The five ministers and Hanlin scholars came to the Huagai Hall after the morning court with excitement.

Zhu Ying then took out some systems that had been decided long ago and asked everyone to check for any deficiencies and fill in the gaps.

Strictly speaking, the salary system of the Ming Dynasty consisted of eighteen levels.

From the ninth rank, the ninth rank, to the first rank, from the first rank.

Each rank has two positions, the regular and the regular, and the nine-rank system corresponds to the eighteen levels.

According to the current regulations set by Zhu Ying, the monthly salary of the lowest rank, the ninth grade, is five strings of cash.

It sounds a bit little.

A normal family of three needs four strings of cash to have enough food, which includes not only rice, but also diesel, salt, sauce, vinegar, tea, etc.

When they first saw it, everyone seemed to be in a normal mood, as long as they were full.

However, when I saw the benefits that followed, I was somewhat moved.

The first thing is to eat.

According to the new system, all government offices, regardless of their category, including the palace, will have separate canteens for officials.

And not two meals a day, but three meals a day.

If you have to work overtime, we can even provide midnight snacks.

This point alone deeply moved the five ministers and the Hanlin academicians.

Solving the problem of food means solving most of the problems.

That’s not all.

After that, there will be corresponding new clothes every season, including some accessories.

The so-called distribution means enjoying a certain degree of allowance. These are not physical objects, but firewood, oil, salt, pepper, and other seasonings. The quantity is not large, but the meaning is there.

The additional amount for each region is not clear and will vary according to local conditions. The specific amount is within the five-guan note per quarter.

That is to say, every three months, the actual salary is equivalent to four months' salary.

In addition, a rough plan was also set for the quota and use of horse-drawn carriages for local officials and officials in the capital. The specific details needed to be completed jointly by the five ministers of the five ministries and the Hanlin academicians.

Then it's about injuries and stuff like that.

The first is free medical treatment.

It sounds a bit exaggerated, but in fact it is not much. Among all welfare benefits, it is the lowest.

Don’t compare it with the high medical expenses in later generations. In today’s Ming Dynasty, most of the current traditional Chinese medicines are very cheap.

Nowadays, practicing medicine is about saving lives, medical ethics, and reputation are the most important.

Especially for Chinese medicine practitioners, patients may be able to obtain the more effective folk remedies such as the one that relieves pain.

A few bags of medicinal materials in the pharmacy would cost at most a few dozen cents.

The doctor's acupuncture, massage, and bone-setting are basically included in the consultation fee.

Going to the pharmacy to see a doctor only costs a few cents in total.

If you have a broken bone, we will fix it for you on the spot. If there is any blockage somewhere, we will give you a set of acupuncture. If you need to take medicine, we will prescribe a prescription and there will be no other charges.

Free medical consultations are the most common phenomenon among doctors.

What matters is that the medicine cures the disease immediately.

If I take your medicine and there is no improvement within three days, that would be a disgrace to me.

In fact, in today's Ming Dynasty, the status of doctors is not high. Doctors are classified among the hundreds of craftsmen.

In other words, the status of a doctor is on par with that of a craftsman, and is slightly higher than that of a businessman.

Of course, this is just a general phenomenon and does not include imperial physicians, royal doctors, or contemporary famous doctors.

Whether it is doctors or pharmacies, there is no such thing as huge profits, because the people they serve are mainly poor people.

It is obviously unrealistic to expect to squeeze a lot of money out of the people. Some people who have no money would rather drag it out than spend money on medical treatment.

If you catch a cold, just bear it yourself.

I can’t even afford to eat, so how can I get treatment?

Moreover, many elderly people know a few old prescriptions for some common diseases.

If you catch a cold, just drink a bowl of ginger soup and sweat it out. There is no need to see a doctor.

Diet therapy is a very common phenomenon among the people.

On the doctors' side, most of the diseases they deal with are difficult and complicated ones.

