Before the enemy had reached the Great Tang, the people of Great Tang felt that the war was both distant and close.
Every day, the newspapers would take out a small section to describe the general progress of the war, how far they had advanced, and how many enemies they had killed or captured.
Or, the Great Tang had used up too much ammunition and retreated a few li to reduce their supply line.
Occasionally, there would be a section describing the environment and resources of the battlefield. After the people read it, some would sigh that there was good stuff in a war zone, some would be troubled as to how to transport the good stuff back to their country, and some would just let it be. In any case, they would have to sell it for money, so they couldn't give it away for free. They could transport it whenever they wanted.
The articles in the newspapers didn't mainly describe these things, but how brave the soldiers were and how they overcame the difficulties they faced. Iron and blood intertwined, and it was like an eternal song that lingered in the hearts of the people.
While the people felt this from the newspapers, their lives were also affected by the war. Almost every day, they would see a convoy transporting supplies, and when they occasionally met, they would greet each other.
The transport teams didn't transport the supplies to the front line in one go, but in different sections. After delivering the goods to the front line, they would see if the other side had anything good from the front line. If they did, they would transport it to the other side for the exchange, or they would send it to a designated place to store it.
As long as the people saw the logistics teams of the war, no matter what the situation was, they would definitely make way for them.
The people were keenly aware that the Great Tang army hadn't lost many people. While it was a little difficult, life was very precious. This was because of the rules set down by Cuckoo and Xiao Bao.
Using ammunition to exchange for a life was a price that could be paid for one life. In reality, there had never been a case of using ten million shells to exchange for one life, but there were still cases where a few or a dozen shells were fired to prevent their own people from taking risks.
Whose lives weren't lives? The people consciously did their best to make things more convenient for the transport teams. When they saw a heavy carriage crushing the road, they would gather a few people and take the initiative to fix it.
As for the number of people who were killed by the cannonballs in the war, the people were very indifferent. It was just like when they heard that someone in a neighboring village had died in childbirth, they would just sigh and forget about it. Their lives would not be changed by the dead pregnant woman, and it was even more so for the people who were killed by the cannonballs.
There was not a single anti-war demonstration, not a single Tang citizen complained that the Tang army was killing too many people, and not a single person accused Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan of being utterly devoid of conscience for taking the initiative to plunder the war.
Everyone used their own actions to support the war effort. When they returned home, some offered incense and prayed, hoping that the war would go smoothly and that Xiao Bao and Cuckoo would live a long life.
The most realistic effect of the war was an increase in the price of goods. The people who pulled the carts found that the price of a jar of butter, which had been introduced three years ago, had increased from six copper coins to ten copper coins.
The people who bought the kitchen knives and sickles found that the original five copper coins worth of kitchen knives had now become seven copper coins, and it was said that the price was still rising. The price of pottery had also increased. The original ten copper coins to buy a set of twelve plates had now become fifteen copper coins.
The price of hemp rope and linen had also increased. The price of pork and chicken had also increased by half.
But for some reason, the price of fish had unexpectedly decreased. Moreover, the fish were salted and brought to various places in large batches by the troops transporting the war materials.
The price of cotton cloth, silk, fine linen, and silk had fluctuated according to the normal season. The same was true for white flour and millet. The price of highland barley, which was specially used to feed livestock, had suddenly increased. However, a large amount of white rice had suddenly appeared, and it was said that it was released from the northern part of Hebei Province.
According to the interesting words that Xiao Bao had taught his younger siblings, others should ask, "What's going on?"
In a war, didn't the price of everything increase and then the tax increase? Now, why did the price of peace increase and the price of peace decrease? It gave people a messy feeling. Especially for salt, the price of sea salt, rock salt, and well salt had not changed at all. It was still the kind of salt that one could buy expensive and cheap if one wanted to buy expensive.
"To be honest, this is the first time that I have encountered such a war. It is said that it is a total war with several fronts fighting at the same time. When I was young, the people had no way to make a living."
In a teahouse in Fengqiu County under the jurisdiction of Bianzhou in Henan Province, an old man gently patted the table and said in a strong voice after listening to others reading the newspaper and thinking about what he had seen and heard recently.
"Old Master Feng, you are lucky to have lived until now and have the same surname as the county. You are 86 years old this year and have seen more than us in the past. But when it comes to the current situation, you can't keep up with it," a young man joked.
