Chapter 467 The only opportunity for Ming Dynasty to break through the predicament
Lin Fucheng gave Zhu Yijun a big surprise. This time he came to Taibai Tower just on the way. He heard that Wan Shihe was also there, so he came in to see the excitement. He went to Yanxing Building to check the accounts. The ticket subscription for Suiyuan Chi Road and Suiyuan Mining in this phase has been completed. All the cash has been escorted to the national fund and is ready to be used for the construction of Suiyuan Chi Road and Suiyuan Mining after the year. Shengzhou and Womagang mines.
Lin Fucheng was a true freedom fighter. He not only made himself free, but also made the people of Ming Dynasty free together.
"Then what about the profit tax! What if this is not a collection of money by the imperial court? Silver, red copper, and coins are not allowed to come out of our Ming Dynasty. You, a flattering person, only know how to sing praises to your Majesty, how dare you Such a clamor!" a Hanlin Academy member shouted loudly.
Zhu Yijun frowned and looked at Hanlin. This man had a bit of a drake voice. His speaking voice was not pleasant, and his words were also unpleasant.
What does it mean to sing praises to your Majesty? Randomly biting!
Does Lin Fucheng’s words have anything to do with him as the emperor?
"Silver, red copper, coins, do you think the court is short of your few taels of silver?" Lin Fucheng sneered and said: "The court is really short of money, so it just issues debts. Didn't you see that some time ago? , the special national debt of 10 million silver did not even splash? Do you really think that the meat eaters of the Ming Dynasty are short-sighted people like you? "
"The purpose of the court is just to prevent the silver from being released. Guan, who will stop you when you bring goods out of customs! What is the reason for? The silver flowing into Ming Dynasty is all for free trade!"
Hanlin Xiao Youliang waved his sleeves vigorously. He slammed the table hard and stood up, pointed at Lin Fucheng and said loudly: "Do you want to listen to what you said? These words are nonsense! The court competes with the people for profits, levies heavy taxes on the people, and is extremely harsh. Why? The word freedom! Fortunately, you are still a great scholar of the Songjiang School!”
Lin Fucheng said quite calmly: "Look, you are in a hurry."
"Don't speak dirty words, it will insult the gentlemen. After all, he is also a serious Jinshi, making people laugh."
Zhu Yijun They looked at Wan Shihe, Wan Shihe looked at Wang Qian, and Wang Qian looked at the emperor. The three of them looked at each other with big eyes and small eyes. They were all a little stunned. The profit tax thing started when the superior of the Ministry of Household Affairs and the Ministry of Industry proposed it. , I never thought that anyone would associate profits tax with free trade.
Does it really matter if this thing is impossible to hit with eight poles?
"Xiao Hanlin, let me ask you." Lin Fucheng asked with a smile: "You said, why did the large sailing ship in the West travel tens of thousands of miles across the ocean and endure the wrath of the sky? Do you want to come to our Ming Dynasty Shipping Department and give your money in exchange for silk, porcelain, tea, ships and other items?"
Xiao Youliang thought again and again and said: "The world is prosperous, and it is naturally for profit. , and more importantly, if I have him or not, he will have to work so hard if he wants to."
"It's true, you are right, just because Da Ming has it and Hong Mao Fan doesn't. Only then could he bring a lot of money into the Ming Dynasty." Lin Fucheng looked around and said, "This is the advantage, and where does this advantage come from?"
"The Ming Dynasty has sufficient and sufficient profits. Goods, this is the value of assets.”
“No matter how the Ming Dynasty waged war with the Red Mao Fan in Luzon, in the Cebu Islands, in Mindanao, in the Yuanxun Islands, in Old Port, or in the Strait of Malacca. I can't bear to stop trading with the Ming Dynasty, so I can only endure the interest rates and the harsh terms of the court and continue trade. This is the benefit of the world."