As for physical conditioning, it was mainly the job of some high-ranking officials. If they felt uncomfortable, they would ask a doctor to take their pulse.

The profession of doctor is mainly about inheritance.

The master teaches his apprentice, the father teaches his son.

Since childhood, I have been taking pulses, diagnosing illnesses, and prescribing medicines.

It's rigorous and a lifelong job.

Therefore, Zhu Ying's decision to waive medical treatment for all officials was actually just a very small aspect.

In fact, this article is not aimed at court officials, but mainly at local officials.

At the court, basically any injuries or illnesses would be treated by the imperial physicians in the palace, and the expenses would also be paid by the palace.

Several ministers and scholars from the Hanlin Academy discussed for a while, and finally Yang Jing, the Minister of Justice, asked:

"Your Highness, salaries are distributed according to the rank of the official position, but some officials have real power, while some officials have nominal positions. Should this also be followed?"

All officials have ranks.

However, this grade is also varied.

Such as the compilers of the Hanlin Academy, some subordinate officials, adjutants, and so on, there are many such things.

If it is distributed in this way, it seems that there is no difference.

Simply put, it means different work but equal pay.

They work terribly over there and hold great power, and that's how much they earn in a month.

This is a quiet government office with nothing to do all day long, and it's the same amount of time in a month.

This seems a bit unfair.

Zhu Ying explained, "What Minister Yang said makes sense, but it would be rather complicated if we continue to calculate this way."

"This is equivalent to setting a new salary standard for every official position."

“So in my discussion with my grandfather, we decided to reflect this distinction in the allowance.”

"Every month, a certain amount of allowance will be set up based on the different affairs of the government office, and then distributed from top to bottom according to the official rank."

"So if you have more work to do, you will naturally get more allowance, and if you have less work to do, you will get less allowance."

"This is a key point, and we need several ministers and scholars to discuss how to formulate it. If there are any changes in the future, it will vary according to the tax revenue of the Ministry of Revenue each year."

Everyone present was a smart person. After hearing what His Royal Highness the Crown Prince said, how could they not understand the importance of this allowance?

To put it simply, the salary of the ninth grade and eighteen steps is equivalent to a basic guarantee, and the size of the allowance is the key to distinguishing officials.

This is naturally also an aspect of motivating officials.

For example, for officials who have made mistakes, their allowances and rewards will naturally be cancelled, and they can only receive basic guarantees.

On the other hand, if one has achieved good political achievements, the allowance will naturally be higher and there will be more other rewards.

"Your Highness is indeed brilliant."

The Minister of Justice Yang Jing praised.

Apparently, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has already finalized many details.

As the discussion continued, many issues became clearer with Zhu Ying's explanation.

Without going into detail about every official, the general situation has basically been determined.

Specific salary reforms, especially in terms of welfare benefits, cannot be accomplished overnight; they require a process of preparation.

Including the construction of the yamen's kitchen and the recruitment of chefs, it was also a slow process.

However, this general outline must be finalized today and announced at the morning court tomorrow.

It will be distributed on the 15th of next month.

During the morning court session the next day, the printing house in the capital had already printed thousands of copies of the detailed information on the officials' salary system overnight.

At the court meeting, one copy was distributed to each civil and military official.

When all the civil and military officials saw the corresponding salaries on the paper, they cried like little children with joy.

Many officials knelt down and kowtowed to thank His Majesty and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince for their kindness.

It is really difficult to be an official in the Fengtian Hall.

Under the watchful eyes of His Majesty and the supervision of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, it would be extremely difficult to be even slightly greedy.

That is to say, 90% if not all of the officials in the Fengtian Hall are honest officials.

If you are not an honest official, you will not be able to stay here for long and will be sent home sideways.

On the contrary, the supervision of local officials is not so strict, so if they are not greedy for money or food, the problem is not so big.

Isn’t there a word called filial piety?