The old man snorted coldly and refused to admit defeat. "I don't know if I can keep up or not. All I know is that the money for the tea and the clothes I'm wearing today was given by the yamen. It's not much, just six hundred copper coins a month.
If it weren't for the fact that I am old and can't read, and that my grandchildren have not come back from school yet, I would have crowded with you to listen to the newspaper. I have ordered five copies of the same newspaper at home.
There is no other way. I have many children, and all of them are obedient and filial. Except for three who are not old enough to enter school and learn real skills, the rest of the children can't be ordered less. Unfortunately, the children who have left home are not around. Alas! "
After the old man finished speaking, he was greeted with all kinds of envious and jealous gazes.
The people nearby knew very well that it was just as the old man had said. As long as he was alive, the imperial court would give him six hundred copper coins every month according to his age. There would also be other gifts sent to him during festivals. He didn't need to spend any money to send letters to his distant descendants. When he went out, he didn't need to spend any money to take the carriage of the newly established imperial court.
In any case, all the places where the government collected money were free of charge.
He had no other choice. He had lived for a long time. He was 86 years old and had five generations living under the same roof. The oldest grandchild was 14 years old. If he lived for a few more years, he would have six generations living under the same roof. In Fengqiu, there were countless acres of land and mulberry trees in his home that stretched as far as the eye could see.
Because there were too many people in his home, many of them had left to seek development in other places. They could live and give birth to more children.
When the government had policies, the local officials would come to discuss with him and ask if he needed anything. In the past, he would always raise conditions that were beneficial to him, and the officials would agree to them one by one. But now, he had learned to be smart. When the officials came to ask, he would directly support them without any conditions.
This made many people with bad intentions very disappointed. They hoped that the old man would raise conditions or even refuse to carry out the orders of the government. Then, they would anger the people of the government and confiscate the family.
The old man had long known that some people had bad intentions, so he said that the current government was very good and would not deliberately harm people. If they followed the government's orders, they would enjoy endless benefits.
Sure enough, there were a few times when the entire family supported the government's policies. The government gave his family an 'Excellent Family' plaque. The good thing was that every time the government organized a small event, they would send someone to send a letter asking if his family was willing to participate. The government would take care of all the expenses, and when they returned, they would receive gifts.
If his family wanted to get a loan from the Great Tang Bank, they would have priority. There were no other benefits. The benefits were shared by the people of Great Tang, and it was impossible to take away others' benefits just to stand out.
Thus, some people gave their blessings, some were envious, and very few were jealous. As for what they were jealous of, they could not say. After all, they could not say that they were jealous of the old man's age. But no one criticized the old man's support for the government, because the government was worth supporting.
In this era, there was no need to worry about being oppressed by the government. As long as one felt that the local government was wrong, one could run to the telegraph office and send a telegram, and the higher-ups would immediately come to investigate. Of course, one needed to use one's real name and use one's household registration to report. If one was framed, the crime would be the same as that of the official after the successful frame-up.
"This is called controlling." In order to show that he was up to date, the old man summarized the recent events.
"Father controls son, grandfather controls son and grandson, generation after generation, and the government controls all of us. Why don't many things increase in price? Is it because the merchants don't want to? No, it's because they don't dare. It's like a father controlling his son. If you do, they will beat you. "
"Old Man Feng, do you know who beat the merchants?" Another person joked.
"It's that Xiao Bao who is only a few years older than my grandson. This old man still can't figure it out. How do you think he gave birth to a child? He hasn't even been crowned yet, but he's already so powerful. The merchants will hate him. "The old man began to worry about Zhang Xiaobao again.
"The merchants won't hate him. You always don't understand the twelve national policies. The preferential treatment for merchants is not small. When a merchant earns enough money, they turn around and change their identity. They want to take the imperial examination, they want to take the imperial examination, they want to take the imperial examination, they want to take the imperial examination, they want to take the land, they want to take the land. They all understand that with Xiao Bao controlling them, they seem to be at a disadvantage, but without Xiao Bao controlling them, they are finished. "
The joker finally found the opportunity to be the old man's teacher and tried his best to show off.
"Grandpa, why aren't you going back? We are discussing important matters at home. " At this time, a man in his forties rushed in. He was wearing yellow and blue silk clothes and looked slightly awkward.
