Di Yusen naturally did not believe everything Liu Renxiang said.

Of course, Liu Renxiang himself did not tell the truth.

Twenty-two years have passed. All those who had any relationship with Prime Minister Hu have died, but I am still alive. Who can identify me?

There is one thing that no one knows except Liu Renxiang.

His ancestral home was in Hangzhou. Because of the war, his family was destroyed and everyone died, leaving him alone in the world, and he was only in his teens at the time.

He was originally starving to death, but he happened to meet Hu Weiyong, who gave him some food and asked him to do some odd jobs.

Later, he got in touch with his uncle and left Hu Weiyong.

For Hu Weiyong, it was just a matter of convenience, but for Liu Renxiang, it was a life-saving grace.

When Hu Weiyong saw that he could still read, he gave him a book and told him to study hard and serve the country.

From then on, he vowed to work hard.

God rewards hard work, and the stars will not let down those who travel.

Whether it was the Tongshi or the Xiangshi, he ranked among the top three.

But unfortunately, the imperial examination that year was cancelled by Zhu Yuanzhang.

In the capital, he did go to Hu Weiyong's residence, but he did not go there to seek an official position, but to study.

Of course, there was no such thing as being kicked out of the mansion. Instead, Prime Minister Hu told him to continue studying hard, and that the imperial examination would be reopened in the near future.

However, Hu Weiyong had too many things to deal with at the time, so it was impossible for him to accept any students.

Although Hu Weiyong had some talent, he did not receive any systematic education when he was a child, so there was no need for him to become a teacher.

Until Hu Weiyong was sentenced to death.

"Teacher, he is not plotting rebellion."

Looking at Di Yusen's leaving back, Liu Renxiang's eyes turned cold.

Open your palm slightly and you can see the calluses on the palm.

He was not some weak scholar. He had learned martial arts since childhood. Twenty-two years ago, after Prime Minister Hu was sentenced to death, he practiced martial arts even harder.

He was the only one living in the house, simply because the house was just a cover for him.

"Zhu Yuanzhang, I failed to kill you this time. Wait, there will always be a chance."

"But since you've started to suspect me, I think I'll have to keep quiet for now."

'It is never too late for a gentleman to take revenge even after thirty years.'

Liu Renxiang also felt helpless. It would be so difficult to carry out the assassination, and there was no way he could collude with others.

Especially among the people, he once inquired privately and found that those so-called gangsters had rave reviews for Zhu Yuanzhang.

Besides, it is simply impossible to hire an assassin for money.

What kind of price would allow someone to assassinate the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty?

This is not something that can be accomplished by one or two people.

Hou Zijian was his pawn, and he used Hou Zijian's loyalty to Jiangxiahou to assassinate Zhu Yuanzhang.

"What a pity, that jerk, how could he be so useless, so many people went over there, but they couldn't kill him, not even hurt him."

"Useless, all useless, assassins of Shanxi merchants, and they still call them assassins."

Thinking of this, Liu Renxiang was so angry that his teeth were itching.

Hou Zijian was one wave, and the Shanxi merchants were another wave.

Over the years, Liu Renxiang secretly contacted all those who were dissatisfied with the Ming Dynasty, but to no avail.

Taxes in the Jiangnan region are high, but the rich and powerful have deep pockets, live comfortably, and are timid.

It was because of last year’s rumor case and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince’s hunt for Shanxi merchants that gave him the opportunity.

Unfortunately, it was all in vain in the end.

"Zhu Yuanzhang, I am not in a hurry. I am only forty, and you are already sixty-six. When you die, the Ming Dynasty will pass on to a new generation, and that will be my chance."

"A gentleman's revenge is never too late, ten... thirty years. I wonder how long you can live."

"So what if I have to wait another ten years?"

"I want you to never rest in peace in your grave!"

There was a gradual filling of hatred in Liu Renxiang's eyes. In fact, he had not expected so much. It was the changes in the capital that gave him a new height, as well as the desires in his heart.

The more prosperous the capital became, the more unwilling he felt.

