Jiajing Chengming

After Zhu Houcong said this, he instructed Huang Jin: "Only write the three words 'got' on Hai Rui's memorial, and execute the original Ministry of Revenue document as usual."

After receiving the imperial edict, Hai Rui did not say much. He just stood outside Zuo Shunmen for a while holding Zhu Ben.

Then he returned to the Ministry of Revenue’s public residence.

Since the reform of the civil service system, various ministries and yamen have successively built public buildings in the form of collective residences.

Hai Rui also saved a lot of rent expenses because he had his own small courtyard while observing government affairs in the Ministry of Revenue, so he brought his widowed mother, wife and daughter to the capital.

It is October now and the weather is getting colder.

When Hai Rui returned, it was already snowing.

For this purpose, he specially bought bed quilt and some coal.

The prices of these winter supplies are very affordable now, and the 40-year-old Hai Rui is particularly impressed by their cheapness.

Because since he could remember, the prices of these cold-resistant items had indeed been plummeting, and now, not only small officials like him could buy these items at will, but even common people could buy them at will.

Although he was a Hainanese in later generations, due to the influence of the Little Ice Age, it would snow in winter in Guangdong and Hainan during this era, and the people in this area also needed to take the issue of surviving the winter seriously.

According to the "Guangdong General History", in the winter of the first year of the Zhengde reign of the Ming Dynasty (1506), it rained and snowed in Wanzhou, Qiongzhou Prefecture (Hainan), Guangdong. In the winter of the fourth year of the Zhengde reign (1509), it snowed in Chaozhou, Guangzhou, and the thickness was about one foot.

There is also a record in the Lingao County Annals of Lingao County, Hainan: On the fifteenth day of December in the ninth year of Chongzhen in the Ming Dynasty (1637), Lingao County "had rain and snow for three days and nights, and all the trees were dead."

Therefore, it is difficult to estimate how many common people would have been saved from freezing to death in the winter if Zhu Houcong had increased cotton productivity and coal mining, causing their prices to plummet.

After all, both the north and the south were suffering from severe cold during this period.

Maybe it's just a matter of degree.

"came back?"

When Hai Rui came back, Hai's mother also stood up from the spinning wheel and asked with a smile.

The sea wife also poked her head out from the kitchen.

Hai Rui's daughter also ran out of the house at this time.

"Yes, mother!"

Hai Rui, who was holding cotton wool and carrying a basket of coal, agreed with a smile, put the coal on the ground, bowed to Hai Mu, and then took the cotton wool into the house.

The jellyfish sat down and continued spinning.

Although homespun cloth is now sold at a low price due to large-scale machine spinning and weaving, and many housewives who need to earn money have switched to embroidery and printing and dyeing, while women who are not in a hurry to earn money can only take care of their children full-time, Haimu still spins and weaves her own cloth in order to continue to maintain self-sufficiency in clothing without incurring additional expenses.

"I heard that the emperor is going to issue an order to provide subsidies to single-parent families and families with many children, and to give crowns and ribbons to parents who have many children, and to give women and children who have given birth a memorial archway and food?"

When Hai Rui came over to help his mother twist the thread, his mother also asked Hai Rui about the latest news.

Hai Rui smiled slightly. The newspaper industry was flourishing at that time, and he was also at the feet of the emperor, so he was not surprised that his mother knew about the affairs of the court. He just smiled and replied, "That's right."

"This is something unexpected."

"How come the current emperor is so good at governing the country? I have lived through several dynasties, and I have never seen an emperor who is so willing to spend money on women and children."

The mother of the sea couldn't help but smile and talk.

Hai Rui nodded solemnly: "Your Majesty is pragmatic in governing the country. Although he exercises power harshly, he is willing to share the benefits with the people. He has even worked hard to enrich the people of the world and is not satisfied with the status quo. That is why every family is not starving and freezing today, and there is also extra money to support women and children."

"Of course what you said is correct, but what I have clearly seen is that our people are no longer having to work as hard as before. Many young wives are too lazy to weave cloth themselves. All they do all day is take care of their children and sit together to gossip about other people's affairs."

"It's the same with men who have established their own households. Many of them no longer have to work odd jobs to support their families after finishing their own farm work. Now, after finishing their own work, they go to watch free plays and storytelling. They are as carefree as those husbands."

"In short, these young people don't seem to be as hardworking as our older generation, but the prices of food and cloth, which are produced by us and are indispensable, are getting cheaper every year."

"Tell me, how did you do this?"

"Could it be true, as the rumors say, that the current emperor can directly transform a lot of food and cloth, so that the people don't have to work as hard as before, and their lives will get better and better?"

The mother of the sea looked at Hai Rui curiously.

She has never been interested in state affairs.