The old man had not finished drinking his tea when he heard the voice. He turned his head and stared: "You make the decisions at home. This old man, your father, and uncles have already let go of the family. You are the third generation head of the family. Why are you looking for me?"
"My dear grandpa, today's discussion is different from usual. I, I can't make the decision alone. I plan to take care of the land in three villages and open four workshops. In the past, I will pay for the land first. I will have to take a loan from the Tang Bank and use my family's property as collateral.
I will have to leave immediately and will only be back in a month. Someone at home doesn't agree, so I came to ask you for support. Please come back with me. "
Old Man Feng's grandson's face was full of anxiety.
When the others heard this, they all stopped talking and waited to see what the Feng family was going to do.
The old man didn't move, and he wasn't as anxious as his grandson. He picked up the teacup and took a sip. Then, he slowly put the teacup back and scolded, "Useless thing."
"Yes, yes, your grandson is useless. Then grandpa, you …"
"If you think you are useless, then give the position of head of the family to someone else. The head of the family is the head of the family. When you were the head of the family, others agreed. Now, who dares to stand up and say they don't agree? A snake can't do without a head, and a bird can't fly without a head. Even if the decision of the head of the family is wrong, the family has to listen.
Just like the rumor that Xiao Bao had twelve policies when he left the country, many people in the imperial court disagreed. What happened in the end? Whether they agree or not, they have to do it. If they can't figure it out, they have to think about it slowly. Xiao Bao is like the head of the family arranged by the emperor. When he decides, it is for the people who listen to to carry it out, not for questioning.
Go back. Either suppress all the people who disagree, or find someone to be the head of the family. I am already one foot in the coffin. Do you want me to worry? "
After the old man lectured him, he turned back and no longer paid attention to his grandson.
The current head of the Feng family was scolded by his grandfather. He stood at the door and thought about it. He gritted his teeth: "Grandpa, don't worry and drink tea. Your grandson will go back and deal with it. I promise there won't be any more problems."
"Don't promise me. I won't listen."
"Yes, your grandson will take his leave."
"The old man is so courageous." When the old man's grandson left, some people stuck out their thumbs and pointed at the old man.
Many people also showed looks of admiration. It seemed like the old man was scolding his grandson and was unreasonable. In fact, he had taught them everything. The head of the family had to be strong, just like the leader of a pack of wolves. If he was weak, the whole pack would be finished.
"Old man, from what Brother Feng said, it seems like your family is planning to do a big business." A man in his thirties asked.
"Don't ask me. Ask your brother Feng. I came to the teahouse to drink tea and gossip. The matters of the family, whether big or small, will be taken care of by them. My children and grandchildren will have their own fortune." The old man said indifferently. After that, he stopped talking. He picked up his teacup and squinted his eyes, thinking about something.
The old man's grandson was called Feng Liang. He was not the oldest grandson of the old man, but he was the most capable grandson. That was why he was chosen as the head of the family. He almost became a High Scholar, but the government cheated and his position was taken by someone else.
Many people said that with his knowledge, it would be no problem for him to become a Grand Scholar. Unfortunately, he was born at the wrong time. He was nineteen that year.
After being reprimanded by his grandfather, he couldn't help but think about the past when he was being taken home.
Feng Liang clearly remembered that when he was young, he was very smart and eager to learn. His family had land and money. Because the government's school was too far away, his family specially found a teacher to teach him.
He could write poems, compose essays, and comment on current affairs. He was in the limelight for a while, but that damned county magistrate actually got in touch with the examiner of the provincial government during the exam and used someone else to push him down.
At that time, he hated, resented, and was depressed. He didn't know how he got through it. Others looked at him differently, and his close brothers and sisters in the family unnaturally communicated with each other.
At that time, he was on the verge of death and wanted to find a rope to hang from a crooked tree. Later, it was his grandfather who found him and told him that many people lived worse lives than him, but they lived happier lives than him because they had the belief to live on.
Some did it for their parents, some did it for their wives and children, and some had unyielding ambitions. Failure wasn't scary. Countless people failed for decades and finally became successful late. Some started earning big money at the age of twenty, and became rich at the age of forty. Some started to learn how to earn money at the age of forty, and became rich at the age of fifty. Who was worried and who was inferior?
So what was scary was falling and never wanting to get up again. So what if you became a Grand Scholar at the age of nineteen? How many young geniuses can you remember today?
If you continue to live and work hard for the family, the family wouldn't have raised you in vain. It was easy to die, but what about the family's money and effort to nurture you?
