I

   Chapter 361 359 [Spring Festival couplets]

   "Over there, post over there too!"

   "Oh, you posted it crookedly, move a little to the left!"

   "..."

  Zhao Zhenfang wandered around the yard, ordering servants to post Spring Festival couplets at each door.

  Pan Qimei is also busy. She has learned a lot of pastry recipes this year, and has been making new year snacks by herself these days.

  As for Fei Rulan, he wrote Spring Festival couplets with his pen.

  Spring Festival couplets have been around for a long time, but they used to be hung on wooden plaques, and it was only in the Ming Dynasty that they began to be written on red paper, and it seems that Nanjing originated.

   This is the first Spring Festival when he moved to Nanjing. After the Chinese New Year, Zhao Han will establish himself as King of Wu. The agencies under the Dudu Mansion will also change their names, and some departments need to be expanded or adjusted.

  Wu Wang is just the title of the king, and the future title of the country is still not determined.

   "Husband, you can also write a copy, hang it at the gate." Fei Rulan came over with a pen and paper.

  Zhao Han picked up the brush, but he heard the guard report at the door: "Commander, Mrs. Qin is here."

   "Bring them in."

  Zhao Han didn't deliberately show courtesy to the corporal, he knew that Qin Liangyu was visiting Nanjing yesterday.

  Qin Liangyu led his grandson through the halls and courtyards, but he didn't see groups of servants along the way. This made her a little surprised, but she also felt that it was reasonable, as if Zhao Han's family should be like this.

   Came to the inner courtyard, Zhao Han was writing Spring Festival couplets.

   Waiting for Zhao Han to finish writing, Qin Liangyu cupped his hands and said, "I have seen Governor Zhao."

  Zhao Han put down his brush: "Old Madam Qin, I have admired your name for a long time!"

  Fei Rulan stood beside her husband, bent down and gave Qin Liangyu a blessing.

  Zhao Han said with a smile: "I have just written a couplet for the Spring Festival, and I invite Mrs. Qin to appreciate it."

  Qin Liangyu took two steps forward, and read: "For a hundred years, the heaven and the earth will regain their vitality, and the mountains and rivers will be unified, and the country will be peaceful and the people will be safe. Good Spring Festival couplets, so bold!"

  Engage chairs and everyone sat down around, Fei Rulan brought snacks to entertain, and asked Xiyue to make a pot of tea.

  Zhao Han asked: "Is Mrs. Qin still used to living in Nanjing?"

   "Everything is fine." Qin Liangyu replied.

  Zhao Han asked with a smile: "How do you feel about Nanjing?"

   "Excellent!"

  Both parties didn’t go straight to the point, Qin Liangyu asked casually: “Why are the low-rent houses leased for 30 years, and the real estate belongs to the tenants.”

"Since it is rented out, no one is willing to move out unless it is forced to evict. If it is possible to force eviction, there may be no chaos in Nanjing, and chaos will inevitably occur in other cities," Zhao Han said with a smile. Ten years of rent, the government barely recovers the cost of building the house, so what if the old house is donated to the people?"

  Qin Liangyu praised: "The governor has far-reaching considerations."

Zhao Han continued: "The same is true for dividing land. Now it can be assigned to individuals. The longer it takes, the more difficult it is to find out. Thirty to fifty years have passed, and after one or two generations, the land must belong to a certain household. If it is a subdivision, there will be more chaos. At that time, we can only make adjustments, stipulating that the property of a certain household should not exceed the number, and the population of a household should not exceed the number."

  Qin Liangyu didn't want to understand: "As long as the government controls the household registration and field records, why can't they tell the difference?"

Zhao Han explained: "The daughter of a certain family has land under her name, and she can't take it away after she gets married. These fields can only be attributed to a certain household. The government can forcefully intervene, but it can't control it at all, otherwise it will be taken away every day. Officials are exhausted. In addition, the man of a certain family goes out to be an official or does business. After many years, he moves out of his household registration. The land under his name must be left to his family. One or two households will definitely be able to get it back. There are everywhere in the country. How to deal with this phenomenon?"

