Li Biao quickly walked in from outside. Seeing him in person, Wang Yongji was momentarily stunned. This is Li Biao?
Compared to Xing Shangzhi, who did not look like a loyal official, Li Biao was more in line with the aesthetics of this era.
He had delicate features, a slender figure, and a refined temperament.
Compared to the previously praised Liu Shouyou, Li Biao had the temperament of a civil official.
This made Wang Yongji feel a lot better. His appearance reflected his heart. With this appearance, he should not be as boorish as Xing Shangzhi.
In this era, ugly people did not even have the right to rebel. He did not look like a ruler. With one sentence, Wang Yongji fell to the bottom of the valley.
Daming, this was also an era that looked at one's appearance!
"I am Imperial Bodyguard Li Biao. Greetings, Sir Wang!"
When Li Biao saw Wang Yongji, he hurriedly took a few steps forward and bowed to Wang Yongji with a smile. His expression was very respectful.
"I have long heard of Sir Wang's name. Meeting you today is truly the honor of three lifetimes."
Li Biao was the commander of the Imperial Bodyguard. In front of Wang Yongji, it was not appropriate to refer to himself as a lowly official or a lowly official. Calling himself an official would make him seem too unfamiliar. Thus, he simply acted like a junior.
"I have just arrived at the Imperial Bodyguard and am still unfamiliar. His Majesty has asked me to learn by Sir Wang's side. I hope that Sir Wang will not be stingy with your guidance." Li Biao said this and bowed again.
Wang Yongji hurriedly supported Li Biao and said with a smile, "Sir Li is too polite. We should work together to complete the task given by His Majesty and not disappoint His Majesty!"
Wang Yongji felt that Li Biao's first impression was very good.
Not arrogant, very humble, this was very good!
"I do not know what Sir Wang is planning to do, but please give your instructions. The Imperial Bodyguard will definitely follow Sir Wang's lead."
After the two of them sat down, Li Biao said directly.
Wang Yongji nodded and said, "I have already made a detailed plan. As the saying goes, if you don't teach, you will be punished. The first step is, of course, to put up a notice to inform the people in the western suburbs."
"Lord Li, please allocate some manpower to inform the households in the western suburbs."
Compared to the bailiffs of other departments, the Imperial Bodyguard had much more authority. This was something Wang Yongji had decided to assign to Li Biao the moment he saw him.
As for whether the dignitaries in the Western Suburbs would respect the Imperial Bodyguard, Wang Yongji did not care.
As the saying goes, 'Peaceful means before resorting to force'. Since he had done his part, the rest had nothing to do with him.
"That's not a problem!"
Li Biao smiled and said, "Once I return, I will be able to transfer some of the best men in the Imperial Bodyguard. We will definitely complete this task well. Please rest assured, Lord Wang."
Wang Yongji nodded and said with a smile, "Thank you, Lord Li."
The two briefly discussed some details and then went their separate ways. When Li Biao left, Wang Yongji immediately heaved a sigh of relief.
It seemed that His Majesty had also learned his lesson from Xing Shangzhi. This Li Biao was much better than Xing Shangzhi.
While Wang Yongji was preparing to put up a notice, Zhu Yijun was meeting with the Minister of Works, Liang Menglong, in the palace.
In fact, the position of Minister of Works was not suitable for Liang Menglong. The Minister of War was more suitable for him. He was one of the current civil officials in the Daming who knew the best about military affairs.
Liang Menglong was also a well-known radical in the Daming. Whether it was in opening up the sea or fighting the barbarians, Liang Menglong was very radical. He could be considered the representative of the hawks in the Daming.
However, the current Minister of War was Fang Fengshi, who was also a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet.
It should be noted that Fang Fengshi also knew the best about military affairs. He was transferred from Governor Xuan.
It was not that he was not as capable as Liang Menglong, but that Zhu Yijun liked Liang Menglong more. This was also what the Daming needed in the next ten years.
It might not be obvious now, but in five years, the Daming would be going to war.
At that time, the Daming needed a Minister of War who knew the best about military affairs and had the ability to do so.
Of course, it was best to be a hawk. This was what Zhu Yijun wanted, and Liang Menglong was the most suitable candidate.
The position of Minister of Works was a bit of a waste for Liang Menglong.
As the person in charge of repairing the Yellow River, it was naturally not a problem for Liang Menglong to be the Minister of Works.
The reason why Zhu Yijun invited Liang Menglong was actually very simple. It was to arrange something for Liang Menglong.
Zhu Yijun would feel sorry for putting such a strong person in the position of Minister of Works if he did not arrange something for him.
"Your subject, Liang Menglong, pays his respects to Your Majesty!" Liang Menglong bowed to Zhu Yijun.
Zhu Yijun nodded and said with a smile, "You may dispense with the formalities!"
As a hawk in the Daming, Liang Menglong did not look very valiant. Instead, he looked like a skinny old man.
