Ancestors, please don't crawl out again.

Chapter 46 What I give you is yours. You can’t take what I don’t give you.

on purpose……

Of course it was intentional!
If we want to promote this system of granting land for military merit to gain recognition from the people, and then enthusiastically embark on the grand cause of destiny, the first step is not to cheat others.

Just like Shang Yang who wanted to carry out reforms first set up a tree as a token of trust.

We have to do the advertising well.

At this point, even if we were to distribute the wasteland in Fengyang, let alone Henan and Guanzhong, to the people of Jiangnan, they would only think it was a perfunctory move. "I earn five dan per mu in the Jiangnan water town, and you're asking me to reclaim wasteland where even one dan per mu is considered farmland?" This isn't just a perfunctory move, it's a complete rip-off. Back then, when you captured the Jiangnan tyrants and brought them to Fengyang to reclaim wasteland, you tied them up with ropes.

Now you can't even let go of the rope?
Therefore, in the first wave or even in the early stage, the paddy fields in the south of the Yangtze River must be distributed to them. Only when there are no more paddy fields in the south of the Yangtze River left can they be gradually distributed to other places.

This would also provide an opportunity to destroy the foundation of the Jiangnan gentry.

Xu Xiake's family owned more than 5,000 acres of land. After deducting the 100 acres as the maximum limit, he still had nearly 5,000 acres of land that he needed to exchange for ownership with military merit.

He also needs fifty military merits. Either his family hands over fifty Qing demon heads, or his family earns fifty military merits through the production of military supplies...

Of course, these are impossible.

So he could only give up half of it in exchange for the other half.

The half he handed over would be awarded by Emperor Taizu Gao as a reward to those who had made military achievements. However, these recipients would not cultivate the land. After all, they had their own land or other occupations in their hometowns. The original tenants would cultivate the 100 acres and then rent the land to the landowner. However, to manage the land, the landowner would also have to arrange for family members to reside in the area. At the same time, they could be forced to pay a fixed rent, such as 20% or 30%. This would make the tenants grateful, and the landowner, since they had received the land for free, would naturally accept the rent.

These people are the best advertisements. When the poor people, especially the tenants who cultivate their fields, see that this is possible, they can become rich overnight by beheading a Qing monster or other enemy. It can be said that they can achieve class crossing in an instant. It goes without saying what they will choose.

But the number of Qing monsters is limited after all.

Killing them all would not satisfy the needs of the poor in the entire Ming Dynasty.

Then they will continue to yearn for new wars, continue to expand outward, and continue to chop off the heads of their enemies.

Similarly, the craftsmen, the merchants who transport military supplies, and all those who are eager to exchange military merit for land will also fully support from behind, and eventually war will become the cry of the entire nation.

As for the issue that there are definitely not enough paddy fields in the south of the Yangtze River to go around, it is not important at this time. After all, even for dry fields in the north, one hundred acres is a very attractive number.

After all, we really don’t have that many paddy fields. There’s nothing we can do about it. If it really doesn’t work, I’ll double it for you. We really don’t have 100 acres of paddy fields, so how about 200 acres of dry land?
As for the issue of having too much land beyond the capacity of one family to cultivate, that's even simpler...

Don’t you know how to use slaves?
What is Manifest Destiny without the blood and tears of slaves?
(America likes this!)

There are plenty of sources of slaves around. The process of expansion is not just about beheading people. Isn't it standard to behead men and capture women to give birth to children?
(I like it)

Chengtianmen.

"Under the whole world, is it not the king's land."

Emperor Taizu Gao shouted majestically.

Next to him was a Maxim rifle, with the twins still in the main shooter position, the older sister, and the younger brother as the secondary shooter, ready to fire at any moment...

This Maxim gun belongs to them, and it is set up on Chengtian Gate every day. They use their combined record of 1,500 kills to declare the majesty of this city gate. Now, this pair of siblings are not only the adopted daughter and son of Emperor Taizu Gao, but also wealthy people with a net worth of more than 150,000 taels, and they also have 150,000 acres of land. However, their land is still waiting for the person under the gun to hand it over.

Landlords were already kneeling on the Imperial Street, under the gunpoint, to petition the emperor...

You must bow down to the palace!

The scope of this imperial edict was so wide that it could be said that it covered almost all the wealthy classes of that era.

After all, even wealthy businessmen and even factory owners were landlords in this era. There were no pure businessmen. Even if they got rich by doing business, they had to buy land as a foundation. Land was the basis of wealth and also the basis of local power, and local power was the basis of industry and commerce. Pure industrialists and businessmen without land would be swallowed up by local gentry without leaving a trace.

The basis for Xu Jie's family to employ thousands of female workers and run a large factory was that he owned hundreds of thousands of acres of land. The basis for Xu Xiake's family to employ dozens of textile machines was also that he owned 5,000 acres of land.

Landless industrialists and businessmen?
Buy cotton for textiles, sell cloth for rice, if you don’t work for a day, you won’t have food to eat, that’s all.

So when Emperor Taizu Gao issued the imperial edict, no matter how afraid these landlords were of him, they still had to struggle.

Besides, they just came to the palace to petition, not to cause trouble. They just came to ask Emperor Taizu to revoke the imperial edict, not to rebel.

