Chapter 2756 The Real Key to Industry
As the debate progressed, the atmosphere in the court became increasingly tense.
Emperor Jiajing raised his hand and rang the bell to signal everyone to be quiet.
"My dear friends, I have heard what you have seen."
"You really need to be cautious when dealing with southerners."
He paused and continued: "I think it would be a good thing if the skills of the southerners can be used by our Ming Dynasty."
"But as you dear friends said, there is no distinction between superior and inferior, so we must be on guard against them."
"Therefore, I decided to set up a special agency to be responsible for communication and monitoring with the Southerners."
The emperor's gaze became firm: "This institution will be directly managed by the cabinet."
"Xu Aiqing is responsible for taking the lead."
"We must not only learn their skills, but also guard against their ambitions."
"Southerners can teach skills, but they are not allowed to interfere in state affairs or talk about state affairs."
"Violators will be severely punished without credit."
In this way, the Ming Dynasty quickly reached a consensus.
Some young ministers were thinking about how to use the skills of the southerners to improve the shortcomings of the Ming Dynasty.
Nowadays, all the shortcomings of Ming Dynasty are revealed.
First, the border troops are not well paid and are in decline and cannot be put to great use.
The chaos in the southeast has just subsided, but the border troubles in the north are becoming increasingly serious.
Second, people's livelihood is in decline, tax revenue is decreasing year by year, and there are fewer and fewer places to tax.
Third, the battles in the court are becoming more and more serious, and the number of people who do things unintentionally is increasing day by day.
Even in court meetings, one-third of the staff are missing.
Fourth, civil unrest occurs frequently in various places, and major chaos is imminent.
But they heard that the southerners had sharp weapons, so they wanted to imitate them.
Jiajing's decision made the administrators in the court nod one after another.
The ministers expressed their approval of the emperor's wise decision. Although they still had different opinions on how to use the Southerners, they reached a consensus under the emperor's decision.
At the end of the court meeting, the ministers exited the court one after another.
Everyone had a thoughtful look on their face.
They know that the arrival of the Southerners will bring new variables to the Ming Dynasty, and they must deal with it carefully.
Emperor Jiajing returned to Wanshou Palace alone.
He looked through the window into the distance.
His heart was filled with anticipation.
The emergence of the Southerners is undoubtedly a double-edged sword. If used well, it can lead to immortality; if used poorly, it may destroy the country.
Of course he would choose immortality.
It doesn't matter if the country is destroyed, as long as he lives forever.
Of course, it would be best if you could live forever and continue to be emperor.
He took a deep breath, determined to personally oversee the new organization and make sure everything was under his control.
He hadn't done this for a long time.
……
Wen Rensheng looked at the Jiajing Emperor and had to say that he was really similar to the character in the TV series.
Put yourself first, and Daming second.
For the sake of longevity, I have become obsessed with it.
But he is smarter than others, and he does not take pills randomly.
Use a variety of gloves to relieve yourself from fatigue and ensure you can practice Taoism calmly.
Therefore, under the balance of many factors, he can still live to 60 years old.
Among ancient emperors, this lifespan was very long.
Many emperors who sought immortality had short life spans.
For example, his son did not seek immortality, but only lived for more than thirty years.
……
The morning mist is lingering, and a workshop on the outskirts of Beijing gradually wakes up under the sunshine.
A special group of people gather here.
They are all students from the South.
Only one time traveler was brave enough to take the initiative to come here to interact with Ming Dynasty.
Mainly because they didn’t carry much with them when they traveled through.
So there was no rush to fight against Ming Dynasty.
Moreover, at this time, Ming Dynasty still had the power to repel the Westerners, which shows his ability to mobilize resources.
Most places are pretty safe.
So no matter from which aspect, they did not directly attack the Ming Dynasty, but extended their hands to many forces in Southeast Asia.
Now, they need Ming's market and labor force.
It's still too slow to just rely on them to do it slowly.
So they decided to contact Daming.
They are not worried about their technology being copied by Ming Dynasty, because history has long proven it.
If you don’t learn the core and optical technology, you will end up with nothing but different images.
And if they learn it all, it is actually a victory for their time travellers: they get a familiar environment again.
So the time travelers brought knowledge and technology from other worlds, trying to sow the seeds of industrialization in the land of the Ming Dynasty.
……
On this day, the atmosphere in the workshop was different from usual.
Because a young official, Li Hancheng Hanlin, was sent here by the court to supervise the work of the southerners.
Li Hanlin was wearing a green official robe, a black gauze hat, and a jade pendant symbolizing status hanging around his waist.
He has a handsome face and firm eyes.
He belongs to the kind of officials who have great ambitions and great abilities.
Not a sour scribe.
It has its own sharpness.
He stepped into the workshop and looked around.
What he saw were the busy figures of Nanren students and some mechanical devices that he had never seen before.
