eldest son of Ming dynasty

Chapter 336 Capital Planning Department

"Weichen, I have nothing else to report."

Zhu Houzhao paused for a while, but still didn't say too much, "Then step back."

In fact, as far as what he said earlier about the salt method, Gu Zuo has successfully aroused his thoughts.

If the so-called reform does not offend those with vested interests and knock out their interests, how can it generate new interests?
Weakness in struggle brings weakness in struggle.

This may seem like nonsense, but it is not.

Choose a summative reform of the salt law, no killing, no bloodshed... So no matter how many policies there are, there will be countermeasures below, and then continue to smoke in another way.

Because in the final analysis, people will only choose the latter between giving up their lives and giving up their interests, otherwise it will be useless.

Zhu Houzhao rubbed his forehead, this time he was relaxed.

On March [-]th of the first year of Zhengde, the emperor rejected King Qi's request to beg for [-] yuan in salt, and took this as an opportunity to send Gu Zuo, the servant of the household department, to the Lianghuai area to inspect the salt.

The two Huaihe Rivers of Tianxia Salt Industry occupy a quarter, not only in quality but also in output.Li Ruhua, Minister of the Ministry of Households in Wanli, left accurate figures for later generations. He recorded: 68 taels of salt solution in Lianghuai, 18 in Changlu, 15 in Shandong, [-] in Liangzhe, [-] in Fujian, and [-] in Guangdong. Twenty thousand, thirty-eight thousand in Yunnan is strange.

Although in terms of time, it is a long time behind Zhu Houzhao's current situation, the big pattern that Lianghuai has always been the leader of the salt industry should not change.

Because the official salt actually has the concept of "salt distribution area", which means that the salt in a place can only be sold in a specified area. The salt distribution area of ​​Lianghuai Salt is the largest, with 33 prefectures and 5 states.

Liangzhe salt followed by 17 prefectures and 1 state.

The remaining salt areas in Shandong, Sichuan, and Changlu are usually only a few prefectures.

Not only that, the Lianghuai area is located on a plain, densely covered with water networks, with convenient transportation and a developed economy. Anyone with common sense in business knows that selling salt here is definitely the best.

Also because of the importance of the Lianghuai salt industry, the imperial court specially set up the Lianghuai Capital Transfer Salt Envoy Division, and the yamen was located in Yangzhou. In addition, it also set up branch offices in Taizhou, Tongzhou, and Huai'an to manage salt introduction, salt farms, and stoves.

Yangzhou also relies on the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal, and is also a key node city for the transportation of grain and grain to the north. Therefore, the prosperity of Yangzhou has been frequently seen in history books during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

In fact, the evolution process of the transfer of salt envoys and patrol salt censors is a bit like the provincial chief envoy, procuratorate, and later governors and governors who became more and more stable.

Originally, the Transshipment Salt Envoy was responsible for managing the production and sales of the salt industry. It was an official agency, but in fact, during the Zhengtong and Chenghua years, the imperial court began to discover that the Salt Transport Envoy himself allowed kitchen households to cook private salt, and even they themselves I will also sell private salt.

It is also because Yunsi is gradually corrupting, and the emperor no longer trusts the officials in these places, so he keeps sending his close officials out of Beijing to inspect the salt.

During this process, the administrative power of Yunsi was continuously encroached by Xunyan Yushi. In the later period, Xunyan Yushi served every two years and gradually stabilized.Its fate is the same as that of Unji

--corrupt.

But in this joint right now, Xunyan Yushi can still play its role,
Therefore, this dispatch in the first year of Zhengde made Zou Cheng, the current capital transfer salt officer, very nervous.

In fact, the salt envoys who are all transferred are also senior officials from the third rank, which is one level lower than the household servant of the third rank. Moreover, the salt envoys who are all transferred have a government office specially built for him and a huge staff. The scale can be dozens of people, which can be said Bit height weight.

This official is also the real "grandfather" of countless salt merchants in Yangzhou!
However, Emperor Zhengde's personal governance style has greatly changed the current political situation.That is to say, the most important officials in the imperial court are no longer the so-called elders, but those who are often summoned by the emperor.

