Chapter 27 Section 3 Measures to Benefit the People and Reduce Burdens

After capturing Jiqing, Zhu Yuanzhang was full of ambition and full of enthusiasm.He climbed up to the city tower and looked into the distance. The city was indeed as majestic as imagined, and the surrounding situation was as expected as the legend says.The first step of his imperial career plan was successfully completed, and he believed that with his unique brain, his ultimate goal would surely come to fruition. In the past dynasties, most of the peasant rebels fought on the move, fighting wherever they went.Zhu Yuanzhang was not like this.He has always worked steadily and steadily in his work.Once you eat a place, you must digest it thoroughly, build it into your own base, and then expand outward.

To establish base areas, the most important thing is to solve the army's food problem.For the peasant uprising army, military supplies are often the most troublesome problem for them.Like most of the peasant armies at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang's army used to solve the problem of grain supply in two ways: "short grain" and "check and scrape". The so-called "shaoliang", also known as "zhailiang", is a relatively civilized robbery in an organized and disciplined manner.When Zhu Yuanzhang's army went out in the past, they didn't bring food with them, but robbed them as they went.The specific method of robbing is to "book the big list (post notices) in the villages near and far, recruit the rural people, and pay for the supply of grain and grass every year."

In other words, Lijia, the head of each village, was ordered to pay the grain and fodder.What if you refuse?That is of course a toast and no food and fine wine, all jade and stone will be burned without mercy.However, this kind of robbery was already a great favor to the people at the end of Yuan Dynasty compared with the "checking and scratching" we mentioned below.Many armies practice "checking and scraping", and the word "checking and scraping" can be seen from the literal meaning: "the one who checks and scrapes, takes everything and has the meaning of relics", that is, grab what you see, rummage through boxes and cabinets, and pick up everything. Digging the ground in the house is like combing like a grate, leaving nothing behind.The army is gone, and the common people have nothing with them.This is not only the case with the peasant army, but even with some official troops.For example, Marshal Yang Wanzhe of the Huguang Miao Army, because the Yuan court did not provide them with military pay, they looted everywhere, "everything they did was destroyed."Therefore, when you encounter an army with stockpiled food, generally speaking, they will not be rejected by the people. No matter how poor or miserable they are, they will tighten their belts, squeeze out something, send the "military masters" away, and then return to the army. I want to thank the heavens for allowing them to meet a teacher of civilization.

But now, with his own base area, Zhu Yuanzhang decided to change the way to solve the food problem, so as not to forcibly expropriate: he decided to start a "massive production movement" and implement "grain farming" in his occupied areas.In February of the fourth year of Longfeng (to the eighteenth year of Zhengzheng, 1358 A.D.), he appointed Kang Maocai as the field envoy, responsible for the construction of water conservancy.He also assigned generals to open up wasteland and reclaim land everywhere, and established rules to determine rewards and punishments based on the amount of production.He issued an order saying: "If all the soldiers' food is spent on the people, the people's power will be severely impoverished. Therefore, I ordered your generals to garrison the fields, cultivate and fight... From now on, all generals should supervise the soldiers and cultivate them in time to reap the benefits of the land, and the few soldiers will have enough food. The country depends on it." After a few years of work, the farmland has achieved remarkable results, the warehouses are full, and the army food is plentiful.In May of the sixth year of Dragon and Phoenix, Zhu Yuanzhang officially ordered the abolition of the "Village Grain" system and fully implemented the "Eleventh Tax" of 10%, which greatly reduced the burden on the people.

In addition to reducing the burden on farmers, Zhu Yuanzhang also acknowledged the "spontaneous land reform" in the base areas.When Longfeng personally conquered Wuzhou in the fourth year, he "declared his residence registration", that is, he began to register the real estate of the common people.At that time, many landlords fled and the land was occupied by poor people. Zhu Yuanzhang recognized the status quo.Thanks to Zhu Yuanzhang's support, peasants in many areas took active actions to seize the land and property of the landlords.For example, when Zhu Yuanzhang's army attacked Zhuji, the landlord Zhao Shu fled into the mountains and valleys with his land deeds, and all his property was seized by farmers, "without a trace".Zhu Yuanzhang personally conquered Wuzhou, and the landlord Yu Yuanrui fled from the countryside to the city of Chuzhou. After Chuzhou was conquered, he was also liquidated by the farmers.Zhu Yuanzhang also "ordered the people to own the land", that is, to mobilize the masses to conduct land property inspections, and to prohibit landlords from concealing land and paying less taxes.These measures equalized the distribution of land in the base areas and greatly stimulated the production enthusiasm of small farmers.

Facts have proved that Zhu Yuanzhang's vision is indeed much higher than that of other peasant troops.The garrison policy and the "spontaneous land reform" completely resolved the tension between the "military and the people" and "the people and the people".The population in the area increased rapidly, order was in good order, and agricultural production recovered rapidly, which provided strong financial support for Zhu Yuanzhang's regime.In wars, the economic strength behind it is often contested, and Zhu Yuanzhang thus has far richer capital than others.

As his political status continued to rise, Zhu Yuanzhang realized more and more that an outstanding politician must be a brilliant actor.Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, Zhu Yuanzhang was best at playing the role of benevolence. Zhu Yuanzhang cared deeply for the people in the base area and always kept their sufferings in his heart.In the third year of Longfeng (1357 A.D.), he personally conquered Wuzhou, summoned representatives of the local people, and asked them what dissatisfaction they had with the army.A representative of the people said that the guard Deng Yu casually conscripted the common people to build the city without giving any compensation, and he had to bring his own labor and food. The common people were quite resentful.Zhu Yuanzhang immediately criticized Deng Yu who was standing beside him seriously, and ordered him to stop working immediately.

In order to highlight his kindness, he adopted a policy of light punishment for the people in the base area.In December of the third year of Longfeng, Zhu Yuanzhang ordered the release of all prisoners with minor or serious crimes in the prison.In March of the following year, he dispatched officials to inspect various places and reduced the punishment on a large scale.Some officials did not understand Zhu Yuanzhang's policy, and believed that "the prisoner was released last year, and this year it will be reduced from the bottom. If the usage is too wide, people will not be afraid of the law, and the law will be relaxed, and there will be no governance."That is to say, some subordinates said that his punishment was too lenient, but he said: "The common people have suffered enough, and now they surrender to me. Of course, I should take care of them. Punishment should be based on generosity, and benevolence should be based on people." .I will do my best so that the common people will not be harmed by unjust imprisonment."

Before ascending the throne, Zhu's troops had always been "benevolent and righteous teachers", and Zhu himself had always been an example of "kingly way".From this, the hearts of the people are attached.Unexpectedly, after he took over the world and the people of the whole country were put into his cage, he changed from benevolent and benevolent to harsh and cruel. He raised the whip and butcher knife in his hand, slaughtered the world, slaughtered heroes, and became a demon king who made everyone terrified.In fact, what changed was not Zhu Yuanzhang's nature, but the current situation.Before ascension to the throne, he needed support from all social classes.After ascending the throne, the people have become his cattle and sheep, and of course he is happy to direct them forward with butcher knife and whip.