Free Web NovelChapter 1238: Chapter 1215: Consensus (Part 3)
Chang Ning’s family background is even poorer than Ji Yuan and Ming Yu. To support his education, the entire family exerted their utmost effort, with the most expensive items being books and paper.
"You are indeed uncouth, insulting people in public..."
Chang Ning said expressionlessly, "This is the elegance of a scholarly gentleman, unconstrained by conventions."
Zhao Hanzhang, who was leisurely listening to their argument, stifled a laugh but ended up coughing several times from choking. Everyone couldn’t help but look at her.
After Zhao Hanzhang managed to clear her throat, she smiled and said, "Dividing examinations and entries is indeed a good idea, but how exactly to implement it needs to be discussed with the court officials. Let’s set this aside for now. So, do all of you agree to hold a talent recruitment examination in Jiangnan?"
Lu Yuan and the others exchanged glances and then nodded together.
Zhou Qi asked, "Once talents are in court, will the Great General limit their promotion because the officials are from Jiangnan?"
Zhao Hanzhang said, "The court uses people based on their talent and virtue, not their region or background."
Zhou Qi felt relieved. Though unsure if she could achieve this, at least she said it, and her attitude was clear, hoping that for at least the next ten years it wouldn’t be too extreme, right?
This is an opportunity for the Jiangnan aristocracy.
Having addressed the issue that weighed most on their minds, Zhao Hanzhang began to talk about the military power, civil rights, and various economic developments in Jiangnan.
She advocated for appointing officials in different regions, different from the current practice where Jiangbei people govern Jiangbei and Jiangnan people govern Jiangnan. To limit officials from benefiting themselves and their relatives, she required officials not to serve in their place of origin.
The County Magistrate cannot return to their county, and the Prefect cannot return to their prefecture.
Everyone expressed understanding and support for this point.
After all, this regulation was established by the Qin rule, and after the Han Dynasty succeeded the Qin Dynasty, this regulation was further refined. For centuries, this officialdom rule has always existed, but in the past hundred years, it has been chaotic, so no one adhered to it.
Especially during the Three Kingdoms period, the Wu Kingdom was so small, where could they possibly go to hold office?
It was due to such historical reasons that the current situation of powerful clans occupying regions developed.
Zhao Hanzhang used this rule as a transition, and the atmosphere lightened significantly. Then she brought up methods to address the military power and civil rights in Jiangnan.
As for military power, she was very resolute, advocating a change of generals, with the stationed army’s general having control over the military power.
She knew that currently, most of the forces in Jiangnan were in Zhou Qi’s hands. Expecting him to hand over an army of a hundred thousand soldiers for nothing was impossible, so Zhao Hanzhang was willing to give him time; this would be discussed later. The most urgent thing was the next point.
The life of Jiangnan residents was not very good at the moment. Currently, of the reclaimed land in Jiangnan, seventy percent was in the hands of powerful aristocratic families, ten percent was purchased by Jiangbei aristocrats who arrived later, and the remaining twenty percent of the land belonged to Jiangnan residents.
And this portion of Jiangnan residents accounted for ninety percent of Jiangnan’s total population.
Except for a small number of rich farmers, the rest of the populace had to rent land from the powerful clans and depended on them to survive.
Zhao Hanzhang’s data was very detailed, down to how many households there were in Jiankang, what the population was, the per capita land area, and excluding the land of the powerful clans, how much they had per capita. She could even state how many people needed to rent land each year.
With this data out, everyone immediately turned their heads to look at Wang Dao.
Wang Dao: ...
King Langya looked at him in shock.
Wang Dao: Alright, the data must’ve come from him, Yuan Li, you scoundrel!
Zhao Hanzhang said, "The plight of the common people pains me greatly, so I am willing, in the name of the court, to redeem land from everyone and then lease it back to the people."
No one believed Zhao Hanzhang’s words.
She was looking to acquire property in Jiangnan.
Shameless indeed, wanting to buy land without going through their stewards, directly pressuring them to sell.
However, no one put Zhao Hanzhang on the spot, after all, it was just a few plots of land. They might as well consider it a gift to her, fostering good relations for future interactions.
The banquet continued until the evening, with everyone eating from noon till night, discussing many things. Zhao Hanzhang not only talked with Zhou Qi and others but also with the returning exiles.
She allowed them to return to their hometown, retrieve their ancestral homes from the county government. As for the lands, it was out of the question as too much time had passed and the land had been redistributed.
But they could still receive land, as the law stipulated they should get mouth-share fields and perpetually owned fields, which she assured would be given to them by the County Magistrates in full measure.
Of course, as returning talents, there were some rewards, but for now, with the national treasury empty, they would have to wait on those.
Then, she also spoke at length with the impoverished scholars who attended the banquet. After hearing about their difficulties, she planned to have the government tidy up two residences in the Capital City and furnish them with rows of beds, supply charcoal and water, to help them through the winter.
She encouraged them to pursue studies, to participate in the talent recruitment examinations, "Even if you don’t pass right away, it’s alright. You are well-read, and now there are many schools opening both large and small, what they lack most are teachers. You can start by finding a place to teach in Luoyang or nearby, teaching while studying, and take the exam again in a couple of years when more comfortable."
Besides being teachers, there are many other industries they can pursue. Currently, there is a shortage of educated people all over the country.
Alas, the illiteracy rate in the Great Jin is still too high, with only a few who are educated.