If ordinary people or businessmen 'spontaneously' send some food, it cannot be considered as corruption or bribery.

The specific regulations on the reform of officials' salaries were published in the Beijing Gazette the next day.

For the common people, it is also a good topic of conversation.

"The salary of an official is not that high. A ninth-rank official only gets five strings of cash a month. This is enough for anyone who can find a job in the capital that requires a bit of physical labor. It seems that being an official is not easy."

After listening to the storytelling, a man couldn't help but speak.

But he was immediately educated by others.

"This is the salary issued by the court. How can it be compared with that of a laborer? Besides, didn't you hear that the government provides three meals a day? Three meals a day. It is said that if you work overtime for something, you can also enjoy midnight snacks."

"You think the food in this government office is the same as what we eat. With that little money, I don't know how many meals I can afford before it's gone."

After hearing this, the man completely ignored the sarcasm in the words, and instead said with longing: "The food in this government office may include meat for every meal, and there will be midnight snacks for three meals. Being an official is really good."

"Maybe it can even keep you full."

After hearing this, the people around him also started laughing, with envious looks on their faces.

It happened that at this time, the storyteller was talking about the government subsidies.

It's not just about food, there are also various subsidies and welfare benefits that make people simply envious.

Although they are envious, from the perspective of ordinary people, this is also a normal need for officials, and they do not feel jealous.

Anyone who can become an official is well-read and has profound knowledge.

It is natural for them to live a more comfortable life than ordinary people like us.

However, for many people who are engaged in business, after listening to the storyteller's narration, they actually developed a sense of pride.

The Ming Dynasty's policy of promoting commerce has enabled many people who have devoted themselves to it, even those who are illiterate, to make a fortune this year. Earning more than ten strings of cash a month is not considered a huge fortune.

It is also common to hear of people earning hundreds of strings of cash.

And they are also the main force of consumption in Beijing.

When money comes quickly, you naturally don’t care about it that much. Just spend it and earn it tomorrow.

The development of the entertainment industry in the capital is becoming increasingly hot.

According to incomplete statistics, there are hundreds of new brothels opened in the capital this year alone.

Among them, those who have connections have attracted many foreign women from overseas, and their business is extremely prosperous thanks to their curiosity about novelty and beauty.

Many brothels are also like this.

If you saw a foreign woman with blond hair and blue eyes in a brothel in the Ming Dynasty at that time, don't be surprised, there were too many of them.

Where there is demand, there is a market.

After the lifting of the maritime ban, maritime trade became more frequent. The capital's bustle, cleanliness, etiquette, civilization, and the presence of goods from all over the world made everyone who visited it fall in love with this prosperity.

Especially those foreign women who were bought by Ming merchants during the war came here and had no intention of leaving.

However, the current laws of the Ming Dynasty, especially those regarding household registration, only apply to Ming citizens. It will be more troublesome for others who want to join the Ming Dynasty's household registration, especially those in the capital Nanjing.

It is better for women, as they can find a household registration in the capital, or even a household registration in the Ming Dynasty, and then they can settle down in the Ming Dynasty.

It is a little more troublesome for men. If they have not made any contributions or have any technical talents, the departments under the Ministry of Household will not allow them to register.

People who are not registered in the Ming Dynasty do not enjoy protection in many legal aspects.

Although there is no explicit stipulation that people who are not registered in the Ming Dynasty are inferior to others, the reality is that they are inferior to others.

For example, if someone with or without household registration disputes something with the government, they will be treated unfairly.

It is a very common phenomenon to show partiality in some cases.

Zhu Ying was also aware of these things and knew that there was some injustice, but he had no intention of changing them.

Why change? Treat people differently, that's good.

Only in this way can other ethnic groups and foreign people be inclined towards civilization and the Ming Dynasty.

From a deeper perspective, the Ming Dynasty was originally a multi-ethnic country, where there was no distinction between Han, Mongolian, etc.

