I'm really not doing business

Chapter 812: Benefiting the Hometown and Relieving the Disparity between the Rich and the Poor

The Emperor of the Ming Dynasty chose to act on his own and refused to formulate or implement policies to restrict population movement.

In the 15th year of the Wanli Restoration, the Ming Dynasty had formed a basic agenda for group decision-making, but the emperor still had absolute veto power and authority.

In fact, the emperor's purpose of not restricting population mobility is very simple. It is to promote the land return law. If people run away, the land occupied by you, the local gentry, will be completely meaningless. Who will cultivate the land?

Use the population gap in Nanyang, Datieling mining area, and Jinchi Governor's Office to force powerful local gentry and local elites to distribute profits downwards, ensuring fair and reasonable distribution.

This is very clear, even the Japanese have to strictly restrict their influx because of this.

The court officials were fully aware of the emperor's intentions. After repeated considerations, they chose to reserve their opinions, to protect themselves, and to wait and see the results.

"Your Majesty, I am incompetent." Wang Chonggu bowed his head and said as he left the class: "The trade union I set up in the government factory has failed again. Alas."

Wang Chonggu let out a long sigh, which contained too much helplessness. He never thought that the advancement of things would be so difficult, much more difficult than the construction of a large project.

"Failed again?" Zhu Yijun frowned and said, "If you say that the second assistant is incompetent, are there any other capable officials in the world? Tell me in detail."

Wang Chonggu learned the lesson from the failure of the first trade union establishment. When the trade union was first established, the craftsmen's representatives quickly transformed into a privileged class and created a terrible scene of gambling houses entering the factory. Wang Chonggu intervened immediately and avoided a major disaster.

A second union was formed, this time lasting eight months, and again it was declared a failure.

This time, Wang Chonggu did not give the union too much power, but a union without any power was useless and could not even provide condolences during the New Year and other holidays. It only knew how to ask for money. Wang Chonggu launched a correction mechanism and abolished this department.

The balance between power, responsibility, alienation of privileges and performance of functions is surprisingly difficult to establish.

In Wang Chonggu's vision, the trade union should be the voice of the craftsmen, spend a small amount of money to maintain the organizational structure, screen out enough craftsman representatives, and work for the interests of the craftsmen.

It's a good idea, but very difficult to implement.

"I am stupid. I didn't expect that getting the craftsmen to unite would be several times more difficult than building the ding." Wang Chonggu felt helpless and even publicly admitted his incompetence in the Wenhua Hall.

He wanted to establish a bottom-up error correction mechanism, but he hit a dead end after two attempts. If he had the skills, he could have built a 200-li highway.

Sometimes, he was a little dazed. He even felt that even if the Xinri Canal was repaired, the bottom-up error correction mechanism could not be established.

"This is normal. You don't have to worry about it." Zhu Yijun listened to Wang Chonggu's report in its entirety and comforted him not to mind it.

If the poor and laboring people unite and stick together tightly, they will have the power to change the world. However, the most difficult thing is to get people to unite and stick together tightly.

A boss of Xishan Coal Bureau was unfortunately burned extensively by boiling molten iron while working in a steelmaking furnace. The chief medical officer of Daming Dissection Hospital tried every possible means, but the infection caused by the extensive burns still caused the boss to die in agony.

After the death of the master blacksmith, the blacksmiths did not unite closely to demand that the government factory improve the working environment, ensure the smooth payment of pensions, and protect the future life of the craftsmen's families. After a simple mourning, all of the craftsmen set their sights on the position of the master blacksmith, wanting to replace him.

All the craftsmen do not think that these are the issues they should think about. What is important is to fight for the vacancies of the bosses.

There is a very serious gap between people, and this gap is called self-interest. People always subconsciously think about problems from the perspective of their own interests, rather than from the perspective of collective interests or public interests.

The meat-eaters are always more united than the poor coolies, and there is a general tacit understanding between them, which makes the poor coolies, who are already in a weak position, even more disadvantaged during the game.

In a workshop of 10 to 20 people, the owner of the workshop only needs to do a few tricks to completely undermine the unity between the cattle and horses. When someone stands up and speaks for the interests of everyone, all the craftsmen just stand by and watch coldly.

A tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind. This somewhat stupid, honest and honest person who advocates for the public interest often ends up in a miserable state. Other craftsmen, for the sake of a little profit, engage in intrigue, and always bow and scrape to please their superiors to gain profit.

As the famous saying goes: I do not share the same joys and sorrows as humans, I just think they are noisy.

"Don't worry, Wang Ci Fu. It's actually very simple. The barriers between the poor and the coolies are based on a certain economic foundation. If they have no food to eat and are left with nowhere to go, they will put aside all their prejudices and barriers and unite closely together."

"Just like the tenants in Taizhou Prefecture, Ningdu, Ruijin, and Ninghua counties." Zhu Yijun thought for a moment and concluded: "The private property owned by each person is a shackle and a barrier itself."

“People are always afraid of losing everything they have. When they really lose everything, the shackles will also be gone, and they will be closely united.”

The poor and coolies have completely lost their private property, their concerns, and their weaknesses. In fact, they have lost their shackles. Only then will they gain the whole world.

This is actually the simplest and most violent expression of the theory of contradiction, the theory of public and private, and the theory of class struggle.

How can we prevent the poor coolies from resorting to violence? As long as they have private property, concerns, and weaknesses, these shackles will bind them tightly, instead of taking risks and fighting with their heads on the belt.

The wealthy are persistent and will spontaneously safeguard the rule and continuation of the dynasty because this is safeguarding their own property.

In the process of forming trade unions, there is also the contradiction between short-term and long-term interests.

Short-term interests are to take as much as possible under the existing rules, and then you can only profit by squeezing out those around you;
The long-term benefit is to break the existing rules and establish a fairer set of rules. The chances of winning this struggle are slim, or even out of reach, and the horizon is visible but not tangible.

If you engage in a struggle for long-term interests, you will most likely risk your life, or even die in the end. Even if you win the struggle and become a martyr, the result of the struggle will not be the establishment of a fairer rule, but a horror story of the dragon slayer becoming the dragon himself.

The uncertainty is too great, so it is a more cost-effective deal to invest in the people around you.

Zhu Yijun sometimes thought about it and felt that this was more difficult than making the Ming Dynasty great again.

"I will keep your holy teachings in mind." Wang Chonggu carefully pondered the words and bowed his head to accept the order.

On August 16, the 15th year of the Wanli reign, the Ming Dynasty Code was published and printed throughout the country. Zhu Yijun wrote in red in the "Heaven and Man Volume": I have three duties: one is food, the second is education, and the third is resistance to violence. The hungry get millet, the children go to school, and the wronged beg for justice - this is the human rights given by heaven, and it should be recorded in the Code.

This is the emperor's red-lettered approval, and it is also the pie he painted for the people of the Ming Dynasty. It is also a solemn promise to the people. He will fulfill his promise in exchange for the support of the people and secure his throne.

Zhu Yijun was not sure whether he could get his share of the cake, but he had made a promise and would do his best to fulfill it.

Along with the publication of the Ming Dynasty Code, there was also an imperial edict.

The Ming Dynasty focused on horizontal cutting, while the West focused on vertical cutting. Therefore, the West had a low moral advantage in the Age of Discovery. In order to win the competition in the Age of Discovery, Zhu Yijun issued a special decree to announce to the world, reiterating that there would be no restrictions on the movement of people.

At that time, some officials and officials strongly advised that the migration of people to the sea might shake the foundation of the country. The emperor said: In the past, we allowed them to do hard labor, but now we prohibit them from panning for gold. How can this be justified? People are content with their land. They would not go to the sea to face danger unless they were in trouble. He also said: The West is eyeing us. I would rather allow people to expand our borders than give up an inch of our land to the barbarians!
The Wanli edition of the Ming Dynasty Code is the great general principles and regulations of the Ming Dynasty. All officials, both inside and outside the court, must study it carefully. If they make mistakes in their policies, it is not a big deal to have difficulties in promotion, because they have their own heads.

Feng Bao, the ancestor of the Ming Dynasty's Internal Affairs Office, once said: The head should be on the neck!

The next day, Zhu Yijun received a memorial opposing the "Da Ming Hui Dian Tian Ren Volume" from an imperial censor from Huguang named Xu Chengchu, who explicitly opposed universal education and the free movement of population.