  In ancient times, there were no computers, and the efficiency of the government was very low. If there were more such things, it would be impossible to ban them.

   It's the same sentence, you can't take back what you give.

  If you want to get it back, you have to expand the number of officials, and the administrative cost has skyrocketed.

  Official housing in various cities, Zhao Han did not dare to build too well, only a little more expensive than low-rent housing.

   This is learning from Daming's experience and lessons!

  After Zhu Di moved his capital to Beijing, he built many official residences, which were also distributed to officials, and they would be taken back after the officials retired.

   As a result, in just a few decades, Beijing officials have no place to live.

  Because more and more officials don’t hand over the house even after they die, let alone retire.

  So from the mid-Ming Dynasty, the houses where Beijing officials lived were either rewarded by the emperor, purchased by themselves, or leased with money.

  With the high housing prices in Beijing, if Beijing officials are not corrupt, after paying the rent every month, the salary can only barely survive, please don’t think about it.

  Zhao Han wants to build some buildings in every city for officials to live in for free—attention, they live in for free and don’t pay rent!

  Transfer to another place, the house will be returned, and if you don’t return, you will be dismissed.

  Retire as an official, the house will be returned, if not, the three generations of children and grandchildren will be disqualified from being an official, because the official has a household registration and a house in his hometown.

  This kind of policy seems to be harsh, and the duration is estimated to be limited. Decades after Zhao Han's death, officials may occupy houses.

   Therefore, the buildings of officials cannot be repaired very well.

  But it must be much better than low-rent housing, otherwise it will dampen the enthusiasm of officials.

  Official housing, the specification is two rooms and one living room.

  The low-rent housing has only one room, and the whole family of the poor is crowded into one room!

   Let’s be honest, curbing corruption is a big problem.

   Although Zhao Han’s salaries to officials are much higher than those of Daming, they cannot satisfy their desire for servants. This was taken for granted in ancient times. It seems that an official should have many servants.

  Qin Liangyu chatted very well with Zhao Han, from housing to officials, and from officials to people's livelihood.

  Qin Liangyu suddenly said: "I saw a kind of panniang candy in Nanjing, which is made from sweet potatoes. I heard that the production of sweet potatoes is very high, why don't you choose a place?"

   "Has the Shi Jie not been introduced yet?" Zhao Han asked.

"I only introduced corn (corn) and sometimes sorghum," Qin Liangyu sighed. "There are many mountains in Shijie, but there is not much land that can grow rice. The life of the local people is very difficult. Shijie is not bad. These young people The Fusi of Youyang, next to it, is hard to describe in a single word. It was already very poor, and the chieftain was still extorting money, which even aroused the local people to riot a few years ago."

   Zhao Han said: "This kind of chieftain must be severely punished."

  Qin Liangyu knows how to punish severely. Yesterday she asked about Nanjing Xungui's fate.

  All the elderly were executed, the young and strong were scattered and thrown to various mines, and the women married bachelors who immigrated to the north. If there are children, they will be remarried by their biological mothers.

  The methods are very cruel, and human resources are not wasted.

  Qin Liangyu asked: "May I give you some sweet potato seeds and bring them back to Shi Jie to introduce them?"

"This is naturally possible," Zhao Han said. "Choose those big sweet potatoes as seeds, and when they are buried in the soil, vines will sprout. Then cut off the vines and plant them, and dozens of acres of sweet potato fields can be planted in a year. After a few years It can be extended to the whole Shijie.”

  Qin Liangyu smiled and said: "Unexpectedly, the governor is also proficient in farming."

  Zhao Han waved his hand and said: "I only know a general idea. When the old lady returns, I will send some old farmers who are proficient in sweet potato cultivation to follow. The details are up to the old farmers to decide."

