Chapter 60: Carry out reforms to the end

The treasury left by Zhou Mengchen to Zhang Juzheng was very full, with about 50 million taels of deposit.

However, Zhou Mengchen left two major projects for Zhang Juzheng, both of which were the major projects of the Yellow River, and they spent money every year like flowing water. The same was the railway project, which also cost a lot of money.

Zhang Juzheng completely inherited these two items from the beginning and even promoted railways more radically.

If Zhou Mengchen only proposed a railway plan for two Beijings. It was already necessary to use military force. The Lanzhou Jiayuguan Railway, the supporting facilities for river management, and the Xuzhou Sea Railway. There is nothing else besides these railways.

At the beginning, Zhang Juzheng reformed the post station and re-planned the post road and changed the post road to the railway. You should know that the post road of the Ming Dynasty has tens of thousands of miles. It can be said that a large part of the roads in later generations were built based on ancient roads.

This is a very dense railway network plan. If the city is really built, the total railway mileage of the Ming Dynasty suddenly exceeded that of the Republic of China. After all, there were not many railways at all in the Republic of China era.

Zhou Mengchen said, "This is awesome money."

Zhang Juzheng said firmly, "The court should have asked if it is beneficial to the world. Since it is, I will work hard, just like Brother Zhou finalizing the major work of the Yellow River. Now for more than ten years, one-third has not been repaired, and the money has been spent by nearly 20 million taels. But can we give up? No. For the people of Henan, Shandong, and the Huai River, we have to continue to sell iron. And I also discovered that the railway can make money if it is running well. Why not make big strides? Moreover, the court occupied the main line, and the gentry could repair the branch line, which is also my bargaining chip."

When Zhou Mengchen heard the bargaining chips, he immediately felt that what Zhang Juzheng did was a little difficult. He immediately turned the lower part. Zhang Juzheng adjusted the salary of officials in the world in the name of the new emperor, and some of them were about to increase the salary.

However, while adjusting the salary, land for officials at all levels does not pay grain was newly stipulated. Local officials were required to investigate. Any taxes that exceeded the salary will be paid from now on.

Zhang Juzheng also made measures against county-level yamen.

The hereditary officials were abolished. Although officials were still divided, officials had no fame and honor, so they could only be officials. If they wanted to be officials, they had to have fame and honor, at least they were scholars. After all, there was also a scholar-general from the Ming Dynasty, Li Chengliang.

However, officials can be tested for fame and honor, and the superiors must not stop them.

As a result, a large number of scholars from the bottom and the lower classes were absorbed into the yamen, and the local yamen's work ability was improved.

In the future, some Jinshi have been working in the local area for many years before they became Jinshi. They are familiar with the following situations and can be entrusted with important tasks as soon as they start.

In addition, there is another thing that has had a great impact on Zhou Mengchen.

That is, Zhang Juzheng wanted to abolish the academy and the Neo-Confucianism of Cheng and Zhu, and to take the study of time as the main principle.

What is the study of the times in the Ming Dynasty? It is Zhou Mengchen's Qixue.

Zhang Juzheng may have considered that it was a bit difficult to turn Qi into official studies at once, and he gave in a little. However, this impact was also huge.

Zhang Juzheng abolished academies, which was essentially abolished private schools. Moreover, the court had money and strengthened the official schools of various counties, prefectures and prefectures. Zhang Juzheng wanted to inject the ideology of reform into every student.

Only in this way can this reform not be repeated and maintained for a long time.

From this point of view, Zhang Juzheng walked even deeper than Zhou Mengchen.

Zhou Mengchen pondered for a moment and put the railway network plan aside. Although it was not important than the projects that cost money in the future.

Zhou Mengchen pointed to the words restricting tax-free land and said, "Are you digging their roots again?" In Zhou Mengchen's view, although Zhang Juzheng had made concessions and compromises, such as admitting part of the tax-free land, he was essentially the Ming version of the Ming Dynasty that gentry integrated into the capacity.

The foundation of the Qing court was the Eight Banners, so it was able to show no mercy to the gentry. The foundation of the Ming Dynasty was the gentry, so it was a little weak in its means. It was understandable.

