My aunt is Queen Ma

Chapter 135 So poor they sold their children
Not enough money?

Ma Yu was very surprised: "Don't you know how the imperial court pays salaries to its officials?"

Zhu Biao said somewhat speechlessly, "I know, they've always paid salaries in the form of money, grain, and cloth."

His unspoken thought was, "How could I, as the crown prince, not know about something so crucial?"

Ma Yu rubbed his temples and said, "Is it possible that distributing money and grain was not the norm, but rather a temporary measure?"

A stopgap measure?

Zhu Biao looked bewildered: "What do you mean?"

Ma Yu realized that he genuinely didn't know, and couldn't help but shake his head repeatedly. How could Brother Biao, as the Crown Prince, not even have studied this...

But thinking about it, it's normal. After all, they're still young and have so much to learn.

It is normal for oversights to occur in some areas.

From the time Zhu Yuanzhang established his base in Yingtian until now, the salaries of officials have always been in the form of money, grain, and cloth.

Zhu Biao had been used to it since childhood, and thought that this was the normal way for officials to receive salaries.

"In fact, the form of paying officials' salaries was different in different periods."

Zhu Biao was very surprised. This thing was different too?

He naturally knew what a salary meant, and quickly asked for clarification:
"Please give me your guidance, cousin."

Ma Yu thought for a moment and said, "Although money has existed for a long time, China has always been short of money."

"There were many types of coins during the pre-Qin period, but they were few in number."

"Only the upper class used money; the lower class mostly still used barter."

Zhu Biao nodded. He did know this. Not to mention the pre-Qin period, cloth was the legal tender in the Tang Dynasty.

Bartering is still very common today.

To put it bluntly, it's all because of the money shortage. His father has complained about the money shortage more than once.

Unfortunately, we haven't come up with any good solutions yet.

"During the pre-Qin period, money was scarce, and various political systems were also incomplete."

"Based on the circumstances at the time, the ancients established a salary system that was most suitable for the situation at that time."

"The stipends of great nobles came from fiefs, which is the secondary feudal system mentioned earlier."

"The imperial court would grant a county or a city to its own descendants or meritorious officials as a fief."

"Minor officials are not qualified to be feudal, nor are they qualified to own fiefs."

"But the central government will allocate a piece of land to them, and the wealth produced on this land will become the officials' salaries."

"This thing is similar to the later 'official field'."

Zhu Biao immediately became interested: "This method is good. It saves a lot of time and effort compared to directly distributing money and grain."

Ma Yu said, "This system was in line with the level of productivity at the time."

Officials' salaries were paid monthly by the Ministry of Revenue. This was manageable when the territory was small, as officials were able to receive their salaries on time.

Countries with vast territories are in trouble.

For example, it would take more than half a year for officials to travel from Yunnan to the capital and back. How were their salaries paid?
The official land system was indeed the most suitable system at the time, as salaries came directly from the official land, saving people the trouble of going back and forth.

However, job fields are not all good; they also have a cruel side.

“Official lands are indeed more convenient for the imperial court, but they are a disaster for the common people.”

"For example, officials would designate certain households to cultivate the designated fields, and these households would become slaves in effect."

"For example, some officials would forcibly seize the land surrounding their official fields in order to embezzle the people's farmland."

"For example, in order to earn more money, officials would forcibly stipulate that 70% to 80% of the land owned by the government should be paid as rent."

"Tenants who cultivate the designated land work hard all year round, but in the end, they still end up losing money."

"For officials, the official land also carries great risks."

What should we do if we encounter natural disasters or man-made calamities that reduce or destroy our harvest?

"Moreover, the land takes at least six months to produce anything. Where do the officials get the money for food, clothing, and lodging during this period?"

"When you have no money, greed becomes inevitable."

"It can be said that the drawbacks of the job field are very significant."

Zhu Biao thought about it and realized it was indeed true, and couldn't help but feel a little ashamed:
"I underestimated things. What happened next?"

Ma Yu comforted you, saying, "It's normal that you don't understand this for the first time since you first heard about Zhitian."

