Daming: Old Zhu, we agreed not to rush!

Chapter 116
"Okay, let's go."

Su Jing took Zhu Biao and left from the river bank. It was noon time, and it was time for them to eat.

When he came, he was very fast, but when he left, Zhu Biao's footsteps were heavy.

Before seeing it with his own eyes today, he hadn't thought about the corvee.

After all, it has been passed down since ancient times, and it has never changed.

When something becomes a habit, no one will deliberately care about it.

"Master Su, I'm a little confused."

Zhu Biao stopped and said to Su Jing.

Su Jing also stopped, turned his head and said: "Let's go eat first, Niu Su is still at home, what's the matter, let's talk after dinner."

"Even those people who are in corvée still have time to eat."

Zhu Biao nodded and said, "Yes, Master Su."

The two returned home soon, and took Zhu Wei to Shaxian County for snacks and dinner.

"Brother, what's the matter with you, why don't you seem to have no appetite."

Looking at Zhu Biao on the opposite side, who looked like he didn't think about eating and drinking, Zhu Wei said with concern.

Zhu Biao raised his head and forced a smile, "Brother is fine, fifth brother, eat well."

"yes, Sir."

Zhu Wei knew that it might have something to do with Su Jing taking Zhu Biao out during the day, but Zhu Biao didn't say anything, and he didn't intend to ask.

Su Jing said: "Niu Yi, let's eat, you will have the energy to think when you are full."

Just sympathy doesn't mean anything.

Although Su Jing also felt that the people who served in corvee were very hard, but this was the reality of the feudal dynasty.

What he can do is to try his best to develop the economy of Lishui County and let everyone have more money. This Sha County snack can bring more ordinary people.

"Well, the student understands."

Zhu Biao nodded, and began to pick and pull.

Under Su Jing's long-term precepts and deeds, Zhu Biao also fully understood the importance of eating, or the body.

After eating, the three returned home.

Zhu Xi was still reading, but Zhu Biao took the initiative to ask Su Jing to go to the embankment to watch the people do corvee.

Su Jing naturally agreed, and the two arrived not far from the river embankment.

Zhu Biao looked at the people carrying them repeatedly, thinking about how to break the situation with corvee.

It's just that a corvee that has been extended by the feudal dynasty for more than a thousand years is not something he can break through just thinking about it.

"Master Su, you said that the corvee people hate it, so you can't abolish the corvee. Is it the only way? Is there no solution?"

Zhu Biao finally questioned Su Jing.

Su Jing said lightly: "If you want to solve this problem, you have to figure out why the common people hate corvee."

Zhu Biao immediately replied: "The corvee will occupy the normal working time of the people, and they have to endure the reprimand and insults of the officers and soldiers, but they will not get any rewards."

"Yes, you are right. The key point is that there is no compensation, that is, it is free."

Su Jing agreed: "In the final analysis, the essence of corvée is the unpaid labor that the rulers force civilians to do. There are many types of it when it is broken down, and I have gone into too much detail."

"If we talk about the simplest and most straightforward solution, it is to turn free into paid. In this way, the common people have paid for their labor, which is equivalent to work."

Just as Su Jing finished speaking, Zhu Biao immediately said, "Master Su, the court doesn't have that much money."

As the prince, Zhu Biao is still very clear about Daming's finances.

If the remuneration is paid according to what Su Jing said, even if the price is extremely low, it is definitely an astronomical figure calculated based on the number of corvees required in the entire territory of the Ming Dynasty.

"Ah."

Su Jing looked at Zhu Biao and said, "Yes, lack of money is the biggest problem, and this is also the biggest reason why the corvee system has been able to continue since its inception."

"Corvée, in the eyes of the ruler, is itself part of the state's finances."

"Would you use your money to buy money to use?"

Su Jing's simple words made Zhu Biao immediately realize the nature of corvée, which was a problem he had never thought about.

Yes, corvee can actually be regarded as money.

"Master Su made it clear, the students understand."

Zhu Biao asked seriously.

Su Jing continued: "Do you still remember what I told you? The free ones are the most expensive."

Free is the most expensive?

Zhu Biao was taken aback for a moment, and some didn't understand how this was connected again.

"Students don't understand very well."

Zhu Biao replied truthfully.

Su Jing said indifferently: "Correage and taxes are the mountains that weigh on the people. As the dynasty continues, this mountain will continue to expand."

"When the ruler needs finances, taxes and corvees are the most direct source. Every extra point is an extra bit of power squeezed out of the people."

"And when these accumulate to a certain level, an uprising will break out, and the dynasty will also be destroyed."

"That's the price to pay for being free. Now do you understand what's free is the most expensive?"

In Su Jing's plain words, what he was talking about was the fall of a dynasty.

Even Zhu Biao, who had heard the theory of the collapse of the dynasty, was still deeply shocked.

He thought carefully about what Su Jing said, only to feel that it was completely correct.

Corvée is really more terrifying than land annexation!

"Master Su, the students are taught!"

Zhu Biao bowed to Su Jing again, and now he only asked Su Jing to give a solution.

Su Jing smiled and said: "This is taught, I just told the facts, and there is no solution."

The problem of corvee, in fact, the ancient sages had foreseen it, and Su Jing was not the first to discover it.

"Master Su, is there really a solution?"

Zhu Biao said in surprise, his face was full of excitement.

He was eager to know how to solve it.

Su Jing said indifferently: "Isn't that simple? If there are fewer corvees, the people will be safe. If there are fewer corvees, it will be fine."

