Li Zhao didn't know why His Majesty asked like this, and hurriedly responded, "Except for the dozen or so private slaves sent by His Majesty, plus the people who later took the initiative to become private slaves in Chang'an Township, the others have not been included in my Chang'an Township private slave registration. ”

The household registration system of Daqin is strict and the management is strict, and the household registration is divided according to the social status of the people, which is mainly divided into ordinary people's household registration, service registration, apprentice registration, private slave registration, city registration, disciple registration, high title registration, clan registration, etc.

A private slave is a slave, and once you join, you are a slave to your master's family for life, and it is difficult to change it.

Nowadays, most of the powerful people have their own private slaves, for example, a certain powerful person has 10,000 acres of land, and it is impossible for them to cultivate it themselves, so they try to get slaves, let them join the private slave status, and serve them for life.

Private slaves like Li Zhao, who have only a small number of them, are indeed rare.

"Oh! Why? Ying Zheng didn't understand Li Zhao's approach. Private slavery is a common method used by the current elite, and Li Zhao does this, which is a bit unbelievable.

Li Zhao arched his hand, "Your Majesty, there are no private slaves in Chang'an Township, there is no need to insist on getting private slaves, we are all a family, and the family will not care about this." ”

Indeed, since Chang'an Township was developed by him, there have been more and more people, but he has never treated them as slaves, let alone abused them, and some only get along with each other on an equal footing, which is why Ah Chao dared to talk to him no matter how big or small.

A family, from the slave and the master, only the division of labor and cooperation, each to do its own duty, each to fulfill its responsibilities.

This is very different from what other elites do.

"All family? There is no such thing as a slave? Is this good? Ying Zheng fell into deep thought.

After being in contact with His Majesty for a long time, Li Zhao does not seem very cramped, and he can speak freely, "Does it depend on the actual situation?" ”

"Your Majesty, please look below." Li Zhao pointed to the peasants who were busy working in the fields, "Several of these dozens of people are private slaves, most of them are ordinary households, what do you think is the effect of their work?" ”

"Very good, very motivated."

"How does this compare to other powerful private slaves?"

"More than that." Ying Zheng is not talking nonsense, as the emperor, he controls all directions, and he also has the Black Ice Platform to supervise hundreds of officials, and he still knows what the situation of his family is.

For example, Li Zhaojia, he can say Li Nian's name.

Yes, the general elite and private slaves are not highly motivated to work, and some of them even call people to manage them in order to make the slaves work, and whipping is indispensable.

But the private slaves in Chang'an Township are different, they don't need to be taken care of at all, they work very consciously, and the efficiency is very high.

It's just that he is very puzzled, he doesn't need to be lynched, he doesn't have to set up slaves, and he can make these subordinates work obediently, how did Li Zhao do it?

Could it be that it was his own charm that won over these people? This idea came out, Ying Zheng felt ridiculous when he thought about it, didn't he know who Li Zhao was?

Selfish and unglamorous.

"How did you do that?" Ying Zheng asked with interest.

Li Zhao did not hide it, saying: "Private slaves are treated equally, and peasants are hired for remuneration." ”

Although the Qin Dynasty was a feudal society, it was in the initial stage of feudal society, that is, the transition from a slave society to a feudal society.

There are still bad habits in the slave society, and it is impossible to treat private slaves equally, and in the eyes of the powerful, slaves are inferior people, not worthy of equal treatment, let alone hiring.

Daqin rarely said to be hired.

In the Great Qin Heavy Agriculture, most of the land was concentrated in the hands of the landlord, so each landlord had many private slaves in his hands, and the private slaves were the slaves of the master's family, and there was no such thing as hiring.

There is also the case of hired farmers, that is, the land is distributed to farmers for cultivation, and the landlord collects rent, which can increase the motivation of farmers to work, but it cannot be said to be hired.

Therefore, when Li Zhao said this, Yingzheng's eyes widened, and the concept of existence in this era made him unable to accept such a way for a while.

But he did not say it, but asked: "I can understand the equal treatment of private slaves, but what is the explanation of remuneration and employment?" ”

Li Zhao smiled and pointed at himself, "Your Majesty, as the chief general, can you have a good fortune?" ”

"Of course!"

"This is Your Majesty's remuneration for hiring ministers, and the ministers for Your Majesty's service, Your Majesty will repay me for your remuneration, in fact, the principle is the same, but this remuneration only exists in the court, but few people think of using it for the people."

"In fact, the reason why the peasants in Chang'an Township are so active is because the minister hired him to work for the minister, and the minister paid him."

"With remuneration, you can improve your own life and get rid of hardship."

"Hired to work? Why don't you rent the land and collect the rent? Ying Zheng asked.