“Therefore, I believe that all the land in the world belongs to me. What I give you is yours. What I have not given you, you cannot take.

Don't talk to me about ancestral accumulation.

Your ancestors were also my subjects, and I can say the same thing to them. If you say that your ancestors were subjects of the Hu Yuan Dynasty, then I really have nothing to say. I am just very curious, why didn't I kill all the remnants of the previous dynasty?
Does it need remediation?"

He said it grimly.

Therefore, Emperor Taizu Gao was very reasonable. All the land under heaven belongs to the king. He conquered this country and he was the founding monarch, so naturally it all belonged to him. Even the emperors of later generations were only responsible for guarding the family business for him, but it was still his land. Since it was all his land, he certainly had the right to dispose of it.

What is given to you is yours, and what is not given to you is not yours.

"Grandpa, I have an ancestral land deed, issued by the government. Isn't it issued by the government not by Grandpa?"

A white-haired old landlord cried and shouted while holding up a handful of land deeds.

"Has the imperial seal been affixed?"

Grandpa Taizu said.

"Huh?" The old landlord was dumbfounded.

He only has a land deed, how can he be qualified to stamp the imperial seal?

"Of course it doesn't count if it's not sealed. All the land I grant you must be sealed with the imperial seal. Official seals don't count. Officials don't have the power to dispose of my land. All contracts related to land must have the imperial seal, otherwise they are invalid."

Grandpa Taizu said shamelessly.

All the landlords who tried to reason with him while holding the land deeds were dumbfounded.

It stinks and is shameless!
"Who else wants to reason with me? I am very reasonable. I allow you to reason with me."

Yang Feng said with a smile.

"The Yellow Book, there is the Yellow Book. The Yellow Book serves as evidence. The Yellow Book was compiled under the order of the Great Ancestor, so it can't be counted."

An old landlord suddenly shouted excitedly.

"The Yellow Book, ah, yes, it was indeed compiled by my order. I can acknowledge it. Tell me your place of origin, and I will have someone check the Yellow Book. If it is indeed your land in the Yellow Book, then it can be regarded as a gift from me to you. My words are golden, and since I have given it to you, I will not regret it."

Yang Feng said.

The old landlord was about to shout out his hometown when he suddenly remembered something and shut up.

"Tell me where you're from."

Yang Feng said with a smile.

The old landlord lowered his head in grief and anger.

"Replying to Grandpa Taizu, those lands of his are all government farmland."

Someone in the crowd shouted.

"Grandpa, it's useless for them to check the Yellow Book. When Grandpa compiled the Yellow Book, no one knew who owned the land. There weren't so many acres of fertile land back then. Now most of it is annexed. And in Jiangnan, especially in Suzhou, Songjiang and Changzhou, most of the land is government farmland. Even most of Suzhou Prefecture is government farmland. Those who own 10,000 acres of fertile land are not the real owners. Grandpa is still the owner. They are just renting the land from him."

Han Zanzhou quickly explained.

It's really useless to check the Yellow Book.

The Yellow Book was completed in the 26th year of the Hongwu Emperor's reign, over 250 years ago. At that time, large landowners were rare, and Zhu Yuanzhang's practice of forcibly relocating powerful individuals continued into his later years. As recently as the 24th year of the Hongwu Emperor, just before the compilation of the Yellow Book, he forcibly relocated 5,300 wealthy households from various regions to the capital. His persistent efforts left some large landowners with tens of thousands of acres of fertile land, but they were few and far between. Even those former large landowners, after 250 years and generations of family division, are no longer powerful.

What's more, most of the land in Suzhou, Songjiang and Changzhou is government land, and 80% of Suzhou Prefecture is government land. Of course, the government land belongs to him, and the gentry only rent it for cultivation. Why do they want to take over his position now?
In short, according to Yang Feng's current shameless explanation, any land that was not confirmed to be owned by Zhu Yuanzhang was not considered a gift from him.

Later government...

Did the government in later generations have the right to decide the ownership of land on behalf of Emperor Taizu Gao?

It’s Tiangang instead?
He had to recognize the Yellow Book. It was indeed not easy to cheat, after all, he was the one who compiled the Yellow Book. But he did not recognize the land deeds. All the land under heaven belonged to the king. Even if the emperor of the future recognized it, he still had to have the imperial seal.

Of course he won’t recognize it since there’s not even a jade seal on your land deed.

Has the government stamped it?
The government has no right to make decisions for the emperor.

Wasn't there such a rule in the past?

who said it?
I am the Taizu Gao Emperor. I established this rule back then. I'm here, and I'm saying I did. You say I didn't. Are you questioning my integrity or my identity? As for why the court didn't say so before, that's none of my business. How could I, in heaven, know that these treacherous ministers were colluding with each other to tamper with or even conceal my will?

"Grandpa, please have mercy!"

"Grandpa, you can't do this!"

……

The landlords cried and shouted.

Yang Feng looked around impatiently at the people watching the excitement...

"I want to take back my land and give it to you as a reward for your military merits. These people refuse to accept it. You can decide for yourself what to do!"

He said.

Then he turned and walked away.

Those who watch the fun...

"Beat them!"

"Beat these bastards to death!"

……

They erupted without hesitation, then rushed towards the landlords in a rage, and to the latter's astonishment, they directly pinned them down and began to beat them...

(End of this chapter)