Landlords are a very troublesome character for Zhu Ying, perhaps for Zhu Yuanzhang and the entire Ming Dynasty.

Although it is not as deeply rooted as an aristocratic family, it will gradually evolve into an aristocratic family over a long period of development.

The landlords in the early Ming Dynasty were mainly divided into two parts. One part was the new generation of landlords, whose ancestors were refugees from the Yuan Dynasty for generations. Refugees were a specialty of the Yuan Dynasty.

There is another type, which is the landlords in the Jiangnan region.

Zhu Yuanzhang's peasant uprising army did not conquer the entire territory of the Ming Dynasty, and many places were not actually overthrown by the uprising.

This key area is Jiangnan.

Jiangnan originally belonged to Zhang Shicheng's territory. Even now, in the 25th year of Hongwu, many landlords and gentry in Jiangnan still miss Zhang Shicheng in their hearts.

Zhu Yuanzhang has always been very wary of the Jiangnan region, as can be seen from the corruption, execution, and exile of officials.

Basically, when Zhu Yuanzhang saw the officials in the Jiangnan region committing crimes, he would subconsciously punish them more severely.

The distribution of merit will also be much lower.

For example, Liu Ji, also known as Liu Bowen, was from Zhejiang.

Zhu Yuanzhang called Liu Bowen "my Zifang", and there was a saying among the people that "Zhuge Liang divided the world into three parts, and Liu Bowen unified the country."

It can be seen that Liu Bowen's contribution to the Ming Dynasty was quite great.

However, because of Liu Bowen's native place in Jiangnan, when the great meritorious officials were conferred titles, Li Shanchang, who was equivalent to the logistics manager, was conferred the title of first-class duke.

Liu Ji, who had more fame, reputation and contributions, was conferred the title of third-class earl.

Liu Bowen is just a microcosm. Most officials from Jiangnan are in the same situation without exception.

After Qi Tai left, Zhu Ying took out a booklet from the bookshelf and started looking through it.

This booklet was given to him by the old man after they talked last time.

This records the situation of all the landlords in the Ming Dynasty.

Unlike other booklets, this one not only records the names of all the landlords, but also contains very detailed statistical data.

Even in the Ming Dynasty today, there are 14,341 landlords who own more than 700 acres of land.

This is a statistic accurate to the single digit.

If you flip through a few pages at random, you can see many scratches. Those whose names were crossed out are the landlords who have been dealt with by the old man.

It can be seen that 80% of the landlords who were dealt with were marked as having their place of origin in Jiangnan.

"It seems that Grandpa has been wary of landlords for a long time. No wonder he wasn't too surprised when I talked about land reform."

"Perhaps from the beginning, Grandpa already knew the harm of the landlord class, so he kept suppressing the landlords."

"Jiangnan, Jiangnan has the highest tax rate in the world. It seems that after so many years of heavy taxation, Jiangnan has always been a thorn in the side of the Ming Dynasty."

"We must find a way to remove this thorn."

Zhu Ying knew very well that in the entire Ming Dynasty, Jiangnan was the place with the heaviest taxation, and it could be said that it bore half of the tax revenue of the Ming Dynasty.

The fields of those landlords who were overthrown became government land and were then distributed to ordinary people.

Some people may wonder why, when Jiangnan was targeted so much, the number of people from Jiangnan was the smallest among the peasant uprisings in the Ming Dynasty.

Even in most of the Jiangnan region, there were no cases of rebellion.

Won’t these Jiangnan landlords unite?

Hey, if you have enough to eat, who would want to rebel?

If you want to rebel, the main force is not the landlords, but the poor common people.

Jiangnan is a land of fish and rice and the granary of the Ming Dynasty.

When the landlord shouted for rebellion, no one paid any attention. Before people could gather, the government had already come to encircle and suppress them. There were no conditions for a rebellion at all.

This is also why Zhu Yuanzhang dared to target the Jiangnan region so much.

Of course, the focus is on the landlords.

For example, in the three major cases of Hongwu mentioned above, wealthy families in the south were relocated, the admission rate of talented people from Jiangnan in the imperial examinations was reduced, and restrictions were placed on people from Jiangnan serving as officials in the court, especially the Ministry of Households, which was determined not to allow anyone with Jiangnan origin to enter.

However, even so, 80% of the more than 14,000 landlords who owned more than 700 acres of land in the book came from Jiangnan.