Gu Zuo is one of them.

Zou Cheng was also very nervous because of the precedents in Zhejiang and Jiangxi. He was worried that the emperor had set his sights on the salt industry again?

As a high official and an important member, the emperor also summoned him before the great court meeting, but at that time he did not feel that the emperor had any special care for the salt administration.

However, the Xunyan Yushi did not have the ability to enforce the law during the Hongzhi and Zhengde years. In the past, the imperial court would let them act together with the Jinyiwei, but this time only Gu Zuo and two or three officials went south.
This is also good news.

The salt merchants have eyes and ears in the capital, and they are leaving here, but they are about to receive news there.

Gu Zuo's main purpose this time is to find out what the current situation of the Daming Salt Industry is. The auction also has to set a price based on the actual situation, right?

But from this point of view, this trip is not easy. People from the court want to see the whole picture, how can it be so easy?
So Gu Zuo thought of a way,

It is to play the banner of going for the issue of 'keeping the income'. He wants to contact the salt merchants directly to understand the pain of the salt merchants' keeping the income.

While in the palace, Zhu Houzhao summoned Song Heng, the Shaofu doctor mentioned earlier.

"... From an economic point of view, the auction of the salt field is indeed a good way. In this way, the burden on the court is minimal or even no. The production and sale of salt are not the business of the court. The court only needs a sum of money. But such a salt method In the end, it will still put a heavy burden on the court."

Zhu Houzhao was walking ahead, he was a little surprised when he heard this sentence, and turned sideways to look at Song Heng.

He's still young, but has white streaks in his beard.

"What's the point?"

Song Heng bent over, he was very respectful, but his speech was not respectful at all, "Salt and iron have been a franchise since ancient times, because of its huge profits. When the imperial court came to do this business, no one in the world dared to say no. But if you change If you become a private person, those who are hot-eyed will be dissatisfied, why the Zhang family can do it, but my Xu family can’t? In this way, the wealthy and honorable plenums will be involved, and it will be difficult to stop it."

"Everyone is fighting with each other here, all because the court has left. At that time, in order to maintain order, the court will have to send officials again. Isn't the burden that has been thrown away now coming back?"

"It is also a fantasy to protect the interests of kitchen households, and the common people will not be able to eat cheap salt, because the cost of salt merchants is very high. At that time, the salt industry must be impenetrable, and the water will not be poured in, and the court will suddenly I found that there was no one of my own in there.”

Zhu Houzhao smiled, "Have you ever thought that it is easy to deal with people without your own people?"

Song Heng paused,
"If Your Majesty has such thoughts, the auction method can also be implemented. It's just that the kings of future generations may not have the courage of Your Majesty."

"If the emperor of later generations is stupid, no system will work for him."

Zhu Houzhao has adjusted his fighting mentality, but he still thinks that auction is a good way. Although it has the disadvantages of concealing production and triggering battles among salt merchants, the salt laws of all dynasties have both good and bad.

The best Kaizhongyan method has spent its good time in the early Ming Dynasty.

In fact, this is quite good. The adverse consequences of the practice are all considered beforehand, instead of problems of one kind or another after implementation.

It's just that his previous thinking is indeed about to change.
Because it is actually a bit taken for granted not to offend those with vested interests. If he does not offend a group of officials in the salt law, then he, the emperor, will not even know the output of the salt farm.

Facing the new reforms, the officials were able to quickly find the loopholes, that is, reduce the output of the salt farms, and then cooperate with the salt merchants. The salt merchants obtained the right to operate the salt farms at a low price, and then distributed the profits to the officials. .

"...The matter of the salt law, we will discuss it after Liqing returns to the capital. The reason for announcing you to enter the palace today is for other matters."

Song Heng held the ceremony, "Your Majesty, please give me instructions."

"En." The emperor put his hands behind his back, "I went out of the palace a few days ago, and saw a large number of people gathered in the southern city of the capital, not only the government, but also the merchants, because of the construction of the city that never sleeps. There are more than 10 people. Most of these are poor people. They can only live in rent in the capital, and the cheaper the rent, the more they can attract them. Renovate your own house and add various partitions."