“The ancient sages did not foresee these drawbacks at the beginning.”

"It was only after a long period of development and witnessing the harm firsthand that we realized the drawbacks of the job field."

"With the development of the times, the initial tax on land ownership was established during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, and the tax system was gradually improved."

"Officials' salaries gradually changed from simply receiving land as their official land to receiving both land as their official land and money, grain, and cloth."

“In areas with convenient transportation, the imperial court will directly distribute salaries.”

“In remote areas, the system of designated land ownership will continue to be used.”

"By the Han Dynasty, the system of official land grants was completely abolished, and the system of paying salaries in cash, grain, and cloth was adopted."

"However, due to factors such as transportation, directly distributing money and grain is still very inconvenient."

"For example, some officials in remote areas may only receive their salary once every six months or so."

"And some officials' salaries just disappeared without a trace."

"In short, the accounts for officials' salaries are extremely chaotic."

"However, in any case, the Han Dynasty's system of money, grain, cloth, and salary provided ample experience for future generations."

"By the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, due to the reduced land yield caused by the cold period, the grain was no longer able to support the huge population."

"Moreover, with the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the imperial court lost control of the local areas and could no longer collect taxes smoothly."

"Therefore, during the reign of Emperor Xian of Han, Cao Cao, who actually held the power of the state, restored the official land system."

"Officials were allocated official land to cultivate according to their rank."

"This system has continued ever since."

"During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, with the unification of the country, the population experienced explosive growth."

“The area around the capital is the most prosperous, with a large population and little land. The court does not have enough land around the capital to allocate to officials as official land.”

"So it was changed to a parallel system in which officials in the capital paid money and grain, while local officials continued to be given official land."

"The situation was similar in the Song Dynasty. In wealthy areas with convenient transportation, money and grain were distributed directly."

“In remote and inconvenient areas, continue to allocate official land.”

"The Yuan Dynasty's system was very chaotic, but in terms of officials' salaries, it still followed the Tang and Song systems."

Zhu Biao asked in confusion, "Then why does the Ming Dynasty distribute money, grain, and cloth, but not official land?"

Ma Yu explained, "I guess it's because there wasn't enough land to allocate to the officials."

In times of war, land is basically lost and then regained, only to be lost again.

The only place they could stably occupy was Yingtian.

However, Yingtian was Zhu Yuanzhang's lifeline, so naturally he couldn't give the land there to officials as official land.

Other places are unstable and can be lost at any time. Even if the land is allocated to officials as official land, people are unwilling to accept it.

Distributing money, grain, and cloth became the best solution.

It was a stopgap measure during times of war.

Zhu Biao suddenly realized: "I understand now. Now that the Ming Dynasty has unified the world, will it also adopt the official land system?"

Ma Yu nodded and said, "Once the world is truly stable, your father will most likely reinstate the land system."

Historically, Zhu Yuanzhang reinstated the official land system in the tenth year of the Hongwu reign.

However, as Zhu Di became emperor, many of the Ming Dynasty's systems began to change, and the official land system was gradually phased out.

It is impossible to verify exactly when it was abolished.

However, it is certain that the official land system was abolished in the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Biao nodded, and after pondering for a long time, he said:

"I believe that the benefits of restoring the official land system outweigh the drawbacks at present."

Ma Yu raised an eyebrow and asked, "Oh, why?"

Zhu Biao explained, "The official land system does have many drawbacks, but its advantages are too prominent."

It directly helped the imperial court solve the problem of officials' salaries, alleviating financial pressure.

The Ming Dynasty had just unified the country, and its economy had not yet recovered. Its finances were very unhealthy and unable to afford the salaries of officials and soldiers.

"Now the Ming Dynasty is vast and sparsely populated, with enough land to be allocated as official fields."

"After twenty or thirty years, when the economy prospers and the court's finances improve, we will decide whether to switch to paying salaries in cash and grain, depending on the situation."