Li Zhao bowed his hand to Ying Zheng, bowed slightly, and said: "Renting land is good, but it makes the farmers breathless. ”

"Your Majesty doesn't know that the farmers recruited by Chang'an Township are all nearby farmers, and they themselves have their own land to cultivate, and if they rent their land again, it will only make it difficult for them to deal with it."

"I only hire them to do the work in my spare time, so that I can pay them."

"Oh! How else can you do that? ”

"Yes, Your Majesty, the taxes of our Daqin mainly fall on ordinary households, they have to bear both taxes and rents, and the rest can only make ends meet, if the winter is not good, the harvest will drop sharply, and they will face starvation."

"So the minister thought, why not give them more income and reduce their pressure, it is good for them and the minister."

"In fact, they are very willing to accept this method, so they will actively work."

Ying Zheng was silent when he heard this, and the peasants took time to come to Chang'an Township to work while busy with their own work, so that they could get another income and reduce their own burden, precisely because they did not resist this method, and even admired it, so as to mobilize their enthusiasm for work.

Sounds like that.

It's worse than a slave or a rented land!

"Of course, some peasants themselves have little land, they can't make ends meet, and they are almost reduced to the situation of becoming homeless people, and I take them in Chang'an Township, and farmers like this, if they are willing, the ministers will hire them as long-term workers, sign contracts, and only serve Chang'an Township, and receive a considerable remuneration every month."

"The minister is called a contract worker, and those who come to help temporarily are called temporary workers."

"The simultaneous use of two jobs is the practice of Chang'an Township."

Li Zhao said so much in one breath, and unreservedly said the operation of Chang'an Township on employment.

Ying Zheng fell into deep thought, frowning for a while, nodding for a while, looking very funny.

"This is what Xiao He said about distribution according to work, and multiple distributions coexist?" He suddenly remembered this sentence.

"It's not entirely that the scope of 'distribution according to work, and the coexistence of multiple distributions' is too large, if you really want to say it, it can only be said that you get more for more work, and you get less for less work."

"Oh!" Ying Zheng shook his head in confusion and continued to fall into deep thought.

After a while, an elderly farmer passed by, and Ying Zheng called him over and asked softly, "Uncle, what do you think of your income?" ”

The older peasant may be nervous and speak uncomfortably, but who else can make people hear, "Back to Your Majesty's income of the villain. It's ok."

Ying Zheng saw his nervousness, patted him on the shoulder with a smile, and motioned for him to relax, "Can you talk to me, are you a contract worker or a temporary worker?" ”

The older farmer relaxed a little, but also less nervous, "The villain is a temporary worker? After the family is done, they come here to help and increase their income. ”

"Oh! Why don't you come to Chang'an from anywhere else? ”

"Back to Your Majesty, there are no temporary workers in other places, and even if there are, they will not accept villains, only Chang'an Township will not dislike villains."

"Moreover, when you come to Chang'an Township to work, the young master not only gives the villain food, but also pays the salary, and the young master is a rare good person."

Listening to the peasants' boasts, Li Zhao was a little embarrassed, but Ying Zheng glanced at him deeply, and continued to ask the peasants: "Is it possible to eat enough for a day's meal?" ”

This question may be to the appetite of the peasants, and the conversation box immediately opened, "Back to Your Majesty, if in the past, the income of the villain's farming had to pay not only taxes, but also land rent, and the only thing left could only barely make ends meet, and if the harvest was reduced, it would be difficult to maintain a day's meals." ”

"It's older than now, the price of rice and grain has increased, and the harvest has decreased, if it weren't for the villain getting the favor of the young master and coming to Chang'an Township, the villain's family may not be able to eat enough, and the villain will only have to fall into the grass."

The peasants are telling the truth, and at present, ordinary peasants with household registration have to face harsh taxes and miscellaneous taxes, and if they have no other income, they can only be thieves, and this is one of the reasons why there are more thieves.

"What do you say? At present, the four seas are peaceful, and the people are rich in food, even if the winter is not good, they will not fall into the grass! Ying Zheng questioned, his emotions were a little excited, and he immediately frightened the peasants, and couldn't help kneeling, "Your Majesty spares your life, just now the villain was talking nonsense, just nonsense." ”

Ying Zheng realized that he was out of shape, and quickly eased his emotions, saying: "It's my gaffe, there is no need to be like this, if your words are true, how can I blame you," he suddenly raised his tone, "If you dare to deceive me, I will never spare you." ”

The peasant was so frightened that he hurriedly said, "What the villain said is true, and he will never dare to deceive His Majesty, and," he wanted to speak.

"And what, say it quickly, if you don't do it well, I won't spare you." Ying Zheng pretended to be angry.

"Yes, yes," the peasant did not dare to conceal it anymore, and said, "Your Majesty does not know, people like villains who can work in Chang'an Township are relatively lucky, like some people, if the winter is not good, it will only be worse if they are requisitioned by the imperial court."