Feng Liang clearly remembered that he didn't want to die at that time. He wanted to continue doing things for the family that had provided him with so much help. He decided to become the head of the family and lead the Feng family to prominence.
He waited for twenty years before finally having the opportunity in front of him. Furthermore, the era was different. It wasn't like the past. In the past, there could be people who could push him down. Now, who would dare? That former county magistrate, who was promoted to the state government's army, was still dealt with three years ago.
As long as he met a good ruler, he could do whatever he wanted.
The current situation was arranged by Xiao Bao. Those who had the ability could definitely go up and take over the land and organize the workshops. If they missed this opportunity, they wouldn't be able to get it again in the future.
"Xiao Bao, I believe that you will definitely not harm others. I, Feng Liang, will bet with you." Feng Liang clenched his fist and encouraged himself.
When the driver heard the commotion, he shook his head and waved his whip in the air to urge the horse to move faster. His heart was filled with worry. In the past, the family had enough money. If they wanted to do something, they would first set aside a portion of the money and then use the rest to do it. Furthermore, the property and land deeds were not touched.
Even if there was a problem, the loss would only be the portion that was taken out. It wouldn't affect the family's foundation.
Now, the head of the family actually wanted to rent out the land of the other two villages. He also wanted to buy technology and equipment to build four large workshops. He had taken out all the family's money and even had to mortgage things to get loans.
If something went wrong, there would be no one left in the family. It was too risky, too risky.
When he returned home, Feng Liang directly used a strong tone to pass his decision. He told the people in the family that they could either transfer his position to someone else or listen to him. There was no third choice.
The people in the family compromised. In the past ten years, they were used to Feng Liang acting as the head of the family. If someone else suddenly took over, they wouldn't be able to support such a large family.
Feng Liang first went to find the village chief of the two villages. In fact, the Feng family's village didn't only have his surname. The village had a population of more than six hundred, and his family only accounted for half of it. Moreover, his family also had a manor.
He first settled the people in his village, then signed a new agreement with the manor. The previous agreement of selling one's body was no longer allowed.
The government allowed slaves to exist, but they didn't allow the Tang people to be slaves of the Great Tang people. Thus, the previous contracts of selling one's body were changed to employment contracts. The value of a person was re-evaluated, and the slaves with the contract could complain to the government at any time. When the time came, the government would help to cancel the contract. Whoever disagreed would be punished.
The government didn't enforce this because some people weren't willing to change their status as slaves. For many generations, they were used to living with the master. Usually, there was no distinction between master and servant. In fact, the master even treated some of the servants better than the people they hired.
For example, if they were tired from work, the master would arrange for them to rest. If they were sick, they would be treated. Of course, this wasn't necessary now. Now, there was free treatment. If you wanted to work more without rest, the master would order you to stop working.
At first glance, it seemed that these people had lost their freedom, but in fact, they were living very well. The government didn't care. For example, a hundred years before Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan, foreign investors would force them to commit suicide every few days. The government didn't care, let alone this kind of master who treated his servants well.
If one really wanted to talk about it, those who worked for others and were forced to commit suicide from exhaustion were the ones who were cheap. In terms of personality, they couldn't even compare to the current slaves. At least, the people who signed the contract of selling their bodies still had their own persistence and beliefs.
There weren't many of these people, but they existed. The most obvious ones were the manor owners of the Zhang Family and Wang Family in Sanshui County. Their families were very rich, and any one of them would be ranked among the wealthiest in other places.
They signed the contract of selling their bodies. At first, it wasn't. Later on, because of confidentiality, they changed the contract. However, they weren't willing to change their identities. They had many properties in the Great Tang, but only the one in Sanshui County was their home.
As for Feng Liang, he persuaded his own family's manor owner and finished discussing with the people in his village. After that, all he needed to do was to rent all the land in the two neighboring villages.
In order to successfully complete the plan, he paid a year's rent in advance and added a 50% premium. In addition, he hired people to farm. It didn't seem cost-effective, and he couldn't even keep his capital.
His family objected to him because of this.
However, he had his own thoughts and considerations. He wouldn't grow crops like others. On the day he learned about the 12 National Policy, he went to Bianzhou Prefecture and found the branch of the Sinong Temple in the prefecture. He asked them about the technology.
