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Chapter 1456 Changes
"...Jia Rong, you've worked so hard for the master for so many years, and you're rarely home. You've had a tough time! Now that this matter is over, you can bring your wife and children over. Your youngest son should be starting school soon, right?"
"Your master will arrange for you to study in the capital, and even take the imperial academy entrance exam. Who knows, you might even get to meet the Emperor. If you can obtain an official position, it will provide more assistance to the next generation of the Jia family."

Upon hearing this, Jia Yihui was taken aback. After more than ten seconds, he relaxed his brow and revealed a slight smile. He didn't mention the arsenal again, but instead chatted about family matters as an elder of the clan.

"Jia Rong thanks you for your guidance, sir... However, sir, we can't let our family pay for all of this. When we meet those owners later, we should bring this up. It would be more reasonable for them to contribute money to rebuild the warehouse according to their shareholdings!"

With the patriarch's full affirmation and reward, Jia Rong felt a great sense of accomplishment. He stopped asking questions and started to explain the rest of the plan in one go.

"Hahahaha... Alright, alright... Let's change clothes and head to the Western Region Tower. What does it matter if it's a mountain of knives or a sea of ​​fire!"

Upon hearing this, a gleam appeared in Jia Yihui's eyes. His laughter regained its strength, even becoming more powerful than usual. He stood up and stomped his foot forcefully, all traces of his previous frustration vanished, replaced by pure exuberance!

The capital city had already entered the depths of winter in November of the lunar calendar. This year's heavy snow came early, covering the entire city in a blanket of white. But instead of staying indoors as usual, people were more lively on the streets than before the snowfall.

As the snowflakes subsided slightly, every household opened their gates. Adults, with their children and various snow shovels, cleared the snow from their doorsteps while playing with their children, creating a joyful atmosphere.

"Everyone should sweep the snow from their own doorstep" is no longer a phrase used to mock human nature, but rather, Emperor Jingyang has included it in the new Ming Dynasty Code, making it a law that all city residents must abide by. Those who do not comply face two words: hard labor!
Forcing the people to clean the city streets through voluntary labor is tantamount to imposing corvée labor on them. It is truly a harsh law. It is fine for the emperor to eat and drink his fill and wave a broom around in the palace, but forcing the people to come out in the wind and snow to clean the streets is an oppressive policy!

If this had happened during the Wanli era, or in the first decade or so of the Jingyang era, it would have definitely caused controversy and even criticism in the court. Not everyone could afford to eat and drink their fill, nor could everyone have thick winter clothes to wear.

With no food in your stomach, no warm clothes on your body, and no heating in the house, you'll be freezing cold after working for less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, and you might even catch a cold. If you're physically weak, have a low immunity, or have some pre-existing health conditions, it's hard to say whether you'll even make it through the winter.

However, since the twenty-fifth year of Jingyang's reign, when this law came into effect, no one in the court raised any objections, and the people in the city did not feel that it was torture.

The reason is simple: it wasn't that Emperor Jingyang's prestige was too high or his methods too cruel, causing the people to dare not voice any opposition; rather, it was that the vast majority of urban residents were able to have enough to eat, wear thick cotton clothes, and afford coal stoves.

The world is strange; the same thing can have different, even opposite, results depending on the conditions, perspective, and the people involved.

For city dwellers with food in their bellies, thick cotton clothes on their backs, and cast iron stoves at home, going out to shovel snow is not a hard job. They can also have fun with their wives and children, get some exercise, and not only avoid getting sick, but also feel happy and relaxed.

Furthermore, the emperor didn't force the people to sweep the streets clean. The law was clear: your property's area was equal to the area to your left and right in front of your door; sweeping an extra foot wouldn't be praised, but sweeping too little would be punished. Residents, businesses, and government offices all took care of their own areas, leaving the unattended areas to be handled by the Sanitation Department under the Embroidered Uniform Guard. The sanitation workers weren't working for free; they were paid wages, specifically to clear stagnant water in summer, fallen leaves in autumn, and snow in winter.

With less water and snow accumulation on the streets, walking became easier and safer, not only looking cleaner but also more comfortable. As a result, people were more willing to stroll around in their free time, leading to more customers for businesses, which in turn encouraged them to open their doors.

With more businesses opening, people are more willing to go out and stroll around. Whether they want to spend money or not, going out more often makes it easier to spend money than staying at home, thus boosting the city's economy!

See? A simple, seemingly insignificant policy or regulation can potentially impact the economy and lifestyle of an entire city or even the whole country.

The emperor held a special lecture on this issue at the Royal Academy to remind officials and students who were about to become officials that prosperity is not created by the court, but guided by policies and laws. A subtle and gradual approach is more economical and sustainable than drastic measures.

We must absolutely not allow the economy to become a situation where excessive control leads to stagnation, while lax control leads to chaos. Anyone who manages their jurisdiction to that extent should expect their entire family to be sent to herd livestock in Beihai Park—a serious dereliction of duty!
As the year draws to a close, in addition to the traditional bustling Qipan Street and Zhengyangmenwai Commercial Street, two new commercial districts have emerged in Jingyang, one in the east and one in the west of the capital, and their liveliness is no less impressive.

Let's start with the eastern one, which is located inside Chaoyangmen, stretching from Chaoyangmen to the Dongsi Archway intersection. Actually, this commercial street isn't very new, because the area outside Chaoyangmen has long been a large market since the establishment of the railcar terminal. The commercial street inside the city was simply an extension of the market outside the city.

There were nearly 100 shops on both sides of the street, selling goods that were mostly related to the sea. They were either produced in the sea or transported by sea, since there were carriages outside the city gates that led directly to Tianjin and Dagu Port, making it convenient to transport goods.

Now, let's talk about the west side, or more accurately, the northwest. It's located on a diagonal street inside Deshengmen, stretching all the way to the Drum Tower, and has dozens of shops. The goods sold here are rather unique, mainly heating supplies, stoves, and coal products.

For example, cast iron stoves, mud-brick chimneys, and coal and charcoal stoves were used for heating in winter. Stoves varied in size, from tiny stoves that were only about a foot tall and as thick as a thigh and were placed in boudoirs, to giant stoves that were more than half a person tall and were placed in large open rooms for dozens or even hundreds of people to use.

In terms of materials, cast iron alone is divided into three types, as well as pure steel, pure copper, bronze, brass, and so on. The goal is to ensure that even if you don't need it, we have it here.

Having a stove alone is not enough; you also need fuel. Timber harvesting has been largely banned, and it has been replaced by coal, all kinds of coal.

We offer coal from Mentougou in Beijing, Datong in Shanxi, Luanzhou, Cizhou, large pieces, small pieces, smoky, and smokeless coal. If you find it too expensive, we also have a large selection of coal dust.

(End of this chapter)