly, and those who want to send it home can also report their home addresses to me. The imperial court will send your wages to your homes through the postmen at the post station. "

A wage of forty Wen a day?
Everyone was startled at first, and then overjoyed.

Forty wen a day, wouldn't it be two taels of silver a month?

After working for a year, it is much better than farming at home, plus there are work days off, isn't it much lighter.

"Then those of us who don't want to go home can continue to work after the five-year period expires."

Some people thought about it and felt that they had to ask for work when they returned to their hometown. It would be better to continue working with the court, earn a few years of money, and return to their hometown with dozens of taels of silver.

Zhou Zheng smiled and nodded.

"Of course you can. If you have a court that is willing to stay, you are welcome. At that time, the court will sign a formal employment contract with you. There are three-year and five-year terms. The court that wants to return home after working hard They will all be returned, and those who want to continue to renew the contract can also."

"Three years, five years?"

Lin San asked curiously, "Is there a difference?"

"Of course, the three-year salary is 45 Wen a day, and the five-year salary is [-] Wen."

Don't underestimate the five cents, it will cost two taels of silver more in a year.

Enough to buy a thousand catties of rice and a few sashes of silk cloth.

After calculating the account in their hearts, all the civilian husbands were moved with emotion.

Times have really changed.

It has become better and better for the common people.

Court benevolence!

(End of this chapter)