"Moreover, with the adoption of the official land system, the restoration of the local official system that you just mentioned will have a basis for implementation." Ma Yu smiled and said, "That's right, your idea is very pragmatic. Special times call for special methods."

"Not only can the salaries of officials be covered by the land system, but the same applies to military pay."

Zhu Biao's heart skipped a beat, and he said, "The Fubing system?"

Ma Yu nodded and said, "Yes, the Fubing system."

"Now the Ming Dynasty has a lot of land and a small population, enough to implement the Fubing system."

“Especially in the north where the population is sparse, we previously discussed carrying out population migration to balance the population of the two places.”

"But large-scale migration of people will inevitably cause a backlash."

"Implementing the Fubing system would avoid many troubles."

"The families of soldiers from the south were relocated to the north, and the imperial court allocated land to them for settlement."

“The soldiers of the garrison provide their own weapons and provisions, so the imperial court can feed a million-strong army without wasting a single grain of rice.”

"During the Zhenguan era, the national treasury received more than three million strings of cash and grain annually, and the court still had a surplus, largely thanks to the system of official land and military service."

"Moreover, the fighting strength of the Fubing (府兵) ranks among the top three throughout history."

"If the Ming Dynasty wants to achieve even greater success and there will be more battles to fight in the future, implementing the Fubing system can be said to be a win-win situation."

The fighting power of the local militia far exceeded that of the recruited soldiers, and the reason is simple.

Fubing refers to soldiers who were allocated several hundred acres of land at once when they joined the army.

With the land secured, our descendants will be protected; even if we die in battle the next day, it won't matter.

This means they have no worries about the future.

To put it bluntly, the Fubing system was essentially using a certain amount of land to buy out the lives of soldiers in one go.

It was agreed upon on the day I joined the army.

Signing up to become a soldier in the government forces meant accepting this deal.

As for whether anyone will sign up, there's absolutely no doubt about it.

If the imperial court were to truly grant soldiers hundreds of acres of land, the lines of people signing up would stretch from the North Pole to the South Pole.

Never doubt the importance of land in the hearts of the Chinese people.

So from the day they joined the army, everyone was mentally prepared to die.

Moreover, they can gain promotions and even titles through military merit, thus changing the fate of their families.

Therefore, they are more compliant with military law and discipline, and are willing to fight and die, often unleashing powerful combat capabilities.

During the height of the Tang Dynasty, a few hundred soldiers from the local militia dared to charge against enemy troops numbering in the thousands or tens of thousands, and the key was that they could still win.

However, when the Fubing system collapsed and the Tang Dynasty began to implement a conscription system, its combat effectiveness plummeted.

During the reign of Emperor Dezong of Tang, there were even instances of Tang troops and local warlord soldiers staging plays to defraud the imperial court of its provisions and pay.

The reason is simple: recruited soldiers are paid on a monthly basis.

Once you're dead, you're dead; you've lost everything.

Therefore, everyone cherishes their life.

To put it bluntly, why risk your life for just a few liters of rice a month?

Their combat strength is naturally not very high.

Therefore, implementing the Fubing system in the early Ming Dynasty was a very good choice.

"But the Fubing system can only last for fifty years at most, and even after twenty or thirty years, it will have to be transformed into a volunteer system in a planned way."

"We absolutely cannot wait until the Fubing system completely collapses before we start thinking about reforming it."

Zhu Biao nodded repeatedly: "Thirty years is enough."

"Using the Fubing system first will not only alleviate the financial pressure on the imperial court, but also help to adjust the population distribution."

"After thirty years, when the population has grown, we will implement a government-funding system."

“Recruit soldiers to guard various places to maintain internal stability, or go to important towns to be responsible for defense work, while the militia are mainly responsible for offense.”

"Then gradually phase out the local militia and replace them all with recruits."

"The system of official lands can also be implemented in the same way, and the official lands can be used to alleviate the financial pressure first."

"After twenty or thirty years, when the economy is prosperous and the court is wealthy, the official land system will be gradually abolished, and money and grain will be distributed instead, with the capital region as the center."