He always felt that all this was built on Hu Xiang's body.

'One day, I will make you pay the price.'

Liu Renxiang roared madly in his heart.

After roaring, he closed his eyes tightly. After a while, he opened them and had regained his previous calm.

In the days to come, he would completely forget what he had done before and work hard as the head of the Ministry of Personnel.

…

The murder case in the capital and the assassination of His Majesty were quickly forgotten by the people in this rapidly developing era.

After all, these things are too far away for the people and businessmen living in the capital.

The daily necessities we need after opening the door every morning are what we need for the day.

In his previous life, Zhu Ying had heard about the technique of controlling the people with thirty-three taels of silver. In fact, the current Ming Dynasty, under Zhu Yuanzhang's system, also has a bit of this tendency.

This is stable for a dynasty.

But in this era, it is an obstacle.

The Renaissance in the West took place in the 14th century. The so-called 14th century refers to 1,300 BC.

Now in the Ming Dynasty, it is the end of the fourteenth century.

This means that the seeds of the Western Renaissance have already begun.

An invisible civilization competition between the East and the West has already begun.

Zhu Ying didn't know whether the Ming Dynasty, which he founded a hundred years later, would continue to prosper or last for another two or three hundred years.

But even if the country lasts for two or three hundred years, what is the point?

Even if the Qing Dynasty disappeared and the current system continued, the Ming Dynasty would be just another Qing Dynasty.

So, we need change, real change.

Only by rapidly developing industrialization can the Ming Dynasty's national strength continue to rise and avoid the recurrence of historical tragedies.

Thinking of this, Zhu Ying began to pay serious attention to the current development of factories in the capital.

Now, the factories in the capital are basically controlled by the Qunying Chamber of Commerce, and Zhu Ying has begun to consciously guide the development of non-governmental groups.

Zhu Ying also attaches great importance to the treatment of workers.

Obviously, despite the regulations, those factories that have been opened still exploit people with a dark conscience.

"One guan of treasure notes a month, how can they do that? Do they want to disregard the laws of the Ming Dynasty?"

"All officials involved in this will not be let off, and they will be investigated and dealt with strictly."

Seeing Song Zhong handing over information about the current trade union, Zhu Ying became furious.

He repeatedly urged that the workers' treatment must be ensured.

At least basic standards need to be met.

According to the current factory quota, even the cheapest monthly wage would require four strings of coins.

At present, the price of grain is relatively stable. A simple family of three needs about three strings of cash for food every month. If there are elderly people involved, four strings of cash would be just enough.

Of course, this is based on the assumption that there is only one man to support the family. In most cases, where childbirth is encouraged, the family will have several children so that the elderly can share the burden.

Women can also do some work to supplement the household income, so that every family will have a little surplus every month.

These surpluses are the confidence of a family, and if they encounter any illness or the like, there is no need to worry too much.

The development of medicine in the Ming Dynasty was relatively reliable. The prices of many medicinal materials were very low. Even ordinary people could afford them and would not be easily dragged down.

At present, achieving this level is already Zhu Ying's limit. This is only possible because of the continuous development of high-yield crops, which has solved famine in many places and ensured that most people have enough food and clothing.

But one tael of banknotes was not enough to support a family, let alone one person's food.

"Your Highness, according to the current coordination of the Ministry of Revenue, the shopkeepers of those factories are actually paid the full amount of monthly wages, but after the monthly wages have been paid at various levels, there is little left."

"However, in the case of such payment, the monthly payment will only be like this for half a year. After half a year, it will slowly increase back to normal."

"After working for a full year, your monthly salary will increase to four strings of cash."

Song Zhong added.

Zhu Ying sneered: "Then where did the other three strings of cash go?"

Song Zhong replied: "Among them, two strings of cash went to the broker, and the rest was used to offset the tool and clothing expenses that the factory needed to pay."

Hearing this, Zhu Ying smiled.

As a result, some of the ways of deducting money in later generations are not original. Even if there is a loophole to exploit, people will still exploit it when there is a loophole to exploit.

This has nothing to do with the level of civilization or the level of education.

