New policies have appeared frequently in recent years. Although there have not been particularly major changes, everyone from ordinary people to officials, from merchants and gentry to scholars can feel the changes in the relationship itself.
Lu Luocai, who responded to the imperial court's decree and became a student because of his teaching and educating people; Li Zhengdong, who was promoted from a clerk to an official because of his hard work and was continuously promoted, are just a microcosm of the people in the Ming Dynasty.
The changes in the Ming Dynasty spread from the capital to the countryside and then to remote areas within a few years, and within a few years, they had spread to all parts of the country.
However, these changes were man-made, introduced by imperial power and implemented throughout the country under the supervision and oppression of harsh laws.
In addition to man-made disasters, natural disasters, which were the great disasters predicted by the emperor, marched heavily into the Ming Dynasty, with Shaanxi bearing the brunt.
In the seventh year of the Tianqi reign, Shaanxi (then part of Yan'an Prefecture) suffered a severe drought. By the beginning of the spring of the following year, there was still no sign of relief, and northern Shaanxi was the hardest hit.
"There has been no rain since last year, and the grass and trees have withered. This spring, there has still been no rain. Residents in the disaster-stricken areas have been gathering mountain weeds for food..."
It's already the eighth year of the Tianqi reign, and my life should be safe. Liaodong has been pacified, and now a great disaster has struck. The Ming Dynasty is truly in a turbulent time!
The emperor listened to the officials' reports and knew that the test of the Little Ice Age had finally arrived. Although it was only in Shaanxi at present, it would soon expand to the whole of Shaanxi.
Shaanxi, Henan, Zhili, Shandong, and even Jiangnan will be affected. It will take at least twenty years for the peak of the Little Ice Age to pass.
But in history, it took less than 20 years, but in the 17th year of Chongzhen, the Ming Dynasty was over!
"When there's a disaster, there's relief, but it's only for parts of Shaanxi, not all of Shaanxi, let alone all of North China. Why should we expect the people to eat weeds?"
The emperor's face was gloomy, and he did not hide his displeasure. His eyes were cold as he glanced at the ministers of His Highness.
"I predicted the coming of this great disaster long ago and issued instructions to all provinces, urging them to make every possible preparation. How is it that, when the disaster finally struck, they were caught completely off guard?"
The prediction of a major disaster and the order for all provinces, especially the northern provinces, to make full preparations were indeed not issued recently.
There were at least two or three years to store and transport grain for relief. The emperor certainly did not believe that the people would have to eat weeds and peel tree bark as soon as a major disaster struck.
Yuan Keli pondered for a moment, then stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, the Shaanxi Governor reported the disaster truthfully, and it's not that he didn't provide disaster relief. The people are gathering weeds for food, yet there's no widespread starvation. This is also the result of Your Majesty's wisdom and early arrangements."
Seeing Teacher Yuan's report, the emperor's expression softened slightly, and he slowly said, "Since this is the case, we must provide relief and prevent the people of the Ming Dynasty from suffering from hunger and cold, or even provoke a civil uprising."
Exempting disaster-stricken areas from taxes was the most common method used by the emperor. The money and grain taxes from several northern provinces were not sent to the capital, but were stored in warehouses on the spot. The stockpiles of two or three years could at least last for one or two years.
Even if it can only hold out for a year, the disaster is currently limited to certain provinces. Provinces like Henan, Zhili, and Shandong can still receive food aid from nearby.
Therefore, the emperor was very sure that the tragic scene of thousands of miles of barren land and uninhabited villages in history would not happen again.
Of course, the long duration of the disaster in Shaanxi and Henan still put pressure on the emperor.
Shaanxi was particularly affected by drought. During the 48 years of Emperor Wanli's reign, there were records of famine for 25 years. During the Chongzhen reign, famine occurred almost every year.
The emperor also knew that Shaanxi's frequent disasters were the result of ecological damage and over-exploitation of agriculture. However, damage is easy, but repairing it would take more than a decade or two.