"If this situation continues, the southern city of the capital will soon become overcrowded, and it will be difficult to remove human and animal excrement and urine. It will not be long before the foot of the imperial city will become stinky. By then, if there is a fire, plague , that is a catastrophe that will shake the world. The imperial court must guard against this."

The fire was fine, but if there was a plague, it was easy for the emperor himself to get in so close to the imperial city, so he couldn't help but ignore this matter.

Song Heng himself also walked through those places outside the Zhengyang Gate in Nancheng, and he also had pictures in his mind.

Because of the gathering of people, the capital has built many houses in the past two years like spreading a large cake, but those houses are also very simple houses, and some of them are just built.

The Zhang family built it, and the Li family followed it, and a gathering area appeared after they built it.

If there is a fire...

They are all houses with wooden structures. It is indeed unimaginable for such a large number of people to gather.

"Your Majesty's foresight, I admire you very much!"

The emperor waved his hand, and didn't pay attention to his flattery, "In my opinion, the imperial court should properly guide and arrange these people who enter the city."

Song Heng understood, "Has Your Majesty read "Taiping Guangji"?"

Zhu Houzhao shook his head, "I haven't read this book yet."

"I remember the "Taiping Guangji" records: Pei Mingli, a native of Hedong, is good at managing business. He collects discarded things from the world, accumulates them, and accumulates them. With this, his family property is huge. District fields teach the people to plant dung and irrigate crops with negative water. District fields regard dung gas as their beauty, so it is not necessarily a good field. Therefore, human and animal excrement is not a problem. I can set up a special organization in the Shaofu and hire some people to do it every day. It is collected along the street in the early morning of the day, and then sold to the nearby people to pour fertile fields. It’s just that the chaos of sheds in the capital is actually hard to explain.”

"Difficult solutions must also be solved. Those that have been built in the past must be dismantled step by step. After that, dilapidated buildings will be prohibited in the capital. For this reason, I am going to prepare the capital planning department, which belongs to the Shaofu, and you will be the director."

Song Heng didn't thank you, he just didn't understand, "Your Majesty, I don't know what the planning department is going to do?"

Liu Jin rolled her eyes aside, why is there so many people like Gu Zuo in the Shaofu, the emperor would like to thank him quickly, what will happen if I thank you and ask again?

Zhu Houzhao had been thinking about this capital city planning department for a while.

These institutions, above all, are necessity.He was still hesitating before, but when he left the palace a few days ago, he realized that it is better to do this matter earlier.

Otherwise, when various problems start to appear, it will actually be a bit tricky, and as a latecomer, he has the conditions to move things forward.

So there are two reasons. One is that the capital has indeed gathered 10,000+ poor people, and not only the city that never sleeps, but also private businessmen are also building it. In addition, in order to provide the necessary living needs for these 10,000+ people, various functions In fact, sexual architecture emerges in endlessly.

And as long as he is the emperor, it can be expected that in the next few decades, the population of the capital will definitely expand.

That being the case, of course we should do it first.

"You have been in the Shaofu for a while, and you should understand the meaning of the word economy. The urban economy is also an important part of the economy. If it is based on making a living, the people in the future will be able to farm and work."

"There will be more and more people working."

Song Heng suddenly interrupted Zhu Houzhao's words.

This is Junqian, who spoke so inexplicably and with such certainty, Zhu Houzhao wanted to know the reason, "Why do you think there are more and more people working?"

Song Heng replied calmly: "Because farming is too risky for the common people and they can't actually support their families. However, labor only requires effort, no cost, and you can work all year round, there is no farming time."

Zhu Houzhao frowned, "Speak more carefully."

"Does Your Majesty think that only people without land come to work?"

"Is not it?"

"Of course not." Song Heng's tone was blunt, and he cupped his hands and began to say: "I went to the folks to see it. Nowadays, the people around the capital, even those with fields, will sell their good land in exchange for a sum of money to work in the capital. So Weichen said that the chaos of sheds is difficult to solve, not that the Shaofu has no money to build enough houses for the people to live in."