"I have this advantage but not others. It came out of thin air and was based on the advantages accumulated through industry. Silk has been weaved in the Ming Dynasty for thousands of years. The wisdom and ingenuity of countless weavers have condensed the commodity advantages of silk. Mulberry trees and silkworm seeds have not been taken away from overseas, even before. , Thai and Western merchants purchased raw silk from the Ming Dynasty and weaved and dyed it themselves, but after the opening of the sea, Hongmao Fan could only buy finished products for forging. ”
"Why? Don't they know that the finished product is more profitable? Why don't they raise their own silkworms, plant their own mulberry trees, produce their own silk, and weave their own silk fabrics?"
"It's not that they don't want to, they think about it day and night, but they don't Can't do it."
"Because of two words, scale!"
Zhu Yijun raised his eyebrows, slightly surprised. Although he heard something new, profits tax and free trade. The connection is not reflected at all.
Lin Fucheng went off topic.
"Don't judge him right or left! There is nothing wrong with what you said about the profits tax we are discussing, but what does it have to do with profits tax?" Xiao Youliang shouted loudly. Obviously, what Lin Fucheng said was related to profits. Tax, there is no necessary connection.
Lin Fucheng's face turned red, and he replied loudly: "The scale of thousands of years is vertical! The scale of the weaving bureaus spread all over the Ming Dynasty is horizontal! The vertical scale and the horizontal scale Scale leads to the same goal through different paths!”
“Only when silver circulates within the hinterland of the Ming Dynasty can the scale of various industries be guaranteed. Only by ensuring the scale of the industry can technology advance, costs can be reduced, and commodity advantages can be maintained. Only by ensuring the scale of the industry can we achieve the same goal.” If we can maintain our advantage, our Ming Dynasty can trade freely! We can take advantage of all the barbarians in the world! "
"Trade that is not good for our Ming Dynasty is not free trade!"< br>
Lin Fucheng's logic is extremely rigorous. His theory of freedom has risen from individuals to the entire Ming Dynasty. Then personal interests have expanded to the interests of the Ming Dynasty. Then the Ming Dynasty must maintain its industrial scale in order to gain commodity advantages. This This advantage is that I have it and you don’t have it, so it won’t be easily replaced by others. It’s also a low cost, so it won’t be defeated by others through dumping.
It protects the scale of industry, guarantees employment, and guarantees basic personal freedom. There is no need to establish strong personal dependence production relations such as tenants, servants, eunuchs, and foreign wives.
This is Lin Fucheng's free trade. Any trade that is detrimental to Ming Dynasty is not free trade.
"Master Lin understands free trade." Zhu Yijun leaned on the back of his chair and said to Wang Qian with certainty.
Wang Qian said sincerely: "If Master Lin withdraws from the literary world, I will oppose it."
As people move forward, they will always encounter many problems. In fact, it is difficult to find answers to these questions based on the knowledge we have learned and past experiences. However, the theory of memetic pollution paradox provides an extremely contradictory way of looking at the problem, which can help to clear up the confusion that has been stagnated in the heart. at.
Lin Fucheng watched thousands of sailboats racing by in Songjiang Prefecture. He walked north along the canal and saw all kinds of conditions in the world. The answer is that at this time, the invisible sledgehammer of the theory of contradiction violently hit the stamp of his thoughts.
"Profits tax is to prevent the outflow of silver, but does not prevent the outflow of goods. Do you have any questions?" Lin Fucheng looked at Xiao Youliang and asked.
Xiao Youliang thought and thought again and again, and finally shook his head and said: "No more."
Wan Shihe, the official of the Ministry of Rites, did not hide his thoughts. Lively, thoughtful and speculative, it doesn't matter if you lose the argument, but stalking will leave a bad impression on Uncle Da Zong.
You can’t stalk or mess around, then you have to admit defeat.
"Nah, that, the profits tax, even if what you say is reasonable! But recently the court decided to open a banknote collection branch in Chidao! What does this have to do with freedom! You are barking in the people's newspaper, whitewashing the accumulation, and other The crime should be punished! Since ancient times, only mountain bandits have said: I opened this road and planted this tree. If you want to go this way, you will leave the money to buy it." Another Confucian scholar stood up and asked loudly.
That makes sense!