Ma Yu praised, "Your Highness is wise."

Zhu Biao's ability to grasp the intricacies of the matter so quickly demonstrates his exceptional learning and comprehension skills.

"However, abolishing the official land system is not so simple and requires further consideration."

Zhu Biao nodded to indicate that he understood.

The territory of the Ming Dynasty will be very vast, and the distribution of salaries will become very complicated.

The biggest challenge was how to ensure that salaries were delivered to officials in a timely manner.

If this problem cannot be solved, no matter how much money the imperial court has, it will be useless, and the official land system cannot be truly abolished.

But how do we solve this problem...?

Ma Yu smiled and said, "Your Highness, you can think about this question when you have some free time."

Zhu Biao immediately knew that Ma Yu already had a plan.

However, since he said that, it means he doesn't want to reveal the answer now.

So he didn't ask any further questions, but instead said:

"Okay, I'll think about this carefully when I get back, and hopefully I can find a solution."

Ma Yu nodded, then remembered another question and said:

"Persuade your father to raise the salaries of the officials."

Zhu Biao was taken aback, clearly not expecting him to bring up this topic:
"Are officials' salaries really that low these days? I've never heard anyone say that."

Ma Yu sighed, "With your father's temper, who dares to say anything?"

"Let me put it this way: the salary your father paid to the officials was barely enough to eat."

Zhu Biao scratched his head: "Isn't this enough?"

Ma Yu was speechless; this child had been spoiled by his father.
"When the granaries are full, people know etiquette; when they are well-fed and clothed, they know honor and shame."

"This statement can also be interpreted in another way: when people have enough food and clothing, they will naturally pursue etiquette and will care more about honor and shame."

"Once officials are well-fed and clothed, they will inevitably have some additional pursuits."

"For example, playing the zither, chess, calligraphy and painting, visiting friends and making friends, and social interactions are things that cannot be avoided in human nature."

"I won't go into how important interpersonal relationships are to officials, especially."

Zhu Biao nodded in understanding, saying that even ordinary people, let alone officials, need to maintain social relationships.

Whether it's other hobbies or social obligations, money is required.

Thinking about this, he understood why Ma Yu said that officials' salaries were low.

It was indeed very low, so low that it was enough to barely make ends meet, and there was no point in even thinking about anything else.

But officials need to maintain social relationships, so what can they do?
The answer is simple: greed.

At this point, Ma Yu added, "Raising salaries cannot eliminate corruption, but it can make honest officials live better lives."

"We cannot allow honest officials to bleed and weep."

In the original world, during the Hongwu era, there was an official named Zeng Bingzheng who was honest, upright, and highly capable during his tenure.

Zhu Yuanzhang greatly admired him and planned to promote him to a central government position.

However, he was so honest and incorruptible that he didn't even have the money for the trip to Beijing.

But he couldn't say that his salary was too low to afford travel expenses, as that would be tantamount to criticizing the monarch.

Therefore, he could only express his desire to take a local position in a roundabout way.

Zhu Yuanzhang was furious at being rejected. He said, "If you don't want to come to the capital to take up a post, then don't bother."

So they dismissed him.

Zeng Bingzheng didn't explain, and just packed his bags to go back to his hometown.

However, upon closer inspection, they realized they didn't even have enough money for the journey home, so they had no choice but to sell their four-year-old daughter to raise the travel expenses.

When Zhu Yuanzhang found out, he was furious. "Aren't you slapping me in the face?"
So Zeng Bingzheng was killed.

Zeng Bingzheng was certainly wrong to sell his daughter, but this incident illustrates just how low the salaries were in the Ming Dynasty.

It's true, in the Ming Dynasty, being an honest official meant being prepared to starve to death.

Ma Yu naturally didn't want such a thing to happen again. Since the issue of salary had been brought up, he decided to address it at the same time.

"Moreover, the low salaries gave officials an excuse to be corrupt."

“If their salaries are increased, the court will have a stronger basis for punishing them if they continue to engage in corruption.”

(End of this chapter)