"Xu Chengchu, a native of Zhuxi County, Huguang, was a juren in the 10th year of Wanli. He failed the imperial examination in the 11th year of Wanli. Since then, he has been living in the Quanchu Guild Hall. In the 14th year of Wanli, he became a jinshi and ranked ninth in the second class of the Bingxu list. He is a student of yours truly. Last year, he started working as a supervisor at the Xizhimen Coal Market. Last year, he was rated highly and was granted an official position. He is still serving as a supervisor and observing government affairs in the Censorate. He is a hot figure in Zhang Dang right now." Feng Bao briefly introduced this person's background.

"Your fellow townsman and student, ranked ninth on the list of successful candidates, is willing to be an official, and he does a very good job, but he submitted a memorial opposing universal education and the free movement of population." Zhu Yijun frowned. Judging from his past performance, he is a rough diamond who only needs to be carefully polished. Maybe the Ming Dynasty will gain another capable official.

But since this person made such a statement on such an important issue, Zhu Yijun had to consider whether this person's statement was his own opinion or Zhang Juzheng's.

Sometimes, Zhang Juzheng was not able to express his opinions, so he had to let his disciples take over. This was very common. It was a detour so that things would not get out of control.

Feng Bao said with embarrassment: "Your Majesty, Xu Chengchu's family was poor and he had no access to books. He started to carry goods on his shoulders and sell them in the countryside when he was seven years old. When he had free time from farming, he would study and practice diligently. His parents sold their ancestral property to support his education, and that's how Xu Chengchu became a scholar. After he passed the imperial examination, his parents were no longer around, but he refused to falsely register the land in his name."

"My tuition for three years in the Quan Chu Guild Hall was all paid by the master, and even my wife was introduced to me by the master through someone else."

"Xu Yushi is a bit like Hai Zongxian, upright and outspoken. Before he submitted his memorial, he went to the prime minister, who didn't allow him to submit it, but he still submitted it to the Tongzhengsi."

When this memorial arrived at the Inner Study, Silijian, Xu Jue went to the Quan Chu Guild Hall to find You Shouli and inquire about him and the memorial.

"A bit like Hai Rui? Is he pretending or is he really a clean person?" Zhu Yijun was stunned, a little unconvinced, the Ming Dynasty was so prosperous? ! One Hai Rui would be fine, but there could be another one?
Feng Bao handed the memorandum to His Majesty and said, "General Hai thinks he is a true clean official. General Hai said: Cheng Chu impeached not to avoid the powerful, not to show favoritism, and not to care about personal gains and losses. He is a man of integrity, who is easily broken by the strong but can bend with the soft."

Even Hai Rui felt that Xu Chengchu was a little too stubborn. He needed to be flexible in some matters. Being too stubborn could easily lead to failure.

"Summon him to see me." After reading the notes in the memorandum, Zhu Yijun decided to meet him in person.

"Your Majesty, Xu Chengchu is ugly, so why don't you meet him? Just reply to the memorial. He has no clique. He wrote the memorial alone, and no one responded to him." Feng Bao reminded His Majesty again that this person had no clique, and he did not collude with others secretly to create rumors and public opinion for fame.

"Ugly appearance?" Zhu Yijun raised his eyebrows: "Why, are you afraid of scaring me?"

"Mao-shen" means that one cannot sleep or eat well when seeing someone's appearance. It is used to describe a person who is not good-looking or even ugly. Zhu Yijun became curious and wanted to see how ugly the person was.

"Originally, he should have been selected in the top three, but because of his ugly appearance, he was placed in the second place." Feng Bao whispered, "Xu Chengchu has a goiter. The scholars mock him as Xu Yan Tumor, which means he likes to meddle in other people's business and flaunts himself everywhere with a tumor on his neck."

Zhu Yijun's face changed when he heard this, and the corner of his mouth twitched as he said, "Cultivate virtue and self-cultivation, what virtues have the scholars of the Ming Dynasty cultivated! Xu Chengchu is sick, and he attacks others' flaws, what kind of people are they!"

"Have you read so much that you have become a dog?"

"Come here, I want to ask him about the memorial."

Scolding the dumb, beating the blind and chasing away the lame, you can't bully people like this!

