Chapter 98 Trial Version of Work-for-Relief
Under Ying Zheng's order, the country's resources tilted towards Shaqiu County.

Since he had already revealed his true colors to Zhao Yi, Ying Zheng no longer needed to hide anything.

After the local farmers finished the autumn harvest, they began to recruit local farmers to build the railway.

However, at Zhao Yi's suggestion, Ying Zheng's conscription of labor this time was different from the past.

This time the labor service includes food and accommodation, and a certain amount of taxes this year will be exempted.

The people who had received the conscription order were very resentful in their hearts, but after hearing about the welfare policy of this labor service.

He no longer complained and instead praised the labor.

Everyone rushed to perform this labor, fearing that they would be abandoned if it was too late.

This led to some unrest at the labor registration office.

There were even some people who had not received a conscription order but still came to serve in the labor service, after all, the benefits of this labor service were so good.

Ying Zheng was very surprised to hear the news.

You have to know that in the past, serving in labor service was something that ordinary people would avoid, but now ordinary people are rushing to serve.

In the past, in order to force the people to perform labor, it was necessary to send garrison soldiers to escort them.

If someone escapes or delays, the garrison soldiers responsible for escorting him and those who traveled with him will be held accountable.

The reason why Chen Sheng and Wu Guang started the uprising was that it was delayed by heavy rain.

Chen Sheng and Wu Guang realized that since they would be beheaded for delaying the deadline, they would also be beheaded for rebelling.

So they launched an uprising among the people who were doing forced labor on the spot, which set off a wave of uprisings across the Qin Dynasty.

Ying Zheng knew that the Qin Dynasty's tax policy was very heavy for the people, but he had never experienced the lives of the lower-class people. After all, as an emperor, it was impossible for him to lack money and no one could collect taxes from him.

So he didn't know how tempting free food and accommodation plus tax reductions were to the lower-class people.

Moreover, Zhao Yi's policy was modified based on the later policy of work-for-relief.

A welfare policy that will be widely praised in the future will be a sure win even if it is a scaled-down version of work-for-relief in this era.

After all, in the eyes of the people, the government only asked them to pay money, but never gave them any money.

But now the court has reduced taxes and provided food and accommodation, which is no different from the court giving money.

This is simply money falling from the sky for ordinary people who often live in financial difficulty.

Therefore, the people who were doing hard labor were always grateful in their hearts to the official who formulated this policy. Later, some people even secretly erected a statue to worship him.

They have no idea that this policy was actually proposed by a four-year-old child.

Even when Ying Zheng went to the construction site to check the progress, he heard the people praising him from the bottom of their hearts.

This made Ying Zheng very happy.

In the end, Ying Zheng felt that Zhao Yi's policy of work-for-relief could be promoted throughout the Qin Dynasty.

There were no conditions to implement this policy before.

But now that we have potatoes, things are different. The treasury will no longer be tight, and we can fully implement this policy.

Besides, Ying Zheng had originally planned to reduce taxes.

In addition, Ying Zheng felt that only a guy like Zhao Yi could come up with such a policy to win the hearts of the people.

After all, Ying Zheng understood that his officials did not care about the well-being of the common people. They only thought about how to complete their orders and tasks at the lowest cost so as to get praise from him.

Ying Zheng believed that if Zhao Yi came to power, he would win the hearts of the people of Qin and become a benevolent monarch praised by the people, which was something Fusu and Hu Hai could never do.

Because Fusu advocated Confucianism and always wanted to restore the ritual system of the Zhou Dynasty.

Hu Hai was a believer in Legalism, and the current taxation system of the Qin Dynasty was created by the Legalists. Once Hu Hai succeeded to the throne, taxation would only increase.

In their hearts, the common people didn't exist. Not to mention Fusu and Huhai, even Ying Zheng himself couldn't do what Zhao Yi did.

Because even though the productivity of the Qin Dynasty was greatly improved, Ying Zheng's own ideas did not improve and were still the same old ones.

Only Zhao Yi's thoughts can keep up.

After all, Zhao Yi's ideas were too advanced and unique. Ying Zheng felt that Zhao Yi saw far further than he did, and that Zhao Yi had the technology and capital to achieve what he wanted to do.

Therefore, the more Ying Zheng looked at Zhao Yi, the more he liked him. He even began to think about what reign title he should give Zhao Yi when he abdicated and became the emperor.

In fact, what Ying Zheng didn't know was that this was just a trial version of Zhao Yi's work-for-relief policy.

When he becomes regent, Zhao Yi will start the era of great infrastructure construction in the Qin Dynasty. Not only railways need to be built, but also reservoirs, roads and various factories.

By then, we will definitely rely on this policy of work-for-relief to have enough people to serve as workers.

If forced conscription is carried out, it will only seriously delay the progress and lose the support of the people, just like when his father built the Great Wall.

The reason why Zhao Yi did not reveal his future plans now is because the time is not right yet.

Infrastructure requires various equipment and materials.

But the current cement production alone cannot support infrastructure.

So when the time comes, Zhao Yi will naturally propose it.

Moreover, policy proposals need to be made step by step so that the father can accept them more easily.

……

Thanks to Zhao Yi's policy of work-for-relief, people were very enthusiastic about working.

Therefore, the railway laying project was completed one month earlier than originally expected.

The railway construction started simultaneously on both sides.

The civilians were recruited to take charge of the section in Shaqiu County, while the section in Shahe Village was assisted by the Shadow Guards.

So the people who were laying a section of railway in Sand Hill County were all wondering what this railway was used for?

This kind of road is broken up in the middle and looks like it cannot be walked on by people or carriages. It is completely unusable.

This kind of road construction is a complete waste of money.

However, since the court provided food and accommodation and reduced taxes, the people could not say that the court was wasting money.

Until the day when the railways on both sides are connected.

When the last rail is laid to the preset position.

Everyone began to cheer and celebrate the completion of the railway.

Then everyone went together to help prepare the ingredients for the celebratory banquet.

Because Zhao Yi suggested holding a celebration banquet to create a sense of ceremony, Ying Zheng thought it was interesting and agreed.

Zhao Yi even sent a chef he had trained to be in charge of cooking.

Then everyone present tasted the deliciousness of stir-fry for the first time.

It can be said that this celebratory banquet was the most delicious meal they had ever eaten in their middle age.

As a result, after the project was completed, people in Shaqiu County often boasted about how they had attended the celebration banquet and how delicious the food was.

After the celebration banquet, the people who were waiting to be taken home according to the management saw something that shocked them greatly.

That was the train that was coming towards them like a huge monster.

(End of this chapter)