However, the Ming Dynasty gentry integrated into one, plus the abandonment of private schools, the establishment of official schools, and the promotion of Qi science. This is to drive many families in Jiangnan crazy.

Zhang Juzheng said: "I'm not afraid of them being crazy, I'm afraid they're not crazy. How many camps are there in the Jiangnan family?"

Zhou Mengchen suddenly felt that he had ruined Zhang Juzheng.

In fact, among the many reforms of the Ming Dynasty, the most important thing was the military system reform. The army was re-examined, so that the center could control more than one million elite soldiers. It was precisely because of the importance of the army that Zhou Mengchen was willing to use some unsightly means to do things.

Zhou Mengchen has been in power for so many years, including Liaodong case, Qian State Duke case, Wei State Duke case, etc., and the political purge brought about by the political purge, which has crippled the officers of the garrison, so that the new military system can be successfully implemented.

Obviously, Zhang Juzheng also wanted to imitate Zhou Mengchen.

Zhou Mengchen said, "It's not good."

Zhang Juzheng said: "Brother Zhou doesn't know what. How many people in the court oppose reform can be said to be weaker. They will not be grateful to us, but they will only feel that we are weak and incompetent. Now what we have to do is carry out the reform to the end."

Zhou Mengchen said: "The reform is carried out to the end? What is the final one?"

Zhang Juzheng said: "It is a new system from top to bottom. It abolishes clerks, as well as all miscellaneous laborers and abolishes corvee service. The court wants people to do things and pays wages. All accounts of the court are settled in silver dollars, and there are no accounts such as how many wood, how many kilograms of gold and silver, how many spices, etc.."

"The Ministry of Revenue can view the specific expenses of each county."

"The court will no longer allow a confused account."

Zhou Mengchen felt in his heart that Zhang Juzheng was tortured by the Ministry of Revenue, so he had to push this down and rebuild it. But Zhang Juzheng wanted it, which was actually what Wang Anshi wanted. The most important thing for the people of the Ming Dynasty was not land tax, but corvee labor.

Because of this, Zhang Juzheng gritted his teeth and wanted to abolish the corvee service. Once there was no corvee service, it was an unprecedented reduction in burden for the people. Similarly, corvee service is to possess the people's labor free of charge, and employment is paid. From free to paid, it is huge expenses.

And it is not from the same place, but from the whole world.

Therefore, Zhang Juzheng had to find a new income for prefectures and counties in various places. For some wealthy places, such as the Jiangnan generation, the surge in industrial and commercial taxes can actually be achieved, but for other places, they can only succeed by starting from the land owned by the gentry.

Zhang Juzheng estimated that if he really did this, there would be at least five million increments in the land tax.

Of course, Zhang Juzheng didn't need this increase. What he needed was to leave more finance for the grassroots level so that they could abolish corvee.

Zhou Mengchen also felt the difference between himself and Zhang Juzheng.

Zhang Juzheng was still a traditional literati in his heart, and their ideas were always on the land. It cannot be said that they were wrong. After all, on the land of China, the land problem can only be solved, so most of the victory will be won. Otherwise, even if all other problems are solved and the land problem is not solved, it will be destined to be a short-lived dynasty.

Zhang Juzheng's reforms are carried out to the end, and this is probably the bottom.

The court had sufficient taxes and the burden on the people was reduced.

But for Zhou Mengchen, it was not enough. This was also the difference between him and Zhang Juzheng. However, he didn't say much. After all, he knew very well that every politician did not want others to point fingers at him.

This is true for Zhou Mengchen and so is Zhang Juzheng.

Zhang Juzheng was willing to solve the land problem, and Zhou Mengchen was happy to see it. He just reminded some immigrants, slaves and other issues. Although Zhou Mengchen had issued many laws before, it took time to make the laws deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.

After saying all this, Zhang Juzheng changed his voice and said, "I think your mission is more important than me, Brother Zhou."

"Me?" Zhou Mengchen said: "What do I have?"

Zhang Juzheng said: "If Brother Zhou can cultivate an emperor who tends to reform, he can lay the foundation for our decades of career. Wouldn't it be more important than me?"
Chapter completed!