The purpose of all the Sinong Temple branches was to collect data on the local environment and the effect of soil on various crops. The other purpose was to provide technical support for people who came to inquire, free of charge.
For example, what to do if the cabbage at home had worms? Go to the branch of the Sinong Temple to ask and describe it. If they understood, they would directly give a solution. If they didn't understand, they would send someone to follow them home and then tell them what pesticides to buy.
If the soybeans planted in the land didn't grow well, they could also go to the branch of the Sinong Temple and ask someone to check what the problem was. If the problem was in the soil and could be solved by using fertilizers, they would recommend a specific type of fertilizer.
Feng Liang didn't ask about the worms and bad growth of his crops. He asked the Sinong Temple if there were any new varieties that he planned to bring over to try planting.
In the end, there was. They told him that there was a new crop seed that was grafted from pepper and tomato. It had just been tested last year and hadn't been popularized. If he wanted it, he could buy it. The Sinong Temple would send someone to keep an eye on it and collect data at the same time.
If it was suitable to grow on the land in Feng Liang's area, the Sinong Temple would reward Feng Liang. If it wasn't suitable, the Sinong Temple would compensate him for half of the losses and he would bear the other half himself. At the same time, he would sell the new varieties. The Sinong Temple would supervise them. He would sell them directly to the Sinong Temple and both sides would negotiate the price.
Feng Liang was so tempted. Even if he failed and bore half of the losses, his family wouldn't 'go bankrupt'. However, if he succeeded, the gains would be huge.
Feng Liang used two days to successfully sign a lease contract with the two villages. At the same time, he also encountered trouble.
As for the trouble of hiring people, Feng Liang signed a second contract with the two villages. After leasing the land, he would hire people to farm. He could plant whatever he wanted without negotiating with others.
The people of the two villages naturally hoped that they would be hired back to farm. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to find anything else to do.
In fact, the two villages and the people of Feng Liang's village didn't lose anything. Feng Liang was leasing at a premium. The extra 50% was enough to make up for the losses of the original land owner. In other words, if they farmed themselves, the final harvest would only be this amount. Moreover, the new rules now required them to sell themselves. Perhaps their income would be even lower than normal.
Feng Liang was taking all the risks for them. At the same time, he was freeing their labor. If they worked again, the income they received would be considered extra.
Even so, they still hoped that Feng Liang would hire them back to farm for Feng Liang. Some gave him gifts, some played the family card, and some implied threats.
Feng Liang didn't accept gifts, but he wasn't afraid of threats. Those who played the family card were persuaded to go back. Then, he began to choose the locals.
Usually, they were close to each other, so they knew each other well. Which family did farm work well, so they all knew. Feng Liang chose a portion of them and planned to look for a portion of them outside to gather manpower or see if there were any extra cattle to rent.
When the remaining people who weren't chosen complained, Feng Liang told them about the four workshops and was willing to hire the locals to work in the workshops.
This way, it would be much easier for him to control.
People who were good at farming were usually men. Women didn't have strength, and there were also men who had strength but lacked skills. They were the kind that were more stupid.
Normally speaking, those who didn't meet the requirements should be eliminated. Most businessmen would choose this, or they would lose money.
Feng Liang originally planned to do the same. Later, he referred to the Zhang Wang and Wang families in Sanshui County and found that the two families used a very reasonable labor distribution method more than ten years ago. Every farmer didn't look very tired, but they were very efficient.
No matter who was in the Zhang and Wang family's farmsteads, they were all useful. Even if they were children, when they were not in class, they could play around and help out the master's family. Even if they were lame, they would be given a very good job. For example, if they were afraid that birds would eat grains, they would be given some firecrackers. They would sit there and drink tea while looking at the fields. When they saw a bird coming, they would set off a whip, or even make a whip that was used to drive a carriage.
If they had skills, the crippled people would help make baskets.
Feng Liang initially thought that the Zhang Wang and Wang families didn't want to let anyone go and wanted to squeeze everyone.
After reading an article in the newspaper, he understood that the goal of the Zhang Wang and Wang families was not to make others work hard, but to make everyone feel that they were valuable. A person who thought that they were worthless would lose confidence in life.
When the basket-weaver realized that the baskets he made were useful to the master family, and at the same time, he could earn more income and be useful to his family, he would be very happy. Therefore, he would affect others. The entire Zhuangzi people would be in a happy atmosphere, and their work efficiency would increase.