Zhu Yijun also believes that the establishment of Chidao toll collection and Chaoguan sub-bureaus are undoubtedly related to highway robbery, but they must be collected. They are related to the establishment and exploration of the Ming Dynasty's commercial tax system. Therefore, they must be collected even if they are scolded. For this reason, Wang Chonggu, Wang Guoguang, and Wang Daokun were also scolded.
Lin Fucheng smiled but said nothing. He looked at the Confucian scholar and said, "Who are you?"
"Wang Dexin, the Wang family of Zhangqiu, ranked sixth in the top two in Wanli eight years! Hanlin Yuan Hanlin." Confucian scholar Wang Dexin replied without any ambiguity.
"It seems that they are deaf to what is happening outside the window and only focus on reading the books of sages. Do you know how the Taibai Tower under our feet became the No. 1 gold-selling cave in Beiya? It was the Yanxing Tower before. ." Lin Fucheng asked another unrelated question, making Wang Dexin look confused.
Wang Dexin replied: "The Yanxing Building is no longer a place for fun, but more of a trading place."
"That's it." Lin Fucheng said calmly: " Some people do the beheading business, but no one cares about the loss-making business. This is the truth. It is unprofitable to die early and unprofitable. Why should Yanxinglou recognize the tickets for Suiyuan Chidao? Why should he be powerful? Crazy robbery? ”
The Songjiang School’s theory of freedom is against burying money in pigsties because money is not free.
The theory of freedom refers to where it needs to be replenished. Pigsties do not need silver. When silver does not flow, the invisible market's self-regulatory hand will fail; at this time, the court's visible hand is needed. Big hands intervened.
What liberals hate most is the visible power of the imperial court, which interferes too much.
What Zheshe households in the Ming Dynasty liked most was to save money, hide it, and sleep on the money. This kind of conservatism is opposite to the more radical freedom.
“After all, it’s just the same thing.” Wang Dexin sneered and waved his hand. He thought he had some high-level talk, but it was just repeating the same old tune. What’s the point?
Lin Fucheng looked at Wang Dexin, shook his head and said, "You still didn't understand what I meant."
"I'd like to hear the details!" Wang Dexin raised her chest and raised her head. She just couldn't teach Lin Fucheng a lesson today, so We can't afford to lose completely. If we can't even convince Lin Fucheng, let alone convince Chaotang Minggong, the criticism of Chaotang Minggong is groundless.
"Do you know how many years it will take for these newly built Chi Roads in the Ming Dynasty to pay back their costs?" Lin Fucheng asked with a smile as he squinted his eyes.
Wang Dexin's brows knitted into knots. He shook his head and said, "I don't know. I didn't abandon Confucianism and go into business. How do I know?"
"Fifty years." Lin Fucheng stretched out a He said with one hand: "When Suiyuan Chidao issued the tickets, it warned all speculators that this was not a short-term profitable project, and it was even unlikely to be profitable. The subscription to raise national debt was based on the recognition of His Majesty's commitment to keeping his promise. Then Where are the tickets for the Suiyuan Chi Road?”
“Fifty years is not that long in life.”
Wang Dexin frowned and said with a slight disdain: “That Zheshe. Why should the households subscribe to the donation? Isn't it because there are some sycophants in the court who are forcing these luxury households to pledge the donation? Yin Zhengmao stole all the money from the surplus military pay!”
"It's exactly the same as today's luxury households who plan to travel far away!"
When Zhu Yijun heard this, he thought of something fun. The gentry in Guangdong and Guangxi were begging Ling Yunyi to go back! Ling Yunyi returned the favor, and Wang Jiaping, who was good at riddles, really made the Jin gentry go numb.
"So you are deaf to what is happening outside the window and only read the books of sages. Do you think that Duke Ming is the father of the Zhashe households? They must do whatever they are told to do? Only Your Majesty has the power of life and death. Without punishment, taking their money is no different than killing them." Lin Fucheng sat up straight and said, "Will those Zheshe households in Xitucheng listen to the three party leaders or your majesty? "
"They will only listen to the sound of silver colliding."