"Grandpa's village self-governance method is good, but it is still not enough for Jiangnan. Only by setting up a public security bureau in Jiangnan and enforcing it strictly can we slowly eradicate it."

"Grandpa was very far-sighted, but unfortunately he didn't do it thoroughly enough. His descendants were useless because he didn't continue the policy of suppressing Jiangnan and opened it up to them."

"If we follow the current method and continue to suppress the Jiangnan region, the Ming Dynasty can at least continue its reign for another hundred years."

Zhu Ying sighed with a hint of emotion, and a cold light flashed in his eyes.

Perhaps many people don’t seem to have much feeling about Jiangnan, but if you know, the Donglin Party, a political alliance in the late Ming Dynasty, was composed of officials headed by Jiangnan literati.

In addition to the Donglin Party, there were also the Zhejiang Party, Qi Party, Chu Party, Kun Party, Xuan Party and so on.

The so-called Donglin Party Dispute was a dispute between the Donglin Party and other factions throughout the Ming Dynasty, and it was also a dispute with the Eunuch Party.

This shows the strength of the Donglin Party and its level.

The Ming Dynasty, the dynasty with the most abundant silver in history, was eventually destroyed by a silver shortage.

Where did the money go?

In the hands of the Donglin Party.

At the end of the Ming Dynasty, the Donglin Party was in power.

No taxes could be levied on large landowners because they were the property of the Donglin Party.

No tax shall be levied on the mining industry because it is the property of the Donglin Party.

No tax shall be levied on commerce because it is the property of the Donglin Party.

Civil officials are valued over military officials. How many years of wages did the wealthy Donglin Party owe to the nine frontier military garrisons?

It was like a cycle. No matter how cruel Zhu Yuanzhang was to the Jiangnan region in the early Ming Dynasty, he was retaliated against in the late Ming Dynasty.

Jiangnan is very rich. The key to its wealth does not lie in the people, but in the prosperity created by the large-scale land annexation.

Most of the people had long since become tenants of landlords or long-term or short-term laborers.

"It seems that we have to go to Jiangnan. The Chamber of Commerce there is very restricted in other aspects except for the huge profits from Snowflake Salt. This is not acceptable."

…

Zhu Ying's arrangement for Qi Tai was conveyed to Zhu Yuanzhang.

Zhu Yuanzhang signed a document with a stroke of his pen, and Qi Tai was appointed as the imperial envoy.

At present, the arrangements made for the eldest grandson are basically approved directly by Zhu Yuanzhang.

At this time, an official came to report that the first batch of names of retired veterans had been submitted by the Ministry of War and the Five Military Governor's Office.

"Didn't we say that these things should be passed directly to our eldest grandson?"

Zhu Yuanzhang said with a frown.

This made the officials who came to deliver the message feel uneasy.

"Okay, just leave it here. It's time for dinner now, call your eldest grandson to have dinner together," Zhu Yuanzhang ordered.

"I obey your order." Liu He on the side accepted the order, then stepped back and went to Kunning Palace.

Zhu Ying, who was in Kunning Palace, was just about to go out to the Gunpowder Department.

He wanted to see how the matchlock gun had developed recently, and when he had gathered 3,000 of them, Zhu Ying was ready to start training.

Build the first musket barracks in Ming Dynasty and even in the world.

At this time, Liu He came over and said, "Your Highness, His Majesty has asked you to go to dinner with him. Please follow me."

Zhu Ying asked, "Grandpa is looking for me? What's the matter?"

Liu He bowed and replied, "Your Highness, an official just reported a list of names of retired veterans. Your Majesty should be discussing this with Your Highness."

Zhu Ying nodded when he heard this, and then he followed Liu He to the Huagai Palace.

In the Huagai Palace, Zhu Yuanzhang saw his grandson coming over and asked with a smile: "I feel like I've gained weight recently. It's mainly because the meals made by the chefs that grandson brought here are too delicious."

"Every time we eat, we always eat so much that we have to have an extra bowl of rice."

Hearing this, Zhu Ying looked at the dozen or so meat dishes on the table and couldn't help but say, "Grandpa has been eating too much greasy food recently, which is not good for his health."

"As for meat, you can eat more fish. The boiled fish fillets developed by chefs recently are very good. Chicken is also good."