Feng Liang was deeply moved. He admired the way the Zhang Wang and Wang families distributed labor at that time. At the same time, he felt that there was a strong sense of humanism in it.
After that, he read another article about corporate culture. It said that only a cultural enterprise with its own soul was a successful enterprise. Only then could it go further. If one sincerely invested in the construction of corporate culture, one would realize that it was directly proportional to the income of one's enterprise. In fact, the proportion of output was even greater than the proportion of investment.
As a cultured person, Feng Liang agreed with this. Of course, it also depended on who wrote the article. If it was written by someone he had never heard of, he would be suspicious. However, the author of the article was Zhang Xiaobao. This … could be questioned. However, if one couldn't think of a better way to manage a 'business,' it was best to learn from him. If one had a good idea, they could write it down and let others learn from it.
After concluding, Feng Liang came up with a plan to rent land and build four new workshops.
Those who were not good at farming and were eliminated by him were arranged to work in the workshops. There were more women in the village. The men who were eliminated did not work with the women. Instead, they were assigned to work in the transportation and mixing of raw materials.
There were also older men who were responsible for cooking for others. Anyway, everyone who could be used was used. Even the elderly were assigned to the position of night watch.
The advantage of doing so was that the villagers did not have to work outside. If the men stayed behind to farm, what would happen to their wives at home? Would they stay there and not work? Or would they run outside to find a job? Would the men still have the mood to farm?
The workshop's factory had not been built yet. While Feng Liang arranged for people to build the house and level the land, he ran to the county yamen to ask about the grading of the types of work. He explained his situation to the yamen and asked the yamen to send people to his home to grade his hired workers.
It was a little troublesome because the grading of farming depended on the results of the work. Feng Liang first asked the yamen to put it on the agenda. Then, he asked the yamen to help him train his hired workers. This was free. He did not want the welfare subsidies for a period of unemployment. He requested that the yamen's trainees be specially trained according to his requirements.
The yamen usually considered everything, but after hearing Feng Liang's words, they felt that it was okay and sent people over. There were many people in the three villages, so it was not a problem to send people over. It was not a waste of the yamen's training resources.
While the training was going on, Feng Liang ran to Bianzhou's Kaifeng Manor and wrote a notice. He stood beside the yamen's bulletin board and raised it to shout, "Free volunteer assistance base for students is provided. Not only is there no charge, but accommodation and food are also provided. The local people are kind and gentle. The local children are obedient and cute. The local accommodation environment is comfortable and the food is reasonable. We welcome all students to come."
Feng Liang's shout attracted many people to watch. Some people did not know what he was doing and were just there to join in the fun. Some people revealed a look of realization.
One of the twelve national policies said that if students wanted to qualify for the imperial examination, they had to do 200 days of volunteer work and 100 days of free teaching. The main emphasis was on teaching. If they were willing, the first 200 days could also be used for teaching. In total, they would be qualified for the examination after teaching for 300 days.
At the moment, most people were in a wait-and-see period when it came to the twelve national policies. Very few people were actually taking action.
Feng Liang was considered to be the group of people who were eating crabs in advance. Seeing that the number of onlookers was gradually increasing, he rolled his eyes and shouted again, "I promise that within three months, I will build a library. There will be all kinds of books in it, and all the writing tools will be provided by me.
Students can teach their children while learning by themselves. There is no need to pay any fees. At the same time, there are countless talented students in the schools around the village. Every month, I will fund a student exchange gathering.
Come, only I know what you need. Come, I will definitely provide you with a good teaching and learning environment. If you miss it, you won't be able to find someone like me. "
"Hey! Why are you calling that? Are you different from others? I don't believe that I will regret missing out on you. I think you are just like that. "Someone in the crowd jeered.
Feng Liang knew that the person who jeered was definitely not a student, but he could not scold back. He revealed a gentle smile, looked in the direction of the voice, and nodded gently.
"Good question. What do I have that is better than others? First of all, my family is quite rich, enough to support me to fulfill my promise. I am not showing off. Everyone knows that the richest families in Tang Dynasty are the Zhang Family and the Wang Family. Showing off your wealth will only make people look down on you.