"Zhashe households can settle accounts. I asked Yao Guangqi of the Yao family in Wuzhong, why did the Yao family commit to this transaction? "
"Yao Guangqi told me that the first is long-term. As long as the Ming Dynasty exists, Chidao will always be used. The second is the future. The Ming steam engine now has less than three horsepower, which is a huge waste and howls black smoke. Rolling, but it is not always three horsepower. When it becomes ten horsepower and runs day and night, everyone will marvel at the changes it brings to the circulation of goods."
"When it has one hundred or one thousand. , ten thousand or even one hundred thousand horsepower? How much cargo will it drag and flow day and night? "
"So, the recovery of the principal in fifty years is based on the current horsepower. If the horsepower of the steam engine gradually increases, the faster the growth rate will be! The cost of recovering the principal will be faster, and the profit will be faster.” In ten years, when the Ming Dynasty is here, Chidao will be there."
"Do you understand?" Lin Fucheng couldn't understand this problem at first, especially the expansion of Yanxing Tower, especially the ticket recognition of Suiyuan Chidao. They were also robbed, which was something no one expected. Businessmen from Xitucheng and Shanxi almost fought each other to grab the tickets.
It’s really strange.
But after Lin Fucheng understood the logic, he had to say that it was not unreasonable that these families had been passed down for hundreds of years, and not everyone was short-sighted.
In summary, it is a battle for the future. Even if you can't make money back, it doesn't matter. Anyway, part of the money raised is the dividend of the ship ticket.
Even if you really lose all your money, it doesn’t really matter, because since His Majesty activated Hai Rui, the Ming Dynasty Sword, to take charge of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, the way to send money to Ming Gong has been completely cut off. , the government is obtained through bribery, and there is no way to contribute to the Ming Gong. The Zheshe household is somewhat panicked. Even if it pays all the money, it can be regarded as cooperating with the decrees of His Majesty and Ming Gong.
When His Majesty kills pigs in the future, he will more or less think about everyone's loyalty to the emperor and the country, leaving some dignity for himself and a way out for the nine tribes.
This is the third reason and the biggest reason. Of course, Yao Guangqi did not explain to Lin Fucheng that the troubles of being powerful and right-wing are the same as those of scholar-bureaucrats.
"I understand." Wang Dexin thought over and over again, was defeated, and chose to admit defeat. He had already quibbled once, and if he continued to pester, he would be polite.
His sophistry is the sophistry of what Lin Fucheng said about the circulation of silver. In fact, the problem of 'robbery on the road' that he raised could be explained by Lin Fucheng in terms of the circulation of silver, but Lin Fucheng did not. Wang Dexin was defeated.
If we think about the problem of 'robbery' in terms of silver circulation, we will find that it is natural. The essence of silver circulation is the circulation of commodities, and this is also the inevitable transformation of the Ming Dynasty from a small peasant economy to a commodity economy. It needs to be revised. Only with more roads can goods be communicated between different parts of the Ming Dynasty, allowing goods to circulate more frequently and promoting economic transformation.
The realization of this strategy is really about free trade. Lin Fucheng did not bully others, but answered from another angle.
Wang Dexin would be rude if she persists.
“Soot!” Another Confucian scholar stood up and said loudly: “The Ministry of Industry talks nice, but it turns out that this year is not even a cold winter, and there is already soot everywhere. When asked, the Ministry of Industry was only vague and evasive. When asked, they didn’t know, and they protected each other!”
This question is very sharp and bold, because the Ministry of Industry is named by name. Pointing to Wang Daokun, this is actually a very direct accusation.
"Don't you drink hot water? Don't you eat cooked food?" Lin Fucheng frowned and said, "Coal is the firewood that opens the door for important matters."
"Coal is meat. Steel is the bones, people are the blood, and the Xishan Coal Bureau of the Coal and Steel Joint Venture is the bones and bones, the hope of Ming Dynasty, and the only opportunity to break through the dilemma." Lin Fucheng reconfirmed. .
Only by transforming into a commodity economy can new production relations be established, and the relationship of strong personal dependence be truly transformed into a free employment relationship. The Xishan Coal Bureau of the Coal and Steel Joint Venture is the only opportunity.
All systems are based on current reality, not imagined or fabricated out of thin air. Otherwise, no matter how cleverly designed, it will be a fantasy system where the ideal country shines into reality and leads reality into the abyss. This This point has been proven countless times by history.