His eyes finally fell on a southerner wearing strange clothes.
That was the person in charge of the workshop, Zhao Tiezhu.
Yes, he is obviously a time traveler, and his name is more foreign than aboriginal.
Zhao Tiezhu was dressed in shorts, a thick mask, and his hair was shaved, looking like a monk.
"Master Zhao, I have been ordered by the imperial court to supervise the operation of the workshop." Li Hanlin's voice was calm.
Zhao Tiezhu turned around with a smile on his face.
But there was a trace of contempt in his eyes: "Master Li, welcome."
"What we do here are all things that can help Ming Dynasty progress."
Li Hanlin nodded.
Immediately he began to participate in the daily operations of the workshop.
He carefully observed the working methods of these southern students.
The communication between them was based on equality and there was no distinction between superiority and inferiority, which made him feel particularly uncomfortable.
Especially every time he came in, everyone just nodded to him and said hello.
Some people were so busy that they didn't even stand up to salute him. When he came in, he was like a ball of air, and no one cared at all.
This made him extremely uncomfortable.
It's outside, and it's already been dragged down to make boards.
How is it possible for scholars, farmers, merchants, and craftsmen to not kneel down and kowtow when the master comes in, or stand aside and salute?
Simply seeking death.
During a discussion about workshop management, the dispute finally broke out.
"Master Zhao, your method goes against the Ming Dynasty's ethics. You don't know the superiors and inferiors. How can you manage the workshop well?" Li Hanlin frowned, with reproach in his tone.
Zhao Tiezhu sneered in his heart.
That's the key.
Because of the hierarchy of superiority and inferiority, no matter how good the industry is, it cannot develop.
The reason is simple.
The factory you have worked so hard to develop will be bankrupted by people with higher status than you with just one sentence. How can you still develop it?
The ideas and products you worked so hard to come up with will be taken away by the minister with just a note. How can you do primitive accumulation?
Therefore, although the Ming Dynasty had the germination of a commodity economy, it could only be a germination. In the end, it would deform into an integration of business and management. Only the size of the management can run a large business.
And they are destined to be distorted. They are destined not to focus on industry and commerce, but on being a big executive.
The goal is wrong, so how can we develop the pinnacle of industry and commerce?
In the end, it can only be nothing more than nothing, and then be burned down due to the resistance of the barren people.
There will be another round, and if this goes on, there will naturally be no possibility for industry and commerce to accumulate.
So Zhao Tiezhu responded calmly: "Master Li, what we pursue is the concept of equality for everyone."
"Here, everyone can express their opinions, so that everyone's creativity can truly be unleashed." Li Hanlin shook his head and said, "Master Zhao, you are so whimsical."
"Without the order of hierarchy, how can we maintain the operation of the workshop?"
"If someone opposes you, how do you let the order pass?"
"Everyone is equal, so it won't be a mess?"
"The reason why our Ming Dynasty can establish a dynasty is based on the superiority and inferiority."
Zhao Tiezhu insisted: "Master Li, it is this hierarchical system that limits people's ideas."
"What's more, some of you here have also said that the king and his ministers are father and son. The king treats his ministers like brothers and sisters, and his ministers regard the king..."
"No, there is no bad king and father in the world. We who are ministers are the daughters-in-law, and the king's father is the mother-in-law. Only the daughter-in-law is wronged, how can there be any reason for the mother-in-law to be wronged?" Li Hanlin said immediately.
When Zhao Tiezhu heard this, he said this in Ming Dynasty.
He shook his head and said: "If you want to achieve industrialization and make products, you must first be equal. Everyone has equal rights. You cannot bully others and have rules to protect yourself."
"We also need to reach a consensus and have the ability to restrict it, so that everyone can protect their wealth and stimulate consumption and innovation."
"Otherwise, it will only create a pile of waste and make a mess."
Li Hanlin understood some of it, but still couldn't understand most of it, and the more he listened, the more awkward he became.
However, he guessed that what the other party said should be Mencius's thoughts.
But Mencius had long been pushed down.
Anyone who uses Mencius's teachings will fail the examination.
As for scholars, it is difficult.
It is because Mencius talked about righteousness and emphasized that the father and son of the king and his ministers should be equal. In other words, if the king does not pay attention to kindness and righteousness, his officials will not pay attention to loyalty.
This is treason.
And the other party is not only talking about you, but also about father and son.
If the father treats his son badly, the son may not be filial to him.
This obviously touches the foundation of etiquette.
And he felt a wave of panic.
It doesn't matter if the other party makes money, but if it touches the foundation of etiquette, it will be a dead end.
If you mix yourself with this person, you will be dead.
So he only said a few words and left in a hurry.
He has to find a way to solve this problem
The debate quietly spread throughout the workshop.
Southerners and Aboriginal workers in the workshops were involved.