It's just greed at work.

"Give orders that brokers are prohibited from collecting monthly wages from workers. The tools and clothing that the factory needs to purchase according to the rules must be borne by the factory itself, and no money may be collected from the workers."

"Also, go tell Uncle Zhang to take the lead in establishing a workers' union."

"All monthly payments should be supervised by the workers' union, but any arrears, deductions, or any form of request for workers to pay any fees must be severely punished."

"Which union breaks the rules will be fined ten times the amount of the monthly wages that were withheld or deducted."

Upon hearing this, Song Zhong immediately bowed and said, "I will obey your orders, Your Highness."

After Song Zhong left, Zhu Ying began to ponder.

Now with the development of industry and commerce, the staff at the Ministry of Households has begun to become somewhat tight.

Moreover, as it rose, many minor corruption phenomena also began to become more serious.

It is not the kind of corruption that was done directly for others, but some subtle aspects.

They collected a little here, a little there, and without showing much money, they took it all away.

Moreover, many officials of the Ministry of Revenue cannot withstand the huge temptation of interests. With the increasing interest in business, the stimulation for consumption has become increasingly high.

The salaries of officials were barely enough to make ends meet, while businessmen with a little brains had already started to eat lavish meals.

Such a gap caused officials to feel unwilling.

How can I bear it when the people below me live better than me, the leader?

After studying hard, he gained fame and fortune, but his life was very difficult. He ate pickles while watching others eat meat.

Considering the power in his hands, this has obviously become a bit distorted.

Thinking of this, Zhu Ying felt that some things could be changed.

That night, Zhu Ying came to the Qianqing Palace and started talking to the old man about the reform.

There is also the issue of increasing officials' salaries.

"What Da Sun said is indeed the current situation. It is time to increase the salaries of officials."

After listening to his eldest grandson's introduction, Zhu Yuanzhang thought for a while and nodded in agreement.

The previous restrictions on officials’ salaries were due to the fact that the Ming Dynasty’s treasury was extremely tight.

In addition, if there is any famine, the court will be needed to provide relief food, so everything that can be saved should naturally be saved.

The situation has changed now.

The collection of summer grain this year alone has far exceeded the annual revenue of the Ming Dynasty last year, and this doubling will obviously be even higher when taxes are collected in the fall.

Commercial tax income is now a very large part, and under the management of the eldest grandson, it is settled once a quarter.

It was calculated that nearly three million strings of cash were deposited into the warehouse every month.

In this way, the amount of treasure notes earned in one year would be more than 30 million strings.

The Ming Dynasty's treasury used to issue 10 to 20 million treasure notes every year to maintain its operations. Now, not only does it not have to issue them, but there are even surpluses that can be recycled.

In fact, as a country, annual income is positive, which is the foundation for long-term stability.

Otherwise, there will be losses every year, and in the end even the salaries of officials and soldiers cannot be paid. That will be a huge hidden danger. Once there is a problem, the fate of the country will be shaken.

"How much does Grandson want to increase the salaries of officials of various levels?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked.

Zhu Ying thought for a moment and replied, "Increase by 30%."

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned a little: "Isn't 30% a little less?"

Zhu Ying explained: "My grandson's point is that for officials, promotion should not be entirely reflected in their salaries."

"My grandson's idea is to add more other benefits, or rewards."

"For example, if an official does not have any lateness within a month, he or she can receive a certain reward."

"For example, in terms of food, a separate canteen was set up in each government office. The wine, food and meat in the canteen were all provided by the court. This solved the problem of officials' meals."

"Every quarter, new clothes were distributed. The descendants of officials could study in the schools established by the court for free. All the expenses for injuries and illnesses, whether major or minor, were covered by the court."

"The purpose is not to increase salaries, but to more comprehensively guarantee the living needs of officials. In this way, I think, those honest officials will be more willing to serve the court."

After listening to this, Zhu Yuanzhang immediately felt that this was a good idea.

By ensuring welfare benefits, officials will not focus on money, and this is the only way to truly cultivate good officials.