"Master Lin, why is this the only opportunity?" Zhu Yijun was curious about how Lin Fucheng obtained this argument from the aspect of freedom.
"Where to start?" Lin Fucheng's expression was particularly sad. He looked at everyone and whispered: "Xishan Coal Bureau wants to pump water. No matter how we do it, we can only pump water to about three feet, and the lift cannot exceed three feet. , the reciprocating water pump of Minbao was modified from a bellows. Later, the Gewu Institute did a very strange experiment, pulling a copper ball; and later Jiao Hong, a doctor of Gewu Institute, discovered that air pressure and volume are inversely proportional; the president of the Institute King De invented the pressure cooker. "
"The Xishan Coal Bureau needed thousands of horses to pull the pulleys and winches to draw water. Later, the reciprocating steam engine finally came into being."
"From Wanli II. It has been eight years since the beginning of the Nian Min Bao's talk about the pumping engine. The steam engine started from scratch, and the reciprocating steam engine finally came out. Even though His Highness King Deok insisted on the high-pressure steam turbine route, His Highness never denied the reciprocating steam engine route, and even gave Great support.”
“Why is the Xishan Coal Bureau of the Coal and Steel Joint Venture the only opportunity to break the situation? Because the steam engine is a miracle and the most reliable driving force for the advancement of the Ming Dynasty. I can’t imagine anything more reliable. "
Lin Fucheng thought for a long time, talking about the coal output of Xishan Coal Bureau, the steel output, the woolen factory, and the steam drying in the shipyard. He actually said He was not allowed to express what he wanted to say, but Zhu Yijun understood.
Lin Fucheng is a productivity-only theory. He believes that when productivity is achieved, everyone will be free, that is, everyone can be unfettered.
The steam engine is the most important thing in realizing his ideal country, the revolution of productivity.
His theory is completely logically self-consistent.
Zhu Yijun nodded and signaled Lin Fucheng to continue his performance. He highly recognized Lin Fucheng's views. The Ming Dynasty was slowly entering the era of productivity revolution, and the steam engine relied on the coal and steel alliance. thrive on the basis.
Yes, after material abundance, more people will be educated, more talents will be cultivated, and more technological progress will be achieved, and materials will become richer. This will be a virtuous cycle.
It took Zhu Yijun ten years to reach this point. He stumbled to this step under the guidance of Zhang Juzheng, Qi Jiguang, Yu Dayou, Tan Lun, Wang Guoguang and even Wang Chonggu.
"Huh, it's good that Lin Fucheng came out." Wan Shihe sat on the seat in the Tianzihao box, not paying much attention to the verbal battle among the Confucian scholars in the audience, because Lin Fucheng would not lose.
The past few months when Lin Fucheng was in trouble were indeed difficult, but he still finished reading those difficult books, and even conducted a practical investigation and visited the Xishan Coal Bureau and the Woolen Official Factory, combined with his own The experience of traveling thousands of miles made him a great Confucian who established a lectureship.
"Is Uncle Zong under any pressure? Recently, there have been memorials criticizing Da Situ and Da Sikong." Zhu Yijun looked at Wan Shihe's relieved look and asked with a smile.
Wan Shihe shook his head and said: "That's not true. If I take action in this debate, it will not be beautiful."
Don't challenge Wan Shihe on the matter of sweeping the water and washing the ground. , Wan Shihe has not taken action yet. Once he takes action, he will definitely calm down the storm. However, Wan Shihe, who has been firmly labeled as an imperialist party, may have the opposite effect. If the people cannot discuss openly, they will join hands in private. At that time, it will be even more dangerous. .
But now, the Songjiang Liberal School is charging ahead. This is a battle of civil power and public opinion, and the court can handle this matter more easily.
This is the result that Wan Shihe wants to see most.
"Your Majesty, there is something. The Ministry of Industry sent a memorial saying that the glass in the Harmony Palace should be replaced, but Your Majesty refused." Wan Shihe instead talked about an incident in the court, Wang Daokun asked Wan Shi and His Majesty what they meant by rejecting this proposal.