It is true that Feng Bao did not take the opportunity to put negative comments on the civil servants. There was a saying among all the officials in the capital, "Stop walking and avoid Xu Chengchu's tumor." On the one hand, they made fun of Xu Chengchu's defects, and on the other hand, because Xu Chengchu was too strong, no one wanted to travel with him.

The emperor has made a promise, and everyone should just flatter him and praise his wisdom. But he insists on being the first to speak out and oppose universal education and the free movement of people. Isn't this courting death?

Xu Chengchu looked okay, but the big tumor on his neck was a bit scary, so he kept to himself. It was only because Zhang Juzheng couldn't stand it anymore that he introduced a wife to him, otherwise he wouldn't know when he would get married. "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. Long live your Majesty." Xu Chengchu walked into the imperial study and said in a hoarse voice.

Zhu Yijun finally understood why Feng Bao wanted to stop Xu Chengchu from seeing the emperor. The big tumor was indeed a bit scary. Zhu Yijun said solemnly: "No need to be polite. Go and summon Doctor of Medicine Chen Shigong, Li Shizhen, and Wu Lian."

Chen Shigong, Li Shizhen and Wu Lian were the three great doctors of the Ming Dynasty's Dissection Hospital. They could be said to be masters of medicine. If these three couldn't cure the disease, then the patient would probably be incurable.

Li Shizhen was the judge of the Dissection Court. After he looked at the case for a long time and talked with the two great doctors, he stood up and bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty, if this tumor is not removed early, it may worsen into a disease of withering growth. When that day comes, it will be incurable. Censor Xu is only forty years old, so he needs to be removed as soon as possible."

"Is it dangerous?" Zhu Yijun asked solemnly.

"It's not particularly dangerous. I'm 95% sure that nothing will happen." Chen Shigong said with his head bowed as he stepped out of the class. As the best surgeon in the anatomy department, he was very confident in performing this operation. It was simply because he was skilled with it.

There were many specimens in the dissection institute, which provided Chen Shigong with many opportunities to practice.

Goiter is a disease caused by poverty.

Especially before kelp was planted in Shandong, it was difficult to take in iodine. After kelp was planted on a large scale in Shandong, this disease began to gradually ease. It can be seen that Xu Chengchu was really very poor in his early years.

However, the Ming Dynasty's selection mechanism still selected Xu Chengchu as a Jinshi.

"Do you want to cut it off? There may be a 50% risk." Zhu Yijun looked at Xu Chengchu. Withering disease is cancer. If the tumor is not removed, Xu Chengchu will not live long.

"Your Majesty, I bow my head in thanks for your great grace!" Xu Chengchu didn't waste any words and just kowtowed to thank His Majesty for his great grace.

Medical resources are an extremely expensive social resource. Even though Xu Chengchu became a Jinshi, he still could not get treatment. There were no surgeons in the community who could perform surgery. The Imperial University of Peking Medical School had just graduated its first batch of medical students.

The great doctors in the Jiekui Hospital were as elusive as ghosts. Even if he wanted to see a doctor, he had to wait in a very long line. He was just a low-ranking official and did not have so many privileges.

In fact, Xu Chengchu could have asked Zhang Juzheng for help. He would have lived in the Quanchu Guild Hall, and Zhang Juzheng would have arranged for him to join the team. But Xu Chengchu did not do so. It was already very troublesome for Zhang Taiyue to take care of him, and he had to trouble Zhang Taiyue even more because of his illness.

With his stubborn character, he would definitely criticize the Wanli Reform, which would be a bit too ungrateful.

"Okay, you can take over the job of the supervisor. After you finish seeing the patient, you can continue to lead. I have high hopes for you!" Zhu Yijun said with a smile: "You believe in the great doctor. I pulled out wisdom teeth before and it was no problem."

"Now tell me about your memorial."

"We will take our leave." Li Shizhen, Chen Shigong and Wu Lian chose to take their leave. They wanted to study the condition and determine the surgical plan.

"Your Majesty, I am against universal education and free migration of population. These two are very contradictory. You can only have one of them, not both." Xu Chengchu explained why he opposed it.

"Tell me in detail." Zhu Yijun said solemnly.

Xu Chengchu began to talk a lot of strange things. When he was talking about government affairs, Zhu Yijun saw a completely different Xu Chengchu.