However, his gaze was very sharp, and his entire person exuded a sharp aura.
"I called you here today because I have something to discuss with you!"
Zhu Yijun looked at Liang Menglong and did not beat around the bush. He directly said, "I want to abolish the Craftsman Register."
Daming's Craftsmen Register was divided into two types. One type was the military craftsmen, which meant that they were craftsmen in the army. These people had very, very low statuses, even lower than those in the army.
The other type was the craftsmen in charge of the local authorities. Their statuses were also very low.
There was a very special group in the Craftsman Register called Shift Craftsmen. Those who were transferred to the capital from other places were called "Shift Craftsmen". They were from various provinces.
Every three years, or one or two years, they would serve in the capital for three months. The shift would change, and they would be under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Works. Their entire family would be exempted from other duties.
There were also two types of people who were sent to serve locally. Those who were from the capital were called "Residence". They would serve for ten days every month and would be under the jurisdiction of the Inner Palace. Those who stayed in the weaving, weaving, and dyeing bureaus were called "Retention".
Although this was the rule, the reality was far from it.
It was basically unrealistic for the local Craftsmen in the capital to work in shifts for ten days. Most of them were bullied by the authorities and were even forced to do private work for the officials.
In the future, there were a lot of people who worked overtime without overtime pay, let alone in this era.
This caused the craftsmen to run away. They were even willing to work as servants for wealthy families instead of being Craftsmen Register.
In the twenty-first year of the reign of Emperor Xian Zong, the system of transferring silver to the Shift Craftsmen was implemented.
In the forty-first year of the reign of Jiajing, the World Sect generally implemented the "Shift Craftsmen Silver" system. There would be no craftsmen on duty.
This system seemed to be very good, but its effect was not as expected. Most of the Shift Craftsmen Silver went into their pockets, but they still had to do the work.
Now that the imperial court had changed the military system and abolished military households, the Craftsmen Register should be abolished.
When Liang Menglong heard that Zhu Yijun wanted to abolish the Craftsman Register, although he was slightly shocked, he was not surprised.
The Emperor even wanted to abolish military households, let alone a mere Craftsman Register. However, Liang Menglong had to consider where to start this matter.
Liang Menglong did not have any thoughts of objecting. He was not that kind of person.
Although Liang Menglong was a civil official, he had been in the border town for a long time. In addition to his personality, he had a swift and decisive personality.
In his opinion, if the Emperor wanted to abolish the Craftsman Register, then so be it.
However, the matter was not that simple. Liang Menglong also had his own worries!
Although the status of a Craftsman was not high, its importance was self-evident.
After being an official for so many years, Liang Menglong had seen many cases of Craftsmen being oppressed. He had also seen many cases of Craftsmen being poached away.
Especially in recent years, rich merchants from all over the country and people with connections all extended their hands to these Craftsmen.
In Liang Menglong's opinion, these Craftsmen were the treasures of the imperial court. Once the Craftsman Register was released, the loss of Craftsmen was inevitable.
The Daming could not afford to lose these Craftsmen. Once the Craftsman Register was released, who would do the work?
Craftsmen worked so hard. Once the Craftsman Register was released, even if no one hired them, the Craftsmen would run away first.
They were even afraid that the Emperor would go back on his word and run off somewhere.
At that time, the imperial court would not be able to find them even if they wanted to. These were the Craftsmen that the Daming had accumulated for more than a hundred years. It would be difficult to cultivate them.
Although it was not a long time, Liang Menglong had thought a lot.
It was fine to release the Craftsman Register, but it must not be suddenly released. Otherwise, the imperial court would not be able to bear it.
"What does Your Majesty want to do?" Liang Menglong looked at Zhu Yijun and asked.
"The matter of releasing the Craftsman Register is deeply related to the Ministry of Works. We want to discuss it with you. We will first come up with a regulation and then submit it to the Cabinet for discussion." Zhu Yijun looked at Liang Menglong and said, "We want to hear your opinion."
Although the Ministry of Works was not valued among the six ministries, its responsibilities were very heavy. It was the organization that managed the engineering affairs of the country. It was in charge of the construction of buildings, the use of tools, the method of dredging the weirs, and the ceremony of offering sacrifices to the millions in the mausoleum.
All the civil engineering, water conservancy projects, machine manufacturing projects (including military weapons, munitions, military equipment, etc.), mining, textiles, and other government-run industries were all in charge of the country. It was also in charge of some financial currencies and unified weights and measures.
The Ministry of Works was the one that had the deepest involvement with the craftsmen.
Liang Menglong also knew that the Ministry of Works could not avoid this matter. Since the Emperor wanted to know what he was thinking, he might as well say it directly.
After a moment of silence, Liang Menglong said, "This subject has some thoughts that I hope Your Majesty can correct."
"There is no harm in you saying it!" Zhu Yijun nodded and pretended to listen attentively.