   Ma Wannian sat beside him and listened, wanting to scratch his head anxiously.

  Grandmother and Dudu Zhao are both important figures, but they chatted enthusiastically about farming, even for half an hour. Not only the introduction of sweet potatoes, but also how to reclaim barren hills, how to improve the soil of barren land, and how to organize the people to build water conservancy.

   What about the Northern Expedition?

   What about killing Tartars?

  Where is the prince and princess?

  How will Shijie Tusi be arranged in the future?

   "Husband, Madam, General Ma, please come in for dinner." Fei Rulan walked over with a smile.

   Everyone moved to the dining room, and Zhao Han poured wine for Qin Liangyu himself.

   "Old Madam, I have never drank alcohol. Today I will get drunk with Madam." Zhao Han said with a smile.

  Qin Liangyu smiled and said, "I'm old, I can't drink as much as I did when I was young."

  Zhao Han said: "Then feel free, I will toast the old lady first!"

   As the Chinese New Year approaches, officials are on holiday, and Zhao Han also lays down his mundane duties to rest.

   Zhao Han was not harsh on the officials under his rule. Not only was his salary higher than that of Ming Dynasty, but he even had more holidays than Ming Dynasty.

  From the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, until the third day of the first lunar month.

  Lantern Festival holiday for three days.

  Ching Ming Festival, Shangsi Festival, and Cold Food Festival have been combined into one in the Ming Dynasty, adding up to three days off.

  Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Double Ninth Festival, and Winter Solstice each have a three-day holiday.

   One day off every ten days, and rest on the ninth, nineteenth, and twenty-ninth day of the lunar month. As the saying goes, it is one day off every ninth day.

   Very user-friendly, allowing officials time to relax.

  During the holiday, just like Daming, each department must leave one or two people on duty.

  Of course, the front line cannot rest, and neither can those in charge of immigration.

   After drinking two glasses of rice wine, Qin Liangyu pointed at Ma Wannian: "My grandson has been studying since he was a child, and he is proficient in horse bow and horse. He is determined to avenge the Tartars. Can he be a **** in the governor's army?"

   "Brother Ma is versatile in civil and military affairs, how can he be a pawn?" Zhao Han said with a smile, "It happens that I want to expand the cavalry. If Brother Ma is willing, he can be the cavalry sentry commander."

  Qin Liangyu said: "I know that the Datong Army has strict rules. Officers must be promoted based on their merits. Let him be a pawn."

Zhao Han shook his head: "The Datong Army is short of cavalry generals. Brother Ma is a grievance to be the sentry commander. For the time being, he can only command a hundred cavalry. When the war horses multiply and expand the army again in the future, Brother Ma can command three to five thousand cavalry. and also."

   "Thank you, Commander!" Ma Wannian was very excited.

  Although he practiced bow and horse since he was a child, Shi Jie did not have a large-scale cavalry at all.

  When Ma Wannian thought of commanding elite cavalry, crossing the battlefield and being invincible, he felt very refreshed.

  Suddenly, Ma Wannian couldn't help asking: "The governor is so young, how dare you ask Gui Geng?"

   "Almost twenty-three years old." Zhao Han said with a smile.

   Ma Wannian was speechless, he was one year older than Zhao Han.

  Qin Liangyu was also a little surprised, but he didn't dwell on it, but asked, "Where is the prince and princess?"

  Zhao Han said: "Go to study, eat at school at noon, and eat at home in the evening. They eat with me every day."

   "I see." Qin Liangyu was completely relieved.

  The two sides did not talk about the matter of surrender at all, let alone the treatment after the surrender, it seems that talking about those things is superfluous.

   (To explain, small buildings with three or four floors don’t need much steel bars, or even concrete. Even if they are used, they only need to be poured once at the transition of each floor. As for the frame structure, it emerged after the 21st century.)

   (Ask for a monthly pass.)

  (end of this chapter)