Before Xu Chengchu met the emperor, he was very cautious and even a little cowardly. His goiter brought him too much trouble and discrimination. Even after he passed the imperial examination, he was still discriminated against by his colleagues. He grew up in such a discriminatory environment, and it was already a limit for him not to become withdrawn, violent, and irritable.

But when talking about government affairs, he immediately became elegant, confident, and even had some of the shadow of Zhang Juzheng.

"Human beings are gregarious by nature. Although they are all in the private sector, they still rely on the public sector for education, communication, criminal justice, and medical services."

"The public benefit is the obvious use of taxes. All people benefit from it, but it is not without expense. The court spends billions of dollars to maintain order."

"The implementation of the Dinghai school system has enabled all children to be educated, but it has been extremely costly, with both the national treasury and local governments shouldering the burden."

"But if there is no ban on migration, then prefectures and counties will spend all their money to train talents, and talented people will flock to Kowloon University and compete to go to the coastal cities, just like rivers flowing to the sea and never returning. The officials in the hinterland will waste money without getting any benefits from the return of the people; the prefectures along the coast will enjoy the gathering of talents and look down on the inland areas as trash."

"If this continues, the differences between regions will grow deeper and the danger of rifts will become apparent. I am stupid, so you might as well let the students pay for their own tuition, or ban migration and force talented people to stay, so that their hometowns can benefit and there will be less gap between the rich and the poor. This is the way to long-term peace." Xu Chengchu bowed his head again.

In fact, Xu Chengchu was prepared to be exiled. His Majesty was already the de facto authority of the Ming Dynasty. To disobey His Majesty would be to take huge risks, a risk no less great than when Hai Rui wrote the "Memorial on Public Security" to scold Emperor Jiajing.

Xu Chengchu means:

Human beings are social animals, animals that live in groups, and they are the sum of all social relations.

A person's growth is inseparable from the private support of food, clothing, housing and transportation, but it is also inseparable from public resources such as public security, transportation, medical care, education, etc., which are the conveniences provided by the public sector.

Public benefit is a direct reflection of the use of taxes by the imperial court. Everyone enjoys it, but that does not mean it is free. The imperial court needs to spend huge social resources to maintain the operation of public services.

Universal education does not mean cheap education. In order to popularize education, the Ming Dynasty was even willing to put all its revenue at risk. The Dinghai school system has begun to be implemented. Under the new school system, the high cost of universal education received by the people of the Ming Dynasty is borne by the court and local government offices.

However, free flow means high local investment, which is doomed to be a loss. The talents cultivated with great efforts will flow to Kowloon University and more developed coastal areas.

The inland government offices borne the costs of basic and universal education but received nothing in return, while the developed coastal areas enjoyed the benefits of the free flow of population, especially the gathering of talent, but viewed the inland areas as a burden and a burden.

If things continue like this, the contradictions brought about by unbalanced development will make the rift between the Ming Dynasty and the opposition to the Ming Dynasty even more serious.

This is why Xu Chengchu opposes universal education and the free migration of population.

Either let students bear the cost of universal education, or do not allow overly free population movement, retain talent in the local area, build the local area, and reduce development imbalances.

If the hometown can benefit and there is no gap between the rich and the poor, it will be the way to long-term peace.

"Lord Xu, I completely understand what you mean, and I agree with your idea. However, if you block the Nine Rivers out of fear of the waves, it is not what I want." Zhu Yijun sat up straight and said very seriously: "It is better to drain than to block. This has been the experience since ancient times."

"You are looking at the problem too one-sidedly, and only looking at it statically. In fact, we should not look at the problem in such a static way, and we should not make a binary opposition between the inland and the coastal areas, and ignore the fact that everything is changing and developing in nature."

"To be more specific, the development of coastal areas will drive the development of hinterlands. Since the opening of the sea in the second year of the Longqing reign, more than 350 new porcelain kilns have been opened in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province in just six years, which is a clear proof of this."

"I am not against your opinion. On the contrary, your opinion is very important."

"I have overlooked this fact. If the mainland bears the cost of basic education but does not receive enough benefits, it just shows that we need to improve horizontal fiscal transfer payments and tilt them towards the hinterland."

"The country is fortunate to have upright ministers who are willing to give honest and upright advice."