"It's because there will be a steady stream of people coming to the city to work from now on. The reason is that farming is too risky. Serving the land all year round, not to mention the hard work, even in good years, will not be enough to eat. If you encounter In a famine year, there is nothing left after paying the grain. In fact, in the past, when there was no capital to hire workers, some people would sell their land and take the initiative to become tenants. Because tenants do not need to buy seeds, farm tools, or pay taxes, There is no cost, as long as you contribute. In comparison, self-cultivating farmers need to buy everything themselves.”

"The common people also have to be hungry in a good year, let alone a bad year, so selling land is a matter of a disaster year, which will happen sooner or later. , some people will consider selling it in advance.”

In a sense, self-cultivating farmers who are not very rich are like small merchants who open their doors to do business, and are responsible for their own profits and losses.The sharecroppers, though they were farming for others, did so lightly.

"...I, I really didn't know these things before."

"Knowing is knowing, not knowing is knowing. Your Majesty is willing to admit that you don't know. I congratulate Your Majesty! Fortunately, there are still ministers in the court who know, so I also congratulate Your Majesty!"

Zhu Houzhao couldn't help chuckling, this guy was also interesting.

"Are there many cases like this now?"

Song Heng replied: "In the past, I only occasionally saw people who took the initiative to be tenants. Now, there are three or four out of ten who sell their fields to Beijing."

Zhu Houzhao frowned, this ratio is quite large.

In fact, the land annexation of ancient dynasties has never been eradicated. In the final analysis, it is Song Heng's words: farming is very risky and cannot support a family!

He stood up and walked around with his hands behind his back, thinking a lot in his mind.

After a while, I spoke, "Two things. One, improve farm tools and increase efficiency; two, do a good job in the planning and construction of big cities. These two things are not temporary, but long-term things to do."

If there are new means of earning a living, the people will pour in, which cannot be stopped.

But food security is just as important.So do both.

"To improve farm tools... I need the Ministry of Industry and the Shaofu to work together."

Zhu Houzhao refused, because the traditional bureaucracy does not have the motivation and ability to innovate, "No, just you. Shaofu has grain merchants, fewer people, and more land. You can figure out how to improve farm tools. As for the capital Planning Department, it seems that it is more necessary for me to set up at this time."

"The construction of the capital is chaotic and disorderly. The capital city planning department wants to change this state. Your duty is to make the expansion of the capital orderly. Residential areas, commercial areas, and industrial areas must be planned in advance. Find a few The era of building a shed with just a piece of wood is over in Jingshi. Jingshi needs to plan according to functional areas and control the quality of buildings. Every new building must be approved by the planning department, height, width, property rights, purpose... ...you must report here."

Song Heng was very courageous, and he asked, "What's the use of this...?"

"If there are such poor people gathering again, the imperial court can disperse them in advance. In addition, it can actually control special functional areas. For example... commercial buildings that do not meet the conditions are not allowed to be built in the commercial area designated by the imperial court. Building. After a long time, buildings with similar functions will gather together to form a more concentrated business. For example, the city that never sleeps. And its rent will gradually rise.”

This is modern economic theory.

Song Heng didn't understand it at first, but after a little thought, he could fully understand, "Your Majesty's intention is to make the place with a strong commercial atmosphere even stronger, so that people will gather here, shops will naturally gather, and the rent will also increase." will be more stable."

"Children can be taught. But in fact, it is more meaningful to the overall layout of the capital. To give an extreme example, if there is no plan, then building a garbage dump on the edge of Shuiyun Jian, is it plausible?"

The meaning of urban planning is not yet understood by people who have this idea.

But Zhu Houzhao believes that they will gradually understand in the process of doing it.

The gathering of commercial organizations is also conducive to the collection of taxes by the court. Otherwise, if you spend so much effort, where can you find the money?
And now, Song Heng has also found some ways. He knows that after such a rectification, the capital must be more prosperous and lively, so he can't help looking forward to the future a little more.
"Your Majesty, I understand, I must fulfill my mission!"

(End of this chapter)