Jingtai: Making the Ming Dynasty Great Again

Let's go back to the present.

After Xing'an finished reading the imperial edict of bestowal and rewards, Zhu Qiyu deliberately asked, "Do any of you officials have any objections?"

What objections could they possibly have?

Those who had any influence were all summoned to a meeting at Zuoshunmen a few days ago.

The assembled officials immediately exclaimed in unison, "Your Majesty is wise!"

Zhu Qiyu nodded to Xing'an.

Xing'an immediately stepped forward and announced loudly, "Dismiss the court!"

All civil and military officials bowed in respect.

After Zhu Qiyu left, surrounded by imperial guards, the crowd slowly withdrew from Fengtian Hall.

Shi Heng's bestowal of a title caused a great stir among the military generals.

The mid-level generals who fought alongside him all wore expressions of joy.

The fact that their commander received such a generous reward meant that his followers would also rise in rank.

Meanwhile, the sons of the old elite families looked grim.

Zhang Yi, Zhu Yi, and the others left without even saying goodbye.

In the East Warm Pavilion of Wenhua Hall, Zhu Qiyu had changed out of the heavy twelve-chapter imperial robe he wore during court assemblies and into a black casual robe.

Yu Qian, Chen Xun, and others entered the hall and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, we pay our respects."

Zhu Qiyu nodded slightly: "Rise, please take a seat. All of you have worked hard at today's court assembly."

I have summoned you here to discuss the aftermath of the war.

"The war is over, but there are still many troubles ahead, Minister Shen."

Shen Yi, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, quickly stood up and said, "Your subject is here."

"You're in charge of money, grain, and household registration. Tell me first, what's the situation in Beijing right now?"

Shen Yi was prepared and took out a booklet from his sleeve: "Your Majesty, since the news of the Oirat invasion spread in mid-August..."

People from the capital region, northern Zhili, and even parts of Shanxi and Henan provinces flocked to Beijing to seek refuge.

By early September, when city defenses were at their most strained, the city's population had surged by nearly 300,000.

The other ministers frowned; Beijing's permanent population was no more than a million.

If these extra 300,000 migrants remain in Beijing for an extended period, it will definitely cause major problems.

Shen Yi opened the booklet and continued, "According to the Ministry of Revenue's statistics, about 150,000 of these 300,000 refugees are people from various prefectures and counties around the capital."

Their home is not far from Beijing, and they can be repatriated after the war.

Another 80,000 came from Datong and Xuanfu areas in Shanxi.

Those places were ravaged by the Oirat Mongols the most, and their homes may no longer exist.

The remaining 70,000 came from even further afield, from Henan and Shandong.

These were mostly impoverished tenant farmers who had no permanent property and fled upon hearing of the war.

Zhu Qiyu pondered for a moment and said, "If we leave them all in Beijing, how long can the city's food supplies last?"

Shen Yi replied, "Fortunately, Your Majesty is wise, and before the battle, Junior Guardian Yu did his best to oversee the transport of grain."

All of the more than eight million shi of grain stored in Tongzhou have been transported to Beijing.

That's enough to cover the expenses of everyone in the capital for a year.

Zhu Qiyu nodded slightly.

The grain supply of Tongzhou was a top priority he set on his first day as regent.

Yu Qian conscripted laborers regardless of the cost, advancing by both land and water.

They managed to transport all of this life-saving grain into the capital before the Oirat siege.

This grain has now become our greatest source of confidence since the war.

Shen Yi continued, "However, my concerns extend beyond just food."

Now that the war has just ended and people's hearts are still unsettled, if spies infiltrate the refugees and incite unrest, it could lead to chaos.

Yesterday, two incidents occurred in the southern part of the city where homeless people fought over soup kitchens, resulting in seven injuries.

In addition, those with families also need to go back to take care of the fields and mulberry trees.

Otherwise, if farmland is left to fall into disrepair and taxes are reduced again next year, the imperial court may not be able to survive until the year after.

Shen Yi's last words caught Zhu Qiyu's eye.

Previously, Zhu Qiyu only felt that these refugees could not be allowed to remain in Beijing indefinitely.

Otherwise, something's off, though he can't quite put his finger on what's wrong with it.

After Shen Yi's reminder, he immediately understood.

Although Beijing has enough food to last until next year.

But what about next year and beyond?

If they don't go back to farming, the taxes collected by the imperial court will decrease.