As soon as Su Jing finished speaking, Zhu Biao immediately added: "If there are fewer corvees, the people will be safe. If the people are safe, the subordinates will have no heavy power. If the subordinates have no heavy power, the power will be destroyed. If the power is destroyed, the virtue will be at the top. This is "Han Feizi Bei Nei " said."

Hearing Zhu Biao's words, Su Jing was also surprised.

Zhu Biao's reading volume is really too much, and he can still remember the source. It can only be said that the reading is super serious.

"Han Feizi has already given the answer, isn't it good."

Su Jing said smoothly.

He actually didn't know the content of "Han Feizi Bei Nei" because he hadn't read it.

But Han Feizi knew it, and what he said was convincing enough.

Zhu Biao's expression was not too excited, because such an answer did not meet Zhu Biao's expectations for Su Shi.

The common people hate corvee, so less corvee is enough.

This seems to have been said, but it seems not to be said.

"Master Su, the students think that this is not a cure."

Zhu Biao expressed his thoughts to Su Jing.

It is too simple to treat the head for a headache and treat the foot for a foot pain.

Su Jing also glanced at Zhu Biao, nodded in agreement and said, "This is really not a cure."

"Master Su, please teach me."

Zhu Biao didn't care whether Su Jing had other options, anyway, he showed his attitude first.

"Niu Yi, you, you really care about these things."

Su Jing asked and sighed.

Zhu Biao maintained a respectful attitude, and continued: "Mr. Su, please don't dislike the stubbornness of the students. The students just want to know if there is a better way to solve this problem."

Su Jing smiled and said, "Niu Yi, stubbornness is not a shortcoming. Perseverance is a very good quality. I have never disliked it."

Zhu Biao's aura of never giving up until he reaches his goal is exactly what Su Jing appreciates.

Thinking about his ups and downs in the business world in his previous life, and his ultimate success, didn't he also rely on this momentum?

Only such a person can accomplish great things.

"Su Shimiao praised that students are just eager to learn."

Zhu Biao said modestly.

Su Jing didn't continue to give in to him, but said: "Just now we have talked about the essence of corvee, which is actually a part of the national finance."

"Under normal circumstances, these corvees are distributed equally to the people of the whole country. Although it is unpaid labor, if everyone distributes it equally, it is not that much."

"But in reality, this is not the case. First of all, the gentry class has the right not only to be exempted from taxes, but also to be exempted from corvee."

"This caused the land to be annexed by the gentry class, but whether it was taxes or corvee, it had to be borne by the remaining common people."

"In the long run, the people will definitely not be able to bear it, and when they can't survive, they will only revolt."

Su Jing didn't give an answer in a hurry, but came to a wave of analysis first.

Zhu Biao listened logically, with a thoughtful look on his face, he frowned and said, "So what Master Su means is that officials and gentry should also serve corvee?"

Zhu Biao naturally thought of this method because he thought of what Su Jing said before.

"Half right."

Su Jing said lightly.

half?
Zhu Biao was taken aback for a moment, not quite understanding.

Su Jing continued: "Officials and gentry must serve corvee, but it is not simply to let them work, but to turn corvee into a bond that can be bought with silver."

bond?

Zhu Biao was dumbfounded again, he knew even a word, but together, he didn't understand.

"Master Su, the students don't understand very well."

Zhu Biao was puzzled.

Su Jing explained: "In fact, it is to turn the corvee into quantifiable property. As I said before, the corvee is the national treasury. After turning it into bonds, the officials and gentry can choose to pay for the corvee. Buy this bond."

"As for the corvee service that originally required officials and gentry, you can use the money he pays to hire other common people to do it."

"To put it bluntly, it is to convert the corvee service of the strong men that every household needs to send into silver taels. You can call it the Dingyin system."

"So, do you understand?"

In fact, Su Jing explained Zhang Juzheng's whip method, the Dingyin system, from his own understanding, which can be regarded as picking up people's teeth.

Zhu Biao silently sorted out what Su Jing said, and kept understanding what Su Jing said in his mind.

After a while, he nodded and said: "Master Su, the students probably understand, but not very clearly, why do they do this?"

Turn corvee into bonds, and then use money to buy bonds, so that instead of serving corvee, it becomes paying money.

This money can be used to hire other people to do it.

It felt like it was constantly flipping hands, but in the end nothing much changed either.

Su Jing said indifferently: "Don't worry, this is just a foreshadowing for the follow-up."

"The real core, in fact, is just four words: every piece of land is equal to the mu."

"The corvee is not collected by the number of households, but by the number of acres of fields."

Spread into acres!

When Zhu Biao heard these four words, combined with the Dingyin system mentioned by Su Jing before, his mind buzzed instantly.

He just felt as if everything had been opened up, it was a stroke of genius.

Su Jing laughed. He admired Yongzheng, the promoter of the project, and it was not so easy to come up with such an exquisite idea.

Zhu Biao looked at Su Jing and said: "Master Su, if we follow the method of dividing the land into the mu, then the fields all over the country will be the source of corvee. In this way, the annexation of land by officials and gentry is equivalent to more corvée, and there is no land. The people will not have to serve corvee.”

"In this way, not only will the corvee on the people be lightened, but even the matter of land annexation will be greatly eased. It's so fast!"

Zhu Biao is also smart, and he immediately understood the beauty of this.

It's a multiplicity of things!
But Su Jing immediately poured cold water on him:
"Although the method is good, it must be able to be carried out. Besides, this matter of hiding the fields has not been uncommon in all dynasties. The distance between this method and the implementation is still far away!"

Su Jing knew the situation in the Qing Dynasty, and it was when he was forced to do nothing that he came up with this clever trick.

Daming is still early.

(End of this chapter)