Brother Song Taizu

Chapter 231 Young Master Zhao Pays for Tonight's Consumption

In fact, as soon as this buddy opened his mouth, Zhao Guangmei almost knew what he was going to say. Of course, the New Deal is not perfect. When a country as a whole is moving forward, it is impossible for every individual to keep up.

Any development comes with costs.

Even in modern society, the country's rapid development often means that farmers' assets shrink rapidly, or even become worthless, let alone the Song Dynasty?

Sure enough, Liu Jifeng smiled and said: "I remember two or three years ago, even in Kaifeng, a good meal and a little wine in a restaurant usually cost no more than [-] cents. What about now? Don't say that. It costs fifty cents. If you eat two pieces of meat, you may not be able to stop yourself even if you eat a hundred cents, not to mention the housing prices. In the past, renting a single room in Kaifeng City for a month was not enough money. Now, three cents is enough. You can’t even rent it, and it’s even more exaggerated to buy it. House prices have increased by nearly ten times!”

Zhang Ling'er said angrily: "What you said is wrong. The price of food has increased because the New Deal changed the way agricultural taxes are collected. Your Highness means to let the cities feed back the countryside and realize the common prosperity of the Song Dynasty. The reason why the rent is high is because of the influx of people from other places into Kaifeng." There are too many people working, and things are scarce and expensive. House prices are rising because... because... uh uh... But in short, although prices have become higher, workers' incomes have also greatly increased, and rural people do not need to Pay taxes and don’t have to do corvee anymore.”

Hearing this, the man burst into laughter and said, "Yes, yes, that's the truth. You are right. However, our family is in a miserable state. My family is a farming and studying family, and we rely entirely on the rent of a few acres of thin farmland at home." That day, we were in Jinan Prefecture again, which was the earliest and best place to implement the New Deal besides Kaifeng. It turned out that the rent income from the cultivated land could earn about [-] yuan per mu, and the family could earn two to three hundred yuan a year, and There are countless grain harvests, plus some side jobs, and the income is usually more than [-] yuan."

"Four hundred guan a year is certainly not a wealthy person, but in a place like Jinan Prefecture, it is enough to keep our family well-fed, allowing my brother and I to study and live a wealthy life."

"However, since the imperial court implemented the New Deal, the income from land rent has been falling again and again. Last year, each mu of land could only be rented out for 100 cents. This year, I heard that land subsidies were given, but if you really want to rent it, it will only be [-] cents." I can rent for [-] yuan, but after a whole year, the family's income is only more than [-] yuan. The income has shrunk significantly, but the prices have increased significantly. Especially since I am studying in Kaifeng, the expenses are even more huge. What do you think? , is this new policy hurting me?"

When Zhang Ling'er heard this, she was really speechless for a moment, and was a little confused for a moment.

Because in his impression, the New Deal brought benefits to the people. Everyone he came into contact with was grateful to the New Deal and respected the couple to the core. However, this was the first time he saw people who were made poor by the New Deal.

Couldn't help but look at Zhao Guangmei.

Zhao Guangmei was very calm, because what this person just said did not surprise him at all.

Because the New Deal targets the landlord class.

In ancient books, you can often see the so-called "farming and reading" family members. These four words often describe poor families, but in fact, in the hometown, those who can cultivate and study and pass on family members are pure landlords.

The so-called farming, reading and family inheritance refers to renting out the land at home and using the rent to study. Of course, some small landowners will leave a piece of land to cultivate it themselves, but in essence, they are using the means of production instead of labor force. .

What the ancients called "poor scholars" is actually mostly this kind of people. It does not mean that they are really poor, but it depends on who they are compared with. How can the real working people at the bottom have the opportunity to be literate? No matter how cheap the books are, how can they really do farm work during the day and read poetry and books at night? Anyone who thinks this way must have never done farm work.

In the ancient society, there were no agricultural machinery. If anyone could still have the perseverance to study after returning home after working all day, and still be able to study well and become a scholar, that would be almost a superhuman will.

But Zhao Guangmei had to admit that this kind of people were actually the real foundation of the feudal dynasty, and even the Song Dynasty was no exception. Why did Zhao Guangmei clean up all the local officials in the world, but the civil servants in the world were still vaguely related to him? An enemy?
Because the vast majority of the civil servants in the world are really this kind of people. The lower the officials are, the more they are like them. After a group of them were kicked out, they will still be replaced by this kind of people. The imperial examination will be added next year. , when the time comes, most of the people who get the honors in the examination will definitely be this kind of people. They are the real foundation of the feudal dynasty. When they study, they are the scholars of the court, and when they serve in the army, they are the legendary sons of good families. Throughout the dynasties, as long as this kind of people If there are many people, the dynasty will definitely prosper. As the land is annexed and there are fewer and fewer such people, the dynasty will perish.

