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 careful 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 have 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 officials were thinking about how to use the skills of the southerners to improve the shortcomings of the Ming Dynasty.
Nowadays, all the shortcomings of the Ming Dynasty are revealed.
One is that the border troops are poorly paid and are in decline and cannot be put to good 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 every year, and there are fewer and fewer places to tax.
Third, the fights 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 people are missing.
Fourth, civil unrest occurs frequently in various places, and big chaos is about to happen.
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 agreed with the emperor's wise decision. Although they 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 knew that the arrival of the Southerners would bring new variables to the Ming Dynasty, and they must deal with them carefully.
Emperor Jiajing returned to Wanshou Palace alone.
He looked through the window into the distance.
His heart was full of expectations.
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 and determined to personally oversee the new organization and make sure everything was under his control.
He hasn'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 keep yourself from getting tired and ensure you practice Taoism calmly.
Therefore, under the balance of many factors, he can still live to 60 years old.
Among ancient emperors, their lifespans were very long.
Many emperors who sought immortality had short life spans.
For example, his son did not seek immortality, but only lived to be more than thirty years old.
…
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 the Ming Dynasty.
Mainly because they didn't carry many things with them when they crossed.
Therefore, he did not rush to war with Ming Dynasty.
Moreover, at this time, the 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.
But now, they need Ming Dynasty's market and labor force.
It’s still too slow to just rely on them to do it slowly on their own.
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 kernel and optical technology, you will end up with nothing like the same thing.
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 imperial court to supervise the work of the Southerners.
Li Hanlin wore a green official robe, a black gauze hat on his head, and a jade pendant symbolizing his 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 scholar.
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 a native.
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 very calm.
Zhao Tiezhu turned around with a smile on his face.
But there was a hint 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 has been dragged down to lay boards.
How is it possible that scholars, farmers, merchants, and craftsmen do not kneel down and kowtow when their master comes in, or stand aside and salute?
Simply seeking death.
During a discussion about workshop management, a dispute finally broke out.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! "Master Zhao, your method is against our Ming Dynasty ethics. There is no clear distinction between superiors and inferiors. How can you manage the workshop well?" Li Hanlin frowned, with a tone of voice.
To blame.
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 a business?
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. How big a business can be run only by how big a management is.
Moreover, they are destined to be distorted, and 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 a four-dimensional image, and then be burned down due to the resistance of the barren people.
If it goes on again and again, there will naturally be no possibility for industry and commerce to accumulate.
So Zhao Tiezhu responded calmly: "Mr. 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 just thinking too much."
"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 was able to establish a dynasty was based on the principle of 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 as brothers, 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 produce 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 products 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 very difficult.
It is because Mencius talked about righteousness and emphasized that the ruler and his subjects should be equal to father and son. In other words, if the ruler is not kind and righteous, his subjects will not be loyal.
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 sense 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 needs to find a way to solve this problem
The debate quietly spread in the workshop.
Both southerners and indigenous workers in the workshops participated.
Some people secretly support Li Hanlin's views and believe that without the order of dignity, the workshop will fall into chaos.
Others agree with Zhao Tiezhu's philosophy and believe that only by equality can everyone 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 are respected, the emperor, ministers, father and son are all strict."
"If southerners are allowed to preach equality, where is the order? Where is the etiquette?"
"When the time comes, if 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 all over the place, and the price of hiring workers is so cheap that they can feed them for a month."
"Can this also be called prosperity?"
"Why is that 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 still have some respect, 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 the king.
Lords can be converted into large factory owners relatively easily.
Their industry can be maintained.
And 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.
In the final analysis, 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.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! It was not until after he traveled through time, during collisions with other time travelers, and when doing things personally, that he experienced the plunder of officials, that he realized that without checks and balances and equality
concept, even if it develops, it will be appropriated 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 Chen, 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 disdain to use the yamen's tactics to deal with those who argued with him.
After all, he thought it was very dirty.
This debate lasted for a long time.
Until the sun sets, the atmosphere in the workshop is 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 law 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 settle accounts, all the land owned by the government officials is basically classified as lower-grade farmland, dry land, and inferior land. In this way, the tax collected will be much less.
If you go further, you will gradually stop accepting it altogether.
This is why if there is more than one person to be elected, many people will contribute.
The rules and regulations 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 was admitted all the way from Xiucai Juren.
I have personally experienced the changes in the attitude of the yamen secretary office.