Xu Chengchu's opposition seemed to be a bad idea, but it was actually based on Shen Shixing's opposition to the Ming Dynasty and was fully discussed.

All the talents cultivated in the hinterland have been drained away by the coastal areas. Which local government would be willing to accept this? In the long run, they will surely be full of complaints and even promote private school education to recover the cost of education. Therefore, sufficient horizontal fiscal and taxation transfers should be designed, just like the Kaizhongfa in the past, to adjust the imbalance in development among regions.

"I am already in my prime, and all my ministers are afraid of my authority and are speechless and dare not refute me. Your idea is very good." Zhu Yijun once again affirmed that Xu Chengchu's memorial was very valuable.

Zhu Yijun said with a smile on his face: "Go see the doctor. I will discuss this memorial with the court and come up with a plan."

Xu Chengchu looked embarrassed and hesitated to speak, but he still bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty, I have an unreasonable request."

"Because of this memorial, you have taken away my badge of the Chu Guild Hall. I am now staying in a hostel with my wife, which is very inconvenient. I hope Your Majesty can help me. You think I am a lowly scholar who seeks fame but is not practical, so you expelled me."

"Ah, don't worry about it, sir. Ever since Gao Qiyu's failure in the provincial examination in Yingtian Prefecture, sir, you have been overly nervous about such things. You go see a doctor, and I will help you get the badge of the Quan Chu Guild Hall." Zhu Yijun signaled Xu Chengchu not to worry about such trivial matters.

There was no need for Xu Chengchu to take such a big risk in submitting a memorial. He could just continue to be an official and continue to be promoted under the protection of Zhang Juzheng.

After the decree has been implemented for a period of time, the danger will emerge, but it will take a very long detour and cost a lot of money before the dangers can be clearly seen.

This memorial is of great value. It saved a lot of political resources and a lot of money.

But Xu Chengchu saw it, and he did it. He risked his parents' sale of their ancestral property and gambled on the friendship between teacher and student Zhang Juzheng, but he still insisted on making strong suggestions. This is what a loyal minister is.

"I thank Your Majesty for your great grace." Seeing His Majesty's promise, Xu Chengchu immediately left happily and went to the Jieku Hospital to see a doctor.

Xu Chengchu was very happy. He felt that he had lived up to his parents' expectations and his status as a Jinshi. He told His Majesty the dangers that he had seen, and made the Ming Dynasty a better place.

"He is a bit like Hou Yuzhao back then, always going against others. To put it bluntly, he is honest and straightforward, not worldly-wise, and not smooth enough, but isn't he innocent at all?" Zhu Yijun looked at Xu Chengchu's back and was quite pleased. How much money was saved by this memorial! A great achievement!
The emperor opened the drawer of the imperial desk, took out a blank waist badge of the Quan Chu Guild Hall, and asked Feng Bao to engrave Xu Chengchu's name on it and send it to Xu Chengchu. Xu Jue would go to the Quan Chu Guild Hall to explain that the emperor had issued the waist badge.

The boundary between Zhang's party and the emperor's party was very vague. Because Zhang Juzheng himself was the number one emperor's party member, both Zhang Juzheng and the emperor could issue badges to the Chu Guild Hall without even informing them.

But out of politeness, Zhu Yijun still told the Quan Chu Guild Hall.

A eunuch quickly ran into the imperial study of Tonghe Palace, holding a victory report in his hand and shouting loudly: "Your Majesty, victory news from the Korean front! Busan has been captured, and only the 14 forts of Ulsan remain. All the lost territory has been recovered!"

"Good! Reward according to merit!" Zhu Yijun picked up the victory report. In the Battle of Busan, the Japanese pirates were completely defeated, and the Ming army was like a force to be reckoned with.

"General Qi's poem is very good, but I hope he can recover his past poetic talent." After reading the memorial, Zhu Yijun's eyes went dark.

Qi Jiguang wrote a poem, which lacked the charm of "I have no desire to be a marquis, I just hope the sea waves are calm."

The Ming army waved their flags and roared, and the Japanese swords trembled three times in fear. The warships were used as firewood stoves, and the Japanese soldiers threw away their helmets and rolled back to Fusokou. The poem is called "Song of Laughing at the Japanese Slave Killing".

(End of this chapter)