But under Zhao Guangmei's New Deal, this kind of family is actually the one who has suffered the most.

On the contrary, the big landowners suffered relatively small losses and even benefited. As long as the person in charge of the family was not a stubborn old man, they took out all the old money hidden in the land for hundreds of years and took the tenants with them. It's easy to make a fortune by doing some business. Even if it doesn't work out, you can simply use leverage to buy a house in the city and live off the rent.

Collecting land rent and house rent are both rent collections, so this is not considered a career change.

The same cannot be said for small landowners. Those around Kaifeng are better off, and those farther away from Kaifeng are basically unable to escape the fate of their families. Naturally, this person represents not just himself. I am afraid that most of the people in Taixue All the foreign students are similar to him.

Of course, Pang Ran shouldn't be as shameless as him, and he was quite comfortable eating and drinking.

Zhao Guangmei wants to use the citizen class to replace the small landlord class as the foundation of the country, but unfortunately, at least so far, the growth rate of the citizen class is actually far from enough. If it is accelerated, it will be counterproductive.

However, Zhao Guangmei asked: "So from Xiongtai's standpoint, he must be against the New Deal and the King of Qin?"

"Of course not. My family has become increasingly poor under the New Deal. This is our family's misfortune. As far as the country is concerned, the New Deal has more benefits than disadvantages after all. Although His Highness is not comprehensive, for most people, he is a Good prince, my Song Dynasty is now prosperous in national power. Isn’t it all the result of your highness?”

"Oh?"

Zhao Guangmei turned her head with great interest and asked, "Where is the merit? Don't you feel that the rituals are ruined and the music is ruined?"

"It's true that the etiquette has collapsed... It's true that the tenant farmers in our family, for example, have become less practical. Young people don't want to farm the land properly. Many people are thinking about going to the city to work, and then they can't figure it out. Or if you can't find a good job and come back, you are half-hearted and not serious about your work. Our family definitely didn't use this kind of sharecropper before, but now, it can't be used anymore, and it can't be beaten or scolded. , if they feel wronged, they will go to the city to work again. Brother, do you think this is a breakdown of etiquette and music?"

Zhao Guangmei thought for a while, then nodded and said: "According to traditional Confucianism, this is actually a collapse without a doubt. After all, the vast number of scriptures in Confucianism is actually the core and core political thought, which is just one sentence: Let the common people farm the land in a down-to-earth manner.”

"Yes, the common people now are not willing to farm, so this is indeed the collapse of rituals and music. But if that is the case, I think it is good that the collapse of rituals and music is good. Since Yao and Shun, there has never been anything like this in the world. A court that does not collect taxes from farmers, does not make people do corvee work, but instead returns money to farmers? This is your highness, founded by the Song Dynasty, a prosperous age that has not been seen in 3000 years! You and I are lucky to be able to live in such a prosperous age, what if it were the other way around? Obsessed with small profits? We should be Dapeng!"

Hearing this, Zhao Guangmei was quite pleased. She laughed and asked the waiter to add another bottle of wine to them.

However, he may have been excited in the end, and he actually attracted others. One of them came over and sat down with a bottle of wine and said: "Brother, if you say this is different, if etiquette and music collapse, the people will not be like the people, and the officials will not be like the people." Like an official, the king is not like a king. This will inevitably lead to the failure of the country. Just like the prosperity of Kaifeng, although it is indeed heaven and earth, but who dares to say that this is not a dream? His Highness the King of Qin is certainly a wise and powerful person. , However, there are people who are eager for success and are eager to achieve great results. How can we scholars only look at the advantages of the New Deal and not the disadvantages of the New Deal?" After he finished speaking, Liu Jifeng had not refuted, but another person beside him came. The man stood up and said loudly: "Oh? But I don't know what the disadvantages of the New Deal are? My family is also a farming and studying family, and suffered heavy losses under the New Deal. However, as this brother said, in such a prosperous era, we should be Dapeng, our ancestors have earned a family fortune for us and our descendants, and we have to go through all the obstacles and obstacles. Now in Kaifeng, in this world, there are opportunities and vitality everywhere. If we study literature, we can make a living for the people. We, etc. If you join the army, you can make great achievements. Even if you study engineering, you can also become what His Highness refers to as a scientist. I, the Song Dynasty, have never seen such a prosperous age in the past. Like you, I am short-sighted and only focus on the one-third of an acre under my feet. The mediocre people of this land simply wasted their lives in this prosperous age and wasted their time as a scholar!"