This is the second advantage that I want to talk about. I am not as rich as Xiao Bao, but I am like him and Cuckoo. I have a heart that cares for children. I hope that the children in our village and the surrounding villages will have good teachers. I really can't teach them all by myself. Although I should have been a High Scholar, I was forcefully pushed down by others. "
"Keep bragging. You think you are a High Scholar? I believe in rotten people." Someone jeered again. His words were a little harsh, so the moment he finished, the person beside him gave up his seat and kept a certain distance from him. In the end, he was despised by others. He lowered his head and disappeared into the crowd.
At this moment, Feng Liang really wanted to rush over and beat up the person who jeered, but he knew that he had to control himself. He still revealed a warm smile and said, "Yes, actually, you can say that I am bragging. I feel that if you want to brag, you have to have the ability to do so.
I will brag, I will brag with all my strength. I will blow away the clouds and see the morning sun. The morning sun shines without sorrow. Without sorrow, without sorrow, in the country, children roam together with laughter. I ask which side do the children laugh? The children laugh and point at the Emperor. The pillar of the Emperor, the Huiying Hall, illuminates the country and gradually becomes stronger. "
After Feng Liang finished speaking, the surroundings immediately quietened down. Everyone looked at Feng Liang differently. He was indeed a student. His words flowed like water, and his words were eloquent.
"Good, well said. Unfortunately, I am not a student, so I can't go to your place to teach children. Do you have any students? Go quickly, follow this big brother. You definitely won't lose out. When you have nothing to do, you can even communicate. "Someone began to support him.
"That's right, that's right. Look at how well he said it. I don't understand the meaning, but it is very comfortable to listen to." Another person echoed.
Finally, someone walked out and approached Feng Liang. He asked, "When will you start? Don't you have a teacher to teach you now? "
There are 150 children in the surrounding three villages, but there are only six teachers. That's not enough at all. There aren't enough subjects, so I can only teach the Analects of Confucius and simple arithmetic. I want to add in all the subjects. I'm currently studying geography and physics, and I'm still taking the chemistry exam. After I pass the exam, I'll be able to obtain the experimental equipment provided by the imperial court, and I'll use it to teach the children. "
Feng Liang said sincerely. He was indeed doing so.
"Count me in. Don't shout here. I'll help you find a few more people. With everyone contacting each other, there will be more people who want to volunteer." The person who stood forward persuaded Feng Liang.
Feng Liang nodded immediately. "Alright, I'll treat you to a drink. We'll talk while drinking. In fact, it's best to start work now. The sooner we finish the three hundred days of work, the sooner we don't have to worry when we want to take the exam in the future. It's useless to wait and see. Will Xiao Bao change the national policy?
I heard that when the imperial court is discussing, His Majesty only allows everyone to listen, watch, and discuss, but is not allowed to object. Xiao Bao is playing a big game of chess. Don't think that you can reverse the tide. "
Feng Liang spoke very loudly for others to hear. When he was about to leave, he turned around and shouted, "My family is from Fengqiu County. My surname is Feng. Anyone who is interested in developing there can come and take a look first. I'll definitely be waiting for you."
There was a clamor of agreement from the surrounding crowd.
Feng Liang was relieved. Now, he didn't have to worry about the children of his employees. With a good teaching environment and teachers, he believed that the employees would work in peace. At the same time, they would stay in the local area to develop.
Even if the skills of the employees improved in the future, and someone wanted to spend a large sum of money to rope them in, the employees would first have to consider if it was worth it to leave the local area to earn more money. Would others still provide their children with such a good education environment and care?
*****
Feng Liang was the first batch of people to take action when the twelve national policies were released. There were also people who were not in business or agriculture who actively joined the army to receive military training.
Some of them wanted to complete the stipulated time for this year's military training as soon as possible, while others wanted to practice guns. Usually, they could only see guns made of wood. It was satisfying to hold them in their hands or shoot out fireworks horizontally.
It was not easy to get the chance to touch a real gun. At the same time, they did not need to worry about being sent to the frontlines to fight right after they started training. Then, they would be beaten to death because they did not learn the basics well.
It would probably take them at least two years to learn. If they really needed to participate in the war, they would also have to undergo intensive and specialized training. Then, they would learn more and would not need to be afraid of dying when fighting with advanced weapons.
After Zhang Xiaobao released the twelve national policies, the entire Tang Empire's society began to quietly change in just a few days.
One after another, people who dared to gamble chose to be the team leader after the land was annexed. Furthermore, most people chose the second option, which was to lease the land and then farm it according to their own wishes.