With a slightly helpless sigh, the emperor continued, "In the northern provinces, except Shaanxi, the cultivation of corn and potatoes must be vigorously promoted. This disaster will sweep across several northern provinces, not just Shaanxi. Cold-resistant, drought-resistant, and high-yield crops are the key to surviving the disaster. Provincial governors should not neglect this."
In the north, people planted corn, potatoes, or rye, while in the south, they planted sweet potatoes. The ability to promote the planting of these cold-resistant and drought-resistant high-yield crops in advance was also the emperor's confidence in surviving major disasters.
"The work of relocating people must also be stepped up. The disaster in Shaanxi will alleviate the people's reluctance to leave their homeland. It's time to do so."
If the population in hard-hit areas like Shaanxi and Henan could be reduced, the pressure on the imperial court to transport grain and provide relief would also be reduced. At the same time, the people who migrated to other places could also farm and produce, which was much better than staying in the disaster area and being unable to produce and live.
The people of Shaanxi migrated to Guanzhong and Sichuan in an orderly manner, while the landless people in Henan, Zhili and Shandong migrated to Liaodong; the people in the south had three more places to choose from: Dongfan, Hainan and Mekong Province.
Migration was not only a response to major disasters, but also a way to resolve the social contradictions of a large population and limited land. The rise and fall of dynasties often resulted in land annexation and peasant uprisings, a fact the emperor knew.
Yuan Keli accepted the order and withdrew. As the Prime Minister, he would naturally take care of these tasks. Moreover, the disaster relief plans and measures had already been formulated, so there was no need to rush.
"Your Majesty," Minister of War Xiong Tingbi said, stepping out of his position. "Yang Zhaoji, the general commander of Yansui (present-day Yulin City), and his deputy general commander Mao Chenglu fought vigorously, defeating the banner taiji who were invading Lanzhou and killing thousands of enemies. The enemy chieftains have withdrawn their troops, and the border is now safe."
"Good." The emperor smiled, a rare gesture of praise, and then said, "Appoint Yang Zhaoji to the title of Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince, and Mao Chenglu to the rank of Assistant Governor. In addition, additional rewards will be given to officers and soldiers who have made meritorious contributions."
"Your humble servant obeys." Xiong Tingbi bowed and accepted the order, then continued, "Zhang Pan's troops, the frontline garrison commander of the Dongjiang garrison, have occupied the shipyard city, and their craftsmen have begun shipbuilding. Commander Mao Wenlong requests that the court allocate 200,000 silver coins in advance."
The so-called shipyard city is the later Jilin City. The Ming Dynasty government set up a shipbuilding base in Jilin City to strengthen the connection between Liaodong Dusi and Nurgan Dusi (Yuan Sanwanhu Mansion).
At the same time, it was also responsible for building ships to transport officers, soldiers, food, rewards and tributes, and used this place as a transfer station for the Indian Protection Army to transport officers, soldiers, food and tributes.
However, after the Battle of Tumu, the Shipyard City had already belonged to the Haixi Jurchens. The Ming army's advance to this point was both within the plan and made the emperor very pleased.
The emperor turned to the new Minister of Revenue, Bi Ziyan, and said, "The Ministry of Revenue may have difficulty in withdrawing all the silver."
Bi Ziyan bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the Ministry of Revenue has sufficient silver on hand, and the full amount of 200,000 silver coins can be transferred."
The emperor nodded, his face showing appreciation. He was finally relieved that he no longer had to pay out of his own pocket, even if it might be temporary.
"This year we will reach the shipyard city, sweep the surrounding areas, and manage them well to lay the foundation for progress next year." The emperor felt that it would be safer to build ships first and then move forward.
Advancing north and south, the Ming Dynasty had already bared its fangs for expansion. Obtaining land and resources through plunder was also an effective means of surviving major disasters.
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