After saying that, another person stood up and said with a sneer: "What a prosperous age that has never happened before. What do you call a prosperous age? Is it money? Since the New Deal, the king is not the king, the minister is not the minister, the father is not the father, the son is not the son." , a child disobeys his father, a student disobeys his teacher, a wife disobeys her husband, or even is a promiscuous person, colluding with others and committing adultery, isn't that rare?"

"That's right, isn't the so-called New Deal just about money? Money, money, money is everywhere. Everyone, there is a folk proverb in Kaifeng today. It is called a rich man, but a man without money is difficult. The poor can't hook the steel hook on the busy streets. When it comes to the flesh and blood of close relatives, the rich hide themselves in their bodies so that they can't beat away the unjust guests and friends with swords, guns and sticks. This society now only recognizes money. For money, wives can sleep with others and brothers can kill each other. Such a prosperous age is really Is it prosperous?"

Another person stood up and said: "Brother, what you said is wrong. As the saying goes, you can only know etiquette if you are practical. What you just said may be true. However, under the New Deal, people are healthy and prosperous, the court vigorously promotes education, and the people can Most of the people are literate, and the common people know etiquette, understand the law, and are willing to help others. Isn't this the way of a prosperous age of etiquette and music? You keep saying that etiquette and music have collapsed, but before the New Deal, what happened to this great world? How many people know the etiquette, and how many can listen to the music? The New Deal is the real etiquette and music in the world."

…………

One after another, countless students stopped memorizing poems or watching pole dancing, and joined in this big debate one after another. It turned out to be much more lively than just talking about poems, lyrics, and songs, and some even got red-faced in the argument. .

Seeing this, Zhang Ling'er couldn't help but open her mouth and look confused.

Zhao Guangmei remained calm, eating food and drinking wine, watching the two groups becoming more and more noisy, and actually found it interesting.

He also thinks this thing is much prettier than pole dancing.

The key is that he has seen too much pole dancing, and the level is too high. The dances he watches now are all customized, even the legendary Demon Flying Dance.

It's just that he doesn't like to watch it all the time. Watching too much can lead to kidney deficiency.

It's not enough for Zhang Ling'er and Xiao Chuo not to pay the public food.

Ok……

In fact, with Zhang Ling'er and Xiao Chuo taking advantage of him, the nine concubines and a lot of dancing girls he married at home could only be used to watch most of the time.

Hey~ Marriage, what exactly does it bring to men?
Why do I have to find the right woman?
There are two of them who are very cute.

It's not even a fuel-efficient lamp.

Turning his head, he saw Zhang Linger dumbfounded and asked with a smile: "Why, are you surprised?"

"I really don't know that there are so many people in this world who are so opposed to the New Deal, and..."

"And you think what they said makes sense?"

"Yeah. It's just that I have never encountered anyone saying this in my daily life. Doesn't anyone dare to tell me?"

Zhao Guangmei explained with a smile: "That's not necessarily because I'm afraid of you, but because most of the people you come into contact with on a daily basis should be Kaifeng locals, or at worst, they are also rich and powerful people from other places. People, to put it bluntly, are all rentiers. It is impossible for the people in Kaifeng and surrounding areas to oppose the New Deal, because the housing prices in Kaifeng have increased by more than seven or eight times. Even if it is the only house that can never be sold, at least the owner of that house is now With a huge fortune, I can live happily even if I don’t sell it.”

"Most of the things in this world are a matter of standpoint. People who like the New Deal will naturally find many benefits of the New Deal. People who don't like the New Deal will naturally see only problems. But today, Most of the students who are able to hold poetry gatherings in this food stall should really come from out of town. People from the small landlord class who farm and study and pass down family traditions, that is, the losers of the New Deal, can stand up to each other like this. It seems I am very satisfied if nearly half of the people still support the New Deal. If so, my New Deal will definitely be successful."

After that, he still watched them debate happily.

Seeing that in the end, even the group that supported the New Deal seemed to have the upper hand, Zhao Guangmei became even more joyful, and called the waiter to whisper a few words. The waiter nodded, and then happily announced: "Everything in the shop tonight The consumption will be paid by Mr. Zhao~!"

Everyone was stunned when they heard this, and then they stopped arguing and stepped forward one by one to toast and make friends with him.

However, a man with a scar on his face suddenly appeared from the crowd. He suddenly grabbed Zhao Guangmei's shoulders, lifted him up, and said gloomily: "Brother, you seem to be very rich."

Zhao Guangmei was stunned for a moment, then nodded and said: "You are indeed very rich. Do you have any advice?"

"It's nothing. I'm too tight lately, so I wanted to ask you to borrow some money to spend."

"Your Excellency, do you want to rob me?"

When I turned around again, I saw that there were dozens of people in the food stall. When they saw the scar-faced man coming, none of them dared to stand up for him. Instead, they all hid far away.

(End of this chapter)