However, the economy of the Jiajing Dynasty was developing too fast, and significant social changes would appear in one or two years.

So, she had to take the initiative to ask her son who had read a lot of books.

Hai Rui smiled and said, "Mother, this is not something that His Majesty would change!"

"According to the chapters of the Hadith of the Practical School, it is because our civilization is progressing! The etiquette represented is increasingly following the right path, and at the same time, it is also continuously expanding this advanced civilization and system."

"First, we taught the people of Jiaozhi, Wakoku, and Luzon to grow cotton. We brought them better cotton-growing techniques and experience, as well as a peaceful life and lighter taxes."

"Because many of the warrior nobles who used to exploit them for huge profits and were warlike and unwilling to rest with the people have been dealt with. In this way, they can grow cotton with peace of mind and even grow good cotton. And since they don't ask for much, the price of cotton sold to the Ming Dynasty imperial merchants is very low."

"Secondly, domestic textile machinery has made great progress. Now people are trying to use steam engines to spin yarn. In the past, it took 10 people a month to spin yarn, but now one person can do it in a day."

"As a result, cotton prices plummeted."

"As for food, it was because cotton was provided by Jiaozhi, Wakoku, and Luzon, so many large cotton farmers in the country had to switch to growing food. Then, many clan members volunteered to engage in agricultural research and produced a lot of new fertilizers and new food, which caused the price of food to plummet."

"My son heard that they separated and extracted farm fertilizers and found that carbon and ammonia were the things that could promote the growth of crops. They did make these fertilizers, but they were still not cheap. Fortunately, the wages of long-term workers in Jiaozhi, Waguo, and Luzon were cheap, so they could just give them food. So even if the price of grain dropped to the current level of one stone for one penny, it was still profitable."

“Therefore, the people of this country don’t have to work so hard, and their lives can be greatly improved.”

After Hai Rui finished his detailed explanation, Hai's mother nodded and said, "I understand. This is just like Huang Dao Po who came to our Qiongzhou and brought our textile skills to Jiangnan, making life better for the people there."

"That's what it means."

"According to your majesty, the true ritual can go out and benefit the people of the world, while only the ritual that is distorted and misinterpreted can only stay closed and dare not go out."

Hai Rui nodded in reply.

At this moment, the sea mother stopped spinning, stood up, and said with a wry smile: "We ordinary people have been diligent and frugal for thousands of years, but in the end, we are not as great as the changes brought about by the expansion of the civilized etiquette that the emperor mentioned in the past few decades."

"There is nothing wrong with ordinary people being frugal, but those who govern the country have misunderstood the true etiquette."

"Duke Yongjia corrected this great mistake, making etiquette truly people-oriented, preventing Your Majesty from going astray, and allowing more people in the world to realize that the old etiquette was indeed wrong."

Hai Rui smiled and looked at his mother. "Mother, let's go back to the house. The snow is getting heavier! Although it's right to be frugal, there's no need to endure the cold and let down the emperor's kindness!"

"it is good!"

Hai Mu smiled and agreed, then turned around and walked into the house: "Light up the charcoal basin, Nannan's feet are all frostbitten." "Ah!"

Hai Rui agreed, and went to get a hammer and a charcoal basin, and went to the place where the coal was stored. He said to his mother who was not far away: "Mother, I plan to ask for permission to be transferred to a government post."

"It's fine to be sent out. There's no need to run around and break your back just to stay in Beijing."

The sea mother replied from inside the house.

Hai Rui smiled and said, "I want to help Your Majesty to ensure that this benevolent policy can really benefit families like mine, and that poor people with many children can benefit more. It can also really allow those parents who have worked hard to raise many children to be honored, rather than letting those who just spent money but have bad personal ethics to be honored, which would corrupt the morals."

"Even if I can only be a county magistrate, I can ensure that this benevolent policy is truly and effectively implemented in a county."

Hai Rui replied.

"it is good!"

Hai Rui then actually submitted a memorial requesting to be transferred to another post.

This memorial was exactly what Zhu Houcong wanted.

Others may not understand Hai Rui, but Zhu Houcong does.

Hai Rui was willing to go to a place to oversee the implementation of these good policies for him.

He is naturally happy.

"Although Hai Rui dares to speak out and remonstrate, he is not ignorant of the rules. He is not like some rebellious people who will not work seriously unless the emperor agrees to do it. Otherwise, he will complain and resign with an attitude of being the only one sober while everyone else is drunk, and write some pedantic poems about his unappreciated talent and unfulfilled ambitions."

"Since he is a second-class Jinshi, let him go to Zhejiang to serve as an inspector."

Zhu Houcong did the same with Hai Rui. Letting Hai Rui start as a county magistrate was not enough for him, so letting Hai Rui start directly as a censor could maximize Hai Rui's value.