"These pork belly and braised pork have a great taste, but they are not very good for your health. You should eat more green vegetables and bean juice, and eat less fatty meat."

Zhu Ying looked at the old man's increasingly big belly and couldn't help but comfort him.

The royal family had no shortage of food, especially Zhu Yuanzhang, who loved fish and meat the most.

The chefs brought by Zhu Ying are very particular about the preparation of the dishes. The same dish tastes several levels better after being cooked by them.

Zhu Yuanzhang now has a clearly visible double chin, and it’s only been a few months.

When Zhu Yuanzhang heard what his eldest grandson said, he asked curiously, "Grandson, you are quite knowledgeable about food?"

Zhu Ying paused for a moment and began to organize his words in his mind.

These simple truths are considered common sense in later generations, but in the current Ming Dynasty, there is not so much emphasis on them.

After all, those who can eat enough are still a minority, so who would bother to study how to eat less?

After a moment of hesitation, Zhu Ying said, "When my grandson was in the Western Regions, he knew an elderly Taoist priest. That Taoist priest loved to eat and was quite wealthy, so he was particularly picky about food."

"And he was very particular about health preservation. My grandson was curious at the time, so he asked a few more questions. The Taoist priest was not vague and told my grandson some superficial principles."

"I didn't really believe it at first, but then the Taoist priest told me that he had lived for more than a hundred years. I was amazed and began to believe it a little."

Zhu Yuanzhang was surprised when he heard this and said, "There is actually such a person. What is the name of this Taoist priest? I would like to get to know him."

Zhu Ying did not hesitate at this time and said directly: "This Taoist priest's surname is Zhang, and his name is Sanfeng."

When Zhu Yuanzhang heard the name, he couldn't help but exclaimed: "It turned out to be him!"

Zhu Yuanzhang not only knew Zhang Sanfeng, but last year, in the 24th year of Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang strengthened his control over Taoism in order to better manage Taoism in the world.

He sent some Taoists to visit Taoist temples all over the country, and specifically told the messengers: "If you have Zhang Xuanxuan, please invite him."

Zhang Sanfeng, whose real name was Junbao, also known as Quanyi, with the courtesy name Xuanxuan and the Taoist name Kunyang.

However, from last year to this year, there was no trace of Zhang Sanfeng at all, and Zhu Yuanzhang could do nothing about it.

Probably because Zhang Sanfeng was a Taoist priest, and his favorite thing to do was to travel.

The wanderings of Taoist priests are different from those of fortune tellers like Liu Rixin.

When Liu Rixin tells fortunes, he basically focuses on cities. He goes to crowded places where there are traces to be found.

People like Zhang Sanfeng always go to uninhabited deep mountains, many of which have never been even set foot on by anyone. If the government wants to investigate, they don't know where to start.

Even on Mount Wudang, it was normal for Zhang Sanfeng's disciples not to have heard from their master for several years.

Even if there is news, or news comes from somewhere, Zhang Sanfeng has appeared.

When I went to look for him again, he had already left and I didn't know where he went.

"Grandpa seems to know him?" Zhu Ying said with some surprise.

Of course, Zhu Ying had never seen Zhang Sanfeng. If he had really met such a divine figure, he would not even think about it and would have dragged him along.

In later generations, the name Zhang Sanfeng had already been deified, and Zhu Ying just brought it up to make up the story.

Zhu Yuanzhang said with some emotion: "If someone else said this, I would not believe it. Since it was said by Zhang Xuanxuan, there must be some truth in it."

"I would like to meet him. I issued an edict last year, but there has been no news so far. We really can't do anything about these Taoists who like to travel around."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Ying finally breathed a sigh of relief. He thought the old man was very familiar with Zhang Sanfeng.

After Zhu Yuanzhang finished speaking, he looked at the pork belly and braised pork on the table with a little nostalgia, then turned his head slightly and ordered:

"Listen to our eldest grandson. From now on, cross out all dishes related to these fatty meats from our menu, so that we won't be upset when we see them."

Between body and taste, Zhu Yuanzhang ultimately chose body.

Zhu Yuanzhang now has a promising life.

The eldest grandson has returned. He is so young and outstanding. He really wants to live longer.

Then he thought to himself, "Zhang Xuanxuan is so long-lived, why don't we learn from him? I don't mean to say I can live to be eighty or ninety, and watch my eldest grandson give birth to a great-grandson for me, that's enough."