"You?" When Ying Zheng heard this, his whole face was extremely ugly, and he wanted to raise his hand and shoot it directly, but he didn't do it.

Recruited by the imperial court, doesn't this mean him?

But such a face and silence were enough for the peasants to be shocked, and they hurriedly fell to the ground, not daring to breathe.

"Alright, you stand down!" Seeing that the peasants were frightened like this, he couldn't bear it, so he let him retreat.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" The peasant hurried away, and when he was far away, he collapsed heavily on the ground. He had already heard that His Majesty was violent today, and it seemed that it was true today, but he also admired that he was bold enough to mention the conscription in His Majesty, that is, to seek death.

At this moment, he had a feeling of the rest of his life.

After a long time, Ying Zheng let out a breath and asked a little gloomily: "Li Zhao, is what the peasants said just now true?" ”

"This." Li Zhao tried his best to pretend to be very ignorant, you know, the farmer is bold, but his courage is not big, how can he say that it is true, he still wants to live.

"The front may be true, but the back must be false, the court is an honor for the people, how can it be miserable? The peasants are short-sighted. ”

"Really?" Ying Zheng sneered and glanced at Li Zhao thoughtfully, "Even you came to deceive me?" ”

"No, the minister will never dare, what the minister said is true." Li Zhao hurriedly knelt down and swore an oath.

"Really? Hum! My ears are not yet deaf, and my brain is not yet confused. Ying Zheng didn't mean to blame, as if he was talking to himself, and his eyes were full of gloom.

He is in a high position, thinking about the people everywhere, and recruiting people is even more for the safety of Daqin, but he is said to be miserable, which is indirectly saying that he is harsh.

He never wanted to be harsh.

"Your Majesty." Li Zhao saw the change in the emperor's mood, and didn't dare to talk nonsense anymore, and the whole person became serious, "Or, the minister will accompany you for a walk?" ”

Only by walking can the emperor's mood be eased.

"No, let me be quiet for a while, and you can accompany me."

Li Zhao stopped talking and accompanied him silently, he knew that His Majesty must be very chaotic at this moment. Yes, anyone who hears someone say that something terrible has happened under his rule will not be happy.

All of a sudden, Ying Zheng seemed to be a few years older, and his whole person was decadent like a beggar on the side of the road for a moment, and only after a while did he say leisurely: "Li Zhao, if you don't let me come to see the peasants in Chang'an Township, I really don't know what the peasant life outside Chang'an Township will be like this." ”

"You are right, one more income, one more security, the farmers of Chang'an Township can almost change the situation of hardship, but how many people can Chang'an Township accommodate? I have 20 million people in Daqin! How many peasants are there in 20 million miles. ”

"What can be done to change all this?"

Ying Zheng paced slowly, his eyes were empty and weak, completely different from the majestic emperor in the main hall.

Li Zhao didn't know how to persuade Yingzheng, so he could only stand aside silently and let the emperor regulate his emotions.

"Li Zhao, are you saying that it is wrong to recruit people? They are my people of Great Qin, so they should serve Great Qin and make sacrifices for Great Qin, did I do something wrong? ”

Li Zhao continued to be silent, and even covered his mouth with his hand, if this question is answered well, it will be fine, if the answer is not good, maybe the head will fall to the ground, it is better to shut up and be practical.

"Why don't you speak? Do you want to see my jokes? Ying Zheng suddenly glared at Li Zhao, looking extremely angry.

Li Zhao hurriedly bowed down and snickered to make excuses: "The minister doesn't dare, Your Majesty just said that you want to be quiet, but the minister didn't dare to make a sound, hoping that Your Majesty will atone for his sins." ”

"You kid." Ying Zhengqiang squeezed out a smile, looked at Li Zhao with fixed eyes, and said solemnly: "Li Zhao, you have to answer me honestly, you once asked me whether to recruit people to build the Great Wall, and I will answer you now, yes, I have recruited people, you say, is this inappropriate?" ”

"The Xiongnu invaded the border, and the border people were repeatedly looted, such as connecting the Great Wall of various countries to prevent the Xiongnu from attacking, it is beneficial to the people and the country, why do the peasants say that the people who are requisitioned are miserable, and the people who are requisitioned are all the people of Daqin, why is it miserable?"

The more Ying Zheng talked, the more angry he became, but he tried his best to endure it.

Li Zhao is really embarrassed, how can he answer? Could it be that he said that this is a harsh government, which will only displace the people and live in misery, impossible, if he really says so, maybe he will be the one who will be displaced in the next moment.

"Well" Li Zhao hesitated, looking at His Majesty from time to time out of the corner of his eye, "Well" Zhiwu couldn't say a word for a long time.

In my heart, I was very angry with His Majesty.

I thought: Qin Shi Huang, Qin Shi Huang, you are so difficult for me, do you want me to tell the truth? If I tell the truth, will you be able to bear it?

(End of chapter)