Liang Menglong said in a deep voice, "This subject believes that releasing the Craftsman Register is a good thing. The craftsmen are under the control and exploitation of the Chief of Works. They often slack off, go into hiding, and escape."
"This is no longer a small matter. When this subject was in Jiliao, thirty to forty percent of the firearms sent by the Ministry of Works were not up to standard."
"During every rehearsal, there would be incidents of firearms exploding. This caused the soldiers to dislike firearms. It was only after five years in Wanli that things got better.
The army had no choice but to hire their own craftsmen to forge weapons, which was very wasteful. "
"Although this was due to the officials stuffing their own pockets and embezzling money, it was also due to the craftsmen not doing their best."
"Therefore, releasing the Craftsman Register and hiring craftsmen with money is a good thing," Liang Menglong first expressed his support for Zhu Yijun's policy and even explained the reason.
This showed that he was not just blindly going along with the Emperor, but that he really felt that the Emperor's idea was very good.
Zhu Yijun looked at Liang Menglong and sighed inwardly. These officials who had fought their way up from the bottom really did not work for nothing.
Compared to those court officials, they were much more skillful.
Thinking about the future, it was easy to understand. It was very difficult to fight your way up from the bottom to the center.
Even if you had connections at the top, you could not do anything in a place like the officialdom.
If you were not that talented, you might end up in someone else's pocket at any time.
At that time, not to mention your future, you might even lose your official position. You couldn't even be a treacherous official without ability.
For example, people like Yan Song had been the Grand Secretary for so long. If someone said that he only knew how to flatter the Emperor and had no ability, Zhu Yijun would not believe it.
For example, the famous He Shen. Who dared to say that He Shen had no ability?
Liang Menglong looked like a hawk, but his thoughts were really meticulous.
He was afraid that what he was going to say next would make him unhappy, so he was laying the groundwork here.
Although Zhu Yijun really wanted to tell Liang Menglong to say it, he was not such a narrow-minded person.
However, Zhu Yijun also knew that he could not say it. He could only listen to Liang Menglong.
Feeling that it was about time, Liang Menglong said, "This official agrees with Your Majesty's idea of opening the Craftsman Register."
"This official feels that the Craftsman Register should be opened by the Military Craftsmen first. Firstly, Military Craftsmen follow the army and have an important position. Opening the Craftsman Register first can show how much importance Your Majesty places on them.
Secondly, Military Craftsmen follow the army and hire them with money and rations. This can reassure them and make them follow the army with peace of mind. "
Although Liang Menglong said it nicely, Zhu Yijun also knew what he meant.
If Military Craftsmen followed the army, they would not be able to run away even if they wanted to. After opening the Craftsman Register, these people would also be conscripted to follow the army. They would not scatter all at once. The imperial court was promising them money to reassure them.
"Thirdly, opening the Craftsman Register first can set an example for the other craftsmen and let them understand the imperial court's intentions."
"Your Majesty is brilliant and has changed the military system, replacing the military household system with recruiting soldiers. This official feels that opening the Craftsman Register should be done at the place where the military reform is completed."
Liang Menglong smiled and said, "The people there know Your Majesty's benevolence and should actively serve the country. The hearts of the people can be used and can serve as an example for future generations."
Opening the Craftsman Register at the place where the military reform was completed was because the prestige of the imperial court had already been established there.
Everyone would believe whatever the imperial court said. After opening the Craftsman Register, the craftsmen would not immediately choose to run away.
After opening the Craftsman Register at the place where the military reform was completed, it could serve as an example for other places.
Zhu Yijun looked at Liang Menglong, and a smile immediately appeared on his face. Liang Menglong was indeed a capable minister!
How long had it been? Not only had he thought of the pros and cons of opening the Craftsman Register, he had even thought of how to change it and where to start.
This also confirmed Zhu Yijun's thoughts of using Liang Menglong. Such a talent was hard to come by!
"Your words are very much in line with my thoughts. Good, very good!" Zhu Yijun smiled and nodded.
"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty!" Liang Menglong did not show much joy. He looked calm and unperturbed.
"I have an idea as well!"
Zhu Yijun smiled and said, "I want to divide the craftsmen into categories and levels. For example, blacksmiths and carpenters are categories. As for the levels, they will be divided according to the amount of profit they make.
"According to the different levels, they will be given different salaries.
"The craftsmen hired by the imperial court will use a performance system. I'm sure you are familiar with the performance system?"
Of course, Liang Menglong was familiar with it. The Armaments Department under the Ministry of Works used a performance system.
The more they worked and the better they did, the more money they would receive. This was very important to Liang Menglong.
Liang Menglong remembered very clearly that in the Armaments Department, there was a craftsman called Old Turtle Cao. He made gun barrels quickly and well. He once set the highest salary in the Armaments Department, 76 taels of silver per month.
"Your Majesty, I am not unfamiliar with it," Liang Menglong hurriedly said.
"Then what do you think of my idea?" Zhu Yijun looked at Liang Menglong and said with a smile.