The reason is simple. Although the Inspector-General, like the county magistrate, is also of the seventh rank and is the initial official position granted to some Jinshi scholars, he has great power and tours on behalf of the emperor, so he can compete with the governor.

Then, Zhu Houcong asked Yan Song and Xu Jie about the frequent gas poisoning incidents since the beginning of winter: "According to the factory guards, many households in the capital have died from gas poisoning recently. Why didn't Shuntian Prefecture report it? In addition, how did Shuntian Prefecture do things? Did it strengthen the propaganda of preventing gas poisoning?"

"Your Majesty, please calm down. I will ask Shuntian Prefecture."

Yan Song quickly replied.

Zhu Houcong said: "I must ask! Some officials still use the name of the great wealth of the world and everyone knows courtesy and benevolence. Please abolish the factory guards, please abolish secret reports, and please abolish the system of performance appraisal! But if there were no factory guards, would I know that they would still be so lazy?"

"Hai Rui is right. The bureaucrats in the world have low consciousness and like to live in comfort. They don't really follow the teachings of the saints and treat the people as human beings. They don't really care about loving the people!"

"Draft an imperial decree, appointing the Crown Prince as the prefect of Shuntian Prefecture, and have the Shuntian Prefecture Minister report the reason to the Crown Prince. The former prefect of Shuntian Prefecture neglected his duties and ignored the lives of the people. He will be demoted to a commoner and will never be employed again!"

"My crown prince should also learn to do some practical work. Don't just read the books of sages without knowing how difficult it is to practice the teachings of sages."

Zhu Houcong suddenly made the decision to let the crown prince take charge of the actual government.

Yan Song and Xu Jie both bowed and agreed.

"It is surprising enough to have Hai Rui inspect Zhejiang."

"I didn't expect the prince to take on practical tasks."

"Your Majesty is really resourceful and knows how to make the bureaucrats in the world become servants of the people of the court!"

After learning about this, the Minister of Revenue Sun Chengen began to complain about Xu Jie.

Xu Jie smiled and asked, "Why, are you still fantasizing that the gentry are the masters of this world?"

"I know that Jinshen is now at the mercy of others, and I am just expressing my feelings now."

Sun Chengen replied with a wry smile.

Xu Jie nodded.

"Power can make people great, but it can also make people corrupt."

"Whether it's your Majesty, the Crown Prince, or Hai Rui, it's not scary that they are in power. What's scary is that they can always stick to their original intentions."

"We should tolerate him, let him be, let him be, avoid him, endure him, respect him, ignore him, and wait a few years and see what happens to him."

After Xu Jie said this with a hint of meaning, Sun Chengen just nodded.

The Minister of Personnel Li Mo couldn't help but come to the cabinet on his own initiative.

Because the prefect of Shuntian Prefecture was his fellow townsman, and if the prince were to take charge of Shuntian Prefecture, it would put many powerful people, including him, in an awkward situation.

After all, people are not afraid of county magistrates, but they are afraid of the current managers.

In the past, the prefect of Shuntian was a civil servant, and senior officials could still cover up the illegal activities of the slaves of the powerful in the capital because the prefect was concerned about his own career. But now that the prefect of Shuntian has become the crown prince, the powerful in the capital will undoubtedly have to keep their tails between their legs.

"Two ministers, how can we let the East Palace take charge of Shuntian Prefecture? Didn't you ever think of persuading His Majesty in front of the emperor?"

Li Mo took the initiative to ask about this when he met Yan Song and Xu Jie.

Yan Song said: "Why should you advise? Your Majesty is very wise. For the future, the prince should gain some experience."

"If the experience is not good, then we have to go against the ancestral teachings and change the crown prince?"

Li Mo asked.

Yan Song was silent for a moment, then he could only smile and replied: "It's hard to say!"

Li Mo was stunned after hearing this.

Then, Li Mo reprimanded Yan Song on the spot: "Lord Yan, what you said goes against the ancestral rules! It is really treasonous and immoral!"

"Treason?"

"Whether it is treason or not is up to your majesty to decide. Your majesty is the emperor."

Yan Song laughed disapprovingly.

Li Mo looked at Xu Jie: "What does Lord Xu think?"

Xu Jie smiled and said, "The Way of Heaven is Etiquette. What is proper etiquette? It is determined by the Emperor. If you doubt the will of Your Majesty, you can learn from Hai Rui and submit a memorial instead of questioning us here."

"I'm not questioning it, I'm just confused, so I'd like to ask the two elders for advice."

Li Mo replied with a lack of confidence, and then said: "But what the two elders said is indeed reasonable. Whether it is in accordance with etiquette or not, and how to follow the ancestral system to be in accordance with etiquette, it is not up to us to say, but the emperor to say it." (End of this chapter)