"There is no need to spend some money...... Yan Ge Lao is really extravagant, each hired worker is paid two taels of silver a month, and for labor is also given nine taels of silver a month, and the court also takes care of the meal...... Oh, since it is hard labor, why should they be paid and fed? They are all my people, and shouldn't they work for me? ”

Zhu Changxun complained to Ni Wenhuan that he had the intention to stop this costly project.

However, after thinking about it, he still didn't touch it in the end.

After all, after Yan Chenhao compromised, he handed in the approval document requesting the construction of water conservancy in Beidi as soon as possible, and he had already understood at that time that this was a transaction.

You use your soldiers, I will govern my country, and the cabinet agrees with you to send troops, but you also have to approve this matter, which is probably what Yan Chenhao meant when he compromised in the end.

After all, he hasn't completely torn his face yet, and Zhu Changxun is really hard to stop.

Ni Wenhuan saw the emperor's thoughts, his eyes gurgled, and he already had an idea. He leaned in and whispered:

"Your Majesty, the official documents and decrees of this imperial court, without the big seal of this celebrant supervisor, cannot be ......"

When the words fell, Zhu Changxun's eyes had lit up, and he understood what Ni Wenhuan meant.

But it's been like a stamping machine for so long all these years, and it hasn't turned around for a while, and I realize that this is the final decision, but it's in my own hands!

Do you want to pay so much...... There is a way!

After figuring out this section, Zhu Changxun was suddenly in a good mood, and his favor for Ni Wenhuan was also on a higher level.

The two chatted for a while, and Ni Wenhuan also retired.

Just as he was about to leave the imperial study, Zhu Changxun's unintentional voice came from behind him.

"By the way, Zhou Yanru, a scholar of the Cabinet Wenyuan Pavilion, you can communicate with him more."

When Ni Wenhuan heard this, his mind turned sharply, and he had already guessed something.

Could it be that this Zhou Ge Lao is also His Majesty's person? Perhaps, at least, in favor of His Majesty?

It's a good friendship...... You also have to pay attention, the business grabbers are coming.

"Wechen saved."

He turned and responded.

……

North Zhili, on the edge of a river.

By this time, the water had been stopped by the upstream dike, revealing a thick layer of silt at the bottom of the river, which was being cleaned up by migrant laborers wielding tools and shirtless.

At this time, it was the end of June of the tenth year of Wuxing, the spring ploughing and summer harvest had ended, and the people had entered the agricultural slack period.

At the beginning, I heard that there was such a project, but in fact, the people were still very complaining.

Let you talk wildly, say that water conservancy projects benefit the people for hundreds of generations, everyone only knows that they have to serve the imperial court again.

Although there are regulations that as long as they are willing to pay the labor tax, they can be exempted from forced labor, but most people still can't afford it, or are reluctant to pay, so they can only come to serve obediently.

Originally, when the farm was slack, you could also do small jobs and the like, but the court was a work in vain, and you had to bring your own dry food and tools, who would be happy! If it lasts a little longer, it will be even worse, and sometimes even the farm work will have to be delayed.

Therefore, the large-scale conscription of each dynasty was a hard-hit area, and the direct cause of Chen Sheng and Wu Guang at the end of the Qin Dynasty, the Grand Canal at the end of the Sui Dynasty, and the Red Turban Army at the end of the Yuan Dynasty were all due to the heavy conscription.

It is precisely based on this that Yan Chenhao formulated a system of giving a certain amount of monthly salary as compensation. Nine coins of silver is not much, and it is generally lower than the monthly salary of ordinary workers, but it is much better than the original wasted effort and even the consumption of one's own food and tools.

And if you go to work as a small worker, you may not be able to get these, after all, just like the winter vacation workers and summer vacations in later generations, it is impossible to get the same salary as regular workers after a few months, let alone take care of food.

So the treatment is actually good.

When the people heard that this time the forced labor was different from the past, their resentment suddenly disappeared, and even the people in some places rushed to participate, and they also revered the proposer of this policy.

At this time, they were cleaning up the river in high spirits, preparing for the construction of a dam for this section of the river, and various water diversion measures.

On the other side of the crowd, you can also see a few people who are a little different, although they are also short, but obviously not similar to the others, and the few overseers also nodded when they saw them, and greeted:

"Your Excellency."

The man smiled and nodded in response.

It was Zuo Guangdou, who was the person in charge of water conservancy this time, who selected a section of the river at this time and came to inspect the construction status.

And from the look on his face, it can be seen that he is still very satisfied with the current construction situation.

He picked up the local map and looked at it, pointed to the one not far away, and instructed the officials beside him:

"On that side, another reservoir can be built from which water can be diverted in the event of a drought."

Zuo Guangdou, although he is a literati, but he has learned a lot of things, in addition to Confucianism and psychology, etc., he is quite familiar with water conservancy matters, and the old people in the Ministry of Industry around him also said yes again and again when they heard this, without the slightest objection.

Zuo Guangdou generally inspected the construction site, and the smile on his face was quite bright.

The workers are motivated, the supervisors are strict but not fierce, and the drawings of the project are also drawn by professionals, so the work progresses quickly.

If all parts of the northern Xinjiang of the Ming Dynasty are so efficient, it is estimated that by the year after tomorrow, the water conservancy project will be able to be basically completed, and from then on, the agriculture in the north will become more and more prosperous, and the blueprint of the prosperity of the first auxiliary will be put together an important piece.

His smile grew brighter.

After taking two more steps, he seemed to remember something, turned back to the person in charge of the construction site and asked:

"I remember, the day after tomorrow is the day of the pay, right?"

"Yes, my lord, the big guy has been getting more and more motivated in the past two days, and it's also because he is about to pay his salary. This is the first time in the world, and there is still a reward for conscription, and everyone is very motivated. ”

The person in charge replied.

"Okay, tell everyone, as long as you work hard, the court will definitely be indispensable to everyone!"

Zuo Guangdou nodded and said with a smile.

I think he also questioned Shoufu at the beginning, you must know that labor is originally the obligation of the people, since they do not pay money, they should serve the court, and there is no need to give them silver. However, Lord Shoufu said that he built the water conservancy for the people, and if it harmed the interests of the people and caused chaos among the people, then he would rather not build it.

Now it seems that he is really short-sighted, and the workers who have been paid are full of enthusiasm and obedience to commands, and the construction efficiency has been doubled!

(End of chapter)