There are only two concepts: Ming people and non-Ming people.

Attracting more outstanding talents and population is also one of the ways Zhu Ying wants to do.

Distinction and unfair treatment often make more people yearn for the Ming Dynasty.

In the words of Zhu Yuanzhang, we are already busy taking care of the people of the Ming Dynasty, so how can we have the time to care about these foreigners?

After the official system was finalized, Zhu Ying left the palace and began to discuss matters concerning the workers' union.

Workers' unions are very necessary in today's Ming Dynasty.

Because the cornerstone of industrial development is the working group.

Ordinary laborers are workers, skilled craftsmen are also workers, and even doctors and others all belong to the ranks of the hundred craftsmen.

In the early days of many creations and the development of scientific research, there were no scientists.

It is the workers who are pushing forward.

To be more specific, it is a technical job.

Among those who often work in first-line factories, there are often some smart people who develop faster and more convenient construction methods.

They have rich practical experience and, in a sense, are the prototypes of modern scientists.

It’s just because I haven’t read enough that I can’t form a more systematic theoretical approach.

A development process from nothing to something requires a large number of predecessors to explore on their own.

Although Zhu Ying had experience from his previous life, he was not an encyclopedia. For many things, he only knew the results but not the reasons.

The big direction is clear, but the small direction is unclear.

But no matter what, the key is to protect the interests of workers first, so that they will not be exploited by others for no reason.

After leaving the palace, Zhu Ying began to visit all the factories in disguise.

Not only private factories, but also factories under its own Qun Ying Chamber of Commerce need to be visited.

Since the last assassination attempt, Zhu Yuanzhang has had a very thorough understanding of his eldest grandson's personal strength.

So I was relieved about my eldest grandson leaving the palace to visit.

However, he naturally has to be accompanied by personal guards, namely the Black Armor Guards, who will also begin outdoor training when Zhu Ying leaves the palace.

If anything happens here, the guards around Zhu Ying only need to release a signal of gunpowder into the sky, and then they will take immediate action to protect the safety of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

In the Ming Dynasty today, private civilian use of firearms is strictly prohibited. This is also the rule set by Zhu Ying when he was developing the Gunpowder Bureau.

Anyone found illegally possessing firearms will be severely punished, fined heavily and have their firearms confiscated.

Anyone who injures another with a firearm shall be sentenced to fifteen years or more of hard labor, exile, or death, depending on the severity of the offense.

However, merchants engaged in maritime trade enjoy special preferential treatment when traveling abroad.

After all, the land outside the Ming Dynasty is all barbarian land. In order to protect the safety of the Ming people abroad, those who are allowed to pass through the Ming Dynasty territory can rent a certain number of firearms from the coastal gunpowder bureau according to the number of people.

The leased firearm needs to be returned. If it is lost three times, the lease right will be cancelled for life. This is also to prevent the large-scale loss of firearms and prevent others from starting the firearm business.

At this stage, firearms craftsmen are firmly controlled by the imperial court. Even some branches do not have complete craft inheritance and can only do some installation and distribution work. Naturally, the core skills can only be completed in the capital.

When Zhu Ying went to investigate the factory, he naturally couldn't be an ordinary person, as he couldn't even get through the door.

Naturally, he couldn't do it in the capacity of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, as he would definitely not be able to see anything.

The factories are currently still under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Industry, and the newly established Industrial Supervision Bureau is responsible for the separate management of private factories.

Theoretically speaking, even the factories under the Qun Ying Chamber of Commerce are within its control.

Zhu Ying, as an official of the Industrial Supervision Bureau, began to investigate the specific conditions of various factories.

As for the personal guards, they would naturally be made into attendants or something like that.

Although they are a bit young, it is a very normal phenomenon for some sons of nobles to take office in the current government.

Visiting and investigating is a very troublesome process. Even if it is around the capital, it cannot be completed within two or three days. This investigation will take half a month.