The pork belly and braised pork on the table were taken away. Zhu Ying sat opposite the old man and started to eat together.

There is no such rule as not talking while eating. Zhu Yuanzhang did not have such a rule.

The grandfather and grandson started chatting while they were eating.

"Where are you going to arrange for those retired soldiers? I just checked the total number. There are more than 30,000 people on the first list."

Zhu Yuanzhang asked directly.

Zhu Ying replied: "My grandson plans to relocate all these soldiers to the Jiangnan area first. If my grandson is not mistaken, most of these soldiers are from the Duke of Liang and are mainly from Huaixi."

Zhu Yuanzhang drank some soy milk and said with a smile: "It seems that all this is under the control of the eldest grandson. No wonder the eldest grandson did not participate too much in the selection of people and directly handed it over to the Duke of Liang and others to operate."

"Yes, I just took a quick look at the words, and 70 to 80 percent of them are our old soldiers from Huaixi. I am even familiar with many of their names. They are all old brothers who fought with me to establish the country."

Zhu Ying smiled and replied, "Jiangnan is a good place with outstanding people and rich land. These old soldiers from Huaixi will naturally not have a bad life if they go there."

"Besides, they are all from Huaixi, so they can help each other and it is difficult for them to be bribed by the wealthy merchants and gentry in Jiangnan. This will help implement the will of the court in all parts of Jiangnan."

"Especially the Public Security Bureau, which is directly connected with the people below. It is the easiest to control the situation in Jiangnan, especially some bully landlords."

Zhu Yuanzhang agreed with this. Although the number of Jinyiwei in the Jiangnan region was the largest outside the capital, the powers of the Jinyiwei organization also had corresponding restrictions.

In this way, the Public Security Bureau directly divided the power of the county magistrate, which was equivalent to half of the county magistrate acting, which was completely different.

"Those wealthy businessmen in Jiangnan have always been a headache for me, but things are a little better now. They really made me angry before."

"Grandson, remember this: as far as Jiangnan is concerned, Suzhou Prefecture and Songjiang Prefecture are the two places that need your special attention."

"Perhaps your grandson has not checked the annual revenue of the national treasury at the Ministry of Revenue. Just these two prefectures account for 30% of the annual tax revenue of our Ming Dynasty. It is simply unbelievable."

"This 30% is only possible because we have acquired a large amount of official land there. This is far from all the land in Su and Song. It can be even higher."

Zhu Yuanzhang's tone was somewhat emotional and a little fearful.

These two places are Zhang Shicheng’s strongholds.

It was only after Zhu Yuanzhang confiscated a large amount of land from landlords that he understood why Zhang Shicheng was so unmotivated and indulged in pleasure all day long.

It seems that the food crisis and financial crisis have nothing to do with him.

What Zhang Shicheng could see there was a scene of peace and prosperity.

Zhu Ying was also a little shocked when he heard this.

The two prefectures accounted for 30% of the taxes in the Ming Dynasty. No wonder the old man kept imposing taxes on the entire Jiangnan region, and the taxes became heavier every year.

The relationship has tasted the sweetness.

However, under such heavy pressure, Zhu Ying's original idea of ​​continuing to vigorously suppress the Jiangnan region had some changes.

Because under such circumstances, Jiangnan was definitely in constant decline, and its prosperous scene was greatly reduced.

The old man kept executing literati, wealthy businessmen, and landlords in the south of the Yangtze River.

Zhu Ying felt it was too wasteful.

"Grandpa, there are many educated people in Jiangnan, and Annan is the most in need of education. Why not exempt all the death penalty in Jiangnan and exile them to Annan? What do you think, Grandpa?"

In today's Ming Dynasty, the registered population is only over 60 million, and the actual population is definitely less than 100 million.

The policy of equalizing the land tax can only be truly implemented after crops such as sweet potatoes, potatoes, and corn are widely spread in various regions of the Ming Dynasty.

Otherwise, it would be useless if you have too many children but don’t have enough food to eat.

In Zhu Ying's view, these talented people, literati and wealthy businessmen in Jiangnan are the best exports.

Especially overseas trade, the vassal kings are definitely not good at it, and they still need businessmen who understand business to develop overseas vassal states.

As for the disasters outside the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Ying said that in the future there will be a king's army to rescue them.