At the same time, there were people who originally had a small workshop and hired a few people. Seeing that they had the support of the national policies, they began to expand their scale.
There were also people who were originally workers. When they saw the hope of earning a lot of money, they contacted a few people from the same hometown and started to recruit people to start their own workshops.
The Great Tang Bank was filled with people applying for loans. The officials were also busy helping the bank to verify the qualifications of the applicants.
There were also businessmen who were rich and wealthy who began to look for investment opportunities. They observed the land in various places and the existing workshops. Then, they asked the other party if they were willing to expand their production. If they were willing, they would be able to get a sum of money from the other party if the loan amount was not enough.
This money was not a loan shark, but an investment. The first type of distribution was shares, which meant that there would be dividends when the time came. The other type of distribution was based on a fixed number of months and years. When the amount reached a certain amount, there would no longer be a partnership.
Regardless of which type, the investor would have to bear the risk together with the person in charge of the land or the workshop.
Two days later, social problems began to erupt. A large portion of the land was annexed, and many people who were weak in farming lost their jobs. A large number of workshops were annexed, and if they were not easily annexed, they would be affected by the cost and close down in the future. Similarly, a large number of people lost their jobs.
Many people began to go to the designated places to take the examination for their work. When their rank was high, they would request for better treatment. Some people did not pass the examination, or because they did not have any skills in the past, they could only participate in training.
In the end, a scene that the officials and Li Longji did not expect occurred. They initially thought that Zhang Xiaobao's twelve national policies would cause a large number of people to lose their jobs, which would be a source of unrest for the country.
However, what they saw shocked them. It wasn't that many people lost their jobs, but that many people were unable to find workers.
Those who passed the examination had high expectations, so they would rather not do the work if the pay was too low. Those who did not have a rank were mostly participating in training. They did not want to lower their income due to a lack of skills, and there were also some who had reached the age to participate in military training.
For a moment, Great Tang's manpower shortage appeared, and many workshops and merchants were extremely anxious. They wanted to raise their wages, but they also had to calculate their own costs. If they wanted to raise the price of their products, they would have to consider the purchasing power of others. This was especially so when Zhang Xiaobao refused to allow the price to rise.
During the morning court session, Li Longji shouted to the officials below, "Xiao Bao is truly infuriating this Emperor. His detailed explanation did not mention what to do about this matter."
The officials remained silent. In any case, he was not talking about them, but Zhang Xiaobao. Only after he was done talking could they move on to the next step of the discussion.
"Speak. What did you all say at the start? You all said that there would be a large number of people losing their jobs, but what about now? You can't find any workers. Isn't that miraculous? Didn't you all think that you have learned very well? Now, I want you all to explain to this Emperor what went wrong. "
Of course, Li Longji couldn't possibly look for Zhang Xiaobao. It was too far away, and there was no point in sending a telegram. Wouldn't that mean that he had admitted defeat? How difficult was it to beat Xiao Bao? This was an opportunity. Could it be that none of his subordinates could think of a solution?
The officials remained silent. In any case, they would just hide as long as they weren't called.
The Minister of Revenue, Wang Bei, stepped forward and said, "This subject doesn't know why this situation happened, but this subject wants to say that the expenditure of the national treasury has increased recently. Training people is money, so is the evaluation. Also, the training of the recruited soldiers is also money. Due to the lack of manpower in the workshops and merchants, the flow of goods and cash will also decrease for a period of time. This subject is worried that there won't be enough money. "
Many people looked at Wang Bei and cursed him for lying through his teeth. How could the national treasury not have enough money? Even if there wasn't any income, it would still be enough to last for half a year. Furthermore, there was a steady flow of money into the national treasury.
Could it be that the things plundered from the battlefield weren't income? Zhang Xiaobao wasn't greedy. Could it be that the things he sold to Japan and other places weren't income?
Li Longji raised his eyebrows and stared at Wang Bei. Wang Bei felt his hair stand on end. Only then did he say, "Minister Wang, make a report. It needs to be detailed so that this Emperor can take a look."
Wang Bei was dumbfounded. Writing a report would be very troublesome, right?
Li Longji's eyes swept over everyone's faces. When he saw that Zhang Zhong's expression was normal, he thought for a moment and asked, "Minister Zhang, do you have anything to say?"
"Actually, this subject wants to say what Your Majesty said to this subject a few days ago." Zhang Zhong stepped forward.
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