Wang Daokun was trapped in the public opinion. He did not dare to face the emperor rashly or ask questions. Firstly, he did not know what the emperor meant. Secondly, he was suspected of protecting Xingjin, and he was already under criticism. With a traitorous minister and a lucky one, Wang Daokun will become a marginalized person in the court like Guo Chaobin before.
The Holy Family is a killing move that will only be activated when there is a last resort. Moreover, after Wang Daokun returned to Beijing, he was always causing trouble for His Majesty. How can he be the Holy Family without achieving even an inch of success?
So Wang Daokun can only find Wan Shihe. Wan Shihe, a die-hard imperialist, is the golden balm in the court. He may be used at some time.
"It's too expensive." Zhu Yijun shook his head and said: "It was only completed in July of the seventh year of Wanli. I watched the Tonghe Palace and admired the colorful and indistinguishable heavenly palace. It has not been more than three years since it was as magnificent as before. If you want to destroy it and add more decorations, is it wrong that the regulations are not prepared? I know it, sir, and I am afraid that I will be advised to be frugal again."
Wan Shihe immediately said: "Yuan Fu. Your Majesty has not advised your Majesty to be frugal in six years. Moreover, this time the replacement of glass and glazed tiles in Tonghe Palace was initiated by your Majesty under the leadership of the Ministry of Works. It is related to the dignity of our country, so please consider it.”
“It’s too expensive. "
Wan Shihe still insisted, bowed his head and said: "Your Majesty, the total is less than five thousand taels."
"It's almost a thousand horses, why should we replace them? "Zhu Yijun didn't understand why Wan Shihe was so insistent.
"Your Majesty pays homage to you, and the world thinks it is right. If your Majesty does not use it, the world will not be able to use it." Wan Shihe finally said this, the new glass is a new technology, so good Even the Emperor of Ming Dynasty had no use for these things. No matter who else used them, it would be a crime of trespass.
Under the framework of the Ming Dynasty, the emperor and his ministers, since the emperor's Tonghe Palace and the imperial palace are equipped with glass, the best must be used in terms of etiquette and law.
This time it is indeed a new process. The craftsmen of the glass factory affiliated to the Ministry of Industry have created a new furnace that separates the magnetically selected glass raw materials from the smoke and fire of coal burning. Flat glass was mass-produced, and the engineering department used rubber strips to make the glass more tightly sealed.
Good sealing equals better insulation, which is good for expanding north.
"In this case, let's change it." Zhu Yijun said with a pained face, five thousand taels of silver, twenty-five thousand kilograms of pork.
Wan Shihe said in a low voice: "Your Majesty, Da Situ said that the national funds will provide this money."
"I should have told you earlier." Zhu Yijun's expression immediately returned to calmness. He should have said that someone would foot the bill. He had agreed long ago, but he still used it to do Tai Chi?
Seeing that His Majesty was in a good mood, Wang Qian thought over and over again and said: "Your Majesty, can the Chi Road be built only by the imperial court? After all, the imperial court has limited manpower, so it is better to delegate power to various places and buy it to merchants, who will raise funds to build it. How? "
Suiyuan Chidao has carried out ticket approval, but the management and ownership are firmly controlled by the court. In the Renren Shipowner Plan, shipowners cannot directly interfere in the operation.
What Wang Qian means is that the imperial court is not omnipotent after all. On the one hand, it needs to limit redundant personnel to resist bloat. On the other hand, it also needs mileage. It is better to delegate all powers to the local governments except for the main roads and let the local governments spend money. Merchants, speed up the construction of Chidao.
"Wang Yushi, have you asked your father about this idea?" When Wan Shihe heard this, the corner of his mouth twitched and asked.
Wang Qian said without knowing why: "No."
"Thank you for not asking. If you did, we wouldn't be able to see Wang Yushi." Zhu Yijun spread his hands. , looked at Wan Shihe and said with a smile.
"Hahaha!" Wan Shihe, Zhu Yijun, Feng Bao and Zhang Hong all laughed happily.
Wang Qian’s proposal looks beautiful, but when implemented, it will lead to the separatist rule of the feudal town.
(End of this chapter)