Tax reduction is a big deal.

Yu Qian then spoke up, saying, "Your Majesty, the refugees must be settled as soon as possible."

However, the method of placement needs careful consideration.

Forcibly driving them away might alienate the people; letting them go unchecked would inevitably lead to chaos.

Zhu Qiyu looked at Yu Qian: "What insightful opinion does Junior Guardian Yu have?"

Yu Qian had clearly considered this issue beforehand, and immediately replied, "I believe we should divide and govern."

Those who had homes to return to were all sent back to their original places of residence, and the imperial court provided them with rations and travel expenses.

Those whose houses are damaged can have their houses repaired with funds allocated by the imperial court.

The cost of house repairs will be deducted from the grain tax after the next year's grain harvest.

Homeless people can be temporarily housed in the suburbs of Beijing.

The imperial court allocated wasteland and lent seeds and farming tools, ordering them to cultivate the land and save themselves.

Hu Ying added: "What the Minister of Rites said makes sense, but there is one thing to note."

Although the Oirat forces retreated, small groups of defeated soldiers and cavalry still roamed within the pass.

If the people being repatriated at this time were robbed en route, the imperial court would lose all credibility.

Your Majesty, I believe we should send troops to escort them, and set up soup kitchens and post stations along the way to ensure the people's safe return home.

Zhu Qiyu nodded; what Hu Ying said made a lot of sense.

Since the imperial court is forcibly sending them home, their safety must be guaranteed.

Zhu Qiyu then looked at Chen Xun: "What about Grand Secretary Chen? Do you have any opinions?"

Chen Xun slowly said, "Your Majesty, what I am worried about is not just these 300,000 refugees."

The Battle of Tumu Fortress resulted in the complete loss of the elite troops of the Beijing army, and countless soldiers from the nine border regions were killed or wounded. This was compounded by the current Battle of Beijing.

The parents, wives, and children of these fallen soldiers number at least four or five hundred thousand and require resettlement.

These words immediately created a heavy atmosphere in the hall.

The Tumu Crisis resulted in the loss of hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians for the Ming Dynasty.

Although many people managed to escape, the death toll still exceeded 70,000.

Zhu Qiyu nodded: "Grand Secretary Chen is right."

The government must properly settle the families of fallen soldiers.

"Minister Shen, how is the preparation of the compensation funds progressing?"

Shen Yi looked troubled: "Your Majesty, the Imperial Treasury previously allocated 1.5 million taels of silver to raise funds for the army."

The bonds raised 800,000 taels, and when combined with the proceeds from the confiscation of Wang Zhen's followers, the total came to approximately 3 million taels.

But postwar rewards, pensions, and reconstruction all require money…

Zhu Qiyu understood Shen Yi's words and asked, "How much money do you need?"

Shen Yi: "The Ministry of Revenue estimates that at least three million taels will be needed to get through this year."

The hall was completely silent.

Three million taels of silver was almost equivalent to two years' worth of silver revenue in the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Qiyu was silent for a moment: "If you don't have money, then find a way to get it."

However, the soldiers' compensation must not be reduced by a penny, and the families of the fallen must be properly settled.

"Alright then, if the money isn't enough, I'll allocate more from the Imperial Treasury."

Zhu Qiyu remembered a joke he saw online in his previous life: "The Ming army is invincible when its pay is not full, but when it is, it is invincible."

This principle applies at all times; as the saying goes, a generous reward brings forth brave men.

Although Zhu Qiyu himself is a nuclear peace enthusiast.

But in this era, we still have to rely on these flesh and blood.

Shen Yi hurriedly said, "Your Majesty! 1.5 million taels of silver have already been allocated from the imperial treasury. If more is allocated, the palace's expenses..."

Zhu Qiyu waved his hand: "The expenses in the palace can be reduced, there is no need to discuss this matter further."

Minister Shen, your Ministry of Revenue and Ministry of War should jointly draft a detailed resettlement plan for displaced people and submit it to me in three days.

Remember a few principles.

No one is allowed to starve to death, no one is allowed to be forcibly driven away, and no one is allowed to exploit the system.

"Anyone who dares to tamper with disaster relief funds and supplies will have their entire family wiped out!"

The last sentence sent a chill down Shen Yi's spine, and he quickly bowed, saying, "Your subject obeys!"

"Alright, let's leave the matter of the refugees for now. I have another matter to discuss."