Some people secretly supported Li Hanlin's view and believed that without the order of dignity, the workshop would fall into chaos.
Others agree with Zhao Tiezhu's philosophy and believe that only equality can allow everyone to do good things.
We will not let some ignorant managers interfere.
……
On this day, Li Hanlin came to the workshop again.
He gathered everyone under a high platform.
He said with a strong voice: "Everyone, the reason why our Ming Dynasty is able to prosper is precisely because we follow the Confucian way."
"Both the superiors and the inferiors, the emperor, ministers, father and son, are all strict."
"If the Southerners are allowed to preach equality, where is the order? Where is the etiquette?"
"When the time comes, the father is no longer the father, and the son is no longer the son, won't the world be in chaos?"
"Never talk about this again in the future!"
Zhao Tiezhu retorted: "Master Li, the Ming Dynasty was prosperous? Not necessarily, right?"
“Everywhere I looked, there was famine.”
"There are homeless people everywhere, and the price of hiring labor is so cheap that they can feed them for a month."
"Can this also be called prosperity?"
"Why is this so, have you ever thought about it?"
Li Hanlin was furious when he heard this: "You are slandering!"
"You guys, the imperial court saw that you were still somewhat respectful, so it allowed you to go to Beijing to open a factory."
"I didn't expect that you would take the opportunity to slander the imperial court!"
Zhao Tiezhu said disdainfully: "Slander, I just told you the truth!"
He knew very well that the only condition for industrialization was equality and checks and balances.
To put it simply, you cannot have an ancestor above your head and take away your achievements with just one sentence.
In fact, it is not completely equal, as long as there are checks and balances between the forces.
At this point, those truly feudal states could easily enter industrialization.
Because there are checks and balances between their lords and their kings.
Lords can be converted into large factory owners relatively easily.
Their industry can be maintained.
In a place like the Ming Dynasty, where there was only one emperor, even if you were a minister, you couldn't keep your property.
Because ministers will also go down and retire.
At that time, the industry will no longer be viable.
Just like Xu Jie, he had a lot of land when he was prosperous, but once he fell from power, he had to spit it out.
This is just a microcosm.
Ultimately, there are no so-called checks and balances here, and it is a completely unstable system.
As long as there is a change of status between the emperor and different forces, wealth and factories will be lost.
And status changes quickly.
Ten years is enough for a seemingly high-ranking minister to fall quickly.
How can factory owners protect themselves in this short period of time?
This is the consequences of the lack of checks and balances.
Zhao Tiezhu never thought of this before.
It was not until after he traveled through time, during collisions with other time-travelers, and when he was doing things personally, that he experienced plunder by officials, that he realized that if there is no concept of checks and balances and equality, even if it develops, it will be embezzled by others.
But now, they cannot create new checks and balances, so they need to form a system that can protect everyone's rights and interests.
And let everyone reach a consensus and take the initiative to maintain it.
This is especially true for Team Chuan, who is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people and will take control of the power.
This is the most fundamental thing.
Then he argued with Li Hanlin.
Although Li Hanlin was unhappy, he still had character - he didn't bother to use the yamen's tactics to deal with people who argued with him.
After all, he thought it was dirty.
This debate lasted for a long time.
Until the sunset, the atmosphere in the workshop was still tense.
Li Hanlin was walking home alone.
He did not ride in a sedan chair.
But my heart is full of doubts.
He knew that what Zhao Tie said was true.
The sun is setting in the Ming Dynasty now.
One hundred and fifty years later, it’s almost over.
It really feels like this.
More and more refugees are freezing to death, and the land is getting less and less.
The imperial court ran a deficit every year.
Even the officials' money cannot be distributed. Isn't this a sign of the end of the dynasty?
Does he think what Zhao Tiezhu said is right?
However, even if everyone is equal, can the Ming Dynasty be saved?
He thought carefully that if everyone was equal, land annexation would be much more difficult.
No one will rely on their status as a juren to avoid too many taxes. In fact, being a juren cannot exempt them from much tax.
According to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, the maximum free land limit is fifty acres.
However, because the candidates have official connections, the specific implementation is completely different.
When the clerk's office and the government officials were settling accounts, all the land owned by the civil servants was basically classified as lower-grade farmland, dry land, and poor land. In this way, the tax collected would be much less.
Take it a step further and slowly stop accepting it altogether.
This is why if there is more than one person to be elected, many people will contribute.
The rules are one thing, but the implementation by the Yamen Clerk's Office is another.
If everyone is equal, and the civil servants are the same as the common people, then the government officials will not treat them differently.
Being able to think of this shows that Li Hanlin is not an ordinary nerd. He has really been exposed to practical work and experienced it personally.
Because he passed the examination all the way from Xiucai Juren.
I have personally experienced the change in attitude of the Yamen Secretary Office.
(End of chapter)